Approved NPC Jen'kaar Unit (Lit. "Shadow Swarm")

[Darth Caedes]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create an undead class of pilot & crew, turning zombies into scary, mechanized space menaces...!
• Image Credit: Images from Warhammer 40k: Deathwing | Photoshop: Me
  • Black & White
  • Yellow & Brown
  • With Arms & Legs
• Role: The Jen'kaar serve as a mass-deployable pilot & crew force for the fleets of Darth Caedes. While individually limited, they become devastating when linked to Jen'koshū Dreadlords, acting as coordinated extensions of the superior being's will.
• Permissions: N/A
• Links:
  • Jen'ari
  • Jen'koshū

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Jen'kaar Revenants
• Affiliation: Darth Caedes
• Classification: Pilot
• Description: The Jen'kaar Revenants are reanimated pilots, drawn from the corpses of the Jen'ari horde and subjected to a process of Sith alchemical reinforcement and ritual integration with improved droid intelligence. Jen'kaar come in all shapes and sizes, where even the "husks" without any limbs can be put to use. Some retain much (or else just parts) of their original bodies. Exploiting ordinarily unbearably cruel practices, the corpses are wired either directly into a given starship or else provided with cheap and skeletal droid frames. This process involves the integration of organoform circuitry for its capacity to interface with organic (in this case unliving) flesh and mechanical components. If there is not enough body left for independent functionality after the completion of these processes, the most damaged Jen'kaar husks may still occupy cognition thrones. This mechanization allows even the most damaged of husks the privilege to serve their King in the afterlife, further aided by droid brains which are constantly interpreting and transforming the undead's feral instincts into executive command. Despite their improved intelligence, however, the minds of the Jen'kaar retain only the most primitive of flight instinct, paired with a drive to hunt and destroy living targets.
  
  
  
  
  While alone they exhibit only rudimentary tactical awareness (relying instead on pack and horde tactics), the true threat of the Jen'kaar manifests when they are bound to a Jen'koshū Dreadlord, an undead Sith spirit with the ability to link their minds to and control entire hordes of lesser undead. Under such an influence, Jen'kaar wings fly with unnerving precision, executing complex strike maneuvers and coordinated kamikaze attacks which belie their individual simplicity.
  
  The presence of the Jen'kaar on the battlefield is known to have a discomforting effect (a product of their abhorrent and violent nature), which can even become sometimes agonizing and disturbing to those more or less attuned to the Light Side.

COMBAT INFORMATION:

• Unit Size: Large
• Unit Availability: Common
• Unit Experience: Trained
• Equipment:
  • Cognition Throne: the most damaged of Jen'kaar husks may still serve their King through the use of cognition thrones. All the throne needs is a thinking brain, in this case further aided and interpreted through integrated droid brains.
  • Assisted Droid Frames: Jen'kaar with some or most of their bodies may be provided with cheap and crude cybernetic limbs, set to jut out from festering open wounds, or even skeletal droid frames.
• Combat Function: The Jen'kaar Revenants function as a fighter/interceptor shock pilots corps and/or functioning crews for larger vessels. Despite this, they're best known for their use in starfighter squadrons, where they utilize their overwhelming numbers by flying in swarm-like formations and imitating the horde tactics of their grounded cousins, the Jen'ari.
  
  In isolation, a Jen'kaar pilot will exhibit straightforward behavior: pursue target, disrupt or destroy, repeat. They are easily baited, lured, or outmaneuvered by skilled pilots. However, when linked to a Jen'koshū Dreadlord, they exhibit remarkable synchronicity and a kind of cruel, ominous tact.
  
  Interestingly, and much the same as typical zombies may smell the flesh and blood of living food (as distinct from their fellow unliving), the the Jen'kaar exhibit an unnerving ability to detect Force use or Force Sensitive prey. Unaided by a Jen'koshū, it is not uncommon for Jen'kaar to pursue the destruction of Force Users (particularly Light Sided users) with prejudice, marking them as priority target.
• Force Abilities: N/A

Strengths:

• Expendable and Readily Replaced: As reanimated corpses drawn from the vast graveyards of Korriban and the Jen'ari hordes, Jen'kaar are inexpensive to produce and easily replenished.
• Unliving Stamina: Free from most mortal requirements, the Jen'kaar can occupy a single role/rank/position indefinitely and without rotation. This allows for a degree of crew efficiency and lowered personnel numbers unmatched by many living fleets.
• Dreadlord Synchronization: When linked to a Jen'koshū Dreadlord, their battlefield performance increases dramatically—gaining direction, coordination, and a tactical finesse which far exceeds typically attributed undead behavior.

