Vaena Askari
Lady Cadalthor
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To sub an Eldorai noble family I've been roleplaying for quite a while and that has been prominent in several threads. It ties in with a new story arc for one of my PCs, Vaena Askari.
Image Credit: Here. 'Golden Queen' by 'Annie Bertram' on Deviant Art.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: Purchase request for Sovereign Class SD and Tibanna Synthesising Platforms here, and confirmed here. Purchase request for Argent Manufacturing Dreadnoughts here, and confirmed here.
Links: Vaena Askari, Ashiranism, Eldorai, Eldorai Exodus from Kaeshana, Firemane, Qadiri, Xioquo, Inexorable, Four of a Kind, Shadow Knights, Denouement, Choir of Angels, Draconian Guard, Church of Ashira.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Organization Name: The Noble House of Cadalthor
Classification: Noble Family
Headquarters: Pious Deliverance.
Affiliation: Vaena, Eldorai, Righteous Way.
Organization Symbol: The sigil of House Cadalthor takes the form of a dragon, incurved into the form of a circle, its tail winding around its neck, divided through the middle of its back along its length from the top of its head right to the tip of its tail, resembling an ouroboros.
Description: The House of Cadalthor is one of the oldest and most illustrious amongst the great families of the Eldorai peerage. For centuries, it has almost always been at the forefront of Eldorai politics. Dramatic falls from grace have been paired with equally dramatic rises to power. The Cadalthors consider themselves to be the guardians of the true faith in the Great Goddess Ashira and the other Eldorai deities, protecting Eldorai tradition and culture. At the same time, they regard themselves as warriors, who use their martial prowess to smite the Eldorai's enemies. Finally, they see themselves as the natural rulers of the Eldorai people due to being descended from the ancient Star Queen Anais II, known as the Conqueror or the Dragon. A zealous, rash and impulsive queen, Anais was a famously brave and ruthless warlord who led the Eldorai people to great power.
Cadalthor means 'Daughters of the Dragon' in Eldarai. While the Cadalthors are not direct descendants of 'the Dragon', they claim to be descended from one of her cousins, given the distinction of 'daughters of the dragon' for their family's valour in war. Though sincere devotion to the Eldorai people's prosperity has often been paired with a ruthless drive to power. Today, Cadalthor stands at a crossroads. A failed palace revolution resulted in the execution of Duchess Tarissa Cadalthor and the ascent of the most unlikely family matriarch, Vaena Askari, who until then had been rejected by her family due to being a bastard. Though their power and wealth are diminished, the Cadalthors are still a formidable force and have the potential to become more...if they can unite. Intrigues and scheming are sadly common within the family, though they unite when confronted with an outside force. Despite their setbacks, they are still an important player in the Eldorai Matriarchy, the government most (though not all) Eldorai are ruled by.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Headquarters: Pious Deliverance.
Domain: The family controls the Pious Deliverance, a worldship built by Firemane. It also still has holdings on Tygara and Arkas. The worldship is essentially a city on the move, so House Cadalthor is integrated into the community since it controls it. While not tyrannical, the worldship is governed autocratically and inhabitants are expected to be believers. However, it is welcoming to the Eldorai's Tygaran cousins, such as Qadiri and Xioquo. This rosy image does not apply to all holdings of the family. Many of its members are reactionaries who look down on commoners and non-Eldorai.
Vaena has tried to improve conditions, but she has only been in power for a short while. Democracy is something the young duchess neither likes nor understands. Her frame of reference is her time in the Angelii. This has given her a militaristic outlook on things. In her view, access to power should be based on service, rather than votes. Some of her more 'liberal' advisors have encouraged her to create some sort of representational organ for her subjects. Because she is no democrat, the franchise would not be universal and probably tied to services rendered to the state. For the time being, her worldship has an advisory council. Its members are partly appointed by her, partly indirectly elected. Her subjects can also address petitions to her. The House donates to various Eldorai charities, particularly Ashiran ones. After carrying out a purge, Vaena expropriated rebellious family members. She has settled retired Eldorai soldiers, emancipated Qadiri slaves and Eldorai refugees on these lands.
Notable Assets: The family has holdings on Tygara and Arkas. Aside from these, it has the following major assets of note. The ships are owned via the Righteous Way corporation, which belongs to Vaena.
- Pious Deliverance
- Righteous Way
- One Sovereign Class Star Destroyer
- Two Tibanna Synthesizing Platforms
- Three Argent-class Manufacturing Dreadnoughts
Hierarchy: Like any noble family, House Cadalthor is built like a pyramid. At the peak sits the Duchess. The chief matriarch is always a woman, for the Cadalthors follow the ancient law of Ashira, which means they practice absolute enactic succession. Her word is law - in theory. In practice, she must balance competing interests and be adept at the game of thrones to enforce her will. She is 'advised' by a family council, though its influence varies. Vaena's inner circle largely consists of Cadalthors from less prominent branches, including bastards, as well as trusted Tygarans. This annoys the old guard.
Only women are allowed to wield power in the family. By contrast, male offsprings are used for strategic marriage alliances. They are expected to marry into other noble families to expand the family's reach. Things obviously get awkward if the family they married into later becomes an enemy. The matriarch always decides who in the family marries and other financial decisions. Females often compete amongst themselves for favour and power, for the oldest girl does not always inherit, whilst the males jockey for the best marriages and status they can get.
Membership: The easiest way is to be born into it. On a less frivolous note, it is possible to marry into the family, but not that easy. Only Eldorai of good breeding and religious purity are considered acceptable. A Cadalthor scion who married a commoner - or an alien - would be disgraced in the eyes of her family. It would be tantamount to committing social suicide. It is pertinent to note that many Cadalthors do not have much of a blood connection. In Eldorai society noblewomen will often hire surrogates for their husband to impregnate and then raise the children as their own. House Cadalthor is very conservative, so this has often been the norm. Vaena, however, grew up a commoner, and finds this cold and strange. Thus she has announced her intention have biological children instead of outsourcing their conception, rigours of pregnancy be damned.
Ultimately, the Duchess has the power to deny permission for a marriage she considers unsuitable. This is something Vaena has no intention of changing. On occasion, House Cadalthor has adopted Eldorai it considered worthy of the honour. These tend to be warriors, for Cadalthor values martial prowess and valour. Aside from the actual family members, the noble house also employs a small army of bureaucrats, servants, warriors and other minions.
Rules : The Ashiran religion and reverence for their ancestors form the bedrock of House Cadalthor. Young family members are taught to worship the Eldorai deities, especially the Creator Goddess Ashira and the War Goddess Valora. Apostasy or - heaven forbid - atheism are seen as treasonous. Members of the house must dedicate themselves to the Goddess and the family. Honour is an important concept for the house. A Cadalthor is expected to defend the family's honour with her own blood if needed. Likewise, she is expected to defend the Eldorai Matriarchy on the battlefield, against enemies foreign and domestic. A Cadalthor who surrenders or gets captured in battle is seen as having lost her honour and her right to bear the family name. By contrast, a Cadalthor who dies in battle is seen as a martyr and venerated accordingly. All members of the family must contribute towards the house's wellbeing and success.
