Šezeqan is a unicorn warlord, who united the mountain peoples under his banner in the eleventh century. His rapid conquest of the lowland nations, and in particular of the Great Kingdom of Usiren, has caused tremendous upheaval in the wider civilized world around the central sea. When Shezeqan's army sacked the capital in 1060 AU, it was widely and immediately considered a major turning point in the history of the world, though this final, decisive blow is hardly the whole story of the fall of Usiren.
Early Life
Šezeqan was born to the clan Emišay in the sixth year of his maternal grandfather Mereqan's paramount chieftaincy of the Myčatabal Aliqes (40 Shon 1022 AU). His mother was Kičošyn, eldest daughter of Meregan, and his father the future paramount chief Arožaym. Arožaym, scion of prosperous foothill herders, became paramount chief after the natural death of Mereqan in 1031 AU. Arožaym was seen as too conciliatory toward the urbanized lowland peoples, as represented especially by the regional city, Talhuparen. Šezeqan's aunt Merišeru led several village chiefs to rebel from Arožaym and engage in raids on the dependent countryside of Talhuparen. Arožaym, contrary to tribal customs, put down this rebellion with aid from royal troops from the governor of Talhuparen. Arožaym then forced the villages to swear loyalty to him. Merišeru, her supporters, and her children were banished from the territory of the Myčatabal Aliqes, going into exile with a unicorn tribe in the East, the Myčatabal Eles. The Usirenic state was not satisfied with the stability of the arrangements for peace, and insisted on taking political hostages from the unicorns. Arožaym acceded to this request, even allowing his own son, the young Šezeqan, to be taken to the court of crown prince Nanusir in Usiren. The clan chief of Syčai refused to provide a hostage, leading to another, minor rebellion against Arožaym's rule. This ended with the death of the rebel chief.
Thus Šezeqan came to be educated in the court of Nanuzir, where he was trained in the scribal arts and immersed in the high culture of the city to whose gates he would later return at the head of the largest army his people had ever raised. Already familiar with the koine from his familiy's business dealings with Talhuparen, he was not as dependent as other unicorn political hostages on translators, and sought out informal social contacts. His species lack of dexterous appendages made writing in Usirenic an exception to his otherwise outstanding performance as a pupil of Nanuzir's famed court philosopher Oasarades. Oasarades had himself once been a political hostage of Usiren, helping to assure peace with the river peoples a generation before, and may have seen something of himself in his young student despite the species difference.
Under the patronage of Oasarades,
Flight from Usiren and Life Among the ''Eles''-Unicorns
Ascent to Power and Return to the Aliqes Lands
Uniting the Four Tribes
Early Conquests