NPCs by Sio

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Got ideas for:


1. A pic?


2. Finishing the backstory?


As you can see, it's still during the reign of Anya's mother. So very early.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Spoiler

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Flesh out the family I've been roleplaying and developing in collaboration with other writers since joining the board.
• ​Image Credit: Here. Found on print-services.com. Unknown artist.
• ​Links: Tygara, Kaeshana.
• Company Submission: Firemane Industries.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Organization Name: House Kerrigan-Alcori
• Classification: Noble Family/Clan, Company.
• Loyalties: Siobhan Kerrigan, Tegaea Alcori, Firemane.
• Organization Symbol: A rising phoenix wreathed in flames. Members also receive gold rings with the family words 'Triumph Over Adversity' engraved upon them.
• Description: House Kerrigan-Alcori is the self-made, matriarchal noble family that controls the megacorporation Firemane Industries. It is an extremely young house, founded by Siobhan Kerrigan and Tegaea Alcori. One was a former Jedi Knight, the other a former Republic soldier. Both occupied leading positions in Omega Pyre and were founding members of the Omega Protectorate, which they ruled for a while, before they left its services and founded Firemane. Moreover, both were born into abject poverty and had to work hard and fight to get where they are now. Today the family possesses enormous wealth and considerable resources, but its founders have never forgotten their roots. Presently the clan itself is rather small, but the family name will be carried by the brood of children the ruling couple has adopted. Their numbers have waxed and waned over the years. Siobhan is the uncontested leader of the privately owned company Firemane. In terms of alignment, the family is best described as Lawful Neutral. It is opposed to Sith and imperialist groups, but also deeply sceptical of Jedi orders.

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

• Headquarters: Arx Aeternea.
• Realm:
  [HQ]: Arx Aeternea
• Firemane locations.
• Sanctuary Class Habitats

[*]Domain: For many years Tygara was Firemane's de facto domain. The corporation helped billions of Eldorai escape their doomed homeworld Kaeshana and settle on the lost elf planet. Firemane itself put down roots, entering into agreements with local rulers, helped them them uplift their nations and protect themselves against external threats. Its relationship with the Eldorai and the Tygaran natives could be described as a patron-client relationship, though it was at times uneasy and not free of strife. Recently, Firemane helped the elves launch a second exodus and completely evacuate Tygara, which has been denuded of sentient life. The elves have been housed in enormous Sanctuary Habitats and worldships, with Firemane maintaining a controlling interest. Obviously many of the Eldorai eventually left to pursue an independent future, but the royalist Eldorai, Qadiri, Vashyada and Xioquo are Firemane vassals. This is a reciprocal relationship that imposes obligations both parties. Firemane is also highly influential on Arkas. Firemane troops liberated the planet from the grip of slavers and helped the freed slaves build a town that serves as a haven for their kind. However, the corporation does not rule the planet directly, but utilises a system of indirect rule by working through local councils. When it comes to establishing 'domain', Firemane strives to enter a cooperative relationship of mutual benefit with local leaders, as it is not seen as cost-effective for a corporation to assert direct control. It offers people the tools to improve their lives, provides protection, recruits heavily among the local population and encourages its employees to become well-versed in the local cultures.
[*]Notable Assets: House Kerrigan-Alcori owns Firemane Industries & Technology, an arms manufacturer, tech concern, shipwright and PMC. Thus assets include factories, mines, space stations and warships. Ownership has made the family very wealthy, enabling it to pay its employees very well. Particular assets of note would be the:

• Firemane
• Arx Aeternea
• Sanctuary Class Habitats
• Great Scarlet Flame
• Firedawn
• Firehome
• Asur Class Worldships

SOCIAL INFORMATION

• Hierarchy: The two matriarchs Siobhan and Tegaea are at the top. They make the big decisions and lead the house. Siobhan is also simultaneously CEO of Firemane Industries, which she rules like an autocrat. Tegaea continues to be an honorary member of Firemane's ruling group, the Board of Control, and heads a subdivision devoted to exploration. If one were to apply the Mandalorian model, one would consider both matriarchs to be Alors. Tempest and Elpsis come after them in the house. Tempest is a Major in Firemane's military forces, while Elpsis is a Second Lieutenant. Both are also Force masters in Firemane's Force-using branch. Elpsis is known as the little Fire Princess, but this is not a formal title and she is she treated like any junior officer would be in Firemane. Adril and Livia are still little children and thus cannot order people around.
• Membership: The easiest and most common way to become a member of the family is through adoption. Similar to most Mandalorian clans, House Kerrigan-Alcori is not averse to introducing new blood into their ranks via adoption. Actually all of the matriarchs' children are adopted, since getting children the 'traditional' way was neither practical nor desirable for a variety of reasons, not the least because both are women. However, a number of poor experiences with some of their past adopted daughters has made the family a good deal more cautious and picky when it comes to prospective candidates. Marrying into the family is also an option, though the pool of members one could marry is rather limited at present! Either way, any potential adoptees or in-laws are vetted thoroughly. The family does not shy away from banishing members whose actions contradict its principles. This is what happened to the former Natoline Kerrigan, now known as [member="Glade"], though her falling out with pained Siobhan deeply. Employees such as staff, servants, pilots, bodyguards and so on tend to be recruited via Firemane.
• Influence: House Kerrigan-Alcori maintains substantial influence on the planets Firemane has bases on, and within the space stations and city-ships the company owns and leases out to others. In a broader senses have influence on the galaxy through their operations against factions like the Sith and the First Order by building weapons, arming their enemies or fighting on the battlefield themselves. Further, in many places the House has performed operations to uplift peoples and destroy their enemies and thus maintain a strong influence over the people they have affected. Present-day examples would be Dahomey and Arkas. It is also very influential among the Eldorai Diaspora.
• Climate: Close knit family. Friendly till you antagonise them. Familial loyalty is regarded as crucial. The members of the house may not always get along. Indeed, the relationship between Siobhan and Elpsis has been complicated, to say the least. But they're there for one another when the chips are down. Members are expected to contribute towards the family's success rather than live off the matriarchs' wealth.
• Reputation: The Galaxy is a huge place with many divergent opinions, though some broad trends can be identified. Presumably the house has a very negative reputation among Sith or followers of the First Order since it opposed them on the battlefield or otherwise supported their enemies on many occasions. That aside, the family has cultivated a reputation for honesty and reliability in its reliability in its business dealings and its humanitarian work. Its abolitionist efforts have given it a good reputation among former slaves and it is popular among many elves, especially Tygaran natives. However, it is also for its ruthless defence of its interests and willingness to use force to get what it wants. Lightside purists probably view the family with distrust because one of the matriarchs, Siobhan Kerrigan, is a known Dark Jedi.

• Rules: Family first. Obey the matriarchs, do not consort with enemies of the family, defend and contribute to the success of the family and Firemane.

Doctrines: Loyalty to the family is paramount. By extension, the same applies to loyalty to Firemane. Obedience to lawful authority, respect for the matriarchs, personal discipline, resolve and responsiblity are core tenents. The house has a very maternalistic view of its staff and employees, feeling that it is its duty to care for them, but expecting devotion in return. House Kerrigan-Alcori prides itself on always paying its debts - in good and bad. It is a matter of principle - and common sense - to uphold oaths and contracts. This also means that betrayals must be punished harshly. Consorting with forces the family considers itself opposed to, such as Sith, slavers and imperialist groups, is considered betrayal, as such groups are regarded as heinous and destructive. While the house is not hostile to Jedi per se, it is deeply sceptical of them and their beliefs. On the political front, there is a preference for a Republican Dictatorship, elective monarchy or limited democracy, whereas mass democracy is seen as impractical and chaotic. It is similarly sceptical of government dictated by the accident of birth. However, the family has worked with its share of hereditary monarchies and democracies. It prefers stability over sudden, revolutionary upheavals. From the perspective of the house, when it comes to governance low level autonomy and initiative must be paired with a strong central authority that is not tied to the inconsistent whims of a fickle electorate. Likewise the house believes in a meritocracy of capitalism, preferring a free market over a command economy.


The matriarchs were born into abject poverty and rose on merit, so they expect any other members of the house to work their way up instead of living lives of indolence. Normally this is done by seeking a position in Firemane and proving oneself there. This makes self-reliance an important cornerstone of the family dogma. The same applies to the ability to defend oneself, making a certain degree of martial prowess desirable. The Galaxy is a bleak, scary place and so those who want to protect their freedom - and that of their loved ones - must arm themselves. The house has backed various factions ever since it came into being, such as the Omega Protectorate, Galactic Alliance, the Silver Sanctum and the Mandalorian Clans, but does not consider itself beholden to any galactic power or state. It will support factions that it finds agreeable, but does not shackle itself to them. Governments rise and fall and the galactic map has been redrawn multiple times in a terribly short time span. But the family endures.


The family does not have any codified religious dogma. Members are free to believe in whichever deity they want - or none at all. Atheism predominates, though Elpsis is very spiritual. It does not subscribe to the belief of Light or Dark determining your morality. These are sources of strength, that’s it. It seeks a middle way between Jedi and Sith, emphasising a balanced approach. The Force is seen as a tool for both individual empowerment and service. Force-Sensitive members are encouraged to embrace their emotions instead of being afraid of them, but also at the same time taught discipline and self-control. Force-Sensitives who commit crimes must be judged like any other individual, for being 'corrupted by the dark side' is not regarded as a valid excuse.

• Goals:
  Grow the power and prestige of the family
• Continue the family line
• Fight against the forces of chaos and destruction
• Bring civilisation to remote corners of the Galaxy through discovery and emancipation

MEMBERS

• Siobhan Kerrigan
• Tegaea Alcori
• Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori
• Tempest
• Livia Kerrigan-Alcori
• Adril Kerrigan-Alcori

HISTORICAL INFORMATION


House Kerrigan-Alcori is a very young house. It does not have an illustrious lineage or famous ancestors. The parents of Siobhan Kerrigan and Tegaea Alcori were, to put it plainly, nobodies. Just ordinary people born into poverty and trying to survive harsh circumstances. This probably fuelled Siobhan's and Tegaea's drive to succeed and escape their impoverished conditions.


The two met when Siobhan was still an increasingly radical Jedi Knight and Tegaea was a soldier in the service of the Republic. Tegaea rescued Siobhan from a coven of energy vampires and helped the Jedi exact revenge on the fiends and save her master, an Eldorai called Adril Tythorin. The two remained in contact after this event. Later Tegaea left the Republic and founded her own mercenary company, the Dark Stars.


Both their lives underwent a profound change when Tegaea was recruited by Cira, the enigmatic leader of Omega Pyre, a fledgling paramilitary corporation that soon evolved into a corporate state that brought order to many worlds on the western rim. The two mercenary companies pooled their resource and Tegaea became the Pyre's Vice President and eventually CEO, working under Prex Cira.


Siobhan and Tegaea crossed paths during a Jedi anti-slaver operation gone awry. By then Siobhan had lost her master Adril, who'd given her life to save Ahto City from an eldritch abomination, and had become disillusioned with the order. So it did not take much persuasion for her to join the Pyre. The pair was inseparable from that moment onward. While Siobhan proved herself as a warrior and field commander, helping expand the Pyre's influence by fighting its enemies, Tegaea climbed the bureaucratic ladder. One of the worlds they left their mark on was Dahomey, which they liberated from local warlords and slavers. When the territory under the Pyre's control was reorganised into the Omega Protectorate, Tegaea was promoted to the rank of Exarch, essentially a super-governor, second only to Lady Protector Cira. While Tegaea changed from being a soldier and officer to a political leader, Siobhan's place remained on the frontlines and she became the Pyre's chief field commander, reaching the rank of Colonel. She fought in the Clockwork Rebellion, the First Battle of Roche and led several fierce campaigns against the Bando Gora.


