Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the Order of Fire, Qadiri and a character referenced in rp.
Image Credit: Here.
Role: Hazani is the daughter of the recently murdered High Mistress of the Sistren of the Eternal Flame, an important player in Qadiri politics and religion. She is an aspiring leader among her people, a companion and critic for Elpsis.
Permission: Blanket permission for anything made by Val here. Can use Firemane stuff because I own the company.
Links: Tygara, Siobhan Kerrigan, Firemane Industries, In Time, First Contact, Lao-Mon Invasion, Imynusoph, The Imynusoph Tragedy, Teaching Resilience, Citadel of the Venerated Azali, Xioquo, Shahbânu Semiramis, Kaeshana, Eldorai Exodus, Twilight of the Goddess, Yazgid, Ashiranism, House Kerrigan, Elpsis Kerrigan, Young Flames, Champions of the Flame, Inferno Platoon, Sistren of the Eternal Flame, Qadiri, Firemane, Knights of Azali.
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
Age: 44. Qadiri age and develop at a slower pace than humans.
Force Sensitivity: Knight.
Species: Qadiri.
Appearance: Hazani is a tell Qadiri female with bronze skin and golden eyes, the usual poined ears of an elf and dark, wavy hair that reaches to her shoulders. She wears it in a ponytail in combat so that it doesn't get in the way then. Hazani has several tattoos on her forehead, cheeks, neck and from her jaw to her lips. These are of religious significance. She has lived a life as a holy warrior, and so her body has its share of scars, burn marks and so on. One of the most prominent one is a cut on her right arm, inflicted by Siobhan's lightsabre. She also suffered electrical burns from a Force Lightning blast in the same duel. Hazani will often wear the robes of her sisterhood or shirts and trousers or a sari outside of combat. She is not averse to wearing some jewellry and light makeup, but nothing keeps it modest rather than ostentatious.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Name: Hazani Jai Bysara.
Loyalties: Elpsis Kerrigan, Sistren of the Eternal Flame, Qadiri, Knights of Azali.
Wealth: Hazani does not live in poverty and is can take of herself, but is not rich. Her family is wealthy, but her mother renounced her claim to all her assets when she joined the Sistren and Hazani followed suit when she took her vows, forsaking her inheritance. The Sistren expected their members to live frugal lives...though collectively the order is rather wealthy. Like in most Jedi orders, her needs are taken care of, and she can call upon many resources within reason. The Sistren are a respected order in Qadiri society, and she is an influential figure. So getting discounts on essential purchases or free board and board in a tavern in her order's sphere of influence is easy for her.
Notable Possessions: Her mother's Force imbued sword. Possesses a diamond made from the ashes of her cremated mother. This token is in line with the burial traditions of the Sistren, who worship Azali, the Qadiri goddess of fire, the desert and forging. Owns a lightsabre, and owns a copy of 'The Lady', a political treatise written by Siobhan on governance, acquisition and maintenance of political and economic power. It is grounded in a 'realist' school of thought based on power politics and endorses consequentialist rather than deontological ethics. Siobhan has gifted her a hold-out bolter, and she carries a Cylix Bolt Pistol.
Skills: Hazani is a Force-Sensitive warrior who specialises in elemental fire and air shaping. She is trained in the use of most melee and ranged weapons, including some that are a bit unconventional by galactic standards such as using a spear and a bow and arrow. She is a talented duellist, commonly wielding a Force imbued blade in battle. Moreover, she can train and ride a Yazgid and is proficient in forging and a decent smith. Like all Qadiri, she has inherent navigational talent, as her people have a form of internal compass. She has been trained to drive and operate standard ground combat vehicles. Hazani has talent as a tattoo artist. She was raised first as a noblewoman, then a holy knight. As a consequence, she has a good knowledge of courtly etiquette, Qadiri history, secular and religious law as well as the tenets and mysteries of the Kashari faith in general and the Sistren in particular.
Languages: Hazani grew up on the remote world of Tygara, so her mother tongue is Zandri, the lingua franca of the Qadiri, rather than Basic. However, she has learned Basic since first contact with the 'sky people', as it is Firemane's lingua franca. Some idioms may fly over her head, but overall she speaks and writes it well. She knows a little Xio just from proximity.
Personality: Proud, loyal, brusque, brave, cynical and eager to prove herself. Young Hazani has a lot to live up to. Her mother Sahali Jai Bysara was a hero to the Qadiri people and, like with many great women or men, casts a long shadow that her child has found it difficult to escape from. To be the child of someone with so many achievements can be intimidating and stifling. Especially if they are the demanding sort and expect you to continue the legacy. Elpsis, adoptive daughter of Siobhan Kerrigan, can sympathise. Fortunately the relationship between Hazani and Sahali was a lot better than the one Elpsis has with her domineering, demanding and sometimes plain emotionally abusive mother. Nonetheless, her relationship with her mother was not free of conflict. Sahali was a demanding, somewhat aloof mother and Hazani tried to live up to her expectations, while hiding a slight resentment that she should be given respect. The burden of responsibility and expectations rests heavily on her shoulders.
Regardless, Hazani is the daughter of the woman who repulsed the Xioquo invasion of Krolis, the holy city of the Qadiri people. The women who led the Sistren of the Eternal Flame, a military religious order of Force-Sensitive Qadiri fire worshippers. The Sistren aren't a monarchy, as their leader is elected by the senior officers in secret conclave, but it gives her a lot of prestige...and she might one day be a candidate. While the actual order is rather small, it commands the allegiance of many vassals and is respected for its devotion and piety. Finally, Sahali rallied the armies of the League of Krolis and led the resistance against Shahbânu Semiramis and her Firemane lieges, even facing Siobhan in a duel on equal terms. In the end she was betrayed by duplicitous aristocrats who wanted to curry favour with Siobhan. The Lady Kerrigan unexpectedly decided to avenge her rival's death instead, since she had come to respect her valour and despised traitors. Besides, it was a good PR move.
