Karrigan'Xalda
Daughter of the Karishzar
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on Xioquo and Sio's retinue. Sub a team for Xalda to be part of.
Image Credit: Here.
Role: Strike team, black operations.
Links: Xioquo, Quas'Ziru, Twilight of the Goddess, Liavondra, Into Darkness, Four of a Kind, Cross, Truthseekers, Devolve, Tecuanimeh, Blades of the Blessed Dread, Daughters of the Destroyer.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Shadows of the Ascendant Flame.
Affiliation: Karrigan'Xalda, House Kerrigan-Alcori, Siobhan Kerrigan, Xioquo, Firemane.
Classification: Black Ops.
Equipment: They can use Abregado-Rae Guild of Hammers equipment due to Firemane gaining access to ARGH tech in this thread.
Armour:
- AE-AS1 Ghostsuithttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/108247-ae-as1-ghostsuit/ (permission here).
- Spectre Scout Armour (storefront request here, permission here)
- AE-AS3 Infiltratorhttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/112626-ae-as3-infiltrator/ (permission here) with SH-N Projection helmet (received OOC permission to use, tagging [member="Laira Darkhold"] to confirm with a like).
- SR-1.
- Incinerator Rifle.
- Stealth Carbine.
- Dart Gun (variable chemical payload).
- VT-Needle Disruptor
- Gorgon Web Rifle (acquired here)
- Magnetic Repeater.
- Hellburner Disruptor (purchased here, confirmed here).
- SP-1.
- Renegade Model 557 (permission here).
- Hold-out Bolter.
- SP-2.
- Last Whisper Pistol (purchase request here, permission here).
- Pinprick Needler (purchase request here, permission here).
- Veshet Repeater Pistol (purchase request here, permission here).
- ACS-207 Aerosolblaster (purchase request here, approved here).
- ACS-207 Cryoban Gun (storefront request here, permission here).
- Wrist Bolter.
- ACS-208 Wrist Ion Beamer (storefront request here, permission here)
- ACS-208 Wrist Charric (request here, permission here).
- ACS-207 Acidthrowerhttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/65252-acs-207-acidthrower/
- Stealth Field Generator.
- Monofilament Wire and Net.
- No-Show.
- Hypnogaze.
- Grappling Hook, Cyanide Suicide Pills.
- Thermite Charges (mission-specific, for demolishing structures etc.).
- Mission-specific: Laser designator to designate targets for guided bombs, precision guided artillery munitions, missiles or orbital strikes.
- Taozin Amulet.
- Mines.
- Senflax.
- Grenades. Ghostbuster Grenade (purchase request here, permission here).
- Berserk.
- BCC BC-11 Comlink (purchase request here, permission here).
- HK-Killer Spike Rounds.
- Scarecrow Device (purchase request here, permission here).
- Multi-Weapon Standard Modelhttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/108364-multi-weapon-standard-model/ (purchase request here, permission here).
- Talon Vibrodagger.
- VT-Morph Knife.
- Sarix.
- Vac Blade Launcher.
- Terminus Shiv (purchase request here, permission here).
Description: The Shadows of the Ascendant Flame are a secretive unit of special operatives created to do the bidding of Siobhan Kerrigan. Every single member of the group is a powerful Force-Sensitive Xioquo. They are assassins, spies and black ops operatives who perform special missions for their mistress. Each Shadow swears a blood oath to serve Siobhan and her family.
Their mistress is known to them as the Karishzar, which is the Xio word for Destroyer. This title was conferred on her for her campaign against the Underealm and her defeat of Mystra, the primeval Xioquo who was the first of her race and worshipped as a goddess. The Shadows maintain a close connection to their patron, considering themselves her personal agents. For her part, Siobhan places a lot of trust in her Tygaran minions.
In terms of function, one could broadly compare them to the Emperor's Hands that served Emperor Palpatine millennia ago. However, unlike these agents, each Shadow is not given the false impression that she is the sole Shadow. Instead, they are supposed to operate as a team, though they can also be deployed individually.
