Vaena Askari
Lady Cadalthor
Name: Tassaria Cadalthor
Faction: Kaeshana Confederation. Totally supports the shiny and happy alliance between the 'superior' space elves and the foreign Firemane capitalists/mercenaries. Really, she does.
Rank: Eldorai nobility. Acts as a 'liaison' to Firemane Industries.
Species: Eldorai
Age: 84
Gender: Female.
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 60 kg
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Skin: Fair
Force Sensitive: Yes, very much so. Presently Initiate/Apprentice level.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
+ Elemental Powers: More specifically of the Playing With Fire variety. Eldorai force-users have an affinity for harnessing the elements earth, fire, ice and lightning, drawing their power from one of them, which is one of the many sources of their superiority complex. In the case of Tarissa she has power over the element of fire. Though she is still at the beginning of her journey into harnessing her Sciia, as the Eldorai refer to the force, she has shown talent and significant promise, meaning that given time she could become quite devastating. Using her Sciia she can summon flames, control existing flames or transfer heat to a touched object, making it burn or combust. Of course, being a pyromancer is not always a winning combination if she gets particularly irritated and seeks an outlet, such as by totally accidentally burning papers. Even a totally well-bred Eldorai aristo has bad days like that after all! That said, fire powers come in handy during a barbeque and in time she should be able to conjure up powerful firestorms. However, on the flip side her affinity for telekinesis is rather underveloped, especially when it comes to using it offensively as a certain woman-shaped battering ram likes to do so much, so she is not Mind Over Matter.
+ Blue Blood: Tarissa is the scion of a proud family of Eldorai aristocrats, who have served the Eldorai Matriarchy for centures and have a history of proud military service for it, not to mention being involved in various business enterprises, lately even seeking to make inroads into trading with foreigners, as much as they despise the idea of foreign encroachment upon the sacred soil of Kaeshana. This gives her certain social advantages, for even lately Eldorai society has been liberalised somewhat as the iron-fisted grip of the Star Queen and the nobility has weakened somewhat due to the influx of foreign ideas and tech, it is very stratified. Alas, the Cadalthor clan is inclined towards being a Decadent Court crossed with Knights Templar, having long set itself up as a standard-bearer of conservative orthodoxy and a pillar of Eldorai society. This is ironic considering millennia ago their then matriarch supported Malya Helindan when she petitioned the Court of Courts for permission to research the Arthidae Codex, setting in motion a series of tragic events and conspiracy, though that part of family history has long been swept under a rug.
+ Management 101 : Though still rather young by Eldorai standards Tarissa has shown an aptitude for bureaucratic management and logistics, able to navigate through the miasma of bureaucracy that a certain woman-shaped battering ram might find tremendously tedious and annoying. In this she has profited from the time she spent away from Kaeshana and the experience she gained there, much as she might have seen and done things during that time that might make her regret having left, though if she does she never shows it. She is by no means a mastermind or a genius but her arrogant haughtiness hides a practical mind that knows when to push and when to fold, despite all her typical Eldorai posturing and she understands the often cuttthroat environment of politics. At the same time she has become rather jaded and cynical, expecting the negative rather than the positive from people and trusting few.
- Black Sheep: Alas Tarissa is simply too stubborn to properly fit in with the noble clan. As much as they undoubtedly have her own good, well, that of the family, which amounts to the same thing, at heart. Starting with the highly stultrified culture, their sheer hypocrisy when it comes to their position on foreigners, not to mention their rigid way of thinking, which led to them siding with Nalia during the brief civil war, though they were able to obscure their involvement...or so they thought. Not quite a Defector from Decadence, but she is not willing to toe the family line if it conflicts with what she thinks is right - and advantageous for herself. She has a firm conviction in what she thinks is the correct path, and this causes her to be estranged from her family, especially her mother, a powerful Sciian in her own right. Her force-sensitivity manifested rather late and she was her mother's youngest daughter, both of which caused her to be somewhat neglected, which might have contributed to a certain rebelliousness. She actually paid merchant to get a ship off Kaeshana before it was opened up, though this caused her no ends of trouble both during her sojourn and especially when she returned to the homeworld, though she nonetheless believes that it was worth it, for there is no prize without heavy risks. During the brief civil war she sided with Silaqui over Nalia, the candidate of the hardline conservatives, even fighting in her name when violence broke out on the palace grounds. This despite her unenthusiastic attitude concerning Kaeshana's entrance into the Omega Protectorate.
- Fantastic Racism: Cultural indoctrination is hard to escape and the entire Eldorai culture is geared towards the self-perception of superiority, never mind how much it has been undermined by the revelation that the Galaxy is inhabited by races that are not only developed, but have technologically surpassed the Eldorai and are a potent threat to their independence. While more practical than others, Tarissa is still rather racist and sexist, something that manifests as unconscious behaviour bound to throw a foreigner off and lead to antagonism since she accepts it as normal. At the same time she is very interested in the knowledge that can be gained from seeing the stars. Not only the tech, as shiny as that is, but also when it comes to expanding her understanding and command of the Force. After all, ambition is not evil! To her the best way to make foreigners useful is to get them to fight other foreigners for the Eldorai! She also strongly believes that non-forcers are inferior to force-users and should bend to them and follow their lead, as a product of the magocratic environment of her homeworld. Ergo while she was connected to reformist movements that believed Kaeshana had to open up and learn, she never had time for those Eldorai who sought a more equal distribution of power.
