Soldier Slaves

Both sorcerer-kings and the noble houses maintain standing armies of slave soldiers. The quality of these soldiers varies widely. In most cases, they are simply burly slaves who have been taken from the fields, equipped with some manner of weaponry, then taught to fight as a unit. To keep these soldiers in line, officers rely on a combination of privileged treatment and harsh punishments. The best armies of the noble houses are selected as infants, removed from their parents, and raised by officers. During their harsh childhoods, these children learn two things: to be loyal to their owning family, and to fight without regard for themselves. In order to ensure that the armies of their nobility are not a threat to their own power, many sorcererkings raise armies of half-giants. This powerful race was created by the magical crossbreeding of humans and giants and their strength can put even a powerful mul to shame. To oversee these half-giant troops, the monarchs rely upon hand-picked templar officers who use their magical abilities to keep the brutes in line. Noble houses never use half-giant soldiers, for they lack the magic necessary to keep such troops under control.