I submit to the One Truth; there is but One Universe, One People, One Goal, One Gargan. By awaking from the Dream I know that I am free. While I am free, there shall be no fear. While I am free, there shall be no illusion. While I am free, there shall be no control. While I am free, my body has become a weapon. While I am free, I vow to serve and protect the King-that-never-dies. This is as is decreed by the Everything. I am Adeptis, son of God!
—Excerpt from the Adeptan Creed.
The Adeptis Uralis (Garganese: "Ur's Adepts"), also known as the Awakened or the Gargan's Fists were a highly elite and independent military branch of Gargan's Empire, loyal to none other than the Gargan himself. It was the smallest branch in the military, though famous for their sheer power, dedication, extreme loyalty, and tolerance to pain. The Adeptis Uralis followed their own command structure and held a specific religious culture distinct from the Cult of Ur or the Order of Gargan. Its ranks were filled mainly by Ur-Warriors, genetically-enhanced Force-sensitive soldiers with impressive military skills and martial prowess, made famous throughout Gargan Space for their ruthlessness, coldness, extreme devotion, religious fanaticism, and extensive Force powers.
The Adeptis were the result of Force-sensitive children born in the Empire. From birth, these children were taken from their parents and fostered at the Temple of the Dreamers. From the age of six onward, they were trained in the brutal and gruesome circumstances of the Adeptan Trials, involving various rituals and training sessions organized by the Holy Tribunal which augmented their Force abilities and conditioned them to ignore pain, physical or psychological. Ur-Recruits as young as ten were then taken into the wilderness to fend and survive on their own, induced with mind-altering drugs which allowed them to attune more closely with the Force.
By the age of sixteen, recruits went on a spiritual pilgrimage known as the Path of Healing in which they were forced to climb Garganath's infamously massive mountains to find and commune with a Tyrrhan sky leviathan. Upon their return, the last and most gruesome ritual awaited them, the Trial of the Dreamers. During the Trial, recruits were fed by a combination of secret herbs, infusions and tests. Those who survived became fully-realized Ur-Warriors.
History[]
Creation[]
After the formation of Gargan's Empire, the Gargan Conquests began. The newly formed Empire sought to expand and consolidate its borders, carving out a region of space in which they could build and settle themselves as a major galactic power. The Empire's founder, Gargan the Conqueror, was quick to build the Empire's military force, reactivating Garganath's derelict shipyard and developing a standardized manufacturing process for constructing ground vehicles and armament. However, the matter of the new empire's Force-sensitives remained.
Force-sensitives already formed an integral part of Garganath's cultures even before the arrival of Gargan's Empire. Most Force-sensitives became shamans or tribal healers, while others were to be worshipped as demigods by the local populace. Gargan the Conqueror, who himself was once a Jedi Knight-turned-Sith Lord, knew that his Forceful subjects needed careful training if they were to use the full breadth of their power. He recruited three of Garganath's most notable Force-sensitives, who became the first members of the Holy Tribunal.
The new Holy Tribunal recruited more Force-sensitives and provided special training overseen by Gargan the Conqueror. Using a mixture of Jedi and Sith teachings, the new Force-sensitives were taught to tap into their deepest emotions in times of combat, but to seek serenity and balance when the fighting was done. In balancing between the light and dark side, the new Forceful warriors of the Gargan found a new ideology in which to wage war. Henceforth, the Adeptis Uralis was founded.
Years of Peace[]
Throughout much of the Years of Peace, the Adeptis Uralis' existence was kept a secret. Since the nascent Empire could not risk the Jedi or any Sith remnants to discover that they had been building an army of Force adepts, the recruitment of Force-sensitive acolytes at the Temple of the Dreamers into the Adeptis was attributed to students running away. Around this period, the Empire first began building their headquarters and training temples in secret on Bucheshan. The Trial of the Dreamers was also eventually put into effect, with the Tower of Mysteries tasked with developing rituals meant to physically augment Adeptan recruits. Through a collaboration with the Tower of Knowledge, the Empire discovered a way to sever the connection between the brain and pain receptors, eventually paving the way for the modern Trial of the Dreamers.
Adeptis deployment became relatively uncommon. At times, soldiers would be sent on foreign missions to collect intel on any possible enemies to the Empire. The Gargan used the Adeptis solely as a black ops squad, tasked with embarking on missions that could not be traced back to the Gargan or the Order of Gargan. It wasn't until the Gargan Dark Age that the Adeptis returned to prominence.
