Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the Qadiri.
Image Credit: Here.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: Can use Firemane stuff because I own the company.
Links: The Sin of Pride, Siobhan, Qadiri, Eldorai, Xioquo, Semiramis, Kaeshana, Eldorai Exodus, Twilight of the Goddess, Order of Fire, House Kerrigan-Alcori, Siobhan Kerrigan, Firemane, Hazani Jai Bysara, Keepers of Azali's Sacred Flame, Yazgid.
SETTING INFORMATION
Military Base Name: Citadel of the Venerated Azali.
Classification: Fortress, Temple.
Location: Tygara, on the continent of Zhukathis.
Affiliation: Sistren of the Eternal Flame, Qadiri, Hazani Jai Bysara.
Population: Moderate
Demographics: Mix of combat and non-combat personnel. Acolytes, knights and masters of the Sistren - or rather the sect's equivalent of these ranks - live here. The Sistren are a chivalric, martial order, but they also have support personnel such as lorekeepers, healers, accountants, cooks, clerks, bureaucrats and so on who keep the Citadel running and manage the day-to-day affairs of the order. While the Citadel is most known for its fire magi, the residents also include a more numerous force of levies. These Qadiri warriors are either Non-Force-Users or only have a minor Force affinity that does not merit becoming full members of the order. However, they perform garrison duty and help keep the base in the land under the Sistren's protection. The Sistren and their levies are all Qadiri. In times of emergency, such as an invasion or a natural disaster, peasants and townsfolk from the surrounding area may seek refuge in the Citadel. The Sistren regard the lands along the river as their domain and extract tribute from the local population. This is, however, a reciprocal relationship as they are expected to provide protection and sanctuary for their vassals. Failing to live up to this obligation can have grave consequences.
In the past, the population of the Citadel included slaves who performed menial tasks or were employed as clerks and secretaries. Officially they were the property of the order as a whole and belonged to the goddess rather than a single Qadiri, and thus entitled to certain rights. Oftentimes this was more honoured in the breach than the observance, though it did give slaves a measure of protection against abusive owners. The changes Tygara has experienced since first contact have led to the abolition of slavery. In most cases this has been due to practicality rather than epiphany. That said, some slaves still continue doing jobs that are quite similar to their old ones, even though they are now servants and thus get paid in some form. Others have used the chance to leave their former mistresses.
Accessibility: The Citadel of the Venerated Azali is quite difficult to reach, as it is located in the mountains on a remote planet called Tygara. It lies near the river Semayrah leading down to Krolis, a major urban and religious centre for the Qadiri people. Its location makes it highly defensible and scouts keep a watchful eye on the mountain passes while patrol boats monitor the waterways. However, it is not totally cut off from civilisation. Not only is the Semayrah an important trade route, there are some towns on the river that pay tribute or are vassals.
The Citadel is heavily guarded by a mixed force of Sistren - an order of Qadiri knights and fire magi - and levies recruited into their service. The Sistren are a religious military order dedicated to the Goddess Azali and will defend it fiercely against intruders. As a result, only those authorised will be granted access. However, the Citadel receives many of its supplies from neighbouring towns, and it is in turn visited by petitioners, merchants etc.
In times of emergency, it will provide sanctuary to the people under the order's protection. This is part of the reciprocal, quasi-feudal contract the knights are sworn to uphold. It is worth noting that these are Qadiri settlements, which will make infiltration difficult, as an alien trying to join say a group of merchants, peasants or petitioners would stick out. Moreover, most of the people who live here do not speak Basic or other common galactic languages, as the planet is very remote and has only recently been opened up. The lingua franca in this region is Zandri, the most common Qadiri language. This means foreigners will stick out.
Description: The Citadel of the Venerated Azali lies high up in the mountains above the river Semayrah, an important waterway and trade route leading to Krolis, holy city of the Kasharai faith and spiritual centre for most Qadiri. The ancient fortress has stood for centuries, though it has been continuously updated. Its design merges tradition with modernity. The Citadel is the home of a Qadiri martial order called the Sistren of the Eternal Flame. The order has a proud history. The knights are dedicated to Azali, the Qadiri goddess of fire, forging and the desert, after whom the fortress is named. They regard their elemental fire abilities as her gift to them. Indeed, to them the Force itself is a flame - or Zari, which is the Qadiri word for soul, but also the Force. The eternal flame warms and gives shelter, but it can also burn and smite. As a High Mistress of the order put it, to be a Sister of the Flame is to embrace the fire, to be the fire, not to be consumed by it.
