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The Isradia are a family of Dark Jedi in the Dark Brotherhood.
Introduction
The family Isradia, the “Imperial House Isradia” was born in the Dark Brotherhood, and has continued to grow over time to include everyone listed below.
Whilst in the Brotherhood, Isradia’s are a family like any other, in the canon of Vardor, they are the Imperial House, and they now encompass many different aspects and characters, philosophies and methodologies.
History of Vardor
Fifteen thousand years ago, the people of Vardor were primitives, only just descended from the trees to live in caves and huts of wood. Life was hard for the ancestors, forced to face the Great Beasts which had evolved on Vardor; the Fenris Wolves, the Drakes, the Kraken, and the Nightshades hunted them remorselessly, and the people were kept primitive and weak by the all encompassing will and power of the Dreaming God, the spirit of the planet, who sought to use them as fuel, as carriers, for His eventual awakening.
The people cried out in their desperation and fear for a saviour, a hero to come and deliver them from their torment, and were answered by a star which fell from the sky to the slopes of Mount Cyney. As the star yet burned, a figure in white and beige, a vision of beauty never seen before on Vardor, walked unharmed from the wreckage; the Rose Goddess.
File:Tol Mustanen-fairuse.jpgTol Mustanen, ancient capital of Vardor, now under the care of House Isradia
The people bent their knees to their saviour from the heavens, whom had come to answer their prayers, and She smiled upon them, speaking of Her love for them, telling them how She had felt their pain and need and wished to help. Such were Her words that every soul whom laid eyes on Her was taken with passion and need to serve, and so She became our Goddess of Beauty and Passion.
Her wisdom was boundless and Her love endless, and seeing the cruel life they were forced to live at the machinations of vastly more powerful creatures, She knew that knowledge was the key to their survival, that they might have the power to stand against their oppressors. She taught them all She knew, and educated them that they might defend themselves. She gave to them principles by which to live and thrive, and survive the trials of a growing civilisation. These words of wisdom were set down by ancient scholars in the four Doctrine’s; Love & Beauty, Knowledge, Honour and Destiny.
Over a thousand years, as the people grew and civilisation began to mould into a whole, She watched as Her teachings were expanded and taken further, and knowing Her time on our mortal plane was limited, She went through the towns and villages of the world, and selected from amongst the people the greatest whom could be Her students and carry Her wisdom when She was forced to leave us.
On the slopes of Mount Cyney, She built the Great Abbey, and took Her selected students and followers there to teach them the powers of Her magic, which each of them had the gift for. To some, She gave the title of Nobility, and had them form Houses that they might protect and serve the people. These Houses were united in the alliance of the Iperion to govern all the world.
To protect the harmony that had seen civilisation flourish, She created a church, a religion, to teach her beliefs and the values of the people and ensure the continuation of what She had begun, which She named the Rose Abbey, and She appointed this religion as the keepers of Her knowledge and of the laws of the Iperion. They would oversee the fledgling civilisation and spread knowledge so that it might never fail.
Lastly, the remaining students She used to create the Traditions; mystic orders dedicated to Her magic and its study, and asked that they further knowledge and wisdom amongst the people, and serve as their guides and protectors. In the Traditions She invested the task of bettering themselves and others, for this sacred task was what had ensured the survival of the people in the past.
And so, with the fair government of the Iperion, the education and moderation of the Rose Abbey, and the dynamism of the Traditions to further knowledge and understanding, the Rose Goddess left our mortal plane. The star upon which She had descended was placed beneath the Great Abbey as memorial to Her, and Her earthly remains were entombed beneath this as She passed into the next world.
In the next world, the Rose Goddess joined with the Dreaming God, and the two became twinned, for She had softened His harshness and made something great of His children, but had also ensured His plans were kept in tact, and had in fact hastened their completion. He was well pleased with Her, and in the next world, their communion made them one being, linked for eternity, and how they would remain for the rest of time.
The Feel of Vardor
On Vardor, the Dark Side taints everything. The feeling is tangible, like a palpable scent and feel of grease in the air. Shadows are longer, nights are deeper, the corrupt are more twisted and bitter and there is an underlying feel of decay, decadence and unease everywhere. It is like stepping from a bright morning into a dim, cold, stale room, and it throws all aspects of Vardorian life into harsh relief.
On this planet, a host of unspeakably ancient noble families with the powers of the Force at their command, the vast wealth of a planet and the might and political clout of armies jockey in subtle political, mental and economic jousts for dominance of a planet that balances precariously on the knife edge of destruction, holding together a civilisation and way of life that has become worn thin and frayed. Their power struggles mean nothing to the common folk, who push on with their lives and meaningless existences, yet in the upper echelons, where the true power lies, the nobility fight wars of attrition through murder, drugs, crime, corruption, betrayal and deceit. Pampered dandies indulge the urges of the flesh with narcotics, alcohol, sex, lust and greed; Cruel matriarchs and patriarchs sink into sadism and masochism; Ambitious scholars conduct vile and depraved experiments and violent warriors kill and maim without rhyme or reason.