Now her mother is dead and Hazani is expected to carry on her legacy. Moreover, as part of the terms of the 'lenient' peace treaty, she became a guest of House Kerrigan-Alcori. In other words, a hostage. Siobhan treated her honourably but it was clear that she intended to use her as a political tool. However, the young Qadiri is an ambitious girl and determined to leave her own mark, and the outbreak of the rebellion has freed her from her chains. Hazani believes that not all involved in her mother's betrayal have been brought to justice. And she is committed to destroying Firemane and punishing it for the manifold sins it committed against the Qadiri people.
Interestingly, she bears more ill will towards her mother's false friends than she does to Shahbânu Semiramis, the ruler Sahali opposed. The former backstabbed her, the latter was someone who faced her openly. The betrayal has made her guarded and suspicious of others. It does not help that the conspirators included persons her mother once called friends. Wrath is one of her sins. She has learned that smiles can easily conceal daggers. It has taught her the importance of dissembling and not being lulled in by others. Her overall alignment could be described as Lawful Neutral. She keeps a strong personal faith in the goddesses Kashara and Azali, but is cynical about the actual politicking of the clergy.
Although young in years, she has acquired a good grasp of how the world works and is always seeking out more information. However, she is still inexperienced and can make mistakes an old hand at the game would not. Because she grew up as the daughter of a famous mother, she is a bit entitled. She is also prideful and self-righteous. She was raised in the belief that one day she must lead others and serve a greater good. This is reflected in her attitude, proud countenance and commitment to duty. Hazani is somewhat xenophobic towards Xioquo, having been raised in the belief that they are the sworn enemies of her people and fought them in many battles. She doesn't subscribe to the view that they are all demonic beings that should be enslaved or wiped out, but she can be quite patronising, viewing them as heathens. Closer contact with Xioquo has softened her views a bit and she is capable of acts of kindness towards them and sticking up for those treated unjustly, but still wary.
Though young in years by Qadiri standards, Hazani is an ambitious girl and eager to learn about statecraft, warfare and the outside Galaxy. She has strong opinions about how the Qadiri need to adapt and strengthen themselves. Hence she realises the importance of learning from her people's foreign overmistresses. She is determined to prove to her people that she has not been tainted by the time she was forced to spend serving the foreigners, but also believes she has a lot to show them so that they can advance and be strong. Hazani has seen battle and is brave, though the fire of youth can goad her into overly daring action. Indeed, she loves a good battle. Perhaps because it is one of the situations where she is able to cut loose, be herself and judged by merit.
Her relationship with Elpsis is complicated. Frenemy is not the right word. But they're not exactly friends. Their relationship stronger than that of mere acquaintences, but there's also some pretty strong rivalries there at times.
COMBAT INFORMATION
Weapon of Choice: The Force, Force Imbued Blade/spear, sidearm/carbine.
Combat Function: On the battlefield, Hazani will typically act as a unit leader. She is a capable tactical leader, though not trained to lead large groups of soldiers yet. Hazani leads from the front, using her elemental fire abilities to burn or distract opponents, her support powers to boost her allies and her skill with the blade to strike foes. She will commonly carry a sidearm and possibly a carbine as backup, but focuses on her skill with swordplay and the Force. Physically strong and tenacious, she is a good fighter, especially at close or medium range.
Her greatest strength lies in her elemental abilities. She is a gifted pyromancer. Her pyrokinetic abilities makes her a strong force at range, enabling her to blast, burn or blind opponents. She can also use it to heat objects by touch or mental concentration and manipulate preexisting flames. Combined with her aptitude for air and wind manipulation, this makes her rather potent. Her fire shaping is obviously less effective in very cold environments such as Hoth. She would be at her strongest in a binary furnace like Tatooine or a hellish hothouse of lava and magma such as Mustafar. Manipulating fire and heat is something she has been doing from an early age, so it comes natural to her. She is proficient in shielding herself from elemental attacks, keeping her body warm through the Force and absorbing heat. Her people, the Qadiri, form a balance between humans and Eldorai. They are remarkably agile, yet able to hold their own physically. Her racial heritage gives her an instinctive skill of navigation, for her people seem to possess a sort of internal compass. She has classical, but not exceptional telekinetic abilities.
Hazani is capable of using Force meld, allowing her to join her mind with those of her comrades to boost effectiveness. However, the enhanced strength brought by a meld works both ways. While it can improve coordination and allow the participants to share strength, a great disturbance in the Force could overwhelm them as they receive the pain through their enhanced senses. If the pain is caused by the minds she is touching, it could produce devastating effects for her and the others in the group. This could range from causing her to pain to disorientating and leaving her exposed to other threats. This is something a canny opponent could exploit. She is not skilled in the use of illusions or similar advanced mentalist techniques. Hazani has limited skill with galactic technology. Furthermore, she is stubborn and headstrong, which can be used against her. In that regard her youth can be detrimental to her.
Rather than a lightsabre, she uses a Force imbued blade. This weapon has a higher cutting power than a conventional sword, is resistant to lightsabres and can damage and destroy dark side spirits and apparitions. Being a physical blade, its weight can be used to put pressure on an opponent in combat. However, its cutting power is inferior to that of a lightsabre. This means it cannot be used to cut through a blast door the way Qui-Gon did, melt through a bulkhead or carve through vehicle armour. She is a capable duellist with a blade, spear or polearm. Siobhan taught Hazani how to use a lightsabre. But the Qadiri is still awkward and clumsy with it since she is not used to a near-weightless weapon. So she prefers sticking with the more traditional weapon.
Force Abilities (Force Users Only): As an elementalist, Hazani focuses on elemental air and fire shaping abilities. This is also where her focus lies when it comes to Alter Environment. Moreover, she is talented in telekinesis and various sub-applications. She can utilise Force Meld to enable her allies to pool their strength and improve their coordination. She has some skill in utilising Control Pain. Furthermore, she has talent as a metallurgical alchemist. This enables her to forge and enchant items in a manner similar to the ancient Je'daii. She also knows the basics of concealing her thoughts, emotions and motives from others by creating a shield around her mind. This is an essential survival skill in the Qadiri game of thrones.
