"The Khaganian ships are not openly hostile, but they are always watching. The water here is given a pallid cast under an unfamiliar light – the false-stars above this place tend to have a more cyan-green colour, unlike the deeper azure of the ones that live closer to London."[1]
The Khanate, also called the New Khanate, is one of the nations of the Neath. Its citizens, the Khaganians, are descendants of the Fourth City. In the Sunless Skies timeline, they have formed a nation in the High Wilderness, named the Empyreal.
Seeded Glory[]
"London's rival across the zee: Distant, brilliant, miraculous."[2]
The Khanate is one of the most powerful nations of the Unterzee, only matched in power by its foremost rival, London,[2] and the nations of the Elder Continent.[3] Its territory is largely based in the Salt Steppes, in the eastern region of the Unterzee,[4] though they have a notable interest in further expansion.[5] The majority of the Khanate's population lives in the bustling city of Khan's Heart,[6] while the Khanate's upper class resides in the palaces of Khan's Glory.[7] Meanwhile, the Khanate's exiles reside in Khan's Shadow, a port built of wrecked ships that harbors criminals and revolutionaries alike.[8][9]
The Khanate has an outpost in Port Carnelian, and is vying for control over the valuable territory there, though they're kept in check by the native tigers and the equally imperialistic Londoners. The Khanate also commissioned the construction of the prison of Wisdom, though as of now the prison is largely independent.[10]
As one of the Neath's superpowers, the Khanate is a hotbed for the intrigues of the Great Game.[11] The Khanate also has a strong navy and presence far across the Unterzee, and thus they are deadlocked with London's Admiralty in a fierce intelligence war.[12] The officers of the Khanate navy wear red and gold uniforms;[13] the various ships of the Khanate's navy include the powerful Khanate War Trimarans,[14] the secretive Khanate Zubmarines,[15] and the odd Putterponies.[16]
History[]
"One of the great questions in Fourth City history is whether the departure of the Great Khan led to the City's decline, or whether the City's decline provoked the departure of the Great Khan. Khaganian sources will claim one or the other, depending on whether the Khan is to be presented as indispensable or incorruptible."[17]
A relic of the Fourth City.
Near the end of the Fourth City's lifespan, the Fingerkings enthralled the citizenry of the Khanate with promises that they could escape the Neath through Parabola; eventually, the city fell completely under their control. Seeing this, the Great Khan of the Fourth City, also called the True Khan, abandoned the City along with all Khaganians who would follow him, and ventured far across the Unterzee. He eventually founded Khan's Heart, and presumably Khan's Glory, in the Salt Steppes.[17][18] Before landing at the Steppes, the Great Khan also attempted to invade the Elder Continent for his new settlement, but this venture failed and we know little of the details.[19] Later on, a schism between the Khanate's leaders and its warrior caste led to an ongoing civil war, with the traditionalists breaking away to form Khan's Shadow in order to preserve their way of life.[8]
The Empyreal[]
"The Eagle's Empyrean has been hung here like a lamp, amidst the fathomless dark of Eleutheria."[20]
An Altani-Class Outrider.
In the Sunless Skies timeline, the Khanate, or some portion of it, partnered with London to open the Avid Horizon and reach the High Wilderness.[21][22] The Khaganians in the High Wilderness established Eagle's Empyrean within the dark region of Eleutheria; the faction in the skies is named the Empyreal.[23] Whether they are made up of many clans with the Eagle preeminent, or were a splinter faction the Eagle led away from the Salt Steppes below, is not clear. Using their mastery of the sciences, the Empyreal created a false-moon, called the Xanthous Moon, to provide light to their corner of space, and established a new space-fleet to traverse the skies.[22]
In the present day, their relationship with Albion is rather complicated,[21] and the Empyreal now face new enemies on all fronts - those who would do anything to advance the spread of the Liberation of Night.[24]
Culture and Technology[]
"It is impossible to overstate the significance of equine imagery to Fourth City (and Khaganian) culture. However, has anyone ever seen a horse, in the Neath, not descended from one brought down with London or subsequently imported from the Surface?"[25]
A Silver Horsehead.
