The Shadow Dragons

The reclusive leaders of the Black Serpent organization, the Shadow Dragons rule from their fortress on Lothos, an ancient temple known as the Temple of Shadows and Light, whose existence was one of the reasons for their choice of Lothos as a home for the Black Serpents. They have traveled far from their roots as the Jhemadan, a scholarly breakaway sect of Jedi. Now a ruthless organization of Dark Jedi, the Shadow Dragons have been the only known force users in the Yaeger sector for thousands of years, though rumors of a surviving Jhemadan Master have been floating around the organization for years.

The Shadow Dragons are an exclusively human and near human organization, making it their business to kill any non human Force users that they can find, and they are very good at finding things. They recruit their members mainly from the Black Serpent organization, though when they find a natural force user elsewhere, they make it their business to either turn and recruit them, or kill them.

They have a very strict hierarchy, with the rankings being Acolyte, Disciple, Initiate, Student, Knight, Lord, Master, and Grand Master. A member of one rank is completely subservient to the members of the higher ranks. The only way that a Shadow Dragon can reach a higher rank is by passing the requisite tests (that vary from level to level), and receiving a promotion by a member of Lord level or higher. In order to achieve the level of Lord or Master, the Shadow Dragon must pass the tests in the presence of all members of the level above the one he is striving for that are not on active assignment, and receive their approval. To achieve the level of Grand Master, a candidate must pass the tests, and if there is a sitting Grand Master, he must immediately defeat him in mortal combat.

The Jhemadan prided themselves on their simple, almost monastic lifestyle, and that ethic is still part of the Shadow Dragon lifestyle. All members below the rank of Student are restricted to the outer court, where they own nothing other than a coarse grey robe, and perform eight hours of backbreaking labor a day, in addition to their long and tiring lessons. A Student moves into the opulent Inner court, though he is still allowed no personal property other than his robe. Each student is made the personal servant of a Knight, who is also that student's instructor (another carry over from the Jhemadan). The Student will now leave the Temple of Shadows and Night for the first time since his arrival there, accompanying his master on his assignments. When the Knight judges him as being ready for his test, he is taken back to the Temple, and if he passes his test, he graduates to the opulent lifestyle of the higher ranking Shadow Dragons.

Generally speaking, the Shadow Dragons have around five Masters, ten to fifteen Lords, around a hundred Knights, and an equal number of Students (no Initiate is raised to Student unless there is a Knight without a Student), two hundred or so Initiates, four hundred Disciples, and nearly a thousand Acolytes. Around once every tenth generation, a Master attains the rank of Grand Master. The Shadow Dragons currently have a Grand Master, Iridian Soh, but Grand Master Iridian is almost two hundred years old, and beginning to become feeble and incoherent.

The relationship between the Shadow Dragons and the Black Serpent organization started as being a very close one, but the two organizations have drifted apart somewhat, with the Shadow Dragons viewing the Black Serpents as tools to be used to serve a purpose, and if necessary to be left by the wayside. The Serpent Tooth assassins are much closer to the Shadow Dragons than the rest of the organization is, and they serve as the Shadow Dragon's contact with the rest of the Black Serpent.

One of the facets of the Jhemadan that the Shadow Dragons have maintained is their devotion to the art of hand to hand combat. In fact, the school of martial arts that the Shadow Dragon's practice is still called the Jhemada school, though it a somewhat debased and formalized reflection of the original. The Serpent Tooth practice this form as well, but without the Force manipulations that the Shadow Dragons include.

The force powers of the Shadow Dragons are connected to those of the Jedi by a very tenuous thread, a thread that has been strained a number of times. Therefore, they do not have all of the powers that most Jedi know. They do not know: Absorb/Dissipate Energy, Enhance Attribute, Instinctive Astrogation Control, Short Term Memory Enhancement, Instinctive Astrogation, Force Lightning, Lightsaber Combat, Accelerate Another's Healing, Return Another to Consciousness, Doppleganger, Force Harmony, Telekinetic Kill, Transfer Life, or Transfer Force. However, they have an entire battery of powers that they developed on their own, which are unknown in the rest of the galaxy. They exclusive use Cloak of Darkness, The Dragon, Hands of the Jhemadan, The Clouds Parting, Crimson Burst, Shadow Mist, Jhemadan Combat, Shadow Split, and Mind Sand.

The Black Serpents

During the early years of the human colonization of the Yaeger sector, a breakaway jedi sect known as the Jhemadan took up residence in Yaeger Prime. Originally, a somewhat scholastic group, many of the Jhemadan fell to the Dark side due to one member's experimentation with a Force power known as "The Dragon". This descent was gradual, as one by one its members were entrapped by the power's apparent benefits. As the group became more and more consumed by the Dark Side, they began to take control of a local criminal organization known as the Black Serpents.

