Vaena Askari
Lady Cadalthor
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the Eldorai and House Cadalthor. Inspired by the soldier colonies established by the Romans and other historical empires.
Image Credit: Here. Here.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: ARGH gear available to Firemane per this thread. Permission for all ArmaTech gear and all other subs made by Laira Darkhold's writer here. Can use Firemane stuff because I own the company.
Links: Ashiranism, Eldorai Exodus from Kaeshana, Firemane, Inexorable, Four of a Kind, Denouement, Choir of Angels, Draconian Guard, Church of Ashira, Angelii, The Repentant.
SETTING INFORMATION
City Name: Colonia Askari.
Classification: Military Settlement & Agricultural Colony.
Location: Tygara.
Affiliation: Righteous Way, Vaena, House Cadalthor, Eldorai.
Population: Sparse. A few thousand people live here.
Demographics: Colonia Askari was founded as a colony for Eldorai veterans who left service and been given land grants. However, Vaena has pan-Ashiran views, so it is also open to the Eldorai's Tygaran cousins, provided they have served in the armed forces of the Eldorai Matriarchy. Presently the population is a mix of Eldorai and Qadiri. The mingling of both groups has led to a few mixed race relationships.
In Vaena's views, the Eldorai and the Tygarans are both children of the Great Goddess, who appeared to them in different guises tailored towards their culture, so she takes a poor view of discrimination. The inhabitants are former soldiers and their families. Though they have put down the sword and picked up the plough, they are considered militia and can be recalled for service, which means they conduct regular drills to keep their skills sharp. It has been conceived as an elf settlement for veterans and their families, so non-elves do not live here. The community is fine with trading with them, but they are not allowed to settle here. Eldarai is the lingua franca of the settlement. However, most signs are bilingual and are written in both Eldarai and Zandri, the most common Qadiri language. The same applies to public announcements and laws passed by the council. Schools offer courses in both languages.
Wealth: Medium. The Eldorai have a bit of a fixation with the 'prosperous farmer'. They are the true Eldorai; resourceful, goddess-fearing and industrious. Vaena has a bit a romantic streak and shares these preconceptions. Therefore the colony is a primarily farming place on some plains with a river nearby. With that in mind it has about average wealth. Colonia Askari is not not poor by any means, but lacking the sort of commercial and financial interests which would make it wealthy as a whole rather than just prosperous. No one lives in deprivation and the essential needs of the community are taken care of. There is room for amenities outside of work. But it is not a place where one can live a life of luxury. With further investment, the community may grow, but for now it has a comfortable medium.
Stability: High. Overall, Colonia Askari is a very stable community. Its population consists of former soldiers and their dependents. This means that its primary inhabitants are people who are used to living a disciplined life and obeying the rules. Indeed, many of them have distinguished themselves on the battlefield and been decorated with medals for their valour. A few of them are former Angelii who served in Vaena's old unit, the prestigious Valora's Blade Great Company. Indeed, 'Askari' is an Eldorai word for 'soldier'. Coincidentally, it was also the surname Vaena adopted after being inducted into the Angelii. Prior to that, she was called 'Star', which is an Eldorai bastard name. Land grants are a way to reward veterans for loyal service and keep them productive after the leave the military.
While not required per se, many of the inhabitants are also followers of the traditional Eldorai and Qadiri deities. Of course, their level of devotion varies. Vaena subscribes to pan-Ashiran beliefs and has sough to make them popular among the community. Broadly speaking, she dislikes atheists and secularists, but also extreme religious zealots, especially the particularly bigoted one.
Of course, her views are not unanimous. But the community is pretty law-abiding and it is safe for travellers to visit. The community is protected by a volunteer militia, but every household is expected to keep a gun in the house and train regularly in its use. This is because the settlers are considered reservists, who can be recalled back to service in times of need. This has also had the side-effect of giving Vaena a loyal body of experienced militia if she ever needs it. The Duchess has invested quite heavily in the settlement. This has helped the community get on its feet. The local government encourages patriotic sentiment and it is common to show the flag. The guiding principles of society are sustainability, order, frugality, resilience, duty and faith. As a result, there is little room for idleness and certainly not for laziness. The Qadiri are a martial culture and the Eldorai survivors of cataclysm.