The Khanate and the Khaganians are as a whole a very culturally expressive nation. A significant part of their culture is their respect for history and their elders;[26] thus, they retain their ancestors' fondness for horses and equine imagery, despite lacking an apparent native horse population,[27][25] and they often use horsehead tokens to express favor and gratitude.[28][29] The Khaganians may also wear outfits that resemble the lacquered armor of old, and still regularly forge antique sets of armor[30] (which Londoners consider luxury attire).[31] The Khaganians of Port Carnelian also enjoy drinking tea and a beverage called airag, an alcoholic drink made from fermented mare's milk that is considered a delicacy in London.[32]
A Khaganian Lightbulb.
The Khanate is also known for its highly advanced technology and science, which is quite impressive especially in comparison to the rest of the Neath. For instance, instead of gas-burning lamps, the Khanate's settlements use electric filament-bulbs, which are even capable of changing color for certain ceremonies.[33] They also possess modern weaponry, such as motorized gun emplacements and powerful firearms.[7][34]
Unfortunately, the Khanate is also very isolationist and xenophobic, especially towards London;[35] the sentiment is most assuredly returned.[36] They tend to assume foreigners that visit their settlements are spies, and as such tend to keep a close eye on them at best,[37] and heavily restrict the districts they can legally enter.[38]
The Deep Blue Heaven[]
"The Fourth City had curious gods. Not gods at all by the standards of newer peoples. There were places that they worshipped the sky, or its essence."[39]
An ancient shrine of the Deep Blue Heaven.
The Deep Blue Heaven, referring to the the sky and the Sun, is sacred to the Khaganians, and has been since the time of the Fourth City, as it reflects aspects of Tengrism from old Mongolia.[39] Ancient Surface-shrines of the Deep Blue Heaven can be found in the Forgotten Quarter, where they appear as white, domed buildings with pillars. The insides of these domes were decorated with deep blue tiles, evoking the color of the sky. Each year on the winter solstice, the Mongolians would sanctify one specific shrine, to ensure the Sun's return.[40]
Modern shrines to the Deep Blue Heaven can be found throughout Khan's Heart; these often incorporate electric lights, and retain the familiar open-walled, domed appearance.[33] Some of the richer citizens of Khan's Glory also have personal Heaven-shrines of their own.[41]
The Blue Priests[]
"You pass an open-walled shrine with a domed roof - the interior is painted a deep pure indigo. Citizens kneel below it while a Blue Priest speaks. As he reaches the climax of his prayer, a rosy-golden light swells inside the dome. The worshippers murmur in complacent delight. The dome is now a perfect, heartbreaking, morning-sky blue, a colour you haven't seen for - how long?"[33]
The Deep Blue Heaven
Rituals of the Deep Blue Heaven are conducted by the Blue Priests, Khaganians who are well-versed in Khanate scripture and ritual proceedings. In Khan's Heart, they conduct rituals at the various Heaven-shrines, chanting prayers as the carefully-fitted lightbulbs emit a glow that perfectly evokes the sky at sunrise.[33] In Khan's Glory, these priests are responsible for providing foreign parties with trade licenses at the behest of the Leopard Clan. They do so through a ritual in which they speak a formula in three different languages, while lit by three different colored candles. Then, the recipient is anointed with oils, blessed in the name of the Deep Blue Heaven, and is given complimentary sharkskin gloves for their trouble.[42]
Leadership[]
"...one knows one should be patriotic, but the Glory is so much prettier than London. Although one finds one tiring of all the guns pointed at one. One should find a better pronoun."[43]
The Khanate has a colorful group of leaders and a ruling class, and power is largely centered around its five clans.[37][44] Each of them seems to hold sway over a different aspect of the Khanate's society and economy, other than the royal clan which holds sway over all the others.
The Leopard Clan[]
"The royal clan of the Khan."[45]
A powerful symbol.
