NPCs by Sio

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Appearance: Tall and craggy, a dark shade of grey. Her people can bear the weight of armour for a long time so she inevitably wears it at almost all times. Outside of armour she tends to wear a kilt like thing for modesty sake but not bother anything else. Kar'zun do not have mammary glands after all! She's cultivated a growth of lichen on her head which is the closest they get to hair.
History: Born on a reservation, grew up and worked as an indentured labourer in a mine. Perhaps left Kaeshana at some stage via a smuggler/slaver ship? Maybe was so angry at the Eldorai she signed up, but later deserted. Joined Firemane when Anya was crowned maybe and has stayed with them since?

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Good ideas.


I feel like having her join some corsairs in her youth out of hatred for the space elves. Then gets disgusted with them and leaves.


Hmm Thoughts re notable possessions and non-combat skills?


Backstory may take a bit. Obviously won't describe 700 years, just a few relevant anecdotes.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Possessions: Maybe some symbol from her clan which is now extinct? Maybe she has a child somewhere and has a picture of them?
Non-combat: Skilled artisan working in metal or stone possibly? Probably has good skills with numbers of some form too.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Updated it a bit.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Looking good so far.
[member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Suggestions for continuation?


I feel like the pirates conduct more raids, and she participates due to her hatred of the Eldorai.


However, she grows desillusioned with the raiders. Partly because several are probably racist as well, partly because they end up being too savage for her. So she dumps and maybe turns on them.


Could then wander the galaxy. Smuggler, mercenary etc. Need a few anecdotes to fill things out. It occurs to me that given her age, she would have lived through both the 'golden age' and the Gulag Virus.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
I think that her hatred for Eldorai does not extend to other races...and further gets watered down when she sees not all of them are Cadalthor stooges, but innocent civilians.

Yeah, she would have seen a hell of a lot. Maybe got stranded on a planet by the Gulag Virus and had to subsist by herself for a few decades. Could have her visit Tatooine and have her dislike it because the sand is coarse and irritating and tastes bad.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Updated a bit. Check when possible please.


Am debating which primitive planet she stranded on. I'm inclined to say Raevana, Dahomey or Tephrike lol.


Need to find a way to get to the present lol. Maybe have her link up with an independent Kar'zun clan for a while, since the sub mentions she has a child. Had the idea of her returning to Kaeshana during the Return of the Damned plotline.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

That works, have her secure passage offworld where she can join an exiled/escaped clan...maybe even on Arkas if you wanted to use one of our planets.

Yeah, she can later return to Kaeshana during the exodus to help her people escape and join up with Firemane there.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Finished, I think.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To flesh out Siobhan's retinue and the Granite Guard, an NPC unit I subbed a while ago.
• ​Image Credit: Here. Concept from Thor. Found on comicbook.com.
• Role: Personal bodyguard for Siobhan Kerrigan and the Kerrigan-Alcori clan, Colour Sergeant in the Granite Guard.​
• Links: Firemane Industries, Kaeshana.

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

• Age: 702
• Force Sensitivity: Non-Force-User
• Species: Kar'zun
• Appearance: Tall and craggy, a dark shade of grey. Her people can bear the weight of armour for a long time so she inevitably wears it at almost all times. Outside of armour she tends to wear a kilt like thing for modesty sake but not bother anything else. Kar'zun do not have mammary glands after all! She's cultivated a growth of lichen on her head which is the closest they get to hair.

SOCIAL INFORMATION

• Name: Kar'zakush
• Loyalties: Siobhan Kerrigan, Granite Guard
• Wealth: Modest.

Notable Possessions:

• Lionheart Power Armour
• Ancient talisman of her ancestors
• Pendant with a picture of her son engraved on it
• A battered, no longer functional plasma cannon called Vera. Kar'zakush is rather fond of the 'old girl' and calls Vera her lucky charm.
• Various mementos from planets she's visited or battlefields she's fought on.

Skills:

• Skilled artisan working with stone and metal
• Forging
• First aid
• Mechanic
• Heavy Weapons

Personality: Like many old veterans - or old people in general - Kar'zakush has the mentality of someone who's seen it all. Or at least does a good job of projecting such an attitude. She is old, almost ancient. She's seen countless empires rise and fall into the dust bin of history, has experienced triumphs, defeats and heartbreaks many times over. She's seen great conquerors and so-called deities humbled and freedom fighters turn into tyrants many times over.


This long life gives her a dispassionate, almost philosophical outlook, as she is a bit removed from the daily hurly-burly. She still retains the characteristic dislike that many of her people feel towards the Eldorai for the suffering they inflicted upon the Kar'zun. While she used too despise them, now she is too old for grudges. It won't stop her from throwing shade at them though, when there's an opportunity to do such.


Kar'zakush is not the type to act rashly or given to flights of fancy, especially in a fight. On the battlefield, she is logical, calculating and disciplined. This is not to say that she is an emotionless automaton, far from it. She has a dry, sarcastic wit, though it is sometimes difficult to get her somewhat obscure references or tell whether she is joking or not as Kar'zun expressions are very difficult to read. Being made of stone, they tend to look impassive. Outside of her work, she can be a surprisingly gentle giant and is particularly friendly to children. Like a good grandmother, she's also quick to offer advice and words of wisdom to the young ones, though they do not always heed her counsel!