Cadalthor preaches that the Eldorai are the only children of Ashira and have a goddess-given destiny. Foreign tech is seen as useful, but foreigners are still seen as beneath 'pure Eldorai'. This did not stop Tarissa from having a very...close relationship with Siobhan Kerrigan or mentoring the Firemane CEO's daughter Galina. On occasion, the family has tried to get around its own racial policies by categorising certain meritorous - or especially useful - foreigners as 'honorary' Eldorai or by saying they possess 'Eldorai souls in alien bodies'. Jedi and Sith are both viewed with disdain, and Eldorai who disavow Ashira are seen as heretics. A Cadalthor who marries a human or an alien would be disowned.
After the First Order's conquest of Kaeshana, the imperialist faction was added to the family's long list of enemies. Kaeshana was regarded as holy ground that must be reclaimed. Closer to home, the house is opposed to the liberal reforms carried out by the present Star Queen, Tirathana VII, seeing them as a dilution of Eldorai values. Regarding the Tygaran natives, Cadalthor's ideology can be best described as the 'Eldorai woman's burden'. They are seen as 'children, not fully formed by the Goddess', who are in need of guidance from their more 'enlightened cousins' - and are expected to obey and submit for their own good.
With the recent regime change, Cadalthor doctrine has been shaken. While a very pious, conservative woman, Duchess Vaena Cadalthor - born as Askari - does not share the racism and bigotry of her relatives and is committed to redeeming the house's name. Disdaining the luxury her relatives live in, the former soldiers has formed close links with a puritan sect called the Children of Ashira, who preach a form of Liberation Theology and demand an Ashiran Reformation. Vaena has rejected the idea that the Eldorai are Ashira's only creation. Instead she believes that the Tygaran elves are also the Goddess' children. She sees Kashara, the chief Qadiri goddess, as the native aspect of Ashira and has similar views about several other Tygaran deities. Indeed, she is also open to the idea of intermarriage between the elf races. However, her views are far from universal. Whether the new duchess will succeed in reforming the house and restoring its former glory remains to be seen.
Climate: On the surface, everyone is conservative, nationalist and loyal. But there is a lot of intrigue behind the scenes. House Cadalthor has conservative values and is very controlling. There is a strong of culture of xenophobia and misandry. There is a long list do not does, such as leaving the Church of Ashira, dating a human or treating a male as an equal to a female. Marriages are arranged by the head of the family. Female family members who display an aptitude for Force abilities are expected to serve in the Angelii for a couple years. Martial aptitude is highly valued. A military career is seen as an honourable pursuit for a Cadalthor, particularly those from a remote branch outside of the direct line of succession. The same applies to joining the clergy of the Church of Ashira. Indeed, the family de facto 'owns' several monasteries and temples.
Beneath the surface, there is a bit of a culture war going on between the old matriarchs and certain members of the younger generation, who chafe under the restrictions or simply want to make their mark. Tarissa's failed coup and execution hangs over the family like a cloud, and there is a good deal of resentment. Moreover, several family members regard Vaena as an usurper, as she was born a bastard and imposed on them by the Queen. Depending on who you ask, she is either the best hope to make House Cadalthor great again, or a tyrant and huge embarrassment. Rumours say she has taken humans and Tygaran elves to her bed.
The family is used to high, decadent living, but the reparations Firemane forced it to agree to had a detrimental effect on its finances. Disdaining luxury, the 'Soldier Duchess' has enforced austerity policies. Her own home is very modest. When a cabal of senior family members opposed her and plotted, she had them purged. Some members of the cabal were executed, others were banished, forced to renounce their titles and enter a monastery or sent to toil in the fields. It is worth quoting a speech she gave after carrying out the purge:
"I never asked for this position. Gold is heavy on the head, but so long as I am Duchess I have a duty. Come what may, I shall do my duty to the people and the Goddess. And my duty is to defend the Matriarchy from the rot within. She who rises against the Matriarchy is a traitor to her country. And traitors to their country are suppressed in accordance with laws of iron. I had hoped that it might not be necessary any longer to be forced to defend our house from within with arms in our hands. But the Goddess has now put us to the test. Every people is itself guilty if it does not find the strength to destroy such vile creatures. At this hour, there was no room for any clemency. If anyone reproaches me and asks why I did not grant the condemned a trial by their peers, then all I can say to her is this: in this hour I was responsible for the fate of House Cadalthor, and thereby I became the supreme judge of House Cadalthor.
When traitors in my house conspire among themselves and steal from the good people of the Matriarchy for their own selfish gain, then I will have such ladies beheaded. Every woman shall reap what she has sown, from the highest lady to the lowest gutter rat. There is no rank, there is no position that can protect from the responsibility and therefore this punishment. I gave the order to behead those who were the ringleaders of this treason. Everyone must know for all future times, that if she raises her hand to strike our house, then certain death is her lot."
For the time being Vaena the Unlikely's rule is stable, but should she slip up, her rivals will definitely try to take advantage to 'take what is theirs'. It is pertinent to note that Vaena is not a liberal. She is extremely pious and believes that the Ashiran scriptures represent literal truth. She also has conservative beliefs regarding gender roles, meaning she endorses absolute enactic succession. What bothers her about her family is its hypocrisy, racism towards the Eldorai's Tygaran cousins and its decadence. Some family members have jumped on her bandwagon. These tend to be bastards or members of distant branches.
Reputation: Humans tend to view them as arrogant, racist snobs. Firemane strongly distrusts House Cadalthor and has contingencies in place should it become a problem. To this end, Firemane's intelligence services has tried to plant moles inside it. Eldorai liberals dislike House Cadalthor because it is a bastion of conservatism. This has naturally given the family a good reputation among ultra-conservatives in the Eldorai nobility, but they do not know what to make of it ever since Vaena has taken over and imposed 'bizarre' policies. The lurid rumours about what she does in her bedroom do not help.
However, her populist, austere approach and piousness has made House Cadalthor more popular among Eldorai commoners who still believe in the Goddess and dislike the Crown's appeasement of humans, but do not want a reactionary tyrant like Tirathana VI at the helm. She is also liked by soldiers. Likewise, her pan-Asuran beliefs have given her a better reputation than most aristocrats among Tygarans, especially certain Qadiri states. The Shadow Knights and similar Eldorai revolutionary groups regard them as reactionaries and are not shy about launching raids.
