Bloodsworn

The Bloodsworn, known as the Kholmat in Zhash, were a religious order related to the Praternum Aviatus that flourished during the early years of the Polises of Amarisar. The foremost military organization in most cities, they had no formal structure aside from seniority, but despite their flaws managed to defend the city states from most threats for nearly four hundred years. Excellent heavy infantry and frontline soldiers, their religious duty was to earn glory in eternity by slaying the foes of their kin. Trained from birth and ritually scarified after being given up by their parents to the order in a particular polis, they had very few equals in the known world around the time of the fall of Borizu, though they were equally few in number.

Leaders of an individual order would be named Warmaster (Sundir) and lead their battle-brothers in combat, as well as occasionally being given political authority in desperate polises in times of war. Most Kholmat fought with bronze weapons and armor, with heavy two-handed swords being favored in individual combat, or a thick bronze shield and stabbing spear if fighting in the phalanx, though there are recorded instances of Bloodsworn fighting with bows or iron armor if their polis was poor or it was tactically demanded. They were also some of the few men in the near East who fought from armored war elephants, using their mighty iron bows to good effect.