As holy warriors, the Sistren are sworn to uphold the goddess' laws, smite her enemies and protect the common people. The Citadel reflect the order's multi-faceted nature, for it is both a military installation, a religious temple and a seat of governance. Secret societies and chivalric orders are quite common among the Tygarans, and the Sistren exercise suzerainty over some neighbouring towns and villages. Villagers may call upon them to stop a forest fire, merchants petition them for protection against pirates and bandits and those who have been wronged appeal to them to mete out justice. In return the settlements pay tribute, and the order has the right to muster levies. The nearest urban settlement of note is a town called Neshapur.
The Sistren regard themselves as warriors of the faith as opposed to pacifist monks or a crew of vigilantes, and are structured accordingly. Great towers overlook the mountain, and the walls are manned by warriors. Heavy turrets have been set up to repel attackers. In many ways, the imposing stone buildings that constitute the Citadel appear to be an archaic throwback to a time before the Qadiri knew of blaster weapons, starships and faster-than-light travel. This is not incorrect, but the Citadel has also moved with the times and integrated modern defensive systems, including a battery of 'cannons of light'. The defences of the Citadel are formidable, but a treaty imposed on the Sistren by Firemane has placed them under certain restrictions. For one, they are prohibited from having surface to space weapons that could bring down capital ships in orbit. It does feature a shield projector though to provide protection against orbital bombardment.
Unsurprisingly, the Citadel features extensive training and meditation areas, facilities for forging and repairing Force imbued swords, and living quarters. The fortress has been designed to withstand a protracted siege, and so inside one finds housing, food, supplies, halls for armourers and leather-workers, for sages and seers. There is also a great hall for gatherings and receptions and for the High Mistress to hear petitions and pass judgement, for the order may serve as a court of appeal. The justice of the knights of flame tends to be harsh, but is generally fair and takes legal precedent and common law into account. The inner sanctum of the Citadel - the holiest of holies- contains the eternal flame that is said to never go out because it has been blessed by Azali's power.
The Citadel features medical facilities, where healers apply Force healing and more conventional remedies, as well as library containing numerous tomes and scrolls. A large hall serves as a meeting place for religious services and rituals, knighting ceremonies, prayers and other communal events. This is where an acolyte will be welcomed into the order as a sister of the flame. It features beautifully coloured mosaics, and statues of goddesses, heroes and past High Mistresses of the Sistren. The stained tiles seem to catch flame every time the sun rises, catching and amplifying the flicker of fire at night. Glass is not used on windows, but as a decorative, resembling a transparent mosaic.
Inside the Citadel one can also find gardens and a winery. Novices may be put to work here. The order sells the wine to merchants and innkeepers to generate revenue. The individual Sisters are supposed to forsake material wealth, inheritance and titles of nobility. The order itself owns significant wealth and holdings though and receives tribute from neighbouring settlements. Relying on charitable donations alone would be insufficient to maintain its influence and take care of its knights. But these holdings and assets are the collective property of the order rather than owned by an individual.
Statues of great warriors of the line the courtyard and the halls. Stables provide a home for domesticated Yazgid. As a sign of the changing times, the base has a garage for more modern vehicles. The Sistren cremate their dead so that their souls can rejoin the eternal flame of the Goddess. Their cremated remains are stored inside a crypt in the basement level. The acolytes of the order live and train in the Citadel. Daily life resembles that of a military organisation, but with a strong religious element.
The life as an acolyte of the sisterhood is probably a lot less romantic than many young neophytes hoped. It is 25% patrolling or garrison duty, 25% prayer, 25% sleeping on hard beds, 20% training and 5% actual fighting. Their dormitories are austere and up to four acolytes will be bunked together in one room. Regular training in Force abilities and physical combat is accompanied by long marches, prayer sessions and fasting. As with any military organisation, there is a strong focus on breaking down a recruit's ego and then building them up again so that they can function as part of a well-oiled, cohesive unit. To teach them humility, young recruits have to perform servant work, such as cooking, sweeping the monastery and looking after the animals. They also conduct patrols and deal with wild animals and raiders that menace the peasants. The discipline that permeates the order is strict, though not cruel. Training is harsh and the instructors are unyielding, but the order has no interest in ruining a recruit.
