Date: Thu, 09 Mar 1995 08:25:31 -0500 From: karl mamer These are my preliminary notes on the inner imperial court. Imperial Court Emperor Palpatine | Lord Darth Vader -|- Lady Allsi Redollan | (Imperial Consort) | |- Guards of the High Imperial Court | Arch-Bishop & Lord High Moff of the Imperium: Densor J'lain | | | Bishopric Council of the Five Masters: The Five Masters: Master Nurben Prelane, Church of the Dark Search Master Erdus Qwellen, Church of the Dark Desire Master Depria Tella, Church of the Dark Thought Master Undes Axial, Church of the Dark Wonder Master Niul the Younger, Church of the Dark Word General Explanation The Imperial Court is the executive branch of the Imperial government. With Palpatine as its head, the Empire is necessarily a theocracy. The day-to-day operation of the Empire, however, is principally run through the office of Densor J'lain, Arch-Bishop and Lord High Moff. Darth Vader The Emperor's personal servant, right hand, major domo, hatchet man, scout, trouble-shooter, minion, "cleaner," and footman is Lord Vader. Second in the force only to the Emperor, Vader's role is security of the Empire. His initial role was to hunt down and destroy the Jedi. Having destroyed all known Jedi, Vader's role now is to deal with the Rebel threat. To this end the Emperor has put his best Navy battle group at Vader's personal disposal and has given him unlimited access to the resources of the entire Imperial Fleet. Lady Allsi Redollan (note for D U N E fans, she could be modelled on the Bene Gesseret) If Vader is the Emperor's right hand, Lady Allsi Redollan is Palpatine's left hand. Redollan is known to the Rebellion as the Shadow Lady because of her largely unknown role in the Imperial Court and the extent of her personal relationship to the Emperor. It has been observed, more than once, that when Moffs or Admirals receive conflicting orders from Vader and Redollan, they tend to err on the side of the Lady. The mystery deepens, as unlike Vader, the Lady has not been known to employ any form of sorcery to slay disobedient or incompetent subordinates. A rare few tell tales of her martial skill and reflexes beyond all known speed. It has been reported that she has killed seasoned, armed Jedi with bare hands and deadly flying kicks. The Shadow Lady rarely accompanies Palpatine on journeys. She so rarely leaves Corsucant that she is nearly a permanent fixture in the Imperial Court. Usually, she is seen quietly observing the insufferable circus that is performed before the Emperor when Palpatine holds court. Her ability to observe seemingly imperceptibly small details, gives her almost a mind reading ability. Although the Emperor is extremely well protected by his scarlet robbed Imperial guards, the Shadow Lady appears, at times, to be a final line of defence. Redollan's best known official function is to chair the monthly meetings of the Bishopric Council of the Five Masters. Imperial Guards of the High Imperial Court The Imperial Guards of the High Imperial Court are comprised of a battalion of the best and most loyal troops in the Empire. They directly serve the Emperor. Even a Moff or an Admiral is forbidden to give an order to even a private of the Guards. As the Guards' sole duty is to the safety of the Emperor, only the most foolish of Moffs or Admirals would disobey a "suggestion" from a private of the Guards. Vader and Redollan are the only two Imperials who can issue an order to a Guard, if the Guard is not operating under a direct order from the Emperor. The Guards' duties fall into three functions: Imperial Guards of the Emperor, House Guards, and Advanced Security. Imperial Guards are the personal body guards that stand watch over the Emperor at all times. House Guards are responsible for the security of the Imperial Palace, grounds, and the Emperor's various abodes on Corsucant. House Guards are trained to the highest level in the tactics of defence and close-quarters combat. Advanced Security is responsible for securing areas the Emperor will visit. Despite different roles, all members of the Guards of the High Imperial Court wear distinctive cardinal red robes and armour. Arch-Bishop & Lord High Moff of the Imperium Densor J'lain J'lain is not only the chief administrator of affair of the "church" but he is also the Imperium's chief advisor and bureaucrat. J'lain's power with the dark side is the third strongest in the galaxy (after Palpatine and Vader). The Emperor uses him to maintain a low level of mind control over key personal in the bureaucracy, freeing the Emperor's power for matters more dire. The Arch-Bishop is selected by the Emperor usually from the members of the Bishopric Council of the Five Masters. Insofar as the dark side allows trust, the Emperor trust J'lain with many law making powers. Decrees issued by J'lain are law. Rebel intelligence knows J'lain to be a shrewd administrator. Unlike Vader, J'lain tends not to micromanage the war against the Rebellion. Instead, J'lain