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Wisdom
Starting Money
5d8gp
The Janissaries are an élite fighting order of the Empire of the Crescent Moon, largely influenced by the beliefs of the Bektaşi Sufi order. The Janissaries are gathered through the Knabenlese system, whereby children of True Faith families within the Empire of the Crescent Moon are taken from their family, converted to the Way of the Crescent Moon, and trained to become exceptional soldiers.
Every five years, the recruiters in charge of the Knabenlese system scour the lands far to the south of the Fair Kingdom for the strongest sons of the sultan's True Faith subjects. These boys, usually between the ages of 10 and 12, are then taken from their parents and given to Crescent Moon families of the region to learn their language, customs, and religion. These boys are then enrolled in Janissary training, supervised 24 hours a day, and subjected to severe discipline, amongst others: prohibition from growing a beard, from taking up any skill other than war, or marrying. The Janissaries are extremely well-disciplined (a rarity in the armies of the region).
Restrictions
You must be any lawful alignment and/or have the Way of the Crescent Moon allegiance; you lose your janissary status if you drift to a different alignment/allegiance, instead becoming a fighter. You only associate with like-minded characters, and may only work with unlike-minded characters for a very focused, single-purpose mission, quest, or adventure, and never in the employ of non-Crescent Moon patrons. You must evenly divide 90% of any treasure you receive or of any loot you find between the Janissary corps and the Bektaşi Sufi order, and you may only use the remaining 10% to buy military gear or military-related training.
Janissary Traits
✠ Use Light and Medium Armour and Shields
✠ Weapons Training: as fighter
✠ Arquebus: you are the only fighters equipped with this firearm (1D10 damage instead of 1D8)
✠ Enemy of the Infidels
✠ Esprit de corps: you work better when surrounded by fellow janissaries
✠ Personal hygiene: you have a reputation for personal hygiene, at a time when this is still an 'option'; a a result, you are less likely to contract maladies.
Janissary Advancements
✠ Pose as a True Faith fighter
✠ Sniper: you double your DEX bonus when using the arquebus from a place where you cannot be seen
✠ Lover (heroic scale): since you cannot marry, you may develop a deep homoerotic bond with a fellow janissary, who will do his utmost to protect you; this lover functions as a sidekick (q.v.)
✠ Clerical Magic (epic scale): begin to acquire clerical spells as a 1st level cleric, increasing by 1 level per level thereafter
✠ Tekke (epic scale): establish and preside over a militarised Sufi shrine
Other Advancements
✠ Damage Focus stance
✠ Fighting Lore: as fighter
✠ Devotion To Deity: as cleric
✠ Other Traits From Deity: as cleric
✠ Steady Aim stance
Janissary Character Sheets
Use the custom box to list special effects, clerical spells, and other advancements.
