Work In Progress Black Knights of Io

[Laertia Io]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a unit of deadly Knights to combat Force Users

• Image Credit: https://www.deviantart.com/planesrift/art/Gothic-Samurai-881181842
• https://www.deviantart.com/tvvist/art/Rifleman-649052225
• https://www.deviantart.com/rotten-e...s-die-twice-interior-ministry-ninja-793664856
• Role: Extremely skilled Force Dead Shinobi
• Permissions: N/A
• Links: N/A

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Black Knights of Io
• Affiliation: House Io
• Classification: Shinobi Shock Troops
• Description: Black Knights are selected from the ranks of refugees who are both Force Dead and possess a burning hatred of the Jedi for what they perceive as letting their worlds burn. Each Black Knight is willing to die to inflict as much damage on the Jedi Order as possible, or to preserve House Io. Towards fellow citizens and allies or civilians, they are chivalrous and protective, often acting solo or in limited groups to bring order to fringe worlds that once belonged to the CIS. To Jedi they are absolutely merciless and unforgiving, bent on causing the Order the same pain they have experienced no matter how much it lowers them morally in the eyes of others

COMBAT INFORMATION:

• Unit Size: Large
• Unit Availability: Rare
• Unit Experience: Veteran
• Equipment:

MELEE
Psychic Katana
Citizen Energy Sword
Black Knight Odachi
Explosive Knives

RANGED
Smoke Bombs
Vibro Stars
Zenji Needles (Poison Tipped)
Nightsister Energy Bow OR Zygerrian Energy Bow
Black Knight Energy Crossbow
6-2Aug2 Hunting Rifles (Scoped)

ARMOR


VEHICLES
74-Z Speederbikes
DP-20 Frigate

EQUIPMENT
Grappling Hooks
Med Kit
Firecrackers
Poisoner's Kit
Disguise Kit

• 
• Combat Function: To Provide Lethal challenge to Force Using enemies of the House as well as enemy elite units such as Mandalorians. Such units are often deployed in numbers of up to 35 at a time against Force Users and Special Forces Groups, in larger parts of House Io's army they can function as elite scouts. Though trained primarily in Blade Mastery, they also excel at Rifles, Demolition and Ninjutsu with elements of practical stage magic and quick change artistry. Trained Personally by Xiphos, they are among the only organics in the House considered as naturally deadly as a Model 1 Nuetralizer, and seem to be treated as though they have the same rank, yet their skills and teacher imply much greater authority, as they are seen often only in very high risk missions to eliminate particularly deadly threats or gather the most vital of battlefield intel before an attack commences
• Force Abilities (Force User Units Only): None

Strengths:

• Master Blade Users: Black Knights of Io are supreme specialists in blade weapons , so much so that it is almost always their primary method of combat against most enemies beyond Stage Magic and Ninjutsu, their bodies are honed through constant, relentless instruction in Teras Kasi and sessions against Advanced Model 1 Nuetralizer Units combined with Sword Play to develop Jedi-Like reflexes, allowing them to sense and dodge attacks, even deflect bullets and blaster bolts with their sword, and have more than a passing familiarity with all Lightsaber Styles. This skill allows a single Black Knight to go up against whole squads of trained experienced soldiers armed to the teeth and not only survive, but triumph in open combat. They are also incredibly skilled at killing Draelvasir with swords, and intimately familiar with their anatomy. Their approach to swordfighting is taken from the "Dark Five Rings" Philosophy and Techniques of Nine Lives' House of The Five Rings. This approach makes them frightening, brutal warriors in combat, posing an extreme threat to even other sword users who are themselves considered incredibly skilled, especially when used in numbers. Not just a master of Single Blade Fighting, they fight equally masterfully using Two Swords or Sword Staves, along with blades that have very long handles, and axes. Even Knight's serving as Rifle Users are not as skilled with their rifles as they are with their bladed Weapons, which they use with such skill they can even deflect projectiles, just like a Jedi with a Lightsaber
• Mage Killers: Blending their Dark Five Rings Swordplay, Xiphos's training, and Teras Kasi along with the skills of the Clone Assassin has created a Warrior able to anticipate and very likely dodge objects hurled at them with Telekinesis, and Combined with their Force Dead Nature makes them highly resistant to most Force Attacks--they are considered extraordinarily difficult to affect with Telekinesis and Mind Tricks, and both their armor and weapons are highly resistant to Electricity. They are more than able to deal with even highly experienced Jedi and Sith and can hide their minds and sneak up on Force Adepts
• Scouts: In larger units they function as elite battlefield scouts, saboteur units, and death squads, especially if lightly armored. Riflemen are especially likely to serve as scouts and are feared for their lethal sniping skills
• Ambush Master: They are masters of setting up deadly traps and ambushes, especially for Force Adepts
• Hard to Kill: Constant training and endless honing of their reflexes, Stamina and pain tolerance have produced a warrior seemingly immune to pain, able to last longer in a fight, and fight faster, harder, more viciously, and much more strategically than any common soldier. They are able to stay standing from blows that would floor others, and fight savagely even after sustaining fatal injuries which will soon kill them.
• Elite Point: Send these savage warriors to fight deadly foes. They have a great chance of at least coming back alive, even if they don't win.
• Magician: Training in Atrisian Ninjutsu (Including a form of Smoke Based Ninjutsu taught by Laertia) combined with intensive training in the use of stage magic, holograms, poison, special chemicals, miniaturized repulsorlifts, tractor beams and hallucinogens has produced a warrior able to create startlingly realistic illusions through practical effects so effective and convincing even the senses of a highly skilled Force Adept may be fooled--they are able to use stage magic and smoke to mimic their teacher's teleporting ability, moving short distances away or from their opponent, create constructs of smoke, duplicates of themselves, fire balls, walls of fire, demons, move objects and seemingly use telekinesis like abilities. They do this with such unsettling skill it seems as though they have genuine supernatural abilities (They don't, but they're that damn good at convincing others they do, even possibly fooling Veteran Force Users). They are masters of spreading chaos and terror, and are masters of disguise and stealth, often going around in disguise as doctors or spacers

Weaknesses:

• Long Training Times: This highly Specialized training takes months and years to truly master, Though large enough numbers have been carefully trained up that the loss of a few dozen will not devastate the organization, it will still take a long time to properly train up and replace even a few dozen, leading to their use being spared only for extremely sensitive missions. To have more than a dozen on a given battlefield is a sign of something quite serious
• Artillery: Often Operating behind enemy lines, if their position in the open is discovered, it makes them quite open to Artillery strikes from enemy units
• Airstrikes: They often don't have air support, as they are mainly for hunting Jedi and other special Forces Units.
• Less skill with common firearms: They are simply not the common footsoldier, lacking skill with most common military weapons beyond the most basic
• Long hunts for Candidates: All Candidates are required to be Force Dead. This adds greatly to the wait time for replacements
• Prep time: Some of their most impressive acts of illusion require significant prep time
• Limited sabotage: Good for quick and dirty sabotage of enemy fortifications and materials on the battlefield, but not much else when it comes to sabotage
• Numbers: Because there are often so few on the battlefield, with rare exceptions, they are often always outnumbered. They try to avoid conflict with any but their main targets unless they are given no other choice

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

"MAGICIAN NINJAS, DAMMIT!"

---DARTH XIPHOS

Deadly warriors given personal instruction by Darth Xiphos, Black Knights of Io are Lethal Swordfighters with an uncomfortably high chance of defeating Jedi Knight's by themselves, and multiple ones can pose a threat to even a master. Selected from Force Dead among the Population, they are given further instruction, sparring against lethal Advanced Model 1 Nanite Assassin Droids and Model 1 Units as well as Xiphos herself. There skill with the blade is so tremendous that even the most wily, experienced Lightsaber duelist is at strong risk of defeat, and a small group can slaughter platoons of common soldiers, via their use of both this and stage magic that allows them to create illusions with such incredible skill they are capable of fooling Force Adepts. This is balanced by the long length of time inculcating such skill requires.

Nearly every Black Knight is a refugee that lost family when their world was destroyed by the Bryn'adul. Like their teacher, they hold the Jedi Order as a whole collectively responsible...and are sworn to punish and kill Jedi when possible, determined to make sure the Jedi Order always pays for it's decision to focus on the tenth Sith Empire rather than those who destroyed their homes and lives. Consumed with such hatred for Jedi, the level of hatred they possess for the Order at times outshines any Sith.