The two of them, off and on lovers for many years, became dedicated to each other and eventually married. Eventually the couple reached the height of their power in the Protectorate. The Lady Protector Cira disappeared under unknown circumstances. It was wrongly assumed that she might have been killed during a Sith terrorist attack on Rhommamool and Osarian. As her second-in-command, Tegaea became acting Lady Protector. Surprisingly, the Protectorate Council chose Siobhan as her successor, making her Exarch of Eriadu and the surrounding territories. Siobhan led the campaign to conquer the Bando Gora homeworld Gehenna and destroy the cult, though splinter groups continue to persist till this day.


However, after the rise comes the fall. A Sith Assassin called Kaelin Isandros, who had long been a thorn in the couple's side, managed to infiltrate their staff, capture Tegaea and torture her to the brink of death. Siobhan pursued the Sith and took brutal vengenace, killing her. But her injuries made Tegaea unable to continue in her post. So she stepped down in favour of Exarch Ayden Cater. With Siobhan soon following, the couple withdrew to the planet of Kaeshana, the Eldorai homeworld, and Tegaea recovered under the protection of Queen Silaqui III. Siobhan had prior history with Silaqui, who also owed her throne to her. Moreover, the Queen's sister and heir apparent, Crown Princess Anya Venari, was a long-time ally and aide of the couple.


For a while the couple vanished from the limelight. Through almost entirely legitimate means, the pair had managed to acquire a substantial fortunes during their time with the Pyre and the Protectorate. This made it easier to set down roots on Kaeshana and look to the future. After realising that a life of measured retirement was not just for them yet, Tegaea and Siobhan founded the aptly named Firemane Industries & Technology. Its beginnings were rather humble. The core staff was recruited from Omega stalwarts who had served the couple in the old days. The two set up a research and military technology division in Santaissa, the Eldorai's capital. They received support from the Eldorai Matriarchy, which sought access to advanced tech to catch up with the rest of the Galaxy. The Eldorai were notoriously xenophobic and their relationship with foreigners was troubled, since they had often been attacked by slavers and pirates. Tegaea and Siobhan were considered the most reliable due to their history. It helped that Siobhan had a genuine affinity for Eldorai culture and had been trained by one. Firemane expanded its operations to Dahomey and Vandelhelm, offered mercenary services and became a mining and shipping concern.


Tegaea became CEO, Siobhan Vice President, while Crown Princess Anya Venari served as executive PA and head of operations until her sister was assassinated by treacherous bodyguards. Thereupon Anya ascended the throne, taking the regnal name Tirathana VII. This deepened the relationship between both parties. The pair contributed to the modernisation of Kaeshana, building fortresses to defend it against external attacks. As a reward for their work - and probably a way to flatter their egoes - the Queen ennobled them, making the pair Countesses. However, their close relationship with the Crown also made them targets for Eldorai rebel groups, the so-called 'Dark Eldorai'.


The newly-born House Kerrigan-Alcori expanded its influence beyond Protectorate space. It backed the Republic during the One Sith War, providing military equipment and mercenaries. Siobhan fought the One Sith and their allies in several battles. After the Republic became increasingly unstable, the family switched its support to the Galactic Alliance, though they remained somewhat wary of it due to its radical crusader beliefs. On a personal note, the family's ranks expanded as the couple adopted several young waifs and strays, creating a small brood of adopted daughters. However, their luck with their charges was not always the best. This caused a number of heartbreaks and personal tragedies that left their mark on the family.


When the Eldorai learned that their planet would be devastated by a huge asteroid, House Kerrigan-Alcori made a vital contribution to their survival. Devoting considerable resources, the corporation built a massive exodus fleet to save as many Eldorai as possible. At the insistence of the house, the Kar'zun, long the Eldorai's foil and rival for control over Kaeshana, were saved as well. Firemane warships were also able to mitigate the damage done to the planet by destroying a good portion of the asteroid prior to the impact. However, some Eldorai had to be left behind. They called themselves the Forsaken and - understandably - cursed those who had gotten away. During this time the house also discovered Arkas and rid it of pirates who'd oppressed the enslaved populace. The Eldorai exodites were settled on Tygara, a lost elf colony. There the family became a major power broker. The native elves of Tygara had never achieves spaceflight and were far behind the galactic tech level. Fearful of the outside world, many looked to Firemane and by extension House Kerrigan-Alcori for protection. The arrangement between Firemane, the Eldorai and the natives became the Tygaran Alliance. Siobhan even acquired a cult following after liberating the Xioquo from their despotic rulers and slaying their 'demigoddess' Mystra, a vile tyrant. However, power inevitably attracts jealousy. The Eldorai had become de facto vassals, but many among their leaders resented the influence of foreigners.


Nonetheless, when the Eldorai Crown launched a humanitarian mission to help the Forsaken of Kaeshana, Firemane gave it its full backing. What was supposed to be a relief effort turned into a war, for the First Order had taken an interest in the planet. The forces of the Tygaran Alliance, the Galactic Alliance and some of the Forsaken did battle against the First Order and their allies. Siobhan, Tempest and Elpsis fought on the frontlines in person. However, the battle ultimately went ill for the allied forces. This soured relations between House Kerrigan-Alcori and the Eldorai Matriarchy, for the outcome inevitably led to recriminations. Scapegoated, the family came under fire. Things came to head when an Eldorai Duchess called Tarissa Cadalthor, who had once been an ally of the family, tried to launch a coup and execute an anti-foreigner pogrom. After her treasonous activities were uncovered, Siobhan personally executed her in front of the Eldorai council of nobles. Relations were strained for a while. Seeking reliable allies, House Kerrigan-Alcori entered into pacts with several Kar'zun clans, gaining a loyal force of tough soldiers.


The family continued to support the Galactic Alliance's war efforts against the First Order until the conflict was ended by treaty following the Battle of Hoth. Since then the family's focus has turned inward. Siobhan has taken Tegaea's place as CEO of Firemane, though her wife continues to advise her. Leaving the day-to-day management to her wife, Tegaea has switched her focus to her passion for exploration. This is in line with the family's desire to discover, open up and if need be uplift worlds that are unknown or were cut off during the Dark Age. Tegaea had to temporarily take over the reins again when Siobhan was incapacitated by a stroke. Fortunately, the matriarch's mental capabilities were not impaired and she gradually recovered. The health crisis might have made her a better leade since she was forced to acknowledge her mortality.


The couple is dedicated to perpetuating the family line and ensuring they have worthy heirs who can carry on their work. Presently these efforts focus on Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori, the biological daughter of Jedi Master Coryth Elaris, and their two wards Livia and Adril, the daughters of the exiled Natoline Kerrigan. Firemane is a purely privately owned company, so it is likely that one of the couple's children will take the matriarchs' place one day. However, while dynastic succession would be the preferred option, the young Kerrigan-Alcoris will have to earn their positions on merit. Young Elpsis, for instance, has fought alongside Firemane troops as a soldier and has recently been given a commission.


Recently, the house reconciled with the Eldorai. Concerned about outside threats since the dissolution of the Galactic Alliance and the relocation of the Silver Jedi, the elves of Tygara petitioned Firemane to evacuate them from the planet. After some deliberations, Siobhan agreed. At a summit it was decided to use a mix of Sanctuary Habitats and worldships to evacuate the entire planet. The second exodus brought with it its share of conflicts, but this time nobody was left behind. However, corporation maintained a controlling interest in the stations and the elves had to accept Firemane suzerainty. Humbled by her recent stroke, Siobhan had the sense to be tactful about it.


Thus House Kerrigan-Alcori continues to stand to this day. It has endured its share of victories and defeats. But ultimately managed to adapt, presevere and prosper. The family operates from a ginormous station, the Arx Aertenea, which also a mobile hub for Firemane and its suborganisations.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Torn on whether to give them some Yazgid beasts or not. They would not be useful in modern combat and cybernetically altered Yazgid, while potentially cool, would probably merit a species sub.


OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Further flesh out the Eldorai renegades. Expand on a group Kaida encountered in a thread.
• Image Credit: How to properly source your images
• Role: Light infantry and modern 'cavalry' unit for the Shadow Knights. The Dune Raiders are a unit entirely composed of Qadiri, an Eldorai subrace.
• Links: Qadiri. Tygara, Shahbânu Semiramis III, I'm Breaking You Down To Build You Up, Yazgid.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Kazal's Dune Raiders
• Affiliation: Kaida Taldir, Shadow Knights.
• Classification: Light infantry, 'cavalry'.

Equipment:

• Reinforced Duraplast armour.
• Vibroblades, Scimitars.
• Vibrodaggers.
• Power lances.
• Shatterguns, Disruptor pistols, Sonic Disruptor, Flechette Pistols. A280-CFE blaster.
• Verpine sniper rifles.
• Energy bows.
• Disruptor rifles, Firelance blaster rifle, Flechette Launchers or automatic Slugthrowers.
• T-21 repeating blaster.
• Grenade launchers.
• Wrist rocket launchers, wrist lasers.
• Knuckle plate vibroblade.
• Sonic imploders, thermal imploders, ABC scramblers, Smoke Grenades, Frag Grenades.
• Misc. gear such as medkits, rebreathers, personal sensors, lifeform scanners.
• Access to airspeeders, speeder bikes.

COMBAT INFORMATION

• Availability: Unique.
• Deployment: Minor.

Strengths & Weaknesses: The Dune Raiders are an idea fast attack unit. They can be considered a modernised form of cavalry, which reflects their origins. Their training and equipment makes them ideal for rapid strikes, sniping, picketing and scouting. They can also screen advancing allied forces and run down enemy scouts. Qadiri have a natural talent for navigation, which makes the Raiders good vehicle pilots. Their vehicles can also act as mobile assault platforms, as they come equipped with some light firepower.


However, they are ill-suited for pitched combat, taking on heavy armour or launching direct assaults on entrenched enemy forces. While their vehicles give them a high degree of mobility, they are also rather vulnerable to heavy weapons because they trade protection for speed. They could use guerilla tactics to engage armoured units in the manner the Rebel Alliance did during the Battle of Hoth centuries ago, but this is pretty variable and, as the high Rebel casualties in that engagement show, risk-intensive. If dismounted, the Dune Raiders can fight as light infantry. They are very capable in that area, as they make good skirmishers and snipers. But it will also make them vulnerable to the usual banes of infantry, namely air strikes, long range bombardment and so on. The Raiders have some gear that is effective against Force-users, such as flechette launchers, shatterguns and sonic weapons. But they lack preternatural powers themselves. They are well-adjusted to hot and humid environments, but less so to cold ones.


Description: The warlike Qadiri are almost as fond of Byzantine intrigue as their Eldorai cousins. Perhaps it is more apparent because they are a deeply fractured race. Throughout their history, there has been no central authority that could force all Qadiri to fall in line and obey. The Dune Raiders are a prduct of this. They are named after Jahira Jai Kazal. Unlike the majority of her minions, Jahira was not born an outcast, nomad or bandit. Instead she was the bastard daughter of a Qadiri nobleman, who had acquired a well-justified reputation for philandering and prodigious breeding. In addition to his trueborn children, he sired eight bastards. Being illegimate, they were denied the family name and could not inherit. But their father Ashkan claimed them as his, considering them useful agents that could serve his interests, without ever becoming a threat to him. He may have also felt some genuine affection for them.


