Cadet

Cadet’s are recruits and children living among the Vindicators, a Vagabond faction devoted to equality and abolishment of slavery.

 Overview

There are two kinds of cadets: children and youths living among the Vindicators, and adults who are freshly recruited, and still in training. A born Vindicator or someone recruited as a child is generally considered a Cadet until they’re about 15, but some have been held back from action for much longer.

The children either born into the Vindicators or, rarely, children freed or found by the Vindicators and had nowhere else to go. Young Cadets live exclusively at the Bunker, but older tweens and teens may spend time at the Fort as well. Even if they have parents in the Bunker, all child Cadets are raised by the huge family of the Vindicators. The adult members of the force all work together to educate and support (and discipline, if necessary) all of the young Cadets, and those who grow up in the Bunker have the opportunity to foster a familial bond with every one of its occupants.

Child cadets live regimented lives, just as adult Vindicators do - even play time is on a schedule. As soon as they are old enough to be of assistance, Cadets will be assigned daily chores: simple, safe tasks within the confines of the base, such as cleaning. As they grow, they are assigned to more difficult duties, such as collecting firewood with adults, or helping with crafts and armor maintenance. Older cadets are occasionally allowed to join Soldier’s on missions that are considered safe, mostly to gain practice and learn the terrain.

Growing up in the Bunker, these children do not receive a formal education. Instead, they are taught practical and combat skills by the adults around them, and taught very basic literacy if possible - there have been times when there weren’t any literate people around. Theoretical skills are usually valued much less than practical ones, and Cadet’s are encouraged to pursue crafts and other such useful hobbies.

The Cadets who aren’t raised by Vindicators, but are instead adult recruits, are treated much the same as the children, albeit with a bit more responsibility. They’re assigned a mentor who will teach them the basics of the life in the base, and who is also responsible for making sure that the recruit is skilled enough. For people who have never known freedom, being a Cadet is also a practice run at being in charge of their own lives.

During this training period, they’re at first only assigned simple tasks inside the base - usually working together with the child Cadets - until they graduate to simple tasks outside the safety of the Bunker, and finally are allowed to join others on missions. Typically a Cadet such as this would expect to see about three practice missions before becoming a Soldier.

## Rank Levels

* **25 AP |** You are starting to find your place among the Vindicators. You can start learning about your chosen role, and choose **a tier 1 talent**. (first talent only)
* **50 AP |**  Although you aren’t allowed to see real combat yet, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be ready to defend yourself. Receive **a Slingshot** for your protection. Just remember that it’s not a toy.
* **75 AP |** The life ahead of you is a dangerous one, and you have to train hard to survive. Gain an additional **+15 SP** to either strength or agility.
* **100 AP |** It’s never lonely in your Bunker, but that doesn’t mean a companion wouldn’t be welcome. You’ve proven yourself responsible enough for your own **Vagabond level 1 familiar**, should you have an empty familiar slot.