Freedom & Oppression: Colonia Askari is part of the Eldorai Matriarchy and beholden to its laws. The values of modern Eldorai society can be summed up as enlightened despotism, toleration of religious non-conformists and integration with the Tygaran natives. Colonia Askari is in line with many of these values, though it diverges from some. The colony was conceived as a mixed race settlement that would be open for Eldorai, but also their Tygaran cousins. As a result, discriminating against the Tygarans is forbidden.
Likewise, burning heretics is strictly prohibited. Vaena considers it not only impractical, but a violation of Ashiran morality. There is no secret police that carries out door-to-searches or arrests people at random for 'heresy'. Moreover, the farmers own the land they work on. In the view of the founders, they have earned their blood by purchasing it with the blood they shed on the battlefield. The residents are veterans and their families. Many of them have endured great hardship while fighting the Matriarchy's wars, so questioning their loyalty would be seen as plain insulting. Theocratic persecution is forbidden by law. However, there is some indirect social pressure for people to profess faith in the Goddess and be devout, though they have more freedom to decide which form their devotion takes. Broadly speaking, it is the type of community where if a resident does something the local social norms see as improper, word will spread fast.
Eldorai society is traditionally matriarchal, with men being treated as second class citizens. Things have liberalised in the last couple years, with more positions being opened up to men. However, the top jobs are still monopolised by women. Men cannot join the clergy or become Angelii and the idea of a 'Star King' is unthinkable. However, the regular army is open to both men and women. As a result, the community also has male Eldorai veterans. It goes without saying that they are not inclined to accept poor treatment after having fought and bled for the Matriarchy.
Moreover, Qadiri live here, too. Though less technologically developed, the desert elves are actually more progressive in gender matters than Eldorai. They practice enactic-cognatic succession. Under this system, a female will inherit before a male sibling, but the male sibling will not be passed over beyond that. Compared to this the Eldorai are quite regressive, though the same applies to patriarchal human societies. Vaena is personally a bit sexist, as she believes Ashira has assigned important, but separate spheres to men and women. She has a higher opinion of Goddess-fearing men who work within the system instead of trying to tear it down or subvert it.
The government of Colonia Askari is somewhat oligarchic. It consists of a small council of nominated soldiers, who tend to be non-commissioned officers or junior officers, and priestesses assigned by the Queen. The way the nomination system works is that the residents nominate a number of soldiers who sit on the council, say ten, and the government picks a couple of them, such as five in this case. This provides a nice balance and gives the residents some representation, without being that horrible democracy thing the humans love. The Eldorai Matriarchy might be more liberal now, but it is still an absolute monarchy that does not play coy with constitutional niceties. Moreover, democracy is something Vaena neither likes nor understands. The council is responsible for running the colony, and represents it when dealing with government institutions.
Description: Colonia Askari is a soldier colony that has been established by Vaena Cadalthor to provide soldiers who have served honourably and been discharged with a home as well as gainful employment. The soldiers who have found a home here have been honourably discharged after completing their term of service. Soldiers who have been dismissed on medical grounds but have served with an untarnished record may also receive a home and a plot of land here. Moreover, a number of former Repentant also live here. The Repentant are the Eldorai army's penal legions.
The ex-penal legionnaires who have been allowed to live distinguished themselves through their bravery under fire and are considered to have repaid their debt to society. Them being allowed to live here is no idle whim, as Vaena was heavily involved in reforming the Repentant. Moreover, the captain of her personal guard, Ariawyn Eloris, used to be a member. It is important to keep in mind that the elves have a longer life span than humans. Twenty-five to thirty years is on average most of a human's working life, but for an Eldorai it is barely getting started. Qadiri do not live as long as Eldorai and develop at a quicker rate, but still live longer and age more slowly than humans.
The land the Colonia was built on has been in the possession of House Cadalthor for quite a while. However, the previous owner has been expropriated by Vaena. The core of Colonia resembles a military camp and is thus neatly laid out, but it is surrounded by farms and buildings set up in a less rigid pattern. The Colonia is based on a simple template of basilica, amphitheatre, forum and grid pattern of streets. Veterans who choose to settle here receive a pension and a piece of land that will enable them to start a new existence. Moreover, they receive an official document called a diploma. This certifies that they have served honourably. It also provides information on unit they belonged to and where they served. In the case of Tygaran elves who served in the Auxilia, it also grants them Eldorai citizenship, which is also granted to the veteran's children.
