Initially were slave troops, the Janissary Corps began from children captured from Southern border towns during the first and second Ottomare Wars. They were raised to be obedient soldiers of the Sultan, and their own children were conscripted into service as well. Over the centuries, they developed into a sort of noble-class among the Ottomares, similar to Cossacks in Neighvarri or Knights of the Court in Canterbury.
The crowning moment of the Janissary Corps came during the Third Ottomare War, when a force of 10,000 Janissaries held off tens of thousands of Southern Legionnaires during the Siege of Imer, holding the vast army in place long enough for the Sultan to gather a relief army and smashed into the read of the Legions, sending the Imperials running back to the border. This defeat forced Imperator Augustus to sue for peace, ensuring the survival of the Ottomare Sultanate.
The Janissary Corps is equipped a large-bore Jezzail Rifle, the caliber varying between .50 and .70, perfectly suited to punching holes in the steel and leather segmentatum of the Southern Legionnaires. Their uniform consists of of a peaked, cylindrical helmet with a plumed crest, and a tunic dyed the same color of red as the southernmost deserts of Maredoron.
Historical Context: The Janissary Corps was the Household Guard of the Ottoman Sultan, his elite infantry, and arguably the first fighting force to be organized in a modern fashion, likely founded by Sultan Murad I. They were initially recruited from kidnapped Christian boys who were castrated forced to convert to Islam, but over time, and with a long list of victories, forced the Sultans to allow them to marry and have children. Eventually, the recruitment of Janissaries was opened to all Ottomans who could afford it, which led to their fall from grace. The Corps was forcibly disbanded by Sultan Mahmud II in 1826, with many of their members either exiled or executed for attempting to overthrow the Sultan.