- Crippling Overspecialisation: As has been hinted before presently her repertoire of force powers is rather limited. Her telekinetic abiltiy is rather weak and it is doubtful that even as she progresses in the Force she will be able to perform battering ramming of the lift a tank with your mind or tear down a wall variety. She cannot shoot lightning from her fingertips, especially since she is still an initiate, heal her wounds with force magic or move faster than the Eldorai norm, which however is still damn fast. Her skill in battle lies more in a command capacity and through the use of her Sciia, calling upon her powers of fire. She is a good shot with a gun, but does not excel with the blade. She can defend herself, but is not a great warrior. Still she has displayed feats of courage and bravery, though there may be reason to believe she did so a bit reluctantly and because it was what was expected of her!
+/- Our Elves are Different: Tarissa has the typical strengths and weaknesses of her people. She is very agile and dexterous, possesses a longer life span of up above three centuries and has a greater resistance to disease than humans. Contrary to popular belief those elf ears are not just the subject of fetishes that certain holovids pander to, but also serve a useful purpose since they give her enhanced hearing. However, on the flip side of the coin she is also physically weaker than the average human, has a faster metabolism and is thus more prone to succumb to fatigue and hunger. Moreover, she has a low pain threshold, which can turn problematic during prolonged battles.
Characteristics: Curious, haughty, arrogant. Tarissa is a fervent believer in the Goddess Ashira, but also that the goddess helps those who help themselves. The Eldorai have spent too much time taking her favour for granted and must prove themselves worthy of it. She is eager for her people to catch up and adapt the technology of foreigners, having seen how far behind they are during the years she spent away from Kaeshana travelling the stars many of her people have only heard of. The Goddess will not coddle weak sloths! However, she is staunchly opposed to reform that undermine traditional Eldorai society, such as letting common people decide anything. At times she is too snarky for her own good. She is very curious and eager to learn about foreign innovations, being courteous to those who can provide it, but has a rather vicious and cruel streak in her personality. This was on display when she took it in her hands to supervise and personally oversee the executions of captured Dark Eldorai rebels as punishment for the regicide commited against Queen Silaqui.
Ship: Whatever she can acquire through connections or credits, she does not have a personal ship. She can fly reasonably well, having insisted on learning the skill, and for a while entertained the notion of joining the fledgling Eldorai starfighter corps. Un(fortunately), that was dashed after an accident that left her with a few broken bones and burns that needed bacta, though she got a cute nurse to look after her!
History: Tarissa was born as the youngest daughter of Celestyne and her consort Kilian into an aristocratic family that liked to count itself as old blood, though the matriarch of the house only held the title of countess, rather low in the peerage. The matriarch, a proud, stubborn pillar of Eldorai conservatism by the name of Mikela was her grandmother, though she had delegated most of the work of actually running the family business to Tarissa's mother, who according to certain rumours was waiting for the day to happen when she would have to rise to the occasion and lead the family...all for the greater good, of course. Though not that high in the peerage the family was respected, having proven its fealty to the royal house of Venari, several prominent Angelii having come from its line. Tarissa came into being in what would soon be one of the last years of peace and tranquility for the Eldorai, for soon their homeworld was forcibly opened to the rest of the Galaxy and the elves were confronted with upheavals and change that would threaten to shake the foundations of their society to the core. Among other things it challenged their preconceived notions of cultural and racial superiority over all other races.
The founder of the noble house was an Angelii general who made a name for herself loyally serving Queen Ariane the Great in her war of liberation against the Kar'zun, a race of silicon based creatures that dwelt in the mountains and fought the elves for control over the planet. Rumours suggest that this ancestor might have a hand in Silaqui II, who had been brainwashed by the Kar'zun though she is supposed to have shaken of their control and died heroically in the final battle. That is the official story at least. Another ancestor was highly placed at the Royal Court when the Eldorai Jedi Knight Malya Helindan came to Kaeshana after a long absence, seeking access to the Arithdae Codex. The ancestor supported her, ironic considering that the Cadalthors became such a pillar of orthodoxy, perhaps intending to strengthen ties with the outside galaxy and increase her influence. But things took a disastrous turn when Malya, after allegedly stealing the holy tome, was killed and the Codex vanished. As the interests of the family go above all, the ancestor was denounced by her kin and sent into exile into a remote province later devastated by a flood. Eldorai have long memories and lives, grudges can last for centuries, since then the family always sought to portray itself as standing for orthodoxy and traditional values. However, cracks became evident when, after a long period of isolation during the Four Hundred Year Darkness, foreigners once again came to Kaeshana, some as merchants, but many others as ravenous pirates and slavers who thought the technologically inferior elves easy prey. It was in this day and age that Tarissa was born and to her family's chagrin she would soon not comprehend her place in things.
