OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the Aspirants.
Image Credit: Here.
Role: Infantry. Holy warriors.
Permission: Can use Firemane equipment because I own the company. Permission for all ArmaTech gear here.
Links: Church of Ashira, Eldorai Exodus, Shadow Knights, Lilandra Taeyr.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Knights Gloriana.
Affiliation: Sahome Tyral, Ashiranism, Aspirants, Eldorai.
Classification: Infantry.
Description: Religion has always been a powerful motivating factor in Eldorai society, both for good or ill. The joke that three Eldorai are a church, four a schism and five a civil war has some validity, unfortunately. For millennia their society was governed by a theocratic absolute monarchy that ruled the Matriarchy with an iron fist. But today the dream of a united Eldorai Matriarchy is dead - perhaps for good, or perhaps not. Many alternate sects and political movements have risen to prominence during the Great Scattering, challenging the monopoly the Eldorai Matriarchy once wielded. Eldorai have a tendency towards extremes in government, be it as a republic, monarchy, theocracy or military junta. All these groups claim legitimacy and have amassed forces to protect their interests against foreign enemies and, more often than not, rival Eldorai groups.
The Aspirants are no different. This religious sect arose in protest against corruption and materialism in the Church of Ashira, but is now an independent church that claims to adhere to the true message of Ashira. In what could be termed a reformation, they have done away with ecclesiastical titles and embraced the concept of a community of believers. They also preach strict monotheism and reject the theocratic authority of the Star Queen. However, the word of the Goddess cannot be enforced by only preaching her word. The true faith has enemies both within and without, such pirates, slavers, imperialists and finally heretics. Conveniently, Ashira is not just the heavenly mother, but also a martial goddess who smites her foes. Her believers are expected to take up arms if needed, for the struggle between the forces of light and dark is waged in this world and in the higher planes.
The Knights Gloriana are a product of this mentality. Sahome Tyral has called them a force of warriors that defends the bodies and souls of the Eldorai people. Upon joining the Knights, they take sacred vows. They are a curious combination of Knights Hospitaller and Warrior-Priestess; a mixed force of Force-Users and Non-Force-Users. They pledge their swords to the Goddess Ashira. The bulk of the unit is made up of Non-Force-Using soldiers, who tend to provide the enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers. They represent the core of the unit. However, leadership is provided by Force-Users. These are warrior-priestesses who have been trained in combat, military tactics and the Force as well as in the precepts of the Ashiran faith. They are meant to inspire, protect and lead, using their powers to boost the soldiers and destroy their enemies. As a result, a lot of their training focuses on support powers, though they can also dish out.
The mixed force model is a departure from traditional Eldorai tactical doctrine. The Eldorai's largest and most recognisable martial Force order, the Angelii, only accept Force-Sensitives. However, Eldorai society has fractured into several factions. The Aspirants wanted to have a potent corps of warriors, but lack the numbers to field an all-Force-User unit on the scale of the Angelii in their hey days. Thus they opted for a mixed force. The basis of any unit of Knights is the squad. On average a Knights Gloriana squad has twelve soldiers, three of whom are Force-Users. They are trained to integrate their preternatural abilities into the overall battle plan. The squads are organised into platoons and companies.
The Knights Gloriana are a bit of a prestige unit. They are meant to hold the banner of Ashira high and be an example to the faithful. Obviously this means they have to be very loyal to the cause. Likewise, members are required to be devout believers. The officers are both commanders and prelates. They lead their units in prayer and organise religious ceremonies. This can lead to issues, when religious fervour is used as one of the criteria for promotion. The Knights also protect religious relics in the possession of he Aspirants. Kaeshana is now an inhospitable tomb world that has been abandoned by the natives.
With the Eldorai homeworld lost for good, the Aspirants consider it their mission to preserve Eldorai cultural heirlooms, especially those of religious significance. Punishments for cowardice, lack of discipline and betrayal are draconian. The Ashiran religions teaches that those who perish fighting for Ashira on the battlefield will ascend to heaven. This is reflected in the Knight Gloriana's combat mentality. Those who die in service of the Goddess are regarded as martyrs. In addition to their martial role, the Knights also run mobile hospices and look after the sick and wounded that are being cared for there. They view healing the innocent and smiting the wicked as two sides of the same coin. Thus they receive training as healers. Knights who have retired from active service or have sustained serious injury that renders them unable to serve in the field often work at the hospices.