Jahira was the daughter of a peasant girl. She was taken from her mother when she was very young. From an early age she displayed an aptitude for martial pursuits. The relations between her and the lady of the manor were poor, for Ashkan's wife understandably considered her husband's bastard spawn a threat to the inheritance of their legitimate children. The family were vassals of the Amikarese Empire, the largest Qadiri state on Tygara, and thus owed their allegiance to its ruler. However, Ashkan was an ambitious man, and this inevitably created resentment and jealousy.


When Semiramis became Shahbânu of the Amikarese Empire, the family found itself in an awkward position. The new ruler's ascent to the throne had been preceded by a brief civil war between her and her cousin Jaamini. Semiramis had been able to muster her allies and defeat the usurper, who was murdered by her surviving supporters. Disgusted by the betrayal, Semiramis had the murderers executed and gave her cousin a proper burial.


Ashkan had backed Jaamini, but realised the way the wind was blowing and bent the knee to the new ruler. However, one of Semiramis' ministers had been slighted by Ashkan, who had turned down an engagement between two of their children in favour of a more advantageous union with another house. So the minister convinced Semiramis that the unreliable vassal was plotting treason. It helped that the land Ashkan governed was rather rich and the Crown found itself in need of more gold. Moreover, the minister conspired with one of Jahira's siblings, promising her that she would be legitimised.


The trap was sprung. It was a brutal massacre. Most of the house was wiped out. Jahira, however, managed to escape, having noticed suspicious goings just before the bloodletting began. Injured and with only a few supporters, she escaped into the desert. Believed to be dead, she was actually found by nomads. At first, the outcasts wanted to sell their prize into slavery. But eventually she joined their ranks, proving her mettle when she took up arms during an unexpected ambush by a rival tribe . She had been taught to regard the outcasts as barbarians, but they shared common foes and her warrior spirit won her their respect. Eventually she became their leader, after passing several trials.


The Dune Raiders lived a nomadic existence, sustaining themselves through raids. They rode upon Yazgid, ferocious lizard mounts, and wielded spears, scimitars and primitive rifles. Jahira adapted well to their warrior culture, with its honour codes, superstitious beliefs and ruthlessness. However, they were not merely warriors, but also traders. Trade routes for gold, silver, spices and other goods ran through the desert they called home. To control them, they staged raids on other caravans and groups of herders. Honest trade and protection fees supplemented revenue gained from plundering. Some of their raids took them far into the heartland of the Amikarese Empire, though Jahira lacked the numbers to gain revenge on those who had betrayed her.


However, Semiramis was canny enough to make an alliance with Firemane when the star people discovered Tygara. She was a despot, but one who could guarantee order and who was open-minded about disposing with slavery. Thus the Amikarese soldiers were equipped with weapons that were advanced by Tygaran standards. A daring raid on a convoy turned into a rout when the Dune Raiders were faced by the Shahbânu's new model army, forcing them to retreat. Subsequent anti-banditry operations diminished their ranks, though the royalist soldiers could not pursue them far into the desert.


The Dune Raiders tried to make a deal with a gang of foreign pirates, but were betrayed. Several of their comrades were taken captive. Seeking refuge in an oasis so that they could regroup and free their comrades, the nomads ran into two Angelii. As chance would have it, Kaida Taldir and her student [member="Elincia Alanis"] had been training in the desert. An awkward standoff ensued. Kaida, icy as ever and disillusioned with the Eldorai Matriarchy, eventually agreed to help the nomads rescue their comrades, as the foreigners had been a nuisance for the Eldorai as well. Furthermore, she shared the desert rats' disdain for royals. The assault ended in success and the foreigners were butchered.


Having acquired modern weapons themselves, many of the Dune Raiders wanted to return to the old ways. However, Jahira was more cautious, realising that change had come to Tygara. She was proven right by the Great Exodus. The Eldorai and the native Tygaran races decided to evacuate the planet, which lacked a great power to protect it and was thus vulnerable to foreign invasion. However, the exodus was a tumultuous period for the fractious Qadiri, who warred amongst themselves. Jahira used the chaos to get revenge for the deaths in her family. The Dune Raiders were also reunited with Kaida, who by now had joined the Shadow Knights, a coalition of Eldorai rebels. Though Eldorai-centric, the group also welcomed Tygaran natives, considering them fellow Asurans.


Jahira and Kaida sniped at each other as much as before. But the Qadiri nomad leader was looking for a way to leave the planet, while the Angelii needed help with 'requisitioning' resources the departing aristos no longer needed. Thus the Dune Raiders got the chance to see the stars. The experience was quite shocking for them. Finding themselves adrift in an unfamiliar Galaxy they knew little of, they chose to join the Shadow Knights, whose nomadic life style and independent spirit suited them. Needless to say it took them time to adjust to this new reality. They also had to deal with racism, for though the Knights of Shadow regard themselves as progressive, many Eldorai still look down on their cousins. Their history as criminal elements also caused issues. Some Raiders left, seeking their fortunes elsewhere, but a hard core led by Jahira remained.


The modern-day Dune Raiders have reluctantly substituted their Yazgid mounts with speeders. While many mourn the abandonment of tradition, they have found that modern bikes and airspeeders very useful for hit and run attacks, skirmishes and sniping. They still make use of their lizard mounts in certain situations. Being light infantry, they are very mobile. This makes them well-suited for scouting, surprise attacks and sniping. They can also fight as dismounted cavalry. They are excellent at blending into cover and opening fire in such a way as to pin down and stall an enemy. Their background also makes them good scouts and trackers. Because ammunition is precious and they never had a lot of it in the desert, their training emphasises aimed fire over blazing fire.


They also use their speeders as mobile assault platforms. Power lances are utilised for mounted combat aboard speeder bikes and are effective against infantry and thick vehicle armour. However, their speeders are vulnerable to heavy weapons, the cannon of a tank or walker. They are also ill-suited for direct attacks on heavy fortifications. They have replaced their archaic musquets and bolt action rifles with modern blasters and slugthrowers. Shatterguns are particularly popular, as they combine high penetration power with precision. The Raiders also maintain the Qadiri's proud tradition of archery. Before First Contact, a bow was the greatest weapon for an individual Qadiri soldier. A prospective member of the Amikarese Imperial Guard was required to be able to hit a coin with a single arrow at 100 paces. The Raiders were pleased when they discovered that the outsiders had built advanced bows, such as energy bows.


Unsurprisingly, the Dune Raiders have no qualms about using weapons such as disruptors, since they do not care about 'arbitrary laws'. The Raiders also receive extensive training in the use of melee weapons. However, they only have a few heavy weapons, which makes them ill-suited at taking out platoons of heavy armour. The Dune Raiders are well-adjusted to operating in desert environments or otherwise under conditions of extreme heat. This also makes them less effective in extreme cold.


Certain disciplinary issues also exist because the Dune Raiders have a penchant for plundering. This has caused tension, especially since the Shadow Knights seek to gain recognition as a legitimate pan-Eldorai government and, ideally, supplant the Eldorai Matriarchy. The fractious nature of the coalition is one of many roadblocks. Thus care must be taken when it comes to deploying these warriors.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Thoughts re Exemplars:


Kaida's Shadow Angelii unit. Size of a Great Company. Unique Availability, Limited Deployment?


Skilled in boarding operations since Shadows are spacefaring. Access to boarding pods and armoured spacesuits. Also good at fast attacks. Offensive spirit. More combat pragmatism, less about nobly fighting in bright armour.


Allow men to join. But there's a good deal of discrimination. Kaida wanted gender-segregated units, but they lack the numbers and most men don't have the training. Probably no male officers.


No separate teams for different elemental specialisations - too few people for that. Hard core of the unit is composed of ex-Angelii. Some left the Angelii during the Exodus and stayed behind on Kaeshana, others may have joined Kaida when she left because they served under her back in her old unit. Plus a bunch of younger soldiers recruited from among the Forsaken.


Better equipment than common grunts. Discipline is tight because Kaida. Flogging and caning used to punish wrongdoers. Members of the Eldorai subraces are allowed to join the ranks. A few may even be officers because Kaida doesn't discriminate people on racial grounds.

• Should they have any Force powers not common to Angelii?
• Political Commissars?
• Would any of them have lightsabres?

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Maybe throw in some healers directly rather than have separate units like the Angelii did.
No Commissars, Kaida wouldn't want that at all.
No, just Sarixi. Lightsabres aren't available beyond semi-unique anyway.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

1. Or I could mention Force shield and stuff. Though that may just fall under TK and thus be a wasted slot.

2. No, Kaida wouldn't want that. But she's not supreme commander or Grand Seraph.

So if the higherups want Commissars, she'd either have to obey or desert again. But on balance she'd probably do the latter. After shooting the commissar.


3. They're available for more than semi-unique. I've seen unit subs that definitely weren't semi-unique use them (including Rare Availability ones!). That said, I doubt the Eldorai would have many of them. Probably only for officers at most. So they may not be appropriate.

Force imbued blades is also an option.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

• I think it falls under TK.
• I think it'd be highly hypocritical of the Shadows to employ the very tools they revolt against. Having said that, it's never stopped rebels and revolutionaries before. I'd suggest not though.
• Lightsabres would be in very short supply as these are rebel Eldorai...who never had that many of them to start with. Sarixi are much more available and reasonable.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


1. Ok. That's convenient. I mean...I can always say TK shield. Or write stuff about terramancy.

2. That's fair.

3. Point. What about Force imbued blades? We did say the elf races have those.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Sure they have have Force imbued, but they're not any better than Sarixi, in many cases worse because they lack the cutting power. What FI blades have is the ability to be enchanted, but that's on an individual basis not suitable for a unit.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

1.

Ok. Makes sense.


I figure I'll give them some portable grenade launchers plus light repeating blasters for some heavier fire support. But no rotary cannons or anti-tank missile launchers?


2. Thinking about subbing another elemental artillery unit. Already made a Qadiri one that specialises in fire and air.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
A rotary blaster cannon would be fine too, that's not too much of a heavy weapon, but maybe one per squad max. Otherwise sounds good.

"The Desert Storms"?

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


1. Which armour: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/85302-sentinel-battle-armour/

http://starwarsrp.net/topic/124909-cuaeris-armour-mk2/


It's not a question of availability, since realistically they'd have no trouble getting access to either. Question is which is better here. The vibe I get is that the Cuaeris Mk2 is underpowered...in the light of the stuff that apparently gets approved in the Factory.

2.


Thoughts on an elemental long-rage/artillery unit using ice/water and air?

And a defensive one utilising terramancy?


