OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the Shadow Knights and update their lore. Moar bureaucracy.
Image Credit: Here.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: Can use Firemane stuff because I own the company.
Links: Vashyada, To Hell and Back, Eldorai Exodus, Twin Exiles, Eldorai, Xioquo, Kar'zun, Qadiri. Sarix.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Organization Name: Court of the Four Elements
Classification: Force Order, training institution, Central Command.
Affiliation: Court of the Shadows, Shadow Knights, Naesala Faethyra, Asuran Star Combine.
Organization Symbol: Four sided cross. Each side has one elemental symbol.
Description: The Court of the Four Elements was founded to regulate the Force-Sensitive members of the Shadow Knight movement, especially those who have displayed martial aptitude and serve in the military. Eldorai possess higher than average Force affinity than humans. Whereas the figure for humans is unstated, the figure for Eldorai is about one in a thousand have some minor Force ability. Usually this manifests itself simply as empathic or persuasive, but rarer individuals have stronger affinity with the Force. The situation is similar with the cousin races of the Eldorai, the Vashyada, Xioquo and Qadiri.
Under Shadow Knight law, all Force-Sensitives - called Sciians in the Eldorai language - are taken for training early in their lives so that they can be taught how to control their powers. Most are allowed to leave and choose a profession once their training is complete, though the Court advises them on what vocation they should pursue. However, those with stronger powers are conscripted into the military. Even though the Eldorai do not put much thought into the Dark Side, they acknowledge that corruption can be a problem which must be monitored. Moreover, the Shadow Knights have people who were former Angelii, self-taught exodites, Vashyada druids, Xioquo witches and so on. It is a potentially volatile and even dangerous mix. So imposing controls from above is pretty vital to ensure the movement does not tear itself apart.
Moreover, the Shadow Knight forces only have a limited amount of heavy combat vehicles, artillery, warships and so on, as they lack the manufacturing basis and resources of a government or megacorporation. They are a lot poorer than the Eldorai Matriarchy and thus on a less solid foundation. This makes them rather reliant on Force-Users, who can compensate their conventional weakness to a degree by serving as force multipliers. This is a dependence that unscrupulous Force-Sensitive members could exploit to further their own agendas at the expense of the movement. Hence the Shadow Knights have recognised the need early on to vet all Force-users not just for skill, but background, reliability etc.
The body has its roots in a similar group that exists in the Eldorai Matriarchy. While the Matriarchy called up all Force-users for compulsory training, only the best were chosen to join the Angelii. Thus there is a special body whose members make the determination. As much as the Shadow Knights claim to be different from the Matriarchy, they are similar in many ways. Similar institutions exist in the Qadiri states, which decide whether a Force-user will serve the Temple or the military. The name of the Court is a reference to the fact that elemental Force abilities are fairly common among Eldorai Sciians.
The Court is organised primarily as a managerial body, being concerned with administration, recruitment, discipline and training. It is not responsible for battlefield command. Thus it helps enforce uniform standards of discipline and professionalise the Shadow Knight forces. In most cases units of Force-users are attached to a larger, regular army formation to provide support in their area of expertise. Alternately they are utilised independently. Thus the Court handles requests from the military command and ship captains, assigning suitable Sciians where they are needed. It works closely with the Young Squires, the youth movement of the Shadows, to identify young Force-Sensitives so that they can receive the appropriate training.
The Court does not micromanage Force soldiers in the field. That is left to the military field commanders. It does recommend promotions, demotions and rewards to high command though. Its most important tasks are to identify, vet and educate Sciians. Not all Sciians become soldiers, but the best do, and are well paid and treated. However, they must be obedient to their superiors and the punishments for failing their duty – especially cowardice and treason – are excessive to ensure total loyalty. Indeed, the Shadow Knights have revived some draconian punishments that the Eldorai Matriarchy abolished a long time ago.
The name of a group is a reference to the fact that elemental abilities are fairly common among Eldorai Force-users. To the Eldorai, the Force is Sciia, which is also their word for soul. Hence Force-users are known as Sciians. By and large, the elves treat the Force as a tool, rejecting the idea that it is an omnipresent energy field that binds all life together and possesses a will of its own. The religious treat it as a gift bestowed upon them by the goddess.
The employees of the Court scale wildly in terms of Force power. The average field agent is a low level Force-user: Strong enough to sense Force potential, but not good enough to be actually trained as a warrior. Sense abilities, memory enhancement and Comprehend Speech are more common among field agents and Assessors than the flashy powers one normally associates with Force-users.
