| House Altan | House Ramani |
|---|---|
| c. 1094 - 1294 | c. 1299 - 1392 |
| House Kirstari | House Quiranos |
| c. 1294 - 1299 | c. 1392 - present |
The family trees of the last four dynastic lines to rule the country of Zuhayr are given here in part. The descendents of children not directly involved in the line of inheritance have been excluded for the sake of simplicity. In addition, only those adopted children of consequence are included -- most Sultans had at least a round dozen children adopted into the Zuhayr line, mostly from the noble families of the court.
The names of the ruling Sultans are given in red, and adopted family members are noted in blue (and with their apostrophe'd middle name). The family lines are patrilineal, but marriage to a female of the Zuhayr line has been used to give a coup the air of legitimacy. All members of the ruling family adopt the family name of Zuhayr, with the House name coming from the first patriarch of that House to hold the Sultancy.
All dates are given in the common Elven system -- third Age. Think of this as a quick history lesson around a warm winter fireplace.
House Altan gained control of the Sultancy approximately 400 years ago, upon the death of the last male member of the Amaru line. In a now time-honored practice, Majon Altan took the young Vineta Amaru to be his first wife, thus lending the air of legitmacy to his ascension. Their union produced two daughters and two sons, along with a complement of 20 adopted children of both sexes.
One noteworthy adopted son was Ulrich Ber'sond, a merchant prince of the Elgidites who chose to remain on sunnier shores. His adventures in the ships of Zuhayr established many of the current trade routes and began the enrichment of the country's coffers.
The Sultancy passed to the youngest son, Rastilon, upon Majon Altan's death in his dotage. The elder son of the line had long renounced politics as his father kept power long past both of their prime. Immediately upon obtaining the sceptre of rule, Rastilon married a young cousin of House Amaru, Syrene Gerlani. Their union produced two daughters first, and after a long separation, two sons. The younger, Tristil, chose to take his prospects abroad to Rakis in his search for a wife, and left Zuhayr in his brother's hands. Nator Zuhayr assumed the throne approximately 300 years ago, and ruled in peace for aproximately 35 years. At that time, a civil war erupted along the border with Herath, which claimed the Sultan's life. Tristil returned home and became the fourth Sultan of the House Altan.
The thirty years of Sultan Tristil Zuhayr's rule were a time of unrest in the country. Because he had been abroad for much of his life, he was unfamiliar with the needs and goals of the citizens and nobility, and his family were ill-suited to the climate. All but one of the male heirs died of illness within 5 years of their return to Zuhayr, leaving only Minkiros to follow his father.
During the rule of Minkiros Zuhayr, the nobility rose against the Sultan several times. During these riots, the apartments of the royal family were breached, and all but the Sultan's two adult sisters were slain. In desperation, Minkiros turned to the adopted captain of his personal guard in an effort to keep himself alive long enough to remarry and secure the line. During the final uprising of the House Kirstari against House Altan, the Sultan was slain, along with his faithful bodyguard and brother, Torrin Ka'lil Zuhayr.
After seizing the throne in a bloody coup that engendered a great deal of distrust among the nobility, Mardran Kirstari solidified his hold by marrying a daughter of House Altan, Alaxanya Zuhayr. He forced his bride to his bed to produce one heir, a daughter called Axanales. For male heirs, he immediately adopted Alanox and Kitian Be'lan, warriors of Xavona. His five years of rule ended on the point of a knife in the chamber of his lady wife, who was found on the cobbles of the courtyard below her window. The nobility refused to allow the adopted sons to inherit, and in fact returned them to their clan with their hands tied to their saddles, seated backward.
The first duty of Sultan Tiran Ramani Zuhayr was to quell the border war with the Xavonan peoples. Once done, he turned his attention to his betrothed, Quiros Zuhayr, sister to the murdered Sultan Minkiros. During their 25-year rule, they produced two daughters and one son. Their niece Axanales married an adopted son, Sandro Kel'dar, causing no small amount of scandal in the nobility. Before the marriage was allowed, Axanales had to renounce all claim to rights of rulership -- which is ironic, in that the Sultancy is patriarchal.
Another scandal soon rocked the court, as the heir-presumptive, Rebosk, was forced into marriage by his unscrupulous consort. A daughter was born before the union was official, and while she was adopted into the family she was not recognized as a legitimate offspring -- a neat revenge on Rebosk's part. Rebosk ruled after Tiran, beginning approximately 170 years ago. After his death, the sceptre passed to his son Valdon, who had no heirs. Faced with a choice, the nobility turned back to the line of House Altan, through the children of Axanales Zuhayr.
House Quiranos came to rule through marriage of Gardani Quiranos to Serapina Zuhayr, approximately 100 years ago. Although a marriage of political convenience, the couple ruled well together and produced 8 children, of which only 3 survived to adulthood. The Sultancy passed to Saelwin Zuhayr upon the death of his father. Saelwin and his sister Verdona both married into House Fealonwy, at their mother's urging.
Sultan Saelwin's rule lasted less than ten years, but he left remarkable changes behind him, as it was during this period that the religious conservatives began to gain power in Zuhayr. The basis of the heretical belief in reincarnation had already been laid centuries before, but became a popular subject during Saelwin's reign -- no doubt fueled by the unique presence of the Fealonwy twins at court. For the first time, a son was named after a deceased father, by Gilan Zuhayr. The popular story of reincarnation at court speculated that Jirian Va'yana, adopted brother of Saelwin, had returned in the flesh of Amberson Ka'dona, whom Saelwin himself took into the royal family.
The line of inheritance followed with Saelwin's son Darlin, only a short 7 years after his father began his. The boy was assisted by the chamberlin, Amberson Ka'dona Zuhayr, who had been adopted to perform that very task when Saelwin's health failed. In his time, Darlin's son followed his father in rule, and then became the focus of yet another scandal when he married the chamberlin's daughter. Outraged nobility forced him to abdicate in favour of a distant cousin, Mardani Zuhayr.
The current Sultan came into a reign again troubled by border skirmishes and senseless civil conflict. The hand of his brother, Aralt, kept peace inside the country for many years, while Mardani campaigned abroad. As conflict settled, the Sultan returned to the capital and sent Aralt to finish the border wars. In doing so, Aralt gave his life for his country and brother, but Sultan Mardani has ruled in peace for the last twenty-five years.
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