Conquistadors

Conquistadors were the mercenary soldiers of the Estalian Empire, comprising the backbone of the colonial Estalian armies during the Golden Age of Sunscryer. Conquistadors comprised standing armies, shipboard garrisons, and colonial occupations in exchange for loot, land and adventure on the Estalian Frontier. Unlike the standing Imperial Army of Estalia, conquistador armies were not official state troops and were legally considered mercenaries. Nonetheless, large portions of Sunscryer's armies were made up of these glory-seeking sellswords. Most conquistadors were extremely nationalistic, xenophobic and loyal to the Empire, due to the extremely high profit of the soldiering profession and venerated power and military success of the Imperator. These mercenaries were widely feared among the native peoples of the Estalian Colonies for their penchant for cruelty and thievery.