These outsiders brought new technology, new threats and new opportunities to the Eldorai. Growing up in a privileged noble family, Tarissa would at first see little of them. The family estate was far away from the more isolated settlements corsairs would raid, though later she experience that as well and meet offworlders in the Foreign Quarter when it was set up in Santaissa. However, she would learn of them rather early from her mother, one of whose sisters had been of high rank in the Angelii was slain in one of the first raids on the capital, something which the family did not forget, though ironically her mother and aunt had been on ill terms. Growing up little was expected of Tarissa, as the youngest daughter her share of the inheritance would be comparatively small, though still big enough, and she spent time at the royal palace, coming into contact with Princess Nalia Tadani, cousin of the Queen's daughters and with a forceful personality that left a deep impression upon the young elf, which is ironic considering decades later Tarissa would turn on her and fight for those who opposed Nalia's coup.
Sylvane, oldest of the Celestyne's four daughters, was the first to manfiest her Sciia, showing an aptitude for lightning and electrical manipulation. Tarissa initially lived a life with few responsibilities, more taken to indulging in pleasure and enjoying the finer pursuits of life that her elevated station afforded her. Given the hedonism rampant amongst the aristocracy that was not much of a scandal, except when she had a rather scandalous liaison with a Twi'lek dancer, a green one, incidentally. There was also an incident where she caused an accident by driving her speeder too fast, something that was resolved with bribes. This changed when she was seized and almost abducted by slavers while vacationing at the coastal town of Naldasa, which incidentally shortly thereafter would be destroyed by a devastating flood. The raiders had come because the town was away from the capital but nearby there was a resort known to be frequented by the rich. As it turned out one of Tarissa's guards, a commoner disgruntled with the way the aristos lorded it over them, had helped them and so Tarissa was subdued and dragged to a speeder as the raiders came appearing out of the sky. Badly beaten, fearful and desperate for the first time she lashed out with her powers as a reflex and, though untrained and weak in her Sciia, burnt out the eyes of one of her abductors when he tried to force slave collar on her and managed to set fire to the traitor guard's hair. Amidst the confusion she tried to run and flee, but though fast was forced to the ground by a stun bolt. She struggled and thrashed, unleashing her powers to scorch her attackers, but ultimately would have been carried away had not the Angelii arrived to intervene, displaying the usual Eldorai justice afforded to slavers. Many townspeople in Naldasa were less lucky, as the soldiers had come to late to save them and so they vanished in the cargo holds of the slavers' ships.
Tarissa had to spend some time in hospital and emerged changed after the experience. She was a good deal less frivolous, more serious and somber, though she kept a sardonic edge. There was also the change in her life brought about by the revelation that she was a Sciian, or Force user. This was not considered a stigma in Eldorai society. and was much more common than among humans. For the lower ranks of society it was one of the few ways to advance themselves in the highly stratified society that had rigid class barriers. Though the Eldorai see the Force differently than the Jedi, the lure of the Dark Side, or Dashdae Sciia, is well known to them and all Sciians are required to undergo rigorous training under government supervision to control their powers. So Tarissa was enrolled in the Academy of the Four Powers, specifically the College of Fire, once she was able to leave hospital and train. Her use for her family, who had in the past largely left her to her own devices, increased, as having a Sciian as a child meant prestige and they had been blessed with many. Nonetheless this made her bitter and cynical, and though she hid it behind obedience she was shaken by the ease with which the 'foreign barbarians' had come to the planet and claimed Eldorai, who were supposed to be superior, as slaves. She wondered whether this meant that the Goddess had withdrawn her favour from her chosen people, which led to her being disciplined and required to undergo repentance when there was an incident with a fervent Angelii, which led to both of them resorting to violence and messing up a training room. Nonetheless Tarissa progressed well in her studies, her specialisation for fire meaning that she was trained with a mind towards using her powers offensively. Her noble title would mean that it would be easier for her to gain a command position, and after about a decade of training she was inducted into the Angelii Istraii, or young angels, later becoming a full Angelii. While she showed promise with applications of fire, such as with transferring heat to a touched object, her skill with the sarix was only average.
Alas Tarissa was not one to learn discipline and she was reprimanded several times for her infractions, especially when she once tried to leave the fortress without permission and for once getting into a fight with a more senior Angelii who had apparently been informing on her. This meant she spent a bit of time in the dungeon of performing the most menial tasks to teach her some humility. However, she showed valiance and bravery when a force of corsairs and slavers attacked Kaeshana, believing that the inferiority of Eldorai technology would make it an easy picking, performing bombing runs to terrorise the population and distract the fledgling Eldorai naval force while the raiders landed to take Eldorai as slaves. In the battle where her assault company was mobilised Tarissa led a charge and incinerated two Nagai slavers and impaled a Trandoshan, saving a few unfortunate elves that had been captured, though she suffered a stabbing wound that kept her with the healers for some time. She soon reached the rank of Host Leader, which is the equivalent to Lieutenant. Undoubtedly nepotism also played a role in this, that is her aristocratic lineage, as was shown when she impetuously led an assault on a group of Kar'zun rebels who had dug in deep in a heavily fortified bunker in the western mountain regions of Kaeshana, disregarding the fact that reinforcements were needed, resulting a bloodbath. Though victorious, many of her sisters in battle died and she herself was injured. In revenge she killed those of the rebels, among them even a few heretical Eldorai, who surrendered.