Weaknesses:

• Minimal Autonomy: Without external control, Jen'kaar display only base-level instincts and primitive flight logic, making them predictable and vulnerable to experienced opposition. Additionally, even if encountered during boarding actions, Jen'kaar are physically weak and possess little to no defensive capabilities—particularly the husks without limbs.
• Force Suppression Vulnerability: The necromantic rites which sustain the Jen'kaar rely on ambient dark side energy. Exposure to Force-null zones (such as those created by ysalamiri fields, voidstones, or anti-Force technologies) can render them catatonic, unresponsive, or in extreme cases, cause spontaneous deanimation.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Following the reanimation of the Jen’ari with the sorcerous Tsaiwinokka Hoyakut, Darth Caedes identified a unique opportunity: the corpses of former Sith pilots, navigators, and gunners still haunted by fragmented instinct. These bodies, while incapable of traditional command roles, retained just enough facility and tattered memory to fly again.

Thus the Jen’kaar Revenants were born—ritually gutted and reforged into flying cadavers, augmented with Sith alchemy and droid intelligence (in the form of brains and cybernetic limbs or other enhancements), and set to crew the King's fleets, sometimes jacked directly into vessels such as the stripped-down Wraithglider, and loosed like flocks of carrion birds onto their prey.

After a series of successful initial deployments, the Jen'kaar have become a staple in Caedes' campaigns, and a potent tool of terror, forcing enemy fleets to expend precious resources against seemingly endless waves of the dead.

 

[Darth Caedes]

This submission is ready for review!​

 

[Mastema]

Darth Caedes Looks like an excellent addition to your Corpse Fleet collection. Just a few clarification or link follow-ups.

The Star Iron referenced is a closed-market item, if a purchase or permission link for its use could be added it'd be appreciated. It's also a semi-unique item; is it actually part of the alchemized Jen'kaar bodies, their ship interface, or merely a part of the process used in their creation (allowing it to be reused time and time again)?

Please link to the pertinent factory submission or canon entry for their equipment as well.

In many instances, vexthorite is used in the construction and 'raising' of the Jen'kaar, granting them a utility with certain Force related talents.

Lastly, just to ensure I understand the intent, their 'awareness' of Force Sensitives is roughly as far as their Force abilities extends? Largely a byproduct of the process of their reanimation and perhaps some material aboard or on their person? Since they're usually strapped in to their vessel does this awareness convey a significant tactic advantage, or more just a way of potentially distinguishing prime targets out of an enemy formation by instinct?

 

[Darth Caedes]

Mastema Thank you for your time!​

The Star Iron referenced is a closed-market item, if a purchase or permission link for its use could be added it'd be appreciated. It's also a semi-unique item; is it actually part of the alchemized Jen'kaar bodies, their ship interface, or merely a part of the process used in their creation (allowing it to be reused time and time again)?

Added a permission/purchase/gift link to the submission.

Added some additional detail (in the opening description) as to the implementation of the star iron—which is to say that the star iron is used in incredibly small amounts (i.e. discreet wire casings, or in rarer cases, decorative coatings, etc.). In the star iron submission, it states: "The metal would be woven into wire or applied as decorative coating or even used in specific components rather than as the main building material. Only a small amount of the material needed to be present in order to mimic the amplifying behaviors of dark side structures such as temples and tombs."

For context, Nwul and I designed the star iron alongside one another without really knowing what we were doing. That it's marked "closed market" at all was the result of neither of us understanding the site rules properly. In fact, ironically, I was the one to tell him to make it closed market because I'm silly, thinking that was mostly narrative. I'll provide a picture of that conversation for context, below. For what it's worth and if it helps at all, a similar discussion took place in the review process for the Locum Pacis, here, regarding the Bogan Fleet Systems. If I recall correctly, because the manufacturer and/or affiliation was Sith Order, the "closed market" was less damning.

Spoiler: Context

Please link to the pertinent factory submission or canon entry for their equipment as well.

Thank you for catching that! The Jen'kaar Wraithglider (which was there, now edited) is something I plan on making in the future, not something which already exists. I've updated that section, and linked the canon cognition throne as their only equipment... if for no other reason than to avoid having an N/A.

Lastly, just to ensure I understand the intent, their 'awareness' of Force Sensitives is roughly as far as their Force abilities extends? Largely a byproduct of the process of their reanimation and perhaps some material aboard or on their person? Since they're usually strapped in to their vessel does this awareness convey a significant tactic advantage, or more just a way of potentially distinguishing prime targets out of an enemy formation by instinct?

Added some clarity and context in the Force Abilities section.

