Šurghan Host

Šurghan Host is the very base of the Hadašhim military consisting three enlarged erinmeš and some auxillary forces. Established by the legendary Seaking Harko I of Hadašham soon after the birth of the empire in 9-18 AVG, they are up to date the best trained, equipped military units held in the highest regard.

Šurghan differ from the rest of the erinmeši on their lifelong training. Most of them come from poor families with few chances of eventual survival of social upheaval. The boys are enlisted at the age of 6 starting their brutal basic training. Beatings and exhausting physical exercises are usual occurances leaving many disabled or scarred for life.Six years after this process the military training of the survivors begins. Up to this time the mind of the boys is distorted making them fanatical killing machines rarely able to lead a civilized way of life outside of the Host. This makes them perfect military pesonel but the worst of any subject of the emperor so lifelong service is imposed upon them.

Between their 16-18 years the šurghan novices will be sent to battle, bathed in blood. After deliberately killing a men they pass the trials and are accepted into the ranks of corps where the specialization begins. Until this time their skills are closely monitored, the riders, the archers and the sappers are taken from them. The vast rest becomes either cutter or pikeman the latter being usually the bigger, more muscular šurghans who are able to stand a strong line in chainmail and plate holding a large rectangular shield with a 4-meter-pike. The cutters usually receive medium leather armor consisting two layers of boiled cattle skin with thin steel in between, sword, mace of axe close combat and a smaller rectangular shield like then pikeman brethen. Horsemen are varying both in armor and weaponry the kinghts usually receiving spear, shield and heavy armor to trumple down the enemies while the light cavalry is fast, hard to track, perfectly fit for reconaissance and hot pursuit. Sappers assemble and disassemble the siege engines and give artillery support in the fields of battle. They are rarely sent into close quarter combat.

Ten to twelwe years of active service among inaugurated šurghans are considered average. This is the time which is necesseary for a man of common birth to become a junior officer, while the noble ones enjoy a much faster pace of promotion. One either is killed in battle of disabled making him unfit for service. Such šurghans will be landed and given a sum of compensation.

Šurghans may aquire vast wealth during their service. From the age twenty onwards they are allowed to leave their quarters alone, serach for wife marry and father children. Usually even a junior officer is looked upon a good party for the daughters of the middle classes but only the highest ranking commoners of the corps can hope a the hand of a noblewomen. Widows and orphan left behind by the fallen are taken care by the central command of an erinmeš. The monthly allowance is not high but well enough for the beneficiaries not to fall into poverty. Some commanders are known to give up some of the loot to help fund the most unfortunates.

Although šurghans nominally enjoy equality under themselves the sons of rich and powerful have more chance to become commanders than the people of common birth. Discrimination is rare until the inauguration, usually all trainers handle the recruits with brutality to ensure the favorable physical and personal traits and weed out the weeks.