Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the elf diaspora.
Image Credit: Here.
Canon: N/A.
Links: Semiramis, House Kerrigan-Alcori, Siobhan Kerrigan, Firemane, Qadiri, Communion, Four of a kind, Anusiya, Order of Fire.
SETTING INFORMATION
Starship Name: Jewel of the Void.
Starship Model: Asur Class Worldship.
Classification: Colony/Exploration Ship.
Homeport: Arx Aeternae.
Travel Route: Tygara, Arx Aeternae, Arkas. However, the ship is not bound or limited to these areas. The ship journeys across the fringes of space. The goal is to find new areas to explore, find a new world to settle on and establish trade relations with outsiders along the way. As a result, it will often stray from known hyperlanes.
Affiliation: Firemane, Semiramis.
Crew Complement: Moderately Manned. There is a lot of staff needed, but many of them are droids. The city population would be Heavy.
Notable Crew Members:
Name: Ardashir Jal Sassan.
Age: 90-100. This is the Qadiri equivalent of middle age.
Species: Qadiri.
Role: Satrap, in other words a governor. The worldship is essentially a city on the move, so he serves as Semiramis' viceroy.
Description: Ardashir can look back at a long career of service to both Shahbânu Adira IV and her daughter Semiramis. When a cabal of ambitious nobles seized the throne and sent assassins after Semiramis, the crown princess sought shelter in his province and requested his aid, for the extremely talented governor had been a favourite of her mother. Ardashir mustered his legions in her name. When Semiramis' army did battle with the rebels, a cavalry charge led by him in person proved decisive. After her accession, Semiramis did not forget his loyal service. He was honoured and became one of her most trusted ministers. Ardashir advised her when Firemane and the Levantine Sanctum arrived. At the time he was wary of the outsiders, regarding them as off-world devils. His caution was understandable, since the the last group of sky people the Qadiri had encountered had invaded their lands. Later led a legion during the final battle with the Xioquo, acting under the overall command of Firemane. There he witnessed the firepower of the sky people.
However, he is a proud man who does not bend or seek succour from the humans. The Satrap is not the youngest anymore and not that experienced with galactic technology, though he has advisors who make up for this shortcoming. But he is a capable leader, popular with the troops and loyal to Semiramis. This is crucial, as the worldship would be a tempting prize for her more conniving vassals, who might attempt to convince Firemane to shift their support from Semiramis to them or just plain steal the ship. Putting him in command gives Semiramis someone she does not need to micromanage from afar. Moreover, while not their favoured candidate, he is a known quantity to Firemane. He will strike a hard bargain, but they know what to expect and know he will keep order aboard the worldship.
Name: Stateira Jai Qajara.
Age: 50s. She's the Qadiri equivalent of a twenty-something.
Species: Qadiri.
Role: Noblewoman, member of the Council of Notables.
Description: Stateira is one of the 'trusted' nobles who have been allowed aboard the ship. In doing so Semiramis has bestowed a great honour upon her. It almost certainly no coincidence that the Qajaras hedged their bets during the succession crisis. When war erupted between Semiramis and her cousin Jaamini, the Qajaras chose to be prudent. They did not aid Semiramis during her march on Zeheb, but were careful not to hinder her beyond making token efforts. They troops defeated a flotilla of Semiramis supporters and laid siege to a city that had declared for to Semiramis, but made sure to draw it out instead of storming the gates.
Meanwhile, a force of soldiers was dispatched to aid Jaamini in the battle against her cousin, but was late to arrive. When they appeared on the battlefield, they saw that Semiramis had gained an advantage, and launched an attack on Jaamini's lines. After Semiramis had been crowned, House Qajara did all it could to ingratiate itself with her. Of course, they had quite a bill to pay. Fortunately, their lands were very rich and fertile. They have served Semiramis loyally since then, but the Shahbânu has never entirely trusted them.
