Faction overview: Nightzmora (country)

Faction

Overview

Trivia

Administration and politics

Kheshigs

The Kheshigs (ᠬᠡᠰᠢᠭᠲᠡᠨ) are the royal guards of the Khaganate solely swearing their allegiance to the Great Khagan. Contrary to the legend that the Kheshigs were barbaric warriors, they were actually both civil servants of the Nightzmoras' yurts and soldiers at the same time. Members of the Kheshigs were composed of both noblemen and political hostages, be it within the Nightzmoran tribes or foreigners, which could maintain the military's utter loyalty to the Khagan by eradicating any possible mutiny during its expansion. The Kheshig system later influenced many foreign countries to implement a royal guard system within the army by conscripting noblemen as their guards.

Most of the Kheshigs were killed in action during the conquests of the Foehn Hotlands. Nevertheless, there are surviving Nightzmoras whose lineage could be traced back to the Kheshigs. Some of them even rose to prominence such as the famous Padishah of Reefsteep in Sargon.

Culture

Khaganquest

The Khaganquest (ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨᠶ᠋ᠢᠨ ᠡᠵᠡᠩᠨᠡᠯ) was a coming-of-age tradition practiced by the Nightzmoras in the past. Because ancient Nightzmoras highly valued strong individual independence to cope with their nomadic lifestyle, a young Nightzmora must leave his homeland with only their weapons in their hands after making a solemn oath to their parents to bring back their glory, and they must choose their preferred site of trial to train their warriorship. In turn, their parents and tribesmen would observe the youngsters and determine their inner morals and courage. The tested youngsters would have to return to their tribes to bring back trophies, be it heads of slain enemies or treasures of gold and spices. Because of its sacredness, the Khaganquest has a symbolic name as the "Khaganquest that crosses the heavens (ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨᠶ᠋ᠢᠨ ᠡᠵᠡᠩᠨᠡᠯ ᠲᠩᠷᠢ ᠶ᠋ᠢᠨ ᠵᠦᢉ)."

Most Khaganquests practiced by some Nightzmora were usually short-term; only Kharanduu Khan perceived that his Khaganquest was eternal, leading to his world-wide conquests.