Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the Cataphracts. Codify a character established in rp.
Image Credit: Original artist seems to be Sicosa on Deviantart, but the link there is dead. Closest I get is a Reddit link and one on Pinterest, which mentions the original artist.
Role: Officer in the Cataphracts, Qadiri warrior.
Permission: ARGH gear available for Firemane per this thread. Permission for all ArmaTech gear here.
Links: Firemane, Qadiri Sepoys, The Sin of Pride, Tephrike, Into Darkness, After Darkness, Semiramis.
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
Age: 64.
Force Sensitivity: Non-Force User
Species: Qadiri,
Appearance: Varkasa is quite tall for a Qadiri, as well as well built and strong. She is very well-built, muscular and tough. Varkasa has been a warrior for most of her life, and so her dark skin is scarred by numerous battle wounds. She has dark hair and pointed ears. She keeps her hair at a practical length so that it is easier to maintain on a campaign and does not get in the way. She has some white dots on her face. These have religious significance, but also cover scars. During her fight with the knight who had maimed her mother, her enemy's lance hit her helmet in a heavy glancing blow. It did not penetrate fully but broke her jaw and left a nasty cut. Her right arm was injured by grenade fragments during the Qadiri's first skirmish with outsiders. The wound has healed, but a scar remains. Outside of battle she wears nice colourful attire. She has expanded her wardrobe to include some human and Eldorai clothes, but on the whole prefers traditional Qadiri ones. On the job she wears uniform or heavy armour. She personalises her armour with Qadiri symbols that show her connection to her people and her family.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Name: Varkasa Jai Nansal. Sargord of the Cataphracts of the Ascending Phoenix.
Loyalties: Cataphracts of the Ascending Phoenix, Siobhan Kerrigan, House Kerrigan-Alcori, Qadiri, Firemane.
Wealth: Like every member of the Cataphracts, Varkasa receives remuneration from Firemane in return for her services. The pay is on a sliding scale based on experience, rank, reward and so on. Given her skill and rank, Varkasa should be able to enjoy a comfortable retirement when her service ends. She also has loot stashed away from her sellsword days and benefits from her family connections and a good marriage.
Notable Possessions: Owns a suit of Ironside Armour to wear in battle. Varkasa cares for it meticulously and has personalised the suit by adding Qadiri symbols that display her heritage, making it resemble the armour worn by a Cataphract. These changes are purely cosmetic and do not affect combat performance or features. She sometimes combines it with a Seraph Battle Shield and a Sky-Strike Miniature Jump Pack. She has a pet Yazgid and is an animal trainer in her free time, taking care of a stable of lizards. She has various mementos from campaigns and keeps a combat diary.
Skills: Trained in traditional unarmed and melee combat. Varkasa is skilled in the use of various ranged and melee weapons. She has also received the training to utilise Power Armour such as the Ironside suit. She is a very capable Yazgid trainer and rider. She misses using her lizard mount in combat a bit, though on the bright side the vehicles Firemane gives her do not try to bite her. She is also a Yazgid racer for sport now. Varkasa is trained in wilderness survival, hunting, and tracking animals. These are also hobbies for the Cataphract.
Like all Qadiri Varkasa has an inherent navigational talent. Her people seem to have a form of internal compass. This is helpful for sailing, travelling and piloting. It also helps her find her way through the chaos of a battlefield. She has a good singing voice. Varkasa is very knowledgeable of Qadiri history and has a gift for narration. She has written semi-fictitous accounts of her adventures. She is fluent in Zandri, the main Qadiri language, and can speak accented Basic.
Personality: Varkasa is characterised by a mixture of sincere religious devotion and hard-boiled pragmatism. Being a believer does not mean that one does not pursue one's own self-interest, after all. Many warlords and warriors have been equal parts devoted to god, gold and glory. Varkasa comes from a minor family of what could be considered knights. However, her family fell on hard times and she was forced to take up the lance early. She has accumulated a lot of combat experience over the decades. Warfare is a fact of life among her people. Of course, the line between sellsword and brigand is a thin one, depending on who is hiring at the moment and how good the pay is. She is good at recognising and grasping opportunities and more than a little materialistic.
She is also a devout believer in the Goddess Kashara and sees Siobhan Kerrigan as the Goddess' chosen. Kashara is regarded by the Qadiri as the supreme goddess, though other deities, demigods and demigoddesses exist under her rule. Her belief has its roots in a religious awakening Varkasa experienced during the Xioquo War, when she bore witness to the Dark Jedi's strength. The group she belongs to, the Cataphracts of the Ascending Phoenix, believe that Siobhan is the daughter of Kashara and of a mortal man who was granted the honour of laying with the Goddess. As a result, they are both a military unit and a militant religious cult. They regard themselves as knights. It is pertinent to note that her devotion to Siobhan does not extend to reverring others in Firemane.
