Kalivos

Kalivos was the Guild of Mercenaries in Promethea. Their founder is credited with conceiving the original idea of Promethea. After the city fell Kalivos was dispersed. Many of its members joined Kira Kael's armies and are now garrisoned in Northern Chezao.

Guild duties
Kalivos was basically a soldiers' union. It provided armies for hire to the highest bidder. Kalivos members specialised in one weapon each (with a basic knowledge of all others) and were expected to lend skilled support to standing armies in the course of war.

Guild members were trained at an officers' level. Most specialised in one or two areas related to battle: espionage, defensive or offencive tactics, supply and medical support, etc. But a Kalivos' main skillset was his own personal ability to fight. It was said one Kalivos member was equal to ten regular men out on the field, and in some cases more.

Guild life
The whole guild had a "live fast, die young" mindset and was known for wild parties, brawling, heavy drinking, and strong social ties. Kalivos members tended to live together in groups. Their territory consisted of a single huge meeting hall for formal purposes, a scattering of large lodge-houses, and a bar that welcomed non-Guilders.

Kalivos' leader handled all connexions with the outside world. When a foreign leader wanted an army, they would contact the leader of Kalivos and submit a number. The guild leader would then call up certain groups of men that suited that particular need.

Training
New members were trained according to their age and skill level. All recruits had to pass a test in order to join the Guild, but the minimum testing age was sixteen, so younger recruits could expect to stay in training until they "aged in." Training included instruction on hand-to-hand combat, long-range ballistics, and the tactics of offence, defence, and supply. Trainees were led through the process in groups. Often they became fast friends by the end of training and remained in their groups all their lives.

Each Kalivos member was expected to learn a single weapon to perfection. They could choose any weapon they wanted. After passing their final test, members were presented with a brand-new, Kalivos-stamped weapon of that type which they were expected to keep throughout their lives for service in combat. Purposefully breaking your Kalivos weapon was a symbol of quitting the Guild, and was required for those who wished to leave.

Kalivos also awarded each successful new member with a code name. Outside of Promethea, members referred to each other solely by their code names.

Reception
Kalivos was very well-liked in the community. The traits that could make them undesirable (brawling, drinking, whoring) were kept in check by their leader, Baird, one of the last rock demons in Faerune. Baird had a talent for stopping trouble before it started. Kalivos' history as the founders of Promethea didn't hurt them, either, and the public generally respected their members, or at least were willing to swing by of an evening and buy them a drink.