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
1. 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 & Rules for more information about this phenomenon.
Logo & Emblem
Emblem
Logo
Ranks
2. 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/).
3. 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', and the fully written ordinal 'second'; this rank is quite literally the 'Second Warrior'.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
8. 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'.
8. 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.