Karrigan'Xalda
Daughter of the Karishzar
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Sub a cult. Expand on the Xioquo.
- Image Credit: Here. By Sarah Mirza Art.
- Role: Religious cult.
- Links: Xioquo, Firemane, Twilight of the Goddess.
- Group Name: Daughters of the Destroyer. Karish'zar Qis'khar'i'z in Xio.
- Classification: Religious Cult.
- Headquarters: Based on the Arx Aeternae, but have a presence on Firemane stations and space habitats Xioquo live on.
- Loyalties: House Kerrigan-Alcori, Siobhan Kerrigan.
- Group Sigil: Circle with downward facing triangle piercing the sky.
- Description: The Daughters of the Destroyer are a Xioquo cult that arose in the aftermath of the fall of the Underealm. They venerate Siobhan Kerrigan and her family and see themselves as a legion of faithful acolytes and warriors. It is rather influential in Xioquo society.
- Hierarchy: They are organised in small cells called hosts, which are led by a Host Commander. These form chapters, led by a Centurion. Overall authority is vested in the Champion of the Destroyer, who acts as a High Priestess. Their self-perception as warrior-priestesses is reflected in their martial titltes. Many of the high-ranking clerics of the cult are Force-Sensitive, though their degree of training varies. The most martially inclined Force-using cultists are organised in a militant sect called the Heralds of the Destroyer. The Daughters have ties to the Coven of Tlaxqui. Indeed, there is some overlap in membership.
- Membership: Must be a female Xioquo. Must be prepared to show their loyalty and swear a blood oath to the Destroyer. Former slaves, lower caste members and individuals who were persecuted by the old order are preferred. Force-users who join the cult tend to be darksiders or grey. Light Siders are drawn to the Seekers of the Sky, who have the support of Queen Lia.
The Daughters of the Destroyer believe that by killing Mystra, the Karishzar proved herself to be the stronger goddess. Thus she has taken her place in their mind. Moreover, she also put an end to slavery, setting countless Xioquo free. Finally, she gave the Xioquo access to more advanced technology and, ultimately, took them to the stars during the exodus from Tygara. In the eyes of the cultists, this makes her worthy of worship. However, they also have a rather apocalyptic mind set and see themselves as a martial organisation. Those who fight and die worthily in the cause of the Destroyer are assured paradise. The Destroyer has a benign side, but is also dangerous, and must be appeased by shedding the blood of her enemies.
In addition to venerating the Karishzar, the Daughters have also found a place in their pantheon for her family. Tegaea Alcori is regarded as the Consort of the Destroyer, who can appease the Great One's rage. Their adoptive daughter Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori is the Daughter of the Destroyer. Her fire is a manifestation of the Destroyer's will. It is pertinent to point out that both are deeply uncomfortable with these religious zealots. Interestingly, the cult has also added some of Siobhan Kerrigan's enemies in their belief system. [member="Matsu Xiangu"], a very powerful Sith Lady who fought both Siobhan and Elpsis in several duels, is regarded as an evil goddess who stands opposed to Karishzar. This ties in with the Daughters' apocalyptic beliefs, as they expect a battle where the legions of both deities will face each other.
Xioquo are the least wedded to the necessity of biological children. They make no distinction between adopted and biological ones: a child is yours if you acknowledge it. Thus the cultists consider themselves all of the Destroyer's daughters. She just has not acknowledged them yet. Xioquo are the most sexist of all the Eldorai races - and that's saying something - so the cult is only open to Xioquo females. On a practical side, the cult encourages its members to familiarise themselves with modern technology, including medicine, starships, droids and cybernetics. Xioquo are said to have metal minds. For Tygara the Xioquo were quite advanced technologically. Scientists, doctors, machinists and engineers are held in high regard by the cult, for they produce the tools that allow the faithful to prevail. The Daughters see no contradiction between science and religion. Indeed, they maintain that one reinforces the other. Thus they see it as their duty to acquire, record, guard and pass on the knowledge to construct advanced technology. The majority of the Xioquo were slaves and thus did not learn how to read or write. So the cult strives to improve literacy, viewing this as a sacred obligation. It is supervised by the Keeper of the Word. The Daughters view this as the battle of the mind. It is likened to the battle of the sword, which is fought by warriors. Unsurprisingly, the Daughters value martial aptitude highly.
