OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Further flesh out the Shadow Knights. This sub will provide the framework for future submissions.
Image Credit: Here. 'Roman Eagle Standard', Dan Blackman, found on dribble.com.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: N/A.
Links: Shadow Knights (lore submission), Kaida Taldir, Eldorai, Qadiri, Vashyada, To Hell and Back, Kar'zun, Eldorai Exodus, Twin Exiles, Xioquo, Siobhan, Firemane, Kaeshana, Blades of Reason, Emissaries of Illyria, Ashiranism, Force-Dead.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Organization Name: Court of the Shadows.
Classification: Administrative Organisation. Cross between Government Departments and Guilds, essentially.
Affiliation: Shadow Knights, Eldorai, Citizens' Council, Exodite Asurans, Naesala Faethyra.
Organization Symbol: Individual Courts have their own symbols. For example, the Court of the Four Elements uses a four sided cross, with an elemental symbol for each side, and the symbol of the Court of Providence is a blowtorch, sickle and hydrospanner.
Description: The Shadow Knights are a nomadic, revolutionary movement that has split off from the Eldorai Matriarchy, striving to build what they consider to be a more just and egalitarian social order than can be found in the Monarchy. The Court of the Shadows is the collective name for the bodies that govern the society of the Shadow Knights. The Shadows are very controlled by requirement. However, a lot of power invested in the central authority and their laws are very strict, they also give individual members a lot of autonomy on the lower levels. Thus they have established specific spheres or courts dedicated to certain businesses or professions. These have a broad mandate to oversee day-to-day operations.
The political ideology espoused by the Courts can be likened to a militaristic form of corporatism. This is a belief that advocates the organisation of society by corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, scientific, or guild associations, on the basis of their common interests. There is also an element of guild socialism. Corporatism involves the incorporation of distinct spheres of all public life, including economic activity, into bodies which join the disparate interests with those of the state. This is supposed to transcend centrifugal tendencies like class warfare. The Shadow Knights started as a coalition of Eldorai rebels and renegade soldiers. Individual faction leaders still have a lot of clout. A good deal of their forces are irregulars and partisans. This is reflected in the Court organisation.
Overcoming the danger posed by religious strife is also pertinent. Unlike the Eldorai Matriarchy, the Shadow Knights do not have a state religion. Indeed, they are largely composed of religious nonconformists and fringe groups. Moreover, they have a strong atheistic demographic. Eldorai lack a liberal tradition and have a tendency towards ideological hairsplitting, violent schisms and bloodletting. The corporatist model, as well the rule that only who have served can vote or hold power, is supposed to help overcome this. Of course, this is a bit idealistic and so the Shadow Knights experience all the issues a society that is trying to experiment with a more democratic form of governance while being fundamentally authoritarian would have, such as corruption and nepotism.
The Courts represent a further evolution of Shadow Knight society. Back on Kaeshana the survivalist group was more concerned with survival and protecting the surviving Eldorai communities against warlords, pirates and raiders. They practiced rough justice and maintained a command economy. Their society has been forced to evolve ever since being forced to leave Kaeshana. The final destruction of the Eldorai homeworld by the aftershocks of the Netherworld Event has accelerated this process. Now that Kaeshana has been lost for good due to being turned into an inhospitable, uninhabited tomb world, the Shadow Knights have been compelled to focus on building their own society. This goes hand in hand with giving the Tygaran elves who joined them a fairer deal, though racism still persists in certain quarters among the Eldorai. The Shadows are a nomadic group with no real planetary domains, so this model is supposed to make their society more flexible.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Headquarters: Defiance.
Domain: The basis of the Shadow Knights' society is a nomad fleet. Recruiters and cells can be found in several Eldorai settlements and colony ships. They have semi-clandestine operations on Arkas and Tygara. Firemane alternates between suppressing and tolerating them, depending on whether they are believed to be causing mischief or not. Because the Courts are corporate bodies, they are directly involved in the lives of the elves that fall under their authority. They regulate their activities, but also act as advocates and represent their interests.
