Khans

Tulgari clans are led by two chiefs: Sha-Khan and Ish-Khan.

Sha-Khan: the most important and dominant of the two leaders, the Sha-Khan is connected with the divine world and has a shared destiny with the clan. Thus a good Sha-Khan ensures blessings for the clan while bad will curse it. The Sha-Khan takes a long view of rulership and will listen to council, advice, omens and think greatly on clan decisions.

The title is for life and is passed on to a candidate within the Sha-Khan's family and choosing. The Sha-Khan is also the only member of the clan with right to speak at the great Moot.

Ish-Khan: The subservient of the two leaders, the Ish-Khan is the war-leader of the clan and will not approach the Sha-Khan without great ceremony and supplication, crawling barefoot and bowed before the divine Sha-Khan. Due to the inefficiency of this system it became normal to use the Darkan (priest) as an intermediary between the Sha-Khan and Ish-Khan, which has made the Darkans very powerful in Tulgari society.

The Ish-Khan takes a much shorter view of leadership and makes snap descisions with little counsel which are required in war and battle. An Ish-Khan is elected by the greatest and most influential of the clan warriors and approved by the Darkan, the applicant is then put through a painful ritual (varies by clan, being choked to the brink of death is the most common) while the Darkan counts, based on how long the Ish-Khan candidate endures for how long (in years) they will be Ish-Khan. At the end of this time period the Ish-Khan commits ritual suicide (or is killed by the clan warriors).

Sha-Kans and Ish-Kans do not count their people as if they were animals, when having to answers questions regarding how many warriors they have or how large their tribe is they will instead use poetry to communicate how large or small the number is.

Slaves are counted as if they are animals.