OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the Exodite Asurans.
Image Credit: Here.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: N/A.
Links: Shadow Knights (lore submission), Kaida Taldir, Eldorai, Qadiri, Vashyada, To Hell and Back, Kar'zun, Eldorai Exodus, Twin Exiles, Xioquo, Siobhan, Firemane, Kaeshana, Blades of Reason, Emissaries of Illyria, Ashiranism, Caerith Tyari, Force-Dead.
SETTING INFORMATION
Structure Name: Palace of the People
Classification: House of Parliament.
Location: Defiance.
Affiliation: Shadow Knights, Eldorai, Citizens' Council, Exodite Asurans.
Accessibility: The Palace of the People is not the easiest to reach for outsiders, as it is located aboard a big worldship that is always on the move in search of resources, potential colonies etc. The ship is guarded and accompanied by escorts. Outsiders are only given entrance to the worldship after being vetted. However, once aboard the building is not difficult to reach. It is located in the city centre and serves as the house of parliament, so it is a very public location. Visitors are allowed, and citizens of the Commonwealth are encouraged to come and speak to their Councillor or watch a session. However, visitors must obtain a pass in order to watch the proceedings of the Citizens' Council or the Flotilla assembly. There are fixed hours for admission into the Palace of the People when the Council is not in session. Constituents who wish to have meet with their local delegate to discuss their concerns are advised to make an appointment. The Defiance has an efficient public transportation system, and the parliament building is easy to reach via monorail. It helps that using public transport is cheap.
The Palace of the People is closed on public holidays, and may be subject to unplanned, temporary closures when the Council is not in session. The building is guarded, and visitors will have to pass through security checks before they will be let in. Without exception, every visitor will be expected to present all carried items for inspection. Visitors are not allowed to bear arms within the premises, and so any weapons will have to be surrendered. The security contingent includes Force adepts and Force-Dead to ward against attempts to use mind tricks and the like to 'persuade' the guards to look the other way. The building lies in the government district, so monitoring is very strict.
Description: Within the Freedom Square of the Asur-Class Worldship 'Defiance', one finds the grandly named Palace of the People amongst the office buildings that house the various Courts, the Archon and the military high command. Collectively, they form the Court of the Shadowed Council, the government district of the city-ship. Asuran delegates elected from across the nomad fleet meet here to represent the interests of their constituents, to lobby, propose and debate laws, to form the government and hold it to account. And, naturally, pursue their own self-interest. In that regard it is similar to any parliament. Trees flank the path to the cube-shaped building.
An outside observer will immediately notice two things if they get close to the building. Firstly, the majority of delegates are female, as the Asuran races have a matriarchal culture, though the Shadows are a bit more egalitarian and have granted males political rights. Secondly, the extravagant vestments one might associate with say an Alliance Senator are shunned. Councillors tend to wear military uniform or a civilian outfit with the badge of the military unit they served in on their lapel, for the Shadows have established a stratocratic society where service guarantees citizenship. Citizenship is only bestowed on those who have served in a military capacity.
Service, the Shadow Knights postulate, teaches the citizen how to serve her nation and her people. Only afterwards is she able to appreciate that a ballot is force. When she votes, she is choosing who among her people has the authority to use force legitimately, for that is what political power is. Dangerous in the wrong hands, but beneficial and necessary in the right ones. Hence one must learn to follow before one can lead. Civilians have rights, protected by the charter, but only citizens are eligible for state benefits, and possess the exclusive right to vote and run for office. In practical terms, parliamentary delegates tend to be officers, rather than NCOs or enlisted soldiers. It is by no means uncommon to catch sight of a disabled Councillor in a hoverchair, proudly wearing her military uniform and medals of valour as she hovers up the stairs.