Furthermore, they do not possess the quasi-unrestricted authority of the Hands. This means they cannot commandeer military units or warships. They may operate in concert with other black ops operatives such as Cross, leader of Chimaera Squad, and Natalie Dorne, an Essionian spy, rebel and Firemane Intelligence contractor. The Shadows may also be embedded in more regular Xioquo units.
One particularly significant aspect of the Shadows is that every member has the surname Karrigan, which links them to Siobhan Kerrigan. Karrigan has become a popular surname among former Xioquo slaves who were emancipated when Firemane and its allies conquered the Underealm and toppled the slavocratic oligarchy that had ruled over the dark elves for millennia.
This is similar to how Saobana and Saobahana have become popular surnames among former Qadiri slaves who were freed at Siobhan's behest. This obviously does not make everyone a Kerrigan zealot, but the freedmen are still an important pillar of support for her regime. Firedawn, Firemane's freedmen bureau, has been responsible for providing freed slaves with the means to begin a new life as free people. Of course, some opportunistic Xioquo have tried to appropriate it to create an imagined link to their quasi-feudal overlord. A good number of Shadows are freed slaves, others are former members of the old assassin societies and cults. They take the Karrigan name as a title as much as a surname when they are recruited. It symbolises that they have broken with their old life.
Religious cults, secret societies and Byzantine intrigue have long been the hallmarks of the Xioquo, and the Shadows fit right in. Some Xioquo cults have sworn allegiance to Siobhan and in some cases integrated her into their pantheon. However, this has allowed some figures who used to be prominent in the ancien régime to make an oily transition into the new order by swearing allegiance to the winning side, claiming they had always been against the old ways.
One of the duties of the Shadows is to help monitor such groups and eliminate potential troublemakers through surgical strikes. However, they can also be deployed against external enemies of their patron. They favour finesse, stealth and precision over brute force, following traditions similar to those of the old Xioquo assassin cults. Like them, the Shadows are fond of poisons and poisoned weapons. In addition to be taught how to harness the Force, they receive training in areas such as sniping, climbing, diving, infiltration, poisons, intelligence gathering, martial arts, escape and evasion. This makes them quite versatile and gives them broader options to eliminate threats than just relying on Force abilities.
Living beneath the earth in the dark for so long has given the Xioquo excellent night vision and an impressive ability to blend into the shadows. However, it has also made sunlight and bright lights painful to them. Their skin can blister if left exposed. The Shadows home in on this weakness by forcing their candidates to expose themselves to bright lights so that they can cope better. For the same reason, training droids often use sonic weapons, as the elves have sensitive hearing.
They must also endure an escape and evade course, which includes being subjected to a simulated imprisonment and interrogation that is meant to push them to their brink. It includes being exposed to a full battery of mental assaults. During their training period, the character of the candidate is tested. Their instructors are harsh and unforgiving, and they are put into a situation where they are seemingly given the chance to betray their patron, advance by sabotaging an ally or otherwise profit in illicit ways. This can go so far that they might be led to believe that one of their instructors may be up to something illegal.
This is a bit manipulative, but is supposed to test their character and commitment. In addition, their training includes a test where they seemingly have to respond to an enemy attack, and are pit against foes who use holographic projections or alchemy to resemble their friends or loved ones. If they cannot pull the trigger, they are out. There is also a trial where the recruits are brought food or wine and told that one has deadly poison. Any who hesitate are excused immediately. The group has its own initiation rituals.
By their very nature, the Shadows are an extremely small group. Indeed, they have less than a dozen operatives in total, though they obviously have support personnel outside of the actual unit. As a result, each operative is handpicked. The Shadows are grey or dark Force-users. While Light Xioquo exist and have become organised under the auspices of Queen Lia, they are drawn to groups such as the Seekers of the Sky and their paladins. Moreover, the actions the Shadows must undertake to accomplish their objectives may be difficult to reconcile with a staunch Light Side alignment. The group does not want mindless sadists, cackling megalomaniacs or similar, but it definitely prioritises ends over means. They are not shy about employing what is euphemistically referred to as 'enhanced interrogation'.
