Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Heavy air cavalry unit for Firemane.
Image Credit: Here.
Role: Heavy Cavalry.
Permissions: ARGH gear available per this thread. Permission for all ArmaTech gear and all other subs made by Laira Darkhold's writer here.
Links: Starbird Enclave, Qadiri, Mandalore, Resol'nare.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Iron Riders.
Affiliation: Siobhan, Firemane, House Kerrigan-Alcori, Starbird Enclave, Hasana Jai Anhala, Shazora Jai Vahal.
Classification: Heavy Cavalry.
Equipment:
Mount:
Armour:
Attached Weapons:
- Wrist Bolter
- Under-Barrel Disruptor
- ACS-208 Wrist Charric
- ARGH Wrist Flamer
- ACS-208 Wrist Ion Beamer
- Beskad or Sarix
- Monomolecular Energy Chorded Weapons
Misc:
Side Arms:
Description: Basilisk War Droids have long been a mainstay of the armies of the Mandalorian Clans. a Resembling cross between a Zalorian rock-lion and a Karran beetle, they are heavily armoured and armed with an impressive arsenal of weapons. This enables them to be deployed in the heat of of combat and unleash hell upon the enemy. Mandalorians are known for riding these war droids into the atmosphere of a world from space. The fact that the pilot tends to be very exposed to enemy fire makes these riders either extremely brave, reckless or both.
Technology has advanced significantly since the days of Mandalore the Ultimate, but the core concept has remained the same throughout the millennia. The Iron Riders utilise the Mk3 Basilisk War Droid, or Bes'uliik Droid. Conceived during the first tenure of Ra Viszla as Mand'alor, this model was built by ArmaTech to give the Mandalorians a new war machine to lead the charge of the new Crusade. Among other things, it saw action during the Crusade against the Republic and the Omega War. Today, Mandalore has been occupied by the Sith Empire, which has carried out a genocidal campaign against its inhabitants.
Firemane has been able to gain access to this Basilisk design through its partnership with ArmaTech and a group of independent Mandalorian mercenaries and families organised in the Starbird Enclave. This sellsword company has been present in the Firemane sphere of influence since the infamous Red Wedding. It has pledged its swords to House Kerrigan-Alcori, in return for booty, payment and being allowed to adopt and live according to Mandalorian values.
What distinguishes the Iron Riders is the fact that they have Qadiri members. These desert elves are among the natives of Tygara, but after millennia of isolation, they have reached for the stars. The Qadiri have a strong martial ethos that meshes well with the tenets of the Resol'nare. Moreover, all Qadiri have an inherent navigational talent, which can be compared to an internal compass. This makes them not just great sailors, but also very good pilots.
Many of their fellow Qadiri, unnerved by the open-topped nature of the Basilisks, consider the Iron Riders mad for riding such a metal beast. Others romanticise them as knights of the Void-Ocean. The Qadiri Iron Riders are fond of referring to their Basilisks as Iron Yazgid, likening them to the carnivorous lizards that Qadiri warriors have used as war mounts for centuries. The Basilisk's droid brains gives them a self-awareness comparable to that of a semi-sentient animal, enabling them to form bonds with their riders. This has helped the Qadiri riders form a relationship with their mounts and make the experience less alien for them.
The Iron Riders have evolved out of an adjunct of the Starbird Enclave. The hard core is composed of a few Mandalorian who are experienced Basilisk riders. The rest are Qadiri associated with Hasana Jai Anhala or Shazora Jai Vahal. Both are former slaves and leaders of successful slave rebellions. Their leaders have allied with Firemane to assure the freedom, prosperity and wellbeing of their people. Hasana especially is particularly driven, and has brought her crusade against slavery to the stars. The warrior culture of the Mandalorians appeals to these former Mamluks and they are on the lookout for anything to augment their firepower.