Presently, Kar'zakush is in the services of Lady Siobhan Kerrigan. The Karishzar is just the latest in a long chain of employers and commanders. The stone woman may end up outliving Siobhan, unless she gives her life on the battlefield. Or the human uses esoteric techniques to prolong her life span while her guardian succumbs to the curse of stone. The relationship between the two differs in a number of ways from the typical interactions between Siobhan and many of the members of her retinue.


There are obviously no fade to black scenes due to incompatible tastes. All things considered, Kar'zakush cannot understand why humans in general and her present liege in particular make such a fuss about coitus, as her people derive no particular enjoyment nor passion from such acts. That aside, the stone woman has served many masters during the course of her long life, and this gives her a high degree of independence. In her dealings with Siobhan, she is honest and forthright, even on occasions when the Lady is in a mood. Kar'zakush is the kind of grizzled, at times cranky NCO who can't be bothered to fawn over a superior...especially one who's not even a fraction of her age.


She has repeatedly turned down offers to promote her, saying that she can't be bothered with fancy titles. On an idiosyncratic note, Kara'kush is not keen on birds. Damnable feathered creatures. Or being referred to as a golem. Both tend to make her cranky.


COMBAT INFORMATION

• Weapon of Choice: Favours an Ashira's Maul phrik hammer, large sword or an electrostaff in melee combat. Heavy Bolter, Portable Shattergun Rotary Cannon or Shatterbowcaster represent her preferred arsenal at range. Always carries a Cylix bolt pistol as a sidearm.

Combat Function:

• Kar'zakush is literally a walking rock, possessing the strength of stone. Thus she is incredibly strong, tough and resilient. Kar'zun grow stronger as they age, making her particularly tough.
• Being made of the toughness of stone, she is extremely resistant to cold and heat. While intense amounts of both can still hurt her, it would require sustained exposure.
• Being an unusual type of creature, her people are almost impossible to mentally dominate. Couple this with her long experience, and she resists mental attacks easily.
• Kar'zakush is extremely proficient in the use of heavy weapons. She can easily use the heaviest weapons Firemane can equip her with. Favouring overwhelming weaponry, she can deliver a fearsome punch both at range and in melee.
• Unfortunately, being a walking rock, she is also quite slow and ponderous. This is something a more agile opponent could exploit in combat.
• Her size can make her difficult to transport, she cannot swim and would sink in a swamp. Muddy terrain is rather difficult to traverse. It also makes her terrible at stealth. Bottom line, an opponent will hear and see her coming, and depending on the terrain, her size can become a disadvantange. She is a tank, plain and simple.
• While tough, she is vulnerable to sonic and pulse weapons. Being a rock creature, terramancy is also a vulnerability for her. Her hide provides protection against glancing blows from a lightsabre, but cannot tank full-on contact.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION


Kar'zakush was born on Kaeshana, centuries before the outbreak of the Gulag Virus brought galactic civilisation to its knees. It had been a century since the legions of the Eldorai Star Queen Ariane I sacked Vak'zahr, capital of the Kar'zun, eradicating any of the stone people they found. On that day, the fate of Kaeshana had been decided for good. The surviving Kar'zun were broken into small groups, moved into reservations and persecuted. So many had died in the great war, and so few children were born, that their race was driven to the brink of extinction.


To the Kar'zun, it was a shocking near-genocide, and Ariane was a war criminal and savage oppressor, whom they called Az'varik, or deadly flame. To the Eldorai meanwhile she was a hero, a woman who brought a terrible war to a close, turning the tide when it seemed like the Eldorai would face enslavement at the hands of the Kar'zun. Which viewpoint is true?


Regardless of the answer, Kar'zakush first breathed air far away from the ruins of her people's capital, for she came into being in a remote 'reservation'. She grew up in a clan that had suffered greatly during the war and the aftermath. In their ballads, they sung about their past glory, honoured their ancestors and lamented their tribulations and lost kin.


Like all Kar'zun habitats, the reservation was under the yoke of the Eldorai. House Cadalthor, a staunch supporter of Ariane's Crusade, held sway over the land, and launched harsh crackdowns on any sign of opposition. A council of Kar'zun clan elders was caught in the middle, being forced to appease both the victorious conquerors and their resentful constituents, who viewed the 'collaborators' as sellouts.


One year, controls might be relaxed, the next tightened, the reservation would be altered and redrawn. As a young child, Karza'kush had to leave the reservation with her family, for after unrest had broken out, the Eldorai decided to tighten the noose, moving the clan away from their ancestral mountainous habitat in order to make them more dependent on their mistresses. Resistance to the deportation order was treated harshly.


As a young one, she lashed out violently against the occupiers, and paid the price as she learned the consequences of defiance. Some of the elders of the clan suffered the curse of stone on the way. One of her uncles joined a group of insurgents, but was eventually killed by the Angelii. Her resentment towards the Eldorai grew. When she was older, she was conscripted to work as an indentured labourer in a distant mine. Being physically strong and extremely durable, the Kar'zun were suited for this, which is why the weaker, more nimble Eldorai utilised them for labour that normal organic beings would consider backbreaking.