Varkasa differentiates between her idol and the other Firemane officers and employees. Indeed, she believes many humans to be a bit weak, as their comforts and access to technology that seemed like magic to most Qadiri has made them soft. Varkasa had to deal with racism and is quick to put any Firemane employee who thinks they are above her in their place. Like many Qadiri, she has a strong sense of pride in her race and does not take kindly to people who disparage them as 'sand babies' because they lacked the technology the 'developed' Galaxy takes for granted. This can involve challenging them to a duel. Having grown up in a tough setting, she has no patience for weakness or what she perceives as laziness. Her martial attitude means she has little respect for people who back down from a confrontation or seem to lack resolve. She is proud and has a formidable temper when provoked. Her people refer to the Force as Zari, which is also their word for soul. It is seen as a gift from the deities. But it is also one that can be abused and used for selfish gain. Ergo she is mystified by Jedi and Sith beliefs.
The Cataphract is tough, passionate and tenacious. She is brave in combat and quick to seize the initiative, leading from the front. Her mercenary past means that she has no qualms about fighting dirty and using what some might consider to be under-handed tactics. However, she is not given to gratuitous displays of cruelty and wanton sadism. She is opposed to drawing out an enemy's suffering and gives her foes a clean death. Varkasa considers herself to be a warrior and relishes the thrill of combat. War is a daily part of politics and life for her people, the Qadiri. The path of the sword was a way for her to honour her ancestors, acquire glory, respect and booty. She still follows a warrior's code of honour, after a fashion. She exudes an unshakable confidence in herself, which can be perceived as arrogance.
Varkasa maintains an unlikely friendship with Sahal Jai Azal, a fellow Qadiri. Both are from Lakish but have very different backgrounds as Sahal was enslaved at an early age and later conscripted as a Force warrior. She lacked freedom or choice until Siobhan toppled her mistress, the Mirza of Lakish, and freed her. She is also a Force-User. Despite their different backgrounds, the two have become friends. On the personal front, Varkasa is married. It started as a purely pragmatic arrangement, but over time affection developed between her and her husband. As is custom, he has taken her last name. The two have a daughter.
Towards the Xioquo she still bears an enduring dislike borne by the strife between them and her people. Her family has a grudge against the 'dark ones' and Varkasa has fought them herself. This mentality is no longer practical, but she is wary when she has to interact with them. Varkasa has had little contact with the Vashyada and thus treats them neutrally. She finds many of their beliefs strange, but they do not bother her and so she does not bother them.
COMBAT INFORMATION
Weapon of Choice: Varkasa utilises a variety of ranged and melee weapons. She is very skilled in the use of heavy weapons such as flamethrowers and missile launchers. Also capable of using blasters, explosives and melee weapons such as swords, lances and spears. Her favoured weapons include:
- Mk 1 Bolter
- Shatterboltgun
- Bolt Pistol
- Sarix Mk2
- Reaper Plasma Shotgun
- Can use argh-hvkf-rc-2
- Can use Firestorm Missile Launcher
- Bobcaster.
- Force Imbued Phrik Sword. Has Qadiri symbols engraved on it.
The Qadiri warrior is a Non-Force-User and does not have any genetic or cybernetic enhancements that could give her preternatural abilities to make up for her lack of Force connection. However, when she wears her Ironside Power Armour she gains augmented strength, enabling her to lift five times her own weight for a prolonged period. It is also extremely tough. On the flip side, the armour makes her very slow and can make it difficult to proceed in muddy or weight sensitive terrain. It sacrifices agility and subtlety for resilience. She often adds a jet or jump pack to her armour in order to enhance her mobility and give her additional tactical options. She has access to more conventional suits of armour when the tactical situation requires it.
She also benefits from the racial strengths of her people. Qadiri are almost all extremely good navigators. They seem to have an instinctual internal compass, meaning they are great sailors, travellers and, now that they have been exposed to modern technology and starships, pilots. Given how chaotic battlefields are, the ability to find your way through the mayhem is very helpful. Varkasa is physically very strong for a Qadiri and even for a human.
Strengths:
- Highly skilled warrior. Good with blade, ranged weapons and capable tactical leader. Varkasa is strong and fit. She is in peak physical condition, even by human standards.
- Very resilient in Power Armour. Hard to bring down.
- Lacks agility, subtlety and mobility when she uses her Power Armour. A quicker, more lightly armoured opponent could exploit this.
- She is a Knight and an assault trooper, not a spy or stealthy assassin. You send her on missions where you need a broadsword, not someone who sneaks around stealthily and takes out enemies with a sniper rifle or a dagger between the ribs without being spotted.