Strengths:
- Force warrior. Hazani was trained as a soldier for most of her life and is strong in the Force. She is particularly talented with elemental Force abilities and Alter Environment. Her chosen element is fire. Furthermore, she can generate and act as a focal point for a Force Meld. Moreover, she is a good duellist.
- Talented in small unit leadership.
- Leadership experience has its limitations, as she is a tactical, not a strategic leader.
- Limited skill with galactic technoloy, such as slicing and piloting. Lacks talent as a sniper or sharpshooter.
- She has received some training in the use of a lightsabre, but is unused to the weapon and thus still awkward and clumsy while using it. As a result, she would be at a significant disadvantage if she used a lightsabre in battle against a dedicated lightsabre duellist. She is used to weapons with actual weight behind them.
Hazani was born near the end of the Four Hundred Year Darkness. Her homeworld was Tygara, home of the Qadiri, but also their Xioquo and Vashyada cousins. Though her people, the Qadiri, had long believed, that life existed on other planets, they had lived in isolation for millennia. They knew nothing of spaceflight, their distant Eldorai cousins, Jedi or Sith. However, this would eventually change. Hazani was one of the young elves who grew up in a changing world.
Hazani was born into a Qadiri noble family. Her mother was Sahali Jai Bysara. Her father was called Kanan Jal Vahan. As was typical for members of their social class, it was an arranged marriage, though a happy one. Though not on par with royals such as the Shahs of the Amikarese Empire or the Mirzas of Suqua, the Bysaras were very wealthy, having grown rich through trade in silks, gems and slaves. Thus Sahali wanted for nothing. Hazani's mother was the second daughter of the family. In other words, she was the spare and thus not in the immediate line of succession. In her youth she was a bit of a wastrel, more given to parties and excess than statecraft. She still performed her duty and produced a child, Hazani. The little babe was mostly raised by slaves. Her mother alternated between neglecting and pampering her, which obviously left its mark on the girl's attitude.
Sahali would have probably amounted to little more than another spoilt aristocrat with little more than an impressive – and probably invented- family tree if her life had not taken an unexpected turn. On the way to the city of Mansura, her ship was caught in a storm and ran aground on rocks. Most of the crew perished, but Sahali and her little daughter somehow survived. Maybe it was luck, the will of the Force or that of the Goddess Kashara. Either way, their tribulations had only just begun. Some of the surviving crew members turned on their mistress and they were forced to flee. Thus mother and daughter found themselves lost in the desert.
This forced Sahali to step up and reinvent herself. Caught adrift and separated from all she knew, she had to fight to protect her child and survive herself. Like all Force-Users in Qadiri society, Sahali had received some training to control her powers, but she had been unenthusiastic about it. But now she was forced to use her powers to protect them and shed her own ways to survive. Sahali had to protect them from wild animals, hunt and scout for water sources. However, meagre supplies and dehydration took a toll on her. When her daughter got sick, Sahali grew so desperate that she did nothing something she had not done in ages: She prayed to the Goddess. Delirious from lack of food and water, she still manifested the power to heal her child and keep the illness at bay. The pair ran into a group of nomads, who promised them shelter and protection.
Unfortunately for the pair, the desert folk also had a grudge against the city dwellers. Once they realised the identity of the newcomers, they decided it would be a smarter course of action to sell them as slaves. So they ambushed and seized them. Sahali defended herself, but her drink had been poisoned and so she was soon subdued. Realising what fate their captors had in store for them, she prayed once again. Later, Hazani's mother would claim that she had a vision. According to her, a symbol appeared to her when she stared into the flames of the bandits' camp fire. Either way, she was able to compel one of the nomads to release her from her bonds. With what she considered to be the Goddess' gifts empowering her, she unleashed her fury upon her captors. Her eyes glowed with a fierce light and her hands became fire. The very camp fire the bandits had used to warm themselves now roasted them. Though injured by many wounds, Sahali managed to rescue her daughter. Hazani stabbed one of the bandits in the leg with a stolen knife, aiding her mother in their escape.
However, the surviving bandits pursued them. Though she had experienced a Force awakening of sorts, Sahali was still a neophyte. Her injuries and tiredness were taking their toll on her. Hence it is likely that she would have been killed by her pursuers, if the two escapees had not come across scouts from the Sistren of the Eternal Flame. The Sistren were an old chivalric order with a proud history. They were dedicated to the Qadiri Fire Goddess Azali and regarded their elemental fire abilities as her gift to them. Indeed, the Force itself was a flame to them. Holy warriors, they were sworn to uphold her laws and smite her enemies. Though few in number, the Fire Sisters were trained fighters. The nomads, more used to hit-and-run attacks and somewhat superstitious, retreated when the fire cultists summoned a wave of sand to blind and scorch them, followed by fire.
Hazani and her mother, both injured and exhausted, now found themselves under the protection of the chivalric order. The fire sisters escorted them to some caves where they had set up camp. Here they were able to get some rest and medical attention. Hazani, being the observant sort, could not help notice the shift in her mother's attitude. Sahali was a lot more attentive to her. Indeed, she would not let her child out of her sight, fearful that she would be snatched from her and put in harm's way again. At the same time, Sahali had become extremely pious. Her prayers had been answered by the goddesses and her child had been spared from a life of misery and slavery. In this, she perceived the hand of the divine. Her mother spent many hours in conversation with their rescuers. She also prayed and meditated, encouraging her daughter to do the same.
