Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Add some flavour to Firemane's forces. Expand on the Vashyada.
Image Credit: Here. Mirkwood Scout. By JLazarusEB.
Role: Force support unit for Firemane troops.
Permission: ARGH gear available per this thread. Permission for all ArmaTech gear and all other subs made by Laira Darkhold's writer here and here. CD-X Cryptologic Key available for Firemane per this thread. Firemane obtained a supply contract that allows it to use Fire for Effect gear here.
Links: Vashyada, Four of a Kind, You're Grounded, Firemane Industries, Tylania.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Circle of Yarkul
Affiliation: Siobhan, Firemane, Vashyada, Order of Fire, House Kerrigan-Alcori.
Classification: Elemental mages, infantry, support unit.
Equipment:
Armour:
- Spectre Scout Armour. Commlink uses CD-X cryptologic key. Wear earpiece communicators with built-in translators.
- Taegis Battle Shield
- Force Imbued Blades, Tomahawks and Javelins/Spears
- Force pikes.
- Vibrodagger.
Sidearms:
Wrist and Underbarrel Weapons:
Misc:
- Smoke, gas, concussion, ion and adhesive grenades.
- Force-focusing visors
- Meditation band.
Like many Vashyada Force-users, they also have an affinity for animals and plants. They can also call upon the power of the Light to heal their own injuries and those of their comrades. While the Vashyada understand the power of modern technology, they are reluctant to fully abandon their old designs. So the members of the Circle prefer modernised bows to blaster rifles and slugthrowers. Thus they have adapted upgraded bowcasters and energy bows. They received training in their use from Wookiees employed by their patron. During training the Vashyada realised that they had some common ground with the natives of Kashyyyk. Wookiees are, on average, a hard-working, honourable people with an affinity for nature and hunting. While they may seem primitive on first sight, they actually understand tech quite well, but just use the parts necessary for them. Members of the Circle have established good relations with some Wookiee tribes, seeing kindred spirits in them.
The position of the Vashyada warriors differs slightly from that the Xioquo and Qadiri in Siobhan's services. The Xioquo were liberated from darkside despots by Siobhan, who also slew their bloodthirsty demigoddess Mystra with the help of her allies. While Firemane pursued a policy of accommodation with most Qadiri rulers, it was instrumental in the abolition of slavery and provided opportunities and education for many freed slaves. It also helped both races reach the stars. This was a religious experience for several members of both races, spawning cults such as the Cataphracts of the Ascending Phoenix and the Daughters of the Destroyer.
By contrast, the Vashyada are not 'indebted' in the same way. While they gained access to modern tech, vaccination against diseases and were able to leave Tygara thanks to Firemane, this was the result of negotiations where both sides brought something to the table. Firemane soldiers never fought the Vashyada. Moreover, the wood elves still have a guide called Tylania, who, from their point of view, is partly divine. She is also respected by Siobhan - and helped Lady Kerrigan regain her Force connection after it had been impaired by a stroke. As a result the members of the Circle are more independent and, while loyal, do not manifest unquestioning obedience. Paradoxically, although the Vashyada are the most primitive among the Eldorai family of races, their relationship with House Kerrigan-Alcori may be the most 'equal'. The members of the Circle still tend to practice the Vashyada's polytheistic faith and revere the forces of nature, especially the sun and the moon. The Order of Fire supervises them loosely, but does not interfere with their religious beliefs.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Medium
Unit Availability: Unique
Unit Experience: Elite.
Combat Function: The Circle of Yarkul are a crack unit modern-day Druids. They specialise in elemental earth abilities, plant surge, Force healing, Force Blind, Force Meld, Force Stasis and animal friendship. Their aptitude for terramancy can be used offensively and defensively. Earth Shaping is great for confusing or hammering attackers. This can include creating furrows, holes in the earth to swallow enemies, causing rock slides and and erecting barriers. However, complex applications such as quakes require time and focus. In battle, the ability to control a plant's grwoth with the Force could be used to cause plants to grow with incredible speed directly under the user's control, causing plant life to grow and twist around an opponent, ensnaring those who are not quick enough to avoid it.
Another application would be to clear plants and vines away in dense forests. Unsurprisingly, they are at their strongest in forests, mountainous areas and the like, as this represents the Vashyada's natural habitat. While they have no cloaking devices, their suits make them extremely difficult to pick up on sensors and the wood elves have a knack for sneaking. They can use Taegis shields to protect themselves and are good, precise shots. A shield wall is strong in defence, but would also limit their agility and make them potentially vulnerable to flanking.
They are capable of utilising Force Meld. Thus they can pool their powers to strengthen themselves and enhance their coordination, boosting their overall effectiveness. However, this power is not without risks. A great disturbance in the Force could overwhelm the melding participants as they received the pain through their enhanced senses. If the pain is caused by the minds the melding participants were touching, it could have very negative repercussions for the participants. If they are in the middle of a mind meld and are suddenly deprived of the Force through say ysalamiri, the sudden loss will not just be very disorientating for them, but also painful. This is something a canny opponent could exploit.