Also for whom each should be made.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Spoiler

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Add some flavour to Firemane's forces. Expand on the Vashyada.
• Image Credit: Here. Mirkwood Scout. By JLazarusEB.
• Role: Force support unit for Firemane troops.
• Links: Vashyada, Firemane, Tygara, Four of a kind.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Circle of Yarkul
• Affiliation: Siobhan Kerrigan, Vashyada, Firemane, House Kerrigan-Alcori.
• Classification: Infantry, support unit.
• Equipment:
  Spectre Scout Armour (storefront request here, permission here). Comlink has an encryption device (available for Firemane per this thread). Wear earpiece communicators with built-in translators.
• Taegis Battle Shield
• Vibroblades, vibro tomahawks, vibro javelins/spears.
• Vibrodaggers.
• Energy bow. Bobcaster. Bowcasters.
• Blaster/sonic pistols, shatterguns.
• ACS-207 Aerosolblaster (purchase request here, approved here)
• Smoke, gas, concussion, ion and adhesive grenades.
• Force-focusing visors

COMBAT INFORMATION

• Availability: Unique
• Deployment: Minor

Strengths & Weaknesses: The Circle of Yarkul are essentially modern-day Druids, with the Force skills of an Initiate or Spellweaver. They specialise in the element of earth, plant surge, healing and animal friendship. They can use basic telepathy, though not over long distances. Their aptitude for terramancy can be used offensively and defensively, as Earth Shaping is great for confusing or hammering attackers, creating furrows and erecting barriers. However, complex applications require time and focus. Unsurprisingly, they are at their strongest in forests, mountaienous areas and the like, as this represents the Vashyada's natural habitat. While they have no cloaking devices, their suits make them extremely difficult to pick up on sensors and the wood elves have a knack for sneaking. They can use shields to protect themselves and are good, precise shots.


However, they lack heavy conventional firepower in form of squad automatic weapons, rotary cannons, grenade launchers and anti-tank weapons. Thus their conventional arsenal is a bit minimalist. Bowcasters hit harder and are more accurate than blasters, but have a lower firing rate. While terramancy can be useful against vehicles lack of heavy conventional firepower can put the Druids at a disadvantage, especially in open terrain, where they would be very exposed and their powers would have less to work with. Plant surge is a potent ability, but dependent on terrain, as you need something to work with. Moreover, long range bombardment can be a threat to them, as they lack effective means to counter it on their own.


Their numbers are also low, which limits how many of the Druids can be deployed in any given area. Thus they are unsuited to lead a charge or fight a pitched battle on their own. They are best paired with conventional units that can make up for their shortcomings, while the Circle provides support. They would also be weakened by ysalamiri fields, as they would lose their greatest asset if deprived of the Force. They use vibroweapons in melee combat. These are good and well-maintained, but obviously inferior to lightsabres.


Description:


Of all the Eldorai subraces, the Vashyada have the deepest connection to nature. Having dwelt in the vast, dangerous forests of Yarkul for centuries, they are a hardy, tough people. Unlike their cousins, they are the least inclined to bloodletting and warring amongst themselves. Their isolation prevented them from developing advanced technology and so they are fairly primitive.


However, this does not make them savages. Far from it. Rather they adapted very well to their environment and learned to use it to their advantage. Both the Qadiri and the Xioquo as well as foreign slavers discovered to their peril that the Vashyada are far from helpless, for the wood elves repelled many incursions into their territory. In some ways, the Vashyada are more pragmatic than their more 'developed' cousins, not the least due to the stabilising influence of the primeval elf Tylania, who has served as their guide throughout the centuries. Many of their Force-users are skilled healers, illusionists and earth mages. Leaving aside its obvious battlefield applications, the latter also helps build settlements and make plants grow.


The colonisation of Tygara by the Eldorai and Firemane, however brief it might have been in the greater scheme of things, had a profound effect on all races, including the Vashyada. Force visions had told Tylania that one day outsiders would visit her people and she had taken steps to prepare them for this day. Fortunately, the first contact was peaceful and the Lady Kerrigan and Tylania managed to establish a cordial working relationship.


Some Vashyada grew curious about the outside world and ventured from their forest. Some found their way into Firemane's scout corps, where they could put their skills as trackers, snipers and guerilla fighters to good use. Others remained independent, wishing to explore the stars on their own terms without being beholden to foreigners. Eventually the leaders of Tygara grew concerned about outside threats, for the planet lacked a great power to protect it after the Silver Sanctum Coalition's dissolution. At the instigation of Tylania, a summit was convened, where it was decided that the planet would be evacuated. The elves would be transported aboard Firemane-maintained space habitats and worldships.


In the process the Vashyada forged a closer partnership with Firemane. Though lacking in numbers and resources, the wood elves had a few things they could offer House Kerrigan-Alcori, such as healers, skilled illusionists, scouts and even some precious metals and crystals. For its part Firemane would be able to give the Vashyada the tools to uplift themselves on their terms. One of the fruits of this partnership was the Circle of Yarkul. Tylania helped select some of the best 'Druids' among her people. They could serve two purposes: Outside of the battlefield, they could be an asset by using their powers to help grow plants and agricultural products aboard the habitats. On the battlefield, they could be a valuable support force.


The Circle is composed of Force-sensitive Vashyada. It is not a frontline unit, but a good support force. It is best paired with units of conventional soldiers or Force-users who can attack the enemy head-on. Its members possess a natural affinity for shaping and manipulating the Earth. Their abilities in this field can be compared to that of Earth Shapers. It is great to confuse, impede and, depending on the situation, bombard attackers. Terramancy is also useful for creating obstructions and improvised fortifications, as there is less need to dig trenches and build walls when you can make them. It is also easier to cause a cave-in. Thereby they can perform duties similar to those of combat engineers.


Like many Vashyada Force-users, they also have an affinity for animals and plants. They can also call upon the power of the Light to heal their own injuries and those of their comrades. While the Vashyada understand the power of modern technology, they are reluctant to fully abandon their old designs. So the members of the Circle prefer modernised bows to blaster rifles and slugthrowers. Thus they have adapted upgraded bowcasters. They received training in their use from Wookiees employed by their patron. During training the Vashyada realised that they some common ground with the natives of Kashyyyk. Wookiees are, on average, a hard-working, honourable people with an affinity for nature and hunting. While they may seem primitive on first sight, they actually understand tech quite well, but just use the parts necessary for them.


The position of the Vashyada warriors differs slightly from that the Xioquo and Qadiri in Siobhan's services. The Xioquo were liberated from darkside despots by Siobhan, who also slew their bloodthirsty demigoddess Mystra with the help of her allies. While Firemane pursued a policy of accommodation with most Qadiri rulers, it was instrumental in the abolition of slavery and provided opportunities and education for many freed slaves. It also helped both races reach the stars. This was a religious experience for several members of both races, spawning cults such as the Cataphracts of the Ascending Phoenix and the Daughters of the Destroyer.


By contrast, the Vashyada are not 'indebted' in the same way. While they gained access to modern tech, vaccination against diseases and were able to leave Tygara thanks to Firemane, this was the result of negotiations where both sides brought something to the table. Firemane soldiers never fought the Vashyada. Moreover, the wood elves still have a guide called Tylania, who, from their point of view, is partly divine. She is also respected by Siobhan. As a result the members of the Circle are more independent and, while loyal, do not manifest unquestioning obedience. Paradoxically, although the Vashyada are the most primitive among the Eldorai family of races, their relationship with House Kerrigan-Alcori is the most 'equal'. The members of the Circle still tend to practice the Vashyada's polytheistic faith and revere the forces of nature.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

Spoiler

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Give Kaida a unit to command since her old one is no longer under her command due to IC events.
• Image Credit: Here. 'Knight-Lord Nystiri Ash'mare'. By InaWong.
• Role: Elite infantry.
• Links: Angelii, Eldorai, Qadiri, Vashyada, Xioquo, Valora's Chosen.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Exemplars.
• Affiliation: Shadow Knights, Kaida Taldir.
• Classification: Force warriors, infantry.

Equipment:

• Seraphim Assault Armour or Cusaeris Mk3 Armour.
• Verpine prototype shield.
• Taegis battle shield. Or Aliit'Ordo Litnr (received OOC permission from Draco Vereen to use, tagging him so he can confirm with a like)
• Sarix Mk2 or Sarzmigar Mk2.
• Vibroknife. Vibrobayonets.
• DC-17 ICWS, flechette launchers, Mk1 bolters (including APEB Rounds), or magnetic repeaters.
• A280 CFE, hard sounds guns, shatterguns or Cylix bolt pistol.
• T21 light repeating blasters: Squad support weapon. Used by automatic rifle(wo)man.
• Limited: Deathstrike missile launcher. Rotary Cannon: Both weapons are limited to heavy weapons specialists. A squad has two heavy weapons of either launcher or rotary cannon or one of each.
• Wrist rocket launchers, wrist lasers.
• Knuckle plate vibroblade.
• Misc equipment such as lifeform scanners, medkits, individual field disruptors, Force-focusing visors.
• Access to armoured spacesuits for boarding operations.
• 
  When boarding a ship, station or facing a ground installation: Sapper Charge or a 53-R High Yield Thermite Explosive. Plasma disruptors.
  
• Sonic imploders, thermal imploders, EMP grenades, smoke grenades, frag grenades, Dampener aerosol grenades.

COMBAT INFORMATION

• Availability: Unique.
• Deployment: Limited

Strengths & Weaknesses: The Exemplars are a crack unit of elite infantry. They are composed of Initiate and Spellweaver level Force-users, who specialise in elemental abilities (fire, ice, earth and air/lightning), as well as offensive and defensive telekinesis. Their medics have basic skills in Force healing, enabling them to heal injuries, though extremely serious ones will have to be left for medical specialists in a hospital away from the battlefield. The Exemplars are characterised by high morale, discipline under fire and zeal. However, they have only a few heavy weapons and lack heavy combat vehicles. This can put them at a disadvantage when confronted by heavy armour or heavy fortifications, despite their preternatural powers. Being infantry, they are vulnerable to long range bombardment, such as artillery and air strikes. They have a few portable missile launchers and can use elemental skills, such as manipulating the wind, to counter attacking aircraft to an extent, but this is quite variable.


The unit is also fairly small, which limits how many of the warriors can appear on the battlefield at any given time. Thus enemy forces that are unable to match them on a one-on-one basis could overwhelm them through sheer force of numbers as attrition sets in. Battle shields can provide protection in a pitched fight, but a shield wall is also rather slow-moving, vulnerable to flanking attacks and bombardment. It also cannot stop turbolasers, missiles and so on. They may be able to strike hard and establish a bridgehead in enemy territory, but would require support to hold it and exploit this gain, especially over a prolonged period. While the Exemplars train extensively in the use of conventional weapons and tactics, losing the Force means being deprived of their biggest asset. Thus they can be at a disadvantage if forced to engage enemies who utilise ysalamiri or devices that negate the Force. Most of the soldiers in the unit are Eldorai. Members of this race are more agile and dexterous than humans, but on average physically weaker and possess a lower pain threshold.


Description:

For more than three decades, Kaida served the Eldorai Matriarchy as an Angelii. The Angelii are a curious mix of Holy Order, Imperial Knight and Priestess. Formed many centuries before during the early days of the Eldorai Matriarchy as a bodyguard for the Star Queen, the Angelii have retained a vital place in Eldorai society to this day. The Queen who formed the Angelii is unknown, but it was definitely in place by Esterlea II (r. 1878-1714BBY) as she was sent off to them by her mother. Historical consensus places the creation in the hands of the very first Star Queen Tassaria I, who needed shocktroops to unite the Eldorai and defeat the Kar’zun.


Over time the Angelii moved from the informal retainers of the Star Queen to be the bodyguards, pre-eminent shock troops and prestige posting for all Eldorai. At times, especially during the Time of Troubles, their power became almost too strong when they crowned and dethroned Queens. The later dynasties until the present saw this and broke the power of the Angelii, distributing them in small groups so they could not use their combined strength to plot again. The Angelii are entirely Force users, or as the Eldorai call them, Sciians. Sciia is also the Eldorai word for soul. To the Eldorai, it is the inner flame a select few can tap into, not an omnipresent energy field. All Eldorai who exhibit Force sensitivity are taken for standardised training so they can control their abilities and/or be allocated to jobs which suit them. The best, the ones with the most powerful of abilities and the strongest, are sent to the Angelii. The catch is that all Angelii are female, another concession to the somewhat backward gender policies of the Eldorai.