Stateira is aboard the worldship to represent the interests of her family, and to provide Semiramis with leverage. This is something the young noblewoman is well-aware of. She is intelligent, crafty and experienced in court politics. She accompanied the Qajara forces during the final battle against the Xioquo and led a portion of them. However, she does not have the same martial reputation as Semiramis, whose bravery in battle has won her many accolades. For her part, Stateira has a cynical opinion of her liege-lady. In her view, Semiramis' image of justice and incorruptibility is a well-crafted facade that masks a far more self-serving nature. She has a good eye for her own advancement. Stateira appears to be a pleasant woman and is a pious follower of the Sky Goddess Kashara, who has received a comprehensive education about the precepts of the faith. She has made generous donations to Goddess' temples and religious orders. It is undoubtedly mere coincidence that one of her sisters happens to be a high-ranking cleric of Kashara. Festivities hosted by Stateira are a major social event on the worldship.
Name: Varrsk Hsac.
Age: 50s.
Species: Trandoshan.
Role: Merchant
Description: Varrsk is a Trandoshan merchant and thus a member of a species few Qadiri have ever seen. Since he is a lizard, some of the desert elves mistake him for a talking Yazgid. This can get awkward when innocent Qadiri children think they can use him to ride on. Varrsk has joined the expedition to find new markets to sell his wares to. He also provides the Qadiri aboard the ship with a variety of goods.
In contrast to the stereotype, Varrsk is a fairly amicable, if uptight fellow and is not involved in slavery. He also does not hunt Wookiees for pelts. He dislikes the stereotype of Trandoshans all being slavers and criminal thugs. When he was younger, he was a bit of an explorer and adventurer who visited strange worlds, explored and charted new hyperlanes. He eventually settled down. While he no longer leads fields expeditions, residing on the worldship constitutes a return to his roots. He has plenty of stories about his past adventurers to tell. The Trandoshan does not quite understood 'warm bloods' that well, which can lead to amusing cultural errors. He often hires Qadiri scouts to explore star systems and gather samples from planets the worldship happens to come across during its voyage. He is friends with Garithius Varosh Drook III Esq., a Hutt engineer employed by Firemane. However, Varrsk does not share the Hutt's love of top hats, for he prefers fedoras.
Name: Elaheh Jai Shahana
Age: Qadiri equivalent of mid-thirties.
Species: Qadiri.
Role: Commander of the garrison and the militia.
Description: If one believes Semiramis, Elahel Jai Shahana is an example of the upward mobility that exists under her enlightened, benevolent role. Elaheh was sold into slavery at an early age. She was eventually trained as a Mamluk, or slave soldier, and was gifted to Semiramis. Elaheh served her mistress in many battles, distinguishing herself in campaigns against the Xioquo, other Qadiri groups as well the Corsairs who came from space to raid and pillage. She proved herself an adept warrior and became one of the commanders of the slave-soldiers. This allowed her to enjoy privileges and freedoms the majority of slaves could never even dream of, though she nonetheless remained her mistress' property.
When Semiramis made an accord with Firemane, pledging to abolish slavery in return for technological support and know-how, Elaheh was set free. While she is a free woman now, Elaheh has remained in Semiramis' service. Emancipated slaves usually take their former mistress' name. In keeping with this, Elaheh calls herself Jai Shahana, as she is 'of the Shahbânu'. Thus she is an example of a manumitted slave who has been able to rise in the system and has hitched her waggons to the Shahbânu, rather than becoming a revolutionary. The former mamluk is a fierce, tough warrior and talented commander.
Semiramis has made her the commander of the garrison, promoting her over the heads of several nobles and free-born officers. This has caused some friction, but there is a lot of logic to her decision. As a former slave, Elahel has no base of wealth or the necessary connections to create a faction. This impedes any attempt to usurp control. Moreover, she is poorly disposed towards the nobility. She lacks local political loyalties and can be counted on to suppress revolts by disloyal Qadiri factions.
