Lacedaemon Family/Argonaut Funeral

Funeral of the Argonauts

Amyclas stood somberly with his men as six bodies were lowered into their makeshift graves. No one in his unit had any real knowledge of ceremonies or the demands of gods in this matter, so a simple warrior's funeral would have to do. Their bodies wrapped in linen, and their equipment arrayed beside them. The Argonauts had taken the brunt of a melee when they deployed in front of a Golden Host army rather than in line with the other infantry. If not for the superior arms and skill of the Argonauts, the casualties would have been much worse. The Argonauts were grateful that their leader spent coin liberally when it came to procuring instruments of violence.

The Argonauts were Landsknecht in their Lord's service. Landed soldiers, elite and well equipped. Most sported long swords or thicker bastard swords. Some preferred heavy infantry falchions. All of them were required to hold roundshields, medium sized, of around 90 centimeters in diameter, some strengthened with iron bosses or edged in iron or bronze, some faced with leather or strips of metal. They were chosen for usefulness in fighting both in and out of formation. Such was its versatility that you could duel in them, wade into a chaotic melee or form a shield wall with them.

The armor of the Argonauts were more varied. The older veterans, survivors of the Lacedaemon household guard wore composite vests of scale and linen in a linothorax, the softer elements good for arresting arrows, and the harder scale for deflecting blows. They were light and flexible, but only covered vital areas, making survival more dependent on the warrior's personal skill. The other men war chain mail hauberks over thick gambesons of rawhide and soft leather, often roughly arrayed to give an appearance of having "gone native" in the harsh wilderness of Moon Bay. All the Argonauts wore thick iron barbutes, decorated with harsh Lacedaemon colors. Overall their armor was tough and functional, built for both endurance and protection as needed by an infantry unit, and almost as good as it could be without buying specialized pieces that were only afforded by nobles.

Amyclas made a mental note to find out more about the afterlife and deities of dwilight. As a soldier, death was a constant companion, and he would do well to protect both his soul and that of his men.