The veterans are considered reservists who can be recalled back to active service if need be, and so the Colonia serves defensive purposes. However, it also offers work for them. Moreover, it is a way of integrating Qadiri who live within the Matriarchy's territory. Discrimination of the Eldorai's Qadiri, Xioquo and Vashyada cousins is forbidden, for they are fellow sisters in the cause of peace, prosperity and war. The settlement has a pan-Ashiran shrine and religion is an important part of daily life in Colonia Askari. It is not uncommon for inhabitants to fly the banner of the company they used to serve in.
The settlement is very young, and heavily focused on agricultural pursuits. As is typical for such military colonies, it has been named after its benefactor. Vaena deliberately did not call it Cadalthor. The colony has been built on a plain close to a river. There is a small inland port nearby. This is beneficial because on Tygara the oceans play a huge role in transport and trade. Thus being connected to the planet's waterways is a good thing. Colonia Askari is also a way to keep an eye on a still rather untamed region of Tygara.
This makes the settlers pioneers of sorts. They can also act as first responders in emergency situations. Finally, the colonies like this allow the reintegration of soldiers into civilian society. Unsurprisingly, military readiness and physical fitness are valued quite highly. This is a reflection of the martial background of the settlers. Tournaments and competitions of a martial nature are quite common. But they also have a memorial to remember fallen comrades who died on the field of battle. They tend to wear their old uniforms during memorials and other formal ceremonies. There is a small, open-air theatre for musical and theatrical performances. Murals are also a common sight.
Strictly speaking, the settlement is beholden to the Eldorai Matriarchy and Star Queen Tirathana VII, known to her friends as Anya Venari. However, the calamities the Eldorai experienced have weakened royal authority. This does not make the people of Colonia Askari anarchists or reactionary renegades. They obey the laws, pay taxes and so on. At the same time Vaena is the patron of the community, and as a result the inhabitants of the community tend to be rather loyal to her. However, she views palace intrigue as treasonous, though she is more loyal to the spirit of the Matriarchy than its present government.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Casa Askari: Vaena's home for when she happens to be in the town. The place is simple and has Spartan furnishings. The staff are all just regular people paid for the day, not full time servants. They serve simple food and do not pander to noble visitors. When a luxurious bed was delivered to her, Vaena replaced it with a futon with a futon on the ground. The family complains about how it is hard to get up. She could reside in the villa that belonged to her expropriated relative, but has decided it should be given a more socially useful purpose.
Ferrano's Gift: Surrounding the town are the farm plots where the majority of the people work. Each veteran is assigned a plot of land, with the ability to buy other plots, but with debt relief and restrictions on buying the land of others.
Colony House: Unofficially known as 'The Bunker'. This building houses the commucations gear and serves as the centre of government for the colony. The councillors congregate here and have offices for themselves and their staff. The building also have an actual bunker in the case of emergencies. Citizens can address petitions to the council. As mentioned above, the body's membership is a mixture of nominated soldiers, who tend to be non-commissioned officers or junior officers, and priestesses assigned by the Queen. The council works closely with the veterans' affairs department of the Eldorai Matriarchy's Ministry of War.
Emerald Hills School: Located on a hill, as the name implies. This place used to be a villa called the Great Emerald Hills and was owned by a Cadalthor. However, Vaena expropriated the former owner. Rather than reside there herself, she decided to give the building a more socially useful purpose. As a result, it is now a school for the colony's children. The school is mixed race. Some adjustments have had to be made to account for that Qadiri develop at a faster pace than Eldorai, but the school teaches both.
Seraphim Shrine: Located on the Forum. It is a place of worship for the deities of the Eldorai and Qadiri. In contrast to the largely secular Galaxy, religion is an important force in their daily lives. Both Eldorai and Qadiri have an essentially henotheistic religion. They regard Ashira or Kashara as the supreme deity, but acknowledge the existence of others in their pantheon. For her part, Vaena promotes a syncretic theology. In her view, Ashira, Kashara, Gaia etc. are different guises for the same Heavenly Mother who created the Eldorai and their sisters.
