The Immortal Land

Item No. I-2

The Immortals were the elite personal guard of the Persian kings during the Sassanid Era.  The name was actually something of an illusion, since their number remained constant at 10,000 - but they were considered expendable, and when one was killed, another replaced him almost instantly.  One of the main qualifications for being an Immortal was to be of Persian, Mede or Elamite ancestry, and of course to have sufficient bravery to protect the king and his family at all costs.