Qultugan

In the work, Kultukan openly expresses or carries with him that deep frustration and regret of having wanted to be born a woman. This desire is not capricious, but rather a direct response to the brutal geopolitical and social reality of his time.
The role of royal women in alliances: In the world of the steppes and the rise of the Mongol Empire, women from defeated clans (such as the Merkits) were often integrated through strategic political marriages with the conquerors (such as Genghis Khan himself and his sons, as was the case with Khulan). For a high-status woman, such a marriage could mean survival, the preservation of her people, and the acquisition of immense political power from within (as was the case with Khulan and Töregene).
The condemnation of men in defeated clans: In contrast, men from defeated rival clans were often seen as a direct threat, a constant danger of rebellion, and were therefore ruthlessly eliminated to prevent any future resistance.
The burden of survival: Wishing to have been born a woman was, at its core, a reflection of the purest survival instinct and the helplessness of seeing their clan destroyed, knowing that the female path offered a way of assimilation and political protection that was completely denied to men under the law of the steppe.

Khulan Khatun: She maintains a very strong bond of friendship and closeness with her, sharing the ties of their Merkit heritage and supporting each other through the complex dynamics of the imperial court. Their relationship becomes strained when Khulan is given in marriage to Genghis Khan.
Töregene: They share a relationship of trust and complicity, as both are aware of the secrets, movements, and tensions of power and the clans behind the scenes. Their relationship becomes strained when she is detained/captured in a Mongol camp and subsequently forced to marry Ögedei Khan (son of Genghis Khan).
Postscript: He never saw her again.
The environment of the conquered clans: His figure represents the bridge between the pain of the peoples defeated by Genghis Khan and the subsequent assimilation or survival within the structure of the Mongol Empire.

Loyal and protective: Despite the tragic fate and destruction of his clan at the hands of the Mongol rise, he demonstrates strong loyalty towards those he considers his own, especially in his close friendship with Khulan and Töregene.
Resilient: She knows how to adapt to the relentless rules of survival of the time, moving between the political tensions of the khans' wives and the aftermath of the war.
Skillful and pragmatic: As a member of an important Merkit lineage, he possesses a combination of warrior pride and the cunning necessary to avoid perishing in the intrigues of the harem and the court.
But deep down he is also a fearful person who constantly fears death.

Specific appearance and face: The character is a fair-skinned young man with a confident expression and a subtle smile. His eyes are dark, he has thin, slightly arched eyebrows, and a soft blush on his cheeks.
Hair: She wears her black hair gathered in a long, thick braid that falls down her back, tied at the bottom with a dark ribbon. A few short strands escape and frame the sides of her face.
Traditional attire: She wears a long, loose-fitting tunic in a reddish-brown or terracotta color, with long sleeves that have bands or details in darker brown tones at the wrists. The garment is cinched at the waist with a dark belt.
Footwear: Wear thick, dark boots with a traditional design and rounded toes.
Accessories:
He wears a traditional winter hat (ushanka style or Mongolian fur hat), made of a brown material on top and edged with abundant fluffy white fur.
He carries on his back a quiver full of arrows with white feathers.
He holds a traditional short bow in his left hand.

Face and features: He possesses the characteristic features of the warriors of the steppe, with a gaze hardened by the conflicts of his people but which retains nuances of loyalty and closeness with his loved ones.
Build: Of agile, resistant physique and prepared for life on horseback and the use of the bow (honoring his epithet of Mergen, which is traditionally associated with great archers or skilled hunters).
Clothing: Traditional attire of the steppe and the Merkit clans, adapted both for mobility in combat and for their position in the political environment.

Name: Kultukan (Kultukan Mergen) / Qultugan.
Origin / Affiliation: He is the youngest son of the Merkit chief Uduyid, closely linked to key figures in the plot such as Khulan and Töregene.
Role: Secondary character with a deep background rooted in the conflicts and stories of the rival clans that were subjugated and integrated into the empire.