Vindari Hierarchy (V.H)

Vindari Hierarchy (V.H)
300px
Restrictions	Alliances with human powers, alliances with major powers, membership in the Entente or HDC
Leaders	High Empress Vaasti
Species	Vindari, Vanu, Varik'Dor
Inclination	Darkness
Population	12 Billion
Government	Caste-based Hierarchy
Religion	Ancestor Worship/Pagan Pantheon
Currency	Barter
Primary Languages	Vau, Vanuush, Varik
Home World	Valar
Core Planets	Valar, Vanova, Alikar
Organizational Alliance	*To Be Determined*
Trade Agreements	*To Be Determined*

History

Much of the Vindari's history was lost due to the Great Sundering, their defeat by the Commonwealth and death of their home star. What little of their history was saved was maintained through a few records, and the oral histories and legends passed down by the religious caste. Long before the Great Sundering, the Vindari ruled a great empire through Warrior-Emperor's, who personally helped carve out the Vindari's bloody conquests. However this all changed when the Vindari happened upon, to them, a small primitive fleet of ships. The ships kept their distance, and when they attempted to contact the Vindari, the Vindari took the opportunity to hack the ship's databases, revealing all the worlds and systems of the Commonwealth. The Vindari were in a desperate situation, their home star was dying and chaos was reigning throughout their empire. When they discovered the humans, they had believed they found a race ripe for conquest, and whose worlds could be used to house their population, and whose people could be used as a slave race. Having gotten the information needed, they destroyed the small flotilla, and gathered their forces. Within weeks they struck at the Commonwealth, before they realized what had happened to their exploration flotilla. For the early beginnings of the war, the Vindari found it too easy. The outer colonies of the Commonwealth had fallen to the vanguard alone, which allowed the Vindari to regroup and strike again before their adversaries could even know what was happening, or they thought.

The Commonwealth had been taken by surprise by the Vindari blitzkrieg, but they were able to organize faster than the Vindari believed. For a year-and-a-half, the Vindari blitzed their way through the Commonwealth mid-range colonies, always leaving a chunk of their forces behind as a garrison for every conquered colony. However the Vindari would soon realize their mistake. What the Vindari hadn't known, was that the Commonwealth was laying a trap. At the Battle of Proxima, the Vindari found themselves out-maneuvered and out-fought, having whittled down their fleet with their previous conquests. The Vindari were forced to retreat, the majority of their mighty fleet annilhated. Their hated adversaries then went on the offensive, taking back every gain the Vindari had made, as their token garrisons were always meant just to keep the local population subdued, not defend against a viscious conter-strike. In just a few months, the Vindari found themselves in a desperate situation. The situation in their home system was dire, their star entering it's final stages of life. Having failed to aquire new territory for their species, the Vindari were forced to surrender and leave Commonwealth space, lest they lose their entire fleet and their last chance for survival. The Vindari however refused to meet the hated humans face-to-face, preferring not to have to face their own humilation.

With no other choice, the Vindari were forced to abandon their home, and take what was left of their species aboard their fleet. For ten years the Vindari searched, before coming upon a habitable system. They settled down and began the process of rebuilding their empire. Over the years the Vindari successfully rebuilt their civilization, and began expanding once more. The Vindari's first conquest were the Vanu, a prosperous space-faring species, with a decent navy. The Vindari had learned from their mistakes in their disastrous war against the Commonwealth, and so applied new tactics and strategies to their war of conquest. In two years, the Vanu capitulated to the Vindari, and they were soon incorporated into the Vindari Hierarchy as a client species. A few years later the Vindari came upon the Varik'Dor, a more war-like and militarized species than the Vanu. Though their fleet was not as impressive as that of the Vanu, their terrestial forces were a formidable force. It took the Vindari twenty years and many wars to subdue the Varik'Dor, but eventually the Varik'Dor also capitulated to the Vindari, and were made another client species.

