Long after the last shell has fallen, after the documents of surrender have been signed
and the invader becomes the occupier, the civilian population must endure the great
changes wrought upon them. Some react better to these changes than others. While the
majority accepts their new status as a defeated society with little more than whimpering and
whining, there are those who protest their fallen state more vigorously. These quar are
the partisans who defend their homes and families and work to restore their vision of
proper governance through armed resistance, generally against a numerically superior
and far better equipped foe.
Partisan bands have become a feature of the Long War only relatively recently.
The Laws given down by Ehn’k’du expressly prohibit the direct targeting or involvement
of noncombatants in times of war, but as the war has dragged on and on, many quar
have decided that they cannot rely on their governments to end the conflict. Some
clans have used the war as an excuse to settle old grudges, or to expand their influence.
Others are trying to restore the First Families, or support the Crusade, or establish their
own control over their homelands. The genesis of any particular band of partisans
may never be known beyond the circle of its members, but their actions are much
farther reaching. Quar opposed to the armies trampling their fields or investing their
cities take to the hills and forests, striking at their enemies from positions of
opportunity, disappearing into the landscape after the shock of their initial assault wears off. Theirs is a particularly effective style of
asymmetric warfare. A handful of partisans can
sometimes paralyze entire catrawds, forcing them
to spend valuable time and energy attempting to
root them out of their holes and hiding places.
Unlike town or county militias, which
typically receive at least superficial support from
local governments or institutions, partisans are
more self-reliant and self-supporting. They may
benefit from the occasional surreptitious donation
from sympathetic farmers or businessquar, but
on the whole, they must fend for themselves.
Weapons and ammunition are scavenged from the
victims of their actions. Wounded quar are often
forced to consult veterinarians or shepherds for
care of their wounds, as the first places an occupying
force will check after an attack are local doctors
and hospitals.
Because they operate outside the Laws of
War established so long ago, many partisans, once
caught, are rarely afforded the same treatment that
would be given to an enemy rhyfler. Many officers
feel the need to make examples of captured partisans,
and these examples are always quite brutal. An
area that sees a lot of partisan activity will also see
its citizens handled far more savagely by occupying
rhyflers than a calmer region.