In the past Sahali had neglected her training, now she sought lessons from her new allies, seeking to hone her martial and Force skills. It took a while before mother and daughter were able to leave the desert and return to civilisation. The Qadiri did not have spaceships, aircraft or speeders, after all. A violent sandstorm postponed their return. One of the younger Sistren took Hazani under her wing, teaching the little girl some survival skills. Finally they accompanied the Fire Sisters out of the desert wastes. Once they reached the nearest town, they were able to send word to their family. The Fire Sister who had been educating Hazani a bit accompanied them. When they returned to the family estate they had quite a story to tell. Kanan had been searching for his wife and daughter, fearing the worst, and so he was relieved to be reunited with them.
But for Sahali there was no going back to how things had been before. For starters, she sold many of her fancy clothes and jewels, donating most of the money to worthy causes. She also sent her concubines away. Then she announced she had made the decision to pursue the path of her warrior and pledge herself to the Sistren. To her, this was the will of the Goddess Azali. By her sign, she would prevail. Her parents considered her mad. Even Kanan, who cared for his wife deeply, found himself questioning her sanity. Given the circumstances, he could not be faulted. Binding her life to that of the Sistren would mean that Sahali would have to forsake her inheritance. While the order had vassals and holdings, the Sisters themselves were forbidden from amassing wealth for themselves. But Sahali stuck to her guns.
Hazani was happy about the attention and care her mother was showing her, but deeply confused by the new direction her life was taking. She bore witness to several unpleasant arguments in the household. To be caught in the middle of these disputes was most awkward for the child. What she had experienced in the desert also left its mark on Hazani. She grew into an unusually serious, but also somewhat solitary child. Her separation from her mother made her a bit sullen. She did well in her studies and her tutors approved of her precociousness.
While Sahali climbed the ranks of the Sistren, Hazani was raised on stories about her mother's deeds. At first her grandparents were dismissive, believing that their daughter was turning her back on her house. This changed when it became clear that Sahali was leaving her mark. Stories about her fighting desert bandits and Xioquo raiders found their way back home. In a battle between the Sistren and a neighbouring Qadiri state that coveted some of their land, Sahali distinguished herself by rallying infantry that had been shattered by a Yazgid cavalry charge. It was said her sword caught fire in this battle as she channelled her power. She achieved gained renown when she destroyed one of the Xioquo's cursed war machines with an intense blast of flame and heat, saving countless captured Qadiri in the process. After passing the trials of fire, she joined the Keepers of Azali's Sacred Flame. This exclusive sect was an elite within the elite. Sahai was now one of the youngest mistresses of the order. These were the types of stories that found their way back home. Young Hazani had this image of her mother being a great heroine, besting arch-villains and slaying demons. She obviously did not see the hardship her mother faced. At the same time, she could not help feel some resentment.
Fate conspired for for their paths to cross again and for Hazani to embark on a path similar to that of her mother's. However, many of her romantic notions would be dashed in the process. When Hazani and some other members of her family were aboard a ship, it was attacked by pirates. The corsairs managed to board their vessel, intent on taking its illustrious passengers captive to hold them for ransom. Fierce fighting broke out around her and Hazani was forced to defend herself. Remembering what she had endured at the hands of the bandits as a young child, she took up a spear from a dead guard. In defence of of her younger cousins, she leapt into battle. The girl ended up facing the mutinying captain from the shipwreck, who had betrayed her and her mother so many years ago. He struck her with his scimitar, injuring her and driving her back with his greater strength. But the memory gave her strength. Manifesting a power she had not thought she possessed, she blinded and burnt him with fire, before stabbing him with her spear. It would later transpire that the raiders had been privateers acting on the basis of a letter of marque from the Amikarese Empire, the largest Qadiri state. Luckily, they were driven off.
While Hazani recovered from her wounds, she received a letter from her mother, praising her courage. It was one of the few things Sahali had praised her for. But there was a bit of a dichotomy in that Hazani was always seeking her mother's favour. Yet when she got it, she felt resentful for wanting it in the first place. Some time after this incident, their paths crossed once more, for a delegation of the Sistren came to the city on the occasion of a religious festival.
It gave Hazani a chance to see how much her mother had changed. Sahali was no longer the frivolous, materialistic woman of the past. But she was also not the overprotective mother who had lapped attention on her daughter and sung songs with her. Instead she was domineering, stern and aloof. Hazani found herself facing a stranger. The other Sistren respected her mother and sung her praises. Hazani could not help resent the fact that some of the younger Fire Sisters seemed closer to her own mother than to her. As was common the Sisters had not only come to celebrate, but also because they were looking for new recruits. They promised adventure and camaraderie, as well as a chance to serve the Goddess and participate in daring crusades against unbelievers.
Hazani took the initiative and volunteered, without seeking her mother's approval first. Perhaps she hoped that it would impress her mother. She was put through a number of tests to determine that her Force affinity was strong enough. She managed to pass these, but her mother spoke little with her, beyond telling her daughter that the life of a devotee of Azali was an arduous one determined by duty. Perhaps she was trying to dissuade her daughter from joining, realising that her romantic beliefs would only be squashed. However, Hazani stuck to her guns.
On the day the Sistren departed, she accompanied them. Once she reached their monastery, she was put through intense training. It was both physically and mentally demanding, pushing her to her limits. Like any military organisation, the Sistren sought to weed out the opportunists, cowards, glory hounds and cowboys. Hence training was designed to break recruits down and build them back up. Regular training in Force abilities and physical combat was accompanied by long marches, prayer sessions and fasting. She was taught how to use a blade, javelin and bow. Much to her disappointment, Force imbued weapons were reserved for sisters who had truly proven herself. To teach them humility, young recruits like her had to perform servant work, such as cooking, sweeping the monastery and looking after the animals. She also conducted patrols and dealt with wild animals and the occasional bandits that menaced peasants who paid tribute to the sisterhood. On occasion, she helped a more senior sister arbitrate minor disputes among the people under the sisterhood's protection by gathering evidence, and conducting interviews.