Notable Assets: Same as Shadow Knights in general. They have access to a number of of corvettes, frigates, carriers and cruisers. Military assets are controlled by the military Courts. But the Shadows cannot field war fleets or huge battleships comparable to those of an interstellar government. They also have gas collectors, mining, cargo and salvage vessels and some manufacturing ships.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Hierarchy: The Shadow Knights are strongly opposed to monarchy and espouse republican principles. However, being elves they are sceptical of direct democracy. The hierarchy of the Courts is based on that used for Shadow Knight society as a whole. Citizens who have performed military service form a voting body, which elects a Citizens' Council. In turn the Councillors choose one of their own to be Archon, who is the political leader and commander-in-chief. The Archon must have served with distinction and it is an unofficial requirement that she must have been a senior officer. The Archon acts as head of state and commander-in-chief, represents the Shadow Knights in negotiations with outside entities and is empowered to appoint Commissars to act as special plenipotentiaries or oversee a specific field of policy.
The Courts are organised in a similar fashion. All good standing citizens who belong to a specific group, such as soldiers or merchants, elect a council who then choose the head of their specific court. This high official receives the title of Magister. In, practice the Archon has someone lined up to run this or that Court and the specific committee grills the nominee. In theory, this ensures that the grilling is done by people with a background in the sphere the nominee is supposed to head, which is supposed to guarantee expertise.
A Court assembly is able to deny the Archon's confirmation, but this requires 66% of the delegates to vote against the nominee. This is just there to prevent a very un-liked or unsuitable candidate being foisted onto a group. The Court assembly forms a board of experts that vets and monitors the Magister's policy decisions. There is also a mechanism for recall elections. The assembly can vote to depose the Magister and demand a replacement, though again this has a threshold of 66%. Courts of an economic nature require equal representation of managers and employees, such as industrial and agricultural workers because labour and management should work together to achieve 'class harmony'.
Thus the Shadow Knights diversify and section off important areas together. Humans might call them departments or bureaus, but this goes even further and involves the citizens themselves in the governance. Each Magister is assisted by the committee and a bureaucratic apparatus, though its structure varies depending on the Court. Presently the Shadow Knights have the following Courts:
- The Court of War - the soldiers, pilots, marines, naval personnel and other war related persons.
- The Court of Providence - the manufacturers, industrial workers, and anyone else who provides necessary items and maintenance.
- The Court of the Victuallers - the agri-farmers and such.
- The Court of the Four Elements - the Shadow Angelii and all Force users.
- The Court of the Tale - entertainers, and other service professionals and performers.
- The Court of the Constructors - civic engineers, architects etc. Originally supposed to be part of the Court of Mind, but Yohara Taenasi had some choice words about that.
- The Court of the Veil - All the spy, stealth, espionage type activities. Supervises the Chapter of the Black Trade.
- The Court of the Reavers - Irregulars, raiders, partisans etc.
- The Court of the Exchange - the traders and business types.
- The Court of Healing - the medical practitioners, healers etc.
- The Court of the Justicars - law enforcement personnel, judges etc.
- Court of the Mind - scientists, researchers, scholars etc.
Of all the Courts, the Court of War is the most important. This is no surprise since the Shadow Knights are a heavily militarised group. The basis of their society is the nomad fleet and constant readiness is required to protect it. The Archon has the authority to remove a Magister, but can be overruled by a supermajority of the Council. A key part of it is that the central government keeps the purse. That prevents the Courts being able to go wild and just do whatever they want. They have control over the administration and personnel of their groups. They can set a budget but this must be approved by the Council and the Archon. For example, this means the procurement process in the military is collaborative in nature, with checks and scrutiny on every level. The whole process is overly cumbersome and bureaucratic, but there is an advantage to it because it means everything is not handled top-down. As a result, while the system still attracts rent-seeking profiteers and careerists, there is a chance their harmful activities will be detected and punished or at least mitigated.