Dark Age[]
At the onset of the Gargan Dark Age, Gargan Space was in turmoil after the onslaught of the Golden War. Imperial territories became divided between loyalist systems and the Gacilian and Zoyaman empires. The incumbent Gargan, Gargan the Great, was faced with a considerable shortage of troops. To remedy this, he began deploying the Adeptis in full. Ur-Warriors were planted deep within enemy territory, tasked with discreetly assassinating high-ranking officers within the Houses Minor. Additionally, Adeptan soldiers were given temporary command of battalions, leading decisive battles such as the Battle of Zatan. Eventually, Imperial society began to learn of the existence of the Adeptis Uralis - doing away with their long-built secrecy. The full might of the Adeptis was put on display during the Battle of Zatan where Ur-Warrior Avanchek demonstrated her extensive Force powers by singlehandedly laying waste to Fort Zatan.
Later on in the conflict, the Adeptis were recruited into House Ebbar's plan to annihilate House Rabban at Hessen Station. Disguised as servants and musicians, Adeptis soldiers efficiently and brutally murdered the leaders of the Houses Minor - effectively ending the war. As reward for their service, Gargan the Great granted significant subsidation to the Adeptis Uralis and their facilities on Bucheshan, increasing their recruitment.
Decline and restoration[]
An Ur-Warrior during the Gargan Civil War.
Leading up to the Interregnum Period, Gargan's Empire became divided because of the ongoing Clone Wars. Gargan the Abominable had begun siding with the Confederacy of Independent Systems, leading to a scandal in which the Galactic Republic learned that the Empire housed Republic political prisoners on the penal colony Osnoraan. After fully breaking from the Republic, Gargan the Abominable began deploying the Adeptis on secret raids across Republic-controlled space. One of the agents was seventeen-year old Daor Hassrath, who had recently completed his Trial of the Dreamers. When the CIS eventually fell, Gargan Space erupted in a civil war. Rebel forces managed to poison and murder Gargan the Abominable, leading to the Adeptis to isolate themselves from the conflict. Eventually, however, the Galactic Empire arrived to assume control. Without a Gargan, Myrra was at risk of falling to the Empire. In a last effort, the Order of Gargan pled to the Adeptis to defend the city. While most refused, some - among them Hassrath - agreed.
In what would become the Last Stand on Myrra, the Adeptis assembled en masse at the Imperial Palace where they engaged with Stormtroopers. For nearly a full week, the Adeptis held their own against an overwhelming force of Imperial soldiers, until the last man fell. Only Hassrath managed to escape, urged by his superior to seek out the next Gargan. After many years, Hassrath finally met Emeric Armac Aloysaine and a young man named Orabane Tremere. Bound to retake Garganath, he joined them on the mission to oust the Empire from Gargan's Space, during which Aloysaine perished. Realizing that it was Tremere who would assume the mantle of Gargan, Hassrath pledged fealty to him and helped him kill Moff Gereon Vexus.
With Gargan's Empire liberated, the Adeptis Uralis was rebuilt with Hassrath as Exarch. In the years that followed, the Adeptis became hailed as protectors and saviors of the Empire - the last force of Garganese soldiers who helped bring back the Gargan.
Philosophy[]
The Adeptis were a sect of the Cult of Ur and followed most of its core principles and beliefs. They believed in Ur, an omnipotent entity responsible for creating the Universe. They worshipped the Gargan as the reincarnated son of Ur and the appointed messiah of all sentient life. According to the Cult, the entirety of existence was simply a dream conceived by Ur. Most lived in this dream passively, though a select few had the ability to exert some minor control over this dream - manifesting as Force powers. These "Ur-Touched" held incredible power, though if untrained they would not be able to control Ur's gifts. To remedy this, the Gargan created the Adeptis Uralis.
Their core philosophy could be simplified to "Reom tam-shavoyd" (Removed from the material). The Adeptis did not follow conventional Garganist customs, making them stand out considerably from Imperial society. The Adeptis believed that their Force-sensitivity detached them from the material universe, and as such conventional societal standards did not apply to them. In contrast to Imperial customs, the Adeptis did not discriminate their members based on sex; men and women were on equal footing in the order. The Adeptis' beliefs further diverged from orthodox Cult teachings in a couple of ways. Firstly, the Adeptis did not view the Mordan or the Order of Gargan as holy figures, instead believing them to be simply proxies for the Gargan's power. Secondly, the Adeptis were not loyal to the Gargan Imperium; they took their orders only from the Gargan and fell out of the mainstream bureaucratic apparatus of the Empire. Neither the Order of Gargan, the Mordan, nor the military Teiateal had any authority over them.