The relationship with the Crown is variable. Vaena is a legitimist who views the Star Queen as Ashira's viceroy and emissary in the material realm. Thus she is opposed to coups. However, she is sceptical of how devout the present Queen truly is and regards her as too accommodating and dependent on the humans. Thus her present policy is to pay lip service and support her, but otherwise conduct herself as an autonomous ruler. House Cadalthor has surprisingly good ties with the Royal House of Alderaan and ArmaTech. This is because Vaena made an effort to build relations in order to make her house less dependent on Firemane.
Curios: All Cadalthors receive a heirloom medaillion inscribed with the family motto 'Fear the Dragon's Wrath' when they are of age, along with a ceremonial blade.
Goals:
- To make the Eldorai great again - but especially House Cadalthor.
- To uphold, propagate and protect the true faith.
- To serve the Eldorai Matriarchy...and maybe claim the throne one day.
- To purge the infidels. Preferrably through immolation.
- Find new worlds to colonise and settle on.
Like her relatives, she believes the Eldorai have become too dependent on humans and must embrace the ways of their foremothers. However, she is disinterested in power plays, maintains a Spartan life style and, though somewhat patronising, lacks their racist sentiment towards outsiders or the Tygaran natives. Indeed, her dalliances with Tygaran elves, including males, have scandalised her family a lot. The same applies to her attempts to recruit Qadiri to swell the ranks of the House Cadalthor Guard, which was decimated when Angelii and Firemane troops stormed the family's mansion in New Santaissa during the insurrection.
MEMBERS
Vaena Cadalthor: Vaena, born Vaena Askari and known to some as Vaena the Unlikely, is the head of the family. Vaena is a noble by birth, though she was disinherited even before being born. Her mother was Mylea Cadalthor, an aunt of Tarissa Cadalthor. However, Vaena's conception was an accident. Her father was not someone who'd be considered an 'appropriate' match for an Eldorai matriarch, but a male courtesan. One might note that it is common among Eldorai noblewomen to hire surrogates for their husband to impregnate and then raise the children as their own.
In short, her conception was quite scandalous. So Vaena was declared a bastard and raised in an orphanage of the Church of Ashira. The girls were expected to be disciplined, say their prayers regularly and obey the rules. However, though the rules were strict and corporal punishment was used on offenders, they were not cruel. Vaena was revealed to be a Sciian when a fire broke out and she was caught by flames while trying to help a fellow orphan get out of the danger zone. Flames scorched her, but she was miraculously unharmed and the flames seemed to recoil from her, allowing her to save her friend. After she was subjected to a scan, it was discovered that she possessed the gift. Vaena was sent to a special school to be trained and eventually became an Angelii. Her romantic notions of service to the Goddess were soon put to the test.
Vaena remained a soldier till after the Battle of Kaeshana, fighting Dark Eldorai rebels, Xioquo, pirates as well as Imperials. Now she has been ennobled. Vaena was reluctant to have anything to do with her birth family after learning of her heritage, for they lived in different worlds. However, the disgrace of her family after her cousin Tarissa's treasonous schemes compelled her to accept the Queen's offer. Vaena has a somewhat idealised view of her ancestors, but very little respect for most of the living members of House Cadalthor. She views many as decadent and shallow. In her view, they worship gold, not the Goddess. Thus she prefers to promote outsiders who share her conservative, martial values.
Though she started out with very patronising on the Eldorai's cousins, she has since adopted pan-Ashiran beliefs. Personally, Vaena is quite affable, albeit extremely pious. She has a good singing voice and is fond of Angelii battle songs. However, she's more reserved and less trusting when in the presence of nobles or non-elves. Force-wise she focuses on elemental fire abilities. Vaena is principled and not a career politician. This means she is not the most experienced at intrigue. She prefers straightforward solutions. However, she is liked by the soldiers and her servants and is a bit of a social reformer, though no democrat. One item on her agenda is making a marriage alliance with another noble house to further secure her position and ensure she has an heiress.
Mylea Cadalthor: An important noblewoman and the mother of Vaena. As mentioned above, Vaena's conception was an accident and a cause of embarrassment for Mylea. She had to give up the child to prevent it from becoming problematic, as it could muddle the succession. The scandal also allowed her rival Mikela to marginalise her in the family's councils.
Mylea was bitter about her sister taking control of the house. She claims that she did not want to give up Vaeana, but her daughter is sceptical of this. After Tarissa framed her mother and took control of the house, she had Mylea temporarily placed under house arrest, but later set her free, but kept her under surveillance. Vaena and Mylea crossed paths during the Exodus.
The reunion between mother and daughter was awkward to say the least. Both lived in different worlds, Vaena was curious, but also shocked about the revelation of her true origins. For her part, Myela regretted giving up her daughter, but at the same time had new children and Vaena was a stranger to her. Nonetheless, she tried to include the young Angelii, which put Vaena through internal turmoil since such contact conflicted with her duties. Moreover, Myela's daughters made no secret out of the fact that a lowly Angelii officer was beneath them. Especially one who had been born a bastard. Tarissa watched their contacts with suspicion.
The two had a reunion after Tarissa's execution. Vaena was part of the joint Firemane-Angelii task force that stormed the Cadalthor estate. The family had been black listed and faced the prospect of losing all its lands and privileges. Mylea urged her daughter to embrace her heritage and do her duty to her house. Vaena responded poorly to this. In a way, Mylea has gotten what she wanted, for her daughter is Duchess now. However, the relationship between them is not the best.
Mylea is haughty, snobbish and ruthless. She is protective of her daughter, but also believes she should follow her 'guidance'. She is accustomed to a life of luxury and scandalised by certain elements of Vaena's behaviour. Mylea is very knowledgeable about courtly life and has well-honed survival instincts. Of course, she does not only have Vaena to think of, but also her other children. If she cannot lead the house herself, she is determined that a child of her line will. This does not necessarily mean Vaena. The duchess does not like relying on or confiding in her mother, but has to sometimes. Mylea is a woman of the faith, but also a woman with an eye for power and opportunities.
Karina Cadalthor: Karina is Vaena's half-sister. In theory, they have the same mother. However, in practice there is no biological relation between the two. As mentioned above, it is common among Eldorai noblewomen, especially from conservative families, to hire surrogates for their husbands to impregnate and then raise the children as their own.
Vaena's conception was an accident that Mylea Cadalthor did not want to repeat. So she did the conventional thing. Karina was the result and became a new addition to the vast, sprawling mangrove thicket of a family tree for the Cadalthor family. While Vaena was brought up by the church and then conscripted by the army, Karina wanted for nothing, for she was raised in the lap of luxury. The result was a rather spoilt woman who was used to people doing what she said and worshipping her. However, Mylea was sidelined by her sister Mikela. The scandal caused by Vaena's conception played a role in this. Later Tarissa temporarily placed her under house arrest. Denied the status she craved, Karina grew resentful. Then Tarissa was executed and Vaena became the new duchess.