One finds more classical abilities among the higher-ups. However, while the Court has its share of strong Force-users, leaders are chosen more on the basis of administrative talent than exceptional power levels. Force-Sensitive officers and NCOs who are no longer fit for active duty due to injuries or old age often find a place among the senior leadership or middle management of the Court. In an expanded sense, all Force-Sensitive Shadow Knights are members of the Court, meaning they scale wildly in terms of Force power, including acolytes, knights and masters. Force soldiers often manifest elemental Force abilities, which are common Force-Sensitive Eldorai, Qadiri, Xioquo and Vashyada.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Headquarters: Part of the Shadow Knights' migrant fleet and based on the Defiance.
Domain: The Court of the Four Elements does not control any planetary domains. They are part of the Shadow Knights' nomad fleet. The Court is an active participant in the nomadic community. It is part of the local government and is responsible for supervising the Force-Users in the community. However, the people it governs are also given a say in governance.
Notable Assets: The Court is part of the Shadow Knight nomad fleet. It is supported by the Shadows and the Asuran Star Combine. This means it does not control any industrial assets on its own. The Court of the Four Elements maintains a large training school and ancillary facilities aboard the Defiance. The main training facility is called the Temple of the Elements. One key asset are the Caerith Tyari, a corps of crack Force soldiers. The Court does not exercise operational control in the field, but is responsible for recruitment, training, logistics, funding, promotion and management.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Hierarchy: Leadership and organisation is by a central committee, which reports to the Archon or her staff on new applicants. In terms of organisation, an agent is assigned to every ship that constitutes the nomad fleet. Depending on the importance, population size and type of the vessel, more than one representative may be assigned. These agents are your basic grunts doing legwork. They maintain records, inform the inhabitants of the ship they have been assigned to of the Court's work and keep their superiors appraised of developments, such as Force-Users having children.
One level above them you have trusted Force-users called Assessors, who test and administer Force-Sensitives. They then report to the Magister, who is assisted by a committee. The committee members approve or deny applications and act as the link to the Council and the Archon's office. A cadre of trainers teaches neophyte Force-Sensitives how to control their powers. Beneath the committee the Court has a number of subject-matter bureaus, dealing with recruitment, training and doctrine, equipment procurement, discipline and internal affairs, propaganda, legal affairs, employment and pensions.
However, there are also democratic elements. In Shadow Knight society, the head of a Court holds the title of Magister. They are indirectly elected by the people they govern. In short, all members of a Court elect a body of voters, who then pick the Magister. This is in keeping with the Shadows' corporativist beliefs, based on which segments of society are organised into holistic bodies and integrated into the government. The Court has a broad mandate to set rules for and organise its members. However, the Archon and the central Council control the budget.
Like all other Shadow Knights Courts, the Court of the Four Elements is organised in such a way that the people it oversees form a body of voters. Because the Shadows, while republicans, do not want too much direct democracy, these voters elect a council which then chooses the head of the Court. This high official receives the title of Magister. Returning officers are responsible for overseeing elections on the various ships that constitute the nomad fleet. They are agents of an independent electoral commission. The Shadow Knights view voting as a civic duty and practice compulsory voting.
Membership: All Force-Using Shadow Knights fall under the Court's purview. Members must be loyal to the Shadow Knights, their cause and fulfil the requirements of the unit they are a member of. An agent of the Court must pass a proficiency test and be a Force-user. In additon, a Shadow Knight in good standing must vouch for her or him. All members of the five-person committee that leads the Court must be Citizens. All Force-Sensitive Shadow Knights must go through a training process supervised by the Court and are regulated by it. After they have passed their training, they can live their lives, but are monitored to ensure that they do not misuse their preternatural abilities. They can be called back into service if neeed. The strongest join the military to serve as soldiers.
Climate: The Court of the Four Elements exist to harness the diverse nature of the Shadows' Force-Users, but also to police them and weed out the unsuitable. The renegades have people who used to be Angelii, self-taught exodites, Vashyada druids, Qadiri knights, Xio witches and so on. It is a potential volatile and even dangerous mix. Thus the Court imposes controls and standardised ways of training.