- Curios: A link from a broken chain, symbolising their liberation. Tattoos are also common. These tend to display the group sigil or have martial themes.
- Goals: Spread the Word of the Karishzar, combat her enemies, expand and educate the Xioquo.
- Quas'Ziru: Champion of the Destroyer, High Priestess.
- Karrigan'Xihuitl: Keeper of the Word.
- Zai’Itzcatl: Centurion.
- Karrigan'Xalda: Host Commander, Warrior of the Heralds of the Destroyer.
Xioquo society has always been steeped in the Dark Side. For centuries, the drows were governed by a ruthless mageocracy where only those who pursued the path of Darkness ended up on the top. Thousands laboured as slaves to serve the whims of the mistresses who sat on the top of the pyramid. The disobedient were brutally punished and often sacrificed in ghastly rituals to power war machines or be turned into abominations. Believing that Tygara was theirs by right and that one day their 'demigoddess' Mystra would awaken to lead them to conquer Tygara, the Xioquo warred against their neighbours and rivals, the Qadiri and Vashyada. While the technologically most advanced of Tygara's natives, their low population, incessant power struggles and the constant need to be on their guard against slave revolts kept them from fulfilling their potential.
Nemesis came to their subterranean kingdom, the Underealm, when a coalition of Firemane, Eldorai and Qadiri forces invaded their territory, defeated their armies and war beasts, and finally slew Mystra herself. By that time many Xioquo had become disillusioned with their creator since she fed on them just as enthusiastically as on their enemies. Slaves rebelled, seeing a chance to cast down their chains, and the remaining mistresses finally capitulated.
Trials were held for a number of war criminals, slavery was abolished and a new government was set up. The present Queen of the Xioquo, Liavondra, is an adept of the Light Side, who seeks to lead her people on a better path. However, change is difficult to bring about and thus has to proceed in slow steps. Slowly weaning them off despotism, and reclaiming their independence would take time. A number of Xioquo exploited their new freedom to explore what lies beyond the Underealm, and eventually Tygara. Several of these more adventurous drows joined Firemane's ranks.
During her campaign, the Xioquo had conferred the title of Karishzar upon Siobhan Kerrigan. It means Destroyer in their language. At first it was supposed to condemn her as an abomination that threatened everything the Matriarchy stood for her. To many freed slaves, it became the title of a liberator, for it showed the hated mistresses feared her. A select number of Xioquo went a step further and came to see the Karishzar as a Goddess. By slaying Mystra, she had taken her place and set the dark elves free.
Fittingly, the founder of the Daughters of the Destroyer was a former priestess. Her name was Qas'Ziru. Once she had been a cleric before being betrayed and enslaved in one of the perennial power plays, for the totalitarian régime had branded her a traitor. When Mystra arose from her slumber, the dark one required sacrificial lambs to feed on to fuel her power. Ziru was one of those who should have been fed to her. Being tormented by Xioquo inquisitors had left Ziru deeply scarred and more than a little unhinged. However, she was saved from getting her own heart torn out when Siobhan Kerrigan slew Mystra. Ziru witnessed the dark one's destruction. This moment changed her life forever. To her it was no simple liberation. It was a divine revelation.
Ziru was one of many freed, malnourished prisoners who were fed, clothed and cared for by the Firemane-led liberation force in the aftermath of the fall of the Underealm. Unlike many of them, she took her gratitude to extreme lengths. She was probably not in the stablest frame of mind. Either way, she began preaching what she considered to be the word of the Destroyer. Her first followers were found among freed slaves. Firemane's assault on the Underealm had triggered a revolt in the slave pens, with the slaves taking revenge on the guards and mistresses. As it became clear the battle could not be won, many slave-soldiers had laid down their arms and surrendered to the invaders.
At first, the occupation authorities were wary of the cult. Religious zealotry could easily turn into a source of unrest. The cult was rather willing to help the occupation, provide mutual aid to former slaves and combat crime. But it had a tendency towards taking the law into its own hands. Many of its members had been wronged by the old order and this was a convenient time to settle scores. However, new administration needed the cooperation of the surviving matriarchs. If they were alienated and saw no place for themselves in the new order, there would be a bloody insurgency. This caused tension when cultists turned to vigilante justice, which resulted in a number of them being detained. Other cultists tried to turn the site of Mystra's last stand into a place of pilgrimage, which proved problematic because the dark side energies that permeated it had a very detrimental effect on the sanity of sentient beings.