Elaheh is a grim, grizzled soldier and a bit resentful about the fact that she has to be grateful to the 'Shah Liberator' when she was only elevated as part of a PR stunt. After all, giving a former slave such an important command is a way to curry favour with the humans of Firemane and depict Semiramis as an enlightened despot who will lead the Qadiri into a brave new world. Nonetheless, Elaheh is loyal to her lady. She knows fully well what her mistress is like beneath the facade, but the other nobles are far worse and look down on her due to her background as a slave. Her new position offers her opportunities for advancement in the military hierarchy and is far more than she could have dreamed of. She keeps a watchful eye on the aristocrats who have congregated aboard the vessel.
Name: Setareh Jai Kashari
Age: Qadiri equivalent of thirties.
Species: Qadiri.
Role: Cleric, religious leader.
Description: Setareh is a priestess of Kashara, the Qadiri goddess of the sky. She comes from a noble family, and was chosen for the priesthood when her Force talents manifested. This was a way to both use her gifts and increase the influence of her house in the clergy. In keeping with the traditions of the Qadiri clergy, she took the name of her patron goddess as her surname as a sign of giving up her family. Likewise, she has renounced worldly titles and claims. Setareh is faithful to her goddess, but an open-minded sort rather than a close-minded zealot.
She is driven by a strong need to understand all of heaven's creations. Thus she has embraced the revelations and new discoveries rather than reject them as something that is anathema to the old beliefs. The Qadiri, interestingly, have a long tradition that states there are other people living out among the stars. This has softened the culture shock a bit for her. Fittingly for the cleric of a goddess of the skies, Setareh is a powerful aeromancer/air shaper. This gived her control over air, wind and lightning. She also has healing powers and notable precognitive skills.
She leads religious ceremonies aboard the worldship and often acts as a mediator during disputes. Her empathic nature and aristocratic upbringing also make her well-suited for a diplomatic role. The Qadiri have strongly pronounced theocratic tendencies, so while she does not have a lot of hard power, she possesses plenty of soft power. The cleric remains in contact with her superiors in the Temple, but has quite a bit of freedom of action due to the vast distances.
Setareh supported Semiramis' candidate during the succession crisis after the Saoshyant, the religious head of the Qadiri, passed away. Both Semiramis and the League of Krolis promoted rival candidates. The Shahbânu was rightly accused of trying to the bring the Church under her heel. This sparked a war. In the end Amikaron prevailed on the battlefield with Firemane backing, but the sky people forced both sides to accept a compromise candidate. Setareh has not forgotten on which side her bread is buttered, but is quite independent.
Name: Nasri Jal Soleimani
Age: Qadiri equivalent of late thirties.
Species: Qadiri.
Role: Captain.
Description: Nasri is the Captain of the ship. Before graduating to space, he was an officer in Semiramis' surface fleet. He has since moved on from sailships to 'sky-ships'. It has been quite an adjustment, but he has found that the Qadiri's inherent navigational talents have carried over to space. Nasri is Force-Sensitive and has a knack for instinctive astrogation. This makes him a formidable pilot and navigator.
Nasri is a professional military officer who can look back at many years of service in his queen's navy. He is a hard man, though not without empathy for his crew and their concerns. He makes time to be available for them. However, he feels strong revulsion for corsairs and the like. He believes in the law, and these criminals violate it. For the same reason, he dislikes working with privateers, as their loyalty is only to the coin and they will turn traitor the moment it runs out.
Nasri rose to his position on the basis of merit and Semiramis' patronage. Once he had served in the navy, but been dismissed due to courtly intrigue. When Semiramis and her slave were shipwrecked after fending off assassins, he was a fisher. However, he helped them find shelter with a peasant family to elude their pursuers and later reach Mansura, where the Satrap joined her cause. Nasri distinguished himself in battle. After her ascent, Semiramis restored his commission. He became a captain, and later an admiral.
Nasri has experience fighting the Khaimari, a Qadiri people who alternated between being peaceful farmers and ferocious pirates. He dislikes how many of them have managed to curry favour with Firemane and join the ranks of its navy. The captain has attended a Firemane academy and spent some time serving with their forces to learn about starships, piloting, space warfare and so on. He now passes on this knowledge to his people. There is a division of labour between him and Ardashir. The Satrap is the supreme political authority beneath Semiramis and is responsible for the big picture. But Nasri handles the details, charts the course and manages the crew. In short, he is responsible for day-to-day management and directing the vessel.
