The Gargan is the mind of the Empire, but the Order are the hands that exert that mind's thoughts.
—Unknown
The Order of Gargan was a nine-member council that served as the ruling body of Gargan's Empire, as well as forming the governing council of the Landsmeet. Aside from being a political organization, the Order of Gargan were also a religious sect who dictated the religious doctrines according to the Red Sun Scrolls. All of the Order's members were powerful Force-sensitives proficient in the use of telepathy.
The Order was originally founded from nine Galactic Republic scientists. According to lore, when Reuel Ahlcain was given a choice to allow nine of his fifteen scientist allies to keep alive, he chose nine of the most intelligent and wisest among them. As such, the tradition of choosing nine exceptionally gifted members of society to join the Order is still maintained.
Organization[]
Powers and succession[]
Robes worn by an Order member.
The ruling body of Gargan's Empire, the Order of Gargan consisted of nine Force-sensitives. Since the Gargan could not realistically oversee every branch of the government, the Order was formed to handle the day-to-day managing of the Empire. They regularly updated the Gargan on the affairs of the state, and could request his intervention if needed. As such, while the Order of Gargan held executive and legislative powers, they still required the approval of the Gargan in order to have their motions come into effect. The Order of Gargan also served as the governing council of the Landsmeet, the legislative assembly of the Empire comprised of the Empire's Kolkans, or noble families.
The Order of Gargan was also a religious order. They were effectively a group of high priests who mandated the Cult of Ur, the Empire's state religion, according to the religious doctrines established by the Red Sun Scrolls. The Order of Gargan officially conducted ceremonies or prayer sessions, could canonize certain individuals as Saints, approved or disapproved marriages and divorces, and handled the funding for any state-owned churches in the Empire.
A seat on the Order of Gargan meant that one was among the most powerful individuals in the Empire—second only to the Mordan and Gargan. In the traditional order of succession, a fallen member's apprentice was the first choice to replace them, though there were other routes to gaining a seat. Sometimes, an exceptionally powerful and intellectually gifted individual who was not apprenticed to any sitting member of the Order in the Empire would be considered for induction into the Order if a vacant seat needed to be filled. The Order required that all nine seats were filled, as each seat oversaw a specific branch of the government.
The Nine Towers[]
The Order channeling their Force powers in the Temple of the Dreamers.
Each member of the Order controlled one of the Nine Towers of Might within the empire. The hierarchy within the Towers was stratified, descending all the way down from the political elite to the lowest of serviles. Each Tower supervised a branch of the government, and all Nine Towers contained various ministeries and departments meant to form the bureaucratic structure of the government. The Nine Towers were the Tower of Justice, which made up the judicial branch of the government and oversaw the courts. The Tower of Foreign Affairs handled diplomatic missions, trade with other nations, and maintained alliances. The Tower of Civil Defense handled domestic security and internal affairs, anti-terrorism, espionage, and protected the secrets of the government. The Tower of War supervised military strategy, offense and defense and were in control of the Armada of the Red Sun. This Tower was often in direct contact with the Mordan. The Tower of Mysteries, which studied the Force and all its aspects - and was widely considered the most mysterious of the Towers. The Tower of Production oversaw internal production of goods and services, and were largely responsible for maintaining the economy. The Tower of Technology supervised the research, production, and utilization of Garganese technology. The Tower of Health handled healthcare and oversaw hospitals and medical facilities. Finally there was the Tower of Knowledge, which was responsible for overseeing the educational and the cultural sectors of the Empire. They also produced propaganda and mentally reconditioned those who fell out of favor with the Empire's ideologies.
The head of a Tower, who subsequently was a sitting member of the Order, was called a "Proctor". Despite the immense significance of religion and theology in the Empire, there was no Tower directly responsible for overseeing the religious sectors, as every member of the Order collectively controlled the religion.
