The Saiga¹⁾ are a clan of Geshrin nobles in the Yamatai Star Empire. Their history stretches back to before the creation of the Nekovalkyrja and settlement of Geshrintall (Yamatai).

Clan Information
Daimyo	Saiga Sakiko
Faction	Yamatai Star Empire
Headquarters	Kurayami-jo, Yamatai; Tatiana
Associated Organizations	SP Labs

Collectively, the Saiga honor their human ancestry, most refusing to upgrade beyond the Geshrin bodies they were forced into as a result of Great Plague of YE 08. Soul Transfer technology strains their spiritual link to those honored dead that came before them and thus the family avoids using it.

Members of the Saiga family are typically gloomy and calculating individuals, carrying with them an air of severity for even the most trivial matters. Notably, many Saiga adorn themselves with irezumi tattoos that range from simple shoulder pieces to full-body depictions of glorious spirits, ancestors, and battles.

Loyal to the Empire above all, the majority of Saiga clan members still often regard Nekovalkyrja with contempt and little respect. They consider the species an affront to the Empire's historical past. Thus, although many are masters of courtly intrigue and politicking, the clan has long since become uninvolved in the politics of Yamatai. Instead, they focus their efforts in strengthening the Empire in other ways, preferring to work in the shadows compared to other clans. Perhaps for this reason, many Saiga have found career success in Star Army Intelligence. But the family does maintain a notable contribution to Yamatai's progress though research and development by Saiga Psychogenetics Research Laboratories.

The clan also encompasses a paramilitary arm, the Saiga House Guard, which reflects its martial, samurai roots. The House Guard operates the YSV Tsukuyomi, a company of Saiga Psychogenetics Model 31 Ō-yoroi, “Hatamoto” mecha, and maintains a detachment of samurai who wield traditional weapons such as katana, wakizashi, naginata, and yumi bow among others—all upgraded to compete at contemporary standards.

While the clan's controlling family is its namesake Saika branch, pronounced with a voiced consonant as “Saiga” in Trade, it also includes a lateral branch of lower-ranked servants and adopted members who bear the family name Akechi. Despite the clan's prejudice against synthetic lifeforms, even Nekovalkyrja can aspire toward membership in the Saiga Clan's Akechi bloodline.

The ancestral home of the Saiga family is a castle called Kurayami-jo²⁾, which is nestled in the mountains north of Anisa in Koriyama Prefecture overlooking the Sea of Coriolis. Main family operations were moved to Tatiana starting in YE 07, but with that planet's fall during the opening stages of the Second Mishhuvurthyar War, leadership was returned to the Yamatai estate. Following the war, primary clan operations were split between the two worlds with the seat of internal power remaining on Yamatai while corporate and political power followed Tokiko's governorship back to Tatiana.

• Nicholas Saiga: Star Army Intelligence operative
• Masatane Saiga: captain, YSS Adventure
• Saiga Sakiko: Clan Daimyo, CEO and President of Saiga Psychogenetics Research Laboratories
• Saiga Kaneda: captain, YSV Tsukuyomi
• Saiga Gempachi: watch commander, Saiga House Guard
• Saiga Tokiko: Governor, Tatiana
• Saiga Noriko³⁾: SAINT Shosa

• Akechi Kiriko: SAINT operative
• Akechi Masakazu⁴⁾: SAINT Taisa and Chief of the Special Deployment Force

The Saiga Clan was created by raz around 2006-2007. It was “approved” via the NTSE in 2011 here. Updated to the current format on 01/03/2021.

In raz's absence, the Saiga Clan may not be used in roleplay or adopted by another manager.