Membership: Every member of the Shadow Knights belongs to a Court. To which one they belong depends on their professions and skills. A soldier would belong to the Court of War, a trader to the Court of the Exchange, an architect to the Court of Constructors and so on. In principle, all elves from the Eldorai family of races can join. However, they must recant their oath of allegiance to the Crown. They also cannot associate with groups the Shadow Knights consider inimical to Asuran interests, especially Sith, Imperials etc. Furthermore, nobles must renounce their titles and join the people. In practical terms, they are all but barred. The same applies to 'reactionaries', 'traitors' and 'statists' in general. However, the Shadow Knights embrace Eldorai subraces as kin, welcoming Qadiri, Xioquo and Vashayada into their ranks as fellow Asurans. Kar'zun are allowed to join, though very few do for obvious reasons. That said, many of the top jobs are still occupied by Eldorai. Court officials must have attained citizenship, which requires some form of military service.
Climate: The exact climate varies depending on which Court one belongs to or interacts with. However, overall it is quite regimented. The Shadow Knights are survivalists and nomads.Patriotism is widespread and encouraged by the leadership. The movement does its best to foster a spirit of community to overcome the barriers that have divided the Eldorai for so long - and still do. Economic life is regulated tightly by the government. The guiding values of society at large are resilience, sustainability, duty, discipline and order. The unofficial motto is 'freedom is never free'. There is no room for idleness. A Shadow Knight must obey her superiors and do her duty. She must train regularly, keep herself in good physical and mental shape, know how to maintain her blaster and participate in regular drills.
Those who do their jobs can expect to be cared for, receive bonuses and some level of comfort. Military service is glorified to a considerable degree. Those who are seen as not pulling their weight get short shrift. They are often conscripted into some form of national or penal service - or exiled. The Shadow Knights consider long-term imprisonment wasteful and only have limited space. Individuals who have committed less serious crimes are fined or must perform reparation through labour. In the last case, they are subjected to penal servitude for a finite amount of time, though it is is governed by strict guidelines. Caning is mandantory for all crimes. The Shadows follow a 'three strikes' concept. If you get caught on a misdemenour, that's one strike. Three of them is a felony. Three felonies of any sort...capital punishment. Of course, some are capital from the start, such as murder and treason. People do not live in deprivation, but lives of opulent luxury are unheard of even for the leaders of society. Indeed, a strong sense of tall poppy syndrome means that displays of extreme wealth are looked upon quite unfavourably. Those who indulge are better off not flaunting it in public.
It is a culture that prizes frugality and views wastefulness and laziness as cardinal sins. If someone is disabled, the government will find them a desk job. Caring for veterans who suffered injuries or bereaved family members of dead soldiers is viewed as an important obligation on the part of the community. Officially the Courts are all supposed to work together for a common goal. Howevere, there is still a good deal of intrigue behind the scenes. This can take the form of factional struggles, squabbling over esources or simple turf wars caused by jurisdictional friction, such as between the Court of War and the Court of the Reaver. Corruption, racism, prebendalism and favouritism remain issues. Strikes and lockouts are banned.
Courts that deal with military affairs are obviously the most regimented and militarised, but even a member of the Court of the Exchange appreciates having a good blaster at their side. Indeed, many Shadow Knights 'merchant' probably quite a bit in common with smugglers. This is no surprise since smuggling happens to be one of their economic ventures. Privateers, raiders and irregulars congregate among the Reavers. There is obviously less formality and saluting though, but members are still expected to follow orders. Life in the Court of the Veil is defined by secrecy and suspicion, as can be expected from a spy service.
