The Pankrates

The Pankrates are an elite and secretive army trained in the Porcius Pankration and multi discipline tactics sworn to the service of Gaius Porcius, a man who they consider to be some sort of god. The selection and training process for the Pankrates is brutal and often fatal for many young initiates, but those who survive the hardships can accept the Argenlarva, the metal mask of office and assume their role as a member of the most feared and capable military organization to ever draw breath.

Once accepted the young Cadet swears the “Sogandh”, a soul oath to the service of Gaius that is all encompassing and cannot be broken, in fact the oath carries even beyond death seeming to indicate that they will serve Gaius even in Doxa.

Upon completion of their training the young initiates attend the “Dakhma” which serves as their graduation ceremony but is in truth a formal funeral where they are laid to rest and surrender their lives to the Pankration. The ceremony involves the Cadet renouncing all their worldly attachments followed by a time where their instructors and peers recounting their triumphs during their training. Once this eulogy is complete the Cadet is laid and tied to a pyre, their Agenlarva placed upon their face and the pyre is lit. Those Cadets who escape from their binds and survive the pyre emerge from the fire a Pankrate, those who do not are dead.

Ranks
Cadet: Pankrate hopefulls and trainees.

Pankrate: The standard rank of the Pankration Forces.

Padan: Officer rank commanding Strike Teams

Qajar: Commanders of the Pankrate Cell Divisions.

Kha Pankrate: The Supreme Commander of the Pankrate Forces answering only to the Shahraam himself. The title of Kha also carries the title of Spahbad making them amoung the highest ranking nobles in Quarsus.