Originally, nothing more than a group of bandits and thieves, the Black Serpents gained a great deal of power under the Jhemadan. In addition, some of the mysticism of the Jhemadan wore off on them, and they began to see themselves as the ultimate extension of the Yaeger Hunter ethic, hunting men with consummate skill. When the wandering Jedi Master Ulvenn Shaid destroyed the Jhemadan, in the year Y 3,422, the Black Serpents survived. Ulvenn saw them as being no more than criminals, who without the leadership of their Jedi Masters would disintegrate in a few years. Unknown to Ulvenn, several Jhemadan masters survived, and used the Black Serpents as the foundation of their rebirth.

As most of the new Jhemadan were former Black Serpents, the relationship between the two groups changed. No longer were the Jhemadan as separate master group. Instead, they were the leaders of the Black Serpents, and a part of that organization. They no longer called themselves the Jhemadan. Instead, they were the Shadow Dragons, with few ties to their earlier scholastic brethren. The combination of assassination and the force proved a lethal one, and the foes of the Black Serpents fell. Ulvenn Shaid was killed by a team of Shadow Dragon Initiates in his battered freighter, the Lodestar.

However, the Black Serpents pressed their power to far, and attempted to rule Yaeger Prime from their white marble temple at Jilakroth. Within three days of their claiming rule of Yaeger Prime, a well known pirate chieftain fired a pair of mid-sized nuclear missiles right through the never closing gates of Jilakroth, and the crater remains radioactive to this day. As soon as that news was heard, a vicious fire fight erupted on the Gii Yaeg floor, and the Black Serpents that had taken up residence there were killed out of hand.

Once again, the Black Serpents had to rebuild, and rebuild they did. A far more secretive organization this time, they had learned not to try to take control of the Yaeger, as the Yaeger people were to much a group of individualists, and far to heavily armed to be subdued by a small group. Instead, they turned their efforts into improving the depth of their coffers, by slowly gaining power in the underworld of the sector. By patiently building up their power base, they built one of the largest criminal organizations of the Yaeger Sector. As of now, they control around 95% of the high end assassinations, and around 25% of crime in other areas.

Moving their center of operation to the backwater agricultural world of Lothos, the Black Serpents began extending their network of operations throughout the Sector. As the power and numbers of the Black Serpents increased, the Shadow Dragons became more and more reclusive, until they reached their current state of being nothing more than a legend to most members of the Black Serpent. The Assassins that have long been the backbone of the Black Serpent, became the personal army of the Shadow Dragons. Now known as the Serpent's Teeth, these assassins are quite separate from the thugs and criminals that form the current rank and file of the Black Serpent organization. Totaling almost five thousand highly trained professional killers, The Serpent's Teeth are the liaisons between the Shadow Dragons and the rest of the organization, as well as keeping discipline within the ranks, and the paid murders that still provide a hefty chunk of the Black Serpent's income.

The Black Serpents learned a great deal from their association with the Jhemadan, and then the Shadow Dragons. Firstly, one of the foundations of the Jhemadan sect was their emphasis on unarmed combat, and that dedication to the martial arts produced a remarkably effective combat form, especially when used in conjunction with Force manipulation. All Serpent's Tooth assassins have been trained extensively in the Jhemada School martial arts, a somewhat debased version of the original Jhemada School, and no Shadow Dragon Knight is less than a Master in that form.

As a criminal organization, the Black Serpent has a number of fairly independent operatives working for it in it's various fields of endeavors. However, the Serpent Tooth operatives assigned to check up on, or deliver orders to it's member pride themselves on getting into the offices or personal residences of the people that they want to get in touch with. Therefor, the criminals tend not to take their independence to great extremes, and when they do things that the Shadow Dragons would disapprove of, they tend to be extremely paranoid about it for a while. Then, they tend to be unpleasantly dead.

When the Empire moved into the sector, the Shadow Dragons saw a threat and an opportunity. The threat was obvious, personified by the brilliant and aggressive Moff Doran, and they soon infiltrated his intelligence services, and manipulated him into the disastrous battle of Oth'Lenar. However, they also see an opportunity in the Empire. After all, if they could somehow gain control of the massive leaderless force that the Empire has become, they could rule the galaxy. Many of the Shadow Dragons see the urbane Moff Rulduk as the diplomat that they can use to achieve that goal, but some see him as being just as dangerous as Moff Doran, if not more so.

The Shadow Dragons have been trying to maneuver the Yaeger away from the New Republic, and toward an alliance with the empire. However, the mixed feelings at the top of that organization have made this a much more tentative operation than the Black Serpents usually embark on. One of their priorities is to get agents into the command structures of all the forces of the sector. They have been successful in that endeavor, with agents in the highest circles of all the major players, and most of the minor forces, though their attempts at making contact with the Brenaii have always met with violent failure.

Serpent Tooth Assassins

These highly trained assassins are known for their total devotion to the Black Serpent organization, and for their consummate skill at their jobs. They usually work in groups of three, called Triads, but for particularly different assignments they will operate in groups of six, nine or fifteen men. These groups are lead by the highest ranking Triad of their members. They have been very well trained in coordinating their efforts, and there are few targets that can resist the attack of a Serpent Tooth Triad, let alone a full fifteen man elimination squad.