Name: Akama Zawros
Age: Thirties.
Species: Togruta.
Role: Firemane resident.
Description: Akama Zawros is a member of Firemane's Diplomatic Bureau, which is the corporation's equivalent to a ministry of foreign affairs. She is responsible for representing Firemane's interests and providing advice to Satrap Ardashir. While the Qadiri govern themselves, Firemane has a stake in the worldship and maintains a significant interest in it. The term vassal is avoided, but it is what Amikaron is. This makes Akama's job a balancing act.
She has a bit of a rivalry with Seku Fenn, Firemane's Twi'lek resident on the Vashyada worldship Light of Yarkul. Both women are polar opposites and in competition with one another. Ironically, Seku would have preferred a posting aboard the Jewel of the Void, while Akama would have liked an assignment to the Light or the Void Seeker, a Qadiri worldship populated by emancipated slaves. The Togruta had an affair with Siobhan, but still got assigned to the worldship with all the fancy nobles, dress up and parties instead of the one she wanted to be on.
By contrast, Seku would have been very happy here. The Twi'lek has the silver tongue and refined manners one would expect from a diplomat. The jury is still out on whether Siobhan was being fickle, thought she rewarding Akama or both. The Togruta is rather austere, to the point of being Spartan and laconic. She is a workaholic and adopts a dry, workmanlike tone. Her lack of frivolity is a point in her favour because it makes her someone who will not be easily seduced by Semiramis' glitz and wealth, whereas someone else might be tempted if they occupied her position. Indeed, temptation seems to motivate Akama to double down on her behaviour.
Accessibility: The worldship is not isolated from society, but can be difficult to reach since it will often stray from busy hyperlanes in order to explore more remote corners of space that may be unknown to the mainstream. The Qadiri are interested in trading with outsiders. However, newcomers who come aboard will be vetted. It is associated with Firemane, so individuals the corporation is hostile or poorly disposed to will not be let aboard. The ship is governed autocratically and newcomers are expected to obey the local laws. It is guarded by a strong garrison of soldiers and a militia.
Description: The Jewel of the Void is an Asur Class Worldship. Built by Firemane at the request of Star Queen Tirathana VII, this type of vessel is a large, safe non-combat worldship for exploration, colonisation, and migration. It is a non-combat ship with limited weapons, but plenty of defence systems, an impressive amount of cargo space and the ability to provide living space for a huge amount of passengers and their families. It is essentially a city on the move, carrying millions of people in a fully self-sufficient environment. It has the people, materials and supplies to establish a new permanent colony.
Rather than transport Eldorai, the Jewel of the Void serves as a colony ship for a population of Qadiri. To the Qadiri, as with many Tygarans, space is the vast sky-ocean and each planet is an island in it. Though they have only recently been opened up to space, the Eldorai's cousins have taken to it well and are eager to catch up. Thus with the help of Firemane, the Qadiri states and free cities have moved into the stars. It helps that Qadiri have an inherent knack for navigation. One can compare it to a form of internal compass. This makes them great sailors and explorers and also lends itself to space travel. Some are even able to use the Force to instinctively find their way in the most treacherous of conditions. The leadership of the worldship has made an effort to attract such individuals with the promise of good pay and adventure.
The Jewel of the Void is crewed by some of the most adventurous of the Qadiri, who are eager to traverse the 'sky-ocean'. It is the flagship of the space exploration and colonisation efforts initiated by Shahbânu Semiramis III, the ruler of the Amikarese Empire. Firemane maintains a controlling interest in the arkships. The megacorporation provides technical support, escorts and advisors. The aim of is the Jewel of the Void to explore, find worlds to settle on or trade with. Naturally, it also has the goal to expand the influence and power of Semiramis, who desires colonies and new subjects to rule over. It is something of a prestige object for the Qadiri queen, who seeks to unite her people under her rule.