The ruins of the Rose Goddess’ temple sit idle, harboring a distant echo of times gone by…
A monolithic religion that has held together this cesspit of decay has fallen from grace, its living gods deceased in the lifetime of every adult, and is only held together by the will and faith of the oldest and wisest, who desperately clamour to keep their world alive and viable. The decay of the Iperion is beginning to sink into the priesthood, and without their gods as guidance, at the speed of the continents movement, their gentle hand is turning into an iron gauntlet to try and keep stability.
Unseen Force users conglomerate in semi-secret cabals, seeking a way to ascend to another level of existence, many heedless of the plight of their world and their ancient appointed task, and their foundations begin to shake under the weight of whispered revelations that until now have been jealously guarded – all that they believed may be a lie.
And the common people labour on, each sensing that their fabulous, incredibly ancient house of cards may at any moment come crashing down on them, crushing all in its wake. They feel the pain of the planet as it attempts to throw off its festering wounds and cleanse itself, but they know also that it tried with all its might once before and failed, and no longer has the strength to do it again.
Vardorian society is gothic, littered with corruption and decay, and an oppressive feeling of hopelessness and despair. As one travels through it, one senses that this is a world dying slowly by poison and disease, yet unwilling to finally let go and let it end. Architecturally, Vardor resembles the Necromongers of the Chronicles of Riddick and the Harkonnen cities of Dune; the buildings have a Mesopotamian, Babylonian theme, but use the materials customary to gothic art and buildings. In the same vein, the relationship of commoner, Noble, Church and Academia is similar to those cultures.
Mardorin – The Language of Vardor
Whilst it is not possible to provide a full linguistic and grammatical break down of Mardorin without another volume being created for it, what follows is a summary of a few key Vardorian phrases and words, which, when placed together, will give one an effective ‘tourists’ understanding of the language – enough to get by, but by no means fluent or perfect. It is effectively ‘pidgin Mardorin’.
| Hello
|
Saduka (sar-doo-kah)
|
| Goodbye
|
Asaphra (ah-sah-frah)
|
| Thank you
|
Kitasa (key-tasa)
|
| You're welcome
|
Vasa bolen (vasa • bow-len)
|
| How are you?
|
Ni malas ya? (knee • mal-ass • yar)
|
| I am well
|
Son dutah vi (Sorn • doo-tah • v-eye)
|
| What is your name?
|
Uman I vasa yana? (oo-marn • ee • vasa • yarn-ah)
|
| What city is this?
|
Uman teshvon I suk? (oo-marn • tesh-varn • ee • suck)
|
| Can you tell me where the Starport is?
|
Un asa belthrock umen sak Galta I? (oon • asa-ah • bell-throck • oo-men • gal-tah ee)
|
| Can you tell me where the nearest Cantina is please?
|
Un asa belthrock umen sak neesen Varak I bol? (oon • ass-ah • bell-throck • oo-men • sack • knee-sen • var-ack • ee • bol)
|
Mardorin is not in common use on Vardor. Most people speak Basic in their daily lives, though they do count as bi-lingual as they are brought up with both languages. The average Vardorian will not be completely perfect in Mardorin because of this, and it may cause them to pause to think if they are addressed in Mardorin. Only scholars and Nobles are regularly fluent in Mardorin as well as Basic, since the oldest volumes, laws and records are exclusively in that language.
The Iperion
Quote: “And we shall stand till the end of days, the Chosen of the Gods, and rule undying till the world is flame.”
- Rise of the Chosen, CXXVII, 27
The Iperion is the governing body of Vardor, and also the social structure of the world. It has two sides; Nobility and Landsmen. Landsmen are the ordinary, common people of the world; merchants, soldiers, workers, traders, criminals, priests, teachers, doctors, scientists; and every vocation that exists elsewhere or has a place or consumer in the world. They live and continue their lives as others, mostly unconcerned with the dictates of their rulers or the affairs of their world except when it intercedes in their daily lives. They might watch politics, but for the most part having nothing to do with it. Aliens are always considered to be Landsmen, unless they have sworn allegiance to a House.
The Nobility, however, are the rulers, and in most cases when one refers to the Iperion, one is truly referring to the Nobility. Descended from the original students of the Rose Goddess, they are all, through breeding, genetics and training, gifted with the use of Her magic; trained to use the Force, though to varying degrees and ability. Indeed, to become a Noble or to continue to be one, this is a requirement, as set down when the Iperion was formed at Her wishes.
The Iperion originally had only two strata; the Houses and the Imperial House. That, however, has changed over time to suit the natures of the people. There are now four strata of Nobility; Bondsmen, Minor Houses, Greater Houses and the Imperial House.
The Iperion features ranks based on prestige, power, knowledge and achievement, almost but not quite a meritocracy, since it is also influenced by political, social and economic manoeuvring. Ranks are not hereditary and must be earned. The highest rank is Grand Duke or Grand Duchess, and is also a position that oversees and rules the whole of the Iperion.
Urd Nathen
Quote: “Ne’er have I seen a city of its like, that is at once magnificent and tragic, that makes the heart soar and the eyes weep.”
- Cellius Stravias, Corellian Merchant
The Dawnshadow mountains of Urd Nathen bask, beneath the beating suns of Vardor.
The capital of the Iperion, the capital city of Vardor, is Urd Nathen, a huge, sprawling metropolis built on, over and under the Dawnshadow range of mountains on Edeth’Torent. The urban centre stretches for over ten kilometres, and the suburban zones a further fifteen in all directions. The city and the landscape for a hundred kilometres around the edge of the suburbs is considered politically neutral ground; not even the Imperial House can claim true rulership of Urd Nathen.
In place of the normal ruling Houses, Urd Nathen is governed by the Peoples Council, an annually elected body of ten citizens who perform the functions a Noble House would normally provide. They are not afforded the status of Nobility, and pay homage to whatever Imperial House currently holds power, just like a true House, but serve to keep the peace in the great city, and to prevent upheavals that could cripple Vardors capital during internecine wars and changeovers. It is forbidden for any House or organisation to bring more than a legion of troops into Urd Nathen at any time, and the Council maintains its own independent army to enforce this rule and protect the city, should it be threatened. Bodyguards and elite protectors do not count against the number of troops, as long as the guards remain with their respective Nobles at all times.
Urd Nathen is home to the largest spaceport in the system, as well as the biggest and most renowned hospitals, universities, theatres, research centres and manufacturing plants, and is the most accepting city in the system of aliens, who can find distractions and amenities to suit every taste within its bounds. It is here that all intergalactic trade is conducted, and it is the face of Vardor and the Nox system to outsiders. The city is well kept, tidy, clean and relatively safe, with many fine entertainments and amusements. Like everywhere else, it has an efficient police, fire and ambulance service.
A famous local attraction is the Final Obelisk, a massive stone obelisk in the centre of a large park. The stone construction is a hundred foot high and scribed with massive symbols and words in Mardorin and other languages all made of pure emerald which pulses with internal power. Unknown to all, the Final Obelisk was built by the ancient Vardorians as a conduit of power for the Dreaming God, and still functions as an antenna and conduit for the Force. Around the park, the Force surges and seethes, granting great power to even the weakest of users. At night, Nightshades and the occasional Drake linger around the obelisk, their purpose unfathomable.
The Assembly is a large open space before the Court of the Chosen, where grand ceremonies and events are held. It is here that Grand Dukes are crowned, new ships are launched, celebrations occur, and state funerals are held. The square itself is large enough to hold more than ten thousand bodies, and has a long promenade down its centre with statues of former Grand Dukes and famous heroes, all cast in stainless steel on granite blocks.
Urd Nathan holds the centres of Iperion life; the Palace of Grand Duke, the Court of the Chosen and the House of Lords. The Palace belongs to the reigning Grand Duke, and serves as a home alongside the Imperial Houses own capital, and it is for receptions, ceremonies, celebrations, meetings and domestic use. It looms like a colossal pregnant black widow atop a rise set apart from the main mountain range, and the entire hilltop is walled off and preserved for the Imperial House alone. The Palace features many bedrooms, staterooms, dining rooms, kitchens, servants quarters, sports facilities, its own spaceport, a grand ballrooms and dining room, offices and meeting rooms, libraries, museums, a temple, combat practice arenas, its own barracks and many dens and receiving rooms.
The Court of the Chosen is where the Iperion holds court, plays politics and where decisions are made. In the Chambers of Ascendance, the Ageless Throne is the seat of the Grand Duke, from where he makes his decrees and rules the planet. Below him, the Greater Tier is a semicircular table where the Tharchions of the Great Houses sit. Behind them, the Minor Tier seats the Tharchions of the Minor Houses. Beside the Ageless Throne at the same level as the Greater Tier and flanking the Grand Duke are four smaller thrones – one for the Archbishop, one of the Heir Apparent of the Imperial House, currently empty, one for the Master of Swords of the Imperial House, and one of the Master of Coins for the Imperial House. At the back of the hall are four Thrones, each unique in design, for the Traditions. None of these chairs have been sat in for thousands of years, and are traditionally there as a sign that the Traditions are welcome, should they deign to attend. The chair for the Sons of Tempest is carved from heavy wood and lined with furs and metal buckles. The Etherites chair is a single piece of white marble. The Children of Gods chair is a dark stained wooden throne that has been carved to look like it is a growing tree alive with animals. The Ninth Orders chair is a made of obsidian, with crimson cushions and arm rests. Gargoyles, skulls, and images of death, life and rebirth leer from its armrests and top.
