A pair of soldiers (baler on the left, rhuuk on the right) in the Gwhaalu Protectorate Army relax on leave in Sub-Base Club with a courtship dance. (the lil centaur in the background is also an alien -- this one's a Vattu.) The Gwhaalu Protectorate Army is the closest thing the Protectorate has to a religious organization. Individuals may either join it of their own volition or be Tithed to it as infants. Those Tithed to the GWPA are kept within it for the entirety of their lives; even when on leave, they do not leave a base. Instead, they simply venture to a dedicated Relaxtoration Base, which has been set up with various amenities. Those outside the Gwhaalu Protectorate's military system often wonder why these Relaxtoration Bases are so goddamn secret, but it's entirely because even though these individuals are still at rest, they're still trained killers raised in a highly unstable environment. Despite the best psychological care that the GWPA can offer for its Tithed individuals, they are forever unable to adapt to life outside the military lifestyle, or so the propaganda goes. As such, leaves for Tithed Soldiers can last for months, and in some cases, even a year or longer, depending on the reason for the leave. Tithed individuals, like these two here, are seen as valuable assets.
Due to the constant pressure of both of the GWPA's enemies -- the Halsyona Republic and the Constellator Principality -- there is never a shortage of parents in Gwhaalu Protectorate territory willing to Tithe a child to the GWPA, especially with the reward system offered to do so (the first three children a couple Tithes, regardless of birth order to the family or individual, are rewarded with an increase in allowance, property ownership rights, and commercial opportunity, in addition to free transport anywhere in the Gwhaalu Protectorate for life). In the Halsyona Republic in particular, there is a reward system of a different sort: Tithed soldiers of the GWPA who are captured alive result in great reward for the Faith Militant who captured said asset. With brainwashing routines and proper work, a Tithed soldier can be a wonderful infiltration unit. After this resulted in the Fall Of Sgar Prax, the GWPA has quietly begun rolling out death-pills to its Tithed soldier base. A Tithed soldier who is taken in battle will be executed upon return if they were lost against the Republic. It is considered your solemn duty to take your poison pill if the Halsyona Republic captures you alive. There are rumors that the newest batches of Tithed youth are being implanted with these pills instead, but this is unproven.
