Helot

An official Vesperian title for an indentured servant, though the term is also used casually to refer to debtors or even poor people in general.
Any Vesperian citizen, or any citizen of a dependent principality, or even certain foreigners, that owe more than five-thousand zoi in individual debt to the state or a private Large Business (meaning a business with more than a thousand employees), may apply for Helot status. Helots have their debts purchased by the Vesperian state and dissolved (even if their original debt was already owed to the state), then refinanced at a much lower interest rate. In exchange, the Helot agrees to work for a specific entity (be it state or private) for a given amount of time, even if their debt is paid off before that time has elapsed. Vesperian citizens that become Helots also give up certain rights, most notably the right to vote, for the duration of their status.
Many foreign debtors apply for Helot status in the hopes of integrating into Vesperian society, but it is extremely rare to grant citizenship or even work visas to former Helots. As for native Vesperian, some have been known to actually have their citizenship revoked if they fail to follow the dictates of their term of service, especially those who abandon their place of work.

Type

Professional