The shrine derives its name from the Eldorai belief that those who live a virtuous life will enter Ashira's heavenly realm and may become angels. The latter especially applies to soldiers who fought in her name. Many though not all residents of Colonia Askari are devout, so church attendance tends to be quite high. When feasible, a number of ceremonies are carried out in open air on the Forum.
Askari Spacedock: A small, humble spaceport. It is located just out of town, but connected to the settlement by a paved road. The Spacedock does not get a lot of traffic, but can accommodate a number of small starships. Commercial traffic and immigration aside, it also serves as a port for Eldorai and Qadiri who want to venture into orbit for spiritual reasons.
A number of devout elves like to hold their religious confirmation ceremonies in orbit so that they can look down on their home. Their whole religion is about ascending into the stars. Now, before they had proper space travel that was a more mystical thing, but it's still a pretty amazing experience if you attach religious significance to something your race has not yet grown jaded about.
While the Eldorai had limited space travel before, they did not really have or use hyperspace, save for political exiles who were banished or had to flee from Kaeshana. It was not available to many people. It is only the last 30 years that they've broadly come to realise that the stars are not just full of empty void and ghosts. And it is an extremely new experience for the Qadiri. Thus a bunch of pilots have established what amounts to a religious space taxi service.
Healing Hands of Blessed Myrkash Clinic: Shortened to Healing Hands Clinic or simply Healing Hands because the full name is so damn long. Myrkash is the Qadiri goddess of healing and compassion. The clinic was founded by a former slave of the Temple who served with the Eldorai after being freed. It employs a mixture of Force healers and conventional medical practitioners. Qadiri are new to droids, and so the people running the clinic are sceptical of medical droids. However, the healing staff is capable and can use the Force to cure ailments.
Ampitheatre: An open air venue with raised seatings used for entertainment and sports. Eldorai races love oral poetry and performance. It is a trait Eldorai and Qadiri share. Many of the most loved tales are epic ones, filled with war, loss and love. Others are comedies and can be quite ribald. Musical performances are also common. Sports competitions and nonlethal mock combat also takes place here.
Silo: An Echani Graphite Container variant. Located underground, and used as a storage area for food such as grain. Can also hold ammunition, bricks and so on. These containers are remarkably strong. They are useful when the inhabitants of the community face natural disasters, pirate raids, drought and the like.
Yazgid Stables: The Yazgid pens are located here. The Yazgid are large lizard creatures and ferocious predators. They are big, strong and fast. As pack carnivores, they lend themselves to military use, as they can be trained and ridden in combat, though there is a steep learning curve.
Yazgid cavalry was long the mainstay of any Qadiri army. With the introduction of modern vehicles and blasters, their use has declined, though taming a Yazgid is still a badge of honour for a Qadiri warrior. Some of the Qadiri who settled here brought their mounts with them. Others were domesticated locally. Yazgid races are quite popular. To increase their survivability in modern combat, some Qadiri have turned to alchemy comparable to that used by the Je'daii to enhance them.
Forum: The Forum is the centre of the town. It is a place for public announcements, processions, elections, public speeches and the centre of commercial affairs. The marketplace and the Monument of Martyrs are located here. Moreover, open air church services are held here at times.
Monument of Martyrs: A war memorial dedicated to all Asuran soldiers who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom. Asuran is how Eldorai with pan-Eldorai views, such as Vaena, refer to Eldorai, Qadiri, Vashyada and Xioquo as a whole. The monument is located in the centre of the town and has an honour guard. It is common to lay down wreaths in front of it. Vaena laid the first wreath after the structure had been completed. The memorial consists of the statue of an angel, standing on the summot of a monument. The angel of victory is shown holding a bent sword in one hand, and a wreath in the other. Her upswept wings are proudly displayed, providing some dramatic imagery. Memorial ceremonies are important public events for the inhabitants of the colony.
Legatium: The barracks and headquarters of the volunteer militia that protects the settlement from aggressors and disturbers of the peace. There are also training grounds that allow the members of the militia as well as civilians to train. Close to the barracks, there is a redoubt noncombatants can seek shelter in if need be.
The inhabitants of the colony are considered reservists by the Eldorai army, so they are subject to call-up and must participate in regular drills to keep their skills sharp, provided age and physicality permit this. This is in keeping with the desire to use colonies like this for local defence. This makes it practical to have a core of women and men already capable of defending themselves.
