Druzhna

The Druzhna are the second social class on Nidavellir. Membership is can be obtained in two ways: by birth, with any child that has a Druzhna parent inheriting this status - no matter the class of the other parent. Thus, marriages between nobles and Druzhna are rare, but one of the few ways available for smerdar to (have their children) climb the social ladder. The other way is appointment by one's noble overlord, typically in reward of a great service or in times of great need, when the Druzhna manpower is critically depleted. Seeing how this removes valuable productive manpower from their estate however, noble houses are reluctant to undertake such drastic measures.
The role of the Druzhna is to serve as a warrior elite. Whilst the Skutilar push quills to keep the manufactories churning out the goods of war and the smerdar toil in those same industries, it is the Druzhna that utilize this industrial bounty. It is them that patrol Nidavellir's ash wastes, keeping in check the roaming bands of Dusters, thrice-cursed constructs from the Chasm and the heretical remnants of the Mad Ban's rebellion. It is the Druzhna that are marched off to war on distant planets in their millions, serving the Emperor in His Imperial Guard, bringing glory to Nidavellir and a pocket of safety in the darkness of the Imperium Nihilus.
The word Druzhna refers both to the social class as a whole, and to a single family that carries this status. An individual of this class is called a Druhk. Whilst the word family is used, clan is more appropriate - most Druzhna consist of multiple family lines, and adoption between families is extremely common. Instead of relying on traditional familial succession, it is common for Druzhna officers to adopt a subordinate they regard as a worthy successor. This ensures that even in the richest and most established Druzhna the children still have to excel to gain their inheritances.
Within this social class there is a further division, although it does not exist officially. The Fyrildruzhna are those families that typically serve as officers in the Druzhinas and Imperial Guard regiments, with the Stigveldruzhna serving as the enlisted (amongst the Druzhna these are generally abbreviated to Fyrs and Stigs). While birth is no guarantee of placement, the difference in education and familial connections ensures that whilst both upward and downward mobility exists, a Fyr will most often start their training as an officer cadet, with any Stig looking for command training needs to be truly exemplary to gain entrance. Still, the Druzhinas are meritocratic institutions, and no amount of connections will help an incompetent Fyr maintain their position, just as commanders are loathe to let talented soldiers languish as enlisted just because they're a Stig.
Another clear distinction between Druzhna is their status of either bonded or free. A bonded Druzhna has pledged their banners to a specific House - serving only them and no others. In return, the House maintains the Druzhna, ensuring a place in their Druzhinas for their sons and daughters. It is also a public secret that officers from bonded Druzhna are far more likely to be considered for high command positions, as their loyalty is ensured. Free Druzhna, on the other hand, have no such arrangement, with individual members having to seek out opportunities in the myriad Druzhina on Nidavellir. This does allow them to latch onto rising noble Houses, with all the improvements in living conditions and equipment that provides, when opportune, or abandon a House unable to properly provide anymore. There is a small amount of friction between these two groups, with bonded Druzhna jeering their free counterparts for being akin to mercenaries, and vice versa being mocked for their unconditional submission. Jealousy over favourable contracts versus promotions to higher commands add to this. These are barracks tensions however, and as soon as the las bolts start flying any animosity is forgotten in favour of the comradeship between fellow fighting men.