The environment is regimented. All Force-Users must submit to training. It is considered a crime for a Force-User to hide their powers from the Court. Thus daily life is rather regulated. However, the leadership is accountable to both the central Council and the people it supervises. Moreover, it preaches a pan-Asuran ideology. Trying to force Eldorai views on Tygaran elves and expect them to be subsumed would be self-defeating, especially since the Eldorai are far less monolithic than they used to be. Thus it encourages those under its supervision to share their knowledge with their fellows, rather than hoard it for themselves. The party line is that the Asurans' diversity is what makes them strong, as they can harness their strengths to achieve a common goal. An effort is made to get acolytes from the different elf races to mingle and learn from one together. This is reflected in the composition of training units.
The Court of the Four Elements does not exist in isolation, but works together with the other Courts. Most Force-Users are allowed to leave after completing their studies. The Court will help them get an education and a job. Those who display an aptitude for combat join the military. The Court acts as an administrative body for the Caerith Tyari, the Shadows' equivalent to the Angelii, and other Force-Using combat unit. Apart from that, the Court also provides support to orphaned offsprings of the people under its purview.
Reputation: The Court of the Four Elements is generally accepted in Shadow Knight society. Force-Users being required by law to train and learn control over their powers is nothing new for the elves, especially the Eldorai and Qadiri. Overall, it is seen as a necessity. Naturally there are also Shadow Knight leaders who dislike this form of centralisation, since they would rather train and mould 'their' Force-Users themselves. These voices are not loud enough to put the Court's existence in question, so the debate more revolves around how to influence its policies and their implementation.
There has been friction with other Courts regarding the question of how much jurisdiction the Court of the Four Elements still has over Force-Users who were trained by it, but now work in a different institution. The Emissaries of Illyria, a religious sect that is part of the Shadow Knight coalition, are wary of it since their religion distrusts Force-Users, idolising the Force-Dead instead. At the same time, the Court gives them a clear partner to address their concerns to, and since Force-Users will always be born, it is best to have someone to teach them not to misuse their powers. So broadly speaking the debate is more about how the Court should be ran and how its decisions should be implemented rather than its necessity being questioned.
Outside of the Shadow Knight orbit and, by extension, Firemane and the other Eldorai groups, the institution is not well-known or understood. The Eldorai are an extremely obscure species. This applies even more to their Tygaran cousins. First contact with them was very recent, and most do not speak Basic. Firemane distrusts the Shadows and obviously extends this mind set to their institutions. Eldorai reactionaries simply disapprove of the idea of treating 'forestlings, sand babies and darklings' as equals and integrating their beliefs instead of forcing them to be submit to the Eldorai 'mistress race'. Overall, the Shadows and their proxies keep to themselves. Their focus is on their people's survival and they stay out of foreign entanglements unless they see a tangible benefit.
Curios: Members wear patches on their clothes to indicate which Court they belong to. It shows the Court emblem. Fancy clothes are outlawed. Badges of rank and Court assignment are affixed to clothing. Leaders wear a ring bearing the symbol of an eagle. A Sarix or Force Imbued Blade is issued to a member of the Shadow Knights' Angelii equivalent and similar military formations.
Rules: Their beliefs beliefs are based on Shadow Knight philosophy. The guiding principles of the nomadic movement are self-reliance, meritocracy, discipline and pan-Asuran nationalism. They strive to build a society based on merit and service - especially military service. Service guarantees citizenship. The Shadow Knights claim that they have created a more just, egalitarian society that embraces not just the Eldorai, but their Tygaran cousins as well. To foster a common spirit of patriotism and appear more inclusive, both the Eldorai and their 'cousins' are referred to as Asurans.
In Shadow Knight society, service guarantees citizenship. This slogan is essentially Shadow Knight philosophy in a nutshell. It postulates that allow those who prove themselves to make sacrifices on behalf of the state should have a say in it. These people are referred to as citizens, and only they have full legal rights. Those that choose not do so, called civilians, still have an expansive set of rights, but they do not have the right to vote or hold office and have a harder time getting certain jobs. The Court identifies itself with this belief system and regards itself as a crucial component of it.
It strives to teach Force-users to use their abilities for the common good and serve the state as soldiers. To this end, it provides them with training, discipline and leadership. Military service and values such as merit, strength, effort, service, and loyalty are glorified. Of course, claiming one is acting for the good of the community is a wonderful way to obfuscate one's true, more self-serving motivations. Detractors claim that this philosophy is the path to a new caste system and represents old wine in new bottles. This position is not without validity. The Court has a very negative opinion of Jedi and Sith.
