#i dont think odonii have come up on this blog yet. they are priestesses of wardin's seven-faced god religion who are

[serpentface]

Rhea Sur-Tigiiz, a daughter of heathens, Odonii priestess and master of the rifle, commander of the musket-bearing Cobra Knight military order, asshole, loves the killing. And her servant and fourth squire (the previous three didn't make it), an adolescent Finn eunuch named Nedaemon. Rhea adores this kid (in her own special way) and spends more time with him than her actual son.

Both are wearing the padded linen armor of light infantry, which is thickly woven enough to resist arrows and sometimes even musketfire (under lucky circumstances). Both are dyed blue to indicate status as odonii/odonii servants, with Rhea's regalia including some far more expensive forms of blue dye. Nedaemon is not yet worthy of armored pants.

Wardin is a society where the social elite and any who can afford it have servants. Each odonii priestess is attended by a flock of servants, who must be girls or eunuchs. Those designated men by Wardi cultural standards are utterly prohibited from this role, as a man seeing an odonii's nudity is a violation of her body that must be re-consecrated with his life's blood. (Exceptions are made in cases where odonii are wed to husbands). Most of these servants start as children or adolescents, often being sold to the odonii by poor families.

As far as any situation involving selling a child into servitude can go, serving the odonii is far from the worst option. It consists of most common servile duties, as well as caring for tame lions and hauling weapons to and from war-dances. They will be well fed and afforded a degree of social protection due to their servitude of divine priestesses, regardless of their social class or citizen status. (Though any societal abuses typical towards those in servant positions may, of course, be present). They are not paid for their services until adulthood, though their family is given yearly payments in the meantime.

The few odonii who actually participate in combat are given a young eunuch as a squire (sometimes along with a young girl training to become a priestess, who will outrank the other squire). They will carry and maintain her weapons/shields/armor, outfit her, supply her ammunition, tend to her khaits, carry the lionskin standard. They are expected to defend their priestess with their lives.

One who survives to adulthood will usually be inducted into a higher military order (Rhea's Cobra Knights largely consist of graduated squires). One who does not survive has the consolation of God's favor and an esteemed position in the afterlife, usually said to be a cupbearer to the ancient saints and heroes. The potential of induction into an elite knighthood is a highly desirable outcome- such a warrior is highly respected and may be paid in land and peasants, able to support their their families for life. Even wealthy and secure families may have their sons put to the knife to become an odonii's squire.