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The Shadowblades

THE SHADOW BLADES
Leader:	Aniketos Herón
Races:	Anyeli Skotadi
HQ:	Celene

A group of disenfranchised Skotadi, the Shadowblades started out as an Asteri (Special Forces) assassination squad working against the Apali. During a cease-fire two centuries ago, the Kurio officially disbanded the original team against the advice of several subordinates, including the team's leader, Aniketos Herón.

Convinced the Kurio had somehow been compromised (for there could be no other explanation), the squadron refused to abandon their duties and continued their work in secret. They stand completely apart from the Empire, but their goals remain the same: To defeat the Apali once and for all.

Politics

The Shadowblades have continued with their old squadron's hierarchy, keeping Aniketos in charge as their Captain. They follow this hierarchy to the letter, and are disciplined for stepping out of line just as any soldier would be. They even have their own form of a court martial, though in the absence of the Dikasi they can only rely on Aniketos' personal judgement. Still, they would trust her with their very lives.

Relations

The Shadowblades are at odds with the very Empire they claim to serve. In the old days, a Kurio might have turned a blind eye to their private operations, but in recent years Aniketos has taken on more and more mercenary jobs to "fund the real work". As a result, both the Apali and the Skotadi leadership considers them a threat to continuing peace.

That said, the Shadowblades are never short of work. Even outside the Empire, stealth veterans are in high demand, and not merely for assassinations.

Territories

Aniketos inherited a house in Celene when she was orphaned during the war. She never used it, instead renting it out to a small, impoverished family for a pittance. When her squadron was disbanded, she reclaimed the house, allowing the family to remain as long as they worked for her.

Once the group had decided to continue their work, the Herón house in Celene became their base of operations. Unassuming and small, it barely provided enough space for strategic planning, but it was better than being out in the cold.

Since then, Ani has used the squadron's funds to do the place up and extend a little. She also bought the surrounding land, which is now used as the squadron's training facility.

Ranks

          Captain           Aniketos Herón

          Lieutenant        open

          Sergeant          open

          Corporal [0/2]    open

          Airman [0/3]      open

          Medic             open

History

The Shadowblades were very good at their job. No matter who they were sent to kill, they returned victorious, come Hel or high water. They were utterly loyal to the Empire, and Skotadi through-and-through — so none could understand why exactly their beloved Kurio had seen fit to disband their team.

At first, the Shadowblades did as they were told. They were split up into new teams, many of whom belonged to the Varangoi — child's play for veteran assassins. As time went on, it became clearer that something very strange was going on. When Aniketos called for a reunion, it didn't take much to convince her old compatriots that they had been betrayed.

It started with a simple idea that took on a life and form of its own, to continue their work for the good of the Empire even if it meant operating beyond its reach. They could work together or as individuals as they saw fit, but their military training led to a default hierarchy, putting Aniketos right back in charge.

Joining

The Shadowblades are a close-knit group who have been through thick and thin, so they don't easily accept newcomers. They're also forced to be very secretive, so it's difficult for them to spot fresh "talent", and to open up avenues of communication — especially with soldiers who are still a part of the Anyeli military.

For this reason, once the Shadowblades have discovered someone they think might be able to contribute to their cause (be they assassins or not), they tend to watch for a while before approaching them. In this way, they can also test the mettle and skills of the person they're considering.

Any member of the group can nominate a new member if they feel they're suitable. However, Ani has the final say and she is very exacting.

Known Members

Notes

It is unclear whether or not the Kurio really was compromised. Ani has kept things fairly close to her chest and her squadron trusts her because they were trained to. However, in the last few decades, it certainly seems that Aniketos has been more concerned with profiting from the Shadowblades' skills than with furthering their cause, so there is some question (voiced or not) over their original assumptions.

Either way, the group has acted too far outside the bounds of legality for them to return to the Empire now.