Kherat Khanate

The Kherats
At birth the cheeks of Kherat children are deeply marked by an iron, in order that the hair instead of growing at the proper season on their faces, may be hindered by the scars; accordingly the Kherats grow up without beards. Kherats learn to ride horses before they can walk and from an early age they train in archery as both are an essential aspect of survival on the steppes and wilderness. By the age of 6 they begin full combat training in various other weaponry and by the age of 8 the Kherats are said to begin annual survival tests in which they must live on their own in the steppes with a bare minimum of tools and supplies for a period of time. By the age of 12 Kherats begin to join raids on neighboring tribes and sedentary peoples. Kherats are so hardy that they neither require fire nor well flavored food, but live on the roots of such herbs as they get in the fields, or on the half-raw flesh of any animal, which they warm rapidly by placing it between their own thighs and the backs of their horses. The Kherats have no Gods but instead praise the Sky above them which, they believe, grant them strength, courage in battle and wisdom in old age.

Kherats never shelter themselves under permanently roofed houses, but avoid them, as people ordinarily avoid things not fit for common use. Nor is there even to be found among them a cabin thatched with reeds; they wander about, roaming over the mountains and the woods, and accustom themselves to bear frost and hunger and thirst from their very cradles. On horseback they buy and sell, they take their meat and drink, and there they recline on the narrow neck of their steed, and yield to sleep so deep as to indulge in every variety of dream. Kherats do not of plow, or even touch a plow handle, for they have no settled abode, but are homeless, perpetually wandering with their wagons, which they make their homes; the Kherats are always in flight.

This appetite for combat is matched by their ferocity in combat and their use of terror in order to get settlements to willingly surrender goods and supplies to avoid combat. With this in mind the Kherats do not distinguish between civilians and warriors and should a Kherat flee the battle the men directly responsible for him are put to death.

Religion and Practices
The most important part of Kherat belief lies in its diversity, there are no laws imposed to ban the practice of divergent or foreign religions in the Khanate, because it is believed that If you are righteous in your thoughts and upright in your spirit, it doesn't matter which religion someone follows. However the Kherats themselves primarily follow Orshik who is the representation of the sky.

The deities representing Orshik diverge in many levels of divinities, the main deities would be Orshiki the creator who in turn reigns over the remaining deities and spirits, of whom are divided into a multitude of categories, benevolent and terrifying. In addition, there are water spirits  and mountain spirits  as well as many other powerful spirits created by Orshik.

Shamans are chosen by their ancestors when they are young children, it is considered an honor to be chosen as shaman for one’s tribe, as their duty is more than intermediates between spirits and deities, but they also are healers and men or women of great importance in the hierarchy of the tribe. During shamanic rituals, milk is usually thrown in the air as offering, other rituals include reciting hymns while banging drums or playing the mouth harp, fire also plays a major part in rituals as it draws the ancestral spirits. To enter a trance the shamans must usually dance and sing, the trance would allow them to communicate with the spirits or visit other worlds. The spirits of ancestors can also be appealed to for assistance and other help.

Government and Organization
The Kherats follow a strict meritocracy in which anyone from a herdsmen to various nobility and even foreign captives can be integrated and rise through the military and occupy the highest ranks within the Khanate. It is important to note that commanders are given a large amount of independence to conduct their own raids, meetings, training and other gatherings to show their abilities. The Kherats also practice a form of tribal elective monarchy in which at the death or abdication of the previous Khan a new one is chosen by a council known as the Kurul.

The Kurul is composed of various nobility and commanders as well as representatives of smaller camps all in which have a say in the election of a new Khan. The Kurul also votes for war and peace, distributes captured loot, and handles the everyday administration of the Khanate including the promotion of commanders.

Khagan - Supreme Ruler of the Khanate - leads military campaigns and conducts diplomacy with the approval of the Kurul.

Khan - Chieftain under the Khagan - the Khans rule territory within the Khanate as a warlord and often fight against one another.

Noyan - Vassals under a Khan or Khagan.

Tumen-Bey - Commander of a Tumen which is a unit composed of an entire camp and or tribe.

Menggan-Bey - Sub-commander under the Tumen-Bey

Jaun-Bey - Commander of a small  group often sent as scouts.