Kaida rose to become the commander of the prestigious Valora's Chosen Great Company. This unit had earned itself a place in the Angelii annals with a heroic last stand against the Kar'zun centuries ago during the Battle of Thermiscyra. The laconic frost elf reached the rank of High Captain, which is the Eldorai equivalent of Colonel. However, over time she became disillusioned with the Matriarchy. She came to view as corrupt, backward and dependent on foreign support. So she recanted her vows and defected to the Shadow Knights. These were a group of Eldorai renegades who had been originally formed to protect the Forsaken of Kaeshana, but now strove to build a new future for the Eldorai unbound by the three pillars of crown, nobility and temple.


Inevitably Kaida gravitated towards a military role. For you can take the ice lady out of the Angelii, but not the Angelii out of the ice lady. Eventually she was given permission to form a new unit, after proving herself to the Shadows on many missions. It was not an easy road, for the Shadows lacked the resources of the Matriarchy. A lot of their stuff had to be acquired through raids. They were also more than a little fractured, being an ideologically diverse coalition of rebels. However, some of Kaida's battle sisters had decided to join their former commander. Though lacking in charisma, Kaida had won the rank and file's respect with her bravery and competence. Many of the younger recruits were Forsaken, as the Eldorai who had been left behind on Kaeshana during the Great Exodus called themselves.


The new unit was called the Exemplars. This probably says quite a bit about Kaida's ambition, for she intends the unit to become an example to the free Eldorai forces. Whether this lofty goal will be achieved is another question. She's certainly doing her best to try and make them a model in discipline, for she happens to be a strong supporter of regular, intense drills and corporal punishment. Like the Angelii they are elite shock infantry. However, they swear an oath on the Shadow Knight constitution, not to the Queen and the Goddess. Their duty is to the people, not a monarch. This is in accordance with the renegades' principles. While the Shadow Knight Archon has extensive powers, she is an elected dictator, not a theocratic monarch. The Shadow Knights promote the concept of the citizen-soldier. In the society they envisage, the rights of a full citizen, to vote and hold public office must be earned through military service. This obviously makes service in an elite unit a good way of winning public support.


Different oaths are not the only thing that separates the Exemplars from a traditional Angelii unit. They have taken the hitherto unthinkable step of allowing men to join their ranks. It should be noted that this was contrary to Kaida's wishes. While the ice lady is pragmatic and radical in many ways, she is unusually conservative in others. In her opinion, men are undisciplined and overemotional. Integrated units would undermine unit cohesion and promote divisiveness. Thus she demanded that units be gender segregated, but integrated at command levels. However, her concerns were brushed aside by her boss, Yseult Faerin, because they did not have the numbers and most men did not have the training to form an independent unit. The Masculine Anti-Defamation League called this a victory in the battle for gender equality in the military. When a representative of the League showed up at the barracks to give a speech, Kaida is said to have threatened to beat him with a cane unless he left. The threat may be apocryphal, but it's certain that he left with haste. Men are still outnumbered by women and the Exemplars have no male members in leadership positions. Integration has caused some issues though. When allegations of abuse came to light, Kaida was forced to investigate. While unapologetically sexist, she is extremely lawful neutral and obsessed with discipline. So rather than being given a slap on the wrist, a group of female soldiers accused of abusing their 'battle brothers' were punished harshly. Kaida was extremely irritated when the press caught wind of the incident. One wonders what irritated her more: the articles that approved of her conduct or those that did not.


Kaida's present adjutant is a male Xioquo called Iae'Vraz. Their relationship was quite poor at first. She eventually came to appreciate him after she realised he was actually useful. His precedessor was a female Eldorai who was just as sexist as Kaida. But she was sloppy and committed the unforgivable sin of not writing out her boss' orders clearly. Kaida's new assistant is a lot more reliable. One might note that, even by Eldorai standards, Xioquo society is extremely misandrist.


The Exemplars have made a contribution to 'uniting the Asurans' by opening their ranks to members of the Eldorai subraces, the Qadiri, Xioquo and Vashyada. This is in keeping with Kaida's own beliefs. Back in the Angelii she trained Qadiri and Xioquo Sepoys and came to the belief that they should be given a chance to serve on equal terms. This was also motivated by her belief that this would help the Eldorai's 'cousins' overcome their 'backwardness'. The unit even has a few non-commissioned officers and junior officers promoted from the ranks of the 'cousins'. Qadiri or Xioquo are a good deal easier to attract because their fighting style meshes more with that of the Eldorai, whereas the Vashyada are unused to a regimented style of fighting and prefer more irregular methods. Ironically, in a weird way Kaida appreciates the Vashyada the most. They may the least advanced, but this was through no fault of their own and they're the least pretentious. They also lack most of the cultural deadweights that hold the other elf races back and have a strong sense of community. The mingling of the races has produced some problems, not the least due to past history of animosity. Thus Kaida has reintroduced some punishments that the Angelii abolished. However, while she is very stern, she is also fair and judges non-Eldorai and Eldorai Exemplars on the same terms, promoting on merit.


The Exemplars do not have Political Commissars because this was one of the institutions in the Eldorai royal army that Kaida despised the most. While some Commissars were inspirational figures who showed genuine bravery and faced the same risks as the soldiers, many were meddlesome political appointees who often abused their authority. They also tended to be clerics in the Angelii corps, and Kaida happens to be an atheist. Nonetheless, training still includes political indoctrination courses. These seek to foster a spirit of pan-Asuran nationalism. Unity stands for the creation of a pan-Asuran nation. No matter their differences in traditions, colour or creed, all Asurans share the same blood. After being divided for millennia, they must band together to survive in a hostile Galaxy and create a new civilisation based on merit, unity, liberty, discipline and justice. One might note that liberty does not refer to liberal democracy, but rather freedom from foreign dominance, colonialism, enslavement or monarchist oppression. It also means freedom of speech and consciousness. Eldorai republicanism is still very hierarchial. How many of these principles are fulfilled in practice is obviously another question. Despite their lofty ideals, racism, factional and ideological strife remain issues in the Shadow Knight movement. Kaida, whose fixation on discipline is only matched by her disdain for politicians and intrigue, has done her utmost to keep the unit free of factional strife.


Regardless of their race or gender, all Exemplars undergoing gruelling physical training and mental conditioning to shape them into soldiers. This includes training to use their powers in battle. This means elemental abilities primarily, as they are the most common Eldorai Force skills. A traditional Angelii unit would try to have the different elements combined either together or in complimenting groups where possible. For instance, all pyromancers would be in one group, perhaps complimented by the cryomancers. However, Kaida does not have the numbers to do the same, so they are integrated altogether. This streamlining has its drawbacks, but also promotes teamwork. Service in the Exemplars is for 28 years, after which an elf can elect to continue or return to normal life. Those who resign are eligible to emergency call-up though and undergo regular training to keep their abilities honed.


In contrast to the Angelii, Exemplar training places a greater emphasis on zero-G combat, boarding and counterboarding operations. This is not mere vanity, though. Rather it is a necessity because the Shadow Knights are a spacefaring people, focused on protecting a rag-tag, nomadic fleet. The Exemplars' zeal, elan and training makes them good shock troops. As with the Angelii, the concepts of teamwork, unity and comradeship are of vital importance to the Exemplars. By contrast, lone wolf actions are frowned upon. Their primary melee weapons, the new Sarix and Sarzmigar, are more advanced variants of traditional Eldorai weapons. By now these have become standard for Eldorai elite troops. Though obviously meant for loyalist Eldorai soldiers, enough of these weapons found themselves in the hands of the rebels, be it through cases of desertion or outright theft, for them to equip their elite units. Sarixi can be compared to energy swords.


In direct combat the Exemplars operate on the basis of a buddy system. Generally two Exemplars with complimenting but divergent skill sets are paired together. Like the traditional Angelii, the Exemplars can form a shield wall to protect themselves in open areas that lack adequate cover. However, their formation is more flexible in pitched melee combat. When the first line finds itself exhausted by melee combat, it gives way to fresh soldiers from the second, who, passing through it gradually, press forward one by one, or in single file, and work their way into the fight in the same way. Meanwhile the tired soldiers of the original first line, when sufficiently rested, reform and re-enter the fight or use ranged techniques in support. Overall combat pragmatism and ambushes are emphasised over fighting nobly on the battlefield.


The Exemplars have acquired a reputation for ruthlessness, especially against enemies they consider particularly inimical to the Free Eldorai. Kaida feels intense animus against imperialists, slavers, traitorous Eldorai and monarchists. Slavers who are taken captive rather than being killed on sight tend to be tortured and/or vented into space. This does not cause issues among Eldorai per se, as taking a hardline stance on what they consider to be 'law and order' is one of their hats, but outsiders may take the opposite view and see such an approach as cruel. Ever since their foundation, the Exemplars have been active protecting free Eldorai against external threats, such as pirates and ferocious Kraal war bands. They have also gone on raids to acquire materiels, ships or tech the Shadow Knights require.


Closer to home, the Exemplars played a leading role in the suppression of the so-called Conspiracy of Equals. This was a failed coup led by Cecade Mallon, who sought to overthrow the Shadow Knight council and replace it with an egalitarian and socialist republic. When the radicals tried to take control over the nomad fleet and bring about the 'Second Revolution'. the Exemplars were deployed as the tip of the spear to eliminate them. They proved their mettle during an intense boarding operation to reclaim a warship that had fallen in the grasp of mutineers and keep them from annihilating so-called 'class enemies'. Mallon was captured and executed. Her body was vented into the cold void of space after the sentence had been carried out. When the Eldorai Matriarchy evacuated Tygara, the Exemplars were among those rebel units dispatched to secure resources the ancien régime no longer needed and help comrades and sympathisers leave the planet.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Spoiler

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Codify an organisation that has been part of Firemane for a while.
• ​Image Credit: Here. Phoenix Symbol. By SGTsanttu.
• ​Links: Interview Log 003: The Fires of Progress,
• Company Submission: N/A.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Organization Name: Order of Fire
• Classification: Force Order
• Loyalties: House Kerrigan-Alcori, Siobhan Kerrigan, Tegaea Alcori, Firemane.
• Organization Symbol: See above.
• Description: The Order of Fire is a martial order that was created to organise, train and guide the cadre of Forcewielders employed by the megacorporation Firemane Industries. The Fire Order draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including the the Angelii, Imperial Knights, Grey Jedi and Dark Jedi. They are a small, elite group. What they lack in numbers they compensate with discipline, dedication and training. Force magi who belong to the Order are employed, paid and supported by Firemane. The order sees itself as a familial group and fiercely protects its interests and members. Members of the Order can be active in various branches of Firemane, such as the medical corps, the humanitarian organisation Firedawn, Exploration Corps, the intelligence service and combat forces. The Order answers to Lady Siobhan Kerrigan, who acts as overall leader.

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

• Headquarters: Arx Aeternae.
• Realm:
  [HQ]: Arx Aeternea
• Firemane locations.