All acolytes must pass tests of endurance, endurance, courage and antipathy. For the first, they have to head across the blazing summer sands and reach through a hot fire to retrieve a key. For the second, they must take up a blindfold and fight one of the Fire Sisters with no sight, then remove the blindfold so that they are dazed by the light. In the third trial, they must resist the ice and cold of a cryomancer to prove their resistance to the power of the ice, which is the obvious antithesis of the holy flame of the Goddess Azali. At the end of it an acolyte is swathed in a burning robe which she is expected to resist the fire from, and become a true sister of the eternal flame.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Watch Towers - these are built high on the cliffs, and are quite hard to get to. These days their purpose is more surveillance and monitoring than defence, and so they mainly just have observers.
Azali's Lance - the Citadel's battery, equipped with modern defence cannons acquired from offworld traders. The Lance has been built up behind the fortress so it can overlook the approaches and get a clear view of the air. The cannons are concealed when not in use. The quad turbolaser cannon can face in any direction and cover any threat. The Lance also contains Keraunos missile emplacements.
Stables - stables for the Yazgid, the ferocious lizard mounts of the Qadiri. They are less used on the modern battlefield, but traditional cavalry is still useful for reconnaissance, raids and running down defeated, retreating enemies. The stables have been made to be more modern since the old days. Experienced beastmistresses make sure the Yazgid are looked after.
House of the Faithful - A series of long dorms built parallel with connecting doors midway through and an entrance at the end. Each can hold forty-eight acolytes. Or on the upper floors twenty-four knights or twelve Champions.
House of the Pilgrim - this building once housed pilgrims coming to the shrine of Azali. Now it serves as a separate barracks for soldiers who are not considered part of the Sistren, but serve them. They are locally recruited warriors, but also crusaders from outside their lands. The barracks lie in the first ring of the walls. After all, the Sistren are trying to limit male contact since they are a female only order, and fraternisation could encourage a lack of discipline.
Landing Pads - located just outside the actual castle, and meant to accommodate aircraft and small transport vessels. It is obviously closely monitored and defensive emplacements have been set up.
House of Wisdom - the library of the Citadel. Ironically no flames are allowed inside, only shielded lanterns because the library potentially catching fire would be bad. Unlike a traditional library the shelves are more pigeon holes than bookshelves, as the Qadiri still use a lot of scrolls. The chief lorekeeper of the order has her office here and makes sure seekers of knowledge obey the rules - and return scrolls on time.
Chamber of the Undimmed Flame - a great hall used for rituals, prayers, knighting ceremonies and similar occasions. It is a big room made of stone with a large brazier burning at one end which is kept continually lit. The Sistren claim it has not been extinquished in over three hundred years. It features beautifully coloured mosaics, and statues of heroes and past High Mistresses of the Sistren. The stained tiles seem to catch flame every time the sun rises, catching and amplifying the flicker of fire at night. Glass is not used on windows, but as a decorative, resembling a transparent mosaic.
Chamber of Judgement - a chamber for the inner circle of the Sistren to receive dignitaries and adjudicate disputes. This is where petitioners will be received by the sect's leaders if they manage to secure an audience. It may serve as a final court of appeal for the order's vassals. The door has been alchemised, making it very difficult to breach.
Hall of Wise Deliberation - a chamber that is reserved for the election of a new High Mistress. When a High Mistress dies, a conclave of the senior officers selects an electoral college. The members of the college are sealed in this place and denied contact with the outside world, save for a servant, who performs secretarial and housekeeping duties. Electors and staff members are forbidden from divulging any information related to the election or communicating with outsiders. The electors have thirty days to elect a new leader. If they fail to do so within this time frame, their diet is restricted to bread and water until they agree on a candidate.