The Adeptis' core teachings were included in the Adeptan Creed. In the Creed, the Adeptis were instructed to not be merciful or show weakness. Since they considered themselves removed from the material world and above mortal affairs, they did not believe that things such as empathy, sympathy, or mercy applied to them. In this way, the Adeptan warriors were cultivated to be brutally ruthless and discouraged to feel any guilt over what they did. The Creed also forbade personal attachments, such as romance or material possessions. Lastly, the Adeptis always had to follow every command from the Gargan to the letter; any disobedience was met with a swift death.
Organization[]
Leadership[]
The nominal leader of the Adeptis Uralis was the Exarch. The Exarch was considered to be the second-most powerful Force-sensitive in the Empire after the Gargan himself. A highly advanced Force adept, the Exarch had delved so deeply in Adeptan rituals that he was unable to speak or see, relying only on his visions to communicate with his underlings. The Exarch mostly sat in deep meditation in the Temple of the Dreamers, involved in a form of attunement with the Force that was little understood. The Exarch established a mental communication line with the Gargan, relaying his orders telepathically to the Holy Tribunal.
The Holy Tribunal was the de-facto governing council of the Adeptis. They were experienced warriors and learned clerics involved in the day-to-day managing of the Adeptis, coordinating battle plans with Ur-Commanders and ensuring discipline in the ranks. The Tribunal also offered spiritual guidance to Adeptis members and provided healing accommodations to those wounded in battle. Despite their position, the Holy Tribunal was not involved in political matters and mostly kept their distance from Imperial leadership.
Ranks[]
Advancement in the Adeptis was based on seniority and experience, not too dissimilar from the Armada of the Red Sun. The official hierarchy of the Adeptis, in descending order, was:
- Exarch: Nominal head of the order. The Exarch was the order's liaison and spokesperson to the Gargan, relaying his orders telepathically to his underlings. However, because the Exarch was most often in deep meditation and incapable of conventional communication because of years of immersion in Adeptan rituals, they were normally left out of the day-to-day management of the order. The Exarch was also a uniquely unusual political position; since the typical chauvinistic ideology of Garganism did not apply in the Uralis, women had the same chances of becoming an Exarch as the men.
- Holy Tribunal: Governing council responsible for the day-to-day managing of the order. The Holy Tribunal were more than often the face of the order, responsible for coordinating missions and presiding over advancement and wages. The Tribunal was also often rivaled with the Order of Gargan, because of their similar ecclesiastical positions and power.
- First Cleric: The senior archivist and second-in-command of the Exarch, to whom the Ur-Commanders yearly sent reports. The First Cleric was also responsible for handling interorganizational communication, such as ensuring regular shipment of armor, weapons and resources. They also handled supply lines, acted as an intermediary between commanders and the Tribunal, and organized and paid yearly wages to soldiers.
- Ur-Commander: Senior commanding officers, usually in charge of entire Adeptan battalions. They were charged with coordinating battles and running strategy simulations in times of war. Ur-Commanders were typically surrounded by Senior Sentinels, who acted as their lieutenants. Ur-Commanders were also in control of Adeptan military installations or bases, or in times of crises could be given special privileges to command entire platoons and planetary units.
- Senior Sentinel: Formal title given to veteran warriors who deserved special privilege. They occasionally commanded small groups of warriors, usually sub-units of battalions.
- Ur-Warrior: Name given to rank-and-file Adeptis soldiers who survived the Trial of the Dreamers.
- Ur-Recruit: Individuals who have not yet underwent the Trial of the Dreamers and were still in training. Since those who were selected to face the Trial were typically young adults, virtually all Ur-Recruits were children or teenagers.
Training[]
Early upbringing[]
Gargan's Empire held a seemingly endless collection of data on all its citizens, including age, gender, species, economic status, marital status, and midi-chlorian count. Only the Gargan and members of the Order of Gargan held access to these files, using it to maintain overview over each individual person within Gargan Space. When a child with an exceeding number of midi-chlorians would be discovered, delegates from the Order would come to take the child to the Temple of the Dreamers on Myrra - a massive temple complex dedicated to housing and training Force-sensitives in the Empire. Typically, most Force-sensitive acolytes in the Temple would become priests of the Cult of Ur or Cult templars, to eventually serve Imperial society in whatever capacity. However, a select few would be recruited into the Adeptis Uralis.