The Knights Gloriana are integrated into the military hierarchy of the Aspirant nomad fleet. Ultimately they answer to Strategos Solanis Kalth, known to her soldiers as the 'Cylix of the Void'. Solanis is a devout, but also ambitious woman, who is driven by the Goddess, Gold and Glory in equal measure. She is a Non-Force-User. Anira Valanis is their field commander. She is a former Angelii who served House Evora and went into exile after Tirathana VI seized power. By now she is very old, but still a potent Force warrior. Lilandra Taeyr, a close follower of Sahome and ex-Angelii, was offered the command but declined. Lilandra is haunted by atrocities she committed during her time as a soldier of Tirathana VI and believes she has not atoned enough to be a role model for all of the warriors of the faith.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Medium
Unit Availability: Rare
Unit Experience: Veteran
Equipment:
Armour:
Rifles:
- MkI Bolter
- BH-21 Particle Beam Rifle
- Magnetic Repeater
- A280
- Reaper Plasma Shotgun
- T21 Light Repeating Blaster
- Verpine Shatter Rifle
Melee Weapons:
Sidearms:
- Cylix Bolt Pistol
- Magnetic Revolver
- A280 CFE
- Renegade Heavy Blaster Pistol
- Sonic Disruptor
- Verpine Shattergun
- MSD-32
Misc:
- Grenades
- Thermal Charges.
- Force Focusing Visor.
- APE Boltgun Ammunition
- Jetpack, Individual Field Disruptors
- Healers carry standard medical equipment, including medkits, rebreathers, medical scanners, vibroscalpels, laser scalpels and laser cauterisers. Backpack contains numerous bandages, antibiotics and bacta products. They have access to air ambulances, medical shuttles, field bacta tanks.
- LAAT, Katarn Class Boarding Shuttles.
- Access to a few Armoured Personnel Carriers.
Leadership is provided by Force-Sensitive warrior-priestesses. Their role is less direct offence and more leadership, inspiration and support. Their Force training focuses on Force Valour, physical augmentation, offensive and defensive Telekinesis, Force Healing and elemental fire abilities. They can use Valour to boost their allies, summon telekinetic barriers to shield them against attacks and use the Force to heal injuries sustained in combat. They can also use telekinesis offensively. Their elemental powers give them offensive capabilities, as they can burn, blast and blind opponents as well as heat objects and manipulate all forms of heat. Their pyromancy also helps them stay warm in cold environments and they can help their allies do the same.
The common soldiers and NCOs are highly skilled infantry, whose training stresses coordination and disciplined fire. They also receive a thorough training to enable them to resist mind tricks and other forms of Force-based mental manipulation, including techniques meant to incite fear and terror. This makes the Knights a versatile unit. However, they are foremost an infantry unit and thus suffer in direct confrontations with heavy armour such as formations of tank and walkers, unless they can ambush them and use the terrain to their advantage. The Knights do not fly bombers or starfighter squadrons, operate tanks or artillery, which means they will require support forces in a larger engagements. Moreover, each unit only has a small number of Force-Sensitives in it.
The Eldorai know of lightsabres, but they are still very rare among them. Moreover, the Knights Gloriana are quite traditionalist. Thus they carry upgraded versions of the Sarzmigar polearm and the Sarix. These can resist a lightsabre strike and possess some of the qualities of a glowstick, but not all of them. Thus a Sarix cannot cut through a heavy blast door the way Qui-Gon did and has more weight. Being a polearm, the Sarzmigar gives its wielder a reach advantage in combat. It can be used as a spear, halberd or pike and its weight and mass gives it great kinetic energy in combat. They often combine use of these melee weapons with battle shields. Aside from providing protection against attacks, shields can also employed offensively through a bash or a rim strike. Beyond that, the Knights Gloriana are equipped as a conventional infantry force. This means they do not have access to a lot of heavy weapons.
Strengths:
- Combined arms unit of Non-Force-Users and Force-Users. The Knights are highly skilled, disciplined warriors. They have good Force healers and warriors.
- Religious fervour makes them extremely motivated, fearless and very resistant to mental manipulation.
- Lack heavy combat vehicles or support forces. Each individual unit only has a small number of Force-Users.
- Zealotry can be used against them.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The Aspirant movement came into being due to the actions of Sahome Tyral, an Eldorai cleric. They are new Eldorai religious movement that has split off from the orthodox Church of Ashira. They are composed of those who believe that the true word of the Goddess has been forgotten and that the Church had traded it for mammon. Unlike some reactionary movements, the Aspirants take a more radical inclusive stance towards egalitarian religion. In what could be called a Reformation, they have abolished formal ecclesiastic ranks and returned to the teachings of the scriptures. In contrast to the orthodox Ashirans, they are strict monotheists. In contrast to the orthodox Ashiran Church, the Aspirants have a decentralised leadership.
