Aidan Moonrunner
The Dead Man
Name: The Holy Crusaders
Intent: To provide the Zhornee Empire with a religious police force and officers for the military.
Affiliation: The Zhornee Empire.
Availability: Uncommon.
Type: Infantry.
Strength: 250,000
Description: Since the founding of the Zhornee Empire, the people of Vullain have come to fear their distinctive armor and promises of retribution. If one walks the streets of any Zhornee city, they will hear the loud preaching of these warrior priestesses. They promise death to any and all heretics, and praise the divinity of the Empress and her words.
The Holy Crusaders are entirely made up of Voidwalkers, Force-Sensitive Zhornee. They are taken at birth to one of the Crusader's many Temples, and once there receive training in martial combat, marksmanship, harnessing their abilities, and brainwashing to serve the Empress.
Although all Crusaders are Force Sensitive, their abilities are extremely limited; the most they can do is basic techniques most Padawans use. Their combat skills, however, have been drilled into them through brutal training and torture. Their main weapons are a submachine gun and a short sword, and they can use them well.
Common Crusader duties consist of sniffing out heretics, and torturing and executing them. They are also officers in the Zhornee military, leading units into battle and promising death to any and all who show hesitation to die for their Empress.
The Zhornee Empire and the Holy Crusaders have always gone hand in hand. When what would become the Empire was founded, the Crusaders were it's first warriors, it's first and last line of defense. When the Empire began to conquer it's neighboring tribes, the Crusaders were the first into battle, and the last to leave. They slaughtered dozens of tribes, and subjugated dozens more. When the Empire's conquest of the planet was complete, there was much debate as to whether the Crusaders were still useful.
In the end, it was decided that their role would change. Instead of front-line warriors, they became police, enforcing the Empress's will on the people, as well as officers in the military. Whenever the Zhornee people rebelled, the Crusaders led the efforts to crush it. Crusaders have become the symbol of the Empire, and the mere sight of their armor strikes fear into even the bravest of the Zhornee.
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