In addition, Hazani, like any other recruit, had to pass the tests of endurance, courage and antipathy. For the first, she had to head across the blazing summer sands and reach through a hot fire to retrieve a key. For the second, she had to take up a blindfold and fight one of the Fire Sisters with no sight, then remove the blindfold so that she was dazed by the light. In the third trial, she had to resist the ice and cold of a cryomancer to prove her resistance to the power of the ice, which was the obvious antithesis of the holy flame of the Goddess Azali. At the end of it she was swathed in a burning robe which she was expected to resist the fire from, and become a true sister. Hazani managed to pass these tests. On this day she swore the sacred oath, pledging herself to Azali and the Sisterhood mind, body and soul. "To be a Sister of the Flame is to embrace the fire, to be the fire, not to be consumed by it," Sahali told her on the day of her induction into the holy order.
Her mother showed her no favouritism. Indeed, she seemed to push her harder than other recruits and make sure she got the harshest trainers. Of course, giving her daughter special treatment would have just made Hazani grow entitled and undermined both of them. Sahali believed she was doing her daughter a favour by treating her normally, not realising that Hazani resented her a little. As could be expected, some of the girl's fanciful ideas of what life among the Sistren would be like were dashed, for it was a lot less romantic than she had probably imagined. Life as an acolyte of the sisterhood was certainly a lot less adventurous. She learned that it was 25% patrolling or garrison duty, 25% prayer, 25% sleeping on hard beds, 20% training and 5% actual fighting. Sometimes she got to watch her mother or the high mistress arbitrate disputes and dispense justice among vassals who came to the Citadel. By and large, the Sistren were regarded as fair by the people under their protection.
Hazani was still very young and junior, so she was kept away from campaigns. Unsurprisingly this rankled her. Her chance to prove herself came when the monastery came under attack early on. The other Knights were away on, so she was practically the only capable warrior present. The attackers were Xioquo raiders, who had come to pillage and desecrate this sacred place. They venerated Myrou, the dark goddess they considered to be the creator of their people. They launched a surprise attack, exploiting their powers of concealment to infiltrate the monastery under the cover of darkness. Hazani had been on patrol duty when she managed to dispatch a scout. Xioquo spilled into the monastery, killing wherever they went.
Bravely she managed to rally the few able-bodied guards, getting the non-combatants to safety into the inner sanctum. Outside she and the few guards present fought the intruders. Beyond the episode with the pirates and fights with wild animals, she had never seen combat outside of a training setting. Now she was forced to step up. She met the attackers with blade and fire. She did poorly at first against the agile, experienced Xioquo. But then her fire gave her an edge against them. Her meld abilities manifested in this fight, enabling her to coordinate better with the remaining acolytes. Ice warred against fire as she was a Xioquo cryomancer. She was cut by ice shards and her right arm was disabled by a cone of ice, yet she fought on, as if possessed. When reinforcements arrived on the spot, having galloped to the monastery after being alerted, they found her lying on the top of a pile of corpses, bleeding and suffering from the effects of being struck by a poisoned blade. The raiders retreated, fleeing from the monastery. Her valour was noted and she was promoted to the position of a low ranked Knight. Her mother gave her some acknowledgement.
While Hazani was recovering from her near-fatal injuries, a new crisis brewed. One that would show her that life among the Sistren was a lot less idealistic than she might have imagined. Parisa Jai Sassanal was the head of a Qadiri house that illegally occupied territory the Sisterhood as sacred ground. For the Sistren were not just a martial order, but also wielded temporal power. She also claimed the right to invest clerics of the Temple of Azali. A cleric who had been deposed by Parisa sought refuge among the Sistren. The high lady insisted that she was exercising her rights as mistress of her domain. Thus attempts at diplomacy and gentle persuasion were rebuffed by her. Indeed, one of the ambassadors was seized and later executed by the Sassanals.
The High Mistress of the Sisterhood had succumbed to disease and it was in doubt whether she would survive or if a conclave might be required to choose a successor. However, Sahali, who had long deputised for the high mistress, unexpectedly took the initiative, refusing to tolerate the temerity of the House of Sassanal. Despite hazardous weather conditions, her forces marched on the residence of the Sassanals. The march was so sudden that Parisa had no time to rally her banners, though she sent out messengers. Nonetheless, she met the Sisters and their retainers in battle with her household forces. The two hosts clashed and she was forced to retreat behind the walls. One of her captains was captured by Hazani, who distinguished herself by participating in a daring charge.
After raining fire and brimstone down upon the defenders and using cannons acquired from merchants, the Sistren and their allies stormed the city. Hazani was one of the first who got over the battlements, wielding her glowing Force imbued blade. She was part of a small force of soldiers and junior acolytes. When they came under heavy enemy fire, their commander was incapacitated. Hazani used ingenuity by summoning a wind to raise a cloud of sand. Though deprived of vision herself, she was able to use her training and navigational talents to make it through the cloud and take out the snipers.
Parisa and her inner circle were confronted by Sahali and the Sistren in their villa. Punishment of Parisa was to be expected, but Sahali decided to burn down the villa while she, her battle sisters and the nobles were inside. "You claim to be able to determine the wisdom and voice of Azali? Then let's see whether the Goddess protects you as I. Seize them! It seems Parisa that the goddess does not favour you." As the flames lapped around them, but left Sahali and her cohorts unharmed, the fire mistress declared: "Do you see your heresy now, or must we wait until the flames caress that pretty hair before you beg leave to die and prostrate yourself before the goddess? Know only this, the Goddess brooks no heretics or false worshippers. Your precious treasures and estates shall repair this terrible impiety."
