Zemesh Clan (zeh-mesh clan)

WIP - Summer Camp quality. This will continue to be edited during July and likely after the prizes adjudication CW: mention of sexual themes, not detailed

The Zemesh Clan is the most ancient and arguably the most powerful makarid clan in Hislariya.
Their main nucleus controls an enclave about two hundred miles off the south western coast of Kithanda, in the Samuaxi islands, an area notorious for being the hideout of pirates and other outlaws.

An ancient history recently discovered

We are of the blood of dragons

— Davke

Despite being centuries old, the lineage of Zemesh was scattered until a hundred years ago, when a makarid seafarer, Davke Arhuna, reported back an accurate sketch of the Zemesh fresco from her visit to the Zem atoll and the Raft village.
This artefact, still to these days visible in the main hall of the Palace of Zemesh, depicts a detailed figure of the dragon, and beneath it several human portraits with clear names inscribed in golden paint, each linked to a list of other names.
This has been interpreted by the traveler and by subsequent historians, to be the first example of a makarid's family tree, and specifically to reproduce Zemesh's human lovers and their makarid children.
Instead of reporting her discovery to Kithanda Academy, as she was tasked to do, Davke consulted with other makarid historians and decided to keep the knowledge a makarid only privilege.
Thanks to this finding, the makarid researchers that worked on it were able to follow back the lineage of many families to Zemesh themselves and  Davke Arhuna, herself now claiming to be a descendant of Zemesh,  took it upon herself to corral back all the ancient dragon's descendant in a unified clan.
Because of this unusual origin, the Zemesh Clan boasts both the longest history and the largest population among all makarids clans, and the proactive mentality of a modern organization. Soon after the recruitment of the first descendants, they claimed a territory in the thick of the Samuaxi Islands and built a fortified enclave effectively becoming the first independent makarid state.

Old traditions and modern seafaring

They think they can take even one of us to the mines, let them try and go beef up the Sea Dragon's hoarde with their ships and gold

— A Zemite sailmaster

The greatest values for the Clan are the research and preservation of the draconic knowledge, the safety and prosperity of the clan and the improvement of life conditions for all makarids.
Living in the dangerous waters of the Svajan Sea that are mostly claimed by outlaws, it should be not a surprise that the clan adopted, for their survival and for mere convenience, a lot of the ways of life of their neighbours and formed strong allegiances with them.
In contrast to most other markarids clan, the Zemesh clan is very loud about their history and rejects attempts to hide it from the world, counting instead on their numbers, their strategic position and allies and their magical and military prowess to keep their people safe.
The way the clan has to preserve their family trees, for example, through tha tattoes of their ancestry along the natural markings of their bodies, is a practice that is both a borrowed skill from the pirate community that surround them and a bold, unconcealable statement of their pride for their ancestry.
In reference to the erotic artwork that can still be seen in the Palace of Zemesh, a relevant number of their traditions and cultural expressions incorporate erotic and orgiastic themes, often as a reenactment of those ancient mosaic fragments and frescoes.

No more hiding

Nobody will pull your teeth, child. Bare them to the world to see.

— An izar to their adopted child

The Clan of Zemesh, at the moment, counts about 35000 makarids living in the island and about as many scattered in the rest of the world that still claim the ancestry and keep more or less strong contacts with the clan.
Though mainly formed by makarids, a small number of humans (about 300 individuals) got adopted into the clan, either by romantic involvement with one of its members or adopted from a young age because affected by makaridism.
For the same reasons, a small percentage of the community is also formed by makarids of non-Zemesh descendance and there are rumours of one or two dragons hiding among them too.
The Clan is governed by an High Izar, currently Nergal Zikir, who is assisted by an assembly of miyiks in the government of the community and the preservation and reintroduction of their people's traditions.
Most of the original miyiks were the patriarchs of the families that first joined Davke Aruhna, but now the title is reserved to masters of the arts who demonstrated excellent leadership skills and wisdom in addition to their specialization, in particular to ritual tattoists, ship officers, weapon masters and merchants.
The community has a strong military and magical training focus, with all the children required to start their magical studies by the age of six and their military training by the age of eight.
All members of the community are expected to be fully competent in at least one of the two and, if not undertaking a different life path that is to the advantage to the community, to specialize in one or the other to the highest levels.
This way the community has a defence body that virually encompasses the totality of their adult population and everyone is expected to be able to defend themselves and the Clan in the eventuality of an attack.
The clan has maintained this way the control of an island of about 100 sqkm, its busy port and a band of waters estimated as about 2km off its coast. Its naval power const of 13 fully crewed and armed clippers and another dozen of mixed heavy and svelte cargo ships.
The biggest asset of the clan, however, is the knowledge of the draconic magic that their researchers patched up, from the different families of origin. To these days the knowledge of the dragons chants this clan holds is twice that of any single other known clan.

Demonym

Zemite

Founder

Zemesh (Davke Arhuna)

Leader

High Izar Nergal Zikir

Base

The Misty Isle

The Makarids diaspora

With their origins blanketed in myth and unusual powers and knowledge, this ethnic group has been dispersed in the world, both in search of a safe place to live and forcibly uprooted from their homes.

The Palace of Zemesh

A marble and golden palace seemingly rising from the sea was the lair of one of the most ancient dragons recorded in history and is now the centre of a community of people who lives secluded from the rest of civilization.

Makarids

The progenie of Dragons and humans, these creatures walk the uncomfortable line between magically gifted and persecuted by the majority of the other people. Some resign to a life in hiding, but others are ready to fight back.