Eternal Father
- Intent: Flesh out the Emperor's personal guard
- Image Credit:
- Role: Royal Guard
- Permissions: N/A
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- Unit Name: The Imperial Crownguard, Sovereign Protectors of the Zambranos
- Affiliation: The Sith Empire / House Zambrano
- Classification: Elite Infantry
- Equipment:
- Crownguard Battle Armor
- Broadsaber (Design)
- Concussion Lance
- Description: Resplendent in black plastoid and a ribbed multi-layered body glove, the Imperial Crownguard cut a striking figure against the Empire's backdrop of bright reds and subtle grays. Chosen from among the strongest and most loyal of Force-Sensitive Epicanthix from the remote jungle world of Panatha, each one of these scarlet warriors gladly dedicates their entire lives to protecting the Sith Emperor and carrying out his will without hesitation or remorse. The trials for selecting a Crownguard aspirant are some of the most grueling in the Empire, not wholly dissimilar than the tribulations undergone by the Sith in their hallowed temples. Once an applicant survives initiation, they are forced to take upon themselves a vow of silence; their tongues removed by a sharp instrument and their mouths are sewn completely shut. Daily nutrition injections ensure that each member of the Crownguard receives their daily carbohydrates and protein.
After their tongue had been removed and their mouth is sewn shut, they are subjected to a series of ritual modifications that dehumanize them until only a fierce and loyal protector of the Emperor remains. Each hair follicle is removed across their entire body, replaced by black tattoos venerating their Emperor with sweeping mosaics that leaves little of their original skin untouched. To further sharpen their devotion, each Crownguard is rendered a eunuch as well. A Crownguard's body is considered a living tapestry of their Emperor's glory and is routinely kept clean and immaculate when not sealed inside of their armor. In homage to the ancient practices of Panatha, the Crownguard emulate their Emperor in coating their hairless bodies with sacred oils before and after every battle.
A Crownguard is trained in multiple weapons to better serve their Emperor.
Their primary weapon was a concussion lance, a blunted phrik staff two-point-two-five-meters in length with each tip-end mounted with supersonic generators. These generators could produce supersonic waves upon physical contact with any material and were incredibly devastating, violently pushing their targets back and overloading their nervous systems. The shockwaves from these blasts could also cause cardiac arrest, seizures, respiratory failure, severe electrical burns, cataracts, and even bone fractures. The shaft of the lance was also constructed around a double-barreled blaster rifle, and each end of the lance could fire blaster bolts at the discretion of the wielder. The central actuator could cycle the blaster bolts between each point of the lance, giving the Crownguard the ability to fire in front of them as well as behind them in alternating shots.
Their secondary weapon was a broadsaber, a specialized form of lightsaber that produced a thin flat blade rather than the wide cylindrical blade typically found among other lightsaber designs. The Crownguard's broadsaber was unique in that the blade was channeled along a rigid phrik spine, with the tip of the blade encapsulated by an enclosed bladed sheath. The physical blade was sharpened and tempered enough to cut through most material with some physical effort, while the plasma blade could cut through the majority of materials found in the galaxy much like the blade of an average lightsaber. This weapon was typically held in reserve at their waist for close-quarters combat, with their concussion lance serving as their medium to long-range weapon of choice.
To converse with one another, the Crownguard have developed their own geometric code language that can be transmitted between one another through their armor's HUD. When that fails, hand gestures, and body language service to convey simplistic actions and intentions.
- Unit Size: Medium
- Unit Availability: Rare
- Unit Experience: Elite
- Combat Function: Crownguard primarily serve as elite guardsmen for the Sith Emperor and his family, often shadowing them on interstellar travels and serving in their personal regiments if need be. Though capable of fighting independently, the Crownguard is more efficient when grouped together in pairs or greater numbers. In this capacity, they can combine their strengths to fight and kill the enemies of their Lord with greater skill. To better serve their masters, each Crownguard is taught many skills relevant to operating in the field; such as medicine, piloting, mechanical engineering, among others.
- Elite: The Crownguard are the defenders of the Imperial Family, and have been extensively trained and generously outfitted with powerful armor and weapons to carry out this charge. An average member of the Crownguard is equivalent to a knight in Force strength.
- Zealots: Each and every member of the Crownguard are ready to lay down their lives in defense of the Imperial Family, and will never shirk from battle or betray their lords and masters no matter the peril.
- Epicanthix-Only: Every member of the Imperial Crownguard is a pureblood Force-Sensitive Epicanthix trained extensively in the art of combat, each one benefiting from their immunity to Jedi Mind Tricks and other abilities of the Force that influence the mind.
- Limited: The Crownguard number only one thousand strong, and are stationed across the strongholds of the Imperial Family. Nowhere would one find the entire strength of the Crownguard assembled.
- Zealots: Through the same devotion that made them such reliable protectors, it makes them unwilling to retreat in the face of death. Death is preferable to failure, and it is not uncommon for an entire squadron of Crownguard to perish if pressed in a fight or flight situation.
When the Sith Lord known as Kaine Zambrano returned to his homeworld of Panatha in 837 ABY he reconnected with his heritage, surveying the condition his homeworld was in and deciding that it was time for him to regain the throne that his ancestors once sat upon. Rallying what forces remained at his side after the collapse of the Eighth Sith Empire, Zambrano waged war on the reigning monarch of Panatha. The campaign was short and brutal, Zambrano's swift and decisive movement across Panatha cordoning and isolating the King's forces until the capital laid vulnerable. Zambrano stormed into the King's throne room, cutting down his guards before executing the King as well. Those of the old King's guard that had survived knelt in submission to their new King, and the first of the Crownguard was formed.
To replenish the depleted ranks of the King's Guard, King Zambrano sought the most capable Epicanthix on Panatha to serve. Qualifications were simple; strength of arms, intelligence, and the ability to follow orders without question. Both men and women were selected to be among this first wave of applicants. They were required to swear an oath of loyalty to the King, to forsake all inheritance, to bear no children, and to take no mate. They would dedicate themselves wholly to serving the King and protecting him and his family with their lives, eagerly willing to sacrifice themselves for this task.
As Zambrano grew in both power and influence, so too did his personal guard. The group was expanded and rechristened as the Grand Order of the Crown Guardians and began to be filled with purely Force-Sensitive individuals rather than the previous mix of both; those without the Force gradually being phased out over the years. The atmosphere inside of the group became more cultist over the years as Sith influences began to bleed in. When Zambrano became the Emperor of the Sith, the Crownguard was elevated to the position of Imperial Protectors and their transition into a full-fledged Sith Cult was complete.
The most zealous members of the Crownguard began to cut out their tongues and tattoo their bodies in reverence to the Emperor, and this practice eventually became standardized and inflicted upon every member of the Guard. By this point the Crownguard was around a thousand members strong, all of them trained in the Dark Side of the Force and indoctrinated to fervently worship and serve the Sith Emperor even at great personal harm to one's self.
3/15/2020
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10/29/2020
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Fixed Formatting
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10/29/2020
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