The Serpents of Igani, also known as the Serpents, is an all-female part of the Igani government. Breaking with current cultural conventions, the Serpents only allow members who are biologically female.

The Serpents of Igani can roughly be broken down into two distinct groups: the Serpent Guard and the diplomatic corps. Although both of these groups could exist without the other, they are two halves of a whole and as such share a common command structure and social tradition.

Although the Ha-mazan's are the common soldiers within the Serpents of Igani they should not be mistaken for normal soldiers. The Serpent Guards rigorous training regime and discipline makes them a foe to be reckoned with. Each and every member of the Serpent Guard is capable of filling nearly all roles within the traditional military, ranging from light infantry to heavy cavalry, skirmisher or mounted archer.

Due to the culture and tradition of the South the diplomatic envoys of the serpents are under considered less threatening at the courts they visit. Because a diplomatic envoy from the Serpents of Igani is a woman she can not only get close to those in power without being under constant suspicion, she can also gain access to, and therefore influence, the wives of those in power.

Notable members

• Azizah
• Leily
• Neshati
• Sepideh
• Tannaz
• Vanda

Logos

The Serpents have an official logo, used in seals, on official documents and as charge on shields. The logo is a Cobra ready to strike, with it's body and tail in single coil around it's head.

The Cobra's head symbolizes the Serpent's constant readiness to strike; even if the rest of the army is stood down, the Serpents are at all times prepared for war. The coiled tail symbolizes the self-contained and protective nature of the Serpents of Igani.

It is sometimes necessary to have a more recognizable logo. The simplified emblem of the Serpents was designed exactly for this purpose. It is easy to mark down with only a brush and appropriate paint. It is also the most recognizable of the two when seen from great distances.

The simplified logo is also used to signal that someone is Sifra. Because it is easy to draw and any piece of clothing can be ripped as to make a ribbon this ensures that a new Sifra can always be given an indication of her station. Of course, the temporary ribbon will be replaced with a more formal and elegant ribbon after some time.

Ranks

Each rank has a formal scope of authority which is defined within the formal hierarchy. An important facet of the scope of authority is the distinction between combat orders and non-combat orders. Combat orders are all orders that have to do with unit manouvering, tactical and strategical operations and other orders during combat.

It is necessary to keep in mind that although the Serpent Guard and the diplomatic corps share the same command structure, most members of the diplomatic corps only have basic combat training. And although they have the same level of discipline as the Serpent Guard, commanders can not expect diplomats to be competent soldiers.

The scope of authority for orders is as follows:

• Non-commisioned officers (Thania Ha-mazan, Thaletha Ha-mazan) can only issue orders to lower-ranking members of their own unit.
• Commisioned officiers (Salara, Khamesa Salara, Sadisa Salara and Shaha) can issue orders to lower-ranking members of other units as well.
• The legion commanders (Sadisa Salara and Shaha) are allowed to issue orders to any outranked officer.

An exception to the non-combat scope of authority is made for the Sifra, every member of the Serpents that outranks them, which includes the Ha-mazan, is allowed to issue orders to any Sifra, and to administer punishment immediately if the order is not obeyed.

Sifra

Sifra is not a true rank in the sense that a Sifra is part of the military or the diplomatic corps. The term is derived from the word 'zero' in archaic Flametongue 'Sifr'. The 'rank' Sifra is used to indicate a woman or girl who is under the protection of the Serpents. See Traditions for more information about this phenomenon.

Realm Equivalent: -

Ha-mazan

The rank Ha-mazan is the lowest rank given to fully enlisted personnel. The name itself is derived from an archaic dialect of Flametongue, in which it's root '*ha-mazan-' means 'warriors', the contemporary pronounciation of the term has a silent first consonant and an emphasized first vowel (IPA: /ˈæməzən/).