Aside from Xalda herself, the group has eight members. These are Talxui and Xalian, both former members of the old Xioquo assassin cults, a former slave-soldier called Qaltui, Zazqan, a Xioquo rebel who fought against the ancien régime before the coming of Firemane, a Xioquo witch and poisoner by the name of Ocquice, Xexucai, a former slave, Veoqaxi, a professional spy, and Lioxaqu, a disgraced bastard daughter turned assassin. All members of their group have Karrigan as their surname/title, though they obviously have cover identities. Xalda is more of a shock trooper and commando than a trained spy, but trusted, brave and skilled. She is also extremely loyal to House Kerrigan-Alcori.
Ocquice is a potent Xioquo witch and a notorious maker of poisons, who used to serve the Council that ruled the Xioquo in the stead of Queen Myrou. Tales connect her to several assassinations. Ocquice joined the group to practice her craft undisturbed and gain protection against her manifold enemies. In short, self-preservation and ambitions are her driving motives, though she feels strong professional pride in her work. She treats cases like puzzles that need to be solved.
She is very untroubled by and quite blase about the somewhat macabre services she provides. She views the power plays between Xioquo leaders with a sense of clinical detachment. Being the oldest of the group, she has seen several rulers rise and fall. The sky people, the 'Light Queen' and the Karishzar are just the latest in a series and doubtless others will supplant them one day.
Ocquice still worships the deities of the old pantheon of the Xioquo and has a profound knowledge of toxins, biology, herbs and plant life. It is ironic that she is also the best medical doctor and healer of the group. Moreover, she can perform the role of a pathologist. She runs the pathology lab and has her own, somewhat morbid workshop. For her own amusement, Ocquice sometimes writes articles for a human medical journal under a pseudonyme.
Like Xalda, Qaltui is a former slave-soldier. Indeed, the two janissaries served the same cruel mistress. The two became friends and helped each other survive in these dark days. When Myrou awakened and mobilised her children for the last stand, Qaltui was one of the janissaries who were supposed to conduct a last futile charge against the invaders. However, decades of pent-up anger exploded and she murdered her political officer and ordered the child soldiers to stand down. She was reunited with Xalda when Myrou died and the remaining oligarchs surrendered to Firemane. These events turned her into a devoted acolyte of the Karishzar. As a result, she has joined the unit out of devotion, which has also raised her status.
She was chosen to be a member of the group due to her skills as a soldier and commando, having distinguished herself while still serving the ancien régime. She is less reserved, more outgoing and spontaneous than Xalda. Qaltui feels strong hatred for the ancien régime and its beneficiaries. She is suspicious of old guard figures who have managed to worm their way into the new order, believing they should do penance. She is a good shot, has been trained as a pilot and is good at stealthy insertion and exfiltration.
Lioxaqu is the bastard daughter of a Xioquo noblewoman. Disgraced by courtly intrigue and the circumstances of her birth, she was sent away to an assassin temple to ensure that she could not disrupt the line of succession. There she underwent a thorough indoctrination process to erase her personality and all vestiges of her former life. This was supposed to turn her into the ideal instrument. Despite the best efforts of Order of Fire mentalists, her memory still has significant gaps.
After being able to piece pieces of the truth together, she started working against the interests of her family and helped engineer their fall from grace. They had feigned submission to the new order but plotted its downfall. Siobhan gave her the chance to exact vengeance. Lioxaqu has chosen not to take control over her house, preferring to leave it in ruin and force its surviving members to start over as common citizens without any of the privileges they once took for granted.
She has become an enthusiastic convert to the cause of the Karishzar. This is in part to spite her family, who were devout Myrou worshippers and secretly supported death squads that targeted 'race traitors'. Lioxaqu is quite flamboyant and a bit eccentric, which probably represents a reaction to the time when her personality was suppressed and she was an obedient drone.
