Esik ve Khasa (1861-1937)

The last of the Zharai (c.1936)

Lord **Esik Viras ve Khasa** (Ar: ***𐰀𐱁𐰀𐰬 𐰅𐰢 𐱁𐰀𐰲𐰃𐰢 𐱃𐰃𐱁𐰅***) was an Arashin Zharai, Soldier, Politician, and Noble. Born on the 17th of December, 1861, to Lord Arkan Viras and Lady Eska of Clan Sherkoz, Esik would go on to become one of the most important figures in Arashin politics during the reign of Arkan IV and the early part of the reign of Ashot I. He is often given the epithet of the "Last of the Zharai", although members of the Imperial Guard still hold that title to this day. In effect, he was, however, the last *hereditary* Zharai. During his lifetime, he would go on to be the President of the Ikhani Constitutional Convention, Senator for Ishkot, and Imperial Chancellor, roles in which he would serve chiefly to better the lives of his people.

## Early Life

Esik was born on the 17th of December, 1861, to Lord Arkan Viras and Eska, daughter of Emperor Ikos III. As the son of a Lord within one of the most influential Arashin clans, he most certainly had an easy life, at least for the nation's standards at the time. But above all else, he was born into a long line of Zharai— The Warrior elite of Ikhan since before the founding of the First Empire. From the age of eight, he was trained by his father to fill such a role, as was his elder brother, Bershai.

### The Way of the Zharai

> *"To be Zharai is to walk the narrow path; it will be a struggle unlike any other. One must be in supreme command of their emotions, never succumbing to rage nor complacency, for if they do, they **will** fall." — Esik Viras, the Way of the Zharai (c.1929)*
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Starting at the age of eight, Esik's father, as well as the finest teachers that the family could afford, began training Esik in the ways of the Zharai, teaching him not only how to be a great warrior, but also of the duties of his station and of how to govern. While initially, as the journals of many of his teachers point out, he was a lackluster student, he would come to enjoy his studies as well as his training with the blade. During this time, Esik developed something of an imaginative and artistic side, becoming quite fond of sketching the lands around Ishkot.

Esik, being the son of an Imperial Princess, was the nephew of Emperor Erel V and thereby was a cousin of his son, Arkan. Though he was eight years his junior, Esik would come to be a close confidant of the future Emperor. This would in turn help to launch his political career after the war. By 1877, upon his sixteenth birthday, Esik had become a Zharai in his own right rather than just his father's ward.

### The Coming Storm

In those days, Ikhan had seen many riots instigated by reactionaries in the provinces. The Zharai of Clan Khasa had seen it firsthand and knew that further conflict was now inevitable. But what would their place be in the aftermath, may asked. Would they maintain their rights of old while being seen as traitors to their lord, or would they support the Emperor until the very end? As it stood, at least for Clan Khasa, they would either relinquish supreme power over their lands willingly or they would be forced to do so at the end of a bayonet.

## The Civil War

In 1882, War broke out in Ikhan after a major uprising throughout several of the provinces. Esik, now aged 21, would immediately sign up alongside his brother to fight in the Armies of their liege, the now-Eshva Arkan IV. They would, at first, be sent to the Arkhos province in order to retake the recently-captured lands of the Arkhos clan in the region, from which they would soon be split up, Esik being sent to the West while his brother was sent to the South.

### The Feltasi Campaign

For the most part, Esik would serve in the campaigns against the Insurrectionists within the Feltasi mountain range, right on the border with the Ardian Empire. It would be brutal fighting for him, during which his faith in his code as a Zharai would be tested on multiple occasions, and in many cases, he would fail them. Nonetheless, by the end of 1886, the campaign would come to an end in a loyalist victory. Esik would then be transferred to Lake Kairan, where the last known major insurrectionist holdouts remained.

### The Battle of Kharatan

In 1887, Esik would reunite with his brother outside the city of Kharatan, the city where they would soon say goodbye forever. The city, as well as the lands around it, had long been turned into a wasteland by nigh-constant shelling. Here, men fell in droves as technology clashed with they ways of old. And so, the battle had begun.

All throughout the Spring and Summer, the remains of the city were besieged, men fighting desperately for each house and street. Esik would personally experience this from the 8th of April until July 16th, as he was deployed to the cliffs near the inner city. There, he would lose his brother to enemy fire, although soon, the battle would be over.