By and large, the Force is treated as a tool that can be used for good or ill. Ergo Force-Users must learn to be stalwart defenders of the people and obey the law. On the battlefield, Force-Sensitive soldiers can act as force multipliers if they employ their powers intelligently and incorporate them into the overall battle plan. Off the battlefield, Force-Sensitives can serve in support roles, such as healers. Moreover, many powers have mundane utility. For instance, telekinesis and terramancy are both useful for construction work.
The Court strives to make the most out of any Force-Sensitive it identifies, including those who lack the raw strength to become powerful warriors or exceptional prodigies. Thus a weak Force-user, instead of achieving suboptimal perfomance in a variety of traditional skills, would be trained in a more specialised field. Negotiators are taught to detect falsehood with the Force, pilots are taught how to use the Force to improve their accuracy and piloting and people who are good with plants learn to make stuff grow and put to work in agriculture. All talents, no matter how minor they may seem, must be nurtured.
Force soldiers are free to reenlist or leave once their service has come to an end. However, those who choose to put away the sword are liable to be called upon as reservists in times of emergency and must participate in regular exercises to make sure their skills stay sharp. Refusing the call has legal consequences. To the Shadow Knights and thus the Court, survival is the basis of morality. The galaxy operates on a dog-eats-dogs basis, so all Shadow Knights must strive to attain the best possible position for their people and do their duty, or the Asurans will be consigned to subjugation or vassalisation.
Rhetoric aside, the Court also offers incentives to its members. Those who are wounded or distinguish themselves in combat receive pensions. The same applies to the families of those who make the ultimate sacrifice. The group is also merciless in punishing those who have collaborated with the enemies of the Asuran people and thus broken their oath to the Shadow Knights.
Goals: Provide education, training, a home and leadership to Force-using Shadow Knights - and vet them for bad apples. Serve the common good of the Asuran people.
MEMBERS
The committee of five constitutes the leadership of the Court. It is chaired by Magister Marlaen Nylath, a former Angelii and rebel. While she once served the Crown, she was strongly disaffected with the old order and left years ago prior to Kaeshana's destruction. This has given her the credentials needed to lead the group. Marlaen is obessed with order. The roots for this lie in her younger years. While she was a member of the corps herself, she sheltered a younger sister from the Angelii because she felt she would not make it and wanted to spare her the pain.
However, without the supervision, her sister succumbed to the dark side and so Marlaen had to learn the lesson that even for those you love there must be boundaries and controls. She has dedicated herself to ensuring that other families do not have to experience what she did - and that shows who abuse their gifts do not go unpunished. This gives her a strong sense of duty. Her past has made her a somewhat aloof, guarded woman. She lacks the racist sentiments many Eldorai (including Shadow Knight ones) have towards the Tygaran natives and has even taken the time to educate herself about their customs. Beneath the Court itself, there is a network of bureaucrats, teachers and field agents. All Force-Sensitives in the nomad fleet are regulated by the Court in one way or another. It also administrates Force-Sensitive combat formations.
Daymana Thael:
"Captain of the Shadow sisters, she fought to be free of the angel's shadow, only to bring a new one to life. She fights the eternal war, but against whom will her fire turn next?" - Brak'Vrasz.
Daymana is the commander of the Caerith Tyari, a corps of Force using soldiers who serve as the renegades' equivalent of the Angelii. She is a former Angelii who went rogue after being given immoral orders by the court of Tirathana VI. Daymana refused to decimate a militia unit accused of 'cowardice'. Instead she chose to become a rebel. She made herself a name as an insurgent who fought against the Monarchy for several decades. Daymana continued fighting after Tirathana's death. Her successors were more liberal than the crone, but Daymana saw the Matriarchy's tyranny as a systemic issue.
She has rather radical views, is passionate, stubborn and intolerant of followers of the Matriarchy. She is good at rallying and motivating the faithful and brave in combat. This makes her popular with revolutionaries, but a poor diplomat and can cause friction. Her soldiers serve as a corps of protectors and shock troops. They are an important line of defence for the Defiance and the nomad fleet as a whole. She is Kaida's direct superior. Daymana works closely with Marlaen and is part of the Court's leadership. In some ways she is more of a public figure than Marlaen, as her martial role puts her in the limelight.