gives much latitude to his Admirals and Generals. J'lain, however, has been known sometimes to draw off Imperial forces in the pursuit of heretics, although never in such number as to make a campaign suffer. Bishopric Council of the Five Masters For a thousand generations, five churches of the Dark Side have existed, operating in the shadows. Each pursues a specialised area of power or knowledge. Palpatine was one of the few who was ever able to commune with all five of the masters of the churches. When the Emperor seized power, the five churches that schooled the Emperor formed the upper echelons of the Imperial Court. Although part of the Imperial Court, the five churches still operate very much as secret societies. While the Dark Side seeks to *use* those who are power hungry, greedy, or wanton, it does not want its ranks inundated with those who are *merely* power hungry, greedy, or wanton. The Dark Side wants one who is truly able to embrace pure evil -- in all its forms. Initiates are brought in at very low levels. Only through acts of devotion, do these initiates advance in power, rank, and knowledge. In fact, initiates of the first circle don't even know they are actually in the grip of the Dark Side. The force-sensitive tend toward good and it is only through careful conversion that the force-sensitive can come to appreciate the true nature of the Dark Side. Each church is broken down into: 1 Master (who sits on the Bishopric Council) 4 Bishops (each oversees a circle of power in the church) 8 High Priests (two High Priests serve each Bishop) 16 Priest (Two Priests serve each High Priest) Numerous Elders (each has passed through all four circles) Numerous Initiates (who make up the different circles) Church of the Dark Search Unlike the other Churches, the Church of the Dark Search doesn't have its own circles of dark learning or training. The first church, Church of the Dark Search, has one circle which is responsible for seeking out the force-sensitive, discovering their human weaknesses, and how they might be exploited in service of the dark side. It then alerts the church it thinks the potential initiate would serve the best. Initiates who wish to commune with other churches have to seek out the Church of the Dark Search and prove themselves worthy of the being able to contact another church. Because the Church of the Dark Search has the knowledge of how to contact all the Churches, it is the best protected and most hidden of all the Churches. The second church, Church of the Dark Desire, explores and studies the dark side of desire: the want for possessions and power over people. Priest and Bishops of the second church tend to be concerned with acquiring property, possessions, and servants. Many crave ancient, forbidden technology. Some elders and higher initiates tend to get placed in the ranks of the Imperial Navy scouting forces. Others are placed with smugglers and traders. The third church, Church of the Dark Thought, contemplates evil. Members of the third church are an ascetics, monastic order, filling their time chanting, channelling, and meditating. It is their belief that these acts strengthens the dark side of the force. The third church is believed to based solely on a single, unknown planet. Members wear simple garb like hooded cloaks. A member's sole possession is a craggy walking stick. The third church was the first church Palpatine communed with and he has adopted their style of dress. It is believed he has built his nightmarish palace to resemble the massive, sprawling monastery which houses the members of the third church. Church of the Dark Wonder The Church of the Dark Wonder explores the uses of Dark Side to alter reality, move objects, and control people. Although incredibly powerful collectively, the fourth church is spread out, offering their training to other churches. Certain elders and priests are concerned with research, developing new powers, and refining and altering existing ones. Priest involved in research are known as High Wizards. Elders involved in research are known as Low Wizards. Most members wear black robes. The Church of the Dark Wonder was the church that seduced Vader. Church of the Dark Word The fifth church is perhaps the most "fundamental". They are the archivists and the historians. They live, and sometimes die, by the written word. They are the only church the possess a "holy book": _The Protocols of the Elders of the Dark Side_. Written thousands of years ago, the book has never been reproduced mechanically or electronically. Elders and initiates re-copy by hand the 2042 page book. _The Protocols of the Elders of the Dark Side_ is a history of the first people to embrace the dark side, an instruction manual, and a book of prophesy. _The Protocols predicts that one day a dark master will emerge, gather the faithful, and form a kingdom of Darkness that will last a thousand-thousand generations. The church believes Palpatine to be the word made flesh.