by Britt » Sat Dec 27, 2008 11:39 pm
Okay...if you REALLY want to know...
The face marks are real, permanent tattoos. Upon completing the Midaraian military training, a soldier must go through a final test - a ceremony, really - in which they're judged by the Master of the Guard. The tatts are like getting an "A+" on your face forever (although it has more to do with innate potential than skill, which hopefully improves over time). A guard's class does not necessarily decide his or her position in the army, either, though it certainly recommends them for different jobs. Finally, in the rare case that a soldier proves they deserve a different class ranking, they would simply add the other stripe to their face as well. This has only happened a handful of times, though. ^_^
There are two things in this world...things you can eat, and things you no can eat.