Kaida Taldir: Kaida is a former Angelii High Captain. Once she was a rising star among the ‘The Heavenly and Wrathful Angels of the Great Goddess Ashira’ and a protege of Grand Seraph Aeda Shaytari. However, she defected after the Serenade Incident. This was the culmination of a long period of disillusionment. Kaida is one of the few beings alive who knows the true origins of the Kar'zun, the Eldorai and their cousins. Cynical, cold, stern, blunt and abrasive, she is difficult to like or get on with. She is also laconic enough to make a Spartan look verbose and a humourless disciplinarian. However, she is extremely lawful and dutiful, often to a fault. Kaida has gathered a crew of misfits and divides her time between conducting field operations on her own ship and being on the Defiance.
Deep-down, Kaida has been rather affected by the calamities her people have had to endure. This drives her to do all she can to preserve their freedom. However, while she is devoted to her people, she is also extremely cynical about and dismissive of them. On the positive side, she lacks the racism of many Eldorai and is quite positive about their Tygaran cousins if they can pull their weight. Ironically, she appreciates the Vashyada the most.
Kaida is a workaholic who never takes a vacation and finds socialising awkward. Her older sister Lavina Taldir is a fellow Shadow and part of her crew. The two are close, even if Kaida is the one who insists that it is her duty to protect her sister not vice versa. She is very protective of her crew. Kaida is a good duellist and a Master of the Force. She specialises in cryomancy, telekinesis, protective abilities and Force Meld. Her Force-Sensitivity and command role in the Caerith Tyari makes her a member of the Court of the Four Elements. She acts as a trainer and field commander, commanding her own ship.
Qual'Zyanya:
“The fallen lady, distrusted by all, yet also distrusts all. Where does her allegiance lie? Is pragmatism a valid path forever?” - Brak'Vrasz.
Qual'Zyanya is a rogue Xioquo matriarch. Once she was a member of the Xio aristocracy. Then she and her sister conspired to prevent the awakening of Myrou, the dark goddess of their people, for they rightly feared the consequences. But their attempt to sabotage the dark ritual only hastened her awakening. Zyanya is considered a traitor by the Xio old guard, but is also at odds with Firemane and Queen Lia. She is part of the Shadows' leadership, representing a Xioquo caucus. However, the fact that she used to be one of the mistresses makes Xioquo Shadows who used to be anti-establishment rebels or slaves distrust her, though she claims to have reformed.
The story of her failed attempt to become a 'god-slayer' has earned her points in certain quarters. To a degree this has obfuscated her past as a reactionary power broker. Her people are very useful as engineers and mechanics as well as stealthy operators. Zyanya is aloof, cynical, distrustful and a Xioquo nationalist. Her haughtiness conceals feelings of guilt, though she will not admit it. She is a technophile and quite interested in the acquisition of advanced technology.
Zyanya is not wedded to any of the major Eldorai groups. She recognises that while many Eldorai are still dismissive of the Tygarans, they also court them. She is not shy about trading a swing vote for favours. Zyanya seems to like the Kar'zun though. They are industrious, technologically advanced and dislike the Eldorai. Moreover, she is used to golems, though the ones she knew back home did not talk back. Zyanya obviously does not worship Myrou, but still believes in the spirits. She is a Force-User and thus part of the Cour of the Four Elements.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Force-Users can be very useful - if they are on your side. Force warriors can be an asset in battle, able to accomplish physical feats that surpass those of a normal soldier or unleash potent preternatural abilities. However, they can also become a problem. Their powers often make them arrogant and they have a tendency of pursuing vainglory ambitions or succumb to corruption. Thus it is important to impose checks on them.
While the Eldorai societies have been historically dominated by Force-users, they have always had institutions that impose a degree of control. In the Eldorai Matriarchy it has been law that all Force-users must be trained to control their abilities. The strongest female Force-Sensitives are recruited by the Angelii, an elite corps of warriors, to serve as soldiers, charged with protecting the Star Queen.
Though they consider themselves opposed to the ancien régime, the Shadow Knights have inherited many of its traditions. Due to the rather diverse nature of the paramilitary survivalist movement, having a body to train, vet and control Force-users is probably even more important for them. The Shadow Knights came into being in response to the destruction of Kaeshana. Long story cut short, the Eldorai homeworld was devastated by a huge asteroid. Prior to the impact, Firemane was able to evacuate most of the Eldorai, but some had to be left behind. They struggled to survive on a post-apocalyptic planet, where resources were scarce, cults and warlords vied for dominance. The Shadow Knights were founded by disillusioned ex-soldiers of the Matriarchy who sought to protect the surviving communities. It was a difficult process - and not helped by the Eldorai's tendency towards ideological hairsplitting and internecine fighting.