The Court of War is the preeminent body, which has been the cause of jealousy on the part of some of the other spheres. It is stressed that all spheres must work together. The fleet cannot do without soldiers and pilots, but is also needs producers, traders, doctors, engineers, lawmen and so on. Some protect, some build, some heal. Others pursue scientific research to benefit society and keep the history and lore of the Asuran people alive and uplift their spirits through art and song. Body, mind, heart and soul must act in concert. Of all the Courts, the Exchange, Mind and the Reavers are the most cosmopolitan, open-minded and the ones with the most foreign contact, for both good or ill. While less respected than the more militaristic Courts, the Exchange fills an important niche because the Shadows only have limited diplomatic relations with other parties. For example, their de facto embassy in the Xio capital of Tlaxqui is officially a shipping company run by the Exchange.
The Court of the Tale represents a particularly successful case of cultural cross-pollination because it is a body for performers and the like, and the Exodites are probably the best synthesis of all Asuran cultures, having borrowed bits from each of them. They have the poetry and prose of the Eldorai, the epic verse retellings of the Qadiri, the theatrical performances of the Xioquo and the musical fiction of the Vashyada. Add in the visual arts of the Kar'zun and it is a very potent mix. It is also among the least politicised and generally runs itself without meddling from above. Unsurprisingly, it is one of the most popular. The Court of the Constructors is a pragmatic court, since it is focused on the day-to-day issue of building stable habitats that are affordable, but sustainable rather than shoddy. Kar'zun and Xioquo are particularly well-represented here.
There is an element of democracy in the system. Every Magister is elected. However, the election is indirect since the voters do not choose between different candidates, but instead elect people who then choose and the Archon typically suggests a nominee. This makes elections quite oligarchic, especially since the electors tend to be people who have distinguished themselves and attained a high position in the group. For the Shadow Knights this is a feature, not a bug. They heroise the front community, the solidarity of soldiers in the trenches, leadership resting on deeds rather than status, and the blind obedience that this demanded. In order to lead, an individual must first prove they can serve and contribute towards the community they aim to represent. However, those who have proved their ability and commitment also deserve obedience. The logic is that each individual, depending on their practical, moral, and intellectual abilities, should be assigned a certain measure of command and obedience. That is to say, each citizen is allotted a rank and degree of responsibility.
Reputation: The institution is poorly known out of the extended orbit of Tygara, Firemane and the Eldorai exodites. The Shadow Knights try to keep to themselves. Outsiders may distrust or dislike them. Conservative Eldorai groups are hostile, as they would view the Shadows as heretics, anarchists and dangerous malcontents. Liberal Eldorai would probably see the Shadow Court as too authoritarian or collectivist. The institution mostly has the support of the people it governs, though factions vie for influence. Firemane is wary of them, as several Shadow Knights have a background as professional revolutionaries who fought the corporation in the past. But all in all, the Shadow Knights are rather insular and try to keep a low profile. Their focus is on the preservation of their people. Thus they strive to avoid entanglements in foreign quarrels, unless they see a benefit for themselves.
Curios: Members wear patches on their clothes to indicate which Court they belong to. Fancy clothes are outlawd and grey tunics/smocks are acceptable clothing for all groups. Badges of rank and Court assignment are affixed to clothing. Leaders wear a ring bearing the symbol of an eagle and can be awarded a Sarix.
Rules:
- All Asurans - Eldorai, Qadiri, Vashyada and Qadiri - are one people. They share the same blood and are thus brethren. Thus racial discrimination is a crime against the people. Respect for Asurans on all levels.
- Do your part to support your motherland. Ask not what your motherland can do for you, but what you can do for it.
- Outsiders can be allies, but Asurans should be self-reliant and never let foreigners dominate them.
- Monarchy is antithetical to liberty and progress.
- No Court acts in isolation. Each is a vital link in the great chain. Every citizen has a job to do and they must do it.
- Obedience to lawful authority.
- Freedom must be balanced with responsibility. The needs of the many outweigh those of the few, or the one.
- The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. To be a citizen, one must display a willingness to serve and defend the community. Service guarantees citizenship. Only citizens may vote or hold public office.
- Freedom of religion. An Asurans' conscience is their own, provided they do not spread discord and incite hatred against their people.
- No mercy to traitors, slavers and enemies of the Eldorai and their cousins.
