Dalian Sharpshooters

The Regiment of Sharpshooters of the Armed Forces of Dalia, also known as the Dalian Sharpshooters, are an elite formation of ranged weapon users which form an essential component of the armies of all the Three Kingdoms.
Technically a mercenary group which leases its services to the Three Kingdoms, the unit was created in 185 BT as a subformation of the army of Dalia, and quickly gained prestige for the incredible — bordering on inhuman — abilities of its members. The Dalian Sharpshooters are capable of felling foes from superb distances, and have many times fended off raids of hundreds of enemies from the coastline of the Midlands.

Composition

Manpower

The unit is elite and efficient; it has never numbered more than 40 men in its history, and usually records around 25 in its ranks. For its size, it is the single deadliest military formation in all of the Midlands, and the armies of the Three Kingdoms can expect to pay exorbitant prices to field their power.

Weaponry

While the secret to the sharpshooters' success lies in their strict physical training regiment, no less important is their choice in weapon. The Dalian Sharpshooters make use of handcrafted recurve bows strung with thoroughbred horsehairs, capable of accurate shots from as far away as five hundred metres and no less than three hundred.
The bows are crafted using wood from the so-called Rockwood conifers that dot the Jade Mountains, whose interiors are notoriously stiff, similar to that of an ironwood tree. The unyielding wood lends itself to the bows crafted from it, and the kickback is capable of launching an arrow at incredible speed. It is for this very reason, however, that the unit crafts recurve bows rather than longbows; a larger bow would suffer from significantly decreased accuracy.

Training

The sharpshooters' routine maintenance training consists of a strict programme of physical and mental stimulation, organized into cycles which are followed outside of combat.

• Fasting is essential outside of and especially immediately prior to combat. The sharpshooters' near-supernatural physical abilities stem from being accustomed to little food or water; before entering combat, a sharpshooter will consume protein-rich meats and grain.
• At least once a week, a sharpshooter will stand vigil outside their camp overnight, without moving and without eating or drinking. The Midlands are cold at night, and the freezing temperatures harden the sharpshooter's mind and resolve. Exceptions are made for health; even this elite unit can only stand temperatures that are so cold. However, being used to the frigid Jade Mountains does permit them greater tolerance than others.
• A sharpshooter's bow is as essential to his function as is his health. The twine must be in perfect working order, and the sharpshooter must be capable of striking a bullseye from no less than three hundred metres away. For the veterans of the unit, this is child's play.

Logistics

Upkeep

On condition of their lease to the other two kingdoms, the Dalian Sharpshooters are entitled to a hearty diet of meat and poultry, wine and honey, and grain; feeding the soldiery is an additional cost which far outweighs their actual hiring fee. Regardless, it is precisely this expansive diet which creates in the average Dalian citizen — accustomed to the harsh conditions and little fare of the Jade Mountains — a fierce fighting machine which few Hingardi can hope to outclass.
A sharpshooter is typically required to provide their own armour and their own weaponry, but for the most proven of shooters the unit's hiring fee may be put towards initial equipping. The fee also provides for the replacement of these should any item be damaged beyond use, which further inflates the unit's price.

Recruitment

To be employed in the Dalian Sharpshooters is among the highest honours a Dalian citizen can receive in their lifetime. It is a privilege eclipsed by no medal or indeed any other award, short of ennoblement.
It is exceptionally rare for the unit to hire outside of the most elite of Dalian military formations, and rarer still that they should employ a young man not yet in his veterancy. Recommendations for the sharpshooters are provided by the generals of the Dalian armies, based on proven skill with the bow and recorded kills. First-time recruits are usually men in their early 40s (in Earth years), who have claimed no less than seventy-five kills with the bow.
The requirements are strict enough that by design the unit has never numbered more than forty men.

History

The Dalian Sharpshooters were first organized as a cohesive military unit in 185 BT, with their royal charter signed off by King Stephen II of Dalia. Among their first ranks were aged veterans of combat against the Hingardi; initially they were not intended to be more than a destination for peaceful retirement for aged soldiers.
News of the creation of an elite archery unit reached Vilia in the coming months, and the government there wasted no time in sending a missive to Dalia, requesting at once the unit's aid in fending off seasonal raiding attacks by the Hingardi. By 181 BT, The Dalian Sharpshooters were on lease to both Vilia and Linia, and had seen combat all the way down the coast of the Sea of Mice.

Type

Mercenary

Founding

185 BT

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Veteran

Used by

• Kingdom of Dalia
• Kingdom of Linia
• Kingdom of Vilia