The Court of the Elements was founded pretty quickly after the foundation of the group. Force-users were still being born and thus needed a body to identify and train them and allied Force-users needed to be integrate into the group. It took a while for the Court to assert its authority. Renegade Eldorai leaders who had allied themselves with the Shadow Knights out of necessity did not bow easily. They were reluctant to give up their own Force-Sensitives to the Court for training. They viewed the recruitment efforts as a way to diminish their power by depriving them of resources...which was not inaccurate. Centralisation efforts produced resistance in the periphery. Indeed, these disputes were the cause of several skirmishes and raids.
The heavy-handed behaviour of some agents of the Court exacerbated matters. The Court was not able to pay its employees well, so some agents accepted bribes from local warlords or foreign slavers. Fearing betrayal at the hands of their ideological rivals, parties such as the Aspirants started 'stockpiling' Force-Sensitives, rightly regarding them as their best chance to gain an edge. Racial unity between Kaeshana's survivors remained a pipedream. Present-day Shadow Knight propaganda paints a rosy image of all 'progressive' Eldorai, regardless of personal beliefs, coming together for the greater good, but this is highly revisionist history. It did not reflect reality then and, while the Shadow Knights are more institutionally sound today, it probably still does not reflect it now.
By the time Firemane, the Galactic Alliance and the Tygaran Alliance sent a relief fleet to help Kaeshana's survivors, the struggle was still not over. Indeed, it is quite possible that the Shadow Knight coalition would have faced a civil war due to its fractious nature. However, then the forces of the First Order and the Galactic Alliance clashed in space and on the surface of the planet. The Shadow Knights allied themselves with the Alliance and their estranged cousins. However, they were forced to evacuate after the Alliance forces pulled out. Mutual recriminations and bitterness ensued. Some elements of the movement split off, pursuing their own agendas in the stars. For example, a notable group of Aspirants, Ashiran reformists, founded a theodemocracy guided by their prophetess Sahome Tyral. A hard core of Shadow Knights remained, forming a paramilitary migrant fleet.
Ironically, as bitter and painful as these developments were, they were beneficial for the Court. It was expanded to cope with the new influx of recruits. On a flotilla of ships, you really needed to make sure that the Force-user you had just recruited was not a ticking time bomb. This gave the Court increased clout. However, it several cases it still needed to utilise force to ensure that its regulations were heeded. Compulsion was accompanied by a marketing campaign and benefits for those who cooperated.
At the same time the administrative apparatus was reformed and professionalised. Several incompetent or corrupt agents were shot, subjected to penal servitude, demoted or exiled from the migrant fleet. However, issues such as corruption, clientelism and cronyism do not vanish overnight, especially since the group is rather authoritarian, which gets in the way of transparency. Compared to the old days, it is still a notable improvement. All Force-Sensitives in the fleet are administrated by the Court. Like many other segments of Shadow Knight society, they are organised into a holistic 'corporation' (i.e., body). This body is unelected, self-governing and integrated into the overall administrative process. It has the power to discipline and censure its members for wrongdoing, though extremely serious cases must be passed on to the Redeemers and the tribunals. The Court must act within the framework of Shadow Knight law and cannot pass regulations that contradict it.
Agents of the Court are posted on every ship of the migrant fleet. Their tasks are to keep records, identify Force-users and serve as a link between the local authorities and the Court. The leadership body maintains a register of all known Force-Sensitives in the fleet. This database also keeps track of all bloodlines strong in the Force. The Court also maintains a cadre of Force trainers, who are responsible for teaching neophytes.
Obviously not all Force-Sensitives want to be trained or become servants of the state. Some hide their talents. Those who are discovered face legal consequences because they are viewed as placing their selfish desires over the good of the community. Court agents who accept bribes and report misleading information face harsh punishments. The Shadow Knights regard long-term imprisonment as both cruel and wasteful. So depending on the severity of the crime, their rank and whether they are first time or repeat offenders, criminals are flogged/caned, indentured, executed, demoted or exiled. Those who are demoted, exiled or subjected to punitive labour are still caned or flogged.
Over time, the Court of the Four Elements became a model for how the Shadow Knights would govern their society. Similar bodies were created to govern different spheres of life, such as manufacturers, soldiers, law enforcement officers, medical practitioners, merchants and so on. The Courts were designed as a combination between government department and guild. They were supposed to directly involve citizens in governance, but also regulate all spheres of society.
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Pending secondary approval.
