: I dont think Gower HAS an army, otherwise why wouldn't
: they have thrown thier lot in with the west to defeat
: a mutual enemy? Also, mauls worked for the dark
: (altough they wqeren't necisarilly evil, see GURPS) so
: why would they work for a human nation?
Mauls worked for Soulblighter because he gave them promises of better lands, i.e. he appealed to their sence of greed. Basically mauls would work for anyone who promised them better lands (perhaps material wealth) and thus it isnt unlikely that in the first great war a few mauls were working for towns which gave them some lands, though it is equally likely that many mauls try to invade their lands.
As for gower being crappy, it is pretty crappy, basically it is a feudal state, more like medieval Europe than anything else (so unlike the Cath Bruig they arent asian/mayan looking and cultural). Here the exert form gurps:
Gower is a poor human kingdom, more renowned for the simple feat of survival than for any ambition. Between the Mauls to the North and the mysterious Dark lands to the east, Ghol raids from the south, the hazards of the Dire Marsh to their west, and the standoffish Trow to the northwest, the citizens of Gower spend most of their time facing one hazard or another.
This constant skirmishing turns many men of Gower into quiet but competant warriors, wishing only to be left alone but well-versed in the arts of war. The greatest human warrior in history is usually credited as arising from an eastern Gower village.
Gower's inhabitants live in simple villages or hamlets. They farm, raise cattle, grow orchards, and get by as best they can. This far east, the weather can be less predictable than in western lands, with long droughts or deluges not uncommon. Even nature appears to take a more aggresive stance with the enduring people of this kingdom.
In periods of defence the populace of surrounding villages retires to the local lord's castle or stronghold. Often these boast nothing more stout than short, wooden walls-but Gower tradition doesnt rely on strong walls nearly as much as strong sword arms.
The kingdom has traditionaly maintained cordial if distant relations with [the] Cath Bruig, only becoming affixed to that empire when its own son, Connacht, opened a new age of Cath Bruig glory as the emperor. Currently it is its own kingdom, and with the buffer of the Dire Marsh between then it regards ALric as little less suspicious than the various other hazards surrounding the state.