However throughout all this, the Vindari never forgot about humanity, and nursed a genrational hatred of the species that had cost them so much, looking for the day they could take vengeance. In 2865 GC the Vindari believed they finally discovered their opportunity for revenge, when they began picking up stray signals from Kurgan space. A few days later, their scouts had discovered a human world, one of the Bridgend outer colonies. Soon they also discovered a Kurgan world, Minsk. As they saw that the Bridgend colonies were more advanced, they simply believed the Kurgan world to be a lesser developed colony world. The Vindari jumped on this opportunity for revenge, and marshalled their forces for war. They sent a smaller force to Minsk as a distraction, while the Vindari focused their efforts on the more advanced Bridgend. The Vindari Conflict as it was known to the galaxy, or the Second Human-Vindari War to the Commonwealth, lasted two months. The Vindari had mistaked the Kurgan and Bridgend worlds as belonging to the same foe they fought centuries ago, and had greatly under-estimated the human military forces. For the second time, the Vindari had suffered a humilating defeat at the hands of humans. This caused further bitterness and hatred among Vindari society, and the head of the invasion force, Warmaster Vashu took his own life rather than face the shame of his defeat.

However during the war, the Vindari had discovered that there were still other non-human civilizations, more powerful that the civilizations they had conquered. Though heavily isolationist, and believing themselves to be superior, the Leadership Caste came to the painful conclusion that the Vindari would have to end their isolation. However this cost much unrest among the castes, as the Worker Caste feared that foreign and alien goods would overshadow their own, the Warrior Caste saw potential new enemies, the Religious Caste feared the influence of alien ideas and religions on their own, and while the Leadership Caste headed the cause of ending isolation, they feared the intrusion and overshadowing of their empire.

Race

The Vindari are a slightly humanoid race, being a bipedal species with two forward facing eyes, but that's where the similarities end. They are considered quite ugly among humans, as well as some of the other species. They have chitinous features, and speak via a series of clicks and other sounds. The Navu are a blue-tinged race, averaging 5'10" and come from a proud maritime tradition. They were conquered by the Vindari centuries ago, but spared total enslavement, due to the Warrior Caste's recognition of their maritime prowess. Instead they were adopted by the Warrior Caste, and made into naval auxiliaries, and over the centuries have proven a loyal and reliable force. The Varik'Dor are another conquered race, proving to be the opposite of the Navu, having orginally held off the Vindari not through naval power, but their impressive terrestial forces. It took decades for the Vindari to conquer them, and when they finally surrendered, the Warrior Caste were so impressed that they adopted them as shock troops. They are a grey-ish brown tinged race, averaging 6'2" in height, and stocky build.

Society

Vindari society is a caste-based system, divided into the worker caste, warrior caste, religious caste and the leadership caste. The Worker Caste build and maintain the Vindari infrastructure, and also produce the weapons and ships the warrior's use. The Warrior Caste are the military of the Hierarchy, whose sole purpose is to fight. The Religious Caste uphold the traditions and old faiths of the Hierarchy, and are responsible for maintaining purity among the Vindari, and as well fulfill the role of historians, philosophers and inquisitors. The Leadership Caste are the leaders of Vindari society, who guide and lead the entire species. The top of the Leadership Caste is the Imperial Family, who sees all and controls all.

A Vindar born into a caste can never leave, unless he or she partake in a solemn ritual, in which he or she cuts all ties with their former caste, and swears their loyalty to the new one. However when a Vindar does this ritual, they are shunned by their former caste and family, and are never allowed to return. They are also tied to their new caste for the remainder of their lives, and are treated like a stranger in their new caste. A Vindar must work much harder and do more to gain the respect of their new caste, compared to those who were born into it. The warrior and leadership castes are the most unforgiving towards defectors. The warrior caste has been known to kill defecting warriors if they attempt to come back.