The building is heavily guarded. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. The women and men of the Duskguard are polite, but firm. All Duskguards are armed. They are drawn from all the 'Five Cousins', even the Kar'zun. In some cases, their soul has been transferred into a spirit gem and implanted inside the imposing, mechanical frame of a Sciiac Guardian. For some, death is not the end of duty. Undergoing security checks is mandatory for all visitors. Rioters and would-be putschists who try to storm parliament to overturn an election can expect a forceful response. The Duskguard is responsible for the security of the Palace of the People and protection of members of parliament. The Custodians of the Commonwealth, a labour service corps, contributed significantly to the construction of the building.
To the Exodite Asurans, the Palace of the People serves manifold roles. It is a venue for parliamentary debates and a meeting place for Councillors, but also a place of civic education for the youth and the general public. Participation in the political process is not a right, it is a duty. For without it tyranny will take root. The permacrete, somewhat blocky building is austere in design and makes ample use of salvaged materials. However, it is very well constructed and sturdy. Simple does not mean shoddy. Quite the opposite, in fact. The builders prioritised longevity, and sturdiness over style. The palace is there for the people, not the aristos and corpos. While there are some mosaics, overall the interior of the Palace of the People has little ornamentation or display. It projects a stark military, austere image that stands in deliberate contrast with the Eldorai Council of Nobles, the residence of a Star Queen or Mirza. Moreover, to put it plainly, the Exodite Asurans do not have a lot of money.
The flag of the Shadow Knights - an Eldorai eagle upon a red field flies above the Palace of the People. The flag is to be flown on half-mast on the days of remembrance that commemorate Kaeshana's devastation by an asteroid, the Battle of Kaeshana and the final exodus. Moreover, it is to be displayed on half-mast on the occasion of the death of a delegate or a state funeral. The main chamber is where sessions of the Citizens' Council take place. The Shadow Knight leaders chose to seat the Councillors in a hemicycle because it is supposed to display and promote unity. Of course, in practice debates in the chamber can still get very heated, though the Marshal of the Council penalises inappropriate behaviour or hate speech. This doesn't apply to mere bickering or name calling though. That's considered uncouth, but not penalised unless it gets out of hand. The Marshal is seated in an elevated perch. The hall is big enough for all Councillors, representatives of the Flotilla Assembly as well as Magisters, the Archon, other members of the government and anyone else invited for joint sessions The Councillors vote electronically, by pushing a button, and the count is displayed at the front of the chamber.
Particularly sensitive sessions may take place 'behind closed doors' - that is to say, with the public being excluded. The sessions are also transmitted live on the HoloNet site of the Citizens' Council. The phrase 'For All Asurans' is written over the tribune from where the Marshal directs proceedings and enforces parliamentary rules. The symbol of the Citizens' Council - a circle with clenched fists coming from all sides to meet in the middle - lies beneath said phrase. Each hand has a different colour. This is supposed to symbolise the unity and diversity of the nation, but also its readiness to defend itself against threats both foreign and domestic. The Shadow Knights are big on duty, and participation in parliamentary work is mandatory for all members.
Space has been set aside for a visitors' gallery and a press gallery. In keeping with the goal of fostering a sense of civic duty among the younger generation, an educational gallery has been set up on the top floor. Here pedagogues and staff can explain parliamentary sessions and procedures to students as well as simulate them and explain the history of the institution. Sometimes a schoolclass will get the opportunity to speak with a delegate or even, on rare occasions, the Archon. This gallery is sound-proofed.
The less prominent Flotilla Assembly, which represents individual vessels and ensures that ships with a smaller population are not totally marginalised by the big ones, has a separate chamber when in session. Moreover, the building features a library, a myriad officespaces, committee rooms, meeting rooms and media facilities, a fitness centre, and cafeteria. The delegates' offices are fitted with annunciators, which announce in real-time the current business in parliament. Bells alert delegates when a vote has been called.
The Archon, the elected leader of the Shadow Knights, has an office area from where she can conduct business while in the Palace of the People. It is kept deliberately austere and utilitarian to reflect the fact that she is supposed to be the first servant of the state, not a queen. The Archon has her own residence from which she conducts most government business, but she can expected to be here to negotiate with delegates for an important vote the administration has a stake in. Moreover, it is convention that there will be a single session every week where the Archon answers questions from delegates while the Council is in session. Moreover, every year the Archon will adddress a joint session of both houses.
