Until recent history it was not known how long ago, the Shapers developed genetic surgery, but several of their favorite legends attribute the mastery over all flesh to a court officer and physician, who later usurped his lord’s throne and began the ‘time of beasts’.  Apparently, several of his creations ran amok after the battle and escaped his fortress.  His soldiers did pursue and destroy all his runaway monsters but tales of their exploits have been found in most areas of the main continent.  Suleg the wise styled a new title for he intended to conquer his entire world.  He thought and shortly invented his answer to the other jealous Saromes seeking booty and assurances of peace in exchange for their fealty.  He united the main continent and subdued three rival Saromes who stood in his pathway.  Suleg took a step beyond selective breeding or surgical alteration (the traditional methods of creating Panit soldiers).  Prior to Suleg’s reign the Sarome’s had bred for size, strength, stamina, and agility.  To further ensure their victory they also surgically attached armor to their bodies and implanted some (secret weapons).  By Suleg’s time the Panit was an eight foot tall burly giant with armor anchored to the bones around his neck, abdomen, spine, both shoulders, thighs, hands, head, kidneys and chest.  So armored in fact, that small arms fire was almost useless against them.  Their skin was tough and very fast healing.  Many a spear or arrow might find an opening in a Panit’s armor only to cause momentary blood loss, clotting was highly accelerated.  Often the skull armor included ridges of spikes from above the neck to over the brow any number of rows between one to six could be present.  The tip of each metal boot held a short spur knife as well as at each heel.  The thumb and index finger of each hand was flesh but well armored.  The remaining three digits were molded into adamantinum steel claws.  At the base of the Panit’s palms were two curved hooks made of the same metal.  These assisted the warrior climbing as did additional rock spurs on the instep of each boot.  The Panit’s knees were each capped with armor and a three-inch spike for climbing and combat.  The elbows were also capped but with a greater weight of metal and rounded smooth.  In full armor and carrying his anock (a spear-axe) he normally weighed six hundred pounds (two hundred eighty kilograms) or more.  His night vision and hearing were excellent.  When deprived of food for several weeks the Panit lived on stored body fat from locations under his main armor plates.  These fat layers also acted as padding and insulation.  The main one of these (pillows) under the back armor from the neck to the rump, completely covered the spinal column.  The armor in this area was a succession of overlaying plates and normally looked doubled.  This allowed the armor to expand as the Panit’s hump grew after feeding.  The anock, the Panit’s weapon was versatile and practical.  Basically it was an eight centimeter diameter metal shaft ten feet long ending in a three edged spear point at one end and a three bladed mace-axe at the other.  Overall, the weapon was eleven feet and eight inches long, (about two and a half meters) and weighed ninety pounds.  The Panit used this weapon as a staff, pike, thrown spear or axe, and mace with equal facility in attacking barriers under twenty feet high.  It also was used as a vaulting pole.  The Panit used these as ladders and bridges when lashed together for the purpose.  When they prepared a defensive position they used them as stockade within a trench perimeter, burying the mace head in the ground.  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The Panit were fielded in groups of thirty-one each six of which were leaders called Panor the senior of these six commanded the Panit (also the name for this thirty one man army).  The other five each led a group of five Panits and obeyed the orders of the senior Panor selflessly.  The Panor was gifted with a larger skull and superior intelligence, his armor and outward appearance were the same as their Panit’s but they were outfitted differently.  The Panor carried no anock; instead, he wore a large war axe at one shoulder across his back and an equally large curved sword at his hip.  A thin, metal braded rope coil was slung across his shoulder to his waist, unrolled this cable was about a thousand feet long.  The tensile strength of this rope was incredible only two-centimeter diameter it could support twenty tons of weight easily.  Most individual Panits carried a four-meter piece of this rope for use lashing anocks or as trip wire or snares.  The Panor lived and fought with his men as one of them, but commanded strict obedience always.  Military justice was swift and merciless, every Panit’s judge, jury and executioner was the Panor.  The Panor was bred to enforce discipline by example and force as necessary.  A few less Panits died under their Panor’s sword than in battle.