House of Respite - the Citadel's medical facilities, where the healers work. It consists of a couple of wards with an operating area in the centre. The Sistren are not that keen on introducing droids, but several of their healers are Force Users. To them they are using the powers of Myrkash, Qadiri goddess of healing, to aid the sick and wounded.
House of the Blade - part of the Chamber of Judgement. It serves as a war room, and thus the war council congregates here. The Sistren have introduced some computers and modern holographic communications devices.
Zamura's Arena - standard training yards, named after a famed and long serving instructor, who is honoured with a statue.
Kindleflame Arena - here aspiring fire shapers learn the ways of the flame under the watchful eyes of more experienced Sistren. Part of Zamura's Arena, but segregated from it for safety purposes.
House of Welcome - a cloister for visiting clerics, knights and other honoured guests. The area features some dorms and a mess area.
Storage areas - for food, supplies etc. Built deep into the cellars near the shield generator. It is cool down there so food can keep for a long time. The Citadel is well-equipped with supplies, stores and provisions to resist a siege.
Azali's Forge - as the name implies, this is a place to forge melee weapons such as Force imbued swords and polearms and other enchanted items, including talismans and the like. It is built up and into the hill above the keep near the summit. This keeps the smoke from getting down there and at the same time prevents fire from being an issue. Of course, going up the stairs with fuel and ore is tiring but that's what acolytes are for. The forgemistress says it helps them build endurance, which is important when forging a blade.
Heart of Azali - the inner sanctum of the Citadel. The door is alchemised and access is heavily restricted. One can find a cult statue of Azali, and a smaller version of the brazier in the chamber. The eternal flame is treated with great reverence by the Sistren.
The Blessed Shield - a fanciful name for the shield projector, built directly into the rock, and heavily guarded. Poetic name aside, the Sistren know that the shield generator is a piece of advanced technology, not the result of divine wizardry.
Gardens and a winery - Novices may be put to work here. The order sells the wine to merchants and innkeepers to generate revenue. The Citadel now has some fancy hydroponics, but once relied solely on careful nurturing and the Sistren do not like the idea of doing everything the easy way. Helping make things grow in the gardens keeps the young warriors grounded and can help them recover from distressing events on the battlefield.
House of the Fallen - an underground crypt, where the ashes of the fallens are stored in urns. Mosaics display their great deeds. It is a place of remembrance and pilgrimage for the Sistren, as they spend some time here in meditation to connect with their forebears and honour dead comrades.
Servant Quarters - what used to be the slave quarters and has now been declared servant quarters since slavery has been phased out. Slaves were the collective property of the order as opposed to of an individual member, and thus possessed certain rights in theory. Literate slaves were employed as scribes and clerks. The duties of the servants are virtually unchanged from those of the slaves, but they are paid now and possess better legal protection. This is the only significant building made of wood.
Landing Pads - The Qadiri have yet to come up with a flowery name. A smaller landing pad is located inside the walls, with a bigger one at the bottom of the mountain.
Traitor's Fall - A sheer cliff which plunges 120m down into the valley below near the looping road up. Criminals, traitors, spies or convicted Sistren would be executed by being thrown from this cliff to their death. Sahali's betrayers were hurled to their deaths here.
SECURITY
High, though as a castle it looks somewhat archaic, the fortress has been set up in a highly defencible location in the mountains. The Citadel is difficult for intruders to reach, while the defenders have a good vantage point to spot approaching intruders and bombard them. Azali's Lance, the Citadel's battery, has been built up behind the fortress so it can overlook the approaches and get a clear view of the air. The cannons are concealed when not in use. The quad turbolaser cannons can face in any direction and cover any threat. The Lance also contains Keraunos missile emplacements.
The Citadel is well armed with turrets, e-webs and emplaced weapons, and surrounded by traps save for the main access roads. This makes it hard to assault these defences except in certain zones which can be easily targeted. The Citadel has been built over a cliff approximately two hundred metres above ground level, making it very difficult to seize in a direct assault. The mountain ranges are difficult to access and the peaks are unsuitable for scaling without considerable effort. A shield generator acquired with the help of offworld traders provides protection against orbital and aerial bombardment. The Citadel is well-equipped with supplies, stores and provisions to resist a siege. Inside the base, the doors to critical areas have been alchemised, making them very resistant to being breached.