The group is led by Awilda Tenau, a battle-hardened senior woman who was varying Mandalorian factions for decades before walking away from them. Awilda has the seniority to contest Reswa's claim to leading the Enclave, but lacks the interest. She is an old warhorse, but still has a lot of fight in her. She has a gruff, serious manner. The rise and fall of many different incarnations of the Mandalorian Clans has left her deeply jaded. Awilda had retired to her farm at the time of the cataclysm, but Mandalore's devastation forced her to put her armour on again. She is world-weary and embittered, but still follows her own take on the code. As fully trained Mandalorian veteran, she can resist Jedi mind tricks. Age has started to catch up with her, and she has a bionic arm and a number of cybernetic implants, such as regeneration and ability boosters. She is still a very tough trainer. Awilda leads from the front and has a strong bond with her mount. She expects to fall in battle one day, and wants to leave warriors behind who follow the code that was passed on to her by her ancestors.
Mahsa Jai Avilda is Awilda's protege and likely to take charge of the unit one day, or lead her own Basilisk squadron. Jai is means 'of/from'. Thus Jai Avilda literally means 'of/from Avilda'. Mahsa used to be a slave, and it is common for freed Qadiri slaves to name herself after their liberator or patron. By the time the two met Mahsa was already a free woman, having fought to attain her freedom, but Awilda is a patron of sorts and a maternal figure for her. Mahsa used to be a slave-soldier and participated in Shazora's slave rebellion, which toppled the 'wise' mistresses and masters of Karahamor.
Her time as a slave as well as the years of struggle against the slave owners who wanted to reclaim their property have shaped her. She is driven and has a strong hatred for slavers. Mahsa has adapted the Mandalorian code, finding its focus on family, martial virtues and merit rather than bloodline to be in line with her own beliefs. Thus she wears Mandalorian armour, which is meticulously cared for. Some of her peers consider her mad for riding a Basilisk, but she finds it freeing, especially since she once had to kowtow before nobles who rode Yazgid or were carried around in litters.
Parastu Jai Anhala used to be an indentured Yazgid trainer. She was supposed to train and break in the ferocious lizards Qadiri Cataphracts and aristocrats used as mounts, but was not allowed to join the cavalry herself. After gaining the disfavour of a young aristocrat, she was thrown into the Mamluk corps. Her surname Jai Anhala means 'of/from Freedom'. Parastu is good with animals and was able to procure some Yazgid for the rebels, giving them a cavalry element. She fought alongside Hasana. Parastu still trains and races Yazgid in her off-hours, but now she has an Iron Yazgid to ride into battle. She treats her war droid more like an intelligent animal than a simple machine, and has established a strong bond with it. She is Force-Sensitive, but has received little formal training. However, she seems to have an inherent talent for both animal friendship and mechu-deru. One is good for interacting with flesh and blood Yazgid, the other for iron ones.
Amin Jal Anhala is a male Qadiri member of the squadron. Like Mahsa, he used to be a slave, but he served in the household of a mistress rather than being a Mamluk. Incidentally, he was owned by the same mistress as Hasana. Unusually educated for a slave, he was his owner's 'body slave'. Moreover, he was singer of songs and worked as a caretaker for his mistress' children.
Shortly after hearing about the revolt and his mistress' desire to crush it, he ran away. Despite the many hazards, he was able to join the rebels. At first the hardened mamluks mocked his desire to join them. However, they were moved by the beauty and emotion one of his songs invoked, reminding them of why it was worth fighting to be free. However, being a pretty ornament in his mistress' mansion had allowed him to find out a bit about her plans, which helped the rebels' cause. Once he got combat training, he proved to be a ferocious fighter. Amin was injured during the final battle and joined Firemane with Hasana and the survivors of her rebel army. Now he rides an 'Iron Yazgid'. Amin still composes songs and poems. He has learned Mando'a and is quite good at writing and speaking it.
Taraneh Jai Savanal is a younger sister of Zahasa Jai Savanal, a leading member of the Starbird Enclave. Her membership in the Starbird Enclave is a bit anomalous, as the Qadiri was never a slave. Instead she is a former cavalry officer who thinks the Iron Riders are a great way to win glory in battle. She is brave, dashing and a flashy dresser. Serving alongside ex-slaves is not great for her status among her former comrades, but she gets to ride an Iron Yazgid, which is something her sister does not do.