To the Qadiri, war is a part of daily life and politics. Warfare, like slavery, has been seen as a vital necessity. Peace is valued for one’s own people, but the constant desire for fame, glory, resources makes conflict desirable. However, it should be mentioned that these conflicts are rarely ideological and never total wars. Most conflicts have been ended by negotiated settlements. The Qadiri have always been a hodgepodge of states and any attempt of one ruler to achieve hegemony inevitably leads to the formation of a coalition. Varkasa was raised to be a warrior from an early age. Her mother Almira was a Cataphract, a member of a proud warrior tradition that is heavily interwoven with the Qadiri's feudal culture and the faith of Kashara, the chief goddess of the Qadiri pantheon. Her class occupied a social standing between the nobility and the common folk. One could compare it to knighthood.
A Cataphract is expected to obey her feudal overlord, defend the innocent, fight the wicked and honour the gods and goddesses, especially Kashara. In battle they rode upon Yazgid. These are huge, ferocious lizards that served as mounts. Prior to the coming of the 'star people', Yazgid cavalry was the cornerstone of any Qadiri army. Of course, as so often there was a gulf between the noble ideals a Cataphract was supposed to represent and those she represented in practice. The line between knight and brigand is often a thin one and depends on politics and economics. True knights who upheld all the qualities for which knighthood stood for were few and far between. And some of those who are remembered as gallant warriors of good might have simply had good propagandists and been lucky enough to survive enough battles to make sure the history books and songs were written from their point of view.
Varkasa's family did not own vast holdings. They had inherited a patch of land, but ill fortune and bad choices had caused them to fall on hard times, leaving them with a dwindling income and in heavy debt. Varkasa was raised as a warrior. From an early age she learned how to tame, train and ride a Yazgid. The lizard she was given was an extremely fierce one. This was partly to toughen her up, but also because it was the cheapest a merchant had to offer since nobody else wanted due to its overly aggressive nature. Her mother bought it nonetheless, treating it as a challenge her daughter must overcome.
When given a chance, Varkasa surprised all by subduing the beast. At first it attacked her but she was able to hold it off despite being injured by its claws. She spoke soothingly to the huge lizard ad turned it toward the sun so that it could no longer see its own shadow, which had been the cause of its distress. Dropping her fluttering cloak as well, Varkasa successfully tamed the Yazgid through patience, by asserting dominance and by making it work with a team. She won the beast's trust by riding it on several hunts. Yazgid are pack hunters, so they fall in line when a worthy alpha orders them. As her mother told her, if she proved herself the alpha she could assert control over Qadiri and beast alike. She learned how to use it as a war mount, ride in formation, charge the enemy and fight with lance, blade, bow and arrow. At the same time she was taught to revere the Goddess. Varkasa accompanied her mother in a few fights, gaining some combat experience by squiring for her. She looked up to her mother and often attended the tournaments she fought in.
However, play time soon came to an end, for her mother was severely wounded in a tourney hosted by the Mirza of Lakish. She had fought very well, but her opponent, the scion of a noble family, had cheated to win. A healer was able to save Almira's life, but could not prevent her maiming. As a result Almira was no longer able to fight in battle. This forced Varkasa to pick up the lance and continue the family tradition. The prospects were quite daunting. Their income was low and their debts were high. Indeed Varkasa had trouble with buying some decent armour. They also had to sell an ancestral, Force Imbued sword that had been in the family's possession for generations. This made her an object of derision for more well-off Cataphracts. Varkasa was young and impetuous and their scorn angered her. She never forgot these slights.
In the absence of a big war to leave her mark in, Varkasa pursued a different path. She offered her services as a warrior to petty nobles and merchants. She participated in tournaments. Because she could not afford the best equipment, she acquired a well-earned reputation for fighting dirty. This struck her more snobbish peers as dishonourable, but she was able to win her share of victories. She also became a brigand, who conducted raids on villages and convoys. She demanded that travellers and merchants passing through pay 'protection' or face the consequences. Things worked well for a while. From her perspective, her mother's opponent had cheated and was thus responsible for her almost dying. It was unfair that they could not get justice from some big name noble girl. Thus Varkasa regarded it as just retribution when she raided their lands.
However, then her banditry backfired on her. She was able to bring in a big haul when she worked together with a group of bandits and similarly impoverished knights to ambush a convoy. They had been paid by a local noble. Unfortunately for them, the merchants had allies at court. Their liege claimed ignorance and disavowed them. Hunted by professional soldiers and with her honour stained, Varkasa was forced to flee. Her comrades dispersed. One tried to betray Varkasa and she was forced to cut her down. There is little loyalty among thieves, after all. Needless to say she also lost her gold and other stolen riches.
