The Karnan: This near human race is limited to the planet of
Jemala. They are virtually the same as ordinary humans, with some
cosmetic differences, such as their grayish skin, pale yellow hair,
and their opalescent, pupil-less eyes. The internal organs of the
Karnan are human-like, but with a number of differences. A
competent medic can easily determine the differences between the
two races. The Karnan are organized under a very rigid caste
system, and it seldom enters the mind of a Karnan to question his
place in the caste system, or the decisions of the members of a
superior caste (Atran). Those that have been influenced by the
larger galactic society to the extent that they question their
place in the world are quickly put into place by the members of the
caste above them. There is no possibility of movement in the
Karnan system, and the highest honor possible is to serve the
members of a higher caste with honor and distinction.
This is the traditional Karnan system, which has been severely
tested by Imperial rule. Many Karnan were taken off system to
serve the Empire, and the Imperial governors have damaged much of
the respect that Karnan have toward the members of the superior
castes, by treating all of them with equally levels of disrespect.
However, due to the planning of the leaders of the Atran Ardur,
(the warrior caste, highest of the castes) the caste system has not
been seriously damaged by the occupation.
The Atran Ardur: The Atran Ardur, the ruling caste of the
Karnan, had long held absolute power over the lives of all the
other castes. When the Old Republic expanded into the Jemala
system, the Ardur decided that the system should have the pretense
of a democratic government, as the Old Republic was known to
support that form of government. The Ardur retreated to hidden
fortress palaces on Jemala and it's moons. They maintained control
of the Karnan, and their vast riches were all transferred safely to
the moons of Jemala. The Ardur traditionally sent agents among the
Karnan, both to suppress any resistance to their rule, and to
select a tithe of the most valuable goods and the most talented of
youngsters for the personal use of the Atran Ardur.
With the Imperial occupation, the rules changed. The Ardur
knew that if the Empire discovered their existence and power, they
would be eliminated, and their fortune would be sent to fill the
Imperial coffers. The Ardur went into deep hiding for several
years, not showing the slightest sign of their presence, living off
their substantial stores. After the Empire investigated as
fully as possible, and concluded that Jemala were not capable of
armed resistance, the Ardur began sneaking out of their fortresses,
discovering the nature of the Imperial occupation. Jemala is rich
in mineral resources, and the Empire had decided to mine it.
Imperial engineers were sinking test tubes everywhere, and it was
only a matter of time before they found an Ardur base.
The Ardur had to end this threat, and their elders formulated
a plan. First, they experimented upon several of the young men of
other castes, attempting to make them look just like humans. After
a few failures, they achieved success, and proceeded to alter the
appearance of several of the most promising young Ardur. Using
their vast wealth to bribe the right people, they placed these
young men in command track positions in the Imperial government and
military. Several washed out early on. Several others did not
achieve much success in their careers. A handful succeeded,
achieving high positions in the Empire. These individuals then got
themselves transferred to the area of Jemala, where they took
command of the government and local navy. Now, the Ardur were
relatively immune to Imperial interference, as they now were in
charge of the local Imperial forces. At this time, the Ardur moved
the last of their possessions from the planet to it's moons. They
realized that this reprieve might be temporary, and by moving to
the moons they guaranteed their eternal freedom.
Or so they thought. One of the infiltrators, Admiral Ithros
Rochar, had learned a great deal from his stay in the Empire. One
night, the elders of the Ardur were sitting in conclave. A unit of
Rochar's personal guard penetrated the secret base, and slaughtered
all of the elders present. Only four were unaccounted for, and
three of those four have since been rooted out and killed. Admiral
Rochar declared himself sole head of the Ardur, and after that
rather graphic example, none opposed him outright. Those that
planned to strike him down at a later time were quickly and
painfully disabused of that plan. In the space of two years,
Rochar has gained complete and undisputed control of the Atran
Ardur, and by extension, the Karnan people. All the other original
infiltrators have been killed, replaced by other Ardur of Rochar's
choosing.
Once he gained ascendancy over his own people, Rochar turned
his gaze outward. The Atran Ardur are superb warriors and
assassins, and Rochar sees in his people an opportunity for
unlimited advancement. The Atran has been mobilized, equipped with
superior quality weapons that Rochar has commissioned. These Ardur
Commandos are Rochar's personal army, used on those missions that
he does not want the Empire to know about. Rochar has command of
a fairly large Imperial fleet, which he has never used for missions
connected with his Atran. It is rife with Imperial spies, and he
knows it. Trained warriors of the Ardur, in specially configured
assassin vehicles have eliminated Rochar's foes on an Imperial
level. Through a combination of terror and diplomacy, Rochar has
gained near total control of the Edgemont Sector, and he is
planning on expanding even further outward. However, the Atran has
limited numbers, and he knows that he cannot succeed if he spreads
them too thin. This is the point that the campaign starts.
The Atran Ardur can be used as the villains in an Imperial
campaign, or, if Rochar decides to use the Rebellion against the
Empire, they can serve as the villains of a Rebel campaign as well.
The running theme in this series of adventures should be that even
against small groups of opponents, the party is outgunned, due to
the remarkable wealth and training of the Ardur. The stats that
shall follow reflect this imbalance, so remember, the Ardur are
very, very rich. They also have legions of servants who consider
the maintenance of Ardur equipment to be a honor of the first
degree. This stuff tends to degrade rapidly under ordinary
treatment, and shouldn't last more than a month or two in the hands
of PCs.
Atran Ardur Warriors:
Rochar's personal army, these troops are fiercely loyal,
intelligent, and very well trained. They usually operate in units
of 20 men, 4 officers, and one commander, called the "Yitor Nigoth"
or "leader of men". The Atran Ardur does not view assassination as
being in any way dishonorable, and indeed, the most common variety
of special trooper is the assassin, whose stats are included below.
The Atran Ardur does field a very limited number of other Special
Forces, but they are entirely different than the standard warrior.
Dexterity 3D+1
Blaster 5D, (s) Blaster Rifle 6D, (s) Blaster Pistol 6D,
(s) Sniper Blaster 6D (Assassins only), Melee Combat 4D, (s)
Vibroblade Stiletto 6D (Assassins only), Brawling Parry 5D, Dodge
6D, Running 5D
Knowledge 2D
Intimidation 4D, Survival 5D, Willpower 5D, (s) Willpower
vs. Interrogation 7D,Languages 3D, Streetwise 4D
Mechanical 2D
Repulsorlift Operation 3D, Communications 3D, Sensors 3D
The Atran Ardur have a limited number of mechanized units. As
their situation demands that they avoid the attention that extended
periods of large scale combat would almost inevitably evoke, the
Atran's vehicles are design for speed and powerful offensive
capabilities, but not really for extended combat. The two most
commonly used craft are the Courser
Speeder bike, and the Nagfen light assault
vehicle.
In addition to their atmospheric craft, the Ardur have a
number of specially configured starfighters that are a good deal
more powerful than those in current usage, but these require a
level of maintenance that only the Karnan are capable of giving.
These craft include the Doomsting
assassin fighter, the Talon ground assault
craft, and several combat starfighters, including several SETH fighters that Rochar purchased for a
tremendous price.