The forces guarding the Citadel are a mixture of Qadiri Force adepts of varying skill level, though focused on combat Force abilities and especially elemental fire shaping, as well as regular Qadiri levies. These have been equipped with modern weapons. A force of the Knights of Azali is always stationed here. The defenders are highly motivated, as they regard themselves as warriors of their goddess and the Citadel is of spiritual significance to them as the heart of their order. Small surface ships patrol the river that flows not far from the Citadel, which can provide the defenders with early warning.
Per the terms of the peace accord with Firemane, the Sistren are not allowed to have aerospace forces of note. Thus the Citadel lacks starfighters in a significant capacity, though airspeeders and a couple gunships not capable of hyperspace travel are stationed here. The same agreement prohibits the Citadel from having surface-to-space weapons such as planetary turbolaser cannons.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The history of the Citadel of the Venerated Azali is inexorably tied to the that of the Order of the Sistren of the Eternal Flame. The Qadir civilisation on Tygara evolved in isolation from Jedi, Sith and other galactic cults. As a result, the 'sand elves' have their own religious traditions, and views on the Force. Their culture has spawned a plethora of cults, secret societies and knightly orders. Moreover, it has strong theocratic tendencies. The roots of the Sistren lie in a Kashari cult that subscribed to beliefs declared a heresy by the Kashari Church. While the Qadiri regard Kashara as the supreme deity, they recognise over gods and goddesses beneath her. One of them is Azali, goddess of fire, the desert and forging. For orthodox Kashari Kashara is the creator deity.
The faith was something the Qadiri took very seriously. It was an object of intense, meaningful and honest devotion. This could spawn great works of learning, art, humanitarian relief and law, but also drive its adherents to commit horrible acts of violence. The forebears of the Sistren espoused the belief that Azali was the younger sister of the Great Goddess Kashara rather than her daughter. This was obviously heresy since Kashara was the creator. If she had a sister she must have had a mother. Therefore this could not be. For their heretical beliefs, the cultists were declared heretics by the Amikarese Empire, the largest Qadiri state on Tygara. They had to flee to the mountains to escape persecution at the hands of Church and State.
It was an arduous march through the desert, as the sea was closed to them. Many perished on the way. However, the survivors found the mountain's top plateau. The cultists were pursued, but held their ground and defeated their attackers several times. They were then to be starved out but a rare rainstorm gave them water and under cover of night the cultists slipped down what was now Traitor's Fall and attacked the camp of the Amikarese. Calling upon Azali's flame, they killed many of the Amikarese soldiers by surprise. After this their enemies withdrew, and left them battered but alive.
To the survivors, this day showed that their cause was blessed by Kashara and Azali. They vowed to follow the true laws of the Goddess, and guard the Goddess' flame. From now on they were the Sistren of the Eternal Flame. Over the coming decades, the knightly order expanded out by a mixture of carrot and stick, taking nearby settlements under their wing by providing protection in exchange for food and the right of conscription. In essence, it was a typical feudal protection racket. Those who refused to pay the tithes were made an example of to incentivist them. However, the Sistren proved popular enough since they were mostly good to their word and passed judgements in accordance with legal precedent and local customs. They attained some popularity when they used their powers to protect Neshapur from a great fire. At the same time, their small mountain fort grew into a veritable fortress. The Citadel was their home, their temple and a place of training.
As part of the feudal contract, the Sistren secured the right to induct Force-Sensitive youths into their order. Their agents scoured settlements for young recruits blessed by the inner flame of Azali. For Qadiri families, it was a mark of prestige to have a Force User in the family. It was particularly attractive for low class Qadiri, as it offered them a ticket out of crippling poverty. Slaves who manifested Force affinity were drafted by the temple and could thus be set free. However, it also broke family units apart.
The order had to defend itself against several crusades. Change in government and orthodoxy eventually rehabilitated their order and they were more free to recruit members but they were still wary of becoming part of any Qadiri state, though they managed to establish ties to sympathetic clerics in Krolis, where the Saoshyant, the nominal head of the Kashari faith, resided. The history of the forebears also left the Sistren with an enduring antipathy for the Amikarese Empire. As was with typical for Qadiri temples and polities, the Sistren took slaves. They were, however, the collective property of the order rather than bonded to an individual. This gave them certain rights even though this rosy image should not detract from the fact that they were often observed in the breach. Abuse is inevitable whenever a sentient being is declared another's property. Some managed to obtain their freedom though.
