Ha'rangir's Chosen Sub-Organization

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Ha’rangir’s Chosen

Ha’rangir’s Chosen, or Ha'rangir b Gaanla in Mando'a, is an ancient monastic order revived by Field Marshal Leandros Solus once he discovered their existence during his pilgrimage across Mandalore. They draw members from all clans, ignoring petty rivalries and alliances, under the singular banner of religious devotion. They are the chosen warriors of Kad Ha'rangir, and it is through their devotion and zeal that they bring the flames of eternal war to the rest of the galaxy in the name of the Mandalorian people. The Chosen's headquarters is the isolated Black Keep, located near one of the peaks of the many mountains on Mandalore.

Description
Ha’rangir’s Chosen was created thousands of years ago during the First Crusading Era, when the Mandalorian religion was first established. A select group of Mandalorians found themselves so deeply-invested in their faith and their hatred for their enemies that they swore a solemn oath to ensure the spread of their religion and the destruction of their foes. Since those days, the Chosen has stood as an honored and elite monastic organization among the Mandalorians. Ancient oaths and bonds were made with the early clans, requiring them to send to the Chosen their most-devout and elite soldiers so that they could train them further and prepare for the eternal crusade. For centuries, various clans considered serving in the Chosen to be either an immense honor or nothing more than an inconvenience as their best fighters were conscripted.

However, as with all things Mandalorian, at the time of the Sith usurpation of Mand'alor, the Chosen were purged and forgotten about for the next five centuries. Stories related to their exploits were removed from the archives, and they generally were presumed extinct. The members themselves, finding it too shameful to be under Sith rule, all took the Oath of Oblation for the entirety of the Mandalorian people and threw themselves into battle after battle against the Jedi until they were annihilated, hoping that their sacrifice would be penance enough in the eyes of Kad Ha'rangir.

Now, Leandros Solus has (read: will, in a plot TBD), discovered their ancient Black Keep high in the mountains of Mandalore on his pilgrimage to atone for his own shame. The Keep itself was relatively maintained; snow aside, the stone was built to last and the harsh weather kept most animals from ruining the place. Within the great hall, he discovered an immense fire, still burning after thousands of years via natural gas. The ancient inscriptions dub it the Flame of Kad Ha'rangir, causing Leandros to search with great curiosity what the purpose of such a fortress was. Having done his own research and looking through the Keep's personal archives which were kept surprisingly intact, he discovered their divine purpose and their grim fate. Invigorated by the prospect of reviving such an honorable order, he collected close comrades and those he knows are of pure faith, eager to bring about the return of the Ha’rangir’s Chosen. From there, he will invoke the ancient oaths and debts of honor agreed upon generations ago to enlist more soldiers ready and willing to fight in the name of their gods.

Upon joining the Chosen, aspirants are first required to pledge their loyalty to the Grand Master during the Ceremony of Apocryphon, which takes place in the Black Keep’s great hall where the Eternal Flame burns. The Grand Master (or a Praetor, if present) will place a wrought-iron brand in the Eternal Flame to heat as the Oath is administered. Other members of the Chosen will look on as the aspirant is then branded on the left pectoral with the symbol of the Chosen. Once the ordeal is considered concluded, the aspirant is welcomed with open arms into the Chosen as a soldier against the enemies of Mandalore.

Their armor is then repainted in a way so as to allow others to know whether or not they are in the Chosen, typically by painting the left arm of the armor entirely black, the color of justice, though other means of signifying their inclusion in the Chosen have been noted in the past. Such examples include placing the symbol of the Ardent Flame on the armor in some manner, whether it be paint or scrimshaw, attaching an external piece of equipment to the armor – such as a cloak, poncho, or other covering – that has the iconography of the Chosen on it, and more.

Despite their religious zeal, they are one of the most-inclusive factions among the Mandalorian people. With the exception of Force users, they will not shy away the faithful. Too numerous are the enemies of Mandalore and too vast is the galaxy for the Chosen to be picky about its members. So long as they are of pure faith and swear the oaths upon joining, all are welcome.


Oaths

  • Hark ye, who are pure in the eyes of the Three Gods. Hark now, as I, your loyal Orator, recite this, the Oath of Initiation, of one of Their most holy Mandalorian Warriors.

    Let it be known by all dominions, powers and authorities, that the bearer of this seal, Brother/Sister <Name> of <Clan>, has taken the most sacred The Oath of Initiation, and has been seconded to the Ha’rangir’s Chosen until such time of his/her death, or until the specifics of his/her oath shall be considered and proclaimed to be discharged.