A central lobby serves as the heart of the structure, forming a crossroads between the Chamber and the Flotilla Assembly, public entrances and other areas. It features some mosaics showing the union of the Five Cousins and statues that represent the virtues the delegates are supposed to strive to embody. Members of the public do not need to make an appointment to meet or lobby a Councillor here; the desk will attempt to contact the Councillor they ask for. However, it is always best to make an appointment first.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Council Chambers - for a change, the Asurans have used a very non-flowery name. Regardless, this is where the Citizens' Council convenes. Of the two houses of parliament, this is the more important one. The seats are arranged in a semi-circular fashion with four corridors running down the cardinal points to allow access to the centre. The Archon addresses the chamber from the centre, symbolically surrounded by their peers. The Marshal is seated in an elevated perch. The hall is big enough for all Councillors, representatives of the Flotilla Assembly as well as Magisters, the Archon, members of the government and invited sessions to be in attendance for joint sessions. The Councillors vote electronically, by pushing a button, and the count is displayed at the front of the chamber.
The phrase 'For All Asurans' is written over the tribune from where the Marshal directs proceedings and enforces parliamentary rules. The symbol of the Citizens' Council - circle with clenched fists coming from all sides to meet in the middle - lies beneath said phrase. Each hand has a different colour. This is supposed to symbolise the unity and diversity of the nation, but also its readiness to defend itself against threats both foreign and domestic. A simultaneous interpretation system is also provided with a language booth. This is helpful because while Eldarai is the lingua franca, the Asurans are multi-ethnic and multi-lingual.
Assembly Chambers - the chamber where the delegates of the Flotilla Assembly meet. This is the upper house and the less important of the two. The setup is similar to that of the Council Chambers, but the designers went for parallel lines of delegates with a central corridor.
Bright Minds Education Gallery - Educational gallery for schoolclasses and such watching council debates. The gallery is set apart from the council chambers and located in a different part of the building. Features big screens to watch events, and also some more kid friendly explanations. There are some annoying mascot representations. Here pedagogues and staff can explain parliamentary sessions and procedueres to students as well as simulate them and explain the history of the institution. This gallery is sound-proofed.
Visitors' Galleries - public galleries from where members of the public may watch delegates debate legislation, question the government and so on. Accessible for all Exodite Asurans as well as approved outside visitors. Watching these debates is free of charge, but tickets are required because there is only a limited amount of space. The galleries open fifteen minutes before each session. Visitors must submit to a security check before being granted entrance.
Crossroads of the Chambers - An atrium with statues around the rim and mosaics on the floor. Distinguished Shadow Knights and past Asuran leaders can look down. In the future, past Archons are supposed to join them, but so far the Shadow Knights have only had one. The Crossroads functions as a central lobby area of sorts, forming a crossroads between the chambers for the two houses.
Delegate Offices - Office spaces for delegates. The officespaces for the members of the two houses lie in different locations in the building. And since each delegate will have their own special staff of people it makes sense they are separate, either above or below their respective chamber. Delegates can hold meetings and otherwise conduct their business from here.
Repository of the Lawful Codes - A library. The Shadow Knights don't have that much space, so delegates of both houses must share a library. Because the Asurans have had to move with the times, there are many datapds and terminals, though the place still has paper books.
Anteroom of the Observers - a visitors' centre to vet outside visitors. They undergo security checks, receive a pass etc. Visitors are banned from having weapons. Ray shields can be activated to seal access instantly. Visitors may not walk around the building without a guide.
Castellan of the Chambers - office for the commander of the Duskguard, who is responsible for security in the Palace of the People. It is connected to the area for the guards.