Reprimanded for the loss of Eldorai life but not punished as harshly as she should have been, she remained with the corps. In the meantime her family was angling for a position of greater influence at Kaeshana and after she spent some in the outlying territories as penance, where beasts prowled and Kar'zun remnants lived in reservations, she received a posting at the palace. Her time with the Angelii would be over soon, as aristocrats were not really expected to full devote their services to the corps, so it made sense to arrange for her to familiarise herself with the centre of power again. While still shaken by what had taken place, Tarissa soon became close to her old friend Nalia, who was forceful, strong and ambitious. At this stage their views on foreigners were quite similar, on the surface at least. Notwithstanding the fact that Tarissa slipped out to enjoy the sights of the Foreign Quarter that was springing up, even carrying on dalliances, she strongly distrusted them. She became an aide to the Princess and, how shall we put it, got to her rather well. Prideful and ambitious she helped her gain the loyalty of certain units among the Angelii. She could see Nalia, for whom cunning and ambition was all, would go far, compared to her cousin Silaqui, who was an intellectual lightweight more given to parties and excess, her sole rival being Anya, Silaqui's younger sister, unconventional among the Eldorai for her liberalism and highly intelligent. However, Anya made the mistake of confiding in her cousin and when she found the truth out behind the Arithdae Codex, she was cut out of the line of succession and exiled.
Naturally Tarissa did not know about the Codex or the true reasons for Anya's exile, she had maintained cordial relations with the Princess, but probably believed that the allegations of her treachery were at least partially true. She helped Nalia 'dig up dirt' on a number of more liberal Eldorai aristos, most of them heads of major merchant houses, who wanted closer ties with the outside world, even going so far to 'befriend' one of them to gain her trust, so that when they tried to intercede with the Queen and persuade her that Anya deserved leniency they Nalia read out allegations of their treason and their plot was foiled. This resulted in a rise in rank for Tarissa and her relations with her family were restored. However, though she profited she would soon become disillusioned. Amidst constant pirate raids, though these were often beaten, Tarissa grew sceptical about the Matriarchy's ability to defend itself. While news were still censored, foreign merchants and smugglers brought news about what was happening outside in the Galaxy, word of new powers rising and extending their reach across the stars. It created a yearning in her to leave Kaeshana and see the stars for herself. She was free to leave the Angelii, though she would not inherit the family estate, but leaving the homeworld, though officially not forbidden, was still as something close to apostasy. An Eldorai who died would only descend to heaven, which in Eldorai mythology resides down in the ground as opposed to in the sky, if buried in the soil of Kaeshana. More than that she to put it plainly bored. The stultifrying culture of high society, their galas, fake smiles and bowing before the Queen was so dull and tedious.
Managing some of the family's business enterprises was just as dull, especially since her sister Maerys was placed above her, both loathing each other. So an enterprising, adventurous spirit resulted in Tarissa paying a group of merchants so that they would take her off the planet with their ship. Secure in her belief that her Sciia and blade could handle anything that was thrown at her, which ironically enough made her just as arrogant as those Eldorai she saw as deluded, she went off on the venture. She had taken what money she could - she might have taken some funds from the family business, but her sisters were busy embezzling anyway, so it was not like she was acting out of the ordinary. The destination of her travel was a planet called Corellia. Of course, as so often things did not go according to plan. She had heard about the planet during her dalliances in the Foreign Quarter, one 'entirely legitimate businesswoman' praising it as a major shipyard and galactic centre. Fortune seemed to favour the bold since she actually reached the planet without major incident, aside from having to scorch one of the crew members when he made unwanted advances. However, shortly after landing she found herself overwhelmned. She had been able to take money and some valuable trinkerts with her, but there was only so much that could be taken without her family noticing. She spoke rather accented Basic, but the world, where humans and aliens comingled freely, where there was none of the bowing and scraping before the Star Queen, where men did not know their place and refused to automatically give up their seat on a hoverbus or in a restaurant for a woman, so much was new to her! An entire day was spent just taking the sights of the planet in.
Unfortunately, a tourist's time of leisure was cut short for she was soon accosted by thugs at night when she was going to the hotel a merchant had recommended to her. As it turned out one of the merchants had realised what a prize item an Eldorai, especially a noblewoman, could be on the slave market of Nar Shaddaa and hired them. Betrayed and ambushed in a dark alleyway as the scum swarmed her, coming under blaster and disruptor fire, Maerys defended herself with her sarix, the customary energy blade of an Eldorai warrior, and her Sciia, but she was wounded by a blaster shot and the thugs took revenge for the death of many of their comrades by brutally beating her. Driven into a violent rage she sunk deeply into her Sciia to cause a small firestorm that raged across the alley, in the process hurting and scorching herself, but roasting them alive with her fury like the insects she knew them to be. Hours later Tarissa awoke in a hospital, evidently Cor-Sec, friend and helper of innocents in need, had been alerted by the sounds of blaster fire and played the Good Samaritan after intercepting the fleeing thugs. Unfortunately, quite a few of the valuables she possessed could not be found! It was here that her life underwent yet another significant change, taking her further away from the world she had once lived in.