The Leopard Clan is the royal clan of the Khanate and its leader, the Khan.[45] This clan holds by far the most power over the Khanate,[46] and can bestow special privileges onto foreigners that catch their attention, like trade licenses and fishing permits.[42][47] The Leopard Clan was notably not the original clan of the Fourth City during its time on the Surface;[48] rather, they overthrew the previous Great Khan's line, as he was considered incompetent.[18]
The Leopard Clan is obscenely wealthy and commands a powerful fleet,[49] but the younger members of the family still remain hungry for new and exciting treasures.[41] Furthermore, while they have more than enough power and influence to keep the other clans of the Khanate under their thumb,[47] they are also locked in bitter rivalries, and must always compete to stay firmly on top.[37]
The Taimen Clan[]
"This clan is named for a sizeable and ferocious fish of the Surface. They have a fondness for Drowning-Pearls, for some secret clan ritual."[50]
The clan of the zee.
The Taimen Clan is the most feared of the Khanate clans, and this reputation is not undeserved.[51] They have enough political power to influence even the Leopard Clan;[52] their officials in Khan's Glory are curt, aloof, and wear strange masks.[50] They are the Khanate's foremost intelligence agency,[53] and they lead the White-and-Golds, the Khanate's secret police force.[54]
The Taimen have a fondness for Drowning-Pearls, and use them in a "secret clan ritual;"[50] Londoners have discovered Khanate shipwrecks containing Taimen crewmen who died by suicide, with Drowning-Pearls found stuffed in their mouths.[55] Only the Taimen know why they send their own to a watery grave.
The White-and-Golds[]
"The White-and-Golds, who guard Khaganian security, are watching for you. On board ship you're safe enough, as long as the delicate treaty with London holds, but on shore you're liable to arrest at any moment."
The banner of the Taimen Clan.
The White-and-Golds are the "loyalty service" of the Khanate,[54] and are most influential in Khan's Heart. They carefully manage who enters and who leaves the city's ports, and maintain detailed ledgers.[56] They also manage a list of Causes of Concern, a compilation of foreign parties that they determine are threats to Khanate security.[57] Anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves under their suspicion will find themselves chased relentlessly by white-painted carriages and skilled agents, their only respite being the White-and-Golds' preference to keep their uniforms clean.[58][59]
The White-and-Golds are tasked with maintaining civil order and protecting the Khanate's royalty,[60] and they also enforce the Khanate's ban on the sale of mirrors and presumably other threatening contraband.[61] Despite their decorum, however, they are as susceptible to bribery as any other police force; like their Taimen Clan leaders, they consider Drowning-Pearls valuable.[62] Additionally, they only care about activities which directly threaten the Khanate, not everyday crimes, allowing spies to evade suspicion by hiding behind a screen of mundane illegality.[63]
The Eagle Clan[]
"This part of the sky has been claimed by the Eagle Khan."[20]
A lantern in the dark.
The Eagle Clan is another of the clans of the Khanate. They hold less apparent political power than the Leopard or Taimen, but they are in command of the navy[64], and therefore highly expansionist and belligerent towards London.[65] Their colors are red and yellow; they fly yellow banners when they take control of other islands[66] and Khaganian naval officers are dressed in red and gold.[13]
In the Sunless Skies timeline, the Eagle Clan traveled to the High Wilderness to form Eagle's Empyrean in Eleutheria.[20] The Empyrean is led by the Eagle Khan, and the Eagle Clan regulates all legal commerce there;[67] it is unclear how many other clans joined them in the skies. Since Eleutheria is a dark and chaotic region of the sky, the Eagle Clan has had to adapt, and thus they strive to ensure that their citizens and infrastructure remain productive and efficient at all times.[68] To keep morale high, the Eagle Khan regularly hosts festivals and encourages cultural expression; one such festival has the Khan and his clan roam the streets of the Empyrean, quite literally giving away free money to onlookers.[69]
The Other Clans[]
The Wolf Clan is considered the weakest, in charge of engineering and maintenance. Other clans look down on it and nickname its leader the 'Rat Khan', after the Rattus Faber of the Neath.[44] The Tortoise Clan is more powerful, and controls manufacturing, warehouses, and trade.[70][71] They still are a minor power compared to the royal clan and the other two major clans; while important to the well-being of the populace, the industrial half of the military-industrial and intelligence-industrial complexes is the weaker one.