A Vindar however who willingly abandons their caste, whether by deserting, or by attempting to return to their former caste by force are considered outcast. A Vindar may also be considered outcast for not showing the proper respect of their betters, unwarrented murder or for betraying the whole of Vindari society. When a Vindar becomes one of the Outcast, their life becomes forfeit and they are hunted down and killed, unless caught by the religious caste, who sacrifice the Outcast through ritual dismemberment to their god Vaashtu. However not all Outcasts are successfully captured. Some have managed to escape, and the majority often join the Outcast pirate clans, or the one Outcast state that has successfully managed to elude their Vindari brethren. The Vindari Hierarchy also have species from conqured races incorporated into their society, where they are taken under the wing of the warrior caste and religious caste, where they serve the warriors as auxiliaries and are indoctrinated by the religious caste.

The Vindari follow a form of ancestor worship, and the worship of a death god known as Vaashtu, though the Warrior Caste worship another god called Vaastu, their warrior god. However the Warrior Caste consider Vaastu to be lesser than Vaashtu, as even war and the great warriors are subservient to death. The Vindari also have a superstitious fear of the dead, especially the dead of their enemies. Human soldiers have observed Vindari warriors dismembering the dead of their enemies, attempting to ensure that their tormented and damned souls do not come back for revenge. Human soldiers, in anger and horror, have usually gunned down the Vindari after witnessing this, even if they surrender.

The Vindari have also developed a cultural hatred for humanity, blaming humanity for the fall of their once mighty empire, and the near extinction of their species.

Military

The Vindari Warrior Caste make up the majority of the Vindari military, who are supplemented by auxiliaries made up of conquered races. The Vindari focus on a high-mobility form of warfare, where they never stay in one place, and attempt to keep their enemies off-balance with lightning strikes using maximum firepower. Unlike the other militaries of the galaxy, the Vindari do not organize their military into separate branches and command structures. They are all warriors and treated equally, and all have the same expectations. The Vindari Warrior Caste will organize their warriors into what is needed during times of war and conflict. However there is one notable difference in the Warrior Caste between the warriors, those who pilot the fighters and starships and those who fight on the ground. There is no dishonour towards the warrior who chooses to crew a ship or fighter, for they are considered a necessary part of the Warrior Caste war machine.

The Auxiliaries among the Warrior Caste are used differently than the warriors. They often retain their race's original fighting doctrine, to serve as a fallback should the warrior's momentum begin to falter, or if the warrior's need to change tactics. They are often lead by warrior's who come from other castes, as they have yet to earn their place among the "true-born" warriors. When a race is newly conquered, and added to the Warrior Caste's Auxiliaries, they are first treated with suspicion and as second-class citizens. However if over the years they prove loyal and fight well, they begin to be treated as near equals and are given respect by the warriors, and the other auxiliaries welcome them with open arms. However should they prove disloyal or cowardly, they are quickly put to death. The Imperial Guard are specially selected warrior's from the Warrior Caste, who have proven themselves in battle and in devotion to the Empress. When a warrior is selected, the warrior is put through a series of trials to prove his worthiness. If he passes and survives, he given additional training, and his skills are further honed. As such the Imperial Guard are the deadliest and most revered of the warrior's, and are given great respect and privileges.

The only part of the Vindari military not a part of the Warrior Caste, are the Warrior-Priest’s of the Religious Caste. Deadly warrior’s, the Warrior-Priest’s are charged with the defence of the Religious Caste’s sacred shrines and artifact’s, as well as important and prominent members of the Religious Caste. The Warrior-Priest’s are also used to hunt down and capture or eliminate heretics and outcasts, and are used to defend the missionary fleets that go out in search of sacred grounds. A mystery to all of Vindari society, even the Warrior Caste who give the Warrior-Priest’s a wide berth, not out of respect but fear. Trained in ancient and mystical arts, forbidden to the other Vindari, it is said that the Warrior-Priest’s go through dark and horrifying rituals, and that they are even deadlier than the warrior’s of the Imperial Guard.

Technology

The Vindari are a highly advanced society, even by Entente standards. They have advanced plasma, particle and laser weaponry. Their slipspace capabilities out-pace most other civilizations, being used by their society for ease of travel, and by their warriors to use their lightning strikes to maximum effect.