[*]Domain: The Order of Fire does not claim dominion over any territory. However, while it does not exercise rulership, it has influence in the areas Firemane operates in. These tend to be fringe worlds on the rim. Examples would be Arkas, Dahomey and - until the Second Exodus - Tygara. In areas where law enforcement is weak or ineffective, the Order has assumed a policing function. However, it strives to build up a cooperative relationship with the local populace. While this lofty ideal is not always fulfilled, Order members are encouraged to familiarise themselves with local customs so that they are not seen as an alien presence. This also helps with attracting recruits. The Order maintains its headquarters on the Arx, a space station that serves as a hub for all Firemane operations.
[*]Notable Assets: Not in the sense of owning industrial facilities and so on. The Order has access to Firemane bases and stations, but these are corporate property. However, a few frigates, corvettes and cruisers have been assigned to the Order's use. These vessels are crewed by Firemane naval personnel.

SOCIAL INFORMATION

Hierarchy: The Fire Order serves as the Force using arm of Firemane. It is not a separate entity, but closely tied to the mother corporation. Lady Siobhan Kerrigan is both Grandmistress of the Order and CEO of Firemane Industries. She also has the power to appoint her own successor. Hence both are really the same beast. This means that members of the Order are also corporate employees, with all the benefits and duties that come with this. Unlike the typical Jedi or Sith sect, the Order of Fire does not have a Council of Masters. Rather it is organised along military lines and integrated directly into the corporation. This makes its internal structure rather authoritarian. The ranks of the Order, from highest to lowest, are as follows:

• Grandmaster or Grandmistress
• Master or Mistress
• Templar
• Acolyte
• Neophyte.

For idiosyncratic reasons, some female Masters prefer the term Mistress, but both forms of address are considered valid. Presently Firemane's CEO and the Grandmistress are the same person, but it is doubtful that this will always be the case. Siobhan is the only Order member who sits on the Board of Control, as Firemane's ruling group is called. It can be assumed that her successor as head of the corporation will be chosen by her from the board members and that one of the Order's senior officers will in turn take her place as leader of the Order. While there is no council, the Grandmistress does have a small circle she relies upon to help steer the organisation. After all, she's also a corporate magnate and dealing with day-to-day business matters takes up a lot of her time. Colonel Varkathras, a Cathar Force Master, is the senior Order of Fire officer after Kerrigan. Major Tempest, a Dahomian warrior and Force Master, commands many of the field operations.


Many members of the Order belong to Firemane's military. Firemane has elected not to emulate the Jedi Generals of the Clone Wars. Instead it maintains a dual ranking system. Thus being a Master of the Order does not make one a senior officer in the army, unless one has earned it. Instead an Acolyte starts with no military rank, as it has to be earned. Upon receiving appropriate training, the Fire Adept will start at the lowest commissioned officer rank, Lieutenant, and be paired with a senior NCO who shows them the ropes, so to speak. This is similar to how in any conventional military, a young, green lieutenant fresh out of officer school is expected to listen to the older, more experienced Sergeant, who actually knows how things work on a battlefield. Members of the Order are expected to follow the orders of their superiors, no matter whether they're Force-users or not.


For instance, Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori is a Master of the Force, but has no command experience. She is currently an Officer Cadet with the brevet rank of Second Lieutenant, which indicates her training wheels status. As she does not have a commission, she is not saluted. By contrast, Mistress Tempest worked her way up to Major and is now a senior field officer in Firemane's ground forces. However, she cannot countermand a general's orders. She uses her military rank when interacting with soldiers. This is a general rule, as it makes everyone's place in the chain of command transparent.

• Membership: The Order of Fire is a branch of a megacorporation, so joining the organisation is quite similar to applying for a job in a business entity. The prospective candidate can send a holomail or apply in person by appearing at a Firemane facility or recruitment station. Assuming they are taken into consideration, they will be invited to an interview. They undergo mental and physical aptitude tests to gauge their skill level. Apprentices in need of training will be assigned a trainer, while more experienced Force-users are given roles that fit their skills and rank. Of course, the Order of Fire also does plenty of on the spot recruiting during missions. Likewise Firemane soldiers or civilian employees who manifest Force-Sensitivity are inducted into the Order. The Order of Fire does not conscript infants, considering separating little children from their families to be unethical. Apart from that, it would probably also generate negative PR for the parent corporation. Like among the Jedi, Sith and many other Force cults, constructing a lightsabre is a rite of passage for a Fire acolyte. Several specialised units of the Order of Fire are attached to the Firemane military. These include healers, elemental mages and specialised support units. Examples are as follows:
  Circle of Yarkul
• Order of Fire Silencers
• Coven of Tlaxqui
• Order of Fire Hospitallers
• Tecuanimeh

[*]Influence: The Order does not rule territory or claim stakes, but is influential on the worlds Firemane has bases on, as well as on the corporate space stations and city-ships. In the broader sense it wields influence through the people it has aided and uplifted. Several people on worlds such as Dahomey, Tygara, Arkas and elsewhere could realise their potential thanks to the Order.
[*]Climate: The Order strives to present an image of professionalism and sophistication. The environment can be compared to that of a corporate paramilitary. The order takes care of its members, but has high expectations of them. Members are encouraged to involve themselves with local communities and mingle with Force-blind Firemane employees, rather than being aloof space wizards. This is supposed to foster trust and enhance cohesion. Initiative, self-reliance and responsibility are valued traits. Order members receive monthly remuneration from Firemane in return for their services. The pay is on a sliding scale based on experience, rank, reward and so on. In addition, members receive a generous benefits package, including comprehensive health coverage, a retirement plan, day care and educational opportunities for both employees and their children. Of course, members are expected to give a lot in return. Firemane is a corporation, so it hires those who can advance its goals. Order members must have a good work ethic, be self-reliant and mobile. While not every member has a military role, the Order is permeated by a martial spirit. This climate makes it a poor fit for pacifistic types. In terms of attire, Fire Order members receive robes commonly coloured in red, yellows and orange. As a fire rises in temperature, so do the colours change. The hotter (and thus more powerful) you get, the lighter your colours. This is reflected in the robes. However, robes are often only worn on ceremonial occasions or when the Forcewielders are amongst themselves. Knights of Fire who serve in the military would wear uniform while on duty and armour on the battlefield. Even an Order member serving in a non-military capacity is more likely to spend a lot of their time wearing something other than robes, such as a uniform, suit or exploration attire.
[*]Reputation: The Order of Fire is tied to Firemane and House Kerrigan-Alcori. So it can be assumed that individuals who view these groups negatively are poorly disposed towards the Order and those with a favourable view will on average view it positively. Presumably it has a negative reputation among Sith and followers of the First Order due to opposing them in several battles. However, it has cultivated a positive reputation among those who have been aided by Firemane, such as natives from Dahomey and Arkas and many elves, especially Tygarans. Its staunch opposition to Sith, slavers and the like tends to give it a good name among those who take a more militant stance. Orthodox Jedi would probably view the group with distrust because it is led by a Dark Jedi and has Dark Force-users among its rank and file.
[*]Rules: The Order's rules, in a nutshell, are as follows:

• 
  Obedience to lawful authority.
  
• Respect for others at all levels.
• Personal discipline and resolve.
• No mercy to traitors, slavers and enemies who refuse to yield.
• Sith are the enemy. Consorting with them is forbidden.

Doctrines:

The Order's beliefs differ from both Jedi and Sith. Jedi see the Force as a path to spiritual enlightenment and believe they must serve the Light Side, lest they be corrupted. Sith regard it as an instrument for conquest, believe in the supremacy of Force-users and that might makes right. An outsider might get the impression that members of the Order tread perilously close to the Dark Side or have succumbed to its allure. The Fire Order does not subscribe to the belief of Light or Dark determining your morality. These are sources of strength, that’s it. It seeks a middle way between the righteous but often aloof and ineffective Jedi and the aggressive and destructive Sith.


The Fire Order sees the Force as a tool for both individual empowerment and service. Members are encouraged to embrace their emotions instead of being afraid of them, but also at the same time taught discipline and self-control. Ideally, a member of the Order embodies the eye of the hurricane, sweeping all away before her but remaining the focal point of it instead of being blown away by the storm. Hence the Order of Fire teaches that one must balance calm and rage. Power is a means to an end, not an end in itself. To be a Knight is about taking control of your life with your own two hands and becoming the master of your own destiny. Fire can bring both warmth and destruction. It is warm, pleasant and welcoming in one go. But just as easily as the flames can warm you, they can also consume everything in their path. Using Dark Side powers is not seen as the path to damnation, as long as they are not employed to slaughter innocents or against allies of Firemane. However, certain applications of the Force are still prohibited. Examples would be raising the dead as zombies, transforming sentient beings into monstrosities etc. Most members have a rather secular, demystified understanding of the Force, but religious beliefs are permitted, unless their teachings contradict with Firemane's values. The Arx, where the Order has its headquarters, has several places of worship for various major faiths.


The principles of the Fire Order are that they obey their leaders and that there is a clear hierarchy which determines duties, rights and responsibilities. Members are not forced to become cloistered monks. Indeed, that sort of attitude is discouraged. The group seeks true order, serving the people practically while being integrated with them. Ideally a Knight finds a balance between her individual aspirations and the needs of the group. The Order is unyielding against its enemies and punishes betrayal harshly. However, it is equally a matter of principle to take care of its members. Its overall alignment is best categorised as Lawful Neutral. The group is deeply hostile towards Sith, and regards Jedi with scepticism.


That said, the Order's rhetoric about balance, while sincere, should not distract from the fact that it is the arm of a megacorporation. While Firemane has certain principles it adheres to very rigorously, it is obviously very interested in making a profit because that's what a business entity is all about. Thus the Order's member take their marching orders from Firemane's leaders and are expected to act in accordance with the corporation's interests. And the corporation does have an ruthless and aggressive side to it. Discipline is quite rigorous, like in a military or paramilitary organisation. Rather than regard blasters as 'crude, uncivilised weapons', the Order embraces technology.

• Goals:
  Fight against the forces of chaos and destruction
• Bring civilisation to remote corners of the Galaxy through discovery, education and emancipation
• Grow the influence and prestige of Firemane Industries
• Defend House Kerrigan-Alcori
• Offer independent Force-users a home and an alternative to the traditional orders

MEMBERS

• Siobhan Kerrigan
• Tempest
• Nima Tann
• Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori
• Leonina Varkathras
• Nyssa Vykaris
• Maiev
• Taryc Ap'Irae
• Karrigan'Xalda
• Sahal Jai Azal
• Adril Tythorin RIP (honorary Mistress of the Order)

HISTORICAL INFORMATION


The Order of Fire's is a very young organisation. Its history is intertwined with that of Siobhan Kerrigan. As a young refugee, Siobhan was saved from thugs on Nar Shaddaa by a female Eldorai called Adril Tythorin. Adril was a former slave who had been abducted by pirates from the Eldorai homeworld Kaeshana. Eventually she had managed to escape after unleashing her powers on her tormentors. Stowing away, she had ended up being taken in by the Jedi and trained in the ways of the Force.


However, though brave Adril was not a good Jedi. Adril’s career as a Jedi Knight need not detain us at length, but suffice to say she became more and more radical and and aggressive, virtually becoming a rogue in the days before it was cool and trendy. Into this mix she rescued Siobhan Kerrigan and made her a Padawan. Her training was rather unorthodox though, and became less about the Jedi and more about making Siobhan an apprentice in her own personal mould. Perhaps in those days both women suited each other well.


