D'oh! I drew a human. I swear, I had no choice!

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The vast majority of humans live within the boundaries of the Caliphate of Man and the Circassid Empire. With Elves to the east, Beastfolk to the north, and Orcs to the south, they are no strangers to the arts of war and diplomacy. The Odem Faith, a monotheistic and monolithic religion, forms the cultural, legal, and civil nucleus of human society.

Over a millenium has passed since the first Jihad, the bloody genesis of the Faith and the first efforts to unify humanity under a single sovereign, state, and faith. Since the very beginning, the Yeni Seri, or Janissaries, have fought toward this end.

The Janissaries are effectively mercenaries of the state. They begin as war orphans, abandoned children, or boys and girls given over to the Caliph in exchange for benefits and concessions. From childhood they are schooled in the religious and martial traditions of the nation, and upon adulthood they form the professional core of the military.

In peacetime the Janissaries oversee civil affairs as bureaucrats, and in wartime they form the professional corps of officers, magi, and shock troops. They are the swords of the Sultan, loyal, brave, and intelligent.

However, over a millennium the Janissaries have become completely entrenched in the politics of a bygone era. With the formation of the New Model Army, the Nizam-I Cedit, there is a question about whether the Janissaries are needed at all. With the nation's military bitterly divided between the 'old guard' Janissaries and the new, modern, 'people's army' of the Nizam-I Cedit, the stage is set for a showdown, possibly even a civil war.