Realm Equivalent: Soldier

Thania Ha-mazan

The Thania Ha-mazan is the the second-lowest rank, and is equivalent to a Fanglord in the Realm military. This rank is colloquially known as 'Thania' without the Ha-mazan suffix. The name itself is a combination of the word 'Ha-mazan', which has been explained above, and the fully written ordinal 'second'; this rank is quite literally the 'Second Warrior'.

Realm Equivalent: Fanglord/Sergeant

Thaletha Ha-mazan

The Thaletha Ha-mazan is the highest non-commisioned officer rank, with someone of this rank normally commanding exactly 25 women. In normale usage the 'Ha-mazan' suffix is dropped.

Realm Equivalent: Scalelord/Lieutenant

Salara

The rank of Salara is derived from archaic Flametongue by feminizing the suffix '-sālār', meaning 'chief'. The rank of Salara is usually used to indicate the leader of a Snake. Salara is also the first commisioned officer rank, and as such most noblewomen are afforded the courtesy of attaining this rank upon their joining. However, this is only a courtesy and circumstances might indicate another course of action.

Realm Equivalent: Talonlord/Captain

Khamesa Salara

The rank of Khamesa Salara is the second commisioned officer rank, and it's name is derived from Flametongue the same way as the other ranks: The suffix Salara is prefixed with the ordinal 'Khamesa', meaning 'fifth'. This makes sense: when the Ha-mazan ranks is seen as outranking Sifra, the Khamesa Salara is literally the 'Fifth Chief' in the list of ranks.

Realm Equivalent: Dragonlord/Colonel

Sadisa Salara

The Sadisa Salara is the second-highest commisioned officer. Colloquially known as 'Sadisa', the term is derived by prepending the ordinal 'sixth' in front of 'Salara'.

Realm Equivalent: Strategos/General

Shaha

The rank of Shaha is the highest attainable rank within the Serpents of Igani. It is directly derived from the archaic Flametongue word 'shah' meaning 'king'. The rank is less of a military rank and is reserved for those that do not only have command, but are also in charge of the general direction of the Serpents as a whole. Most women who attain this rank did so because of their extraordinary dedication and loyalty.

Even if a Shaha does not have a military command she has a personal Scale at her disposal, to use as she pleases.

Realm Equivalent: -

Structure

Due to it's military background the Serpents have a highly formal hierarchy with a clear chain-of-command. However, parallel to the formal chain-of-command of the Serpents is the unofficial, fluid social hierarchy which forms the basis for most of the day-to-day interaction between members of the Serpents.

The formal hierarchy of the whole division is set up to attain the most auspicious of hierarchical strucures: a chain-of-command in which each unit (including the unit's commander) counts a number of women equal to five to the power of the units height in the hierarchy.

Within the formal hierarcy, three categories of units can be found: fully military, mixed, and fully diplomatic. A fully military unit consists of only Serpent Guards, a mixed unit consists of both Serpent Guards and diplomats and a fully diplomatic unit consists of only diplomats. Units that consist mainly of diplomats with only a few Serpent Guards assigned as bodyguards or protectors are considered fully diplomatic.

Solo

CO Rank: -, Size: 1, Realm Equivalent: Solo

The smallest unit recognized in the formal hierarchy is the solo unit. This unit exists mostly to allow correct bookkeeping, few members of the Serpents are actually part of a solo unit.

Most members of the Serpents do not appreciate operating as a Solo unit. Some leeway is given to a women operating as a solo unit, as there is either a good reason for it, or they are special operatives of a manner that does not work in larger units.

Fang

CO Rank: Thania Ha-mazan, Size: 5, Realm Equivalent: Fang

The next unit is the Fang. This unit numbers exactly 5 women, with the first among them being of the second rank.

The Fang is the most basic unit in the Serpents of Igani, and most fangs consist of a tightly knit group of women who depend on each other for support and assistance, both on the battle field and during diplomatic or private pursuits.