Dexterity 4D

• Blaster 7D
• Brawling Parry 5D
  • Jhemada School 9D
• Bows 5D
  • FRX-40 Powerbow 7D
• Dodge 7D+1
• Grenade 7D
• Melee Combat 6D
  • Shara 8D
  • Kumji 8D
• Running 6D
• Thrown Weapons 6D

Knowledge 3D

• Alien Species 4D
• Cultures 5D+2
• Intimidation 7D
• Languages 5D+1
• Law Enforcement 5D
• Streetwise 6D
• Survival 6D
• Willpower 7D

Mechanical 2D

• Beast Riding 5D
• Repulsorlift Operations 5D
• Communications 5D

Perception 3D

• Command 6D
• Con 7D
• Hide 7D
• Persuasion 5D
• Search 8D
• Sneak 8D+1

Strength 4D

• Brawling 5D
  • Jhemada School 9D
• Climbing/Jumping 6D
• Stamina 6D
• Swimming 6D

Technical 2D

• Demolition 7D+2
• First Aid 6D+1
• Security 8D

Force Points: Varies, never more than 5
Character Points: Varies, typically 5-20
Dark Side Points: Variable, never more than 5
Move: 10
Equipment:
Chameleon Suit (grants a 1D+1 bonus to sneak and 2D+1 bonus to hide), power grappling hook, macrobinoculars, comlink, Air Mask (breathing apparatus, also capable of breaking H2O down to components, allowing underwater breathing), haversack containing: three miniature listening devices and monitoring device, Light micropulse "stone cutter" cutting saw, 2 kg Ritonite and six fuses (.5kg + fuse equals thermal detonator, can be used in smaller or larger amounts), 3 weeks ration bars, simple disguise, 3 vials of assorted poisons.

Weapons:
2 Blaster Pistols, 1 Fragmentation Grenade, 2 Smoke Grenades,

Kumji
Scale: Character
Skill: Melee Combat: Kumji
Difficulty: Moderate
Damage: STR+2D (maximum 6D)
Cost: Not available for sale
The Kumji is essentially a group of short vibroblades affixed to a handle that is designed to be carried in the palm of the hand. However, it is somewhat more than that. Each vibroblade has a number of small spikes that shoot from it's sides and retract with the tensing of the users hand. This device grants a +2D bonus to the climb skill of experienced users. It also can gain quite a hold on targets. When a Kumji scores a hit, and the spikes are set, it takes an opposed STR roll to break loose from it's grip. When held, the target cannot move or dodge, but he can still parry and attack.

Shara
Scale: Character
Skill: Melee Combat
Difficulty: Difficult
Damage: STR+3D+2 (maximum 8D+2)
Cost: Not available for sale
The Shara is a broad, sharply angled Vibro Weapon. (for those that know, like a Gurkha Kukuri, but with a somewhat sharper angle. For those that don't, sort of like a banana, held so that it bends downward. It is made of a heavy Scandium/Durasteel alloy that is twice as dense as the Durasteel of standard vibro weapons. The weight and the odd shape of the weapon make it quite difficult to use, but in the hands of an expert, the Shara is a fearsome weapon.

FRX-40 Powerbow
Scale: Character
Skill: Bows, FRX-40 Powerbow
Ranges: 3-10/40/250
Damage: STR+2D (maximum 8D)
ROF: 2 per round
Cost: 500 credits
This is a popular sporting bow that the Serpent's Teeth have modified to their own purposes. They are made of a very light Silicone/Plasteel/Graphite composite, and have a complex series of internal pull adjustment gears that maximize the efficiency of the bow to the extent that over 85% of the power that is put in goes straight to the arrow's forward movement. The Serpents's Teeth use it because of it's range, it's total silence, it's ability to deliver payloads of up to 150g, and the fact that most weapon detectors are not programmed to find weapons with no possible energy output.

In addition to the above, the Serpent's teeth will carry equipment to match the needs of their mission. They can chose equipment from the Black Serpent's incredibly well stocked armory, or from the resources of any of the lesser members of their organization.

Typical actions: There are a number of different contracts that the Serpents give for assassinations. The price varies with the difficulty of the target. In ascending order of price, here are the contracts given: One Triad making a single attempt, contract fulfilled after the attempt, regardless of it's success. One Triad making an all out attempt, contract fulfilled with the death of the target or the death of all members of the Triad. One Triad making an all out extreme hit, contract fulfilled with the death of the target, his family, and all his business associates, and the destruction of his home and place of business, contract completed with success or the death of the Triad. If more men are needed, a second contract for a second Triad must be made, with no discount for the second group, and so on. It is possible to take out a much more comprehensive contract, that is not filled with the death of the operatives, just the target.

In addition, the Black Serpents can be hired for other purposes, such as espionage, theft, or other reasons. Usually, lesser members of the organization (known as Snakes, or Serplings) will fill these contracts, but for particularly difficult tasks, a triad of Serpent's Teeth will be assigned.