Absolutely! Yeah, these are not Force "using" beings at all and have no ability to tap into the Force in a conscious or intentional way. Merely, because of their origins, and because of the use of vexthorite in their raising/apparatus (which can impart many abilities some consider to be unnatural), they display some basic awareness of the Force around them. This is meant to replicate how typical zombies can maybe smell blood, or distinguish a tasty juicy human from another shambling dead—that kind of primitive awareness. Here, they seem to be able to smell and lust for the flesh/death of Force users, which they sniff out. No tactical advantage, except that they might prioritize Force Sensitive individuals on the battlefield (which I suppose could be used against them, too). Makes 'em Star Warsy n' creepy!

 

[Mastema]

Darth Caedes I appreciate your responses and follow-up.

After some discussion (and admittedly some training for myself) it was noted that as a Combat NPC the Equipment Table applies to Availability of Materials (such as Vexthorite and Star Iron) as well, as part of "All submissions should reflect the strengths and weaknesses of their species, equipment, materials, and components for transparency, balance, and fair play." With the Unit Size Large and Availability Common the maximum Production availability for any subs used in the creation, production, or attributes of the Combat Unit would need to be Mass Produced. Anything with a more restrictive production rating would need to be removed, or this Sub's Size/Availability modified.

Additionally, and this may affect what choice (e.g. changing size/availability) you make above, Vexthorite is currently under review.

This would also apply to a future fighter sub submitted for these scary pilots to operate. Since these are pilots that would beg the question what they pilot, please link to even a placeholder fighter entry. The sub could be modified later for any custom one that might become available later.

A zombie-sense to 'sniff out' Force Users is a great feature for story, but to avoid the implication that the pilots are Force Sensitive (even due to the materials used) -- to avoid conflicting with the Codex Rule regarding Large or Common sized Combat Units -- I'd recommend moving the description of their bloodhound-like ability outside of the Force Abilities section and clarify its origin as something not originating from the Force directly to make that distinction clear, or adjusting the Sub's Size/Availability.

 

[Darth Caedes]

Alright, Mastema I did some editing!

• Added & credited an image.
• Clarified that these guys are more than just limbless husks, hardwired into single starfighters. They're a more generalized undead class of pilot, augmented with droid brains and, on occasion, cheap cybernetics. This allows them to stand in as a more diverse crew, rather than be relegated to single personnel ships.

After some discussion (and admittedly some training for myself) it was noted that as a Combat NPC the Equipment Table applies to Availability of Materials (such as Vexthorite and Star Iron) as well, as part of "All submissions should reflect the strengths and weaknesses of their species, equipment, materials, and components for transparency, balance, and fair play." With the Unit Size Large and Availability Common the maximum Production availability for any subs used in the creation, production, or attributes of the Combat Unit would need to be Mass Produced. Anything with a more restrictive production rating would need to be removed, or this Sub's Size/Availability modified.

Oh, sure. That makes sense! Removed all mention of both vexthorite and star iron.

This would also apply to a future fighter sub submitted for these scary pilots to operate. Since these are pilots that would beg the question what they pilot, please link to even a placeholder fighter entry. The sub could be modified later for any custom one that might become available later.

I added a list of typically associated starships, which should serve as examples for the kinds of craft a pilot/crew of Jen'kaar can manage. I picture these guys operating at similar mental levels to the B1-series Battledroid, or perhaps Vulture-class starfighters while in starfighter squadrons.

Hypothetically, is it not possible to merely design a class of pilots without specifying what it is they fly?

A zombie-sense to 'sniff out' Force Users is a great feature for story, but to avoid the implication that the pilots are Force Sensitive (even due to the materials used) -- to avoid conflicting with the Codex Rule regarding Large or Common sized Combat Units -- I'd recommend moving the description of their bloodhound-like ability outside of the Force Abilities section and clarify its origin as something not originating from the Force directly to make that distinction clear, or adjusting the Sub's Size/Availability.

Thank you for your rules expertise! Removed anything from the Force Abilities section. Added their discomforting presence in the Force to the description, and their ability/tendency to sniff out Force-use and Force Users on the battlefield to the Combat Function section.

 

[Mastema]

Darth Caedes

Hypothetically, is it not possible to merely design a class of pilots without specifying what it is they fly?

It is. I'd recommend removing most of the new examples, and when you have a sub for them (if desired) it can be added later.

Regarding the new examples/links though and to avoid any issues later, if this sub's Size is kept at Large and its Availability remains Common please be certain any chosen vessel's Production is only Mass Produced. Any vessel rated or considered as anything other than Mass Produced (Combat Unit Equipment Table) would be at risk of being reported and potentially this sub being pulled.

