Recruitment Criteria

"Prime specimen, gents, really," Thorne's guide doubled as slave agent. "Strong. Fast. Good fighter."
Despite his efforts, the men were not interested in Thorne. Only people with magic. The guide made him hide from all the other crimps coming through.
"No intel, just guns. You need best. Magic one."
Various people hid from various groups. There was a young woman coming into the camp irregularly, usually before the magic seeking group came. She gathered a few people - mostly children and women - and took them away.
Where, nobody knew.
Sometimes those people came back after the crimps left - sometimes they didn't.