Ironically, it was outsiders who gave Kar'zakush an opportunity to leave Kaeshana. To be precise, it was slavers. The generally physically appealing appearance of the Eldorai, combined with their low pain threshold, made them attractive targets for traffickers in sentient flesh. Moreover, the Eldorai's isolation ensured that they were technologically behind the galactic standard. In this particular case, it was a gang called the Iron Buccaneers. For a while, they'd had a deal with the local Eldorai prefect, exchanging tech for gold. However, then they decided to loot and pillage instead. Supposedly after being cheated.


Seeking riches and easy prey, the slavers struck the gold mine she laboured in, along with the nearby Eldorai settlement. Using the heavy guns of their ships, blasters and vibroblades, the pirates attacked ferociously, slaughering those Eldorai who resisted and claiming the rest as slaves. For Kar'zakush, it was a chance to rise up and rebel against her hated overmistresses, utilising mining tools as improvised weapons along with her natural strength. Indeed, she ended up saving the life of one of the corsairs' leaders. In the future, she would have cause to regret aligning herself with the raiders...but at the same time it was her ticket to freedom.


Eldorai troops attacked in full force, compelling the raiders to flee with their booty. The spaceships took to the sky, blasting away with their cannons while using their speed to evade the forces the space elves had amassed. Kar'zakush went with them, having earned some favour with them due to her strength. Undoubtedly seeing space for the first time was an unsettling experience for the young Kar'zun. She'd also never met aliens before, and was wholly unfamiliar with their language. Her stony fists were good at shutting down racist comments about her being a golem though. Presented to the Buccaneers' leader, she became a member of the gang. Subsequently, she participated in a number of raids on Kaeshana and neighbouring worlds. In each, she proved her strength and got the chance to exact vengeance on her tormentors.


However, her hatred for the Eldorai did not extend to other races, and over time further got watered down when she saw that all of them were Cadalthor stooges, but innocent civilians. Exposed to the cruel way the captives were being treated, she gained some sympathy for them, especially after she saw one of the slave markets they were being sold on life stock. It did not help that many of the pirates continued to treat her with contempt. After seeing a young slave being savagely beaten and crying out for help, she decided to take action. One night, when the corsairs were celebrating after a successful raid, she struck. Pirates put up a fight, pirates died.


Freeing the slaves, she left them with tools and supplies, then left. Free but unable to return to Kaeshana after all she'd done, she became a wanderer. An entire Galaxy full of possibilities, both fascinating and scary, was open to her. One of the freed slaves, to whom she'd shown kindness, became her pilot. Over the decades, Kar'zakush became a smuggler, mercenary and bounty-hunter.


Though the Second Imperial Civil War had ended with a combined Alliance-Empire-in-exile victory and the dissolution of Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire, there was no shortage of low-intensity conflicts in the Galaxy. So she became a sellsword, lending her blade to various factions that in this or that way sought to impose their vision on the stars. Or just make a profit. She tended to outlive her employers, as they either died peacefully died in bed or were killed by their rivals. Or sometimes turned on her, in which case she killed them, though she stuck to a code of always honouring a contract unless she was given good cause to do otherwise.


For a while, she ran a syndicate of bounty-hunters operating out of Corellia, accepting contracts from crime lords, politicians, police agencies and corporations. Later, she served as the bodyguard of an ambitious Galactic Alliance Senator after she caught his attention by tracking down a murderous rogue Jedi who'd gone on a killing spree...because the Dark Side told her. Or something of that nature. Baffled and disgusted by such excuses, the Kar'zun brought her to justice, dismissing claims about redemtpion.


Regardless, the bodyguard job paid well, and there was no shortage of people who wanted to assassinate the ambitious politician or kidnap family members. Or who needed a beating because they were in his way since her employer had no qualms about doing shady things if it helped him advance his career. The Senator later fell from grace after he got embroiled in a corruption scandal that ended up being leaked to the press. Kar'zakush walked away and soon found new employers.


At some point, she made the acquaintance of the enigmatic Tamara Peregrinus, who may or may not have been a time traveller. Or an immortal. She certainly did not age. Anyhow, the two ended up becoming buddies and had several adventures together, despite being rather different in temperament and methods. Unsurprisingly, said adventures were filled with meta references and 4th wall breaks. Among other things, they visited the Rishi Maze, Korriban and Csilla. Another journey took them to Tatooine, where Kar'zakush complained about the sand because it was coarse and irritating, and fought a Krayt Dragon.


Eventually, they drifted apart and Kar'zakush continued her travels independently. She found employment in a series of conflicts between the Galactic Alliance and the resurgent Empire, working for whichever side was offering. Working alongside Imperial marines, she once boarded and successfully sabotaged a prototype Alliance warship. Then the Gulag Virus broke out and everything went to hell in a hand basket. It started on Csilla, but soon spread across the Galaxy, bringing galactic civilisation to its knees. Entire star systems were cut off, trillions perished, empires collapsed and chaos reigned. Karza'kush happened to be on Coruscant when all hell broke loose, having returned there completing a job.


