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Many slaves who are captured by the Skinnies either buckle down to servitude or die at the hands of their masters. Few have the opportunity to rise above their station and the chances of rescue are slim once they have been taken deep into the Hegemony. A rare few are spared the back-breaking burdens of hard labour for the terrors of the gladiatorial arenas, where their lives are often brutally short. A skilful warrior, however, may survive hundreds of matches as he begins to learn the ways of Skinnie society. If he possesses the traits of a great leader, he may gather other slaves to his banner, finally rising up in rebellion against his Skinnie master. Successful rebellions are usually crushed by a fully mobilised army but, occasionally, a leader of slaves may gain the respect of a neighbouring tribe as he proves his strength and courage. Permitted to rise within the ranks of the Skinnie military, he is allowed to wield real power in exchange for serving the tribe and Hegemony. Now turned truly native, the leader of slaves often returns to his homeworlds at the head of a mixed slave and Skinnie army, looking for new blood to throw into the arenas, the spectacle of which he now enjoys himself.
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