Scale

CO Rank: Thaletha Ha-mazan, Size: 25, Realm Equivalent: Scale

A Scale consists of five Fangs. This unit numbers exactly 25 women, with the first among them being of the third rank. Note that this unit counts only 5 commanders, with the Scale commander also commanding her own Fang.

Although each member of the Scale commander's own Fang is still ranked as a regular soldier, they enjoy a slightly elevated social status due to their association with the Scale commander.

Snake

CO Rank: Salara, Size: 125, Realm Equivalent: Talon

A Snake consists of five Scales. This unit numbers exactly 125 women, with the first among the being of the fourth rank. Note that this units has exactly 25 commanders, with the Snake commander also commanding her own Scale, and each of the Scale commanders (including the Snake commander herself) also commanding her own Fang.

The members of the Fang commanded directly by the Snake commander are mostly used as relays to the Snake commander. However, as the Snake commander herself still has direct battlefield responsibilities, most commanders drill their own Fang with the same harshness (and sometimes even harder) as all the other soldiers in the Snake.

Within a fully diplomatic Snake, the members of the Fang commanded directly by the Salara are usually her aides and advisors. Incidentally the snake is the largest unit that is usually fielded as a fully diplomatic unit.

Nest

CO Rank: Khamesa Salara, Size: 625, Realm Equivalent: Dragon

A Nest consists of five Snakes. This unit numbers exactly 625 women, with the first among the being of the fifth rank. Note that this unit has exactly 125 commands, with the Nest commander als commanding her own Snake, and each of the Snake commanders (including the nest commander) commanding her own Scale, and so forth.

Most Nest commanders put their own Fang to good use as a combination of bodyguards and aides, As the Nest commander also directly commands four Fang's which she can set up as relays, couriers and scouts. Most Nest commander pride themselves with the fact that they command the fiercest Snake in the whole Nest. However, especially when an experienced commander is assigned to an unexperienced Nest, she might also do the exact opposite by assigning the most inexperienced soldiers to her own Snake.

Legion

CO Rank: Sadisa Salara, Size: 3125, Realm Equivalent: Legion

A Legion consists of five Nests. This unit numbers exactly 3125 women, with the first among them being of the sixth rank.

Although the personal Fang of the Legion commander is still outranked even by a mere Fang commander, most Scale commanders think twice before crossing a soldier who has the ear of the Legion commander (and will most likely use the next opportunity she gets to vent her frustrations). Legion commanders with aspirations will most likely still take to the field, confident that their own personal guards will protect them even if the fighting goes awry.

Traditions

The Serpents of Igani have a unique set of traditions, some of these mimic those of other military institutions such as the Brides of Ahlat, but some of thetraditions are clearly unique.

Membership

Prospective members of the Serpents are required to be virgins, regardless of their social station. Exceptions can be made at the discretion of a ranking Salara or officer of higher rank. Both the Serpent Guard and the diplomatic corps accept recruits based on the same criteria, and both only require the potential recruit to join out of their own volition. No further approval is required, or recognized.

Sifra

Even though they have little say over the larger going-ons, Sifra are not slaves or property. They are women and girls under the protection of the Serpents. They choose to become Sifra of their own accord. However, Sifra must obey every command given to them by a member of the Serpents. If they are given conflicting commands, the command of the higher ranking officer has precedence. If given conflicting by officers of the same rank, the first command has precedence.

Once Sifra, every woman or girl is clothed, fed and cared for by the Serpents. Girls that are deemed to young to become Sifra will be cared for if their mother is Sifra, and they will be given the choice of becoming Sifra once they are old enough. Many Sifra have functions in the administrative branch of the Serpents, or act as servants to officers or diplomats.

It is easy to recognize if a women or girl is Sifra: Either her hair is bound with ribbons on which a simplified Serpents insignia is displayed, or she wears a headscarf displaying the Serpents insignia. The hair ribbon is largely the preferred method, with the headscarf being used only during formal events.

It is possible for someone to be freed of their obligation as Sifra, if they succesfully plead their case to a commanding officer of rank Salara or higher.