A substantial contingent of soldiers is stationed aboard the city-ship to provide security and protect it against boarders. The garrison includes a force of Anusiya, the crack Force Using guard corps of Amikaron. It is supplemented by a militia of all adult civilians, many of whom are former soldiers themselves. Though all Asur worldships have a standardised design, the occupants have customised their vessel to reflect Qadiri aesthetics. In doing so they honour the heritage and make it look a bit more like home. The inhabitants are not above making money in various ways. As a habitat ship it has certain hotels and areas set aside for visitors. Semiramis is very rich and eager to impress off-worlders and get them to spend money inside the jewel in her crown. Being accompanied by mining and trading vessels also helps raise funds and acquire resources.
The worldship has residential areas, shops, places of religious worship and so on. Efficiency is the key of the design, and so no space has been wasted. Buildings five hundred metres high tower above the streets, monorails circle and pierce the layout and each 6th of the city has its own suite of amenities. Every building has recreation areas and many have parks on top of them, as no space can be spared at ground level. Getting used to this takes time, but it is not a bad way to live. The manufacturing capabilities of an Asur worldship are limited, so it is accompanied by some factory ships.
The most radical design of an Asur worldship is the dome of the ‘sky’. With huge glasteel plates tessellated together, those on the ground and every apartment get a view of space in all its glory. It is a sight worthy of the project and prevents the citizens getting claustrophobic. The Qadiri are unused to ecumenopolises and do not like them, finding them inelegant and a bit ugly. Thus space has been set aside for green areas and sections that simulate the landscape of their homes. An Asur worldship has enough space to accommodate five million people. This means it must offload population into colonies at regular intervals in order to prevent overcrowding. This is particularly pertinent for the Qadiri since they are quick to breed compared to the Eldorai. A Qadiri female can have, on average, twice the children of an Eldorai female without suffering serious medical consequences, though still less than a human.
The city-ship is governed by a Satrap, the Qadiri word for governor. He or she is appointed by Semiramis and the highest authority aboard the vessel unless the Shahbânu is present herself. Semiramis must be consulted on any big changes though and all major appointments have been made by her, with input from her counsellors. The Satrap is assisted by a council of notables. It is composed of influential nobles, clerics, stat functionaries and representatives of the merchants' guilds. However, it is an advisory body, not a true legislature, though paying attention to it is smart, since some of the most important figures in the community are assembled in it. Emissaries of Semiramis provide a check on the Satrap's actions. The Jewel of the Void has the status of a 'royal city', which puts it under the direct authority of the Shahbânu. For reasons of practicality, she chooses to exercise her royal prerogatives through a Satrap, but they serve at her pleasure.
This autocratic model of governance stands in contrast with worldships such as the Void Seeker, which is populated by emancipated Qadiri slaves and governed by a democratically elected council. However, Semiramis upholds the divine right of queens and has already had enough trouble with uppity vassals. She has conceived the city-ship not only as a model for the rest of her realm, but for all Qadiri. Obviously this makes it important to ensure that all key positions aboard the worldship are controlled by loyalists. There is a significant degree of social stratification on the worldship. Several peers of the realm have paid ample coin to get comfortable mansions. However, there are also opportunities for Qadiri commoners who have used the opportunity to learn about essential things such as piloting, navigation, ship maintenance and so on.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Broadly speaking, the ship consists of two areas: the facilities that pertain to running it, such as hangars, engine room, infirmary, reactor, bridge, quarters and so on, and the city within the ship, where the general population lives. It also has greenhouses to grow its own food. Aside from these standard areas, the following locations are of particular interest:
The Madrasa of the Sun Empress: Sun Empress is Semiramis' self-bestowed title. The Madrasa is an institution of higher learning dedicated to the pursuit and spreading of knowledge. Many of the students come from the upper classes, though particularly deserving commoners can receive admission. Having a noble patron is beneficial. Firemane has been encouraging this through scholarships and the public-relations savvy Semiramis understands the value of benevolent gestures. Many classes are dedicated to learning about the outside Galaxy and acquiring practical skills to master modern technology, but it also teaches the classics. The rector is elected by a professorial assembly and approved by the Satrap.