SECURITY
Medium. Colonia Askari is not a large settlement, but a protected one. The residents are military veterans and their families, so they know how to defend themselves. In the light of past experiences, military readiness and discipline are valued highly. The settlement cannot withstand a determined assault carried out with overwhelming force, but it is equipped to repel raiders and give more sophisticated enemies a good fight.
- The town is surrounded by walls and guarded by a volunteer militia, which also include a number of Force adepts of varying skill and experience. Several of these adepts are retired Angelii or former members of the Draconian Guard. The militia can be supplemented by a mustering of all adult residents. All able-bodied inhabitants are required to keep a weapon in their household and participate in regular drills to keep their skills sharp. Members of the militia patrol the plains outside the settlement. They have some airspeeders and domesticated Yazgid mounts. Moreover, the militia has a few old starfighters. The models are dated, but still do the job.
- Defences have been set up in case of an attack. The settlement has a Keraunos Missile Turret in each corner to protect it against air strikes. There are also a few Ballista and Javelin emplacements as well as a couple stationary Rotary Cannon and sonic cannon emplacements. The gate is particularly well-guarded and the walls provide good firing positions.
- Mobile Barricades can also be set up. The town has a bunker that serves as a redoubt and air raid shelters for noncombatants to hide inside in case of attack.
Military colonies have a tradition among the Eldorai. The Star Queens of yore settled veterans in outlying territories for the purpose of pacification, reward for loyal service and to keep the soldiers productive. It would give them and their families an income, ensuring that they would not turn to banditry. This was particularly pertinent during a time when the Star Queens still had to establish their authority as the Eldorai's absolute rulers, and the Matriarchy warred with the Kar'zun, the perennial rivals of the elves.
Of course, charismatic generals also used the promise of land grants as a means to curry favour with their soldiers. Thus it became a political weapon during the Time of Troubles. Following the final defeat of the Kar'zun, Ariane the Great and her successors settled demobilised veterans in former Kar'zun territory to ensure the stone people could not return and the soldiers would not be restless. Ariane had lived through a time of internal strife for the Eldorai and was adamant that nothing could threaten her rule.
The Kar'zun, meanwhile, were deported to 'reservations' where the Eldorai could control them. Their species was driven to the brink of extinction. One of the noble families that was quite enthusiastic about colonising the new conquests was House Cadalthor, which had pledged its swords to Ariane and supported her great crusade. With Kaeshana under the complete control of the Star Queen, the practice of granting veterans land declined in importance, for there were no new lands to conquer. It was, of course, custom to confiscate the lands of treasonous nobles. The practice gained a new lease of life following the settlement of Tygara and Arkas.
Many things have changed since the days of Ariane. The Eldorai have found themselves on a stage far greater than they could have anticipated. While there are those who still cling to the delusion of being the mistress race with a goddess-given destiny to rule the stars, saner spirits have had to acknowledge that they are outgunned and outnumbered in the greater galaxy. Kaeshana, the sacred homeworld, is now an abandoned wasteland, having been devastated by multiple calamities. Moreover, the Eldorai are scattered, with many having embraced a nomadic life style.
Colonia Askari owes its existence to very practical considerations, but also internal power struggles in House Cadalthor. The House of Cadalthor is one of the oldest and most illustrious amongst the great families of the Eldorai peerage. For centuries, it has almost always been at the forefront of Eldorai politics. Dramatic falls from grace have been paired with equally dramatic rises to power. The Cadalthors consider themselves to be the guardians of the true faith in the Great Goddess Ashira and the other Eldorai deities, protecting Eldorai tradition and culture. At the same time, they regard themselves as warriors, who use their martial prowess to smite the Eldorai's enemies. Finally, they see themselves as the natural rulers of the Eldorai people due to being descended from the ancient Star Queen Anais II, known as the Conqueror or the Dragon. A zealous, rash and impulsive queen, Anais was a famously brave and ruthless warlord who led the Eldorai people to great power.