Tenements of the Shooting Stars - a separate apartment building attached to the parliament building, located near the garden area. It is a symbolic place where new arrivals or refugees can go and find temporary accommodations before being moved to their permanent home. The apartments are austere and not large, but decent enough. Because it is a showpiece, maintenance personnel is actually quick to respond if there is a problem or something needs to be fixed. Moreover, its close proximity to parliament means that the area is very safe. Shops are not that close, but this is not too much of an impediment due to public transport. Indeed, some residents try to drag their feet on moving somewhere more permanent. The name has caused some confusion as it's rather nonsensical, but after the Archon refused a fancy name for her office this one was set in stone. Politics is the art of compromise, after all.
Monument of Unity - A symbol of multicultural unity that stands before parliament building. The monument is a statue of four women with upraised hands, one for each species. All reaching up to a central point but not quite touching. The Kar'zun have been lobbying for a fifth member to be added since they are Asurans, too. People argue against it with good and bad arguments...and bad faith thoughts cloaked with good arguments. One group has suggested the Kar'zun be in the middle reaching up, but shorter. The Kar'zun think this is offensive since it seems like they can't reach as high as the elves. Moreover, they're taller in real life.
The Archon's Corner - Office area for the Archon for when she's in the building. The office area is quite small and mainly there for meetings with delegates, as she has her own residence elsewhere in the government district. The present Archon has kept her office utilitarian to make a point, though some of her model ships are on display here. Rather than a grandiose throne, the Archon has a simple chair. Originally it was supposed to be named the 'Sanctum of the Unified Wills', but the Archon shot that down for being too florid.
Centre of Physical Introspection - a flowery name for a well-stocked fitness centre. Officially, members of parliament are still considered reservists who should be ready and able to take up their duties in the militia when needed. Of course, the level of enthusiasm varies, though the incumbent Archon sets a good example. Naturally, the guards also utilise the centre and it is open to the public. It provides a variety of workouts to stay in shape and retain a healthy physique, promoting whole-body health and fitness through a variety of amenities.
Communications Centre - disappointingly, the Shadow Knights did not give the communications hub a flowery name. Regardless, the communications gear can be found here. It allows parliament to remain in contact with ship command as well as the rest of the nomad fleet, and can obviously be used to transmit messages in emergency situatons or receive reports from distant ship captains. The council does not take kindly to a captain hanging up on them to avoid a dressing-down.
Gallery of the Unified Voice - an area for press conferences. Rather than a single chamber, it features a selection of areas depending on the mood. It has one with a big space field window behind, showing off the stars, whilst the others are more somber and there's one with the statue of a Shadow Knight martyr. The Shadow Knights have a (relatively) free press, so journalists can actually ask non-scripted questions and criticise the government. However, they are big on 'constructive criticism'.
Paradise of the Voidborne - living in space has been quite an adjustment for all Asurans. Exodites they may be, but they like to retain a connection with the soil. Thus the Palace features a garden with plants from various planets such as Kaeshana, Tygara, and Arkas. There are also a couple statues that are allegorical in nature, displaying the Five Cousins. Vashyada treesingers are employed to maintain the garden.
Crossways Cafeteria - as the name implies, this is a dining hall. In keeping with their militaristic values, the Shadow Knights have set it up as a mess hall. Everyone eats together - in theory at least.
SECURITY
High. The Palace of the People is the seat of the legislature of a militaristic nomad state. As such while it is not a military installation, security is quite extensive. Before entering the building, visitors are screened and must undergo a security check. This includes any items they might carry on their person. There are security cameras, weapons' detectors, security scanners, ray shields, metal detectors and the like. This is all recorded to reduce the risk of a Force-Sensitive being able to bluff their way out of a security inspection via a mind trick or similar. Visitors are not allowed to bear weapons within the premises of the Palace of the People. Any weapons a visitor may carry on their person will have to be relinquished at the entrance. Parliament has a network of security cameras and an alarm system. Probe droids patrol and survey the grounds.
