A Tarkaan is a male member of the largely hereditary nobility of Calormen, the word being used also as a title and surname of the lord. Its feminine form is Tarkheena. The Tarkaans and Tarkheenas are largely, though not always, relatives of the Tisroc (though some are very distant). Tarkaans serve as senior government officials and advisers to the Tisroc, as military commanders, and as local lords and governors in the provinces. As relatives of the Tisroc, they regard themselves as descendants of the god Tash. Notable Tarkaans and Tarkheenas include: -