The relationship between the two women is a strange one. Karina comes across as an intellectual lightweight who is more given to parties, pleasure and luxury than statecraft or warfare. This has led many to dismiss her as an arrogant buffoon. She is casually xenophobic, though this has not stopped her from sleeping with non-Eldorai. Her speciecism is reflexive. However, there are indications that her behaviour as a vapid aristo might partly be an act. When a group of Cadalthors banded together against Vaena, regarding her decision to impose austerity policies and sell off various assets as a way to infringe on their freedom, Karina seemed to back them. Indeed she was quite vocal in criticising Vaena at a family gathering. However, she was spared during the subsequent purge.
Karina is a very good source of gossip, which may be one of the reasons Vaena keeps her around. Indeed, she is oddly knowledgeable about most things that go on in the noble house, including matters she has no reason to know about. Karina is good at socialising and ingratiating herself. She has established herself as a major socialite. The aristocrat is not a fighter and a bit of a coward in combat, but a solid pilot. She is generous with gifts and donations, though a bit patronising about it.
Taiya Star: Taiya's story mirrors and contrasts with that of Vaena. Like the latter, she is a Cadalthor bastard. To keep her from inconveniencing the family, she was sent to a monastery to become an acolyte. Taiya is Vaena's cousin, as she is the illegitimate daughter of Mikela, the sister of the duchess' mother. This is very ironic since Mikela used the fact that Mylea had embarrassed the family by having a bastard against her, but hypocrisy was nothing new to her. House Cadalthor essentially 'owned' the temple Taiya was sent to, as they had provided the holy order with land. Moreover, several abbesses had been Cadalthors. Unlike Vaena, Taiya became aware of her heritage rather early. Her family did not want her around because she could disrupt the succession, but a the same time they wanted to make use of her.
The inhabitants of the monastery had to forsake lands and titles, but the institution itself owned property. They had goods to sell, performed spiritual work and provided charitable services. Aristocrats gave huge swaths of land to Church. In exchange, the 'handmaidens of the Heavenly Mother' might pray for the donor's soul and offer her burial in the temple's cemetery. The holy house Taiya lived in also provided banking services. Beneath its facade of piety of devotion, the Church was very corrupt.
Of course, the towering cathedrals and opulent apartments of the prelates were just gifts handed to the church and it would be a sin to refuse such piety. Indeed, the Church had introduced and commercialised the practice of indulgences, which promised remission from sin. An enormous cathedral commissioned by the Queen was funded by money raised from the sale of indulgences. Intrigue was common behind the scenes and accusations of heresy were a convenient way of removing competition, especially after a fiery priestess called Sahome Tyral nailed 59 theses onto the door of the Grand Catheral of Ashira. As a young acolyte, Taiya had to help sell indulgences and witnessed Sahome's trial. Today, the Church has prohibited the practice. Taiya has of course naturally denounced it. For a while she served as a steward of sorts, managing various holdings.
Unlike Vaena, Taiya is not particularly passionate about the faith. She used a combination of cunning, guile, organisational skills and connections to rise in rank. Good works might be the duty of a priestess, but they did not get one further than ground level. Thus she learned how to navigate the mine field of doctrinal disputes that characterised life in the clergy. Taiya is resentful of the fact that her family essentially banished her right after she was born and then tried to use her as a resource once it turned out she could be useful to them, without accepting her as one of their own.
This is what has motivated her to hitch her wagons to Vaena. Taiya finds her relative quite a bit naive when it comes to matters of the faith, but there is some kinship between them due to their shared origins as bastards and fellow outcasts. If she cannot be Duchess herself, Taiya can settle for being the Duchess' chief counsellor. The fact that they detest the same people, albeit for different reasons, helps. Taiya has risen to become the senior Ashiran cleric on the Pious Deliverance.
Rinnea Cadalthor: Rinnea is the overall commander of the worldship's garrison and the forces accompaying it. Obviously Vaena is ultimately in charge, but she was only a junior officer in the Angelii, while Ariawyn never rose beyond the rank of sergeant due to her past in the penal legion. So the Pious Deliverance needs someone more experienced in commanding a large force. Rinnea fulfils this role. She is a distant relative of Vaena, but belongs to a minor branch of the Cadalthor family. It was founded by a legitimised bastard. As a consequence, she lacked prestige or connections of notre and tried to make her mark by joining the military.
She was originally a pen-pusher in Santaissa, serving in a staff role, but was actually good at it and was promoted during the failed coup against Anya. Her quick response to traitors and skill at organisation contributed to thwarting the insurrection. She organised the arrest of her superior and several mutinous officers, then dispatched reinforcements to the besieged royal palace. Later Rinnea fought against the Xioquo and the First Order, serving with distinction. By then she was a general officer, though by no means a high up.
Rinnea did not like Tarissa much. She correctly suspected that the new duchess had framed Mikela in order to seize power for herself and become the new head of the family. Fortunately for her, she was not part of Tarissa's attempted coup d'état. Thus she survived the clean-up after the Duchess' execution. Although Rinnea did not care for Tarissa, she disliked the way she was executed. This is because the treasonous duchess was killed by Siobhan Kerrigan in front of the entire Council of Nobles. Siobhan's actions were legitimised by the Star Queen, but this occured after the fact. Rinnea did not object to her relative being put to death for her crimes, but the sentence should have been passed and carried out by Eldorai.
Moreover, her family name had become a disadvantage in the Eldorai military hierarchy. This motivated her to transfer her services to the new head of the house. Rinnea is of an older generation than Vaena. She also reached a higher rank in the military and has more experience commanding large forces. Compared to Vaena, Rinnea is less pious. She is no atheist or nonconformist, but sees her role as a job with the family and the Eldorai. She attends church services and makes donations as is expected of her, but is not extremely zealous about the faith.
Caius Cadalthor: Caius Cadalthor is an example of an Eldorai male who wants to break the glass ceiling and get recognised for his skill instead of his ability to perform as a breeder. Unfortunately for him, he was born into a conservative noble family. House Cadalthor is a bastion of conservatism. As a result, the family is not accepting of the idea of male emancipation. A male Cadalthor must marry a lady of high birth to increase the influence and power of his house. Then he must provide his lady with children, which is usually accomplished through intercourse with a surrogate. Within House Cadalthor, his role is subordinate to that of its female members. Eldorai females are physically larger and stronger than their male counterparts, and hold most of the important leadership and command roles. Males on the other hand tend to share secondary roles. Caius is a cousin to Vaena and the brother of Tarissa.
Caius had a very poor relationship with Tarissa, who was extremely reactionary and considered his views to be heretical. Indeed, she had him locked up once. It did not help that he had some indiscreet associations and liasons. His relationship with Vaena is complicated. She notes that he is skilled, but feels threatened and confused by his attempts to play a role in politics. In response, she has shuffled him into the military to sidetrack that ambition. Putting him in an important role there also makes her look progressive. Regardless of her motivations, Caius has displayed great talent as a fighter pilot, showing his worth in dogfights, organising recon patrols and expeditions. So far he has managed to avoid marrying, but Vaena has been looking for an advantageous match for him.
