Beillic is a small fortress-city carved out the face of mountain cliffs in the north-eastern tip of the Snake's Back. It is notable for one major export: the best trained, best equipped, most loyal, most expensive mercenaries to be found anywhere. At any given time, about a third of all the Beillici are scattered about in various retinues, to be found just about everywhere.
The Beillici hire themselves out subject to strictly-observed contractual restrictions governing length of service, wages and perks, and rules of engagement. They always provide their own arms and armour, and march under their own officers and banners. As a general rule they are employed as personal bodyguards rather than as front-line troops, since their high cost prevents their use en masse by any except the most fabulously wealthy potentates. They are also in demand as diplomatic escorts, since their reputation for absolute probity stands them in good stead in such service.
It is too much to say that all Beillici are incorruptible; they are only human after all. However, any proven — or even suspected — instances of double-dealing will be dealt with internally, swiftly and usually fatally.
The city of Beillic maintains pasture-lands and gardens among the foothills, and much of the population lives there most of the time. However, every able-bodied adult citizen is required to spend a certain amount of time every year on a military rotation, manning the cliff defenses, training and being trained — the duty period is variable, depending on the citizen's rank and special skills, but averages out to about three months in the year.
All Beillici are given general military training in handling a variety of melee and ranged weapons, and in single-combat and formation drills. Many go on thereafter to more specialized training in fields such as military engineering, reconnaisance, logistics, covert intrusion and assassination, battle magic and so forth. About the only areas in which training is lacking is in naval or mounted warfare; though they do train to counter cavalry, they keep few horses or other mounts themselves. A steady stream of returning veterans keeps them up-to-date with intelligence on the military capabilities and potential of potentates everywhere, as well as bringing news of any interesting developments in their field.
For a price, it is possible to get combat training of the highest calibre at Beillic itself, though visitors are kept strictly segregated from the Beillici population except when training.