((TBC))
Faction: Kaeshana Confederation. Totally supports the shiny and happy alliance between the 'superior' space elves and the foreign Firemane capitalists/mercenaries. Really, she does.
Rank: Eldorai nobility. Acts as a 'liaison' to Firemane Industries.
Species: Eldorai
Age: 84
Gender: Female.
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 60 kg
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Skin: Fair
Force Sensitive: Yes, very much so. Presently Initiate/Apprentice level.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
+ Elemental Powers: More specifically of the Playing With Fire variety. Eldorai force-users have an affinity for harnessing the elements earth, fire, ice and lightning, drawing their power from one of them, which is one of the many sources of their superiority complex. In the case of Tarissa she has power over the element of fire. Though she is still at the beginning of her journey into harnessing her Sciia, as the Eldorai refer to the force, she has shown talent and significant promise, meaning that given time she could become quite devastating. Using her Sciia she can summon flames, control existing flames or transfer heat to a touched object, making it burn or combust. Of course, being a pyromancer is not always a winning combination if she gets particularly irritated and seeks an outlet, such as by totally accidentally burning papers. Even a totally well-bred Eldorai aristo has bad days like that after all! That said, fire powers come in handy during a barbeque and in time she should be able to conjure up powerful firestorms. However, on the flip side her affinity for telekinesis is rather underveloped, especially when it comes to using it offensively as a certain woman-shaped battering ram likes to do so much, so she is not Mind Over Matter.
+ Blue Blood: Tarissa is the scion of a proud family of Eldorai aristocrats, who have served the Eldorai Matriarchy for centures and have a history of proud military service for it, not to mention being involved in various business enterprises, lately even seeking to make inroads into trading with foreigners, as much as they despise the idea of foreign encroachment upon the sacred soil of Kaeshana. This gives her certain social advantages, for even lately Eldorai society has been liberalised somewhat as the iron-fisted grip of the Star Queen and the nobility has weakened somewhat due to the influx of foreign ideas and tech, it is very stratified. Alas, the Cadalthor clan is inclined towards being a Decadent Court crossed with Knights Templar, having long set itself up as a standard-bearer of conservative orthodoxy and a pillar of Eldorai society. This is ironic considering millennia ago their then matriarch supported Malya Helindan when she petitioned the Court of Courts for permission to research the Arthidae Codex, setting in motion a series of tragic events and conspiracy, though that part of family history has long been swept under a rug.
+ Management 101 : Though still rather young by Eldorai standards Tarissa has shown an aptitude for bureaucratic management and logistics, able to navigate through the miasma of bureaucracy that a certain woman-shaped battering ram might find tremendously tedious and annoying. In this she has profited from the time she spent away from Kaeshana and the experience she gained there, much as she might have seen and done things during that time that might make her regret having left, though if she does she never shows it. She is by no means a mastermind or a genius but her arrogant haughtiness hides a practical mind that knows when to push and when to fold, despite all her typical Eldorai posturing and she understands the often cuttthroat environment of politics. At the same time she has become rather jaded and cynical, expecting the negative rather than the positive from people and trusting few.
- Black Sheep: Alas Tarissa is simply too stubborn to properly fit in with the noble clan. As much as they undoubtedly have her own good, well, that of the family, which amounts to the same thing, at heart. Starting with the highly stultrified culture, their sheer hypocrisy when it comes to their position on foreigners, not to mention their rigid way of thinking, which led to them siding with Nalia during the brief civil war, though they were able to obscure their involvement...or so they thought. Not quite a Defector from Decadence, but she is not willing to toe the family line if it conflicts with what she thinks is right - and advantageous for herself. She has a firm conviction in what she thinks is the correct path, and this causes her to be estranged from her family, especially her mother, a powerful Sciian in her own right. Her force-sensitivity manifested rather late and she was her mother's youngest daughter, both of which caused her to be somewhat neglected, which might have contributed to a certain rebelliousness. She actually paid merchant to get a ship off Kaeshana before it was opened up, though this caused her no ends of trouble both during her sojourn and especially when she returned to the homeworld, though she nonetheless believes that it was worth it, for there is no prize without heavy risks. During the brief civil war she sided with Silaqui over Nalia, the candidate of the hardline conservatives, even fighting in her name when violence broke out on the palace grounds. This despite her unenthusiastic attitude concerning Kaeshana's entrance into the Omega Protectorate.
- Fantastic Racism: Cultural indoctrination is hard to escape and the entire Eldorai culture is geared towards the self-perception of superiority, never mind how much it has been undermined by the revelation that the Galaxy is inhabited by races that are not only developed, but have technologically surpassed the Eldorai and are a potent threat to their independence. While more practical than others, Tarissa is still rather racist and sexist, something that manifests as unconscious behaviour bound to throw a foreigner off and lead to antagonism since she accepts it as normal. At the same time she is very interested in the knowledge that can be gained from seeing the stars. Not only the tech, as shiny as that is, but also when it comes to expanding her understanding and command of the Force. After all, ambition is not evil! To her the best way to make foreigners useful is to get them to fight other foreigners for the Eldorai! She also strongly believes that non-forcers are inferior to force-users and should bend to them and follow their lead, as a product of the magocratic environment of her homeworld. Ergo while she was connected to reformist movements that believed Kaeshana had to open up and learn, she never had time for those Eldorai who sought a more equal distribution of power.