However, Varkasa did not despair. She was persona non grata in Lakish, along with her family. But fortunately for them, the Qadiri were a hodgepodge of various states, many of whom were rivals to one another. So she sought refuge in the Qadiri state of Jakai. The local Mirza (ruler) of this state was a rival of her home country and both fiefdoms often warred against one another. Mercenary, bandit, hedge knight...all just one good or bad year away from each other. She joined the Steel Phoenix Compay, a company of sellswords.
After the wife of the Mirza's son had been assassinated by an assassin from Lakish, Jakai rallied for war. Varkasa joined Jakai's army as a sellsword. Varkasa fought well in the initial campaign, distinguishing herself in the use of shock tactics. She did not feel much attachment to her old home, was in need of coin and hoped she might get the chance for retribution. She earned herself a name for her bravery. However, the second campaign did not go well. The army she was with was ambushed by Lakish forces. As chance would have it, Varkasa faced the noble who had maimed her mother. She was beaten in melee and injured by a poisoned blade. Her foe did not see her as worth finishing off herself and left her to minions. However, Vaskara's ferocious Yazgid came to her aid, driving off infantry that had cornered her. Unlike many of Jakai's soldiers, Varkasa was able to escape. Jakai's campaign had become bogged down and Lakish soon launched a counterattack.
However, now Varkasa learned of an event that superseded the squabbles between two minor states. The Shahbbânu of the Amikarese Empire, the most powerful of the Qadiri states, had died. This led to a succession crisis, as two royals vied for the throne. Semiramis III, the legitimate heir, stood against her cousin Jaamini, who had received the backing of a party of nobles at court. Varkasa was at a crossroads, but after being advised by her mother to look beyond petty squabbles and banditry saw the tremendous opportunity.
At first Jaamini seemed to be in a stronger position, for the usurper held the capital and commanded the allegiance of many nobles. For a while it was rumoured that Semiramis might have been murdered by assassins. However, she had the support of a Satrap called Ardashir, an extremely talented man. Varkasa's mother had fought under him in her younger days. The Steel Phoenixes were divided on whom to support. Jaamini's emissary offered them gold and made it very clear that bacing the 'usuper' would result in royal disfavour. However, General Ardashir sent an emissary. One of the captains of the compay, who knew the Satrap, charged Varkasa and some other sellswords with secretly escorting her into the camp. The agent offered bribes, as well as a pardo for any crimes the sellswords might have committed and land of the 'traitors'. The captain agreed and Varkasa helped her sway the mercenaries. By the time Jaamini's allies realised the deception, the Steel Phoenixes had joined Semiramis.
She was part of the cavalry when Semiramis' forces clashed with those of Jaamini. In this battle Semiramis’ bravery and a well-timed charge by Ardashir combined for a great victory. However, it was not easily won. Jaamini had been able to enlist a cadre of fire and air elementalists, who unleashed their powers on Semiramis' soldiers. Varkasa kept her nerve when fire rained down on them. Inherent navigational talent helped her find her way through the storm. Because her beast trusted her, she could calm it and keep it from going berserk.
Varkasa headed up a flanking attack led by General Ardashir, flanking the elementalists. Her lizard mount ate one of the pyromancers. Cutting and stabbing her way through the enemy ranks, she faced the noble who had maimed her mother years ago. Her enemy was now an officer in Jaamini's army. The two clashed upon the field of battle. Varkasa was injured but managed to knock her foe from her mount. Her Yazgid overpowered her enemy's, mauling it. Vaskara's lance had shattered during the charge and her was broken, but she slew her enemy with her sword.
The battle had been a great victory for Semiramis and secured her ascent to the throne. During the rout Vaskara was able to claim an enemy banner. Pursued, Jaamini fled but was betrayed and murdered by her few surviving supporters to try and curry favour with Semiramis. Disgusted by more betrayal Semiramis gave her cousin a decent burial and had the murderers beheaded. Varkasa was commended for her skill and valour, for the new queen rewarded her supporters well. Thus she got some rewards and some gold thrown at her. As was custom Varkasa took on slaves. One of them was the younger sibling of her nemesis. She would later present her rival's armour and sword to her mother. Whereas Varkasa's armour was plain, this one was gold, decorated with rubies and the image of a griffin. Varkasa wore it for a while until her mother chewed out for looking like a vain peacock who was begging to get knocked into the sand. Thereafter she adopted a more practical armour.
Now the new Shahbânu sought to consolidate her powe. Though seemingly independent, the squabbling lands of Lakish and Jakai were both vassals of the Amikarese Empire now ruled by Semiramis III. The Shahbânu had defeated her rivals and now fought to bring her unruly subjects to heel. Varkasa joined the large force the new queen dispatched to make it clear to her vassals that play time was over. Lakish submitted to the Shahbânu. Her bravery had put Varkasa in good standing, allowing her to return to her homeland. However, her past actions had not been forgotten, which left her a bit isolated in social circles. For her part Varkasa had not forgotten the slights she and her family had suffered. So while she reclaimed their estate and used her funds to put it back in order, she elected to remain with the Steel Phoenixes. By now she had become one of the sellswords' captains.