At the age of six, some children in the Temple would be woken from their beds at night and forcefully taken to Bucheshan, a remote planet located in the fringes of Gargan Space. Immediately on arrival, the children were shaved and separated into different dormitories based on sex, with mute Adeptan soldiers to keep watch. From the age of six until fifteen, the children were trained in the gruesome conditions of Bucheshan that saw almost half (6 out of every 13) die before the age of eleven. They were induced with Ur-Spice and set loose on Bucheshan, surviving for five weeks on their own while in a delirious state. The Spice enhanced their mental faculties, allowing them to attune more intimately with the Force. In addition, the recruits were trained in the art of swordsmanship, espionage, and endured specific daily sessions which conditioned them to selectively block parts of their psychology, preventing them from feeling empathy, guilt, or doubt.
Path of Healing[]
At the age of sixteen, most male children in the Empire would embark on their bogrot. However, Adeptan recruits would face a completely different trial. They were taken to Garganath and instructed to choose any mountain they found most alluring. Then, they were sent onto the Path of Healing - a ritual which required them to find and commune with a Tyrrhan sky leviathan, a semi-sentient whale-like lifeform capable of transmitting thoughts or visions of the future to any willing supplicant; most of whom spent their entire lives on the summit of a mountain. During the Path of Healing, most would succumb to the elements before even reaching the top. Those who survived and managed to find a sky leviathan eventually returned to Buchesan.
After finishing the Path of Healing, the recruits were allowed a month of reprieve from training. In this period, they meditated on whichever vision or premonition the leviathans gave them, with a focus on mental strengthening and conditioning rather than physical training. They began studying the Adeptan Creed and memorizing its code by heart, learning what it takes to be ruthless and without mercy. Once the month ended, the recruits would embark on their last and most gruesome challenge: the Trial of the Dreamers.
Trial of the Dreamers[]
The Trial of the Dreamers lasted for nearly a full week. It required the absorption of a type of virus and a mixture of alchemical ingredients that modified the physiology of the subject. These herbs severed the connection between neurons and pain receptors, effectively ensuring that its survivors were incapable of feeling pain or physical discomfort. However, it also damaged their somatosensory system, removing the sensation of touch. Furthermore, mutagenic elixirs were absorbed as well. Throughout the ordeal, the children were kept bound on a table in an isolated environment, and no one was allowed to enter throughout the duration of the Trial. The herbs and elixirs were injected directly to the immobilized children's veins. Most recruits died by the third day. The survivors, agitated by strikes of sudden madness, would fall into a deep stupor.
When the recruits awoke by the seventh day, their eyes had taken a distinctive amber color, signifying that their transformation was complete. No more than ten or, at best, nine in twenty survived; the rest died in agony. When the Trial was finished, the recruits were brought to Bucheshan's main hall and finally inducted into the Adeptis Uralis. The Gargan traditionally oversaw their ceremony, during which the new Ur-Warriors pledged loyalty to their Emperor in person. Typically, the Ur-Warriors would gain a new name depending on their personality, history, or physical characteristics. In the end, out of every hundred children selected to train on Bucheshan, only nine ever survived to become Ur-Warriors.
Equipment[]
Armor[]
The standard armor worn by an Adeptan soldier was called a shaddakeen. A shaddakeen was a highly valued and ceremonial set of armor made out of shad iron, a precious resource mined on Bucheshan known for both its flexibility and durability. A shaddakeen was typically layered and tightly worn. It consisted of a breastplate, shoulder - and armguards, kneepads, ankle-high boots, a helmet and gauntlets. Traditionally, a cape was worn in addition. Underneath a shaddakeen, one would typically wear a full body suit which registered an Adeptan's vital functions. It was also used to regulate body heat, recycle moisture produced by the body, and provide comfortability in combat or physical stress. The shaddakeen and the body suit, if kept in working order and maintained regularly, permitted the wearer to survive in even the most hostile conditions.
Sometimes, an Adeptan soldier could install his own augmentations or modification to his suit - such as repulsor boots, a grappling hook, or even a flamethrower. Almost every soldier was also issued a standard jetpack to be installed on their suit, further improving their mobility and diversifying their fighting style. Shaddakeen armor and modifications tended to be very expensive and its repair and replacement was costly. Costs for repairing or replacing a set of shaddakeen armor was often reducted from a soldier's own wages.