- Crippling Overspecialisation: As has been hinted before presently her repertoire of force powers is rather limited. Her telekinetic abiltiy is rather weak and it is doubtful that even as she progresses in the Force she will be able to perform battering ramming of the lift a tank with your mind or tear down a wall variety. She cannot shoot lightning from her fingertips, especially since she is still an initiate, heal her wounds with force magic or move faster than the Eldorai norm, which however is still damn fast. Her skill in battle lies more in a command capacity and through the use of her Sciia, calling upon her powers of fire. She is a good shot with a gun, but does not excel with the blade. She can defend herself, but is not a great warrior. Still she has displayed feats of courage and bravery, though there may be reason to believe she did so a bit reluctantly and because it was what was expected of her!
+/- Our Elves are Different: Tarissa has the typical strengths and weaknesses of her people. She is very agile and dexterous, possesses a longer life span of up above three centuries and has a greater resistance to disease than humans. Contrary to popular belief those elf ears are not just the subject of fetishes that certain holovids pander to, but also serve a useful purpose since they give her enhanced hearing. However, on the flip side of the coin she is also physically weaker than the average human, has a faster metabolism and is thus more prone to succumb to fatigue and hunger. Moreover, she has a low pain threshold, which can turn problematic during prolonged battles.
Characteristics: Curious, haughty, arrogant. Tarissa is a fervent believer in the Goddess Ashira, but also that the goddess helps those who help themselves. The Eldorai have spent too much time taking her favour for granted and must prove themselves worthy of it. She is eager for her people to catch up and adapt the technology of foreigners, having seen how far behind they are during the years she spent away from Kaeshana travelling the stars many of her people have only heard of. The Goddess will not coddle weak sloths! However, she is staunchly opposed to reform that undermine traditional Eldorai society, such as letting common people decide anything. At times she is too snarky for her own good. She is very curious and eager to learn about foreign innovations, being courteous to those who can provide it, but has a rather vicious and cruel streak in her personality. This was on display when she took it in her hands to supervise and personally oversee the executions of captured Dark Eldorai rebels as punishment for the regicide commited against Queen Silaqui.
Ship: Whatever she can acquire through connections or credits, she does not have a personal ship. She can fly reasonably well, having insisted on learning the skill, and for a while entertained the notion of joining the fledgling Eldorai starfighter corps. Un(fortunately), that was dashed after an accident that left her with a few broken bones and burns that needed bacta, though she got a cute nurse to look after her!
History: Tarissa was born as the youngest daughter of Celestyne and her consort Kilian into an aristocratic family that liked to count itself as old blood, though the matriarch of the house only held the title of countess, rather low in the peerage. The matriarch, a proud, stubborn pillar of Eldorai conservatism by the name of Mikela was her grandmother, though she had delegated most of the work of actually running the family business to Tarissa's mother, who according to certain rumours was waiting for the day to happen when she would have to rise to the occasion and lead the family...all for the greater good, of course. Though not that high in the peerage the family was respected, having proven its fealty to the royal house of Venari, several prominent Angelii having come from its line. Tarissa came into being in what would soon be one of the last years of peace and tranquility for the Eldorai, for soon their homeworld was forcibly opened to the rest of the Galaxy and the elves were confronted with upheavals and change that would threaten to shake the foundations of their society to the core. Among other things it challenged their preconceived notions of cultural and racial superiority over all other races.
The founder of the noble house was an Angelii general who made a name for herself loyally serving Queen Ariane the Great in her war of liberation against the Kar'zun, a race of silicon based creatures that dwelt in the mountains and fought the elves for control over the planet. Rumours suggest that this ancestor might have a hand in Silaqui II, who had been brainwashed by the Kar'zun though she is supposed to have shaken of their control and died heroically in the final battle. That is the official story at least. Another ancestor was highly placed at the Royal Court when the Eldorai Jedi Knight Malya Helindan came to Kaeshana after a long absence, seeking access to the Arithdae Codex. The ancestor supported her, ironic considering that the Cadalthors became such a pillar of orthodoxy, perhaps intending to strengthen ties with the outside galaxy and increase her influence. But things took a disastrous turn when Malya, after allegedly stealing the holy tome, was killed and the Codex vanished. As the interests of the family go above all, the ancestor was denounced by her kin and sent into exile into a remote province later devastated by a flood. Eldorai have long memories and lives, grudges can last for centuries, since then the family always sought to portray itself as standing for orthodoxy and traditional values. However, cracks became evident when, after a long period of isolation during the Four Hundred Year Darkness, foreigners once again came to Kaeshana, some as merchants, but many others as ravenous pirates and slavers who thought the technologically inferior elves easy prey. It was in this day and age that Tarissa was born and to her family's chagrin she would soon not comprehend her place in things.