The Sistren made themselves a name as mercenaries and holy knights, fighting against the Xioquo, the 'hereditary enemy' of the Qadiri. To the Sistren, waging war against the 'Dark Ones', who often launched slave raids against Qadiri settlements, was an obligation from the Goddess. If the pursuit of this holy mission also bolstered the prestige and wealth of the order, that was just a sign of her divine favour. But the order generally refused to fight order Qadiri unless attacked or their interests were threatened. This helped bolter their popularity. Of course, certain High Mistresses could get creative when it came to determining whether something threatened the order's wellbeing and those of its vassals.
It was Sahali Jai Bysara who led the order to new heights of power in the modern era. Once she had been a spoilt, carefree noblewoman. But she underwent a religious awakening when she and her daughter were shipwrecked en route to Mansura. Abandoned by the crew and forced to flee, the two were lost in the desert. Sahali had to protect her child, calling upon her rusty combat training to defend and hunt. However, dehydration and malnourishment soon caught up with them. When her daughter grew sick, she prayed to the Goddess for deliverance. Her prayers were heard. The two were eventually saved by Sistren who were on patrol and drove away the bandits pursuing them.
Sahali and her daughter Hazani were able to return to civilisation. But Sahali's had undergone a spiritual rebirth. From now on she had a new calling. Thus she gave up her titles, forsook her wealth and joined the Sistren as an acolyte. However, she did not stay at the bottom for long. Her zeal and combat prowess impressed her fellow Sisters and intimidated their foes. Stories about her fighting desert bandits and Xioquo raiders found their way back home. In a battle between the Sistren and a neighbouring Qadiri state that coveted some of their land, Sahali distinguished herself by rallying infantry that had been shattered by a Yazgid cavalry charge. It was said her sword caught fire in this battle as she channelled her power. She gained renown when she slew a kraken in a fight with the Xioquo, blinding it with a blast of light before thrusting her spear through its mouth, saving countless captured Qadiri in the process. After passing the trials of fire, she joined the Keepers of Azali's Sacred Flame. This exclusive sect was an elite within the elite. Sahai was now one of the youngest mistresses of the order. When most of the more experienced knights were away on campaign, a force of Xioquo managed to infiltrate the fortress, aiming to desecrate the sacred relics. They launched a surprise attack, exploiting their powers of concealment to infiltrate the monastery under the cover of darkness. Hazani Jai Bysara managed to rally a group of acolytes to defend the relics and hold off the attackers, though many defenders perished.
Sahali achieved infamy through her response to the Defiance of House Sassanal. Parisa Jai Sassanal was the head of a Qadiri house that illegally occupied territory the Sisterhood as sacred ground. She also claimed the right to invest clerics of the Temple of Azali. A cleric who had been deposed by Parisa sought refuge in the Citadel, where the Sistren granted her sanctuary. The high lady insisted that she was exercising her rights as mistress of her domain. Thus attempts at diplomacy and gentle persuasion were rebuffed by her. Indeed, one of the ambassadors was seized and later executed by the Sassanals.
The High Mistress of the Sisterhood had succumbed to disease and it was in doubt whether she would survive or if a conclave might be required to choose a successor. However, Sahali unexpectedly took the initiative, refusing to tolerate the temerity of the House of Sassanal. Despite hazardous weather conditions, her forces marched on the residence of the Sassanals. The march was so sudden that Parisa had no time to rally her banners, though she sent out messengers. Nonetheless, she met the Sisters and their retainers in battle with her household forces. The two hosts clashed and she was forced to retreat behind the walls.
Parisa's sister and some knights were captured. They were initially not too bothered by this, as they expected to be ransomed. This was custom when highborn were taken captive. But instead Sahali used them, along with other captives, as human shields and positioned them ahead of her advancing army, forcing the besieged to decide whether to fire on them or not. Many of them were cut down. After raining fire and brimstone down upon the defenders, the Sistren and their allies stormed the city. Parisa and her inner circle barricaded themselves in their villa.