Alas, her employer of the week was in no position to compensate here due to being infected. She tussled with an apocalyptic doomsday cult of human supremacists that believed that virus was the doing of alien conspirators who wanted to exterminate humaninity for...some reason. Amidst all the looting and general panic, the stone woman got caught up in the turmoil and teamed up with some soldiers and low-class refugees to escape. Her assault cannon proved its utility when it came to securing appropriate transport. When it turned out that a member of the rag-tag band of misfits had been infected by the virus, Kar'zakush reluctantly mercy-killed the poor unfortunate soul. For a while, she made a living as part of a smuggling gang that ferried supplies to worlds that had been cut off. But even this became hazardous.


After her ship was damaged in a skirmish with pirates, she was stranded on a remote, primitive planet called Raevana. Seemingly on her own, she was forced to subsist by herself for a long time. Luckily, Kar'zun eat stones and ore. Eventually she was able to secure passage offworld when a group of explorers stumbled on the planet, after she saved them from savage lizardmen.


By then several decades had passed, but something truly unexpected happened when she encountered an independent Kar'zun clan. She ran into fellow Kar'zun warriors doing a job where it turned out they'd been hired by different sides. After spending some time shooting at each other, the stone warriors realised they were of the same race and decided to band together. Kar'zakush continues to insist she would have won. The Kar'zun she ended up marrying politely agrees to disagree. Understandably, their employers did not like the sudden switch. After fighting their way out, she was brought to the clan, which was centred on a few spaceships. The clan had turned its back on Kaeshana and lived a nomadic life, never staying at one place for long. Here, the restless Kar'zakush found some stability, after being accepted into the clan. It pained her stone heart that conditions on Kaeshana were still poor for her people. Eventually, she married one of warriors and had a son.


Time passed, and the Galaxy pulled itself out of the Dark Age. New powers rose and tried to force their vision upon the Galaxy. Now taking a step back from an active role in combat, Kar'zakush nonetheless accompanied younger Kar'zun warriors into battle to mentor and supervise them, as mercenary work was one of the ways for the clan to gain funds and resources. Thus she fought at Denon, when Omega Pyre liberated the planet from zombie hordes.


She received word that conditions were changing on Kaeshana. Queen Tirathana VII, disturbed by the past horrors, lifted the age-old quarantines and allowed the Kar'zun to return to their old habitats. However, Kar'zakush was unwilling to become the subject of an Eldorai Queen, no matter how liberal she appeared to be. A turning point came during the Great Exodus from Kaeshana, when she returned to her doomed homeworld to help her people escape. It was during this time that she came to the attention of Firemane.


Lady Siobhan Kerrigan had lobbied for the Kar'zun to be saved rather than abandoned on the doomed planet. Since she was the one providing the ships for the evacuation fleet, the Eldorai were not really in a position to refuse. After all, even though many of them liked to think they were the overmistresses of the Galaxy...they were just small fish.


In return for Firemane's aid, the Kar'zun clans provided warriors, mechanics and other personnel. One of those who volunteered was Kar'zakush, who served with Firemane ever since, though she regularly sent money and gifts home to her clan. Many Kar'zun left the corporation after their service had come to an end, settling either on Tygara or sticking with one of the independent clans, but she stayed. She fought during the Kaeshana Rebellion, linking up with Kar'zun who'd elected to stay behind.


The aftermath of this battle caused a rift between Firemane and the Eldorai after Tarissa Cadalthor, an Eldorai noblewoman, tried to seize power in a coup, blaming 'human monkeighs' for the defeat. After personally executing Tarissa for treason in front of the Eldorai Council and informing the nobles about the consequences of messing with her, Siobhan decided to found the Granite Guard, a unit composed of Kar'zun warriors. Kar'zakush was one of those who volunteered for it. Increasingly suspicious of those she'd once considered her allies, Siobhan picked the taciturn Kar'zun for her personal squad, which was charged with protecting Firemane's first family. Kar'zakush fought at her liege's side during the Battle of Hoth, participating in the assault on Outpost Veers.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To sub a unit inspired by the canonical Imperial scout troopers...by using Wood Elves and thus making Space Legolas a thing. This submission continues the trend of Firemane utilising native Sepoys, in the manner historical colonial powers and groups like the East India Company did. As a recon unit largely recruited from a low-tech race, they lack the hard-hitting power of regulars, but possess some unique skills.
• Image Credit: Here. Eldar Scout by DavidAp. Found on davidad.deviantart.com.
• Role: Scout troopers for Firemane's ground forces.
• Links: Vashyada, Firemane, Tygara, Dahomey, Abregado-Rae Guild of Hammers.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Eyes of the Forest
• Affiliation: Siobhan Kerrigan, Firemane.
• Classification: Light infantry, scout troopers.

Equipment:

Standard:

• Light combat armour with sealed bodysuit, comlink (with encryption device) and rebreather, comparable in quality to Imperial scout trooper armour. Coloured to match terrain.
• Standard blaster weapons, stealth carbines, shattergun rifles, Graphite bows.
• Shatterpistols, scout trooper blaster pistol or Racket's Bite shatterpistol as common sidearms.
• Frag, smoke, incendiary, gas, stun, concussion, flashbang grenades, thermal detonators etc.
• Military rations, water purifiers, camouflage tents, grappling hooks, micro-cords, recon droids, no-shows. Vibroknives.

