The Rycalawre (Great Champions) are fearless elite soldiers. Their great tenacity and skill makes them the elite of Briton nobles.

Elite
Disciplined
Hardy

The British tribes' best warriors are not so much trained, as they are proven. Young men are trained to fight, but the older warriors grow through real experience in battle. The Rycalawre (Rie-call-a-oo-re; "Kingly Champions") are near fearless, and even more hungry for glory than younger men. They have already felt the rewards of victory, and have many heads to their credit. Their original training has been augmented by years of warfare, often leaving their bodies scarred, but their fighting spirit as sturdy as tempered steel. The Rycalawre are wealthy, powerful men, but they were not necessarily born as such. When a young warrior begins to attract prestige to himself, often by having a mound of heads to his name, he also begins attracting favors and gifts from his chief. These favors, like armor, weapons, jewelry, and slaves, allow him to be outfitted in superior equipment to lesser men, as well as having beautiful ornate equipment and weapons. Any who survived a battle with Rycalawre present, would surely never forget them.

Historically, Rycalawre would have been individual warriors from tribes that grew to prominence through having numerous victories and kills to their credit. While individually desiring glory, the Rycalawre would organize into groups to fight in dense shieldwalls. Their elaborate, ornate clothing, weapons, and armor would help encouraged the other men, and surely appeared fearsome to their enemies. Their presence would also encourage their fellows, as they were built up in stories about them as being nearly indestructible, and their own fearlessness would serve as a good example. They would be armed with quality swords, spears, knives, and other weapons, likely given to them as gifts for their service to the tribe. Likewise, their armor was gifted to them, rather than bought by them; likely imported from Gaul or 'Gallic' regions of Britain. This would make outfitting a champion very expensive, but once they have their armor and weapons, they would be otherwise ready to fight. Champions like these would be the vanguard of a powerful chieftain or king's armies.