Entry #355119, added on 06-22-05 @ 9:28 am EDT
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| The Brotherhood Of Lieutenants | Entry #355119 |
This issue was touched upon in the previous entry ("Barracks Life"), yet I felt it deserved further explanation.
I've already made it clear that Apsiu society functions on a strict caste system, so strict that attempting to break out of one's caste can result in harsh punishment, including death and relegation to slave status. The two primary castes are those of the Kana, or flying warrior caste, and the Moru, or the flightless (and/or female) slave caste. We've also seen that further "subcastes" exist among the Kana, for example, the caste of the soldier class, and that of the civilian class; and then there are even professional castes which vary in the amount of honor and prestige the jobs bring--for example, to serve as a career soldier is the highest occupational caste there is, though to serve as a blacksmith, armorer, or weaponsmaker is also considered an honorable profession; other professions such as those of scribe and priest are viewed with disdain. There may even be said to be a sort of informal "rich" caste and "poor" caste. (Though destitution itself is virtually unknown among the Apsiu.)
The greatest subcaste however would be that of the lieutenants, who make up an important driving force within the military ranks, and are so powerful in their own right that they sometimes even prove to be a threat to the general and his men themselves. They might compare to the priestly classes of the Kemeti at the height of their power. The lieutenant class is not a true caste in that almost anyone can join this class, and/or leave it, at any time; its ranks are fluid and are earned largely on skill and merit. However, the camaraderie of the lieutenants is such that this class functions in much the same way as a true caste, and relations between it and the other classes reflect this fact.
Lieutenant is the last rank one may reach before all training ends, so it is understood that this is the final earned rank--the final rank for which one must fight and prove himself in order to earn it. The rank of sergeant is not a rank to which most Kana aspire, and sergeants have not fulfilled all the training that is to be offered. The rank of captain is purely political, recommended most often by other captains. Lieutenants reach beyond what sergeants attempt, and are not handed their rank out of mere political favoritism; those who decide to remain lieutenants almost always carry the rank with great pride. In addition, lieutenants are those soldiers who are most likely to guard the households of important Kana, to do the bulk of skilled fighting in battle, and to lead the troops in the stead of their captains and general; and ONLY lieutenants may oversee trainees in the barracks, and serve the general and captains as first and second lieutenant. There is also not nearly so much political backstabbing and intrigue as there is with the ranks of captain and general, as there is simply no REASON to backstab most lieutenants--the rank can almost always only be earned. (Oddly enough, only the first and second lieutenants to higher Kana have any reason to feel much rivalry--and these two are most often the closest comrades!) And so, the rank of lieutenant is most desirable to the majority of Kana, as well as being the rank that allows the most flexibility and options for desirable duties. Unlike sergeants, who still have to struggle and fight to earn their place, and captains and generals, who have to watch their backs lest they be betrayed, lieutenants find almost all doors open to them, and take advantage of this state as best as they can. It is often claimed by lieutenants that only crazy Kana would aspire to become captains or, much worse, general.
Because of the vaunted status of their rank, lieutenants of course form a much closer bond than the rest of the Kana, both inferiors and superiors, who often have to fight against each other to get what they want--the lieutenants already have what they want, and the only ones who may compete for their positions are other lieutenants. Rather than be jealous of each other, they are remarkably proud of their position in life, and treat each other accordingly, as brothers. "Brother" is a very fluid term among the Apsiu and can mean anything from "male sibling" to "comrade" to "lover," often meaning something in between. This term is most often employed among the lieutenants in reference to each other, and it is very rare to find one lieutenant address another as "Lord" or "Lieutenant" unless they are strangers or are speaking formally. Lieutenants spar together to keep themselves fit; they visit the taverns together, and stand watch on guard duty together. They patrol the city wall together, and train younger Kana, and act as the general's runners, and even often pair off with each other as mates. Lieutenants are understood to share a close bond which the rest of the soldier caste just cannot understand, unless they themselves should attain this rank.
This is all I can think of at the moment to say regarding this unusual class, though I may have more to say in the future. :) A good example of the goodnatured rivalry and camaraderie to be found among Kana lieutenants is that of First Lieutenant Nehef and Second Lieutenant Ahai'ikh, in the Chronicles; very different in temperament, they frequently insult each other, and even make comments regarding envying each other's position/duties, yet it's obvious that the two of them are very close friends and most of their banter is merely joking. In a future chapter so far unwritten, when a lieutenant is publicly punished, the majority of the other lieutenants turn their backs on the punishment, refusing to witness it, to show their support for their disgraced brother.
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