The Hall of Wondrous Knowledge: An institution dedicated to teaching visitors about the glorious Amikarese Empire and its various Shahs and Shahbânus. The life of the brilliant general and warlord Amira I is covered extensively. She was the first to take the title Shahbânu and founded the Amikarese Empire. There are stories about her slaying a dragon and besting an enormous kraken summoned by the Xioquo. Great efforts are made to establish a connection between her and Shahbânu Semiramis.
Amira founded the glorious empire, and Semiramis is leading it to the heavens. There is an extensive family tree which traces back some sixteen generations to Amira I. The fact that the historical queen had only a single daughter who had no other children, and so descent of her dynasty went through her sister and niece are glossed over by having the piece posthumously adopted by the Queen. Conveniently, Qadiri do not distinguish between biological and adopted children.
Other Amikarese rulers are also covered with varying amounts of detail. Needless to say there is a large exhibition about Semiramis, detailing her youth, rise to power and her reign. She is presented to the visitor as the incorruptible 'Shah Liberator', who is dedicated to the pursuit of justice and was the first of the Qadiri rulers to abolish slavery. This is technically true, but also a strong case of whitewashing, as Semiramis only got rid of it for practical reasons. Emancipated slaves, particularly those whose owners tried to still keep them in bondage after the promulgation of the emancipation decree or who fought for their freedom, may find it offensive. After all, not much time has passed since the days when Semiramis' legions were suppressing slave revolts and she had a large number of slaves at her beck and call.
Interestingly, the usurper Jaamini is depicted somewhat sympathetically, as she is shown to have been misled by evil advisors, who betrayed her after the battle was lost. She would have bent the knee and repented otherwise. Semiramis' campaigns against foreign corsairs and the Xioquo are also detailed. A cynic might argue that the museum gives Amikaron a greater role in the assault on the Underealm than it actually played. The depiction of the Xioquo is patronising and often borderline racist. It has been toned down somewhat, but still depicts them as 'dark ones'.
Siobhan Kerrigan - or, as the Qadiri often call her, Saobana - is portrayed very sympathetically. It is a bit of a balancing act for the museum curator, as she cannot be seen to be upstaging Semiramis despite being superior to her in power. But she is shown to be a great friend and protector of the Qadiri people. This is undoubtedly an attempt to curry favour with the Fire-Maned Lady. Some of the new technology the sky people have introduced the Qadiri to is also shown. Moreover, there is a library and a Qadiri art exhibition.
Satrap's Palace: Formally known as the Golden Palace of Kashara's Grace, but Ardashir insists on keeping things simple because he is not a flowery type. It is still the best-looking and most magnificent in the city...not so much for him but because of Semiramis. After all, whenever the Shahbânu visits the ship, she has to live in style. The palace is heavily guarded.
Temple of the Heavenly Mother: The domain of the priesthood. The temple is dedicated to Kashara, the supreme goddess of the Qadiri pantheon. While the coming of the sky people has put many of the old beliefs into question, religion is still an important social, political and economic force in Qadiri society. In theory, the priesthood of the temple acknowledges the authority of the Saoshyant, the head of the Kashari. In practice, the worldship is too far away for the Saoshyant to exert a lot of control over it. Moreover, the senior ranks of the clergy have been filled with Semiramis' followers, though Stateria is also an important donor. Force-Sensitives who have been chosen for service in the priesthood are trained here.
Barracks of the Faithful: The garrison lives here. The Anusiya are quartered together with the regulars, though they receive better quarters. There is a large mustering hall where soldiers and militia can train and drill. The Anusiya have facilities that cater to their nature as a corps of Force Using elemental warriors, including a forge and a meditation chamber.
Oasis: A large garden oasis with a simulated sky for those who want to get out from under the eternal stars. It is a big change for a lot of them, after all. Here they can experience some green, see a 'real' sky and stay connected to their roots.