Darius Jal Anhal is an old comrade of Hasana. He participated in the slave revolt when the Mamluks fell upon their oppressors. Like Hasana he has resolved to bring their crusade to the stars. He kills captured slavers by grasping them in the claws of the Basilisk and then dropping them to their deaths from several hundred metres up, as a warning. It's good fun for everyone, except for the slavers, of course. He and Taraneh do not get on well, as he considers her to be a pompous peacock and a representative of the caste that put him and his people in chains in the first place.
Jhath Spar is a Cathar female and a Mandalorian warrior who has joined the Iron Riders. She is a fairly young warrior who was part of the Mandalorian Empire and later the Clans. She is motivated by a desire for vengeance and the clear herself of the shame her family inflicted on her name. After the Clans fell apart, her parents decided to collaborate with Mandalore's occupiers rather than continue to resist. Jhath killed them, but had to run away. She is deeply haunted by this, and is a bit of an introverted loner who dislikes socialising. However, she is a very good trainer and tenacious in a fight. Jhath hates Sith, but has become rather cynical about the code Mandalorian culture claims to adhere to.
Fiwwic Tenrau is a Barabel and Reswa's cousin. He was inspired by her tales to join the Enclave when she came hom to recruit. However, while Reswa is a sharpshooter and huntress, he likes the power and speed of a Basilisk War Droid. She considers him to be a bit crazy because of that. Fiwwic is eager to prove himself, but has a keen sense of duty. Due to the peculiar makeup of his species, a blaster bolt set on stun will not damage or him slow her down, as it will merely bounce off his scales. Like all of his species, he can shed his tail, has heavy retractable claws and a mouth with needle sharp teeth. While his appearance is rather predatory, he is a pleasant and quiet fellow, but also resolute in action. He is more idealistic than many of his peers and looks up to his cousin quite a bit.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Small
Unit Availability: Unique
Unit Experience: Elite.
Combat Function: The Iron Riders are a unit of heavy air cavalry. As would be typical for a Mandalorian unit of Basilisk war droids, their mounts may be launched from the drop bay of a warship. They can also be equipped with proton bombs to carry out bombing runs. However, their more frequent use is for ground engagements. The Basilisk mounts can enter a planet's atmosphere. Their incredible speed can allow them to confuse the targeting computers of opposing ground cannons while they dive from orbit to the planet's surface.
The War Droids used by the riders are heavily armoured with Beskar. They also have shielding and a self-repair system. Their laser reclective armour causes blaster, laser, and other energy weapons like Charrics to ricochet off the droid. Their arsenal is also very powerful. Moreover, the droids are loyal and adaptive. One might liken them to a tamed war beast that has bonded with its rider. The Basilisk has a modular design, enabling it to be equipped with varying weapons or special tech. This makes it highly adaptive.
Naturally the Iron Riders can disembark and fight as dismounted infantry. They wear heavy armour. However, as a payoff to all these advantages, the pilot is very exposed, as they are just in a saddle with mininal protection. If an attack is not stopped by the point of impact shield, this is very problematic. Moreover, the Basilisk cannot manoeuvre well outside of atmosphere, meaning it is better suited for ground engagements than space combat. The Iron Riders are commonly used to conduct bombing runs at an incredible speed, or provide strafing air support for ground troops. This makes them a good fit for close air support roles. They can also still fight on the ground, and their claws can tear apart vehicles.
Strengths:
- Elite heavy cavalry. Iron Riders are ideal for bombing runs and providing strafing air support. With a powerful array of weapons and a modular design, they can unleash hell on the enemy while riding their mounts. If need be they can also fight dismount and fight as infantry.
- Basilisk war droids. Their mounts are heavily armed and armoured. With laser reflective Beskar armour and particle shielding, they can sustain a lot of punishment. In addition, they possess a self-repair system and are well-protected against ion weapons.
- Basilisk learns with experience and is as loyal to its rider as a smart animal.