Semiramis arranged for her to get a good husband from a wealthy family. His name was Hakam Jal Sanar. As was tradition, he took her last name. It started out as a political marriage. Varkasa wanted to anchor herself in society, improve her status and further the family line. Hakam and his family wanted to align themselves with the new régime. Varkasa was someone who was in good standing with the Shahbânu, but her house was a minor one and on her own she did not possess a lot of status among the nobility. This made it a pragmatic choice for both sides. However, over time affection bloomed between them. Her husband was very useful running her estate, seeing to her commercial interests and networking. This ensured that things ran smoothly while she was away on campaigns. He was also good at logistics. It did not take long for Varkasa to get pregnant and give birth to a daughter, who was called Bahar.
For a while things settled down. Varkasa participated in some skirmishes against the Xioquo and other Qadiri groups, gaining gold and booty. Her younger brother started to squire for her. In one skirmish they were pinned down by Xioquo, who had occupied the high ground. The Qadiri found cover in a dry wadi. However, rather than just wait them out the Xio were so enthusted with bloodlust they charged down into melee, where the heavily armoured but significantly outnumbered Qadiri cut them down.
It was at this point that the outside Galaxy interefered and Tygara's long isolation came to a close. Slavers from off-world had been raiding, and Semiramis led an army to attack them. Varkasa was part of this attack, but the blasters and spaceships of the slavers were far superior to anything the Qadiri had. Several hundred warriors were slain in under an hour for almost no enemy losses. Varkasa's Yazgid was injured by a blaster shot. Wounded in the arm by a grenade fragment, Varkasa was almost trampled by retreating soldiers and beasts. Luckily her Yazgid pounced an armed slaver who tried to claim the wounded knight and tore him to pieces. Thanks to her beast, she managed to escape. The defeated Qadiri army regrouped. Semiramis, seeing that the slavers had completely dropped their guard to celebrate their victory over the 'primitives', led a force at night to attack. Varkasa was among them. A healer had had to tend to her pet. The injury it had sustained enraged her, giving her even more fervour.
Using the cover provided by the night and sand raised by elementalists, Yarkasa and some of her comrades ambushed and took out the patrols standing sentinel near the transports, using their bows with lethal accuracy. When the assault began and the Qadiri broke through the camp's defences, she and the other riders ambushed the pirates, falling upon them before they could retreat into their 'sky-ship'. The surviving slavers were executed as punishment. During the fight Varkasa's path crossed with that of Sahal Jai Azal, an Anusiya of the Mirza of Lakish. The warrior used her gift for pyromancy to burn foreign invaders.
However, soon more outsiders came. This time they claimed to be there to help. Semiramis signed a treaty with the Eldorai Matriarchy and Firemane Industries. But the Qadiri were divided on how to respond to the newcomers, whose technology frightened them and whose goals were unknown to them. Some urged accommodation, others confrontation. Varkasa was uncertain about the sky people. Their strange weapons and 'magic' unnerved her, but she was also curious about the outside world. The fight with the pirates had shown her that the foreigners could bleed and die. Ergo they could not be spirits or gods. It soon became clear that the outsiders were here to stay. The Eldorai began erecting a city in the north of Tygara.
Meanwhile, hostilities between the Xioquo and Qadiri intensified. The Xioquo had grown more brazen in their raids. Varkasa participated in a few skirmishes. Then the Mirza of Lakish mustered her vassals, ordering them to join her army for a campaign to end the Xioquo threat once and for all. The Mirza's soldiers were equipped with weapons acquired from the outsiders, making her confident of victory. She undertook the campaign without the knowledge of Semiramis, for she intended to use it to increase her prestige among the Qadiri, especially among those who believed the Shahbânu was being too accommodating toward the sky people. Varkasa and the Steel Phoenixes joned the campaign. It was supposed to be a glorious victory, but turned into a debacle. The Xioquo had a well-earned reputation for viciousness and cruelty, but the were also the most technologically advanced of the Tygaran elf races. They unleashed their new weapons when the Qadiri army tried to invade the Underealm.