Back in the days of Tirathana VI, Sahome was a fairly orthodox cleric. However, she grew disgusted by the corruption and materialism in the Church, especially the sale of indulgences that promised remission from sin. were supposed to work in a dead soul's favour when it was being judged in the afterlife. Sahome regarded this as hypocritical, for scripture said that it was the Goddess and her court who deliberated upon whether an Eldorai's good deeds outweighed her bad ones. Those judged as good-hearted were granted entrance into heaven, while the wicked were cast into Illyria's hellish pit. The Goddess' favour could not be bought.
Sahome nailed her 59 theses on the door of the local cathedral. Arrested by the inquisition, she was put on trial but refused to recant her beliefs. She was excommunicated, declared a Dashdae Eldorai and a heretic. However, her followers and an Angelii guard who had come to sympathise with her cause managed to break the prelate out of jail. Otherwise she would have probably been executed. Forced to flee Kaeshana, she acquired a following among the Eldorai exiles. Adrift in a Galaxy she knew little of and filled with manifold dangers, she and her disciples had to organise a militia to protect their growing flock.
A pretender to the Eldorai throne called Taenarys Evora tried to gain the religious leader's support. Taenarys' family had been deposed and forced into exile by Tirathana VI. However, the Evoras had not forgotten that they possessed a better claim to the throne and schemed to reclaim what they regarded as their rightful inheritance, rallying mercenaries and fellow exiles to their cause. Someone like Sahome seemed like a useful asset to them.
The priestess accepted the invitation, but refused to bend the knee. She questioned the pretender on matters of faith and how she intended to improve the lot of the common people. She also took offence at the presence of foreign sellswords in Taenarys' inner circle. Enraged, the claimant ordered her to be burnt alive. However, Sahome managed to quell the fires, showing that she was divinely protected. As a result, several of Taenarys' followers turned on her. Sahome refused to spill blood and left this 'den of iniquity' with her supporters, after making some ominous predictions about Taenarys' future. These turned out to be true, as she met a grisly end when she returned to Kaeshana and tried to the Star Queen.
This caused more of her remaining Eldorai supporters to join the Aspirant movement. This gave the sect some much-needed teeth. Sahome was a Master of the Force, a scholar and a cleric, but she was no soldier or general and knew it. Though a religious radical, she understand than army needed to run on more than faith and courage. Thus she needed to turn to professionals to organise a military force to protect her church. Thus the Knights Gloriana came into being.
Anira Valanis rose to become their commander. Once she had been an officer in the Angelii corps, who served Tirathana V. This was during the reign of the Evoras. When she died, the Venaris took control. Though her propaganda machine claimed otherwise, Tirathana VI was not the next in line. However, she did not let such legal niceties deter her. Those who refused to bend the knee were purged or banished. Aspasia Evora was put to death by Tirathana's agents.
Anira was one of her palace guards, but was unable to prevent her murder, though she succeeded in helping her relatives escape by faking their deaths. This made her a traitor in the eyes of the new queen. She went into exile and became the sworn sword of Taenya Evora, sister of Aspasia. She served her mistress for many years. After Taenya was murdered, she swore an oath to Taenarys. She helped the pretender amass an army that would help her return to Kaeshana and 'reclaim her birthright', but grew critical of her as Taenarys descended into tyranny and vainglorious ambitions. Eventually this caused Anir to disavow her, which led her to Sahome.
She applied Angelii drills to train the Knights Gloriana, though these were modified to account for the fact that the bulk of the corps would be made up of Non-Force-Users. Conveniently Sarixi and Sarzmigars can be used without the Force. Their training emphasised discipline and teamwork rather than lone wolf actions. The corps recruited its members from among the communities of Eldorai exodites, though the fractious nature of the expatriates necessitated screening. They saw action against pirates, slavers and rival Eldorai groups.
The Eldorai exodites were all united in the belief that the Star Queen had to go, but could not agree on what should replace. Someone wanted to maintain the monarchy but put a different dynasty in power, others a theocracy, others a republic or military dictatorship. Eldorai have a love for ideological hairsplitting and theological schisms that many outsiders have trouble grasping. One of the services Sahome and her fellow priestesses provided was healing. As a result, the Knights were tasked with guarding hospices and taking care of the sick.