Qajara Residence: The villa of Stateira Jai Qajara and her household. Naturally the building is smaller and less magnificent than the palace because trying to upstage the Shahbânu would be impolitic, but it does skirt the line. It has been built and furnished to impress. Festivities held here are major social events. Aside from the usual amenities, it has a private chapel for Stateira. The Qadiri noblewoman spends a lot of time in it. She is very pious - or at least very determined to be seen as that. Parties and festivals hosted here are important social events.
Council of Mirzas: The seat of government. Here the Satrap holds court, discusses matters of state, passed laws and receives diplomats. Various important officials have their offices in this building. The council of notables convenes here, and the captain of the vessel or the commander of the garrison may be summoned to give a report. The Firemane resident is also a frequent guest. Mirza is the Qadiri word for ruler and a mark of royalty. Semiramis likes to say she has many petty rulers beneath her. The truth is not really important. Individual citizens can also address petitions to the Satrap, who dispenses justice in the name of the Shahbânu.
Grand Bazaar: The biggest marketplace inside the city-ship. It resembles a traditional Qadiri bazaar. Haggling is a highly valued skill here. It is controlled by the merchants' guilds. A variety of wares can be purchased here. Traders of the same type of goods, such as jewellers, seamstresses or armourers, tend to be concentrated along one road. This is supposed to provide security against theft, fire, and uprising. The goods are guaranteed against everything except turmoil. The guild system provides a social security net for traders, but also imposes restrictions, as it leads to the establishment of monopolies. It has been challenged by contact with foreigners and the introduction of mercantile ethics.
Firemane Residency: The office building of Firemane's resident and her staff. It has a direct line to Firemane headquarters. Appointed by the megacorp's Diplomatic Bureau, the Firemane resident performs the duties of an ambassador and advisor to the worldship's leadership. The building reflects the utilitarian mind set of Akama Zawros, who has little time for frivolity or flashiness. There is an extensive gym she expects her staff to make use of. The building is guarded by Firemane soldiers and a cadre of Order of Fire warriors. Proficiency in Zandri, the most common Qadiri dialect, is essential for posting. Firemane's intelligence service is also present. This includes a few Truthseekers.
Baths of Adira: Named after Semiramis' mother. This is a traditional Qadiri bathhouse. It is based on the same principle as the steam beath, but with a focus on the water than the steam. Visitors lie on the stone slab and are scrubbed for exfoliation, then massaged with oils and finally washed clean with holy water. Prayer is one of the pillars of the Kashari religion, and it is customary to receive ablution before it. The bath is public, but its facilities are segregated by gender. The bathhouse provides plenty of opportunities for relaxation, wellness and the like. It is a place of recreation and social activities, and includes ancillary facilities such as a garden, library, reading room, food and perfume selling booths. Moreover, it features a stage that accommodates theatrical and musical performances and places for athletic competition.
SECURITY
High
- The offensive and defensive armaments of the ship are the same as in the approved Factory submission. In keeping with its model, the Jewel of the Void only has limited offensive armaments. It has some fast-mounted turbolasers, a few ion cannons and turbolasers.
- However, it has significant defensive ones: Hundreds of quad lasers and point defences distributed evenly around the front/fear and a few flak cannons. It also has heavy armour plating and redundant shield generators as well as ion shielding.
- The ship has a large on board garrison and extensive defences, including ray shields, auto-turrets etc. The regular garrison is supplemented by a militia composed of all adult civilians. The garrison includes both regular soldiers and Force magi. The latter include a contingent of the crack Anusiya corps, whose members are trained as elemental warriors. Firemane has trained the soldiers and equipped them with modern weapons. There is also a contingent of Firemane soldiers and warriors of the Order of Fire.
- The ship is populated almost entirely by Qadiri, many of whom do not speak Basic. Their own language is extremely obscure. This can impede infiltration, as outsiders will stand out, especially if they are aliens.