These outsiders brought new technology, new threats and new opportunities to the Eldorai. Growing up in a privileged noble family, Tarissa would at first see little of them. The family estate was far away from the more isolated settlements corsairs would raid, though later she experience that as well and meet offworlders in the Foreign Quarter when it was set up in Santaissa. However, she would learn of them rather early from her mother, one of whose sisters had been of high rank in the Angelii was slain in one of the first raids on the capital, something which the family did not forget, though ironically her mother and aunt had been on ill terms. Growing up little was expected of Tarissa, as the youngest daughter her share of the inheritance would be comparatively small, though still big enough, and she spent time at the royal palace, coming into contact with Princess Nalia Tadani, cousin of the Queen's daughters and with a forceful personality that left a deep impression upon the young elf, which is ironic considering decades later Tarissa would turn on her and fight for those who opposed Nalia's coup.
Sylvane, oldest of the Celestyne's four daughters, was the first to manfiest her Sciia, showing an aptitude for lightning and electrical manipulation. Tarissa initially lived a life with few responsibilities, more taken to indulging in pleasure and enjoying the finer pursuits of life that her elevated station afforded her. Given the hedonism rampant amongst the aristocracy that was not much of a scandal, except when she had a rather scandalous liaison with a Twi'lek dancer, a green one, incidentally. There was also an incident where she caused an accident by driving her speeder too fast, something that was resolved with bribes. This changed when she was seized and almost abducted by slavers while vacationing at the coastal town of Naldasa, which incidentally shortly thereafter would be destroyed by a devastating flood. The raiders had come because the town was away from the capital but nearby there was a resort known to be frequented by the rich. As it turned out one of Tarissa's guards, a commoner disgruntled with the way the aristos lorded it over them, had helped them and so Tarissa was subdued and dragged to a speeder as the raiders came appearing out of the sky. Badly beaten, fearful and desperate for the first time she lashed out with her powers as a reflex and, though untrained and weak in her Sciia, burnt out the eyes of one of her abductors when he tried to force slave collar on her and managed to set fire to the traitor guard's hair. Amidst the confusion she tried to run and flee, but though fast was forced to the ground by a stun bolt. She struggled and thrashed, unleashing her powers to scorch her attackers, but ultimately would have been carried away had not the Angelii arrived to intervene, displaying the usual Eldorai justice afforded to slavers. Many townspeople in Naldasa were less lucky, as the soldiers had come to late to save them and so they vanished in the cargo holds of the slavers' ships.
Tarissa had to spend some time in hospital and emerged changed after the experience. She was a good deal less frivolous, more serious and somber, though she kept a sardonic edge. There was also the change in her life brought about by the revelation that she was a Sciian, or Force user. This was not considered a stigma in Eldorai society. and was much more common than among humans. For the lower ranks of society it was one of the few ways to advance themselves in the highly stratified society that had rigid class barriers. Though the Eldorai see the Force differently than the Jedi, the lure of the Dark Side, or Dashdae Sciia, is well known to them and all Sciians are required to undergo rigorous training under government supervision to control their powers. So Tarissa was enrolled in the Academy of the Four Powers, specifically the College of Fire, once she was able to leave hospital and train. Her use for her family, who had in the past largely left her to her own devices, increased, as having a Sciian as a child meant prestige and they had been blessed with many. Nonetheless this made her bitter and cynical, and though she hid it behind obedience she was shaken by the ease with which the 'foreign barbarians' had come to the planet and claimed Eldorai, who were supposed to be superior, as slaves. She wondered whether this meant that the Goddess had withdrawn her favour from her chosen people, which led to her being disciplined and required to undergo repentance when there was an incident with a fervent Angelii, which led to both of them resorting to violence and messing up a training room. Nonetheless Tarissa progressed well in her studies, her specialisation for fire meaning that she was trained with a mind towards using her powers offensively. Her noble title would mean that it would be easier for her to gain a command position, and after about a decade of training she was inducted into the Angelii Istraii, or young angels, later becoming a full Angelii. While she showed promise with applications of fire, such as with transferring heat to a touched object, her skill with the sarix was only average.
Alas Tarissa was not one to learn discipline and she was reprimanded several times for her infractions, especially when she once tried to leave the fortress without permission and for once getting into a fight with a more senior Angelii who had apparently been informing on her. This meant she spent a bit of time in the dungeon of performing the most menial tasks to teach her some humility. However, she showed valiance and bravery when a force of corsairs and slavers attacked Kaeshana, believing that the inferiority of Eldorai technology would make it an easy picking, performing bombing runs to terrorise the population and distract the fledgling Eldorai naval force while the raiders landed to take Eldorai as slaves. In the battle where her assault company was mobilised Tarissa led a charge and incinerated two Nagai slavers and impaled a Trandoshan, saving a few unfortunate elves that had been captured, though she suffered a stabbing wound that kept her with the healers for some time. She soon reached the rank of Host Leader, which is the equivalent to Lieutenant. Undoubtedly nepotism also played a role in this, that is her aristocratic lineage, as was shown when she impetuously led an assault on a group of Kar'zun rebels who had dug in deep in a heavily fortified bunker in the western mountain regions of Kaeshana, disregarding the fact that reinforcements were needed, resulting a bloodbath. Though victorious, many of her sisters in battle died and she herself was injured. In revenge she killed those of the rebels, among them even a few heretical Eldorai, who surrendered.