Talxqui is an assassin who was sold to the Tecuanimeh, one of the most prestigious assassin temples, at an early age and trained as a professional killer. Ironically, she does not feel much of a grudge against her former mistresses. They were harsh and often cruel, but for someone of her station, the alternative was labouring in the stone quarries, fighting as a janissary or suffering as the personal slave of a noblewoman. Being one of the 'Beasts' gave her a measure of power, protection and even influence. After all, the temple took care of its own and was able to blackmail or even topple noble families. The twilight of the ancien régime made her a free woman, but she elected to stay in the business.
Talxqui is a consummate professional who completes her tasks without fuss. Killing is her day job and she does it well - without sadism, but also without any regrets. She fulfils her role, and moves on to the next job. After hours, she is quite personable. She keeps her personal life strictly separated from her professional one. Her skill and professionalism are why she was recruited for the group. In contrast to Ocquice, she is an atheist, having concluded that the Xioquo deities may have been powerful beings, but not divine. Myrou's death is proof to her that the dark mother was just a powerful Xio who fed on her own people. She also rejects the idea that the Karishzar is a goddess just because she managed to kill Myrou.
Xalian is another graduate of one of the Xioquo assassin temples. In her case, she was a member of the Blades of the Blessed Dread. This is a dark cult that has beliefs even many old school Xio consider bizarre. They believe the world is a harsh place of fear, terror and pain. To achieve enlightenment, one must conquer fear, pain and doubt. Those who cannot pass through the crucible are condemned to remain in ignorance. But there are always enemies, and to be able to crush them is one thing, but to make them fear you is another.
Xalian worships the Karishzar, believing she conquered those weaknesses when she toppled the false Goddess Myrou, and now seeks to spread the Blessed Dread in her name. She is the strongest mentalist in the group and particularly adept at using her powers to instill fear, terror and psychosis. This makes her a potent interrogator. She appears calm and serene on the outside. She also does not preach. However, her supposed normalcy is deceptive, as it hides a cruel, wicked streak. Xalda recognises her use, but dislikes her personally and regards her beliefs as blasphemous. Thus she keeps a close eye on her. Unsurprisingly, Xalian does not get on with Zazqan or Talxqui.
Zazqan is a Xioquo assassin turned insurgent who rebelled against the ancien régime, using the skills the temple had taught her to subvert it. She led a group of rebellious slaves during the Battle of the Underealm, using the fighting as a chance to rise up in the forced labour camp she was being held in.
Zazqan has a lot of experience in irregular warfare. She does not share the views of those Xioquo who see Siobhan as some kind of messianic saviour. She is also distrustful of ancien régime figures who have managed to make an oily transition into the new order. In the aftermath of the fall of the Underealm, she acted as a vigilante, dispensing justice as she saw fit. In that capacity she acted as judge, jury and executioner.
In her view, she was punishing war criminals and leeches who had escaped justice. This brought her into conflict with the authorities, as her actions went against the law and threatened the fragile peace. She was brought into the fold to make use of her skills and to put a leash on her. Zazqan is not too thrilled about this, but has recognised she can use the new situation to her advantage. Her past experiences have hardened her, leaving her with mental and physical scars. She has a strong commitment to justice and a preference for melee weapons.
Veoqaxi is a professional spy with a lot of experience in clandestine operations and intelligence gathering. She defected close to the twilight of the ancien régime, while lying to her superiors. She offered her expertise to Firemane, as well as access to intelligence data she had buried while organising her defection. To her former colleagues, she is a traitor. Revelations about Myrou's true nature played a role in her decision.
She is credited with providing information on an artefact that Xioquo zealots planned to use to awaken Myrou a second time. She revels in what she refers to as the game. Veoqaxi was never raised by one of the assassin temples. Indeed, one of her duties consisted keeping an eye on them. This is helpful given the rivalries that can arise between graduates of the different assassin cults.