In the society advocated by the Shadow Knights, freedom must be balanced with responsibility. Ergo those who have shown willingness to place the interests of the community above their own and perform the ultimate sacrifice are the ones most worthy of leadership. The right to vote is regarded as a responsibility a citizen must prove they are worthy of. This stance is also reflected in the Shadow Knights' justice system. When an officer or official commits a crime she receives a far severer punishment than a grunt would receive because as an officer she should have a better understanding of his crime. A crime that would result in a minion being flogged might result in a death sentence if an officer commits it. Though not solely a military organisation, the Shadow Knights are dominated by former soldiers and hardened revolutionaries, and thus the group is permeated by a military ethos.
Aristocracy is seen as a cancer upon the Asuran body politic, and thus all noble titles have been abolished. Nobles wield power and wealth they inherited from their ancestors without having to work for it, while lording over the common people. Likewise, the Shadow Knights are also opposed to clericalism due to the alliance between altar and throne in orthodox Eldorai society. However, the group is divided on the question religion since while radical forces seek to enforce a general policy of atheism, others are still attached to the old religion. These forces argue that the problem is not religion, but the temporal power the clergy wields. Thus freedom of conscience and freedom of religion represent the official policy. Extensive accumulation of private wealth is heavily frowned upon and regarded as a sign of decadence.
Under Shadow Knight, all Force-Users must receive training to control their powers. The process of identification, vetting, training and assignment is carried out by the Court of the Elements, which act as a corporate body for them. This body has developed as a means of keeping the various groups and factions in line. 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. Further, the Shadow Knights have people who were former Angelii, self-taught exodites, Vash healers, Xio witches and so on. It is a potentially volatile and even dangerous mix. So they have recognised that it is vital to vet all Force-Users not just for skill, but also background, reliability etc.
The Courts seek to ensure discipline, thrift, enterprise and adherence to the general line. In that regard they contribute to the regimented nature of Shadow Knight. However, they also strive to involve citizens in the governance of their affairs. Thus the head of every Court is elected, though these elections are indirect. The Courts ensure their members have jobs, are paid for their work and act as their representatives. They speak for them and keep both the Archon and the Council abreast of any issues.
However, the Courts cannot be formed spontaneously or without official sanction. The Archon and the Council determine which organisations will be recognised as legitimate, which creates an unequal partnership of sorts. This makes the system rather regimented, but then the Shadow Knights are not that democratic. Moreover, several of the bodies are dedicated to military pursuits, so too much democracy would probably be problematic. The Courts get channelled into policy-making processes, see to the welfare of their members and implement measures on the leadership's behalf. This frees up resources and is supposed to - officially at any rate - create a more effective government.
Each Court represents its professional concerns and makes a contribution to the continued success and survival of the nomad fleet. The spheres are supposed to cooperate to achieve social harmony by emphasising collective interests while rejecting individualist ones. If the members of a Court are unhappy with the way the leadership is doing things, they cannot split off and form their own. Rather they must address their grievances to the central leadership. The Archon is empowered to remove a Magister who abuses her authority, but can be overruled by a supermajority.
Goals: To ensure the survival of the Eldorai race and their cousins, unbound by the three pillars of crown-temple-nobility. They also seek to create a new haven for their people. Furthermore, they strive to free elves held in slavery or other forms of servitude. To represent the interests of their constituents, provide structure and work towards their prosperity.
MEMBERS
Strictly speaking all Shadow Knights are members because the Courts are supposed to organise specific spheres or professions. So virtually everyone in the group will be a member of a Court, but most will not occupy an official position because they simply belong to it by virtue of their profession. Each of the Courts is headed by a Magister. Archon Naesala Faethyra and the Council stand above them. Yseult Faerin heads the Court of War and holds the position of Strategos. Stylena, a Rationalist politician and former insurgent, is responsible for the Court of Providence. The former Angelii Kaida Taldir is one of the field officers of the Shadow Knights. She is a Force-User and thus falls under the authority of the Court of the Four Elements. She works alongside her sister Lavina Taldir, a soldier and former Angelii who lost her connection to the Force and now belongs to the Court of War. Yohara Taenasi, an Eldorai scientist and inventor of the moden Eldorai spirit gems, is in charge of the Court of the Mind. Tynan Vanoth, a Force Dead Illyrian and the Commander of the Harbingers of Twilight, heads the Court of the Reaver.