Weapons[]
The Adeptis Uralis depended on their mobility, maneuvarability, and Force powers to defeat an opponent. As such, they tended to be lightly armed. All Adeptan soldiers carried a falx, a blaster, and a vibroknife. The falx was a type of Tyrrhan weapon largely based on a lightsaber. It was shaped like a spear, often made out of an easily-manufacturable metal alloy, and carried a diatium power cell affixed to a focusing crystal. The falx differed from the conventional lightsaber in that it was light of weight and easy to carry, typically requiring only one hand to hold it. It was also designed to be aerodynamic, with its wielders often throwing or hurling it at an enemy. A falx was also used in combination with Force powers for greater effectiveness and lethality.
In addition, Adeptan soldiers carried a blaster as a sidearm, which generally was a blaster pistol. Occassionally, however, a soldier would opt for a blaster rifle if they could afford the decreased mobility. The preferred brand of blaster used by the Adeptis was a Renegade heavy blaster pistol. Occasionally, though rarely, the Adeptis carried a lasgun.
For close encounters, the Adeptis wielded a vibroknife. These were often concealed in a secret compartment in their boots. Adeptan soldiers were trained in a variety of hand-to-hand combat which made them equally as deadly up close as from afar. Their choice of weapons often required them to be closer to their enemy than a standard Garganese soldier. Their light equipment and high maneuvarability made them both deadly and feared throughout the Empire.
Powers and abilities[]
All Ur-Warriors were trained in basic Force abilities and could opt for advanced training after completing the Adeptan Trials. Recently graduated Adeptan soldiers were able to use telekinesis, Force lightning, Force healing and battle meditation to at least a certain degree. Some were also adept in psychometry, using it during tracking or recon missions. Ur-Warriors were described to be on par with a fully realized Jedi Knight in terms of martial prowess and knowledge on the Force, and comparisons were often made between the two. However, the Adeptis did not fully reject the dark side of the Force just as much as they did not fully reject the light side. As such, a typical Ur-Warrior would tap into their emotions or dark memories during the heat of the battle, but would regain focus and serenity once combat had concluded. Maintaining this balance was crucial for an Ur-Warrior and was included in some of their core teachings. More experienced soldiers also occasionally used telepathy to communicate clandestinely between members or relay sensitive information. Although it was not commonly practiced, Ur-Warriors were able to use voice manipulation on lesser-willed beings.
In physical combat, Ur-Warriors were seen as some of the most skilled and elite forces in the galaxy. They were trained extensively in both hand-to-hand and melee combat, but were also sufficiently proficient in ranged weapon training and possessed an extensive arsenal. All Ur-Warriors carried a falx, a Tyrrhan spear specifically designed to be used in concert with Force powers. It was a lightweight polearm ideal for maintaining mobility and maneuvaribility in any situation. The compact and lightweighted nature of the shaddakeen also allowed for acrobatics to be used. Ur-Warriors were famous for their inhuman speed and lightning-quick reflexes, made possible by the Trial of the Dreamers. Ur-Warriors utilized a form of movement heavily influenced by ancient Tyrrhan physical and psychological training, which allowed them to maneuver around a combatant and immobilize their ability to react. To the opponent (and any bystanders) the movement seemed almost like close-quarter teleportation.
Soldiers of the Adeptis Uralis also possessed advanced survival skills. They were described as excellent trackers - making them highly suitable for manhunts or assassination missions. Ur-Warriors were further skilled in espionage, subterfuge, hunting, underwater swimming, and starfighter piloting. Because of what they endured in the Trial of the Dreamers, Ur-Warriors were incapable of feeling pain as their pain receptors had been burnt out during the final stages of the Adeptan Trials. However, this also made them dangerously susceptible to bodily harm as they could not tell whether they had received physical trauma. To compensate this, their shaddakeen armor carried special sensors that detected ruptures in the skin, broken bones, bruising, or damaged organs. Another side effect of the Trial of the Dreamers was the deactivation of their somatosensory system, robbing them of the sensation of touch. This perpetuated the rumor that Ur-Warriors were incapable of empathy or establishing romantic attractions - a falsehood disproven by Daor Hassrath after engaging in a romantic relationship with Meirin Danell.
