Elydrian military

The Ishtar people can boast about a glorious past with a glorious military. Even though the successor state armies are a shadow of the former Ishtar might, they are still equipped and trained in the style of their forefathers and take great pride in it.

## 1: Infantry

The infantry of Elydria can be divided into multiple sectors, each with their own prominent role on the battlefield. The main body of any Ishtar army will be composed of the Ishtari Baeris, the basic spear infantry. Armed with a broad shield, a 2 meter long spear and a full-covered helmet and cuirass, these men are tasked to hold the line at all costs, while the cavalry and melee infantry do the actual work.

Next comes the infantry who hold the flanks and are used to break through enemy formations: the Ishtari Gaelis. Armed with broad crescent-formed shields, kopis-like swords and two javelins, these men hurl a deadly shower of steel-tipped wood into the enemy before they close in to hack their way through the enemies' flanks. These men are not as heavily armoured as the Baeris (for mobility is a must) but their veterancy makes up for that.

And lastly there are the skirmishers. The Ishtari prefer archers over javelinmen, but even so there are still javelinmen who can be found in some city states. These men are not as heavily armed as their melee brethren, but they still wear a heavy cuirass and wield a sword and can hold their own against lightly armed foes.

## 2: Cavalry

Nothing makes the heart of an Ishtari beat as fast as a thunderous cavalry charge. Their cavalry are few in number (for most of the nobility has been slain in the War of the Temples) but their ferocity, skill and determination makes up for the lack of numbers. Over the years, their numbers will of course replenish, but that's only an issue for the heavy cavalry.

The Ishtari heavy cavalry, the Ishtari Caelis, armours their horses with a lammelar armour (from their own coffers) which covers their entire body, from head to tail, a weight which the Ishtari fullblooded stallions carry seemingly effortlessly. Their riders are even more fearsome still, clad in lammelar armour and helmets with face masks, picturing various demons from their mythological stories. They carry lances of 3 meters long, and kopis-like swords, just like the swordsmen. They are mainly used as a shock force, used to break the enemy, which they sometimes do even before the Ishtari Caelis charge them.

The Ishtari light cavalry (Ishtari Daelis) are mainly used to screen the flanks, scout ahead, and engage enemy skirmishers. They're armoured and armed the same way as the Ishtari Gaelis, except they also carry a composite bow with them to harass the enemy. Regular civilians can enlist in this unit as well, unlike the heavy cavalry, in which only the nobility can fight.

## 3: Navy

The Ishtari are from origins a sea-faring folk, exploring the corners of the known world and beyond, trading everywhere they go. As such, they harbour a powerful navy to protect their interest. Even though a big portion of the fleet has been lost during the War of the Temples, and even though the fleet isn't as powerful as it could've been due to the fragmentation of Ishtar, each city state still has its own navy, of which they take care which joy and pride. The Ishtari have three classes of ships: the light Belae, which are used to screen opponents and harass the enemy, usually manned with marines equipped with archers. Then, there's the pride of any Ishtari navy: the heavy Celae, floating fortresses tipped with a bronze ram. Heavy marines man these boats, and if the opposing vessel isn't sunk in the first hit, the marines leap into action to finish the job. The marines are pretty much armoured and armed like the Daelis light cavalry: a broad moon-shaped shield, helmet, cuirass, and a bow. Last there are the numerous merchant ships, who sail far and wide to sell and buy wares. They don't house many fighting men though, and are always accompanied by the Elydrian navy.

## 4: Special units

Battle mages: hailing from the Celestial Tower each city state houses, these mages can bring destructive dark magic to bear upon their foes. They are few in number though, so their protection during battle and during peacetime is of the utmost importance.

Artillery: the Ishtari love siege engines and can bring powerful artillery pieces to the field of battle, sometimes powered by battle mages. From enormous stone-hurling machinery to smaller bolt-launching engines, the Ishtari enjoy them all.

Religious fanatics: the Ishtari are zealous beyond belief, and will gladly throw their lives on the line if their High Priest says so. Man or woman, they all take up arms and engage the enemy as a militia. These men and women are mostly used to ambush the enemy, and if nothing else, to soak up enemy ammunition or distract them from the *real* blow.