Ikhvan

The Dragon-banner of Clan Sherkoz

> *"Khasai, Ishen, koi ti Veren, nakhit tevk-te Akrhanti, Nikrati, koi ti Voroshti kani, Khasai. (Hail, Ishen, and you Veren, and also all the Terrestrial, Celestial, and Infernal spirits, hail)" — Traditional Opening to the Murai Mass of Khaten.*
>
>

Ikhvan is a realm in Eastern Astirai, bordering the sea to the east. While it is led by a sole ruler, or *Eshai-va (Eternal Ruler)*, governance over the nation is divided among the four other Eshai, effectively making the state a Pentarchy. That being said, however, the Eshai of Misra is granted the title of Eshai-va, with that title being held by the Sherkoz Clan for many centuries.

## Government

### The Pentarchy

As previously stated, day-to-day governance is handled by the Eshai, with five of them (counting the overall ruler of the state) existing at this time. These Eshai effectively act as kings over their region, having a moderate amount of autonomy but answering and paying taxes to the Eshai-va. They are also expected to provide troops to the "Emperor" in times of war, often made up of "Kataraki" from the Zharai class.

The five pentarchs are as follows:

* Misra — Currently ruled by Eshai-va Arkan III Vahram ve Sherkoz, Misra is the largest of the five states within Ikhvan.
* Kairan — The second largest of the sub-states of Ikhvan, Kairan holds a special place within the Murai culture, being seen as the birthplace of their people. It is ruled by Eshai Jishek VI Khalakin ve Arkhos
* Vrashe — Vrashe is of great importance to the central government of Ikhvan, being home to many of the nation's silver-mines. It is ruled by Eshai Esik VIII Viras ve Khasa.
* Khushai — Khushai is known best for it's rugged terrain and the Khulai insurrection, during which the province of Khulai suffered a major uprising against it's leader at the time. Khulai is ruled by Eshai Ikos II Akhar ve Hailun.
* Hashtai — Hashtai is seen as the breadbasket of the Empire, providing a large amount of food for the Empire.

### The Provinces

Each sub-state of Ikhvan is further divided into three Provinces, meant to allow for ease of governance across long distances. After all, it was figured that the government would be more efficient if people could have leaders that came from among their own, even if they owed their allegiance to their lieges.

Below is a list of the Provinces of Ikhvan, as divided by the sub-state they are located within:

***Misra***

* Khaitai Province — The Khaita province is the capital of Misra and the Empire. It's capital-city is Ikan.
* Ahras Province — Ahras is home to the city of Ahras, for which the province is named.
* Khiras Province — Khiras was named for the city of Khiras, a major trading hub within the empire.

***Kairan***

* Katan Province — Katan is the capital of Kairan, home to the cities of Katan and Khoros.
* Iker Province — Iker is a major port along the southern coast of Ikhvan.
* Tikar Province — Tikar is, despite it's unassuming appearance from the outside, known to the Murai as the birthplace of their people.

***Vrashe***

* Khotoi Province — Outside of the Khaita province, Khotoi is easily the most important province in Ikhvan, with it serving as the base of operations for the First Imperial Flotilla.
* Niras Province — The Niras province was founded with the titular city by the founder of Clan Khasa, Aren I, and serves as a second capital of the State of Vrashe.
* Ekhrai Province — Ehkrai is one of the three provinces of Vrashe, founded by Clan Khasa.

***Khushai***

* Khulai Province — The capital of Khulai was sacked during the insurrection all those centuries ago, with the city still only a shadow of it's former glory.
* Sikhet Province — Sikhet has, since the end of the Khulai insurrection, served as the capital of the Murai state of Khushai. It is known for it's mountainous terrain that stretches the entire expanse of it's northern border.
* Meshe Province — Meshe is named for the Meshe river that runs through the region. Otherwise, it is known for it's mountainous terrain, which serves to help protect the Imperial heartlands from outside invasion, though it is also much harder to govern than other states. These mountains also have many iron mines, which serve to help equip the armies of Ikhvan.

***Hashtai***

* Zhakat Province — Zhakat is home to a large part of the agriculture of Ikhvan, due in part to it's fertile terrain and vast network of rivers and streams that run through it.
* Vrekal Province — Vrekal is, much like Zhakat, largely devoted to the growing of crops, though it is also notable for being the site of a few battles in the distant past.
* Khashan Province — Khashan is a province in Hashtai... Not much else to say about it, however.

## Society

Murai society is, despite having many castes, relatively egalitarian by most standards. "Slavery" exists, though only in a temporary form so that someone might work off their debts to another and is somewhat uncommon.

### Eshai

The ruling elite of Ikhvan, the term "Eshai" is both applied to the rulers of the sub-states and to the nobility as a whole. A ruler of a state is often referred to as "Eshai-ni", implying that they are second to the current Eshai-va alone. Other Eshai will often also hold the title of "Zharai", with many of the Eshai clans being established by prominent Zharai.

### Zharai

The Zharai are the warrior caste of Ikhvan, being trained from an early age to wage war above all else. They are fiercely loyal to their masters and often serve in one of three separate roles.

#### *Kataraki*

Kataraki are Zharai who fight on horseback, often in heavy scale-armor and with bows and Sikhoi or maces. They are seen as the backbone of many Murai armies, though they are, by no means, relied upon for every battle.

#### *Sikari*

Sikari are the Zharai that fight on foot, often with other footmen of lower class than themselves. They tend to wield polearms into battle, notably including weapons similar to the Naginata or the Sarissa.

#### *Atariki*

Atariki are the Zharai that make use of ranged weapons primarily, often using longbows and crossbows as their primary weapon.

### Ishei

The Ishei are the priesthood in Murai society, being practitioners of the Ishitic faith. They are often distinguished by their masks, which bear the visage of a spirit and the mark of Ishen, the primary deity within their faith. The Ishei have held sway over the state throughout it's history, with it effectively being a theocracy, the Eshai-va being a semi-divine title in modern times.

### Varakoti

The Varakoti are the merchant class of Ikhvan, often among the wealthier members of society. Their vessels can often be seen sailing along the coast, even as their caravans travel west with the goods of their nation.

### Vraikos

The Vraikos are the common-folk of Ikhvan, fulfilling roles as diverse as farmers and miners to soldiers and sailors.

### Ikhamit

The Ikhamit, or "Ikha", are seen as outcasts by the rest of Murai society, lacking the protections granted to the other classes. Though they are small in number, they make up a large part of the enslaved population within Ikhvan, not even being kept to pay off debts, but rather to serve as forced labor and chattel.