Grogs

The term 'grogs' is used by the Order of Hermes in two capacities. First, it is a convenient shorthand for all of the residents of a covenant who are not magi (and therefore not important, by the standards of many magi), but in its more specific usage it refers to the warriors of a covenant. This second type especially tend to be undervalued by magi.

Career

Payment & Reimbursement

Grogs tend to receive wages from their covenant in coin, although alternative arrangements exist, which are usually a little above a typical wage in a town or city. They are also housed and supplied food by their covenant. Grogs do not seem wealthy in general, and are very rarely noble, but they have a standard of living and a set of rights and privileges that even the best-off peasants stand far below. For many, the escape from the life of a peasant and the social norms of their country is what drove them to join the covenant, and one of its greatest benefits.

Other Benefits

Much of the benefit of being a grog is in being part of an Hermetic covenant. Covenants are not bound by the normal laws of society, and they are often immune or at least resistant to the greatest problems faced within it. For example, covenants often avoid the worst of plagues and famines, because the magi use their magic to lessen or completely mitigate the effects.
Favoured grogs, those with particularly close bonds to a magi or who prove to be especially useful, are sometimes given longevity potions so the magi (and the covenant) can keep them around for longer. This can result in quite a significant increase in their lifespan, several decades at least, but it is very rare due to the expense of preparing the potions.
This is not the only way that a covenant can reward a favoured servant though - magical items are a far more common one. Arms and armour are actually quite rare here, as it takes a lot of time and effort to produce such items, and that tends to be limited to covenants with Verditus magi, and other magi with a love of creating those things. Instead, items that make life easier are more common - it isn't flashy, but magic to ensure the food is plentiful and delicious, the climate is pleasant and the people are healthy make covenant life very appealing.

Operations

Tools

Grogs are usually equipped by their covenant, making them better equipped than soldiers in most armies (possibly excluding the Marran Select Levy) who have to buy their own weapons and arms. Covenants tend to be quite wealthy, and often hire experienced and skilled professionals to produce their armouries, so this equipment is often of a good quality. A standard grog, insomuch as such a thing exists, might be given a shield and hand weapon, and be equipped with light armour. More developed covenants may provide metal armour, usually scale.

Dangers & Hazards

The flip side of the potential rewards for service a grog can receive is the absurd degree of danger they end up facing.  Dragons, demons, faeries, hedge wizards and spirits from the darkest corners of creation, to say nothing of rival magi: all of these are things grogs are likely to at least come in contact with, and be expected to put themselves between them and their magi. Mortality can be high among the grogs of a covenant.
A more subtle threat that grogs may face is spiritual danger - magi are usually only somewhat religious, and because Divine auras overpower Magical ones they almost never allow the construction of temples or churches in or around their covenants, and usually build them far from developed communities, as those also have Divine auras from the faithful within. For the devout, this can become a serious concern, and it is rare but not unheard of for grogs to band together and demand their magi construct a temple nearby (with varying success).

Type

Military

Legality

The Order of Hermes exists in an unusual place in the world, and is mainly tolerated by nobles due to its military might, and by religions due to a combination of that and divided opinions on its degree of sinfulness. As such, though grogs are usually treated as freemen, like the citizens of a town or city, they don't have the protections that those people do in any official legal structure. In particular, a grog finding themselves on the bad side of an authority figure who does not like their magi, or the Order, is in a precarious position where they lack any kind of legal recourse or protection. For the most part however, their association with magi provides a degree of protection - friendly wizards are much more agreeable neighbours.