Lastly, regarding the "Assisted Droid Frames" it links to EV-9D9, a specific droid that doesn't seem specifically related to organo-synthetic modification.

 

[Darth Caedes]

It is. I'd recommend removing most of the new examples, and when you have a sub for them (if desired) it can be added later.

Done! They are removed.

Regarding the new examples/links though and to avoid any issues later, if this sub's Size is kept at Large and its Availability remains Common please be certain any chosen vessel's Production is only Mass Produced. Any vessel rated or considered as anything other than Mass Produced (Combat Unit Equipment Table) would be at risk of being reported and potentially this sub being pulled.

Totally. To be clear, their being listed as examples for what the Jen'kaar are capable of flying does not mean that they will ever show up in swarms of those ships. Theoretically, the Jen'kaar can pilot those ships, though I do understand that they'd be limited by the ship's production quantities. It's a good reminder, though!

Lastly, regarding the "Assisted Droid Frames" it links to EV-9D9, a specific droid that doesn't seem specifically related to organo-synthetic modification.

Link removed. For context, I just listed that droid for flavor. It's the creepiest droid I could find, and so I figured the droid attachments the Jen'kaar receive might look similar. Additionally, the droid (as it appears in the movies) seems slow and clumsy, which is fitting for the cheap production of Jen'kaar pilots.

Mastema​

 

[Mastema]

Darth Caedes Thank you for your patience and the modifications. I hope the grave robbing is constrained to Korriban, but otherwise that they be a scary addition.

I'll mark this for review and/or approval confirmation with Srina Talon

 

[Srina Talon]

Darth Caedes First and foremost, thank you, for your patience and understanding. This was the first submission Mastema picked up upon becoming a Codex Judge, so the fact that you both worked together to kindly and respectfully should be praised. Nice work all around.

Because this was a submission handled by a CJ Trainee, it does require secondary approval, so that's why I'm here .

Overall, you pair seemed to have worked out the kinks! Huzzah!

Spoiler: Helpful Info for Next Time

The concept was always solid (scary rank and file type); it was just the extra bits and bolts that were catching you up because of the Large and Common sizing. Even in the Codex, we have to adhere to Factory production values. I know you guys have talked it through, but just for clarity on all sides, I have a few helpful notes/tips for next time:

When creating an NPC Combat Unit in Codex or utilizing a subbed NPC Combat Unit in RP, we have to follow this table from the template:

Because your NPC Unit is Common and Large, only "mass-produced" materials and equipment can be utilized. As they currently stand, they wouldn't be able to use any of the previous ships that were linked (even if they are capable of using ships like it) because those particular submissions were all Minor and Limited. Their Large and Common sizing is also what prevented you from using the Star Iron (Semi-Unique) and the Vexthorite (Limited).

What you could do in the future, if you wanted, would be to make another, smaller, specialized NPC group of these pilots, and you can use some of those ships and materials. The smaller and more "rare" your NPC Unit is, the more cool stuff you can toss in. If you do wind up creating a mass-produced ship for these guys later down the line, you can use Codex Mods to add it it easy peasy.

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I noticed some confusion on permissions and affiliation as well.

So...In this example, we were using submissions that are "Closed-Market" to the Sith Order. This means that anyone within the Sith Order can utilize the submission for the Sith Order, but another faction, like the GA, or someone working on a private project, would not be able to use it without the expressed written consent of the original author. The confusion comes in here because the only affiliation these guys have is to Darth Caedes, not the Sith Order. So, to get around that, you could add an affiliation to the SO, or you can provide personal permissions you've gained from the original author. I hope that makes a bit more sense, but if you guys ever need more with that, please reach out.

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This NPC Rule "Combat Units containing a majority of Force Users are not allowed to be submitted at Large Size or Common Availability. Please keep in mind that the more powerful a unit is overall, especially in regards to the Force, the smaller and less available it ought to be. Be sensible and reasonable" is an important distinction to make, again, because of the Large and Common sizing.

For this submission, because of the way they're built (like a legion), you guys did the right thing in stripping it out because the leftover perks they have can be easily explained away by things that are NOT the Force. They could sense FUs due to built-in midichlorian scanners. They're extra and creepy, and dead, so of course, they'd have the potential to make Light Siders uncomfortable.

These are totally reasonable things that you can work with that don't necessarily have to breach that rule. So, good job!

The only thing the Codex Team would ask is that the div with the white background not be utilized going forward. It's beautiful, but it was hard for several of them to read. Otherwise - You're good to go!

Enjoy!

[APPROVED]