The Tavgharad are a force of elite female warriors, trained to serve the queens of Shu Han. They protect the Queen and her family, keeping them safe from harm.
History[]
The Tavgharad were founded with the reign of the original Taban queens, who came down from the mountains and formed the kingdom of Shu Han.[1] The first queen was accompanied by an elite bodyguard of women and a fleet of trained falcons. Eventually, those women went on to train other women, who became the Tavgharad. The carnelian falcon acted as their symbol.[2]
Overview[]
Young women from every area of Shu Han are brought to Ahmrat Jen to attempt to join the Tavgharad, with the hopes of passing their training and swearing the oath of loyalty. The screening and training process begins in childhood, and takes several years before one can enter into the service. The women training to become part of the Tavgharad are known as Eyases, after the falcons that guarded the first Taban queen.[2]
Women of all ages are seen to be members of the Tavgharad, with the youngest shown to be in their late teens or early twenties, as Mayu Kir-Kaat is considered to be one of the more juvenile members. They generally serve until they die, or are deemed too old to continue to properly protect the family. While in service, they are privy to both sensitive military intelligence and have seen the royal family at their most vulnerable. Thus, secrecy is the norm, and it is incredibly rare for a member to defect successfully. If a member of the Tavgharad is deemed to be unsuitable once she has entered service, she can be exiled from Shu Han, or even killed, depending on how long she has been in service and how much she knows.[3]
The Tavgharad is broken up into various groups, with certain members assigned to a member of the royal family, and others guarding the palace of Amhrat Jen. Some royals maintain a closer relationship with their guard than others, as seen with Queen Makhi Kir-Taban holding a distaste for their constant shadowing, and Princess Ehri Kir-Taban being close enough to some of her guards that Makhi would worry that they told her secrets. While they guard all the Taban family members, they follow the queen's orders alone.
They are trained in a variety of weapons and styles of fighting. In addition to carrying weapons, they wear black uniforms with the beak of a falcon carved from garnet on the left epaulet, black boots, and square black caps over pulled back hair.[4]
Known Tavgharad[]
- Mayu Kir-Kaat
- Shenye[5]
- Tahyen[5]
Trivia[]
- The direct translation of Tavgharad means "stone-fisted".[6]
- The father of Tamar Kir-Bataar and Tolya Yul-Bataar once taught the Tavgharad, and he used his knowledge to train his children in combat.[7]
- The Tavgharad are very similar to the Dora Milaje from Black Panther, in that they are a highly trained, all-female guard force set to protect the royal family.