Yrsh'hadin
The Yrsh'hadin, derived from Celestial for "Risen Immortals," are the elite personal soldier-fanatics of the Shahanshah. They are the most elite soldiers of the Empire, sourced from the Empire's prisons, orphanages, and skilled and loyal soldiers in the ranks of other armies. It is said that a single Yrsh'hadin can annihilate as many as twenty conscripted men-at-arms with ease. Of all the adherents of the Pelegonic Church, the Yrsh'hadin are the most devout and most willing to die for their Shahanshah.
Yrsh'hadin training involves a highly secretive mental conditioning process which utilizes several hallucinogenic substances, allowing them to ignore pain and giving them iron wills. In addition, the Yrsh'hadin are castrated upon induction, to ensure that they hold no familial allegiances. The Yrsh'hadin are ritually drowned in hallucinogenic fluids at the end of their training and then revived. This process is seen as a literal and symbolic rebirth, leading to them often being referred to as the Holy Once-Dead and the Immortals. The process also causes changes in their appearance, giving them Red Eyes and white hair. The vast majority of the prospective Yrsh'hadin perish in the process and their bodies are sacrificed in a ritual and their blood drunk by their surviving comrades.
The Yrsh'hadin serves as the personal bodyguard of the Emperor, and also often accompany Imperial ambassadors. Additionally, agents of the Yrsh'hadin are often used as spies and intelligence agents for the Emperor's wishes.
At any time, the Yrsh'hadin numbers at around 50 soldiers.