    On the honor of your clan, your Mand’alor, and the gods, you are sworn to destroy the Sith, confront the myriad enemies of the Mandalorians, and obey the most solemn vows of the Conclave. You will watch in the dark places, you will safeguard the night, and annihilate the vile Sith and bring unto them the judgment of Mandalore. You will stand as the bulwark upon which the Mandalorian people persist, from now, unto the ending of the universe.

    The bearer of this oath will be accorded the utmost honor in word and deed. Let all know that the gaze of Kad Ha’rangir and the spirit of the Manda of bygone eras shall follow the bearer wherever he/she deigns to tread, so that even in death, they shall know his/her name.

    So, it is sealed, by word, blood, and deed, by the grace of the Conclave, the Chosen of Kad Ha’rangir, and the Oaths of your Clan.

    We bring justice by beskad, by bolt, by flame. In Kad Ha'rangir's name, suffer not the foe to live!
  • This oath has been altered to fit with the modern enemy of the Mandalorians – the Sith

    It is not the Horrors of War that trouble me – it is the Unseen Horrors of Peace.
    A thousand worlds, ten thousand wars.
    There is no respite, there is nowhere to hide. Across the galaxy there is only war.
    There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter and the laughter of thirsting gods.

    I take up the Blade – my enemies will stand before me bathed in blood.
    I take up the Blaster – my enemies will kneel before me wrapped in smoke.
    I take up the Flame – my enemies will lie before me engulfed in fire.
    Our enemies are mortal no longer. I will face them squarely and without flinching from duty; Mercy for such as them is self-deception.

    To be Unclean – that is the Mark of the Sith.
    To be Impure – that is the Mark of the Sith.
    To be Abhorred – That is the Mark of the Sith.
    To be Reviled – That is the Mark of the Sith.
    To be Hunted – That is the Mark of the Sith.
    To be Purged – That is the fate of the Sith.
    To be Cleansed – For that is the fate of all Sith.

    Cursed is that which writhes in the dark places – We take up arms against it.
    Cursed is the voice which whispers in the night – We deny it. We drown out its lies with hymnals of battle.
    Cursed is the eye which lurks in the shadows – We blind it.
    Damned is he who pays heed to the word of the Sith.
    By the manner of their death we shall know them.

    Over the faithful, fear has no dominion.
    The sublime Duty of all is to serve the gods and die in their name.
    I seek honor with each act so that I may know no fear.

    I am the Shield against which the Darkness falters.
    The People of Mandalore look to me for protection.
    I am the Death of our foes, the Wrath of the gods; let there be none more fervent than I.
    The dead cannot cry out for revenge; it is a duty of the living to do so for them, and my cry will rend the heavens.
    My righteous fury comforts me and guides my blade.
    Should I fall in battle, let there be no doubt of the glory of my deeds or the purity of my soul.
    By the manner of my death am I judged.

    Blessed is the body purposed for war.
    I journey on an Eternal Crusade to bring the light of Kad Ha'rangir to all.

    Let worlds tremble before the might of the Chosen!
    Let the galaxy burn in our wake!
    For the Chosen! For Mandalore! For Kad Ha’rangir!
  • 1. The Chosen is first a Mandalorian and swears unwavering loyalty to the Chosen.

    2. S/He must resolutely defend the Flame;

    3. S/He must faithfully obey his/her Mand’alor so long as that obedience does not conflict with allegiance to the Chosen;

    4. S/He must love his/her home of Mandalore;

    5. S/He must maintain unrelenting war against the enemies of Mandalore;

    6. S/He must never flee from the enemy;

    7. S/He must keep his/her pledged word;

    8. S/He must be unafraid of death;

    9. S/He must show contempt for the weak, for they are lacking in their faith;

    10. S/He must at all times champion the good against the forces of evil.


Structure
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The ranking structure of the Chosen is unique in that it ignores the external rank of the Mandalorian in matters related to the Chosen itself, essentially giving the member a dual-rank for use within and without the Chosen. It is possible, for example, to be both a Field Marshal and a Sword-Brother, or a Marauder and Praetor. Such is the mutual respect between members of the Chosen that they are capable and willing to look beyond the matter of the outside rank or role of a fellow Mandalorian in favor of adhering to the order’s structure in certain matters. This includes the Mand'alor, who, despite their role as the sole ruler of the Mandalorians, is still considered an ordinary member fulfilling their duty within the Chosen, should they join. Of course, all Chosen are expected to obey the Mand'alor without question so long as the Mand'alor remains within the bounds of the faith.

