Agrik: Cohorts of Gashang by Marc Renouf and Brent Bailey is a role playing game supplement published by Columbia Games Inc. for use with Hârn and HârnMaster.
The supplement is available from DriveThruRPG as a four-page PDF for $2.99 but was purchased at a reduced price during a sale.
The opening paragraph explains that the Cohorts of Gashang were formed during a schism that also gave rise to the Order of the Eight Demons and recruits from the worst sorts in order to rapidly expand.
History explains that the Agrikan priestess Merele of Kantar was unhappy with the patriarchal and rigid leadership of the Order of Herpa the Mace and schemed to create her own order. In order to accomplish this, as well as recruiting priestesses, she subverted warriors from the Red Shadows of Herpa. Some of those swayed were true believers; others, like the current master of the Cohorts, saw a chance to rise above their current station. These were the primary conspirators who took control of Themeson Keep. A sidebar has the heraldry of the order and the problems that it had registering the badge, as their desire to include Herpa’s mace was continually denied.
Current Situation explains how the grandmaster recruited anyone who would sign up for the order, no matter how poor quality they were. The Cohorts may now have a decent size, but the troops are poor quality and the order is overstretched. The True Believers, those who agreed with the priestess’s arguments, consider, with justification, themselves to be superior. A sidebar looks at the potential of returning Themeson Keep to the Thardic Republic.
Chapterhouses looks at the different places the Cohorts are stationed, including the manors and temples held by the clerical order, as well as city chapterhouses in such as Shiran and Geshtei, and the order’s own lands. A sidebar covers the grandmaster.
Joining the Order explains what is needed to do so; little more than turn up with your own equipment.
Military Tactics explains that, due to the poor quality of the troops, order is maintained through fear. They mainly operate light horse and light foot. A sidebar gives the skills order members have, their equipment and the spiritual core of the order, the Brethren.
Agrik: Cohorts of Gashang in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and is short enough that these are not needed. Navigation is okay. The text maintains a single column with sidebar format and appeared to be free of errors. There are a number of colour and black and white images, at least some of which are custom. Presentation is decent.
Though this supplement is aimed at HârnMaster, there are almost no stats in it, making it easy enough to use with other systems. The supplement adequately gives an overview of a fighting order, though one that really needs other supplements in order to use properly. It’s interesting that this order is of comparatively low quality and its days could well be numbered. Agrik: Cohorts of Gashang is a decent little supplement and it can be found by clicking here.
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