- The pilot is in a saddle with minimal protection. This is a problem if attacks are not stopped by the shielding. The Basilisk has a particle shield, but not a ray shield since it has laser reflexctive Beskar armour. The droid does not need it, but this is no help for the pilot.
- Fighting in the vastness of space is not really the purpose of the Basilisk. It has no trouble with re-entry, but cannot manoeuvre well outside of atmosphere.
- The Basilisk is tough, but not impervious. The joints are more vulnerable since they are not made out of solid Beskar, shots up the engines while flying are damaging and intense heat applied to the armour interferes with the reflective coating.
The Iron Riders have their roots in the Starbird Enclave and in Firemane-allied Qadiri. The Enclave is a war band of Mandalorian warriors led by Reswa Tenau, an imposing Barabel warrior who converted to the tenets of the Resol'nare and supported Ra Vizsla during the Civil War, as she regarded Mia Monroe as a butcher due to her role in the desolation of Mandalore. However, Reswa split from the Mandalorian Clans after the events of the Red Coronation, walking away with a group of like-minded warriors and their families. They rejected the authority of the new Mand'alor, considering her an usurper. Nonetheless, they decided Mandalorian politics was not worth spilling more Mandalorian blood over and they should focus on protecting what was theirs and providing for their people.
Disavowing any Mandalorian regime, they decided to focus on taking care of each other and remain independent. To this end they became a force of irregulars and soldiers for hire. The group was reconceived as a sellsword company. Over time, the group drifted into the orbit of Firemane. This did not come entirely out of left field. Reswa had fought alongside Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori during the Battle of Kashyyyk and knew her mother Siobhan Kerrigan slightly, as the Firemane matriarch had aided the Clans during the Primeval invasion of Wayland as well as in a number of other engagements prior to the cataclysm. Firemane offered them credits, steady employment, autonomy and plenty of action.
This also brought them in contact with the Qadiri, a race of desert elves Firemane had influence over. Some of the Qadiri joined the Enclave, as the Mandalorians' martial ethos appealed to them. Many were Cataphracts, members of the Qadiri knighthood caste, but others were former slaves who had broken their chains and now ventured into the stars. They were led by Shazora Jai Vahal, a former slave scribe who had helped lead a successful slave revolt in a Qadiri city-state prior to the coming of the sky people. She rose to become one of Siobhan Kerrigan's advisors and her chief diplomat. At her side was Hasana Jai Anhala, a former slave-soldier from one of Tygara's more remote regions, who led a Mamluk mutiny after learning that the mistresses intended to purge them.
Hasana led an insurrectionary campaign against a coalition of Qadiri states, culminating in a final battle where the rebellious slaves managed to prevail over their oppressors with Shazora's help, but at heavy cost. The surviving members of Hasana's army joined Firemane. By the time the Enclave had been set up, slavery had been officially abolished among the Qadiri, but many of Shazora's and Hasana's followers wanted to continue their crusade for freedom. For this they needed to learn about outsider tech, and the technology and beliefs of the Mandalorians appealed to them. The Enclave members were warriors without a country. Not only had they gone into exile, Mandalore had been occupied by the Sith Empire. Thus a number of them had a lot of sympathy for the desert elves, who proved themselves to be strong warriors.
This led to the formation of the Iron Riders. The Enclave had brought some old Basilisks along with them and was able to get new ones with the help of Firemane. In return for a fee, a group of Mandalorians would teach the Qadiri how to mount these mighty 'Iron Yazgid'. Thus the Iron Riders would also serve as a basis for future units of Basilisk riders and similar formations. The heavy cavalry unit was set up by Awilda Tenau, an old but fierce Mandalorian warrior who had seen many Mandalorian regimes rise and fall since the end of the Dark Age. She recruited a number of Qadiri warriors who had fought back against the nobles and proved themselves in combat. The Qadiri members of the group were educated about the Mandalorian traditions and adopted the Resol'nare. As part of their training, they learned the Mando'a language, forged their own armour under the guidance of the beskar smiths of the Starbird Enclave and were taught how to pilot the Basilisks.
Last edited:
