Halik Falkosi
Character
Story Line:
In the wake of the gulag plague outbreak the Mandalorian clans saw this as a moment to be seized. In the early years of the of the four hundred years of darkness the Mandalorians saw many world fall while other sectors completely cut themselves off from the rest of known space in an effort to stave off the plague. The Mandalorians did not cut off their space though, but kept it open to any that would come. However, in order to stop the spread of the virus on their planets they instituted severe quarantine protocols. Billions died on the doorstep of the Mandalorian sector, but because of this they were able to mitigate much of their losses. But only to a point, many of their worlds fell to the virus regardless.
As the virus went dormant the worlds began to stabilize. The small sector saw itself rebuilding, but as it rebuilt a schism was beginning to build. While being a Mandalorian was a cultural identity and not a racial one many did not want to join in to the warrior culture. The only reason they had come was to survive. The old planets and cities remained strong in their roots, but the refugee cities were split. Some adapting to the ways of those that had taken them in such a dangerous time while others wanted to create their own way. A new way. What was not lost in the gulag plague was suddenly at stake as the sector was thrust into a civil war.
The conflict in the sector lasted for generations. Intermingled were times of peace or moments in which border wars took the focus of the warriors off their cousins. The ebb and flow of the conflict was one that threatened to weaken the Mandalorians to the point of nonexistence, and all that had been hoped to be maintained during the early years of the Darkness seemed to be about to be lost.
Mandalore the Rebuilder looked over the ruins of the battle of Gargon and saw a waste. They were doing conflict with peasants, not great warriors. In the wake of their victory none joined them to strengthen their people. All that came from the conflict was loss. He saw the need for the conflict to be ended quickly. If they kept on in this generational war then they would be weakened to the point of death. Yes, they would fight well to that death, but he wanted his people to be powerful not dead. Even glory was not enough to make the worthwhile. So he made a command that shook the sector. Instead of meeting their opponents in open conflict in their many battlefields, he laid siege to them. He cared not for honor with opponents who would bring none. Cities, Planets and Systems broke under the weight of the orbital bombardments. Wasting the resources in these attacks was not something he enjoyed but he saw nothing but a strengthened people coming from it. To his surprise, the dissenters began to realize their impending doom and succumbed to the culture they had fought against. The assimilated themselves into that which they had protested for so long so that they could survive. The unified and pure Mandalorian sector stood strong and ready to begin to look outward in the galaxy.
Rank System
Tier 3: Initiate. There are two ways to become an initiate in the Mandalorian clans. One is either born into it, or decides to join into the culture. As such there is a large variance as to what exactly an initiate entails, but it does not actually bear much weight until the initiate becomes of age. At which point they begin to put their learning into action and start fighting in wars, being sent after various quarries, or just journeying the stars in search of conflict and glory. Once they have built a sufficient reputation as being a reliable warrior and soldier they are sent on a special task. In war it might be a particularly difficult objective, or they might be sent after a particularly fearsome beast on some planet but limited in what resources he can use. Should he come back successful he achieves the ranks of Blooded.
Tier 2: Blooded. These are what the Mandalorians are known for. Their proven and effective warriors who see glory wherever they turn. Their feats of violence are known to one another and are the basis upon which they are judged. The life of a Blooded Mandalorian is harder than that of the initiate. No longer are humble missions and quarry considered worth while. No, at this point they are supposed to begin piling glory upon themselves, bringing honor to their name and their families. This results in the constant ascension of feats that they engage in. Constantly they drive to topple their previous merit, as well as that of those around them as they climb the ranks as a storied warrior. Many die at this level. But those who truly rise above the rest take upon themselves the mantel of Overseer.
Tier 1: Overseer. These are the greatest of warriors. Those that stand over all and are living legends among their people. In war they are in charge of commanding whole groups of Initiates and Blooded warriors, though it is not unusual for them to be independent in conflicts and taking on the most difficult of tasks by themselves. While few make it this far, those that achieve this position are fearsome warriors and to be feared by all who come across them. Even those gifted with the power of the Force do not take lightly to an opponent who is deemed a Mandalorian Overseer.
Up for any of those to be renamed. Most open to the top tier. But yeah.
Perhaps that's why I enjoyed the KOTOR games so much.