Ariawyn Eloris: Ariawyn is not a Cadalthor, but commands the Draconian Guard. This is the bodyguard force of the Duchess. She a Master level Force-User and one of Vaena's closest friends and confidantes. Like Vaena, she is a former Angelii, though her past is a bit checkered. Born into a family of poor peasants who were oppressed by a local noblewoman, she ran away from home at an early age and joined a gang. A robbery gone wrong changed Ariawyn's life when she manifested her Force powers after being abandoned by her comrades and cornered by militia.
She was given a simple choice that had a long tradition in the lives of social miscreants: Army or jail. Ariawyn chose the former and was inducted into a penal legion. Service in such units was considered a way for convicts to repay their debt to society and restore their honour. Discipline was brutal, and enforced by commissars. Unlike many of her comrades, she survived the forlorn hope charges her unit was often ordered to conduct. She distinguished herself fighting foreign raiders and the rebel army of a charlatan who tried to usurp the throne. Her skills were noticed and she was inducted into the Angelii.
There she met Vaena. The two bonded. When Ariawyn killed the local matriarch in retaliation for the murder of her parents, Vaena helped her and covered things up. This made the former penal legionnaire loyal to her. When Vaena was ennobled, Ariawyn left the Angelii to support her friend, despite - or perhaps because of - her disdain for the duchess' family. She jas proved herself a severe, but effective commander of the guard. She's taken the time to familiarise herself with Qadiri culture, as many of the guards have been recruited from that Eldorai subrace.
Ariawyn is strong and rigid in her beliefs. Firm and unyielding, she views compromising on them as weakness. She has a strong sense of discipline. The soldier can show a more lighthearted, even amusingly crude side in private. Ariawyn is religious and particularly devoted to Valora, the Eldorai War Goddess. She distinguishes between the goddess and her mortal servants though. Ariawyn is distrustful of humans, but sympathetic to the Qadiri, particularly those who come from low class backgrounds like her. She is physically blind, having lost her physical sight while protecting Vaena from traitors. She has refused artificial replacements, preferring to use Force Sight to see. Ariawyn is a capable duellist. Force-wise she focuses on physical enhancement, elemental earth abilities and buffing powers.
Kadaltha'Xarz: Some believe that Star Queen Tirathana VI was too merciful when she allowed the Cadalthors to keep their lands and titles. Others think that this was a case of cruel mercy. Kadaltha'Xarz' presence might be one of the reasons for this. He is a bodyguard for Vaena Cadalthor, and a Xioquo.
Traditional Xioquo society is even more misandrist than its Eldorai counterpart, which says something. Xarz was raised as a slave and served as a bodyguard for a Xioquo mistress. He had family that was sent off to fight and die in the final battle against the Eldorai and Firemane, while he was ordered to stay back and guard his Mistress. Outraged by her callousness, he turned on her and dragged her to the Eldorai forces, after killing her other guards who stood against him and recruiting the rest.
He ended up running into a Angelii unit led by Vaena, which had advanced into the city as part of the Eldorai vanguard. Xarz swore allegiance to the new regime and worked with the occupation administration. He and Vaena became close during her time with the occupation force the Eldorai Matriarchy had left behind. She became his sponsor of sorts. Deeply religious, he gravitated to her. He joind her personal guard after her ennoblement.
Xioquo are treated with scorn by racist Eldorai, who deride them as 'darklings'. It is especially vexing for reactionaries that he calls himself Kadaltha. It is not uncommon for former slaves among the Xioquo to take the last of their liberator or patron. For instance, many slaves freed through Siobhan's efforts call themselves Karrigan. Xarz does not have Force powers, but is very tough and strong. Rumours say that he does more than just guard the Duchess. They are probably correct.
Anais Cadalthor: Anais is named after the great Eldorai Queen the Cadalthors claim descent from. She may yet try to live up to her namesake. She is one of Vaena's cousins and very ambitious. Indeed, she is said to physically resemble the ancient Star Queen, though this might just be poetic license. Anais had the sense not to get involved in the early cabals against the young Duchess, which meant she avoided the initial wave of purges.
However, this means that several Cadalthors who dislike the new regime have started to coalesce into a faction led by her. Like Vaena, Anais has a military service backgroun, which is something she uses to her advantage. However, she served in the Eldorai royal navy rather than the army. She saw action during the Netherworld Event as well as the Battle of Kaeshana. She was shunted to command a cruiser somewhere after Vaena took over to get her out of the way, but with the downside that it gives her experience and skills as well as time to network. She is the wolf in sheep's clothing and knows when to keep her head down.
Anais is cunning and ruthless, but good at obfuscation. Moreover, she has the patience to wait rather than pursue half-baked schemes and strike prematurely like some of her relatives. She gives the appearance of being very devout to the Goddess Ashira, but the faith is probably more of a tool to her. Should her cousin slip up and expose a vulnerability, Anais will doubtless try to exploit it.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Many Eldorai noble families believe they deserve the throne. Few believe this so fervently as the Cadalthors, for they consider themselves to be the heirs of Star Queen Anais II, who distinguished herself in many successful campaigns against the Kar'zun. Her victories were greater than any Eldorai before, and she extracted vast tribute from her enemies. The Kar’zun did not forget this though, and their revenge would eventually come back to haunt the Eldorai and bring them to the brink of collapse. Meanwhile Anais moved against internal enemies, actively consolidating and bringing remote regions of Kaeshana fully under her control.
Until then, many areas in the periphery had not even ceremonial submission to the Queen. Anais, a scion of House Kaldis and daughter of Anais the Zealous, changed that by launching bi-yearly campaigns until virtually all of the Eldorai in Kaeshana bowed to the Star Queen. Famously brave and ruthless she earned the name ‘the Conqueror, but to her soldiers she was ‘the Dragon’. With her conquests and plunder she could afford monumental building programs to aggrandise her power, and when she died the Matriarchy’s power was at one of its greatest crests. However, in hindsight, Anais’ warmongering had set in motion dangerous forces which would trouble her descendants and subjects for generations.
To the Cadalthors. Anais was what every scion of their house should aspire to be. They venerate her with an almost religious zeal, placing her even above Ariane the Great, who finally subdued the Kar'zun after a long, bitter struggle. They claim to be descended from one of her cousins, Caerys Kaldis. This illustrious lineage is what, in their opinion, gives them the right to rule, along with their martial valour. Even when they were out of favour at the Court and far from the corridors of power, the Cadalthors have not wavered in this conviction, regarding younger, less ancient families as unworthy parvenus, though this has not stopped them from using marriage to form strategic alliances.