Hazani witnessed the great conflagration consume the villa. Some of her romantic notions about service in the sisterhood were greatly undermined on this day. Her mother gave her a lecture about how the Goddess' laws must sometimes be upheld with fire and steel. "Mother, what is going on here? The Goddess' justice has been meted out. We must help them! They are defeated, there is no honour in letting them burn!" But her mother told her: "They have been found...impious by the will of the Goddess. The only fit punishment for the apostate is fire, Hazani." The villa became a death trap as the flames engulfed it. By the time they receded, House Sassanal had been wiped out. No members of the family had been spared from the slaughter. Sahali ordered her soldiers to salt the earth the villa had been built upon. However, she took measures to limit looting and attacks on normal civilians, forbidding a sack in defiance of military convention. The people of the city did, however, have to pay a punitive tribute to the Sistren. Hazani was commended for punishing soldiers who'd assaulted civilians and looted. The commendation rung hollow to her after the slaughter she'd just witnessed. Prisoners of war were treated well enough, and could be ransomed. This was common among Qadiri and sort of a game of pay and exchange. However, prisoners whose families could not provide a ransom were enslaved. A few of them were eventually manumitted.
Her mother's actions were immortalised in a song. It is said that when one of Parisa's vassals approached the ruins, Sahali sent a musician to sing it to him. He bent the knee and she pardoned him. Though the brutality of her measured drew censure, order was restored. Later the conclave elected Sahali as the new High Mistress. Hazani had earned her place among the Sistren, but life had turned out to be very difficult from what she had imagined. It caused conflict inside her, but she decided to remain in their ranks. To leave would mean desertion, for her vow was a sacred one. It would bring shame upon her and her family. She had also found comrades among them. Her once idealistic and optimistic personality had replaced by something serious and less innocent. If she wanted to succeed in the order, she had to become stronger and harder. Here and there she visited her home town. Her family was moving on with its life. Her cousins were blossoming into ladies of society. But the issues they concerned themselves with seemed vapid and shallow to her. One of her younger cousins looked up to her, in the way she had admired the Sistren.
It did not take long before she was engaged in a fight that was less morally questionable for her. The Xioquo had cast their covetous eye upon Krolis, the holy city of the Qadiri. It was the residence of the Saoshyant, the high priestess of Kashara and the most important religious figure in Qadiri society. Trade and tithes had made Krolis extremely rich and this made it a tempting target. The moment to strike seemed ideal. The Amikarase Empire was engaged in a struggle over the succession. Meanwhile, the incumbent Saoshyant had offended many Qadiri states by insisting that she, not the secular rulers, alone possessed the right to invest Kashari clerics.
Hazani, her mother and a small escort happened to be in Krolis on pilgrimage when the Xioquo fleet advanced upon the city. Krolis was too far away from the citadel of the Sistren for reinforcements to arrive in time. Once word of the approaching invaders reached the city, panic broke out. However, the Saoshyant kept her nerve, appointing Sahali as the commander of her forces. Applying pragmatism, Sahali reached out to Khaimari Corsairs, accepting an offer of aid from one of their admirals. For the first time, she wavered in her treatment of her daughter, and ordered her to guard civilians who had taken refuge in the main temple. But Hazani refused to shirk battle and insisted on fighting alongside her mother and her battle sisters.
The battle was a very bloody affair. A combination of improvised Krolian fire ships and Khaimari corsairs using guerilla tactics was able to destroy or disable a number of Xioquo ironclads. But the drows managed to land enough of their forces to assault the city. Using their dark sorcery, they had blotted out the sun, covering the land in darkness. Despite the defenders carrying out several forays, the Xioquo managed to use explosives to blow a hole into a wall. But fierce house-to-house fighting awaited them in the city itself, as Sahali and the Saoshyant rallied the defenders. As part of the High Mistress' strategy, the Xioquo were lured deeper into the city, where they were worn down.
When it seemed the lines would break, she rallied them, inspiring the defenders with her example and inner flame. Given command of her own squad, a rag-tag unit of militia, Kashari warriors and some Fire Acolytes, Hazani led an attack on the Xioquo artillery. The Xioquo were employing giant cannons. By using her fire powers, she was able to detonate all that gunpowder, inflicting notable casualties. A ritual conducted by the Sahali and several priestesses banished the darkness and restored the sun, burning the Xioquo. This caused them to flee, though they had extracted a considerable price in blood from the defenders and part of the city was put to the torch. Hazani and her squad managed to capture some Xioquo, who would be sold into slavery. Her mother was hailed as the heroine of Krolis and defender of the true faith.
The battle had profound political repercussions. Several Qadiri states banded together to form the League of Krolis. Ostensibly it was a defensive alliance to defend the holy places of the Qadiri against Xioquo incursions. But it was also directed against the expansionist aims of the Amikarese Empire. Semiramis III. had become Shahbânu of Amikaron and wanted to unite the Qadiri under one banner – hers. Hazani remembered being attacked by Amikarese privateers and was poorly disposed towards Amikaron. But ere things could come to head, the Qadiri faced a new foe, for the sky people had arrived.
Historically Tygara has been completely isolated from the outside galaxy. The Qadiri, interestingly, had a long tradition that there were other people living out amongst the stars. However, their image of benevolent deities was nothing like what they actually got when slavers from the sky came down upon them. These slavers were off-shots of the corsairs so common in the Galaxy at large. The Qadiri did not know about spaceships, FTL travel or blasters. A town under the protection of the Sistren was attacked by the outsiders.
However, when Hazani and a force of soldiers came to their aid, they found themselves facing more than the bandits they were used to. Their javelins, muskets and arrows could not penetrate the armour of the slavers, but fire burnt them fine. They were able to use their powers to compensate for their backward tech, but then the pirates bombarded them with a gunship. Hazani was able to summon a powerful wind to crash it, but the effort exhausted her. Cornered by pirates, she fought bravely, but was injured and had to call a retreat. An acolyte who had been a close friend since their time training together was killed. Vengeful and grieving, Hazani volunteered for a scouting mission. She and a few scouts managed to infiltrate the foreign slavers' camp. For them it was a strange place, full of machines, though these vaguely reminded them of devices used by the Xioquo.
