Sarisi

The heir of the ruling Sarisi must be the eldest living son and of sound body and mind to succeed his father.

In order to be seen as the rightful Sarisi, he must be physically fit and strong, capable of leading men into battle. Since the Sarisi also is the official drafter on new laws and treaties, he must allow be learned in the areas of administration and diplomacy.

Once the former Sarisi dies, his heir will be notified. He must return to Kalashu if he was away at the time and bury his father. The first duty is to hold a funeral for him. The corpse is interned in the family crypt beneath the palace. A entire moon is dedicated to mourning the deceased Sarisi before the new one officially assumes his place. During this time, the prince carries out all duties acts as Sarisi without bearing the title.   The Sarisi is blessed by Nimgala's high priestess before a golden helmet studded with gems and pearls is placed on his head and he takes a seat on his fathers throne. The warriors and court are all in attendance. The ceremony itself ends when everyone cheers in unison "Sarisi! Sarisi! Gods protect you! Gods protect you!" A great feast takes place afterward, complete with drinking, dancing, and music. Any leftovers go to feed the poor. From the palace, the Sarisi leads a procession to the Ziggurat of Nimgala. He makes extravagant offerings and heads back to the palace, at which point his reign begins.

He must pay the workers and craftsmen that spend their days churning out finished goods and art under his patronage, along with the scribes that grant him the use of writing (for the Sarisi is often illiterate himself).   To avoid a rebellion on his hands, he must also compensate the soldiers while on campaign and those who form a small standing army and bodyguard. Although the Sarisi has first choice of plunder gained in battle, a prudent one leaves more than enough to satisfy his nobles, lest they grow discontent.   Beside his role as a military leader, he has religious obligations to perform. He presides over festivals and feasts, makes offering and sacrifices to the gods and leads ceremonies along high priestesses. Maintaining a strong relationship with the gods is essential to his success so they don't turn their backs on him, people often claim.

Each day, the Sarisi holds an audience for his nobles to hear their grievances and concerns. He meets with his advisers after that to govern Kalumak. This involves adjusting taxes, drafting new laws, and dictating military strategy.   In battle, he leads the army and outlines the initial tactics the chariots and infantry will follow. His vassals have a say in decisions, but the Sarisi's word is final.   The Sarisi is also one of the central figures to Kalu religion because of duties he carries out. He is perceived as one of the closest men to the gods and follows all protocol and etiquette during the numerous holidays.

As ruler of Kalumak, the Sarisi has access to the highest quality food and drink, luxury items, and living quarters. Large amounts of treasure is available to him at a stroke. He can acquire many wives and concubines to satiate both carnal pleasures and the need for heirs.

As is customary among the monarchs of the day, the Sarisi is one of the few with the means to afford purple dye. During feasts and festivals, one expects to see the Sarisi clad in a purple robe and shawl and bedecked with gold and bronze. Along with the exorbitantly-priced purple, two gold and pearl brackets around the wrists gave a man away as Sarisi. Each pair is freshly forged for a new ruler, either from new materials or by removing them from his predecessor and reworking the gold to better fit the new Sarisi's wrists. He never takes them off, even when in combat. His crown is not the typical crown, but rather a helmet crafted from gold rather than bronze, studded with gems and pearls, and detailed with lines of silver.

The Sarisi must either die or be deemed by his family and court as unfit to continue ruling the kingdom. There is no formal process for his removal. If his nobles gather together in great numbers and demand his abdication, a wise Sarisi will concede and pass the crown to his heir. Others have been assassinated, either through violence, poisoning, strangulation, or a slew of other possible means.

The title goes back millennia to when the kingship was new. In ancient times, every city had a Sarisi. Each considered himself blessed by one of the Eight Creators, from whom he supposedly owed his magical abilities. As time went on, the dozens of kingdoms became eight, which soon became one.   Nimgaligigi, a warlord from the city of Kalashu, expelled the Hatsuli from the Azimon after one-hundred-eleven years of brutal and inept rule. His descendants have ruled Kalumak ever since.

As a ruler, the Sarisi commands great respect and deference. Among the Kalu, he is treated almost as a demi-god akin to the great heroes of their mythology. He is special, even to the nobles who share his magical status.   He is spoken of as an equal by his contemporaries and is not considered the most powerful. When greater lands fall under his control, the Azimon's agricultural bounty support an army that rivals that of Teshi in size. The Nupari and Med-sitimi kings see the Sarisi as an elder brother of sorts, for it was under Kalu tutelage that their ancestors created the great civilzations they now rule. The glory days of Kalumak have long since faded into history and there is an image of an ailing old man whose next bout with illness is almost certain to kill him assigned to later Sarisis. The sick man perception has been entertained more often recently because of the general decline of the established world order.

Nimgaligigi was the first holder of the esteemed title in the most recent dynasty.