However, they lack heavy conventional firepower in form of squad automatic weapons, rotary cannons, grenade launchers and anti-tank weapons. Thus their conventional arsenal is a bit minimalist. Bowcasters hit harder and are more accurate than blasters, but have a lower firing rate. While terramancy can be useful against vehicles lack of heavy conventional firepower can put the Druids at a disadvantage, especially in open terrain, where they would be very exposed and their powers would have less to work with. Plant surge is a potent ability, but dependent on terrain, as you need something to work with. Moreover, long range bombardment can be a threat to them, as they lack effective means to counter it on their own due to a lack of support forces. They are not slicers, gunship pilots, tank drivers or artillerists.
They are not a large unit which limits how many of the Warrior-Druids can be deployed in any given area. Thus they are unsuited to lead a charge or fight a pitched battle on their own. They are best paired with conventional units that can make up for their shortcomings, while the Circle provides support. They would also be weakened by ysalamiri fields, as they would lose their greatest asset if deprived of the Force. Their armour offers decent protection against blasters and slugthrowers, but overall is built for mobility and stealth rather than tanking heavy blaster fire volleys or direct lightsabre strikes.
Strengths:
- Crack unit whose doctrine emphasises teamwork and who are adept at blending in with nature.
- Powerful warrior-druids. They are strong in the Force and excel at Earth Shaping. Force Meld greatly enhances their coordination and allows them to draw strength from one another.
- More intensive rituals take time, which can potentially leave them vulnerable.
- Lack heavy weapons or support forces. Bows and bowcasters have a slower rate of fire than blasters.
Of all the Eldorai subraces, the Vashyada have the deepest connection to nature. Having dwelt in the vast, dangerous forests of Yarkul for centuries, they are a hardy, tough people. Unlike their cousins, they are the least inclined to bloodletting and warring amongst themselves. Their isolation prevented them from developing advanced technology and so they are fairly primitive.
However, this does not make them savages. Far from it. Rather they adapted very well to their environment and learned to use it to their advantage. Both the Qadiri and the Xioquo as well as foreign slavers discovered to their peril that the Vashyada are far from helpless. For the wood elves repelled many incursions into their territory. In some ways, the Vashyada are more pragmatic than their more 'developed' cousins, not the least due to the stabilising influence of the primeval elf Tylania, who has served as their guide throughout the centuries. Many of their Force-users are skilled healers, illusionists and earth mages. Leaving aside its obvious battlefield applications, the latter also helps build settlements and make plants grow.
The colonisation of Tygara by the Eldorai and Firemane, however brief it might have been in the greater scheme of things, had a profound effect on all races, including the Vashyada. Force visions had told Tylania that one day outsiders would visit her people who could either great allies or terrible foes of her race. The Paragagon had taken steps to prepare the Vashyada and their dual monarchs for this day. Fortunately, the first contact was peaceful and the Lady Kerrigan and Tylania managed to establish a cordial working relationship, in spite of being on opposite ends of the Force alignment spectrum. It helped that Siobhan was more interested in strong allies than unwilling servitors.
Some Vashyada grew curious about the outside world and ventured from their forest. Some of these found their way into Firemane's scout corps, the Eyes of the Forest, where they could put their skills as trackers, snipers and guerilla fighters to good use. Others remained independent, wishing to explore the stars on their own terms without being beholden to foreigners. A few joined the Shadow Knights, a group of Eldorai dissidents and renegades. Eventually the leaders of Tygara grew concerned about outside threats, for the planet lacked a great power to protect it after the Silver Sanctum Coalition's dissolution. At the instigation of Tylania, a summit was convened, where it was decided that the natives would be uplifted. Firemane would help the elves go off and colonise, using arkships. This would enable them to spread across the stars. Because the Vashyada colonists did not just want to give up their entire way of life and be subsumed by humans or Eldorai, they commissioned Firemane to build vessels for them inspired by Ithorian herdships.
In the process the Vashyada forged a closer partnership with Firemane. Though lacking in numbers and resources, the wood elves had a few things they could offer House Kerrigan-Alcori, such as healers, skilled illusionists, scouts and even some precious metals and crystals. For its part Firemane would be able to give the Vashyada the tools to uplift themselves on their terms. One of the fruits of this partnership was the Circle of Yarkul. Tylania helped select some of the best 'Druids' among her people.
One could compare it to an exchange programme. Some of the most adventurous Vashyada would enter Firemane's services for a while, use this chance to expand their horizons by learning new skills and exploring the Galaxy. Upon the completition of their term of service they would return to their people and share what they had learned during their time away. Part of their remuneration would be sent back home to support their families and clans. Because the wood elves had little experience in market economics, Firemane provide the clans with technology in return for the chance to recruit warriors from among them. The druids would be allowed to practice their religious beliefs and the Order of Fire would refrain from attempts at proselytising.
The druids could serve two purposes: Outside of the battlefield, they could be an asset by using their powers to help grow plants and agricultural products aboard the habitats. On the battlefield, they could be a valuable support force. The druids proved their worth during the Krolis War and during a Firemane expedition to the untamed, tropical planet of Raevana, which turned out to be a death world. Some of the druids also fought on Tephrike, where Firemane troops faced the fanatical Dominion of Light. They used their powers of nature to ensnare enemies or cause rock slides on them. Their close connection to nature, ability to blend in and the power of their terramantic abilities made them a big asset to Firemane. However, there was some tension. Firemane recruited auxiliaries and elite Force-Users from all three Tygaran races, but these had a long history of enmity. This could make cooperation difficult on the battlefield. Vashyhada druids and Xioquo witches in particular had poor relations. This meant that while the Tygaran warriors were very strong in combat, some deft diplomacy was required.
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