  • Sword-Brother — The most common member of the Chosen, these foot soldiers carry out the daily duties of the order. They are well-versed in all forms of combat, for it is their duty to bring fire and death to the enemies of Mandalore. Once they have shown enough valor in combat and have proven themselves worthy of promotion, they may be considered for advancement to Shield-Captain.
  • Shield-Captain — Shield-Captain is an honored rank amongst the Chosen, a title and responsibility awarded in recognition of those Sword-Brethren who have proven their mettle in the heat of battle time-and-time-again. These select individuals are singled out and awarded the title of Shield-Captain, along with the privilege of leading a squad into the fires of war. Shield-Captains undergo additional special training in leadership and tactics and are assigned to Praetors, acting as their right hands by providing flexibility and helping to direct their peers in engagements.
  • Praetor — Praetors are senior Shield-Captains who sit on the Inner Circle with the other Praetors and the Grand Master. Their authority is vast, though not absolute, and they are the primary drivers of the Chosen’s activities once given a goal to reach by the Grand Master. They are commonly found managing the strategic side of things, though it is not uncommon at all to find these senior leaders on the front lines guiding their peers in glorious battle. Praetors often hold a second honorific, signaling their area of expertise. For example, there may be the Master of the Forge, War Master, High Chaplain, Master of the Watch, or Master of the Fleet.
  • Grand Master — The supreme leader of the Chosen. Their word is law among the others, though they do not work alone. Their Inner Circle consists of a few Praetors who advise the Grand Master in their matters. For the most part, the Grand Master sets a general direction for the Chosen, relying on his Praetors and Shield-Captains to enforce their will and get things done. Ascension to the role of Grand Master is a sign of the Mandalorian’s incredible devotion to the gods and the cause of the Eternal Crusade, most often manifesting in the form of a glorious vision from Kad Ha’rangir after the death or exile of the current Grand Master.
Special Ranks/Roles
  • The Brother/Sister Oblatia is a unique rank.

    The oath of willing sacrifice for the sins of another. A Chosen who takes up this oath seeks not to atone for some direct misdeed of their own, but through profound spiritual conviction to take on the weight of another’s sins, most commonly a blood relative, some infamous ancestor or stain on their family line, or, more rarely, for the past transgression of a friend, a people, or a whole world.

    Although they seek ultimate atonement by the manner of their death, the onus on them is to atone through their deeds, most specifically in defeating Mandalore’s great enemies—combating and defeating the enemies of the Chosen without regard to self, injury or hardship. Through the Brother/Sister Oblatia’s battles, victories and ultimately the manner of their death, they hope to gain for the object of their sacrifice some measure of forgiveness in the eyes of the gods.

    Brother/Sister Oblatia are accorded a respectful distance and honored place in the prayers of their fellow Chosen. They are viewed as pilgrims on a dark and lonely road, but at the end of which lies a shining goal. The Brother/Sister Oblatia themselves often seem mercurial compared to other Chosen, quick to righteous anger, stubborn, independent, and brought to a life of endless wandering in search of the foe.

    Those who are bound by the Oath of Oblation are driven by a fury that can tolerate neither sin, nor deviation, nor lapse in purity. This righteous anger is fueled by the bitterness of having sacrificed that which others throw away. The Brother/Sister Oblatia has damned themselves and destroyed their purity so that they can serve the gods and Mandalore, while the lost and damned that they hunt have fallen not for duty, but because they are selfish, deluded, and weak. Not only are they blasphemous, but they have scorned the purity that the Brother/Sister Oblatia craves and can never again have.

    Becoming an Brother/Sister Oblatia is an act of self-annihilation in which the past is burnt away, faith voided, and a new life begun in bitterness and the ashes of purity. They are undone, and their souls shattered by what they believe they must do. In the creed of the Brother/Sister Oblatia, the moment at which a servant of the three gods willingly accepts damnation, and the loss of their purity, is a moment at which they must accept that they are dead. All their hopes, fears, and dreams are annihilated in the act of willing damnation. From this moment on, all that they were is gone, and they rise reborn as a damned thing of fury and righteous purpose.

    A Player Character who wants to take the oath would have to go before a Shield-Captain at minimum and must be vetted by their superiors to judge the validity and intention of the oath. This is to make certain that the Chosen will not take the sins of another lightly, throw their life away in the first engagement, and accomplish nothing, but also to ensure that the weight of sin is something worth atoning for and not just some imaginary or minor transgression. They must accumulate an equivalent level of redemptive deeds to wipe the slate clean. So, while a glorious death is still the end goal, the Brother/Sister Oblatia needs to keep a conscious tally of what contributes to the overall redemption of their oath, so they will only throw their lives away if it is actually worth doing so. In many cases they will find that their task can never be completed given the magnitude of the original sin, causing them to go on an eternal pilgrimage in the hopes that killing enough enemies will one day let them atone for the sins they bear.
  • The Firekeeper is an honored caretaker of the Black Keep and is charged with the defense of it. For the most part the Firekeepers themselves never leave Mandalore, and only rarely leave the Black Keep. It is the Firekeepers that decide who may enter the Black Keep, and when.

