Isdristi

The Isdristi are elite troops of the Liotainian Army. The term isdristi originates from the Liotainian word for "daring" or "to make bold."

### History

The Isdristi were created as special infantry regiments during the Bonaventurian Wars, similar to the Celtican "chasseurs" and the Antargentine "cazadores." They were equipped with early rifles and long knives, then trained in guerrilla warfare. The Isdristi won battle honours during the conflict against Antargentina, where they ambushed enemy columns, raided supply lines, and skirmished against enemy light forces.

Walter Bonaventura dubbed them "the rats in the rocks" for their habit of hiding in rough terrain and sniping from the prone position - never fighting in the traditional line.

An Isdristi regiment (the 1st Regiment) was assigned to the forces involved in the River War in Breda, being one of the few occasions that Liotainian troops were redeployed from the metropole to fight in a colonial conflict. The Isdristi developed a reputation as the most effective troops in the short conflict, largely due to their employment not only of modern rifles, but their high skill at infiltrating enemy positions with bladed weapons.

During the River War, seven hundred men of the 1st Isdristi Regiment conducted a daring raid on the fortified town of Lefrat, which was defended by eight hundred men. The Isdristi left their rifles behind and swam across a river in the hours just before dawn, allegedly carrying their knifes in their teeth. The Isdristi silently scaled the walls and overwhelmed the entire garrison, using only their knives and rifles captured from the enemy sentries.

### Requirements

The Isdristi composed entirely of volunteers. A candidate must be:

* Male
* Capable of hiking twenty-five kilometers with full kit in under three hours
* At least 180cm height
* Already have served one year as a volunteer or conscript
* Reliably hit a 10cm target at 250 meters with a standard-issue rifle

If a volunteer meets all of the initial requirements, they go through another five-week training school to learn the extra skills demanded of an Isdristi.

### Training

Isdristi receive significantly more training than the average Liotainian soldier, learning to operate rifles, pistols, machine guns, and light artillery used not only by the Liotainian Army, but also other major world armies.

Physical training is rigorous. Mountaineering skills are taught to all candidates. Swimming is highly emphasized in basic training.

Field exercises are pursued aggressively. The Isdristi hold two mock battles every week. Each of the four companies in a battalion practice their own company-level assault tactics on a consecutive day, while the entire battalion conducts a field exercise on Fridays. Every two months, all of the battalions in an Isdristi Regiment exercise together.

### Benefits

Since all of the Isdristi are viewed as elite volunteers, they are paid as if they were two ranks higher.

### Traditions

* Each man who passed Isdristi training receives a numbered coin bearing the badge of his regiment. In most cafes located near Isdristi casernes, a man can present this coin and get drinks for himself and one companion for the remainder of the evening. As long as the cafe owner notes down the coin number and price of the drinks, the regiment will pay the tab at the end of every month.
* Upon graduating from training and officially becoming an Isdristi, the soldiers swear an oath. The exact wording has changed over the years, but the generally-accepted wording includes:
	+ "Before God and the archangels, I swear to uphold the honour of the regiment. May my knife never shed innocent blood. My life is not my own; I am an Isdristi."
* A private in the Isdristi is addressed as "Legionierius" rather than as "Eilinis."

### Mottos

* 1st Regiment: "Do not boast, for our deeds are unfinished in the sight of our God."
* 2nd Regiment: "Though I walk in darkness, I fear no evil, for I have come to cut its throat."
* 3rd Regiment: "Long shall be the sleep of our enemies; our knives shall not wake them."