Cadalthor means 'Daughters of the Dragon' in Eldarai. While the Cadalthors are not direct descendants of 'the Dragon', they claim to be descended from one of her cousins, given the distinction of 'daughters of the dragon' for their family's valour in war. Today, Cadalthor stands at a crossroads. A failed palace revolution resulted in the execution of Duchess Tarissa Cadalthor and the ascent of the most unlikely family matriarch, Vaena Askari, who until then had been rejected by her family due to being a bastard. Upon her ennoblement, Vaena found herself facing many problems. On the one hand Firemane had imposed a harsh indemnity on her house, on the other the majority of her relatives loathed her. She returned their contempt, regarding them as venal, corrupt and, above all, godless.
Her solution was to rely on former army comrades, Tygarans and the outcasts of the family. They would form the nucelus of a power base that would enable her to hopefully turn the family's fortunes around. As a former soldier, care for those who had shed their blood in the name of the motherland was quite important to her. She was also conscious that Firemane had aided the Eldorai greatly, it was also doing all it could to lure their best away. The same applied to dissident groups such as the Shadow Knights and the Aspirants, who promised a more equitable way of life and rejected the monarchy. If she also happened to gain a loyal force of experienced militia, that would be a welcome bonus. Colonia Askari was set up on the northern Tygaran continent of Ajustra.
Incidentally, the land she had in mind had already partly been owned by House Cadalthor. The exodus fleet had been reliant on funding from noble houses in order to evacuate as many Eldorai as possible from doomed Kaeshana. Nobles received compensation for their lost fief. Initially the Eldorai military had set up a camp to guard the new settlements against Xioquo attacks. This camp was later dissolved. Mylea Cadalthor claimed a huge tract of land to build a palatial estate. For many decades, Mylea had been a relentless - and extremely corrupt - censor. She lost her position when Tirathana VII acceded to the throne and started to push the Eldorai towards modernity. However, the embittered Marchioness retained significant feudal holdings. Ironically, Vaena was her bastard daughter. The relationship between mother and daughter was not good.
Myela tried to persuade Vaena to make her the family's chief treasurer, citing her decades of experience. However, Vaena ended up picking a retired Angelii who had served in the quartermaster's office. This was probably a good idea since Myela was a crook. Vaena also implemented an austerity programme to curb extravagant spending and ensure her house was able to pay the reparations to Firemane. Mylea had been in the process of expanding her already magnificient estate, but was forced to give it up. She held on to most of the stolen artwork though.
With the legal niceties out of the way, Vaena opened up the land for veterans to settle on. Several of the settlers were veterans who had distinguished themselves during the war against the Xioquo or the Battle of Kaeshana. A few were her former comrades from the Valora's Chosen Great Company, the Angelii unit she had served in before being ennobled. Though controversial, Vaena made the decision to allow select Repentant who had served their time and been injured in combat to settle. It was supposed to reward them for their bravery and act as an incentive to their comrades in the penal legions.
Finally, Qadiri who had joined the Matriarchy and served in its auxiliary forces were allowed to settle. This was controversial, to say the least. Reactionary Eldorai regarded the Qadiri as 'sand babies' who needed the stern guidance of their 'wise Eldorai mistresses'. However, it reflected Vaena's pan-Ashiran views. Privately, it was Vaena's view that the Matriarchy had neglected its cousins for far too long, allowing the humans of Firemane to tempt them with technology and lucre. It was folly to expect that Firemane's interests and those of the Matriarchy would always align. Moreover, she was earnest in her belief that the Qadiri, Vashyada, Eldorai and Xioquo constituted one family and felt guilty about her earlier dismissal of the 'cousins'.
Needless to say the young settlement faced its share of difficulties, such as racial tensions. Moreover, inevitably some settlers ended up better off than others. Speculation was a serious problem, so laws were promulgated to curb it and ensure a fairer distribution of land. The government of the new settlement was an oligarchic with some democratic elements. Though a lot more liberal than in the past, the Matriarchy is an absolute monarchy, not a constitutional one. Assemblies exist, but they are limited to local issues. Moreover, Vaena is a conservative woman, though she wanted to those who had served the motherland a voice in how their town was run.
Thus Colonia Askari would be run by a council composed of priestesses appointed by the Queen and former soldiers nominated by the residents and picked by the monarch. This gave the residents a voice, but avoided that whole democracy thing the humans liked to preach about...despite often not following it themselves. Of course, Vaena obviously exerted influence on the settlement since she was its patron. The Duchess makes frequent visits to the colony.
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