The Karnan and the Atran Ardur


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
Perception 3D+1
Command 4D+2 (Officers 6D), Hide 5D (Assassins 7D), Sneak 5D+1 (Assassins 8D+1), Search 5D+2 (Assassins 6D)
Strength 3D
Brawling 5D, Climbing/Jumping 5D, Stamina 5D, Swimming 5D
Technical 2D
Demolition 6D+2, First Aid 3D+1, Security 3D+2

Force Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Dark Side Points: Variable
Move: 12

Equipment: Atran Ardur Black Armor, Blaster Pistol, Blaster Rifle, Sniper Rifle (Assassins only), Hand Laser, 3 Vibroblade Stilettos(Assassins only)

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.
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