Battle Run (Military Drill)

Battle Run or Battle Patrol (Itarakoské: Nurüksai Ekhsuriha) refers to a military exercise devised for the Lein Army during the reign of Tairazun Sora. It was designed as part of the wide-ranging Military Reforms of Sora, as one of the exercises meant to train and professionalise the army for the many large-scale military campaigns planned.

Description
The Battle Run can be carried out singly or in teams; whereas normal soldiers are expected to perform it in teams of 5, officers and subalterns are expected to perform it individually. While it is called a run, the exercise is designed to train a wide range of the physical skills expected of a soldier, and therefore comprises several different events in different stages.

The below is the individual version of the run, meant for infantry officers. The distances are recorded from the Manual for Military Instruction, an important military training text of the period; but there is no evidence to suggest that strict standards were adhered to in each unit, as opposed to adaptations for different terrain and climate conditions.

The exercise is meant to be run in at least half-armour (breastplate, helmet, without lower body armour) and armed with a sword or backsword.

Archery stage:
 * A 200-ivlésen (about 290 metres) uphill run, to get a bow
 * A 200-ivlésen downhill run to get arrows; each runner has eight arrows
 * A 300-ivlésen (about 435 metres) run to the archery range
 * The officers will proceed to shoot at standard targets at 30 ivlésen (about 43.5 metres) range; each archer is required to get at least 3 out of 8 arrows within the small circle (which is about 40 cm wide) before he is allowed to progress.

Fording stage:
 * A 200-ivlésen run to fetch a fording-board
 * A 200-ivlésen run, following by scaling a 5-ivlésen (about 7.3 metre) wall with the board, and then a downslope run into the water with the fording-board
 * Using the fording-board, they are to ford a length of water at least 80-ivlésen (about 116 metres) in length, and then run 100 ivlésen before putting down the fording-board

Combat and Final stage:
 * A 300-ivlésen run, which includes two jumping ditches, a wading ditch and five wooden targets, swathed in thick cloth, which must be struck with the sword; at least three visible slashes must be recorded on the cloth before the officer may progress. There are also two trees, each 3 ivlésen (about 4.4 metres) that must be climbed, in order to get a bundle of oiled twigs and a pair of fire-stones.
 * The officer must then climb a scaling ladder and again strike four wooden targets on the wall with his sword, with the same criteria for progression.
 * A final 200-ivlésen uphill run, where the officers must then light a fire with their equipment.

The battle run may be performed as a normal military exercise - the Manual recommends conducting such a run at least once a month, and preferably twice.