Clan Sherkoz

The Dragon of the East

### Members:

Easily over five-hundred, not counting illegitimate children and those of distant relations to the Clan.

Clan Sherkoz, known in the west as the "Imperial House of Ishan" or the "Sherkoz Dynasty", comprises of the extended family of the reigning Eshai-va who undertake official and public duties, as well as their families. While the Emperor effectively serves a ceremonial role beyond presiding over the Imperial Senate, other members of the clan are permitted under the current constitution to take part in matters of state, though to a highly limited degree. While the leadership of the clan is officially passed down via absolute primogeniture, it is in practice passed down via male-preference primogeniture.

There have been between twenty and twenty-five Emperors from the clan, though the number of leaders before they ruled the empire is far higher, easily ranging around eighty *or more*. As it stands, Erel VII Ikir is the current ruler of the clan as well as the Empire of Ishan.

There is little evidence for the first five leaders of the clan, though Prince Varek (???-608) *does* exist in the historical record as the ruler of the former Avosai settlement of Ka'iken, now better known as Ikan.

## Current Members

Excluding all members related going back four generations or more, there are fourteen living members of Clan Sherkoz. They are as follows:

* Empress-Dowager Misko is the mother of Emperor Erel VII and Prince Bershai. She was the wife of Emperor Esik II until he died in 2196.
	+ The Eshai-va, the eldest son of the late Emperor Esik and Empress-dowager Misko, was born in the hospital of the Imperial Clan on the 8th of Arkan'i, 2163. Erel married Princess Misha of Clan Hikai in 2192, with whom he would have three children. On the 26th of Bera'i, 2196, he was enthroned as the new Emperor of Ishan, succeeding his late father in the title. He has, much like his father and grandfather before him, striven for peace on Arkhai and unity among the nations, seeking social equality for those in the Empire and it's neighbors.
	+ The Eshai-ti, the wife of Emperor Erel VII and mother to the Crown Prince and his siblings. Empress Misha is the daughter of Lord Arkan Kalik ve Hikai, leader of the Hikai clan and the former ambassador to the Republic of Hrvatia. She is mother to Crown Prince Arkan, Prince Berai, and Princess Esha. She was born in 2165 and is currently 55 years old.
		- Crown Prince Arkan is the firstborn son and Heir-Apparent of Emperor Erel VII. He was born on the 21st of Imir'i, 2193. He is engaged to Khira Vanik, a commoner, but this marriage is expected to *not* be morganatic in nature.
		- Prince Berai is the second child of Emperor Erel VII and Empress Misha. He was born on the 8th of Kairan'i, 2195 and is the twin-brother of Princess Esha.
		- Princess Esha is the third child of Erel VII and Misha, as well as the twin-sister of Prince Berai. Likewise, she was born on the 8th of Kairan'i, 2195.
	+ Prince Bershai is the second son of Emperor Esik II and Misko, as well as father to Prince Jishek and Prince Aren. He was born on the 19th of Khor'i, 2167 and is married to Princess Kilis.
	+ Princess Kilis is the wife of Prince Bershai and mother of Princes Jishek and Aren. She was born on the 20th of Arkan'i, 2166, and the daughter of Lord Ashot XVI ve Hazhai.
		- Prince Jishek (born 9th of Ish'i, 2196)
		- Prince Aren (born 12th of Khor'i, 2197)
* Prince Ikos is the uncle of Emperor Erel VII and brother of the late Emperor, Esik II. He was born on the 21st of Felta'i, 2143 and is father of Prince Bershai (not to be confused with the son of the current emperor) and grandfather of Prince Imras. As of 2206, he is single as a result of his wife's death.
	+ Prince Bershai is the son of Prince Ikos and father of Prince Imras. He was born on the 12th of Avos'i, 2172 and is married to Princess Isana.
	+ Princess Isana is the wife of Prince Bershai and mother of Prince Imras. She was born on the 19th of Vren'i, 2173, and is daughter of the late Lord Erel of Clan Arkhos.
		- Prince Ikos (born 11th of Kairan'i, 2199)

## General Information

### Background

The Sherkoz clan is widely known to be one of the wealthiest in the world, with combined assets valued as high as ₯73.6 billion Ishani drakes. That being said, this is only due to the large number of members, though the net worth of the Imperial family itself is believed to be somewhere around 16.2 billion. The vast majority of this wealth is held in trust by the government, however, with most of it coming from the many estates of the clan.

### Property

Currently, the primary Imperial properties are the Imperial Palace of Ikan and the Khorai'shun palace on the Arati peninsula. The Sikel and Vakir palaces in the Arkhos and Khilmi provinces are also owned by the family, though they are mostly kept as museums in modern times. There are a number of other residences, farms, game preserves, and forests that are also kept by the clan, though other than said residences, these are largely ceremonial in nature.

Other than these, the clan owns a necropolis to the west of Ikan, where it's leaders since the days of Arkan I have been buried. Through the Imperial Household agency, it is also the legal custodian of all Imperial tombs predating Arkan I and those of the Sherkoz clan before it's rise to power.

### Staff

Excluding guards, the Imperial clan has roughly 378 personal servants, or around twenty-seven per person, as well as an additional 1000 who perform duties around the many residences. This staff includes a 24-piece orchestra, four doctors and twelve nurses, fifteen archaeologists who work to preserve the Imperial tombs, teams who work to maintain the palaces and shrines owned by the clan, and five priests.

The Imperial Clan also maintains two detachments of guards, the Palatial Guards Battalion and the Avosai Guards Battalion, for a grand-total of 1,000 soldiers. These troops are selected from the best of the best, with *extremely* stringent prerequisites for serving. The Avosai Guards Battalion, for instance, is recruited entirely from the Avosai populace of Ishan, requiring nine years of service and for the soldier to be *at least* 6'2 in height. Said soldier must also have Expert Marksmanship certification with rifles, pistols, and submachine-guns, as well as training with melee combat. They will, upon being selected, undergo a rigorous two-month training period, from which only 0.5% of those selected *will* pass.

## Symbols of the Imperial Clan

*Imperial Vexilloid of Clan Sherkoz**Standard of the Emperor of Ishan**Standard of the Empress of Ishan**Standard of the Crown Prince of Ishan**Standard of the Crown Princess of Ishan**Standard of a member of the Imperial Clan*
## Trivia

* Clan Sherkoz is one of the oldest clans of Ishan, having existed since *at least* the 7th century PA if not before, depending on if you want the legendary or the historical narrative.
	+ That being said, the first leader of Clan Sherkoz is disputed between Korakhol and Varek.

* Clan Sherkoz, despite it's wealth, tends to donate large parts of it's yearly income to a variety of charities around the world.
* Clan Sherkoz isn't the only clan to maintain a Guards unit, though it *is* the only to maintain two.
* Clan Sherkoz has familial ties with just about every other major clan, including but not limited to: Clan Khasa, Clan Hailun, Clan Arkhos, Clan Hikai, and Clan Hazhai.