In addition, they are related to the current queen Tirathana VII, born as Anya Venari. Tarissa was Anya's second cousin, which means the Cadalthors feel doubly justiifed in their belief that they deserve the throne. After all, compared to them, the Venaris are barely better than parvenus and almost bourgeois. If the gentle reader is getting the impression that the Cadalthors are more than a little obsessed with lineage, they would be correct. The world of blue bloods across the stars is a strange one.
The House made its mark during the Great Civil War, also known as the Time of Troubles. The last Kaldis queen, Anais IV the Proud, was murdered by a cabal of nobles led by Valeska Masana, following a devastating Kar'zun offensive. What followed was a period of widespread chaos, during which no less than nine queens ruled in less than ninety years. With the Matriarchy weakened by internal strife, the Kar'zun seized the opportunity to strike deep into Eldorai territory and sack the capital city of Santaissa.
It was the time for the Cadalthors to rise. Despite their regicide, Valeria Kaldis backed the Masana family during this tumultuous period. If you would ask the Cadalthors, they would say it was because Anais IV was an unworthy ruler and that while her death was unfortunate, she had clearly lost the mandate of heaven. Besides, having one Star Queen was better than nine. Moreover, it was every Goddess-fearing Edorai's duty to rally beneath the holy banner to prevent the Kar'zun from exterminating the entire race. Whether the Kar'zun actualy intended to do such a thing is another question.
Regardless, the Kaldis cadet branch also used the chance to expand their own power, carving out their own petty kingdom. Valeria either declared herself Duchess of Galondrona - or received the title from the 'legitimate Star Queen' according to the Cadalthor annals. She was a ruthless, but effective ruler committed to law and order. Taxes were collected, schools and churches, bandits and brigands hanged and it is said that for the first time in ages, merchants could travel from town to town without fear of being robbed or murdered. The Duchess personally led raids deep into Kar'zun territory until an injury sustained in battle crippled her and forced her to focus on administration.
After she personally executed an usurper, the honorary title 'daughter of the dragon' was conferred upon Valeria. Over time, it became the family name. However. much of the family was lost at the infamous defeat to the Kar'zun at Centui. To this day, every Cadalthor is expected to memorise the names of all those the house lost at this dark day and to recite them on the Day of Martyrs. The Cadalthor's fortunes waxed and waned over the following centuries, along with those of the Matriarchy as a whole. Though the Matriarchy recovered under the four Vanias of the Aristide dynasty, trouble was not far.
It was during the end of the Vania IV’s reign that the trouble began anew. The Queen had no legitimate heir, and the crown passed to her cousin Silaqui I. Silaqui was seduced by the daughter of an apocalyptic prophet named Eldasir Nait’an. The Queen was murdered and the daughter of the mad cleric was placed on the throne. Throughout this, the Kar’zun were happy to give aid in the discomfit of their enemies, and when collapse and civil war set in, they began to move aggressively, conquering fortress after Eldorai fortress. The King, Arz’alor, seemed unstoppable, but his aims were unknown. Did he wish to exterminate the Eldorai or merely defeat them and expand his territory? The answer was more likely the latter, though Eldorai propaganda would always declare it was the former.
Finally, a reaction was born. Ariane Saedaris, one of the great generals and nobles of the Eldorai, seized control of Santaissa and preached a veritable crusade against the Kar’zun. Queen Ariane I brought the worship of Ashira to new heights of zealotry, and declared a crusade. The Cadalthor clan, which had fallen on hard times and sustained many losses during the wars, rallied to her banner. It helped that one of Ariane's male lovers was a Cadalthor and that the union eventually produced a child, her youngest daughter Vaena Saedaris.
But the new queen needed time to consolidate her forces and equip them with the new weapons acquired from the first outsiders to visit Kaeshana. Time the Matriarchy did have. At the pass of Thermiscyra, a host of 100 Angelii faced a numerically superior Kar'zun army. The Angelii were vastly outnumbered and outgunned, but fought to the last drop of blood until they'd been annihilated. Only two Angelii survived the battle and lived to tell the tale to their brethren. Every Angelii who perished in battle was posthumously awarded the Star of Ashira and declared a martyr.
One of them was Talon Jain Zar, a second cousin of the Cadalthor duchess Celestyne. She was credited with destroying half a dozen Kar'zun with her terramancy and Sarix before succumbing to her injuries. The stalwart warrior was declared a Defender of the Faith. Celestyne, the matriarch at the time had been close to her cousin and so her death gave the Cadalthors addtional reason for revenge.Eldorai historians have used the Battle of Thermiscyra as an example of the power of a patriotic army defending its homeland. The performance of the defenders is also used as an example of the advantages of training, equipment, and the good use of terrain as force multipliers. When Ariane the Great led the Eldorai army against the hated foe, 'remember Thermiscyra' became a rallying cry.
However, modern, revisionist historians have cast doubt on the significance of the battle. While the Kar'zun suffered heavy casualties, they were not particularly impeded. Sharia Vamaris caused a storm of controversy when she called the battle a senseless sacrifice and attacked High Captain Yelvaris for needlessly squandering the lives of her battle sisters because of Queen Ariane the Great's infamous 'not a step back' order. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between.
Though originally meant for the priesthood, Celestyne devoted herself fully to the crusade. It is said that she vowed to never rest until the Kar'zun had paid for all the suffering they'd inflicted upon the Eldorai in general and House Cadalthor in particular. In addition, she compelled all her children and siblings to swear the same oath. Leading the Cadalthor forces in person, Celestyne served as one of Ariane's top generals when the Eldorai and Kar'zun armies met in the year 85BBY in the decisive battle that decided the fate of Kaeshana. The result of the Battle of Az’vakarz was a total defeat of the Kar’zun. Indeed, that name means Death Sorrow in the Kar'zun tongue, and their King was slain in battle. However, for Ariane I there could be no rest. Nor could there be one for the Cadalthors. They marshalled their armies to end the Kar'zun threat once and for all. Peace feelers were ignored. Indeed, it is said a Cadalthor ordered the execution of a Kar'zun diplomat before she could even reach the Star Queen.
Celestyne was involved in the drafting of the infamous General Order 631, which decreed the extermination of the Kar'zun. She commanded a Legion during the sacking of Vak'zahr, the Kar'zun capital. Eldorai troops slaughtered any of the rock people they found, slaying their last queen. In the years and decades after this tragedy the Kar’zun were broken up into groups and moved to reservations in the open, forced into alpine and tundra areas where the Eldorai did not live. To the Cadalthors, this was the Goddess' justice. To the Kar'zun it was the Trail of Tears. So many had died in the war, and so few children were born that a population collapse of 90% occurred within just two hundred years.
It was a shocking near genocide, and by the time Ariane I died in 6ABY the Kar’zun were effectively dead as a people as well. Young Cadalthors 'proved themselves as daughters of the dragon' by hunting down the rock people and guarding the 'frontier of civilisation'. More recently, evidence has come to light that indicates Ariane was significantly less bloodthirsty than propaganda paints her and did not wish to exterminate the Kar'zun, and that the Eldorai enlisted the aid of humans to prevail in the great battle of Deadly Sorrows. However, many on both sides dispute this for varying reasons. Regardless, the conflict decimated the Kar'zun species.