Mission-specific, incidental or used by Specialists:

• Mk2 bolter, hard sound guns, concussion rifles,
• Nightstinger sporting blaster rifle.
• Rare: Heavy weapons such as rotary cannons and missile launchers
• Devastator multi-purpose mine
• Laser designator to designate targets for guided bombs, precision guided artillery munitions, missiles or orbital strikes.

The Eyes have access to the ARGH-manufactured equipment due to the Abregado-Rae Guild of Hammers being a Firemane subsidiary. In terms of transport, they rely on fast, mobile speeder bikes. Boats are available if rivers or seas need to be traversed.


COMBAT INFORMATION

• Availability: Uncommon
• Deployment: Minor

Strengths & Weaknesses:

• Highly mobile, stealthy and excellent scouts. The Eyes are perfect for reconnaissance operations, targeted assassination of high-value targets, long-range combat and so on. Capable marksmen, they emphasise disciplined fire and precision over blazing away at targets.
• Having grown up in forests where danger is everywhere and carelessness gets you killed, the Vashyada, who make up the bulk of the unit, have very well-developed senses of smell, hearing and sight. Being adapted to nature, they are excellent trackers, can navigate by signs and are good hunters. While lacking the racial characteristics of the Wood Elves, the Dahomians are similarly adept at tracking.
• Light infantry. They suffer against mobile armour and heavy weapons. They're not suitable for pitched combat. They also lack heavy vehicles.
• Vashyada are unused to wide open spaces, as they come from the close confines of forest, river and clearings. Caverns and the like are easier to deal with.

Description:

The old Galactic Empire's Stormtrooper Corps maintained special units called scout troopers. Trained for stealth and recon, these soldiers were less heavily armed than their brethren, but competent scouts and stealthy operators. They proved their utility on several battlefields.


Flash forward several centuries, and Firemane Industries desired to set up a similar unit. When it came to composition, the corporation's generals turned to two ethnic groups, the Vashyada and the Dahomians. The Vashyada are one of the many Eldorai sub-races, and can be best described as Wood Elves. They are agile, tough by Eldorai standards, excellent hunters and trackers. Moreover, they have even better senses than the other elf races. Both the Qadiri and the Xioquo learned that the forests their cousins inhabit can easily become death traps, as the Vashyada repelled several attacks from both races, despite being the least technologically developed of the Tygaran natives.


After making first contact with Firemane, a number of Wood Elves became curious about what lay beyond their forest - and indeed their homeworld. These were recruited for the scout corps. To provide officers and trainers, Firemane turned to its Dahomian soldiers. The natives of the tropical planet of Dahomey have long been an elite corps in Firemane. Moreover, they're used to fighting as light infantry and utilising irregular tactics. This made them a good match for the Vashyada, who had to be trained in the use of modern weapons. It is intended to eventually promote Vashyada who've proven themselves to officer rank. The new unit was given the name Eyes of the Forest.


To command and drill each squad Firemane makes a special offer to experienced rankers: They can accept a promotion to Sergeant in the Eyes. This posting lasts for three years, and those who perform well can transfer back to the regular forces with their NCO status intact, or advance to officer rank in the Eyes. This empowers the lower ranks and gave them incentive to drill and have their unit perform well in action. Needless to say the selection process is still rather thorough, as the Eyes require leaders with the ability to work more independently than an officer or NCO in the regular forces. A degree of empathy when dealing with a rank and file drawn from a low-tech race that until recently had never heard of blasters, FTL or droids is also required.


Compared to the Firemane regulars and Qadiri Sepoys, there's less rigid formality or saluting in the Eyes. Unlike with many Eldorai units, the gender ratio is even because the Vashyada are free of the sexism that's a hallmark of their cousins. And the pragmatic Dahomians are indifferent to gender wars.


Compared to Firemane regulars, the Eyes are more lightly armed and armoured. Heavy weapons are available, but only in limited supply and rarely used. Their primary duty is to conduct recon operations, patrol perimeters, identify enemy strong points and weak spots, command centres, communications installations and so on. Their training also makes them adept at guerilla warfare. In a combat zone, they could be utilised to infiltrate enemy territory and possibly train and lead friendly natives, similar to how the Rebel Alliance utilised Ewoks during the Battle of Endor. Moreover, they can identify and mark targets for air or artillery strikes, set traps and so on.


Their stealthy prowess also makes them good for sabotage operations, assassinations of high-value targets, such as enemy officers and long-range combat. Stealthy weapons such as shatterguns, stealth carbines and Graphite bows are popular among the Eyes. They also receive training in knife fighting and hand-to-hand combat. Transport is generally provided by speeder bike, should vehicles be required. Should the terrain require it, boats are available for use. When deployed alongside Firemane troops, small units of Eyes are attached to combat units of Firemane regulars, relaying their findings to the responsible commander. This makes coordination essential, as good intel is of little use if it is not exploited properly.


However, the Eyes are not equipped for prolonged combat. These girls and boys aren't meant to storm trenches or heavily fortified positions. This would undoubtedly go poorly for them. Bottom line, if they encounter large concentrations of enemy forces, it would be better for them to evade or retreat, especially since they're deployed in small squads. The Vashyada are still new to modern weapons, and thus will require time to adapt. Moreover, they're used to living and fighting in the forest. Thus wide, open spaces can be unnerving for them.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
"Firemane turned to its Dahomian"
Fragment sentence under description.