At first all went well. The journey was long, but the Qadiri ships and soldiers reached their destination: a vast, snow mountain with an inlet of the sea piercing it and revealing a vast underwater cave. It was large enough for the Qadiri ships to sail into. On the landward side they advanced upon great gates of iron. The Qadiri army deployed. Great cannons were wheeled forward, archers and musketeers formed behind spearmen. Yazgid mounted cavalry waited on the flanks to charge and break their enemies. At sea ships were deployed. Vaskara and her comrades stood with the cavalry. Firemane tried to contact the Mirza, but the noblelady declined to use the ringing communicator and ordered her minion to remove the 'infernal noise' from her presence. As part of the Mirza’s personal guard was a small contingent of Magi, or users who had embraced the powers of their Zari.
The Qadiri artillery bombarded the gates. They held, but the attackers were still confident of victory. The Xioquo would be forced to emerge from their caves. The fleet would enfilade them, the artillery would shred them, then the Qadiri would charge to finish them off. The first companies of infantry began to advance, ready to greet any attack with arrows and muskets. This would enable Yazgid cavalry such as Vaskara to sweep in from the flanks and massacre the broken foe. However, then things started to go wrong. The sky above them darkened. Suddenly kraken emerged from the water, dragging down the Qadiri ships. Then the gates to the Underealm opened and steam punk tanks emerged, closing in on the Xioquo.
Fear pulsed in Vaskara's heart but she refused to run. The Qadiri cannon fire was ineffectual against the Xioquo's mechanical constructs. From a safe place in the rear area, Xioquo sorceresses performed a dark ritual to spread fear, terror and despair among the Qadiri and confuse them with illusions. Xioquo fired their rifles from loopholes inside their machines. Then the two armies clashed. The Qadiri phalanx broke. Xioquo riding on giant wolves picked off targets of opportunity.
However, the Qadiri forces rallied. The wolves came up against an intact block of spearmen, and these resisted the suicidal charges long enough for the Yazgid cavalry to counter charge. Vaskara threw herself into the counterattack, driving the Xioquo cavalry back. Her mount ripped through Xioquo warriors and beasts, while Vaskara fought with sword, pistol and lance. Realising that her riders could not take out the mechanical behemoths, she worked with the magi. Blasts of fire and lightning from Qadiri warriors seemed to halt the tanks and her riders fell upon the crews. Xioquo priestesses stepped in to counter the magi, using the deaths to fuel themselves. Varkasa was able to wound a Xioquo sorceress with a pistol shot, then her Yazgid ran her down and ripped her apart.
However, the Qadiri's spirited defence only slowed the advance of the Xioquo. From holes in the mountain there sprouted balls of cannon. Before anyone could react, the air was filled with noise, flame and smoke. Then flying machines swept overhead, dropping bombs on the Qadiri. An explosion knocked Vaskara to the ground. She survived, but her loyal lizard companion had perished. Overcome with grief and in a rage, she forced herself to get up. The Qadiri lines were breaking. Soon most of their soldiers were running for their lives. However, the Anusiya, or companions, stood defiant behind their Mirza.
The flying machine that had dropped a bomb on her continued strafing Qadiri lines. Vaskara grabbed a rifle from a dead Qadiri soldier. The machine was flying lower to better strafe the Qadiri. Taking aim with the primitive rifle, she could see what she believed to be shapes inside the machine. Varkasa fired, and managed to shoot through the cockpit, as it was not armoured. Her shot killed the pilot and the machine crashed on some Xioquo troops. However, it was only one among many. The Companions were able to hold off the enemy's charge for a while, but wolves had broken through. As Varkasa tried to pull back towards friendly lines, she found herself facing a Xioquo war machine.
Then an invisible force suddenly picked up the war machine and tossed it like a toy. Vaskara looked up to the sky, seeing an armoured woman gliding. War machines erupted in smoke and flame, the gyrocopters were blasted from the sky and Xioquo died. The Qadiri knight watched in awe as the sky people's aircraft inflicted such ruin and slaughter upon the enemy. Monstrous grey war machines dropped down from the sky and laid nearby enemies to waste. A great horn sounded though and the Xioquo withdrew into the Underealm. They had achieved their objective of smashing the Qadiri, but could not face the sky people in open combat yet.
The armoured woman Vaskara had seen flying in the sky descended to the ground. She announced herself as Siobhan Kerrigan, who was known to the Xioquo as 'Karishzar', which is Xio for Destroyer. When the Mirza accused her of having conspired with the Xioquo, one of her guards, Sahal, punched her in the stomach. The Mirza took this poorly, spewing threats against Sahal and the sky woman. Lady Kerrigan proceeded to choke her, lift her into the air and smash her into the ground. Then strapped a slave collar on her neck.
Varkasa managed to pull herself from her daze and see to the surviving members of her unit. The leader of the Steel Phoenixes had perished in the battle, making her their most senior officer on the spot. She rallied the remaining survivors and took care of the wounded. The dead were given a proper burial. She took a tooth from her lost Yazgid's carcass to remember her companion. The spectacle she had witnessed created feelings of fear and awe inside her. She interpreted it as a sign from the heavens.