The Queen’s daughter was not as much of a zealot as her mother, but kept the strict controls during her nearly two hundred year reign. After her death a series of less powerful Queens took over, and the lot of the Kar’zun improved to the point that they could once again own property in their reservations. This annoyed the Cadalthors a good deal. They did their best to stamp out any thought of a Kar'zun resurgence during their vigil over the reservations. The family added vast tracts of land in former Kar'zun territory to their domain and held sway over the reservation zone for decades. As for Celestyne, she could not enjoy her fortunes for long, for she died under mysterious circumstances during an inspection tour a few days after her patron.
House Cadalthor's fortunes have waxed and waned over the centuries. Falls have been followed by rises, but the family has never been far from strife and court intrigue. One of their rivals was House Tarai, a comparatively junior noble family. Like the Cadalthors, they'd made their mark during the Kar'zun Wars, when Lady Diya Tarai defended the fortress of Oritave against a superior Kar'zun force shortly after the defeat at Thermiscyra. In the eyes of the Cadalthors, the Tarais were upstarts and their evelation annoyed them. Undoubtedly many Star Queen used the rivalry between both houses to their advantage. Ironically, Vaena considers the present matriarch of House Tarai, Countess Selene, to be a confidante and, according to rumours, even has a tryst with her.
When the Evora family took the throne in 214 ABY, the Cadalthors plotted while biding their time. They bound several lesser noble families to them in a patronage network, while placing a few of their spare daughters in the clergy and the army. Later during the suspicious years of Maerys II, they seized their chance to accuse the Tarais of plotting - which they likely were! However, much to the Cadalthors' disappointment, the Tarais were not disenfranchised. Instead several of their number were taken to the Island of Fallen Angels. Maerys' political antennae were well-honed and she realised that it would be a bad idea to give one family too much power. Keeping the Tarais around after firing a warning shot ensured there was a counterweight. In the name of balance, she first married one of her sisters to a a Cadalthor, then exiled two of them.
When the Evora family took the throne in 214ABY the Tarai family successfully made the jump to the new dynasty.Later during the suspicious years of Maerys II the family were suspect of plotting – which they likely were! – but were not disenfranchised, instead several of their number were taken to the Island of Fallen Angels. Thins eased for both families when Maerys died. When the Venari dynasty ascended the throne, the Cadalthors protested that as a cadet branch they deserved the place. However, the Venari claim was stronger so they had to bide their time. In response, the Venaris began to favour the Tarais.
This brings us to modern times and the story of Vaena Askari. Her mother was Mylea Cadalthor, an aunt of Tarissa Cadalthor. However, Vaena's conception was an accident. Her father was not someone who'd be considered an 'appropriate' match for an Eldorai matriarch, but a male hooker. The Eldorai have reluctantly become less misandrist over time, but Vaena was born in a less enlightened age. The union between Mylea and her lover was not one of love and fuzzy feelings. He was simply one of many lovers the woman liked to induldge her desires with. Her dalliances were nothing out of the ordinary for an Eldorai noblewoman and would have been ignored, if she had not ended up pregnant.
By the standards of House Cadalthor, this constituted a scandal and produced a rather awkward situation. Mylea tried to 'rid' herself of the incovenient child by seeking out a priestess, but unfortunately for her one of her handmaidens was a friend of Tarissa, who informed her mother, the clan matriarch Mikela. Vaena's father, who had already suffered Mylea's wrath, was punished harshly for his 'crime'. Good taste and decency forbid going into detail, but suffice to say Eldorai can more than match the worst Sith in cruelty and viciousness. Mylea was shamed and Mikela used this to weaken her position in the clan council and eventually take complete control. This left the question of how to deal with the unwanted child. The fact that she was an illegitimate child did not necessarily mean she could not inherit her mother's titles and estates. However, Mikela wanted to ensure that her bloodline would dominate and thus the clan council decreed that she should be disinherited and sent to an orphanage. Tarissa might have persuaded the family oracle to have an appropriate vision. This would be very ironic since shortly thereafter Tarissa and her mother began to quarrel.
Either way, Vaena would be raised in an orphanage of the Temple of Ashira far away from the capital. Far from the palaces with their silk sheets, golden goblets and intrigues, she was brought up in an environment that was Spartan, but probably a more loving and caring, though it was also characterised by harsh discipline. Eventually, she became an Angelii and took the surname Askari, which is Eldarai for soldier. Ironically, she ended up in the prestigious Valora's Chosen unit, which claims descent from the Angelii company that fought at Thermiscyra. Decades after her birth, she learnt about her heritage.
The Cadalthors reacted with strong hostility to the arrival of foreigners upon sacred Kaeshana's surface. All aliens were demons, for they were creations of Illyria. In the light of the fact that many of these foreigners were cutthroats and pirates who preyed upon Eldorai and wanted to take them captive as slaves, this was probably understandable. Thus they fully supported the isolationist, exclusionary policies pursued by Her Majesty's Government and were particularly supportive of the Investigators of Ashira's Truth, whose powers were strengthened to suppress dissent amongst the population.
The upheavals Eldorai society went through have not left the traditionalist house untouched, though. Ironically, the archconservative Tarissa's ascension to leadership of the family owed a lot to her at times grudging alliances with humans and reformist factions at the Court of Courts, despite her own xenophobic, fundamentalist views. Tarissa herself was thrown into the limelight after her older sister Sylviane died a martyr's death fighting foreign corsairs, gaining a place in the family's hall of fame since she was awarded a posthumous decoration for her bravery.
The death of Tirathana IV led to a succession crisis. Tarissa backed Silaqui's party during the reactionary Nalia's coup and later personally led a Great Company to relieve the royal palace when the 'Righteous Army' rebelled and tried to turn the clock back to the good old days. This also brought her in touch with Siobhan Kerrigan, then still a Colonel in Omega Pyre. This would pay off when Kerrigan ascended to the position of Exarch.
Like many noble houses, Cadalthor was split during these earth-shaking events, for Tarissa's aunt Myela had thrown her support behind Nalia and was exiled to the Island of Fallen Angels. In her case, this probably had less to do with ideology and a lot with wanting to unseat Mikela after the latter had marginalised her sister. Eventually, she was pardoned and ran into her daughter Vaena, now a junior officer with the Angelii, during the Netherworld Crisis. The reunion was terribly awkward and left Vaena with no desire to reconnect with her birth family. Her siblings scorned the young soldier, treating her as beneath them.