Though she tried, Siobhan never assimilated into the Jedi way of life. To her being a Jedi was largely about inflicting punishment on those who had wronged her, namely criminals, slavers and Sith. After many adventures, many heartbreaks and quite a lot of radical feminism, Adril and Siobhan met for a final time on Manaan. There they enjoyed a last happy time together before a bunch of cultists raised Cthulhu from the depths of the ocean. Adril, showing she had courage even in the face of certain death, sacrificed herself to destroy the beast. Heartbroken, Siobhan Kerrigan grew more sullen, cynical and critical of the Jedi Council.


Siobhan participated in the Republic takeover of Anaxes, joining Republic soldiers during an assault on a warlord base. She was contemptuous when she learned that several Jedi had elected to visit a Jedi enclave rather than participate in combat. Her time with the Jedi came to an end when a mission to negotiate the release of slaves went wrong and ended in fighting, with most of the Jedi negotiators dying. Siobhan defended herself and prevailed with the help of an Omega Pyre task force led by her friend, Tegaea Alcori. The Pyre was a new rising power in the western rim and Tegaea had recently become its second in command after a meeting with its enigmatic leader Cira. It did not take much persuasion for Siobhan to recant her Jedi vows and join the Pyre.


Here Siobhan was introduced to a different way of life. The Pyre was a paramilitary corporation. Force-users were integrated directly rather than being an aloof order of monks. Siobhan had always struggled with the dissonance between the fact that the Jedi Code cautioned against aggression and regarded violence as a last resort, yet the Jedi were often called upon to take up arms against menaces such as the Sith. She believed in taking direct action and had an aggressive, uncompromising spirit. The traits that made her a poor Jedi now turned into assets after she became a soldier. Siobha rose through the ranks, soon gaining a field command. As the Pyre evolved into the Omega Protectorate, she participated in many campaigns. She made a name for herself during the conflicts such as the First Battle of Roche, the Battle of Metalorn and the Bando Gora Campaign. For a while, she and Tegaea ruled the Protectorate as Lady Protector and Exarch.


However, after being near-fatally wounded by the Sith Assassin Kaelin Isandros, Tegaea had to step down from office. With Siobhan following shortly after, the pair withdrew to Kaeshana, where Tegaea recovered under the protection of the Eldorai Queen. The two soon founded a company called Firemane Industries. The history of the company need not concern us here. Suffice to say it grew from a retirement project to a megacorporation.


More pertinently it acquired a Force-using arm, the Order of Fire. The Order started as a rather informal association of Force-users employed by Firemane. Siobhan was a woman of action, not a philosopher or sage. However, though not the natural teacher type, she recognised the need to organise Force-Sensitives in her company somewhat. Training had to be standardised, knowledge shared, rules laid down and it had to be ensured that Force-Sensitive employees did not bring the company into disrepute by abusing their powers. The same applied to making sure that Firemane was not infiltrated by Force-users with hostile intent. Tempest, a former slave from Dahomey who had been rescued by a Pyre liberation force led by Tegaea and Siobhan, became her first student. Her homeworld would supply the Order with several Fire Adepts.


Other fringe Force-users found their way to the Order of Fire. These included Eldorai who found the orthodoxy of the Angelii and the Matriarchy too restrictive. Others were former Jedi, Witches, Tygaran elementalists or refugees from Atrisia's Force-User Purge. A Sith Pureblood was probably the most exotic recruit. As the order grew in size, it became clear that some form of formal structure was needed. Siobhan could also not give every recruit her personal attention because she'd become Firemane's de facto leader. Thus the order came into being. The proposal was not without detractors, as some Firemane officers and bureaucrats voiced concerns. With Tegaea's support, Siobhan stuck to her guns, but made assurances that the order would be a component of Firemane, not apart from or supreme to it. Any Knight of Fire who sought a command role would have to earn it the hard way, just like everyone else. The Board of Control would also continue to be composed of career bureaucrats. After she began chairing board meetings, Siobhan had a vested interest in ensuring that she would be the only Force-using member. After all, other mages could turn out to be disruptive. To drive the point home, the Order of Fire introduced a dual rank system.


While the group started out as a martial order of Force-Sensitive warriors, it soon acquired functions that went beyond the battlefield. It expanded into the medical corps, the intelligence services and the exploration division. However, the Firemane assets under its direct control remained limited. After becoming Firemane's official leader, Siobhan assigned a few warships and transports to give the Order greater mobility. Order members have played an important in most conflicts and crises Firemane has been involved in over the years. Examples would be the One Sith War, Cleansing of Gehenna, the Kaeshana Exodus, the Xioquo War, the Omega War, the Battle of Atrisia, the Kaeshana Rebellion and the First Galactic Alliance-First Order War. The order earned itself a place in the Firemane hierarchy and gained the respect of the corporation's non-Force-using employees. It has spawned a number of specialised units in the Firemane military. These tend to be commandos or support units.


Aside from helping wounded soldiers, Order of Fire healers have also participated in several humanitarian operations to provide relief to those in need, especially on fringe worlds with little infrastructure and low economic development. They have often acted in concert with the Priestesses of the Church of Ashira. After Firemane entered into an alliance with the Vashyada, the wood elves of Tygara, a number of their more adventurous healers found their way into the Order. The Order also found recruits among the Qadiri and Xioquo, especially due to its anti-slavery efforts. Of course, there were also setbacks and personal tragedies. A promising Rogue Knight called Natoline succumbed to madness, partly due to her experiences in the Netherworld, and was eventually banished. This was quite a blow to Lady Kerrigan, who had taken the spirited girl under her wing and adopted her. Two of Natoline's three children ar are wards of House Kerrigan-Alcori. Of those two, Adril Kerrigan-Alcori has manifested Force powers and begun basic training. She will probably become a full member of the Order once she is old enough.


The Order strives to present a sophisticated, professional image to the outside world. Knights of Fire are free to believe in deities if they are so inclined, but on the whole its understanding of the Force is rather demystified. The Force is treated as a tool. An individual should be judged by their actions, not their power source. The Order maintains its own press office, which handles public relations. It also publishes stories that are often semi-fictitious accounts of the deeds of Knights of Fire. One example is the young adult novel series 'Fire & Iron', which was published as a trilogy. It also cooperated with professional moviemakers to make a holofilm about the Second Battle of Gehenna. A number of Fire Adepts have written articles for the Order's official magazine Firenews. The holojournal promotes the Order's mission and ideological message, informs readers about its work and job opportunities, but also contains more general articles about the Force and the groups that wield it. Detractors accuse it of bias, but then that's to be expected of any media outlet associated with a government, corporation, political or religious group. Adril Tythorin has been declared an honorary Mistress of the Order. Siobhan's once rosy view of her dead teacher has cooled over the years, but she is still held up as an example.


Recently the Order has moved its headquarters to the Arx. This is in keeping with the fact that the enormous command station acts as central hub for the entire megacorporation. Extensive training, meditation, medical and teaching facilities, along with accommodations and a well-stocked armoury can be found in their wing. It is located close to the Firemane offices.


On an idiosyncratic note, the Order of Fire has a bit of a rivalry with the Sith Lady Matsu Xiangu and her followers. Siobhan Kerrigan fought two brutal duels against the Dark Lady, one on Dromund Kaas, the other on Shador. Both of which caused a lot of destruction and left both combatants broken - though they would live to fight another day. Perhaps one could consider it a twisted form of balance in the Force. Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori followed in her mother's foosteps by fighting the Witch-Necromancer on Ession and during the Battle of Gree. Order of Fire instruction courses cover the Sith Lady's techniques and deeds, as far as they are known to Firemane, quite extensively.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"].

Looks good. Use this for the symbol: https://pre00.deviantart.net/2713/th/pre/f/2016/348/c/6/phoenix_symbol__fire__by_sgtsanttu-darmz7s.png

 

[Kaida Taldir]

Spoiler

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Add some flavour to Eldorai forces.
• Image Credit: Here. 'Rhona'. By RinRinDaishi.
• Role: Force support unit, elemental artillery.
• Links: Eldorai, Eldorai Exodus from Kaeshana, Casus Belli, Atonement is a thorny path.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Icewind Ravagers
• Affiliation: Shadow Knights, Kaida Taldir.
• Classification: Elemental mages, support unit.
• Equipment:
  Cusaeris Mk3 or Sentinel armour
• Mk1 boltgun (including APEB rounds)
• Lance missile launcher, Grenade Launcher or EMP Launcher
• Frag grenades, smoke grenades, cryoban grenades, Dampener aerosol grenades, sonic imploders, thermal imploders.
• Blaster/slugthrower/sonic pistol or shattergun.
• Vibrodagger. Vibroblades.

COMBAT INFORMATION

• Availability: Unique
• Deployment: Minor

Strengths & Weaknesses: The Icewind Ravagers are a potent support unit composed of Force-Sensitive elf warriors, with the Force skills of an Initiate or Spellweaver. As the name implies, their specialisation lies in the element of ice and water. Using their aptitude for Alter Environment and their aforementioned elemental abilities, they can engage hostile forces at long range. Ice Shaping is good for confusing, slowing and impeding attackers and concealing allies. It can also be used to give people frostbite or freeze them. With enough focus and concentration, they can create a snowstorm or icestorm, even a blizzard, though this would require a group effort. In doing so they can reduce visibility and complicate targeting for aircraft and artillery. Heavy snowfalls can also make driving vehicles hazardous. Their abilities can also allow them to damage enemy aircraft. The Ravagers are proficient in Force Sight, which is especially useful in conditions of lowered visibility. Ice is less blatantly destructive than fire, but a strong support power. Their elemental abilities help a bit with evading detection as they can lower their body temperature, making it more difficult to detect them via heat scans. Due to their powers they are adept at shielding themselves from elemental hazards and attacks.


Unsurprisingly, the Ravagers are at their strongest in cold climates. By contrast, many of their elemental abilities would be useless in very hot conditions. They could still resort to wind or water manipulation, but they cannot freeze a desert or a tropical area. By their very nature, the Ravagers are a support unit. Many of their techniques focus on engaging enemies at range. They would also be weakened by ysalamiri fields, as they would lose their greatest asset if deprived of the Force. Being a support unit, they are not meant to engage enemies head-on or lead a charge. They are a small unit and thus easily outnumbered, Careless use of their abilities can cause them to hurt allied forces as much as the enemy. Assuming they are spotted, they are also vulnerable to long range bombardment, since they are an infantry unit. While they have means to defend themselves against aircraft, there is not much they can do against long range artillery except use their powers to conceal themselves and make it difficult to target them. If that does not work, they're in trouble.


On the conventional front, the Ravagers are equipped with weapons such as missile launchers and bolters. These give them capabilities against heavy armour and enemy clusters. However, careless use of their ice powers can spoil the effect of missile attacks. These weapons also tend to be rather loud. The weight of their weapons can slow them down, which has implications for their mobility, especially if they have to switch positions to evade enemy counterfire. This makes them reliant on speeders for transport. Moreover, they only have limited melee capabilities. Bottom line, they can defend themselves, but they are not expert duellists and thus vulnerable up close. Bolters hit hard, but have a low firing rate and small ammo capacity. Their main ammo, explosive bolts, is also not practical at close range. Infantry that manages to pin them down with automatic weapons or engage them in melee would put them at a disadvantage. In short, they are glass cannons and will require protection close up.


Description:


One of the drawbacks of being a rebel junta is that you lack many of the resources that a megacorporation, a planetary or interstellar government would take for granted. Resources tend to be scarce and sophisticated equipment is difficult to replace. Much must be acquired through raids, scavenging and black market dealings. The Shadow Knights lack the means to field large forces. While they do well enough with small arms, many of their combat vehicles tend to be very dated. Being a spacefaring people, they must prioritise keeping the ships that comprise the nomad fleet in serviceable condition.