Availability and strength I'd go with Uncommon and Minor respectively.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Done.

Since Uncommon units don't use limited production items, I replaced the Mk1 bolter with the less powerful/versatile, but more broadly available Mk2.


Need a pic for the unit sub.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

My new space elf sub list is as follows (in no particular order):

Caerith Tyari (Shadow Warriors). The Shadow Knights' Angelii.

Coven of Tlalixque. Dark Xioquo cult serving Sio.

Kaida's Qadiri minion Sohalia.

Maybe an Illyrian cult. Morwen would belong to it.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"], [member="Laira Darkhold"], [member="Nima Tann"]


Something I started working on today. Thoughts are appreciated. I'd like them to be kinda creepy and mean, so suggestions are appreciated.

Laira, the Xioquo are essentially Drows in Space.

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Expand on Firemane's ranks and Tygaran lore. While the Qadiri Sepoys and the Eyes of the Forest were fairly conventional colonial army units, this unit expands on Firemane's colonial troops in a different way.
• Image Credit: Here. Found on forum.kaluga.org. Appears to be concept art for Warhammer.
• Role: Force support unit. They are not frontline combatants, heavy infantry or commandos, but mystics.
• Links: Firemane, Xioquo, Twilight of the Goddess.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Coven of Tlaxqui
• Affiliation: Siobhan Kerrigan, Order of Fire, Firemane.
• Classification: Infantry, Force support unit.

Equipment: As they rely on the Force, their equipment is a bit minimalist. They tend to wear light battle armour made of plastoid. It is lightweight and provides basic protection against a range of attacks while allowing mobility. However, it can only take a small amount of damage and lacks cutting edge features. For self-defence, the leaders carry Force-imbued blades, while the grunts get vibroswords. Both are coated in venomous poison. The rest of their arsenal consists of pistols and poisoned daggers. Use of Force-focusing visors is common to help clear their minds of distractions and aid them in channelling Force energy.

COMBAT INFORMATION

• Availability: Unique
• Deployment: Limited

Strengths & Weaknesses:

• The Coven's members are Force-sensitive Xioquo mystics, who specialise in using mental powers to distract and mislead enemies or frighten them. In short, they are capable illusionists. They also have some skills in drain life and Force Slow. They can also use the Force to create regular darkness, providing concealment.
• Xioquo are agile and able to see much further in the darkness than humans and have good senses.
• Force imbued blades can harm spirits and similar apparations.
• The full strength of their abilities is based on the number of the Coven members able to reinforce it. Thus, as more are disabled, killed or injured, the weaker their effects become.
• Xioquo are physically weaker than humans and these here are squishy wizards. They would be at a disadvantage if engaged up-close. Their defensive powers are also basic and they lack heavy armour, meaning they cannot tank a hailstorm of bullets or blaster bolts, especially since they don't have lightsabres. Their power use requires focus, which, combined with their weak defence, makes sonics a good choice. They are a support force, not frontline combatants. While strong in the Force, their use of it is highly specialised.
• They focus on using the Force over conventional combat skills, so ysalamiri and Voidstone make them extremely vulnerable, as both take away their biggest advantage. Their training with melee weapons and guns is basic.
• Weaker against droids, as mental tricks don't work on them.
• The traditional Xioquo racial weakness to the sun and bright lights applies. Living in the darkness for so long has made both painful to them. Their skin can blister in the sun if left exposed. Bright light can dazzle them and UV radiation can cause serious burns if exposed.

Description:

Xioquo society has always been steeped in the Dark Side. For centuries, the drows were governed by a ruthless mageocracy where only those who pursued the path of Darkness ended up on the top. Thousands laboured as slaves to serve the whims of the mistresses who sat on the top of the pyramid. The disobedient were brutally punished and often sacrificed in ghastly rituals to power war machines or be turned into abominations.


Believing that Tygara was theirs by right and that one day their 'demigoddess' Mystra would awaken to lead them to conquer Tygara, the Xioquo warred against their neighbours and rivals, the Qadiri and Vashyada. While the technologically most advanced of Tygara's natives, their low population, incessant power struggles and the constant need to be on their guard against slave revolts kept them from fulfilling their potential.


Nemesis came to their subterranean kingdom, the Underealm, when a coalition of Firemane, Eldorai and Qadiri forces invaded their territory, defeated their armies and war beasts, and finally slew Mystra herself. By that time many Xioquo had become disillusioned with their creator since she fed on them just as enthusiastically as on their enemies. Slaves rebelled, seeing a chance to cast down their chains, and the remaining mistresses finally capitulated.


Trials were held for a number of war criminals, slavery was abolished and a new government was set up. The present Queen of the Xioquo, Liavondra, is an adept of the Light Side, who seeks to lead her people on a better path. However, change is difficult to bring about and thus has to proceed in slow steps. Slowly weaning them off despotism, and reclaiming their independence will take time.