However, when they were spotted they had to hide and were separated. Hazani hid in one of the 'bulky boxes', which turned out to be a slaver transport. Unfortunately for her it took off, and she soon found herself in the cold void of space. She had no time to process this, for the stowaway was detected and subdued. However, the slavers did not immediately have ysalamiri on hand. So they drugged her, and when she came to she found herself in an energy cage. Such technology was also unknown to her. But in their speciesist arrogance, the slavers underestimated the 'primitive'. Fortunately, their tech was also not as good as they thought. She was a fire shaper, so she was able to melt a little hole in the deck beneath her and do some sabotage, which had the effect of making the power drop. As she made her escape, she came across numerous captives. Many were Qadiri, but others were strange offworld aliens. One was a green male with no hair and tentacles coming out of his head. Neither understood the others' language, but the alien managed to convey he would help her.
It became very clear when the slaves took advantage of the chaos Hazani created to get out. They managed to hijack what turned out to be a transport ship, and the green Twi'lek piloted it. Fortune was smiling on them, for the slavers' main ship was being targeted by a flotilla of Firemane and Eldorai ships, assisted by the Freespace Rangers. The transport was damaged, but her Twi'lek companion managed to make an emergency landing in the wilderness of central Zhukathis. From there the group had to go on a difficult treck until they came across a village, and Hazani was able to send a messenger to her people. At her insistence, the aliens who had helped her were treated honourably and placed under guestright. It was also a chance for the Sistren to learn about the strange offworlders. They were later handed over to Firemane when the foreigners landed on the planet. It soon became clear that Firemane and the Eldorai were here to stay. Much to Sahali's concern, they entered into an alliance with Semiramis and soon found themselves at war with the Xioquo. The technology they possessed both frightened and fascinated Hazani.
Sahali observed these developments with a mixture of caution and growing concern, for she realised that the outsiders would also strive to dominate them. These fears were validated when Firemane and the Eldorai forcibly 'resettled' one million Ajustran Qadiri to 'make room' for Eldorai settlers. In other words, they were cruelly deported and sent on a trail of tears because it was convenient. The natives of Tygara lacked access to near-instantaneous communications devices and knew nothing of the Holonet, so it took a while for word to spread. However, the foreigners were powerful and possessed technology the Qadiri lacked. Some resisted them, others jumped on the bandwagon out of fear, opportunism or because they believed the sky people to be wise bringers of knowledge.
When Firemane and the Eldorai mustered their armies to assault the Underealm, as the Xioquo's subterranean home was called, Hazani was part of the Qadiri contingent that participated in the invasion. By then she had earned her place as a knight of the order. In spite of the outsiders' technological terrors, it was a bloody battle and victory only came at a price. With the Xioquo subdued, the outsiders tried to impose their vision of a 'new order' upon Tygara. It soon became clear that while the monarch of the Eldorai called herself a Star Queen and many of her people saw themselves as superior, they were in fact in a subservient position to Firemane. She felt contempt for her haughty 'cousins'.
Hazani spent some time with outsiders, attempting to learn about the outside world. She had to deal with speciesism, especially from the humans and Eldorai, though she refused to be put down. It irked her greatly that some of her people had started to revere the paramount leader of the outsiders, Siobhan Kerrigan. Mindful of the fact that her mother's name might make her a target, she entered an exchange programme under an assumed name. In that capacity she was attached to the Glory Hounds, a company of Firemane Rangers from a world called Dahomey. It was commanded by the strict and professional Captain Glory. Hazani was used to Non-Force-Users being subservient to those blessed by the Goddess, but Glory wasted no time making it clear to her that she was not in awe of her powers. Among other things, she made Hazani fight while her powers were suppressed by a ysalamiri.
She got the chance to see the world beyond Tygara when some of the Glory Hounds were deployed to Dxun in support of a Free Worlds' Coalition mission. A Sith cult had taken root on the moon and had to be wiped out. Her first time in hyperspace and on a foreign world was quite an experience for Hazani. But she soon found herself battling Sith cultists in the jungle. In the process she also made the acquaintance of a young Alderaanian Ranger called Laira Darkhold. Hazani was unaware of the fact that the young woman was secretly the Crown Princess of Alderaan. When the cultists summoned a Smoke Demon, it was Hazani and Laira who confronted the abomination. Fear and terror threatened to grip Hazani in a vice as the Smoke Demon invaded her mind. But with the help of Laira, she was able to overcome it, using her Force imbued blade to destroy it. Later they faced the cult in their lair beneath a water fall. After recovering from her injuries, the Qadiri used the chance to explore a bit. She spent some time on the worlds of the FWC, such as Alderaan and Onderon.
But Hazani's time in the stars was cut short, for there was conflict on Tygara. The Saoshyant had died and Semiramis sought to impose her own candidate as part of her bid to become the sole ruler of the Qadiri. Needless to say the League of Krolis opposed her. As a result, two conclaves of clerics elected two different Saoshyants, both of whom denounced the other as a false one. Semiramis petitioned Siobhan for aid, reminding her of their old alliance and the fact that she had never broken her word. Somewhat reluctantly, Firemane's autocratic leader decided to support her. Sahali declared for the League of Krolis. This put Hazani in a bind. She had made friends among the Firemane soldiers, but she was also loyal to her family and her people. In the end, she chose the latter. Sahali was made commander of the armies of the League.
Though lacking in high-tech weapons, the Sistren were formidable warriors and their command over fire was impressive. This enabled them to rain down destruction upon Firemane soldiers and their allies. Victories over the rebels demanded a considerable toll in blood. Together with their allies, the rebels waged a guerilla campaign, denying Firemane a battle where it could exploit its technological superiority. Sahali had used the observations gained by Hazani and others to gain a better understanding of the outsiders' tactics and tech. She could not meet them in an open battlefield, but wear them down through asymmetrical warfare. She also understood that the alliance between Semiramis and Firemane was a brittle one and thus hoped to drive a wedge between them.