With the end of the Battle of Kharatan, the war effectively came to an end, with the few remaining insurrectionist holdouts being liquidated by the end of 1892.

## Post-War

The war was over; Tens of thousands now were dead and many more wounded, not counting the death toll for the citizenry. Esik was discharged from service in late 2087, allowed to go home as a hero for his actions at the Battle of Kharatan, though it is said the war had never left him.

### The Return

In the coming months, Esik, now aged 26, struggled to adapt to civilian life after five years at war. At first, he had contemplated returning to the military, but he ultimately couldn't bring himself to do so. Due to this, he would instead seek to bury himself in his work, assisting his father in the administration of the Province of Ishkot. It was in this task that he would find himself truly excelling, but he also realized that the Empire would need new administrators and politicians in the coming years. His father, by this time, had become the Imperial Chancellor following his brother's death in 1887, and as it often went, the title would often be passed down to his son. This, coupled with his newfound interest in politics, led Esik to begin preparing for such an eventuality.

With his father's death in 1889, Esik became the head of House Viras, though not the Clan as a whole, for his cousin, Ikos, had inherited that role. What *was* a surprise, however, was that the title of Imperial Chancellor had, for the first time in many years, gone to someone who was not of Clan Khasa, instead being given to a General named Varen Ikal.

### The Imperial Chancellor

Due to his advanced age, Chancellor Ikal wouldn't hold the position for very long, dying in 1895. With his death, the Emperor, Arkan IV, would appoint Esik to the position; Some claimed at the time that this was a form of nepotism, but the Emperor saw promise within him after the improvements made for the Ishkot province as it's governor. For the rest of his life, Esik would continue to hold the title, working to *avoid* war with the Ardian Empire before Ikhan was *actually* ready.

In 1898, Esik was assigned the duty of presiding over the convention to draft a constitution for the Empire of Ikhan. These proceedings would continue until 1899, when the Ikhani Constitution was formally adopted.

The next thirty years would be spent largely preparing for war with the Ardian Empire, all the while pursuing closer ties to foreign powers in the event of such a war. With the death of his cousin, Ikos, in 1914, he would become the head of Clan Khasa, with Ikos' son, Erel, relinquishing the right to inherit it. He would, unfortunately, have the duty of reporting the death of Emperor Arkan IV in 1932, though he would go on to serve under his son for the remainder of his years.

## Personal Life

Esik was, from an early age, raised in the Ishitic Faith, though it is known that he was a member of the Arashin Church by the late 1920's. It isn't entirely clear whether there was any overlap between these or not.

In 1888, Esik married Esha ve Hazhai, the daughter of the provincial governor of Shenkal. With her, he would have three children, those being Misko (1889-1999), Berai (1891-1970), and Kana (1894-1967).

## Death

On the night of July 12th, 1937, Esik passed away while at home in Ikan. He was 75 years old. By Imperial Mandate, he lay in state at the National Assembly building in Ikan for three days from the 14th to the 17th, after which his body was transported to the port of Ikan, whereupon it was taken aboard the INS Khasatai. From Ikan, the ship would sail to Ishkot, where the body would be taken aboard a smaller vessel up the Kanat river to his clan's cemetery outside Niras. It was, at the time, the largest state funeral in Ikhani history to that point. Thus, with his death, the Age of the Zharai truly came to an end.

## Legacy

Esik is seen by many in Ikhan as the "Father of the Nation" for his actions in creating the modern form of the Imperial Government, even if his work would be temporarily subverted by the Ikirist regime that followed him. Others recognize him for his status as a War Hero, with many films being made by Arashin film producers regarding his time in the civil war. Regardless, he is seen *generally* in a positive light, though some among the Avosai would differ due to him being the de-facto head of state when an uprising on the island of Rusan took place.

## Titles, Styles, Honours

### Titles and Styles

* 17 December 1861 — 18 June 1887: *His Highness* Prince Esik
* 18 June 1887 — 9 May 1889: *His Highness* the Prince Viras
* 9 May 1889 — 12 July 1937: *His Lordship* the Grand Prince of Ishkot
* 8 February 1895 — 12 July 1937: *His Lordship* the Imperial Chancellor
* 22 April 1914 — 12 July 1937: *His Lordship* the Grand Duke of Vrashe

### National Honours

* Star of the Order of Ishen Ist Class (18 May 1889)
* Grand Cordon of the Order of Mata'Akran (26 October 1908)
* Grand Cordon of the Order of Ishen (Posthumous)