The Dark Heretic
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION Intent: Provide 
Darth Petrichor
with an elite personal guard.Image Credit: Shadow Guard (Final Order) Role: Security, Inquisition, Special Operations (rarely) Permissions: N/A Links: Darth Petrichor, The Way of Equanimity GENERAL INFORMATION Unit Name: The Exalted Affiliation: The Petrite Order Classification: Bodyguards | 
|
|---|
Description:
The Exalted are some of the most trusted individuals to Darth Petrichor. They are those among the ranks of the Order who have shown unparalleled devotion to his ideals, as well as his protection. They are the cream of the crop, the most loyal and strong of the Order. Unlike the regular Petrite Troopers, the Exalted get to keep their memories. This is because they have mastered the control that Petrichor teaches, putting them in a mental state that allows for them to function at the peak of their abilities. They hold no desire other than to protect their master, and would rather die than fail in this mission.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Small
Unit Availability: Rare
Unit Experience: Elite
Equipment:
The standard combat kit for the Exalted is as follows:
-a red-bladed lightsaber
-Shadow Guard armor (Final Order)
-armorweave body glove underneath the armor
-SE-14 blaster pistol
-vibro-knife
Combat Function:
The primary objective of the Exalted is to act as bodyguards to Petrichor. They also function as officers to the Petrite troopers when necessary (particularly at the Fulcrum). They are also known to guard other high-ranking members of the Order, as well as the more secure parts of the Fulcrum itself. Another primary function of the Exalted is to act as inquisitors, searching for and removing internal threats to the Order. They are able to function as spec-ops/black-ops units, but this is very rarely seen. They are meant to be the final line of defense against all threats to the Order, and are willing to lay down their lives at a moment's notice.
They operate in teams of two, much like partners within a police force. They are often seen in larger groups, and do function well together, but their partnerships are meant to ensure that they always have another Exalted to watch their back. At any given time, there are between fifty and one hundred Exalted in total.
Strengths:
- The Exalted are incredibly well trained duelists, and are very adept with the Force as well.
- They are zealots, following Petrichor's every order. This means that getting one to betray him is next to impossible.
- The Exalted are very coordinated in a fight, able to play off of each other's attacks as if it were a dance.
Weaknesses:
- The Exalted are some of the most devoted and proven students of Petrichor. This makes it hard to replace them, as they have to fulfill strict criteria to earn the position.
- They may be extremely loyal, but if on the off chance one were to be turned, the amount of information they could divulge would be dangerous for the Order.
- They may be strong in the Force, but they are still vulnerable to a variety of stronger Force attacks.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
While building the Order, Petrichor found a need to find individuals that he could trust. This first manifested itself through the other ranks within the Order, but he still needed something more. He needed individuals that he could trust to the deepest extent. He needed bodyguards.
As more and more students were trained through the years, Petrichor began to hand pick exceptional students from each group. He would spend time personally training them, as well as molding their perception of the Force even further. Those who succeeded grew in their devotion to Petrichor, and thus the first Exalted were born. Eventually he was able to remove himself from the training process, relying on the older Exalted to train the newer additions to their ranks. Over time, they became some of the finest to every come out of the ranks of the Order.
Unlike the Petrite troopers, the Exalted get to keep their identities. This is because Petrichor wanted to be able to rely on them due to sheer devotion, rather than any sort of mind-play. He was seeking a personal guard that truly wanted the position, for no other reason than to serve. He also wanted them to cultivate their abilities within the Force, giving them a wider variety of strengths than the normal troopers.
The Exalted function almost as a sort of warrior-priest unit, both protecting and maintaining the will and ideals of Petrichor. They will lay down their lives for their master, and will stop at nothing to fulfill his orders. They would follow him into the very Netherworld if need be. It took many years, but finally, Petrichor had what he was searching for.
