The sotithorax, nicknamed the "life jacket" by Empyraen Army Hoplites, is quite the versatile piece of kit. 

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Made of tough, flexible alloys and fibro plastics, it carries a core of liquid mithril which, when exposed to kinetic force or heat, will stiffen and provide a little extra protection to the wearer. 

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Though the heavy Hoplite helmet and armour panels worn by soldiers are useful in their ablative and protective properties, a Hoplite prizes his or her life jacket above all else

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As the upper control panel hints, rebreather cabling is concealed on the underside of the sotithorax meaning that, for the sake of comfort, a Hoplite is obliged to wear their padded undershirt whenever they enter battle, regardless of the heat they may encounter. 

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This is, perhaps, the reason Hoplites are known as grasos or pongos.