Arznyr

Arznyr or The Arznyr are Utlian soldiers who work under the Azz'marin instead of the Government of Utlia. They exist to uphold the rules of Azztanism, spread the religion to non-Azztanists and keep holy sites safe. Historically a mediator during conflicts on Utlia, the Arznyr have become largely cosmetic in contemporary times, with only some larger shrines having them.

Etymology

The name Arznyr comes from the Frish word for Azztan service, arz.

History

The Arznyr were first voted into existence by the first Kiyr Committee during the first unified Kiyr meeting in 1100 TT as a replacement to the somewhat archaic Dzele Mercenary system present in the pre-unification Frish Kingdom, which was used to great extent during the conversion of the Eutan kingdom from Wycalt.

Arznyr were deployed across Utlia to defend shrines that prior to widespread Azztanism, were subject to vandalism and arson. A standard of two arznyr were required at every shrine and at least four at every major shrine.

Arznyr assassins were used to kill people disliked by the Kiyr Committee, such as Jrinea Liamia in 899 TT, who was left in a field covered in injuries. This allowed the Kiyr Committee to transfer the title of Utyr to his cousin Swin II. A similar event occurred in 662 TT when the first Liamia dynasty collapsed at the end of the Aremt succession war and the Kiyr Committee had to bestow the title onto Heres Aremt. Heres then banished the Kiyr Committee to Unlaunen-Ut for their scheming ways, with this came regulations on the Arznyr, making them legally liable for crimes committed. Despite this, the Aremt family called upon the committee and Arznyr to facilitate a peace talk during the First Merriyem Uprising, the talk turned out to be an ambush by the Aremt troops, who were supposed to open fire on the Mersenites present but actually injured or killed more Arznyr men than Mersen Front soldiers. During the ten year reign of Yret Larnt, who took control following the death of the final Aremt Utyr, Lyremeren the unmarried. During this decade the Arznyr became the primary military of Utlia, using the same barracks as Royal Army soldiers, leading to many fights and small conflicts between the two groups. In 550 TT the Arznyr were recalled to their primary base in Unlaunen-Ut, since Larnt had passed the Utyr title onto the Terent family.

During the Azztan Restoration led by Azzmia Liamia, the Arznyr were deployed to help restore the Liamia family to the title of Utyr.

In the Utlian Revolution, the Arznyr were used as peacekeepers early in the war, though this often lead to them fighting both sides at once instead of keeping the peace.

In 53 PC the Azz'marin approved the mobilization of the Arznyr for the first time since the civil war as a pre-emptive peacekeeping measure.

Legacy

The Arznyr historically have been seen as the quickest way to die in a war, as peacekeeping mediators they were often used as target practice by all sides of a war and prior to full Azztanist conversion, attacked by non-azztan radicals at shrines.