Having sent messengers, they hoped for reinforcements to turn the tide. But Sahali ordered her followers to burn down the villa, for in her eye an example had to be made. As Sahali told her daughter, "They have been found...impious by the will of the Goddess. The only fit punishment for the apostate is fire, Hazani." The villa became a death trap as the flames engulfed it. By the time they receded, House Sassanal had been obliterated. Sahali ordered her soldiers to salt the earth the villa had been built upon. Her actions were immortalised in a song. It is said that when one of Parisa's vassals approached the ruins, Sahali sent a musician to sing it to him. He bent the knee and she pardoned him. Though the brutality of her measured drew censure, order was restored. Later the conclave elected Sahali as the new High Mistress.
She led the Sisterhood in battle once more when the Xio cast their covetuous eye upon Krolis. The Amikarase Empire was engaged in a struggle over the succession. Meanwhile, the incumbent Saoshyant had offended many Qadiri states by trying to enforce ecclesiastical privileges that had been flouted by many of the secular rulers. Sahali, her daughter and a small escort of knights happened to be in Krolis on pilgrimage when a Xioquo invasion fleet advanced upon the city. Krolis was too far away from the citadel of the Sistren for reinforcements to arrive in time. Once word of the approaching invaders reached the city, panic broke out. However, the Saoshyant kept her nerve, appointing Sahali as the commander of her forces. The battle ended in victory for the defenders, though the victory was hard-fought with many casualties. The Sisterhood does not like to talk about how their leader enlisted Khaimari corsairs to aid the defence. The battle had profound political repercussions. Several Qadiri states banded together to form the League of Krolis.
The arrival of the 'sky people' brought profound changes to Tygara. Sahali and many of her peers distrusted the humans of Firemane, rightly regarding them as foreign imperialists. But they also sought to adapt their technology. The Citadel's defences were upgraded with modern weapons and foreign instructors were hired. The Sistren fought alongside the sky people during the campaign against the Underealm to bring the Xioquo to heel. However, when the Saoshyant died, Shahbânu Semiramis tried to impose her own candidate. The League of Krolis opposed this, as did the Sisterhood. Two conclaves of clerics elected two different Saoshyants, both of whom denounced the other as a false one. Semiramis petitioned Siobhan for aid, reminding her of their old alliance and the fact that she had never broken her word. Somewhat reluctantly, Firemane's autocratic leader decided to support her. Sahali declared for the League of Krolis, and the Sistren readied for war, rallying their warriors and levies at the Citadel. The League fought a successful, but costly guerrilla campaign against the foreigners and their allies. The Citadel's defences even repulsed a bombing raid.
However, Sahali was pushed into fighting a pitched battle by her allies. She engaged Siobhan Kerrigan in a duel and destroyed her lightsabre, but was eventually beaten and forced to retreat. The battle ended in defeat. The rebels found themselves beleaguered. Divisions appeared in the ranks of the League. A cabal of aristocrats, fearful that a protracted war would bring only ruin to them, conspired to end the war and seek terms with Lady Kerrigan. The scorched earth campaign had taken a toll on their holdings. Ironically, they had been the ones who had urged the League to meet the allies on the battlefield. The conspirators betrayed and murdered Sahali. Her head was presented to Siobhan, but she was disgusted by the betrayal and eprsonally executed the ringleader. The others were put in irons and sent back to the Sisterhood, along with Sahali's remains so it could be given a proper burial.
The Sistren hurled the traitors down the cliff that has gone down in history as Traitor's Fall. In accordance with their traditions, the Sistren incinerated Sahali's remains and placed her ashes in an urn in their crypt. A great statue of her was commissioned, for every visitor to the Citadel to see. The Sistren had to swear fealty to Siobhan, but were pardoned. But then Firemane soldiers and inspectors arrived at the Citadel to verify the Sistren's surrender and that they would abide by the terms of the accord. The Sisterhood had to reduce its arsenal, pay indemnities and provide a hostage - Sahali's daughter Hazani. Siobhan herself visited the Citadel. When she beheld the statue made in Sahali's likeness, she asked to be left alone and spent a few minutes in solemn silence before departing.
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