Finally, when it seemed like things would come to head, Qas'Ziru was unexpectedly granted a private audience with Siobhan Kerrigan. Tegaea was present at the audience, and became extremely uncomfortable when Ziru started worshipping and prostrating herself before Siobhan. Siobhan, on the other hand, saw value in the cult. Ziru's reverence for her undoubtedly stroked her large ego. However, she laid down the law. The wild killings had to cease. She needed disciplined followers, not lawless vigilantes whose actions produced instability. She had cast down Mystra and, unlike her, she would turn her promises into a reality. Zisu and her acolytes could spread her word and be her sword. Ziru spent a day or two in the midst of her idol, then returned home to put the cult in order. The process was not bloodless, but she managed to forge it into a disciplined organisation.
Rumours that the Karishzar stood behind the group caused member numbers to soar. For a while, the Daughters had to institute a cap on new members, for they were concerned about being inundated with opportunists and fair-weather friends. Aristocrats and former régime personnel were excluded from membership, for they were regarded as tainted. The cult began to pursue an educational mission, trying to learn as much about outsider technology as possible so that they could educate their people and thus improve their lives. Naturally, many also pursued martial vocations. Several members of the cult joined the militia or the Firemane auxiliary corps. The Firemane resident, Kaylah Danton, and Queen Lia continued to view the cult with concern.
But its members proved their resolve when they rallied around the flag during a Kraal raid on Tygara, aiding in the defence of the Underealm against the lizardmen. In this fight, a group of Daughters were immortalised in the cult's mythology when they met superior Kraal forces in battle, fighting to the last drop of blood. Their sacrifice bought time for the defenders to rally and defeat the assault. The cult hailed them as martyrs. The Daughters also took to the battlefield during an insurgency of die-hard Mystra fanatics. They took brutal vengeance when the insurgents captured, tortured and murdered a number of Daughters, who refused to recant their faith even under torture. These martyrdoms helped strengthen the cult. It became apparent that the group was not about to vanish. They also competed with other Xioquo groups for influence, such as the Seekers of the Sky. This is a sect of Light Side adepts inspired by the example of Lia. Siobhan has alternated between staying aloof and intervening to ensure their jockeying does not get out of hand. Several Daughters in the auxiliary corps and other Firemane formations got the chance to leave the stars, often serving with distinction on the battlefield. One of their enthusiastic converts was a young Xioquo warrior called Karrigan'Xalda. The young woman had once been the slave-soldier of a cruel mistress. She became acquainted with Siobhan when her mistress sent her to the Firemane CEO as a 'gift' prior to the fall of the Underealm. In reality, Xalda had been given the task to poison Siobhan. But the Firemane leader had figured out her true purpose and managed to sway the young Xioquo to her cause. Xalda would eventually join the Order of Fire.
The Daughters also became rivals of the Cataphracts of the Ascending Phoenix. This is a Qadiri warrior cult that also worships Siobhan, regarding her as a demigoddess and daughter of Kashara, the chief goddess of the Qadiri pantheon. It was founded by a Qadiri warrior called Shandiyaa, who had served in the army of the Mirza of Lakish and fought the Xioquo during her mistress' failed assault on the Underealm, prior to the Firemane-led campaign. Siobhan and a Firemane task force had come to the aid of the Lakishi in that battle, saving them from disaster. Qadiri and Xioquo have been historical rivals for many centuries, and the age-old antagonism between them has not vanished over night. So both sects compete for Siobhan's favour. Their idol alternates between being amused and exasperated by this. Bloodletting aside, Xioquo have an aptitude for technical professions, which has been helpful for adjusting to the larger Galaxy. Many have found employment maintaining the space habitats Firemane built, as they make good engineers and learn fast.
When the leaders of the Eldorai and the native races decided to evacuate Tygara and seek out a new elsewhere, all the Daughters got to see the stars. They were assigned space to build a temple on the Arx, though they also established small congregations on space habitats and colony ships. Time has not diminished the fire that burns inside Quas'Ziru. She is certain that the hour of the Karish'zar Qis'khar'i'z will come.