In the meantime, a number of Xioquo have exploited their new freedom to explore what lies beyond the Underealm, and in some cases Tygara. A few have found their way into Firemane's ranks. During her campaign, the Xioquo conferred the title of Karishzar upon Siobhan Kerrigan. It means Destroyer in their language. At first it was supposed to condemn her as an abomination that threatened everything the Matriarchy stood for her. To many freed slaves, it became the title of a liberator, for it showed the hated mistresses feared her. Especially after her battle with Mystra, though in all fairness Siobhan did not defeat her on her own. In the aftermath, some cults began to venerate her.


The Coven of Tlaxqui is both a unit and a religious cult composed of dark Xioquo mystics. Some are defectors, others are slaves or slave-soldiers who took up arms against their mistresses and were freed by Firemane's forces. A number are members of the old clergy, now following a different icon, or dark adepts who changed their allegiances. As much as this would probably suit her considerable ego, Siobhan is not regarded as a goddess per se, but still venerated to a degree that even diehard Firemane loyalists would probably consider bizarre or disturbing. It suits her ego that they refer to her as 'Great One' or the 'Great Karishzar'.


The Coven members have the skills of an Initiate or Spellweaver. They are explicitly not a frontline combat unit, for they lack the durability or conventional fighting skills. Nor are they elite commandos. While they receive some training in the use of gun and blade, this is for self-defence. In part, this is to allow them to focus on harnessing esoteric applications of the Force. However, it is also a deliberate policy on the part to Siobhan, as it reduces the chance of potential renegades becoming a threat to her. Instead, they use the Force to act as a support unit, especially in the mental field. Aside from using these powers offensively, they can also protect their comrades against such attacks to a degree.


Their Force specialisations lie in illusions, drain life and Force Slow. Furthermore, they can use the Force to create regular darkness, allowing them to conceal themselves or temporarily disorientate enemies. This can be understood as a counterpoint to Force Flash, which disorientates via bright light. This does not enable them to summon Waves of Darkness, as their ability is merely an environmental effect. The full strength of their abilities is based on the number of the Coven members able to reinforce it. Thus, as more are disabled, killed or injured, the weaker their effects become.


The members are all Dark Side practicioners, blending traditional Xioquo beliefs with a darker blend of the teachings of the Order of Fire. They have a spiritualistic, shamanistic style, practicing a form of ancestor and spirit worship. Some of the minor Xioquo deities who used to be subordinate to Mystra are also worshipped. The witches invoke the Karishzar's name when they call upon the power of the spirits, as they call the Force. Their use of the Force is rather ritualised and so they will often come together in communion before battle. Training in the Coven is unforgiving, for the prospective mystic is exposed to the very powers she will be expected to call upon when the day comes to serve the Karishzar.


While the training is obviously less pointlessly sadistic than what they would have undergone during the old days, there have still been cases when neophytes died or suffered severe trauma. Mind games are quite common, including simulated interrogations, in which the acolytes have to shield their minds from Force-based intrusion and face their fears. Moreover, the only way to learn how to feed on someone's life force, you need to be drained yourself first. Use of poison are quite common amongst the Xioquo. So neophytes are taught to build up a degree of resistance by being gradually exposed to it in small doses. However, this only works against a select number of poisons, chiefly organic ones.


Within Firemane, the Coven members are looked upon with a degree of mistrust, especially on the part of Order of Fire members who stay away from the dark arts. Other Firemane soldiers remember the Battle for the Underealm and the horrors they witnessed during it. That said, dark side practitioners are nothing new in Firemane, since their boss is openly a Dark Jedi. Significantly, the members of the Coven swear an oath of allegiance to Siobhan and her house, not to the Firemane Company.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Very nice. I strongly suggest you'll be asked to list what powers are available to them.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


1, I did list them.

In the manner I saw it being listed in a Mando sub (which said they focus on illusions, fire and physical enhancement).



This is what the Drow sub says in the Strength section:

• The Coven's members are Force-sensitive Xioquo mystics, who specialise in using mental powers to distract and mislead enemies or frighten them. In short, they are capable illusionists. They also have some skills in drain life and Force Slow/Affliction. Their Force Sense is potent.

I can make a separate list if that's necessary though.


If you have suggestions re balancing and stuff, please voice them.


2. Also need a pic. It's quite tough to find a Drow pic that doesn't look smutty or stripperific.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
I would list them explicitly, yes. Even down to what illusions they have. You know they'll ask.

I'll take a look for drow and show you a few examples.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"], [member="Valiens Nantaris"]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To flesh out the Kerrigan-Alcori clan by codifying a background character who's appeared in a number of rps. This character may eventually become a PC, but presently an NPC sub suffices.
• ​Image Credit: Unknown. Called Diana Pentrovich on Google images, but I get no source link. Google image search takes me to child model section on Pinterest.
• Role: Ward of Siobhan Kerrigan and Tegaea Alcori. Biological daughter of Glade, formerly known as Natoline Kerrigan.​
• Links: The Butcher and the Weaver, Aftermath, Under 12 Parsecs, Natol'ine, So Umm Hi, Some time after the time, meet the folks from hell, Adril Tythorin.