Tarissa Cadalthor assumed control over the clan during the Silent Purge after a cabal of conservative Eldorai nobles made an attempt on Lady Siobhan Kerrigan's life and succeeded in nearly killing the Countess, one of the two human members of the Peerage. Mikela was implicated in the plot and personally executed by her daughter after trying to kill her upon being confronted. Rumours imply that the Scion might have framed her mother. This is quite plausible because she chafed under her yoke and there was little love between the two. Tarissa, who'd spent a few years away from Kaeshana, also had a rather tempestuous relationship with Lady Kerrigan. While there was sexual attraction, both ladies regarded the other as politically useful. Tarissa was a useful link to the Eldorai aristocracy, while being connected to Firemane gave the young duchess leverage. The relationship between Tarissa and Lady Alcori was always a chilly one. Not the least because Tarissa resembled Adril Tythorin, Siobhan's dead lover.
Cadalthor was one of the noble houses informed in advance of the coming apocalypse that would be delivered by an asteroid crashing into Kaeshana's surface. Unlike most nobles, Tarissa elected to stay on the planet until terminus was almost imminent. Her ruthless crisis management won her both friends and enemies, but played a big role in aiding the Exodus. The fact that the Eldorai would not have survived as a race were it not for the help of outsiders, especially Firemane Industries and the Silver Coalition, was a sobering experience for the House. However, despite some concessions, their commitment to orthodoxy did not waver. After all, the fact that the Goddess guided them to a new world was a sign that Ashira was still with her children, though it was a human who received the vision that made them aware of Tygara's sexistence.
The Duchess herself led a Qadiri army during the Final Battle against the Xioquo, participating in the conquest of the Underealm. Cadalthor has been adamant in their belief that Tygara is the Promised Land of the Eldorai. It is their duty to uplift, civilise and educate the Xioquo, who were led astray by demons. Moreover, the Qadiri and Vashyada must understand their place in things and become vassals of the Eldorai Matriarchy. In other words, the clan embraced the notions of 'manifest destiny' and 'benign imperialism'. The clan sponsores several humanitarian initiatives to improve the lives of the Xioquo, though also with the intent of converting them to Ashira and getting them to accept Eldorai rule. Cadalthor has also supported expansionary ventures to found Eldorai colonies on the tropical world of Arkas, declaring there is a need for more living space. Moreover, the clan provided funds to finance the construction of Asur Worldships. Strangely, the Duchess struck up a friendship with Lady Galina Kerrigan-Alcori and took it upon herself to initiate her in courtly life.
When Firemane, the Galactic Alliance and the Eldorai Matriarchy deployed a humanitarian relief force to Kaeshana to aid the Forsaken Eldorai, Cadalthor donated resources and troops. Alas, they ended up in a full-scale war with the First Order, which went ill for the allied forces. Tarissa personally participated in the battle, coming across those who'd been crucified by the First Order. Though not really an opponent of crucifixions or public executions in general, she was disgusted. Ironically, Vaena Askari participated in the battle as well, serving as one of the Angelii under the command of Grand Seraph Aeda Shaytari, though the two never met. The retreat was a shameful act of betrayal in the eyes of House Cadalthor...but also an opportunity.
Clearly the Goddess had forsaken the Eldorai because they had compromised with aliens and heretics. It was also a blow to the personal prestige of Siobhan Kerrigan, whose relations with Tarissa had cooled recently. Thus the Cadalthors set a plan into motion to launch an insurrection and seize power for themselves. Exploting the anger many ordinary Eldorai felt, they stirred up an uprising in New Santaissa, the Eldorai's new capital on Tygara, targeting foreigners and unbelievers. At the same time, Tarissa attacked Firemane - and indirectly the Star Queen - on the political front during a session of the Eldorai Council, which was ostensibly supposed to determine the cause of the defeat. To this end, she used the Duchess of Caladan, an old crone, as a sockpuppet. However, unfortunately for her, her plot was uncovered through the efforts of a joint Angelii-Firemane force, which stormed the Cadalthor mansion. While presenting the evidence, the Lady Kerrigan personally executed Tarissa in front of the entire council. It was a devastating defeat for the clan.
With her cousin dead...this left Vaena Askari as the heiress. Her relatives protested since she was a bastard, but they were out of favour with the Court. After agonising over the decision and seeking spiritual counsel, Vaena accepted the Queen's offer. Henceforth, she would be known as Vaena Cadalthor, Duchess of Galondrona. The first order of business for the new duchess was trying to mend fences with House Kerrigan-Alcori. The clan as forced to pay reparations, which covered about 40% of their assets. While a serious blow, they were not crippling. It helped that new duchess favoured a rather Spartan life style and was disgusted with the opulence the clan lived in.
Until now, Vaena has only known the life of a soldier. Inexperienced in politics and openly contemptuous of most of her relatives, she had an uphill battle and a steep learning curve ahead of her. She distrusted courtiers, so she came to rely on allies who were of low birth and not connected to the aristocracy. This included former comrades in arms from her days as an Angelii, as well as Tygarans. She also implemented an austerity programme to curb extravagant spending. This caused disconcent, and she was faced with a cabal of disgruntled family members who wanted to impose limitations on her authority. In response, Vaena carried out a purge. A number of members of the cabal were executed, banished or put under house arrest.
The assets of these renegades were confiscated. While many of her relatives, such as her mother, looked down on 'human monkeighs' and other aliens, they had no qualms about embezzling funds and stashing them away in foreign banks. Hypocrisy is a sin many Eldorai nobles love to cultivate, much like racism. To become less dependent on Firemane, Vaena tried to build a partnership with ArmaTech and the Royal House of Alderaan. Not all of her choices were apt, as she was inexperienced. For instance, her not so secret relationship with a Force Dead warrior from Alderaan undermined her status. But she stuck to her course and sought to present herself to the Eldorai public as a more approachable, martial-minded noblewoman with the common touch, who disdained pomp and circumstance.
With the Eldorai moving into space, Vaena decided her house needed a worldship of its own. It would give her a more autonomous position and allow her to found colonies that followed the true word of Ashira. Moreover, it could serve as a base for Ashiran crusaders, allowing them to avenge the indignities inflicted upon her people. The Pious Deliverance represented a significant investment for her. Funds acquired from the acquisition of the Righteous Way as well as the confiscation of assets from certain family members and disloyal courtiers helped.
Siobhan distrusted House Cadalthor, as she held a grudge against them due to their betrayal. In keeping with this, she disliked Vaena, whose conservative values made her suspicious. Indeed, she expected the young duchess to be toppled quickly. This did not come to pass, but Firemane's intelligence service sought to plant agents in her court. Nonetheless, Firemane still sold a worldship to her. This might seem counterintuitive, but to Siobhan it was a way to get elements she distrusted out of her bailiwick. After all, she had also sold a worldship to a group of Eldorai ultra-reactionaries, who proceeded to try and colonise Raevana. However, their settlement efforts ended in disaster, for while the planet resembled a paradise, it was actually a death trap. Thus the Deliverance set its metaphorical sails and began its voyage through the 'void-ocean'.
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