Marlaen Nylath (NPC) - head of the Court of the Four Elements, a former Angelii and rebel. 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 supervision, her sister succumbed to the dark side. 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 those who abuse their gifts do not go unpunished.
There are those whose errant behaviour can be corrected, but those who have gone beyond the pale must be stopped permanently. She is a professional soldier with a strong belief in duty and a high degree of self-discipline. Her past has made her a somewhat aloof, guarded woman who keeps her own counsel. Marlaen doesn't command soldiers in the field, but her office is responsible for the identification, vetting and training of Force-Users within the nomad fleet. It is the law that all Force adepts must be trained to control their powers and require official sanction. Her job requires her to interact with and be knowledgeable about the myriad Force traditions that have come into being among the Asurans, so she is not close-minded in matters of dogma. Her goddess is the law. Many Force-Sensitive Asurans find the 'Spiritblind', as they call the Force-Dead, very disconcerting. But while Marlaen isn't keen on the zealotry of the Harbingers, she has a surprising degree of empathy for the Spiritblind's concern about misuse of Force abilities.
Czeslaw (NPC) - Czeslaw is a Vashyada, one of the few prominent male leaders among the Shadow Knights, serving as the head of the Court of Healing. To a degree the rebels do live up to their claim of being more egalitarian than the monarchists, but most of the top jobs are occupied by women. However, he is a Vashyada and his people are pretty equal in gender matters. Czeslaw helped rally a group of Vashyada for the Shadow Knights. His people had split from the main Vashyada and settled beyond the main forest, living in the jungles of Kajwar. They warred but also traded with the Qadiri, and were thus less isolated than their brethren and sistren in Yarkul. He is related to a Vashyada priestess who tried to usurp Tylania. Some of the plotters found safe haven among his people.
As the Qadiri realms of Khajwar received support from the humans of Firemane, the tribes' way of life came under threat. Unwilling to rejoin the main branch, he and his followers sought a way to leave. Czeslaw is an elf nationalist and distrusts the humans. On the whole, he is a reasonable, pleasant fellow and well-liked due to his skill as a medical practitioner and his work for the community. He gets on well with Antaria, a Vashyada who used to be a guard to the High Queen, but left after Tylania's revival led to her liege being overshadowed and left her resentful and concerned about her people. Aside from his medical work, Czeslaw has an interest in research and is often studying new samples and maintains his own garden. He provides advice on making things grow. Living in space has been an adjustment and he misses the forests, but the survivalist, nomadic way of life of the Shadows is close enough to that of his people.
Shahan Jal Hazar (NPC) - a senior official in the Court of the Victuallers and a bit of an elf nationalist. He is a Qadiri engineer from Khajwar. He supervised the construction of an irrigation network to improve food security, reduce dependence on monsoon and provide drinking water. However, he came to see the reliance on indentured and slave labour as inhumane. Shahan is from a middle class family and bore witness to the perennial strife between the Qadiri principalities. Indeed, a project to build a great canal foundered due to the strife. He also saw the sky people arm the riven Qadiri rulers to play them off against one another. The engineer drew his own conclusions from this. "For too long we have laboured under the weight of Queens and Mirzas, Ladies of birth and privilege, the inefficiency of slavery and servitude. No more. For this new era we must cut ourselves free of the grip of immorality and embrace the power of the people combined together."