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

• Age: 6
• Force Sensitivity: Force-Sensitive.
• Species: Human
• Appearance: [Please describe the NPC in at least one paragraph. Any distinguishing marks? Do they show their age? What do they usually wear? For droid characters, link to their production model, either on Wookieepedia or as an approved tech submission.]

SOCIAL INFORMATION

• Name: Adril Kerrigan-Alcori
• Loyalties: Siobhan Kerrigan, Tegaea Alcori.
• Wealth: Her mothers are extremely rich because they run a megacorporation. Little Adril is not old enough to draw upon this wealth herself. She doesn't have to worry about her parents not having the credits to buy her nice toys though.

Notable Possessions:

• Training lightsabre
• Jester plushie. One day she may get a real one...partly to teach her responsibility.

Skills:

• Bit of a tinkerer
• Good with animals

Personality: Of the two twins, Adril is quite similar to her namesake, Adril Tythorin, though fortunately she has inherited less of her negative traits. She is brash, adventurous, gregarious and outgoing. She's also a bit of a brat and used to getting her way. She has a strong appetite for adventure...but at the same time very little experience with the outside world as she was raised in a sheltered manner. She is a bit of a prankster and good at trolling her caretakers.


Like Livia, Adril was raised on somewhat sanitised stories of the adventures of her two caretakers, Tegaea and Siobhan. Being a child, she has yet to understand that war is not fun and games or a fantasy story where the good guys always triumph and overcome evil. So she dreams about becoming a noble warrior who fights bad guys.


Adril shares a bit of a friendly rivalry with Livia. Both are polar opposites, as Livia is a scholarly type who uses 'big words' and is a neat freak who's organised almost to the point of OCD. By contrast, Adril stays away from books, loves the outdoors and tends to play practical jokes on her sibling. Such as messing with her by replacing book 8 with 10 because Livia is the type to order her books alphabetically. Both love each other, but also quarrel a lot. In other words, like typical siblings.


Adril barely remembers her biological mother, and thus looks to Tegs and Sio for guidance, regarding them as essentially being her parents. Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori assists the couple in raising the little ones. Adril gets on well with the eccentric empath, though she has a tendency to pull pranks on the blind woman by hiding her things. Adril is surprisingly good with maths, but lazy in that regard. She has more fun tinkering with machines and is fond of animals. Especially dangerous ones...like Yazgid.


COMBAT INFORMATION

• Weapon of Choice: Toy blaster. Training lightsabre, theoretically. She's a little rich kid. She has plenty of bodyguards to protect her. And can scream and stomp her foot pretty loud.

Combat Function: She's a little kid. Recently, she's started to learn how to use a training lightsabre. She can use it about as well as an overeager Youngling who's never faced an actual opponent.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

The story of Adril's conception is somewhat dramatic, though nothing dramatic has actually happened to her. Her biological mother is the former Natoline Kerrigan. Siobhan got to know the rogue Jedi during the short-lived Army of Light, and took her under her wing. They lost touch, but years later Natoline resurfaced on Kaeshana, after being infected with Sith Poison by a Sith Lord and spending some time in the Netherworld.


After she was cured of the poison, she joined Firemane and was later adopted by Siobhan. Sadly, her father was an evil mafia boss, who did not take this well. Especially after Siobhan choked him once for being abusive to his daughter. Moreover, Natoline soon manifested a rather troubled personality.


Disappearing some time after helping fight pirates during the Firemane expedition of Tygara, she resurfaced again - this time with child, for her father had inflicted a honey trap on her. Reluctantly, Siobhan decided to help the increasingly unstable girl, who was aversely affected by her experiences in the Netherworld. However, shortly after giving birth to triplets, Natoline was exiled for consorting with criminals.


She left two of the twins, Adril and Livia in the Firemane power couple's care, but vanished with the third, Althenea. Siobhan and Natoline met one last time on Kessel, to where the latter had tracked her cruel father. She'd also brought her remaining child to the location. By this point she'd succumbed to madness. The result was a rather chaotic episode that ended with Natoline's father and most of his gang dead, while Natoline vanished with Althenea. All in all, there were many regrets.


Adril knows preciously little about this. Far as she knows, her mother was an acolyte of Firemane and is died nobly. Auntie Siobhan and Auntie Tegaea are looking after her and her twin sister Livia. Thus Adril has been raised in rather sheltered circumstances. Initially she lived on Tygara, till her parents moved to Arkas.


The little one was named after Adril Tythorin. This Eldorai was a powerful Jedi and Rogue Force User and also the trainer of Siobhan. After many melodramatic heartbreaks, adventures and quite a lot of radical feminism, she gave her life to destroy an eldritch abomination ravaging Ahto City. Little Adril can be just as tempestuous as her namesake. Hopefully she'll turn out to be less of a wet hen.


Believing that she failed Natoline, Siobhan is quite strict with the little ones, but still very loving. Like most children, Adril is the type to test the boundaries of what her surrogate parents will permit, though she loves them deeply. Siobhan's recent stroke and recovery period has forced her to mature a bit, even though the details of her aunt's health scare were obviously sanitised for her.


Among Firemane grunts, she's known as the Little Fire Princess. Given her brash persnality, she will probably turn out to be a trouble magnet like Young Siobhan! So far Adril has not had much contact with people her and received little formal training, though this will change in the future.