Her job is all about lies and deception, but she is still faithful to the old deities. She has a strong drive to always know more than others about both allies and foes, and so she is constantly seeking out information. Veoqaxi has musical talent, which she pursues in her off-hours. It has also been employed as one of her covers. In addition, she is very good at disguises and dissembling. She holds the title Keeper of Secrets.
Xeucai is the newest member of the group. She is a former slave, but unlike the others in the unit she was not a slave-soldier or assassin. Rather she was a household slave for a Xioquo noblewoman. When slavery was abolished after the ascent of Queen Lia, her owner paid lip-service to the law, but tried to hold on to her slaves.
The mistress used her mental powers to brainwash Xeucai, making her believe that she was serving her of her own free will. She bound Xeucai to her will through a telepathic connection. An escape attempt was punished harshly. Her owner was disinterested in raising Myrou a second time or inciting rebellion, as she had recognised that the first Xioquo was a mad goddess and that there was no profit in a revolution. But she was secretly involved in slave trading and selling dark artefacts on the black market.
When the team started investigating the noblewoman, Xeucai managed to piece the fog of lies that had enveloped her mind. She saved Xalda's life and snapped, killing her owner. Freed from her brainwashing, Xeucai received counselling and elected to join the team. Freed from the mental blocks that kept her from accessing her power, she has honed her strength in the Force since then. She is the least experienced member of the group, but dedicated and brave. She and Lioxaqu are close, having suffered in a similar way. However, Xeucai is not a believer in the Karishzar or in the old deities. Her experiences have shaped her into a dedicated atheist.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Small
Unit Availability: Unique
Unit Experience: Elite.
Combat Function: The Shadows of the Ascendant Flame are a specialised black ops unit composed of Xioquo Force-Users. They specialise in assassination, sabotage, theft, intelligence gathering, sowing chaos and confusion. Their focus lies in eliminating high-value targets. They are ghosts that can strike unexpectedly and vanish thereafter. However, this also means their numbers are extremely small, they forego heavy weapons and integrated support forces. This can be a problem when they are cornered by superior enemy forces.
The Shadows are very zealous and swear a blood oath to Siobhan personally. Their leader, Karrigan'Xalda, is also a religious zealot and capable irregular fighter. Overall, they can be very ruthless. Being Xioquo, they have excellent night vision and excel at blending into the shadows.
In addition to their conventional skills, each Shadow is a potent Force-user. They specialise in Force Cloak, Force Stealth, elemental ice and water abilities, Telekinesis, and Drain Knowledge. Moreover, they can use Force Plague, mental abilities and the rare alchemical power called Mask. This allows them to alter their appearance, which is helpful for infiltration.
Equipped with stealth field generators and able to use the Force to conceal themselves and mask their aura from other Force-Sensitives, they are good at remaining undetected before striking. Xio are good at blending into the shadows and have excellent night vision. So the operatives are already good at stealth without tech or Force powers, particularly in dark areas.
Strengths:
- Elite special operatives. They excel at elimination of high-value targets, sabotage, intelligence gathering, stealth and operating behind enemy lines.
- Potent Force-wielders, with an affinity for the darker aspects of the Force.
- Extremely small unit. They have less than a dozen members. They are a scalpel, not a broadsword and thus suffer in protracted front-line combat. They are not meant to take on heavy armour formations or overwhelming numbers of enemies.
- Forego heavy weapons and lack integrated heavy support. They have a preference for light armour and mobility.
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 several war criminals, slavery was abolished and a new government was set up. Liavondra, the renegade scion of a Xioquo noble family who had rejected the ways of her foremothers and embraced the Light, was put on the throne as a vassal queen. She was dedicated to weaning her people off despotism and leading them to a better future. With the backing of Firemane, she promulgated the abolition of slavery and broke up the old patronage networks. However, there was resistance from those who rejected the 'White Queen' as a foreign puppet who had been imposed on them.