Historically Tygara has been completely isolated from the outside galaxy. The arrival of Fireman was a bit of a shock for the Qadiri. However, both sides soon realised that they had much to offer each other. Using a system of indirect rule, Firemane established a protectorate. It helped the Qadiri protect themselves against foreign raiders and defeated the Xioquo. Gradually the Qadiri got access to more advanced technology. For its part, Firemane realised the utility of Qadiri soldiers, navigators and pilots.
Ambitious Qadiri leaders understand that their people had to expand into space in order to assure their prosperity. The fall of several galactic powers motivated the elves to go off and colonise space. One of them was Semiramus, the ruler of the most largest Qadiri realm. From early on, she had learned that accumulation and retention of power required both boldness and calculation. Born as the daughter of Adira IV, she had to fight to secure her throne. When her mother became gravely ill and passed away while Semiramis was on the way to oversee tax collection in a distant province, a cabal of nobles put her cousin Jaamini on the throne and sent assassins after her.
Semiramis and her trusted slave Bashiyra survived, but were shipwrecked. Forced to go overland on foot and hide among the peasants of her realm, she was exposed to how the common people lived. However, she was able to gain the support of Satrap Ardashir, a skilled general and vassal of her mother. With his help, she mustered an army and marched on the Amikarese capital. In battle Semiramis’ bravery and a well-timed charge by Ardashir combined for a great victory. Pursued, Jaamini fled but was betrayed and murdered by her few surviving supporters to try and curry favour with Semiramis. Disgusted by more betrayal Semiramis gave her cousin a decent burial and had the murderers beheaded. However, soon she was confronted with a new threat, as foreign pirates attacked her realm.
The Qadiri, interestingly, had a long tradition that there were other people living out amongst the stars. However, their image of solar beings was nothing like what they actually got when slavers from the sky came down upon them. The first slave raid caught the Qadiri off-guard. Having not progressed beyond what one could call Renaissance level, their weapons were no match for blasters. Semiramis tried to fight them, but the starships and blaster weapons of the corsairs mowed down several hundred warriors. However, then the slavers made the mistake of letting down their guard, believing the natives to be primitives who could not possibly be a threat to them. Unfortunately for them, they were wrong.
Semiramis led a stealthy night attack, overwhelmed the sentries and attacked the corsairs whilst they were unprepared. Proving themselves quick to adapt, Semiramis’ troops knew enough about their own gunpowder firearms and from watching the slavers to know how to use a blaster. This, combined with arrows, elementel fire abilities and knives against unarmoured enemies led to a slaughter. Only one corsair ship escaped and eighty of the slavers were killed or captured. Semiramis was hailed as a hero, but she knew that next time the invaders from the sky would not underestimate her, and she had little chance of standing against them without aid.
When Firemane arrived on the planet, Semiramis made an agreement with them. Unlike some of her peers, she realised the humans were not ghosts, demons or deities, but people like her. They just possessed advanced tech. Access to it could expand her power and the prosperity of her realm. She supported Siobhan Kerrigan's campaign against the Xioquo. In return for Firemane technical support and know-how, she eventually consented to the compensated abolition of slavery. After all, droids were more efficient labourers and a modern economy needed an educated work force, not chattel slaves. It is pertinent to note that Semiramis does not see slavery as immoral, but she has gone along with its abolition and actually stuck to her end of the bargain because she is a canny pragmatist. It has enabled the public relations-savvy Shahbânu to depict herself as modern and forward-thinking.
The Jewel of the Void is the fruit of her efforts to advance her people. In keeping with the agreement reached at the grand summit of the elves' main leaders, it was built by Firemane. It is one of the many arkships the corporation has constructed for the various elf races. The Shahbânu has spared no expenses, for the worldship is also supposed to support her claim to be the legitimate queen of all Qadiri. Several of her vassals as well as Qadiri allies were encouraged to assign a son or daughter to the worldship, partake in the great journey and bask in its prestige. Of course, this was also a way for Semiramis to gain leverage. She put Satrap Ardashir, one her most trusted governors and generals, in charge of the worldship. He had served her mother well and aided Semiramis in her hour of need, so he was an ideal choice. Firemane assigned a resident and a delegation of advisors to the vessel.