Even though she had committed acts of banditry and sold her sword to the highest bidder, Vaskara was religiously observant, though not exceptionally zealous. But now she visited a temple of Kashara to make a donation and reflect upon what she had witnessed. When she learned that the 'Karishzar' was mustering an army to conquer the Underealm for good, she signed up for it. She and the Steel Phoenixes fought as part of the Qadiri forces, who had some Firemane advisors attached to them. The battle was a brutal one. Even with the technology of the sky people, the fighting was intense.
Myrou, the first Xioquo and the 'goddess' of this race, was awakened from her slumber by desperate Xioquo magi. However, the dark one was slain by Siobhan Kerrigan and her allies in a duel. It was a spiritual experience for Vaskara and several others, for she concluded that the sky woman was doing Kashara's will. Stories of her deeds spread - and were in a number of cases embellished. Some Qadiri and Xioquo began to believe that the sky woman could not be a mere mortal, but must be at least partly divine.
Spiritual awakenings aside, the recent events also affected her views on war and politics. She had never witnessed industrialised slaughter on such a scale or seen war machines like this. The innovations of the sky people changed everything. Varkasa continued riding and training Yazgid. She cared for the offsprings of her lost companion. But she began to familiarise herself with the sky people's technology, instead of rejecting it as infernal wizadry like some of her peers. Despite family reservations, she became a proponent of cooperation. However, this did not translate into obeying the sky people without question. As she got to know them, she began to drew a distinction between the Lady Kerrigan and the many officers and bureaucrats who did her will. Realising the way the wind was blowing, Varkasa emancipated her slaves. The sky people preached emancipation, so it was the smart thing to do. It put her ahead of the curve. But this also meant setting her dead nemesis' sister free. However, the sibling suffered an 'unfortunate accident' to ensure that she could not become a problem later.
Vaskara and many of the Steel Phoenixes pledged their swords to Siobhan. So did several other Qadiri knights. They became the nucelus of a new covenant of sword-bearers, the Cataphracts of the Ascending Phoenix. They proclaimed her a daughter of Kashara. It is pertinent to note that it is nothing new for Qadiri rulers to claim to have some form of divine heritage. Daughter of Kashara is also one of Semiramis' titles. The main difference was that the 'Karishzar' had far more power than all of them combined and was extremely strong in the Force, though in truth she is obviously still a mortal. The cult really took off when the Lady Kerrigan started helping the Qadiri move into space and traverse the 'sky-ocean'. To religious Qadiri, this was like touching heaven. This created a strong religious fervour.
However, the Cataphracts also had to deal with racism on the part of Firemane officials who were dismissive of 'sand babies'. Vaskara had an altercation with a racist Firemane officer. Drawing her sword, the Qadiri challenged her to a duel. It went poorly for the officer, but she had connections high-up. But the Lady Kerrigan decided to accept the Qadiri knights. No doubt their worship flattered her bloated ego. But she was also motivated by pragmatism - and perhaps by genuine affection for the Qadiri. Vassals who loved her and wanted to serve her were more useful than resentful, unwilling servitors.
Varkasa met the Lady when she came to inspect her new knights. Siobhan went a step further than giving them official status. She gave them access to more modern weapons. Eventually the Cataphracts were transformed into an elite guard force. Varkasa got to join a proper iron cavalry. The Cataphract impressed her new patron during battles with rebels, Kraal raiders and Rogue Sith. Though she missed the old ways of fighting - especially her mount - she adapted well, applying a hybrid of traditional Qadiri and modern combat tactics. The first time she got to see space she was awed.
Battlefield successes earned the Cataphracts the right to wear Firemane power armour. Siobhan's increasing distrust of the Eldorai also played a role, as she became estranged from them after continuous intrigue from jealous nobles such as Tarissa Cadalthor. Thus she gave the Qadiri more modern weapons so that they could be shock troops. The Cataphracts were promoted to the role of an elite guard force. Varkasa fought in battles against Rogue Sith remnants and Xioquo rebels, and saw action in the Krolis War. This was an internal Qadiri conflict about who should be the next Saoshyant, the highest religious authority in their society.
Semiramis sought to promote her own candidate as part of her efforts to unite the Qadiri under her rule and Firemane sided with her. Opposing them was the League of Krolis, who had the support of the formidable Sistren of the Eternal Flame, a powerful cult of Qadiri pyromancers. The Cataphracts fought alongside Siobhan in the final battle against the League, which marked the end of a long, gruelling campaign. After Siobhan's transport was forced to make an emergency landing due to a storm summoned by enemy elementalists, they came under assault. The Cataphracts and the Granite Guard fought alongside their mistress against daunting odds until help arrived. Varkasa rallied her knights and personally took down an enemy Force warrior.
