Rṱikiqāt Dynasty

The Rṯikiqāt Dynasty, from Alatazem rṯi-, meaning internal, and kiqāt, meaning kings, literally, internal kings, was a dynastic line of kings who ruled over the city-state of Gizenatter and, after 3727 ED, the Ateter Kingdom. After the usurpation of the Waba Dynasty, and centuries of warfare, the city of Gizenatter grew from an influential urban centre on the banks of the Hidesh River to the capital of one of the largest empires in Hieret.

Origins
Prior to their rule over Gizenatter, the Rṯikiqāt were priests and other nobles living in and around the city. They were powerful opponents of the  Waba Dynasty and fought a number of unsuccessful rebellions against them. Despite being traitors to the Waba kings, they were never fully destroyed and survived several attempts from their overlords to revoke their possessions and power. The powers of this faction actually grew, at the expense of their Waba opponents, and received much support from the urban population of the city-state. By 3800 ED, the city was essentially run by both factions, who struggled for control of Gizenatter. The priesthood was composed of a mixture of Waba-supporters and Rṯikiqāt-sympathisers.

Rise to Power
By 3730 ED, the Rṯikiqāt priests had accrued enough power to make a claim for the kingship of Gizenatter. Most of the priests in charge of the city were now members of the family or were associated with them in some way, making rule extremely difficult for the Waba. Similar to the Irhmeti Empire, the kings of Gizenatter received much of their authority from the priesthood. Without this authority, the Waba found it very difficult to govern efficiently and properly. By this time, the priests essentially ruled the city.

The Waba king Ḥedizanez I made an attempt to take power from the priests, fearing that he would eventually be deposed if he did not act. Though the inhabitants of the city were mostly hostile towards his family, the king was still supported by large parts of the rural population. He formed groups of rural militia in 3727 ED and ordered the arrest of most of the priesthood, with his force entering the city under the cover of darkness. The priests responded by similarly raising a militia force, though this force was primarily-composed of city-dwellers. A violent struggle was fought in Gizenatter, resulting in a Rṯikiqāt victory. The Rṯikiqāt drove the Waba king and his powerful allies from the city and assumed nominal control.