[quote=@Letter Bee]
Also, I wrote this:

[hider=Thoughts on Ioannes]
[b]Thoughts on Ioannes[/b]

Hmm, basically, to get to the roots of Ioannes' psyche, one has to know/remember that the Giray System combines the brutality of enslavement and harsh military training, but justifies itself by saying that the slaves live better lives and have more power than freemen. A friend of mine objected to slaves having money and power, but that was because he believed that I was trying to export Ioannes [i]out[/I] of a High Fantasy setting. In a High Fantasy setting, however, an oligarchy of [i]nominal[/i] slaves, who rule over lower ranks of [i]actual[/i] slaves whose job is to [i]replace[/i] them once they die, is possible.

[b]What I want with Ioannes[/b]

My disjointed thoughts:

- My main inspiration for Ioannes came from the fact that IRL, the Mamluks funded [i]churches[/i] in the Caucasus, while Janissaries sent aid back to their home villages, while keeping many Christian customs (that last part isn't as important as the first). 

- Ioannes sees his enslavement as justified, because it meant that once he was 18, he can reclaim his name, his diety (or choose a new one) and furthermore, send money and aid back to whatever relatives he has left, should they accept it (they did).

- Ioannes' main relative is an Aunt in the Kingdom of Hellas; she's a kind person who accepted Ioannes despite the fact that Giray is sort of an enemy (though not to the extent of the IRL Turkish-Greek hate).

- Ioannes, despite seeing his own enslavement as justified, wants to find another way, because he's realized from the stories of his fellow slaves that being taken away from one's parents is traumatic, and thus, if another way is found, then that would be a moot point.

- Because Giray Slaves are bound by a pain-inducing slave collar for the first two years of training, Ioannes would see stuff around his neck, even something as innocent as scarves or necklaces, as a trigger for trauma (assuming I'm using PTSD).

- The oligarchy wants the Mamlukes and Slave-Bureaucrats to see each other as a team, to be loyal to each other, because the slaves would one day replace the masters, and once that happens, they need to work together instead of being at odds. While 'weakness' isn't tolerated, slaves are expected to look after each other's needs outside of training or battle. When they are sick, other slaves are expected to take part in taking care of them; same for hunger and thirst and even other needs. To encourage this, the slavemasters do not directly help the slaves, except to give them instructions and the approrpiate supplies; they may watch the slaves to prevent them from escaping, but cannot interfere unless one is on the verge of death.

- Slave training is harsh, back-breaking (not literally) and demanding. One has to master multiple weapons, fight as both Infantry and Cavalry, and also be proficient a number of scholarly subjects (history, engineering, and medicine are 'recommendations'). Not merely that, but acts of kindness from the trainers are rare, and mostly kept hidden and subtle, to be revealed only once the training is over.

- Giray, despite being a slavocracy, does have redeeming, even [i]laudable[/i] qualities that the slaves are frequently reminded of. Basically, Giray is a multifaith, multiethnic, and multicultural state [i]that works[/i], and it's because of the Mamluks and Slave-Bureaucrats. While the rest of the world is divided in petty, self-destructive divisions, Giray is diverse but united, and the Slave System is justified because it protects this diverse unity (that last part is exaggeration and propaganda).

- Any slave found to have kept the 'weak' emotions of kindness and empathy, or exhibit the capability to [i]fake[/i] them, are assigned to Public Relations, Diplomatic Offices, or various missions requiring interaction with others. Ioannes is one of those slaves.

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I think Tirrarian would greet Ioannes like Gnomes greet most things, with curiosity and light hearted humor