In the end Firemane prevailed after Siobhan defeated Sahali Jai Bysara, high mistress of the fire mages, in a duel. Sahali was betrayed by some of the nobles leading the League, but Siobhan did not take kindly to their attempt to curry favour and sent them back to the Sistren for execution, as she respected her foe. The League was forced to bend the knee to her, though the new Saoshyant was a compromise candidate. However, there was little time for rest, for a new crisis had arisen. Varkasa received word that Firemane required her services in a new war zone.
This one was far from home, on the remote planet of Tephrike. There a Firemane delegation had been attacked by members of an extremist faction in the government of the Dominion of Light, a totalitarian Jedi theocracy. Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori had covered the delegation's escape, holding off Dominion warriors, but been captured. In response Firemane declared war and bombed the Dominion's capital. Two large task forces were assembled. One to punish the Dominion by taking the fight to them and seizing one of their fortresses. The other to find and rescue - or avenge - the captive Elpis, as she was the daughter of the corporation's leaders. Cataphracts were assigned to both task forces. Varkasa joined the rescue team. She wishes those of her comrades who would join the strike force good fortunes in the battle to come and rallied her warriors. The task force was under the command of Major Tempest, Siobhan's apprentice. They did not know where Elpsis was being held, so their first stop was a brainwashing camp called the Liberation Education Centre.
This was not where Elpsis was being held, but it was the biggest Dominion re-education centre with a lot of records, a lot of people to question and a good chance of finding people high up. In short, it was a follow the dots game. The principal assault team consisted of Dahomians solldiers and Varkasa's Qadiri. They attacked the camp's two entrances in the north and south. Meanwhile, an operative called Natalie used the mayhem to stealthily approach the camp from the west and lay explosive charges, so that Tempest and her team could enter.
Varkasa led her warriors into the fight, inspiring them with a short speech. They came in hot, using their jetpacks to traverse the terrain. Once the camp entrance came in sight, they unloaded their weapons, bombarding it with a hail of missiles, explosive microgrenades and high-velocity slugs. They were few in number, but had the element of surprise, firepower and heavy armour. Many Dominion soldiers used primitive slugthrowers, which had difficulty penetrating their armour. Still, the fighting was intense, for the Dominion troops were fanatical and had Jedi among them. Varkasa engaged one such warrior in combat. The Jedi was able to bring her down with telekinesis and launch a mental attack, but Varkasa injured him with a bolter and then took him down in melee, using her augmented strength to overpower him.
Their allies penetrated the camp's defences and the Cataphracts pushed through, storming the facility while they chanted their hymns. Varkasa took out a Dominion heavy machine gun nest. However, some Dominion officials escaped. Nonetheless, Firemane was able to take prisoners and seize valuable data. This revealed to them that an offworlder matching Elpsis' description was being held in a camp called Serene Springs. After a brief recuperation, the task force was deployed there. However, they faced an intense fight, for the Grand Inquisitor of the Dominion had come for a visit and brought his personal guard. A battle was fought on land and the sea.
Firemane deployed tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. The Cataphracts hitched a ride on one and provided fire support, but the Dominion deployed barges. Some were filled with soldiers and Jedi warriors, others explosives. Rammed Firemane tanks went up in flames. The Qadiri knights unloaded their heavy firepower on the barges and speeder boats. Mirage Squadron, a unit of crack Qadiri starfighter pilots, provided close air support by strafing Dominion troops. As the battle turned into Firemane's favour, Varkasa and her comrades waded through the shallow water and stormed the dock. The guns on their suits and the blades they held cut down any in their path. Following behind the regular infantry took cover behind their advancing forces and provided a galling fire.
By the time they entered the camp, smoke was rising from the central complex. Fires raged and the buildings were engulfed by flames. Elpsis had managed to overcome her brainwashing and slain the Grand Inquisitor. Prisoners were in revolt, avenging themselves on their tormentors. The Cataphracts and the other Firemane forces clashed with remaining Dominion troops, putting them to the sword. A force consisting of rogue Dominion forces in opposition to the present leadership surrendered and was spared. Elpsis and the other freed prisoners were evacuated.
Upon her return to the Firemane command ship, Varkasa was overjoyed to hear that her fellow knights had acquitted themselves well during the Firemane attack on Fortress Purity and played a vital role in taking the Dominion base. However, victory had come at a cost. The Cataphracts mourned the dead and immortalised their valour in songs. In many ways the campaign had been a chance for the Tygaran native contingents to show their mettle, as they proved the nay-sayers who believed they should stick to muskets, bows, oars and masts wrong. Varkasa received a promotion to Sargord, the Qadiri word for Major. With the Tephrike campaign over, she stands ready for future battles that no doubt await her.
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