Imperial Armed Service

Varies by place and position. But often all recruits follow some form of training under Blade or Blade-like codes as a "Whetstone". Then they get the mark of Sentry or Soldier in some form. After a couple years or so, if conscripted, they are free, but may try to advance their career. Former military tends to often fluctuate to some guard job with pay.

Payment is none for the bulk majority, unless they've signed in on a special deal. Rather the job works more out of a collectivist reward mindset. Rations, tools, special group events, and the like are given at free, and incentive to improve leads to better titles or more personal tools and respect. If a prestigious member retires or leaves, there may be a surprise payout distributed from the person they last served under, but otherwise things are funded and given to them on taxed Serio.

A vast majority of soldiers are female. Male still take up enough to be clearly seen, but not nearly the same in numbers. Actual volatile attack oriented soldiers tend to come from Houses Blade, and Salt, whereas Dragon & Rum have sometimes been underfunded as a glorified border defense. Guards make up a vast amount of the domestic defenses, and can be seen everywhere in some form or another, with the Tulip trained Thorns being the most distinguished, and breaking habit of being more male-to-female when stationed locally in the palace itself.

Originally in pre-empire era, more males fought as they were biologically stronger, and tended to be raised with the mindset of earning their strength and legacy. However as the empire was built, and they saw a wealth of united eggs hatching to overwhelming female odds, it was suggested that things change roles and that if males were all sent out to war, more of the weaker or ill would be breeding rather than 'just the strong' that return. So it was quickly settled that females would actually be conscripted out to serve as the bulk of forces with the absurd number they could out-populated males in. This was contested during the days of the Blade Guild, but the leader was challenged and later died, giving way to a signed agreement to actually turn their place into a noble house of conscripting female hatchlings.   Wider history of services can be contested by place, with entities like Salt having their own unique history, whereas some defensive duties of Hunt and Dragon have actually tarnished or fluctuated over history.

Imperial Rekettan Weapons  Common Weapons include...

• Clance - Main Polearm, especially for guards
• Tshete or Kekke'ki - Backup swords
• Kettshi - More of a tool, the dagger & fan are used for cooling off or trimming plumage. Rarely ever for its original intention to charm & kill.

This takes into account more of the mass groups, rather than specalist functions like those with crossbows, the short span of guns, or odd roles like the 'Seaweed' navy sword.   Once armor was streamlined, and mail was very common, the trend across most heavy armor involved steel plates, chainmail under armor shirts, black cotton or fur underlined breeches with steel or dragon-scale plating over top, and helmets could vary between mail-skirted masks and steel helmets with out-curving eye slits, to merely headtop helmets. Guards often wore fur-lined gambesons to endure long stands in darker, colder areas where torchlight alone provided the only oncoming warmth. A lot of more simple attires just involve less use of metal over gambeson, or layered leather. Standard code requires crests of the empire and the assigned house to be arm-banded symmetrically on the sleeves of virtually any uniform.