    Selected among the most-veteran of the Chosen, these stoic and proven guardians spend their days roaming the halls of their ancient fortress, ensuring the Eternal Flame is never at risk of dying. Their lives are that of constant meditation, training, and defending the Keep, offering their skills to the Inner Circle if needed. On top of this, it is their sacred duty to defend any of the relics that the Chosen may store inside the sanctums of the Keep. So revered are the Firekeepers and their duties among the Chosen that it is considered a crime to speak ill of or disrespect the Firekeeper in any matter, for without them the Keep would again fall into disrepair.

    Due to the restrictive nature of this rank, it is not allowed to Player Characters. Instead, only NPCs are allowed to be Firekeepers in order to have a constant garrison at the Keep while the PC members go off and do things. If you absolutely, positively want to be a Firekeeper PC, it can be worked out, though your PC must first be a veteran Chosen either through IC or backstory methods.
  • The Chaplain, is an integral member of the Chosen and answers directly to the Praetors and Grand Master. They are charged with overseeing the spiritual purity and fulfillment of the Chosen, as well as ensuring morale among the warriors never wavers. Often the most fanatical in their beliefs among a group of the devout, the Chaplain's role is to root out heresy, inspire other Chosen by chanting a litany of verses, maintain the Chosen’s relics (alongside the Firekeepers) and traditions, and instill a righteous fury among their brothers and sisters. They still hold whatever rank they achieve within the Chosen and may continue to advance - they are just granted the supreme duty of spiritual guidance.

    Compared to the rest of the Chosen, a Chaplain bears many motifs of the mortality and frailty of a warrior on their armor, which incorporates the Mandalorian color for mourning – Grey. This serves as a reminder to their brothers and sisters that, no matter what, they will one day die and join the Manda, and that they ought to welcome their coming demise with an open heart.

    This rank is fully accessible to Player Characters, though they would first need to be vetted by the Grand Master in order to assure the purity of their faith. As the spiritual caretakers of the Chosen, it is paramount that they are steadfast and loyal in their beliefs, lest corruption plant its sinister roots within the Chosen.

Assets
Due to the Chosen's relative obscurity in the galaxy at large and the centuries of neglect, it maintains but a few assets:

Bases
Assets

It currently has a small population of members, of which twelve are Leandros' personal retinue. These twelve, steadfast in their faith and veterans of many conflicts, are chosen as the first Firekeepers of the Chosen.

Additionally, Leandros, the current (would-be) Grand Master, has under his command a fleet of Mandalorian warships due to his service in the name of his people. These warships serve in the Chosen's interests so long as those interests align with those of the Mandalorians.


Roster
Grand Master:

Praetor:

Shield-Captain:

Sword-Brethren:

Rewards
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The rank insignia of the Chosen is based around the eternal flame that burns within their ancient keep. The most basic rank, the Sword-Brother, is just the center flame on its own. The next step up, Shield-Captain, is the flame and the left quarter semicircle. The Praetor is the previous two, plus the second half of the semicircle. The final rank, Grand Master, is the full emblem depicted here.

(Awarded on Initiation/Promotion)





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This symbol of the Chosen is awarded to all members who have demonstrated exceptional valor and piety, and they are expected to bear the symbol proudly on their armor. It is a mark of high honor among the Mandalorians, and seeing the emblem on the armor of a fellow Chosen brings the two Mandalorians close in a fraternity that few could understand, even within an already close-knit faction. For those who bear this sigil, they are afforded a great deal of respect among their peers, for it showcases that they have fought the enemy and survived where their foe did not.

(4 PVP Wins or 8 ASK Missions)

Intent
The intent for this sub-organization is to delve deeper into the religious aspect of Mandalorian culture, since it plays such a large role in how they operate. As such, I wanted to set the foundations for a pretty cool religious group that will hopefully last across timelines for other Mandalorians. The idea of it came from @Arclight, who created the original Chosen back in the 6th TL before we went back in time and started using more of our own site canon. That, and who can resist the prospect of CRUSAED? I expect to be pretty active with this sub-org, so you can expect mission packs fairly frequently to do some pretty neat things.


Sign up if interested!
 
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