Thus League attacks targeted lines of communications, supply convoys and other vulnerable target, whilst using scorched earth warfare tactics. Hazani participated in several such raids, successfully battling Firemane troops. During one such fight, she killed a member of the Glory Hounds who was also a Force Knight. The Dahomian had been a friend, but on the battlefield they met as enemies. She took the woman's Cylix bolt pistol and lightsabre as mementos, but made sure the dog tags were sent back. When Siobhan chose to enter the fray herself, the rebels avoided an open battle, attempting interdiction instead. Shoulder-launched missile launchers, appropriated from Firemane, and their powers over wind, fire and lightning helped their adepts shoot down Firemane transports and gunships. However, a number of League leaders were disgruntled, for their own holdings suffered.
They denounced Sahali's strategy as cowardly. When it seemed that the Firemane forces had been locked in an unfavourable position, away from reinforcements, Sahali was overruled and forced to commit to a field battle. So it came to a fight. Hazani fought bravely, battling her way through ranks of Firemane soldiers and their Qadiri allies. However, the outsiders were now able to exploit their superiority in materiel. It did not help that some of the League nobles who had insisted on a fight proved to be cowardly. As destruction rained down upon her comrades, Hazani impetuously engaged Siobhan Kerrigan herself. She fought bravely – and futilely. Blasted by lightning and injured by a lightsabre strike, she was defeated.
But her mother came to her aid. Fighting as if possessed, she faced the Firemane leader. Siobhan unleashed her formidable telekinetic powers and wielded her lightsabre, while Sahali channelled fire and utilised a Force imbued blade, a veritable flaming sword. The fight took a toll on both combatants as they traded heavy blows, pushing each other to physical and mental exhaustion while destruction raged around them. Siobhan's lightsabre was destroyed during the duel, but she prevailed in the end, besting her opponent. Sahali got away and conducted a fighting retreat with her remaining forces, but the battle was a defeat for the rebels.
The rebels found themselves beleaguered. Divisions appeared in the ranks of the League. A cabal of aristocrats, fearful that a protracted war would bring only ruin to them, conspired to end the war and seek terms with Lady Kerrigan. The scorched earth campaign had taken a toll on their holdings. Ironically, they had been the ones who had urged the League to meet the allies on the battlefield instead of continuing asymmetrical warfare. Their ring leader was Kylara Jai Ghonari, the ruler of Susa, Hazani's home city. The conspirators deceived and murdered Sahali. They also tried to murder Hazani, but the injured Qadiri managed to escape with the help of some allies. But she could not save her mother. Sahali' head was presented to Siobhan, for they hoped to curry favour with her. However, the Lady was disgusted by the betrayal and personally executed the ringleader. The others were put in irons. Siobhan sent them back to the Sistren, along with the body of Sahali so that her foe could be given a proper burial.
The Sistren would swear fealty to Siobhan, who pardoned them for their rebellion. Hazani personally oversaw the execution of her mother's murderers. She was full of guilt about being unable to save her mother, but she could only settle for avenging – and for trying her best to be the leader her mother had been. It was now that she understood how harsh and vicious Qadiri politics could be, and why her mother had done what she did when she gave the Sassanals to the flames. When the remainder of the League sued for peace, Siobhan forced both sides to accept a compromise candidate as Saoshyant. After all, she did not want her vassal Semiramis to grow too powerful. It was on this occasion that Siobhan and Hazani crossed paths once more.
Though it was painful for the young elf, Hazani had decided to accompany her people's delegation. The meeting was an awkward one. Siobhan remembered their fight and complimented her valour, while critiquing the finer points of her tactics. She also voiced her respect for her mother, acknowledging her as an honourable opponent. It was here that the young Qadiri learned that her former enemy was not done with her though. The peace terms were comparatively lenient. Having set her mind on larger goals, Siobhan elected to show clemency, though she imposed an indemnity and limitations on the advanced technology the Sistren and their vassals were allowed to possess. Moreover, she insisted that Hazani would become her guest. It was a fancy way of saying that she would be a hostage for her people's good behaviour. It should be noted that such arrangements were quite common in Qadiri society.
Hazani tried to accept her fate with grace. Yet she had no intention of being a mere pawn on the chess board of a foreign despot. Rather she was determined to live up to the legacy of her mother. This required learning to play the game. She also considered it her duty to her people, especially after the elves moved into space to seek a new future. Recently, Hazani was been assigned to Elpsis' platoon as a squad leader. Initially Hazani bristled, wanting a command of her own and feeling uncomfortable about taking orders from the sky people, but in time she came to view it as an opportunity. Elpsis and her are not close, but he two have a few things in common, such as an affinity for fire and struggling to live up to the expectations of famous, overbearing mothers. She still keeps in touch with her battle sisters. Most of them understand she's trying to make the most out of a bad situation she had no choice in. She returned the lightsabre she had taken from her ex-comrade in Firemane to the Dahomians' kin.
As squad leader, Hazani served in a variety of engagements beyond Tygara. Among other things, she took part in the failed campaign to liberate Lao-Mon, and in a fight with a Sith Lord who had carried out a dark ritual on the world of Imynusoph. Recently she accompanied her boss to Tlaxqui, the Xio capital. Although not particularly diplomatic, she was able to negotiate the return of Qadiri artefacts that had been seized by the Xioquo in past wars. However, she soon found herself entangled in an investigation about corruption among both the Xioquo and the senior levels of Firemane.
The revelation of Firemane's forced labour programme was a vindication for Hazani. She was quick to volunteer for Elpsis' assault on Fort Kerrigan once it became clear the 'Fire Princess', Firemane's former propaganda mascot, was sincere about burning her bridges. She played an important role in the battle, slaying Firemane marines and native auxiliaries and serving as one of the rebel army's officers. After all the time she had been forced to put on a mask, it felt liberating. In the aftermath of the battle, she helped organise the retreat into the Northlands and then the great journey to Zhukathis, where she rallied the Sistren for battle and participated in the battle of Suqua. Since then she has become an officer in the fledgling rebel army and a liaison to the Sistren. Her goal is now to thoroughly and comprehensively smash Firemane, restore the Sistren to their former glory and strengthen her people.
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