All the corruption and intrigue of the Iperion focuses here, and it is the formal face and ruling place of the Nobles, and also base of the Court of Rose Savants, the aforementioned Abbey sponsored justice and judicial system, who have a full judicial wing in the Court, where trials, executions, imprisonments and corporal punishments are performed. The Court is grandly appointed and maintained, with dark woods, tapestries, marble floors, statues and relief’s and large, gothic spaces.
The House of Lords is the casual meeting place and communal zone for the Nobles, and is just as rife with politicking and intrigue as the Court, but also filled with scandal and underhanded dealing away from the formal setting of the Court. It is a communal House, restaurant, theatre, lounge, bar, library, gymnasium and business centre all in one. It is here that Nobles are normally found talking, socialising, politicking, plotting, planning, making alliances, planning betrayals, bribing, whoring, taking drugs, drinking, blackmailing and other even less wholesome activities. Only an accredited Noble can enter the House of Lords if not a servant, and patents of Nobility must be shown when ones authenticity is called into question.
Imperial House Isradia
Motto: “Vae Victus.” – “Woe to the Conquered.”
The greatest and most powerful House is the Imperial House, temporal rulers of the Iperion. They are the most powerful militarily, financially and politically, and have the greatest resources and amount of land at their disposal.
The current Imperial House is Isradia, who control forty percent of the planet and both off world colonies, a dominance never before seen in history. Legend has it that the House’s founder, a blacksmith from Tol Rothan and member of the Etherites, slew the demon serpent Korvalis to save the town from death, and was thus able to found House Isradia after the gratitude of the people made him their leader. In this same way came the Houses reputation for mystic arts, religion and elite holy warriors. The sword Isradia Maar-Kan forged, enchanted and used, Avenger, still hands sharp as ever in the main entrance of the Houses’ manor in Tol Rothan, etched with an image of Korvalis around its blade, said to have been put there when the serpents blood contacted the metal.
House Isradia rose to prominence during the Ascension Wars, when Jonaleth Isradia took vengeance for the attempted murder against him by politically laying waste to the then Imperial House Burgisad and having its ruler executed. This was followed by a direct war upon Great House Ranquez, whose leader, Paul Ranquez (an Archbishop in the Rose Abbey) took control after the fall of Burgisad and whom also plotted with Malachai Burgisad for Jonaleths death. Both Houses now fall as part of the Isradian holdings.
House Isradia was and is traditionally closely tied to the Rose Abbey and the Traditions, historically producing members of those organisations frequently, and also with a higher number of Schiatzhederon than other Houses and groups. Before the Ascension War, House Isradia was known as a Mystic House, creating many Clerics and Paladins of the Rose Abbey, and gained much of its wealth and influence from its actions within the Abbey. They were often called ‘the Defenders of the Faith’, for they produced small amounts of Elite troops (where Burgisad would produce larger amounts of regular troops) of extreme efficiency. All these things combined leant House Isradia a very mystical, arcane feel, and resulted in the power they wielded. As Imperial House, this air remains, but is enhanced and strengthened by its new control over all Burgisad and Ranquez’s portfolios
THE MEANING OF THE SYMBOL
The symbol of House Isradia was once the sword of its founder, a representation of the mystical and mythical ancestry of the Mystic House. Due to recent events, however, Jonaleth chose to commission a new symbol to more accurately represent the reinvigorated House.
File:Darkphoenix.jpgThe Dark Phoenix -- The symbol of House Isradia.
Isradia chose for its new symbol the phoenix, the legendary immortal bird of flame. The phoenix represents Life, Death and Rebirth, all of which have played a significant part in the history of the House, and also represents the necromantic inclinations of Jonaleth. The bird is immortal, a state which the Tharchion has now achieved for himself, and is known to be powerful, fierce, strong, intelligent and noble, all virtues that Jonaleth extols.
The Dark Phoenix, however, which is the symbol of House Isradia also represents their dark nature, future and past, and the sword it clutches is the strength of arms, mind and body which defines the House. It is also with a certain irony that Jonaleth picked a creature of flame and light, which whilst providing power and making accurate representation of the Imperial House, also represents two things that can destroy its leader.
House Roster
PANARCHS
OTHERS
ROGUES
Trivia
- "Shattered Light" is the original ‘source’ document, which contains the full family details, and not the puplic viewing infomation shown above. It was created and is maintained by Jonaleth Isradia.
- Imperial House Isradia is the family message board.