Reprimanded for the loss of Eldorai life but not punished as harshly as she should have been, she remained with the corps. In the meantime her family was angling for a position of greater influence at Kaeshana and after she spent some in the outlying territories as penance, where beasts prowled and Kar'zun remnants lived in reservations, she received a posting at the palace. Her time with the Angelii would be over soon, as aristocrats were not really expected to full devote their services to the corps, so it made sense to arrange for her to familiarise herself with the centre of power again. While still shaken by what had taken place, Tarissa soon became close to her old friend Nalia, who was forceful, strong and ambitious. At this stage their views on foreigners were quite similar, on the surface at least. Notwithstanding the fact that Tarissa slipped out to enjoy the sights of the Foreign Quarter that was springing up, even carrying on dalliances, she strongly distrusted them. She became an aide to the Princess and, how shall we put it, got to her rather well. Prideful and ambitious she helped her gain the loyalty of certain units among the Angelii. She could see Nalia, for whom cunning and ambition was all, would go far, compared to her cousin Silaqui, who was an intellectual lightweight more given to parties and excess, her sole rival being Anya, Silaqui's younger sister, unconventional among the Eldorai for her liberalism and highly intelligent. However, Anya made the mistake of confiding in her cousin and when she found the truth out behind the Arithdae Codex, she was cut out of the line of succession and exiled.
Naturally Tarissa did not know about the Codex or the true reasons for Anya's exile, she had maintained cordial relations with the Princess, but probably believed that the allegations of her treachery were at least partially true. She helped Nalia 'dig up dirt' on a number of more liberal Eldorai aristos, most of them heads of major merchant houses, who wanted closer ties with the outside world, even going so far to 'befriend' one of them to gain her trust, so that when they tried to intercede with the Queen and persuade her that Anya deserved leniency they Nalia read out allegations of their treason and their plot was foiled. This resulted in a rise in rank for Tarissa and her relations with her family were restored. However, though she profited she would soon become disillusioned. Amidst constant pirate raids, though these were often beaten, Tarissa grew sceptical about the Matriarchy's ability to defend itself. While news were still censored, foreign merchants and smugglers brought news about what was happening outside in the Galaxy, word of new powers rising and extending their reach across the stars. It created a yearning in her to leave Kaeshana and see the stars for herself. She was free to leave the Angelii, though she would not inherit the family estate, but leaving the homeworld, though officially not forbidden, was still as something close to apostasy. An Eldorai who died would only descend to heaven, which in Eldorai mythology resides down in the ground as opposed to in the sky, if buried in the soil of Kaeshana. More than that she to put it plainly bored. The stultifrying culture of high society, their galas, fake smiles and bowing before the Queen was so dull and tedious.
Managing some of the family's business enterprises was just as dull, especially since her sister Maerys was placed above her, both loathing each other. So an enterprising, adventurous spirit resulted in Tarissa paying a group of merchants so that they would take her off the planet with their ship. Secure in her belief that her Sciia and blade could handle anything that was thrown at her, which ironically enough made her just as arrogant as those Eldorai she saw as deluded, she went off on the venture. She had taken what money she could - she might have taken some funds from the family business, but her sisters were busy embezzling anyway, so it was not like she was acting out of the ordinary. The destination of her travel was a planet called Corellia. Of course, as so often things did not go according to plan. She had heard about the planet during her dalliances in the Foreign Quarter, one 'entirely legitimate businesswoman' praising it as a major shipyard and galactic centre. Fortune seemed to favour the bold since she actually reached the planet without major incident, aside from having to scorch one of the crew members when he made unwanted advances. However, shortly after landing she found herself overwhelmned. She had been able to take money and some valuable trinkerts with her, but there was only so much that could be taken without her family noticing. She spoke rather accented Basic, but the world, where humans and aliens comingled freely, where there was none of the bowing and scraping before the Star Queen, where men did not know their place and refused to automatically give up their seat on a hoverbus or in a restaurant for a woman, so much was new to her! An entire day was spent just taking the sights of the planet in.
Unfortunately, a tourist's time of leisure was cut short for she was soon accosted by thugs at night when she was going to the hotel a merchant had recommended to her. As it turned out one of the merchants had realised what a prize item an Eldorai, especially a noblewoman, could be on the slave market of Nar Shaddaa and hired them. Betrayed and ambushed in a dark alleyway as the scum swarmed her, coming under blaster and disruptor fire, Maerys defended herself with her sarix, the customary energy blade of an Eldorai warrior, and her Sciia, but she was wounded by a blaster shot and the thugs took revenge for the death of many of their comrades by brutally beating her. Driven into a violent rage she sunk deeply into her Sciia to cause a small firestorm that raged across the alley, in the process hurting and scorching herself, but roasting them alive with her fury like the insects she knew them to be. Hours later Tarissa awoke in a hospital, evidently Cor-Sec, friend and helper of innocents in need, had been alerted by the sounds of blaster fire and played the Good Samaritan after intercepting the fleeing thugs. Unfortunately, quite a few of the valuables she possessed could not be found! It was here that her life underwent yet another significant change, taking her further away from the world she had once lived in.
((TBC))