The guard contingent is recruited from military and police veterans. It includes a small number of Force adepts assigned on a rotational basis from the Caerith Tyari, Sciiac Guardians and Force-Dead soldiers. The Duskguard is fairly small, but can call upon support from other military and police assets stationed on the city-ship. All guards are armed, having access to lethal and nonletheal weaponry.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The idea that the common folk should have any say in things is very new to the Eldorai. Eldorai society has always been defined by a high degree of stratification, social and gender barriers. Women are regarded as superior to men and occupy the top jobs in the military and government, whereas males are expected to be subservient.
Nobles stand above commoners, who should know their place, pay their tithes and serve their betters. Clerics are intermediaries between the profane and the divine. The opulent cathedrals and mansions of the prelates are an expression of gratitude of the common folk. The Star Queen stands above all. She is not only the absolute monarch of the realm, but also the the emissary and viceroy of the Great Goddess Ashira in the mortal realm. Her person is sacrosanct and her word is law.
However, the Queen could never rule entirely alone, even with an elaborate, centralised bureaucracy to manage her realm in her name. On the national level, there was an all-female council of nobles that represented the peerage. On the municipal and provincial, local nobles would have meetings with the local church prelates to decide matters. But there was nothing involving the riff-raff. Merchants and guilds might acquire influence on the municipal level and administrators would be drawn from the ranks of the bourgeoisie, but they only addressed local matters. And the idea that peasants and workers could have a say in matters was anathema.
The Goddess had assigned everyone a place in the pyramid, and it was her will that they remained there. However, not every Asuran race was this regressive. The Qadiri and especially the Vashyada had a long history of assemblies and such groups for discussing issues. Several Vashyada tribes practiced a form of tribal democracy, while the Qadiri had city-states run by patrician oligarchies and assemblies that represented the 'great and good of society'.
The Shadow Knights started out as a splinter group on post-apocalyptic Kaeshana, trying to wrest order from the chaos on a world devastated by an asteroid impact and abandoned by its former rulers. It was a brutal struggle for survival. Having started as a group that tried to help Eldorai who had the misfortune of not being 'the best and brightest' escape the doomed planet, they transitioned into a paramilitary vigilante group that tried to stop looting and rioting. They also explored new ways of government.
Initially, the first council was a motley assembly, representing disparate rebel factions, paramilitary groups, smugglers and refugee camps. Tensions ran high; the first council session was accompanied by physical violence. Tensions between Illyrians and Ashiran reformists almost exploded into open violence. Nonetheless, the Shadow Knights soldiered on - and decided to only let veterans and those 'contributing to the struggle' join their directorate. Aid services, labour management and policing were heavily militarised. The soldiers acclaimed Naesala Faethyra as their first Archon.
Showing the ad hoc nature of its set-up, the assembly resided in a theatre that had been damaged during fighting between rival militias. The Councillors met in a hall whose walls had been scorched by slug rounds and blaster bolts. Sometimes the building lost power in the middle of a session. It happened to be a cold winter. Fortunately, some Councillors were fire shapers.
When the Shadow Knights had to flee Kaeshana following its occupation by the imperialist First Order, they formed a nomad fleet, being unwilling to bow to the Eldorai Matriarchy and its Firemane puppeteers. A worldship, ironically built by Firemane to keep the renegades out of its sphere, became their mobile 'capital'. The council was reorganised to reflect the new state of society, and ensure representation for smaller ships. Initially, the council convened in a simpler prefab building. However, as the Exodites expanded their ranks to include Tygarans, the old parliament building became too small, and so construction firms and the military's engineering corps were commissioned to construct a more permanent legislative building to house the expanded assembly.
Many designs were proposed, but shot down as too impractical or wasteful. A lot of the construction work was done by the Custodians of the Commonwealth, a labour corps for the under or unemployed as well as convicts considered redeemable. The process was supervised by the Court of the Constructors. The final design of the Palapce of the People was a somewhat blocky, utilitarian building with a garden attached to it. The space that was used had been set aside for this building early on but before hand before being built it was used for emergency accommodation. Obviously when construction began many people needed to be moved, which caused grumbling. However, the Shadows kept a symbolic place where new arrivals or refugees could go and find temporary accommodation before being moved to their permanent home.
