King Louis forced the lodging of soldiers in Protestant homes who had the freedom to loot and bully. They were the dragonnades; ordered by the king to get heretics to convert to the Catholic faith. The dragoons forced their hosts to pay and feed them. If they ran out of money, they would sell furniture or break it into pieces. Protestants who refused were beaten and a "toy" for the soldiers. The savage men even invented new torture methods especially for children. They made the Huguenots dance until they exhausted, beat their feet with rods, and poured scalding water down their throats. Once one family converted, the soldiers would move to the next house. Unlike normal wars, there was not a gathering of armies, It was fought in the homes of Protestant citizens. A total of 38,000 conversions were registered within months following the dragonnades. Louis also forbade religious practice for the Calvinists and ordered their churches to be torn down.