Thus he took steps to educate himself about the strange new world. Having concluded that the humans of Firemane would use the elves for their own purposes and, for all their rhetoric about uplifting and partnership, see them as vassals, not equals, he sought out the Shadows. Sharan is a learned man and a talented orator. The Qadiri is good at organising labour and very knowledgeable about agriculture. He has applied this knowledge to ensure the nomad fleet's agri-farms are productive, but is also a proponent of fair working conditions.
Vashana Jai Garama (NPC) The Starseeker of the Starstriders, the Shadow Knights' exploration corps, and thus a senior member of the Court of War. She is a Qadiri explorer from Khajwar, born in a fishing town that was beholden to one of the many Mirzas that held dominion. As she put it, she joined to explore the stars after having explored everything on Tygara. This is undoubtedly a bit of hyperbole. Vashana was born into a family of minor nobility. Her mother was a Cataphract in the household of a Nawab and belonged to a knightly order. She eventually rose to the position of governor.
As a child, Vashana learned mathematics and navigation, and studied under an astronomer and astrologer. At an early age she served in her country's sea navy, engaging in naval battles against pirates and the ships of other Qadiri nations on the high seas. She ended up commanding a small fleet. She was drawn to the sea at an early age and was charged by a local Mirza with leading maritime expeditions to discover new markets as well as trade routes that would allow the Qadiri of her homeland to bypass Xioquo and Khaimari corsairs. She ended up circumnavigating all of Tygara with her three sailships, bringing back booty, exotic spices, slaves and tales of adventure. However, she eventually fell out of favour back home at court. Technically, Vashana is a noblewoman, but she doesn't use her noble title anymore since the Shadow Knights frown on that sort of thing.
Her chief virtues are courage and perseverance in the face of adversity, even when things are especially difficult. She is an incredibly practical sailor. These traits have made her an able sea and space commander, but she also coarse, relentless and possesses a fierce temper. Though her people are new to space, she has adapted well to it. She is simply exploring the sky-ocean, after all. Moreover, her people's inherent talent for navigation is just as applicable in space as it is on the sea. Needless to say she would find the idea of a 'prime directive' bizarre. Vashana is not a Force-User, but still an extremely talented navigator and astrogator. She has brought most of her old crew over and recruited heavily among her fellow Khajwari, but also other Tygaran groups.
Vashana has fought Xioquo many times in the past, but is fine with working with them. Historical reasons play a role, for Xioquo incursions into Khajwar were rarer than against Amikaron due to the long distances. As a result, she lacks the crusader mentality. Besides, she has fought plenty of Qadiri. She is in a relationship with a former Vashyada slave of hers who is now her aide and bodyguard. Vashana worked with and ultimately freed him during one of her navigations. He obtained his freedom by saving her life in a wreck. The couple has two children.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Eldorai society has always been defined by a high degree of stratification, social and gender barriers. Women are regarded as superior to men and occupy the top jobs in the military and government, whereas males are expected to be subservient. Nobles stand above commoners, who should know their place, pay their tithes and serve their betters. Clerics are intermediaries between the profane and the divine. The opulent cathedrals and mansions of the prelates are an expression of gratitude of the common folk. The Star Queen stands above all. She is not only the absolute monarch of the realm, but also the the emissary and viceroy of the Great Goddess Ashira in the mortal realm. Her person is sacrosanct and her word is law. Rebellion against her is heresy.
This has not stopped the Eldorai from having plenty of palace revolutions, civil wars and schisms. Perhaps the lesson is that repression breeds resistance. Totalitarianism is not efficient, no matter how many times its proponents claim that the trains run on time. Today the dream of a unified Eldorai Matriarchy is dead. Though the Matriarchy still exists, it no longer commands the allegiance of all Eldorai. With Kaeshana destroyed for good, the Eldorai have fractured into a myriad factions.
One of these groups call themselves the Shadow Knights. They started as a militant group of survivalists and former soldiers who banded together during the Great Exodus to protect the Eldorai who had been left behind in devastated Kaeshana. Naesala Faethyra, a career soldier who had gone into exile after being arrested on false charges of treason during the reign of Tirathana VI, became their leader, assuming the title of Archon. They tried to wrest order from the chaos, though it was an uphill battle. Rejecting monarchy, they instead embraced a form of militarist republicanism. They supported the Tygaran Alliance and the Galactic Alliance during the Kaeshana Rebellion, but the First Order's victory forced them to evacuate from the Eldorai homeworld.