Amidst all this, there were Xioquo who entered the services of the off-worlders, hoping to exploit the opportunities offered by them. Mystra's demise left a spiritual vacuum that a plethora of cults sought to fill. One of the Xioquo warriors who joined the sky people was Karrigan'Xalda, a former slave-soldier who had originally been sent by her mistress to assassinate Siobhan, but been spared and freed by Firemane's leader. Xalda repaid Siobhan with fanatical loyalty. Until this day, she had had no name of her own, so she took her patron's.
The young Xioquo fought bravely during the Tephrike campaign. There Firemane troops and auxiliaries battled the Dominion of Light, a totalitarian, Jedi-led theocracy. Xalda faced its Jedi warriors and clone troopers at the Battle of Fortress Purity. It was a bloody engagement and she was decorated for her bravery, slaying one of the senior Jedi officers of the elite Ever Loyal Vanguard. In the aftermath, she faced demons summoned by the Vaderites when Firemane bombarded their castle. Later she participated in a covert operation on Cademinu.
The Shadows of the Ascending Flame came into being after the battle. Their creation was decided by Siobhan after a summit organised by her aboard the Arx Aeternae. There the leaders of the four elf races convened and decided that their people would have to move into space and expand. Firemane agreed to provide technical support and know-how, including ark ships.
The Xioquo were poor and technologically primitive, but they had useful skills to offer. In exchange for uplifting them, Firemane could recruit from among the dark elves. It went without saying that this was also a way for the megacorp to secure its influence over its elf vassals. Siobhan considered herself to be their 'high queen' and intended to stay that. The same applied to the Qadiri, where ambitious vassals such as Shahbânu Semiramis needed to be monitored. The plethora of cults that had sprung up since first contact also merited watching. Cults are pretty uncontrollable at the best of times, so having people watching them who know how they works makes sense. Loyalty is good, control is better.
Only a few senior Firemane officers learned about the Shadows. Siobhan sought emancipated slaves who had the talent as well as the necessary discretion, along with some of the most talented members of the old assassin cults. To this end she personally reviewed each candidate and put them through a harsh training programme that was supposed to test them mentally and physically.
Ziva Khalan, the Falleen leader of the Truthseekers, was charged with overseeing their intelligence training and vetting them. Significantly, the Shadows swore an oath of fealty to Siobhan personally as well as her house. Xalda was one of the warriors who was recruited for the group. While not a spy or assassin by training, she was good at stealth, an efficient killer and absolutely loyal to her liege lady, whom she idolised. Xalda helped with recruiting, bringing with her former slaves she knew and trusted.
One of the early assignments involved unmasking a cabal of traitorous Xioquo matriarchs who had feigned allegiance to the new order, even going so far as to build ties with the Daughters of the Destroyer. Operating in concert with her comrades, Xalda infiltrated the group by pretending to be a disaffected worshipper who had grown disillusioned with the so-called Karishzar and realised that her mistress was a fake who was just using her people for her own selfish gain. The ringleader of the cabal was a sorceress called Xihal'Tualz, who wished to overthrow the foreigners and their collaborators.
The Shadow had to act against her true allies and engineer a split in order to gain the trust of the cabal. It was discovered that a Firemane governor called Mariana Duchamp was making common cause with the rebels in order to cover up mismanagement on her part and because she believed she had been denied her rightful place in the hierarchy. Ironically, the governor was rather xenophobic towards 'darklings', but willing to use them nonetheless. Xalda was able to warn her mistress of an assassination plot. The would-be assassin was forced to drink the poison herself. Xalda later slit the Firemane governor's throat.
Later, the Shadows were deployed to capture or eliminate agents the Shadow Knights, an Eldorai rebel group, had tried to embed in Firemane's elf protectorates. In the process they eliminated an Eldorai rebel cell that had tried to instigate a revolution in New Solstace. Abductions and targeted assassinations were part of the Xioquo operatives' repertoire. The group was also dispatched to take down a cabal of Xioquo matriarchs who were trying to circumvent the abolition of slavery and continue their practices in secret, and conducted industrial espionage and raids against companies that were rivals of Firemane.
Approved!