Meanwhile, Kaeshana moved on. Star Queen Tirathana embraced enlightened despotism, seeking to modernise the Eldorai Matriarchy. To this end she entered into a partnership with Firemane. Several progressive reforms were implemented. If the Eldorai had had a longer period of peace and quiet, who knows what could have been achieved. Unfortunately for them, this was not to be. First the Galaxy was ravaged by the Netherworld Event, then the Omega Protectorate, of which Kaeshana was a member, collapsed and finally Kaeshana was destroyed by a huge asteroid. Most of the Eldorai were able to escape the calamity aboard an exodus fleet created by Firemane, but some had to be left behind. The Aspirants were one of the groups that tried to protect the survivors of the cataclysm.
Sahome and her closest followers had already returned to Kaeshana shortly before the Netherworld Event, as the priestess was troubled by apocalyptic visions. In the aftermath of the calamity, they tried to provide protection and healing to the Forsaken, as the Eldorai who had been left behind called themselves. The Knights Gloriana fought against foreign slavers who tried to take advantage of the Eldorai's weakness, warlords and criminal gangs.
The justice they imposed was harsh, but it brought peace and stability to a number of communities. However, resources were scarce and the planet was a wasteland, forcing them to get much of what they needed through raids. They also clashed with the Shadow Knights, a group of renegade Eldorai soldiers, nonconformists and former Dark Eldorai insurgents who had banded together to protect the Forsaken. Many of them were atheists, Illyrians or other heretics, which made put both groups at odds. They also clashed over resources. Necessity forced them into a coalition, though tension remained.
The Knights Gloriana fought against Archangel, a machine cult that tried to abduct Eldorai for processing under the guise of providing humanitarian services and played off the various warlords against one another. In one instance the Knights conducted a mass assault on a medical colony - in actual fact a facility where Archangel herded its victims for processing. The Knights Gloriana were able to breach the defences and free captives. However, Archangel counterattacked, using heavy weapons and gunships. They were also backed the soldiers of an Eldorai warlord who was on their payroll.
The Knights held the line to enable the captives to be evacuated, even in the face of superior enemy forces. They ended up being outflanked and encircled. Most of the Knights involved in the fight perished in combat. Knowing that capture would lead to being processed into droids, those who had been wounded too severely to move used explosives to take some 'devil-machines' with them. The dead Knights were declared to be martyrs. They later took brutal revenge on the warlord who had collaborated with Archangel.
The Shadow Knights and the Aspirants launched a joint attack on her stronghold, overcoming her soldiers and the droids Archangel had sold to her. After being torn from her residence, she was dragged through the streets while being whipped. Then she was hanged, drawn and quartered. Relations with certain groups in the Shadow Knight coalition remained difficult. Indeed, the Knights Gloriana were involved in skirmishes with the Illyrians, which brought both groups close to open war.
Then the Galactic Alliance, Firemane and the Tygaran Eldorai Matriarchy launched a humanitarian mission to help the Forsaken. The First Order also took an interest in Kaeshana, seeking to annex it. Conflict ensued, leading to the Kaeshana Rebellion. The Aspirants and Shadow Knights sided with the Alliance. The Knights Gloriana took part in the conflict, fighting in the ruins of Santaissa and participating in the assault on the ruins of the Citadel of Dawn.
Viewing it as a crusade to protect their people against invaders, they fought fanatically. However, the Eldorai rebels were forced to retreat after the Alliance's forces withdrew from the planet. With Kaeshana lost, the exiles formed a nomad fleet. Sahome and a significant number of her followers eventually split off, creating their own nomad fleet. The Knights Gloriana followed her, becoming a protective force charged with defending the faithful.
When they heard rumours that Kaeshana had been swallowed by the warp and moved light years across the Galaxy, various Eldorai exodite groups sent search parties to ascertain the truth. The Aspirants were among them. Unwilling to delegate this task, Sahome travelled to Kaeshana herself. She had received visions that hinted at the planet's doom and was more inclined to believe the rumours.
The Knights accompanied her. Kaeshana had already been devastated years ago, but now it was a lifeless, tainted husk. Ghosts haunted their steps as they walked the desolate wasteland, searching for survivors. They had to contend with spirits driven mad by their time in the Nether. Some tried to manipulate or possess them. The energies of the Netherworld had tainted the planet. The Knights helped survivors leave the planet and recovered some lost heirlooms. Kaeshana, now an uninhabited tomb world, was abandoned by the Eldorai for good.
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