The building would host the Citizens' Council, the Flotilla Assembly, the parliamentary library and a fitness centre. After many arguments, it was decided that Eldarai would be the lingua franca, but proclamations made and laws passed by the Council would also be published in Xio, Prosabia and Zandri, the most common Tygaran languages. Eventually, they also added the Kar'zun language.
The Palace had to be temporarily closed when a fire broke out. An investigation determined it was an accident, though conspiracy theories persist to this day. The Monument of Unity continued to be a cause of controversy. As the name implied, it was meant to showcase the unity and amity between the Asuran Cousins...but it only included the Eldorai and the Tygarans, excluding the Kar'zun. The stone people lobbied for a fifth member to be added. But people argued against it with good and bad arguments...and bad faith thoughts cloaked with good arguments.
One group suggested the Kar'zun be in the middle reaching up, but shorter. The Kar'zun rightly considered this is offensive since it seems like they could not reach as high as the elves. Moreover, they were taller in real life. An Eldorai Magister commented that the statue's symmetry would be thrown off by the 'great bulk' of a Kar'zun. The press got a hold of that...which caused quite a mess. Recently, the Kar'zun have reopened the case by making deals with Tygaran groups to put pressure on the Eldorai. They have received support from some Eldorai Forsaken who banded together with the stone people while being stranded on post-apocalyptic Kaeshana.
When the Shadows fled Kaeshana, they had always intended to return, but when they did, it was under highly unexpected circumstances that dashed all hopes of reclamation. Long story cut short, Kaeshana was dragged through the warp due to aftershocks of the Netherworld Event. This cataclysmic event devastated the already desolate planet even further. When the planet emerged from the void, it was on the other side of the galaxy. The Shadow Knights dispatched a task force to investigate and rescue any survivors. The rebels were able to evacuate scattered bands of survivors, such as the Harrowed and the Sicarii. Then they left Kaeshana. It forced them to acknowledge that if they wanted a home, they would have to build it, for the old was lost forever.
A solemn ceremony was held on the Defiance to mourn the dead. The Archon gave a speech. Kaeshana was lost. The Shadow Knights were the vanguard of the Asuran people. It was their mission to safeguard and protect their people, for no one else would. They had to be the sword and the torch, protecting the Asurans against threats and guiding them to freedom. Only then would they be honouring those who had been lost on Kaeshana. However, the reunion was accompanied by riots. During the evacuation, the Forsaken and the Shadow Knight task force sent to rescue received visions of the past. These showed that the Eldorai had enlisted the aid of humans to defeat the Kar'zun, and then covered it up.
This made their victory over their hereditary enemies a lot less glorious. However, the visions also showed that Ariane had been less of a butcher than the Kar'zun remembered her as. Eldorai nationalists, angered by what they regarded as an insult to their ancestors, rioted in the streets. Protesters who believed the visions were true and that the Eldorai should denounce the lies of the Queens of yore and join with the Kar'zun clashed with those who believed the visions were lies that spat on the noble sacrifices of Eldorai patriots. Fighting broke out in the streets. Some of the refugees were attacked. There were cases of arson and looting, as some disturbers of the peace tried to take advantage of the unrest, seeing it as a chance to loot. The security forces were deployed in large numbers to quell the disturbances. Protests outside of the Palace of the People turned violent and shots were fired when a fierce melee broke out. Windows of various homes and businesses were smashed.
At the same time, the Emissaries of Illyria made loud noises about striking back. The Council was convened for a heated emergency session, and the Duskguard was deployed to protect it against rioters who tried to storm parliament. Many of the police force who were mobilised to keep the peace were Qadiri. The Tygarans were less disposed to be concerned about ancient Kaeshana history. Their own very nasty history of war was fresher, and they had no intention of getting wrapped up in the Eldorai's wars. The Court of the Justicars banned marches and public protests, and the security forces remained alert throughout the night. Several arrests were made and eventually calm was restored.
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