Deprived of their homeworld, they were nonetheless unwilling to submit to the ancien régime. Thus they formed a nomad fleet. At first their goal was to one day liberate Kaeshana. The Eldorai homeworld's final scouring by a warp storm has put an end to this goal. Instead they look for a new home. The evolution of their goals and society has forced them to build up actual institutions, as a diverse nomad fleet cannot be run in the same way as a paramilitary war band. By their very nature the Shadow Knights are a coalition. A good number of their members are former 'Dark Eldorai' insurgents, but others are former royalist soldiers who defected to the Shadows - and might have fought the former insurgents at some point. Moreover, they have opened their ranks to Tygaran natives, declaring them to be fellow Asurans.
All this requires delicate management to overcome old grudges. Sects such as the Illyrians, Rationalists and Followers of Arryn had a history of rivalry. Enforcing central authority was not entirely possible without bloodshed. This led to strife and schisms. Some Shadow Knights were banished or split off. Yet the nomad fleet could not be held together by force alone. Reliance on it would tear it apart, sooner or later. Moreover, the group also faced external threats, such as pirates, Kraal raiders, the Archangel machine cult, Sith groups and rival Eldorai factions. It needed to be united if it did not want to go under.
The Court system came into being gradually. The first body to be founded was the Court of the Four Elements. It had its roots in a similar organisation that vetted Force-Users in the Eldorai Matriarchy and selected potential Angelii recruits. This form of organisation was gradually applied to other spheres of society. Though the Shadow Knights regard themselves as revolutionaries, they are quite conservative in a number of ways. Thus the Courts bear a strong resemblance to guilds, which is nothing new in Eldorai society. However, the Shadows took it a step further by having them encompass the military, which is the heart of their society. While they have conventional forces, many of their soldiers are independent-minded irregulars, privateers and raiders who cannot be easily integrated into regular units. 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.
The Shadow Knights are a nomadic, militaristic, regimented people and the Courts were designed to reflect that. Each citizen would be given a place, a means of influencing the direction of his or her chosen path and a superior to obey. Society was to be based on characteristics such as creativity, discipline, concern for the greater good, productivity, service and self-sacrifice. Shadow Knight society would be founded on the distinction between command and obedience. Democracy would be the possibility of attaining every existing rank if one had performed the necessary service to society. One imagines that many people would not see this as particularly 'democratic' and argue it has more in common with an oligarchy. This is true, but Eldorai do not like the idea of letting ordinary people decide a lot of things.
The Archon played a leading role in devising this structure. Naesala is a military woman, not a theoretician. But she did not need to be one, as she was reorganising the Shadows into a regimented structure not unlike an army. Naesala was not building some sort of abstract society here. Rather she was grouping everyone into sections which could administer their part of the machine. There was little consideration for rights and aspirations - the Shadows must survive and this would help them do so. At the same time it would decentralise administration, get the citizens involved and mobilise them.
Unsurprisingly, there was tension. Individual war bands and rebel leaders disliked being forced into a regimented structure that would reduce their influence and independence. Some of the protests had to be resolved through force, others negotiation. The Court of the Reaver was created to quell some of them by providing a group for irregulars and the like who would not be a good fit for a conventional military structure but still had their uses. Other leading players in the Shadows recognised that the new system gave them opportunities to further their agendas and supported it. A Court to organise the clerics of the various faith was proposed, but has so far not been realised. The idea of say putting an Ashiran in charge of the Kashirites or placing both under an Illyrian caused an outcry, and clerics are for the time being not coordinated in the same way as say merchants, soldiers or agri-farmers. Time will tell whether this might change and what further evolution the system might undergo in the future.
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