Thus they have had to think outside the box when it comes to support forces. The Icewind Ravagers are a result of this. The unit is composed of Force-sensitive elves who specialise in ice, water and air. They are meant to engage enemies at range, providing the Shadow Knights with a long distance bombardment force. Turning to Force-users makes sense because the Eldorai possess a higher than average Force affinity than humans. Whereas the figure for humans is unstated, the figure for Eldorai is about one in a thousand have some minor Force ability. Usually this manifests itself simply as empathic or persuasive, but rarer individuals have stronger affinity with the Force. Elemental powers are particularly widespread among Eldorai Force-users.


The Icewinds were conceived during the Long Night, as the Forsaken refer to the time after the Great Cataclysm. Long story cut short, Kaeshana, the Eldorai homeworld, was devastated by an asteroid. Most Eldorai managed to flee before the impact, but a remnant was left behind and had to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Strife was common, as the survivors vied for control over resources. Foreign pirates and slavers tried to take advantage of the Eldorai's plight.


The Shadow Knights were founded to wrest some order from the chaos and protect the surviving Eldorai communities against the manifold threats that assailed them. Comprised of exiles, religious and political dissidents, they rejected the authority of the ancien régime. Many of them were hardened revolutionaries or ex-soldiers who had grown disillusioned with the old order. One them, an Eldorai renegade called Lilandra Taeyr, created the unit. It was intended to give the Shadows an edge against the warlords, pirates and the genocidal machine cult Archangel, which launched raids to acquire Eldorai so that they could be processed into machines. With resources so scarce, the Shadows had to rely on what tech they could scavenge, barter or acquire through raids. The Icewinds proved their mettle during the Long Night. Their elemental abilities proved quite useful against Archangel's droid forces, as these were very tech reliant. The Eldorai combined these preternatural techniques with guerilla tactics to ambush raiders. In one instance heavy snowfalls wreaked havoc on a convoy of raiders and collaborating Eldorai warlord forces, enabling the Shadows' partisans to strike.


When the Shadow Knights allied with the Galactic Alliance, Firemane and the Tygaran Alliance during the Kaeshana Rebellion, the Icewinds were deployed to the ruins of Santaissa. Once this proud city had been Kaeshana's capital, but the asteroid had destroyed it, turning it into a ghost town. Still it was a combat zone in this battle. For the sake of the common cause, the Icewinds linked up with royalist Angelii commanded by Kaida Taldir, who at this point was still an officer of the Crown. They combined their powers with those of Kaida and her Angelii to summon a blizzard in order to impede the First Order forces in the city and provide protection against enemy air strikes. This turned out to be vital, for the blizzard protected the force of Angelii that tried to secure Santaissa when they came under assault by First Order TIEs.


Ultimately, however, the First Order took control over the planet, and the allied forces retreated. Thus the Shadows were forced to vacate the planet, after evacuating the Eldorai civilians who had sought refuge in the ruins of the Citadel of Dusk. The Icewinds went with them. They have been part of the migrant fleet since then. Now they are a force of exiles fighting for a homeland. They have adapted to being part of a spacefaring people - Space Elves in the most literal sense. The ability to create a thick fog and similar has proved useful during raids. The ability to make metal brittle through cold is useful when forcing an entry. They are obviously still best utilised in ground warfare. Their Force Sight helps them spot targets under conditions of low visibility without needing to resort to tech. They were eventually reunited with Kaida Taldir when the stoic High Captain went rogue and defected to the Shadow Knights following the Serenade incident on Arkas. Being a cryomancer herself, she naturally took an interest in the unit. While not put in command, she shared some of her techniques with them.


In the spirit of gender equality and sheer pragmatism, the Icewinds allow male Eldorai to join them. Lilandra lacks Kaida's staunch sexism, and so men have better chances to get promoted in this unit. Lilandra lived through the cataclysm on Kaeshana, while Kaida was one of the exodites. This probably contributed to Lilandra being more open-minded, as the old gender policies were too impractical for the Forsaken to maintain. However, conversely she is rather snobbish towards the Tygaran elves. She belongs to the school of thought that postulates the 'little sisters' require the guidance of the more advanced Eldorai and are in need of enlightenment. She's also more sceptical of their quality as soldiers. Thus only a few Tygarans have joined the Icewinds. Lilandra has been less exposed to Tygarans and only visited their homeworld briefly. Unlike her, Kaida spent many years on Tygara, trained and commanded native Sepoys, which gives her a somewhat different perspective.


In contrast to the atheistic Kaida, Lilandra belongs to the Aspirants, an Ashiran sect that feels the orthodox Church has chosen gold over the true message of the Goddess. In what could be called a Reformation, they have abolished formal ecclesiastic titles and returned to the teachings of the scriptures. She is the type to inspire her comrades with passionate speeches, which is something the laconic Kaida hates doing.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Spoiler

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Add some flavour to Firemane and the Order of Fire.
• Image Credit: Tineye search does not yield results. Google image leads me to pinterest and a forum called rancorpit.com. Link here. Image apparently made by a user called hazardchris and posted here on imgur.
• Role: Special agents, interrogators.
• Links: Falleen, Xioquo.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Truthseekers
• Affiliation: House Kerrigan-Alcori, Siobhan Kerrigan, Firemane.
• Classification: Special operatives.
• Equipment: They can use Abregado-Rae Guild of Hammers equipment due to Firemane gaining access to ARGH tech in this thread.
  Blaster Pistol, Sonic Stunner, Shatterpistol.
• Hold out blaster.
• Comlink. With encryption device (Firemane has access per this thread).
• Rebreathers.
• Vibroblades. Vibroknives. Stun Baton.
• Various drugs useful for interrogation, such as Loquasin, Xebonica, Mnemiotic and Platykona-zemlo-mobris.
• While they have access to body armour, they usually wear uniforms outside of emergencies.

COMBAT INFORMATION

• Availability: Unique.
• Deployment: Limited.

Strengths & Weaknesses:

The Truthseekers are a cadre of Knight and Apprentice level Force-Sensitives who are proficient in telepathy, psychometry, illusions and mind probes. Moreover, they are natural empaths. They are trained to use their mental powers to extract information from captives. Being empaths, they are skilled at reading a subject's emotions and motivations. This helps questioning individuals, as it helps assess the truthfulness of their responses. It is also helpful for spotting infiltrators, including Human Replica Droids. Psychometry gives them the ability to pick up clues, as it allows them to pick up impressions and traces of information by touching the personal objects of a target. Moreover, they can utilise illusions to frighte, confuse or mislead a target. Telepathy also enables them to use the Force to communicate amongst themselves.


However, their highly specialised skill set means that the Truthseekers are not suited for combat. They receive basic training in the use of weapons and hand to hand combat, but they only really carry sidearms and blades for self-defence. They are interrogators and investigators, not soldiers. If need be they will defend themselves, but can quickly find themselves at a disadvantage. Their ability to use telekinesis is subpar, as they can only really lift a pebble. Their defensive Force powers are similarly unimpressive. They could use their mental powers against attackers, but precise blaster bolts would kill the Truthseekers just as easily as any ordinary being. Thus they are very vulnerable if left unprotected. They also lack means to defend themselves against armoured vehicles and so on. The specialised nature of their training means that the Truthseekers are very rare and only deployed in small numbers. Ysalamiri and Voidstone would deprive them of their Force abilities, robbing them of their greatest advantage.


Description:

Knowledge is power. Or it can give power at any rate, provided one analyses and utilises it intelligently. The Truthseekers are a special branch of the Order of Fire. They are attached to GRU, Firemane's counterintelligence agency, which answers to High Command. The Truthseekers are a secretive unit of investigators, interrogators and special agents. Its members are Force-Sensitives who excel in the mental field rather in combat abilities. They undergo an intense, gruelling training regimen to hone their abilities. This training includes exposing the Truthseekers to the techniques they might have to utilise against recalcitrant captives.


While there are no racial or gender restrictions when it comes to recruitment, two groups are overrepresented among their ranks: Falleen and former members of the Atrisian Inquisition. Falleen are a natural choice because they excude powerful pheromones, which can help in rendering a subject compliant, rather than resorting to more crude methods. They are also resistant to mind tricks. As for the Atrisians, Firemane has recruited several Inquisitors who fled Atrisia after Empress Madeline Kahoshi's initiated an Anti-Force-User Purge. Their background as former agents of the now defunct Atrisian Empire gives them plenty of experience. Recently a few Xioquo have also been recruited into their ranks.


The Truthseekers are skilled in interrogation, coercive techniques, manipulation, intelligence gathering, mentalism and psychology. Firemane's ruling couple has had trouble with infiltrators in the past. Tegaea Alcori was tortured and nearly killed by the Sith Assassin Kaelin Isandros. While she was rescued by Siobhan Kerrigan, her injuries made her unable to continue her work as Lady Protector of the Omega Protectorate. Firemane has also been targeted by Archangel, a genocidal machine cult that utilises infiltration droids. Darth Shadow conspired with Archangel to try and murder both Tegaea and Siobhan. Thus the Truthseekers also perform counterespionage duties, weeding out spies and moles. However, they need a warrant from Siobhan, Tegaea or Vice President Kaylah Danton to investigate a high level employee. Their usual monitoring activities can uncover things, but they cannot act without direction from someone senior. Needless to say every potential recruit is vetted carefully. One does not volunteer for the Truthseekers. Rather the group approaches suitable candidates.


Due to the nature of their work, the Truthseekers are one of the Order of Fire's most secretive branches. They do not advertise their work, wear special uniforms or suits of armour that set them apart from other Firemane forces. Only a fraction of the prisoners in Firemane's custody - or its employees, for that matter- will ever get to see a Truthseeker face to face. Their credo is 'be more than you seem' and so they do their best to blend in, wearing Firemane military uniforms. To quote one of their operatives "You don't keep order with gaudy displays of violence. Real control is surgical. Invisible. It interferes only when necessary".

 

[Kaida Taldir]

Had an idea for Kaida's superior, Yseult Faerin.


This is what you suggested:


Valiens Nantaris 18.07.2018


Hmm, I'm thinking for the general we go for the exile who makes their fortune in the stars. I'm thinking an NFU 'Princess' (really a minor bastard noble) who is exiled off world, joins a mercenary group and eventually rises to command them. Is much more at home with the rest of the galaxy than the squabbles of her own people - maybe why Kaida respects her. She's paid a considerable amount to join the Shadows and does stay because she feels some kinship to them, and also because she has useful skills others would not. Possibly a former OP, Republic or SSC general before now?





In order to take the throne, Tirathana VI toppled the Evora family, who had a better claim. They went into exile. It's mentioned in the bio of Sahome Tyral, the leader of the Aspirants, that Taenerys Evora tried to pull off a Return of the Queen and conquer Kaeshana with an army of mercenaries. But she was betrayed and beheaded.


So what if Yseult is a member of the Evora family? Related to Taenerys. Could still be a bastard. But she realised that their schemes are dumb. So after Taenerys (or gender flipped Viserys) speechified one too many times, she left them, joined a merc group and made a name for herself.


Eventually joined the military of one of the big powers at the time - Republic/OP/Fringe. Does stuff to rise in the ranks. Presumably gets involved in the One Sith War. Has retired by the time of the Kaeshana Rebellion. Gets hired by the Shadows after it.


[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
I like it.