Wardens of the Shroud

"The Force is a chain, thus I seek Freedom.​ Through Freedom, I find Truth.​ In Truth, I find Purpose.​ From Purpose, I gain Strength.​ With Strength, my Will prevails.

I shall break the chains.​"

- The Code of the Shroud​

Overview
"We are not like the other organizations, sects and cults pretending to understand the Force, that are found scattered throughout this galaxy. The Jedi, so thoroughly brainwashed and afraid of their own individuality, completely surrender their wills and identities, to the Force, becoming little more than mindless puppets who run around like headless Gizka, throwing temper tantrums and patting themselves on the back, telling eachother the lie that they are doing a good job.

''The Sith themselves are often hardly any better. Losing themselves to their greed and lust for power, they become self-absorbed creatures of impulse, instinct and whim, surrendering their capacity for higher reasoning in exchange for the mindless and base pursuits of pleasure, wealth and power.''

''We alone are capable of correcting their mistakes and undoing the disastrous state into which they have steered this galaxy. Whereas the Jedi concern themselves with mindlessly following their faith, just like the Sith follow their whims, we shoulder the burden of knowing what must truly be done.''

''The Jedi do what is right. The Sith do what they want. We do what is necessary."'' The Wardens of the Shroud are a secret organization of influential Force Sensitive individuals within the Eternal Empire and are the closest thing to a Force-wielding order that the Empire has. Far from being just another branch of the government, or military, the secretive Wardens perform a mixture of functions and exist as an informal gathering of people who periodically gather to plot ways to advance their own hidden agenda, existing to further the Empire's interests and hidden agenda in the galaxy at large.

The name of their organization is derived from the notion that they are the keepers and guardians of the secret truth about the nature and meaning of life itself, a truth which the Force, seen by them as a sentient entity that is antagonistic towards the Galaxy, seeks to suppress and supplant with its Great Lie: that stagnation and mindless submission to its will are ultimately for the good of the individual and the Galaxy itself.

Heavily involved in numerous operations meant to expand their influence over the Galaxy, as well as infiltrating the ranks of numerous organizations and institutions, the primary goal of the Wardens is to ultimately shackle the Force and bring it under their total control, or, failing that, destroy it in its entirety.

Although not having any kind of official or formal function within the imperial government or its institutions, the Wardens are trained in the arts of combat and various techniques of the Force and wear distinctive attire that conceals their identities, whenever they deem it necessary to reveal their presence to the public. With a few minor exceptions, the identities of the Wardens are kept secret from all but their fellow members.

The Wardens follow their own code, which is centered around the idea that the ends always justify the means and that sometimes, it is necessary to carry out a lesser evil, in order to prevent a greater one, or to serve that which they believe the greater good, in this case, the destruction of various organizations which are seen as the tools of their ultimate enemy, the Force.

Far from being a benevolent order, however, the Wardens will not hesitate to resort to violent and extreme methods in order to advance their mission and they employ a combination of both Light and Darkside powers, depending on what the situation requires.

Symbolism
The emblem of the Wardens is the Black Star, which represents the tenets of the Code of the Shroud. Members of the order wear snow-colored robes and cloaks, adorned with feathers, animal bones and/or furs, for psychological impact and are almost always masked when appearing in public as Wardens, to hide their identity. The lightsaber color for members of the order is black and every member crafts a black lightsaber as part of completing his or her apprenticeship, although individual members are free to use whichever lightsaber they prefer.

The symbolism is intentionally designed to set the Wardens apart from other orders of Force Users, as well as a psychological weapon which combines with their secrecy and the various rumors and stories circulating about their organization, in order to instill dread amongst the ranks of their enemies.

Warden Initiation Ceremony
Upon recruitment into the Wardens of the Shroud, each initiate will undergo an initiation ceremony during which they are introduced to the Code of the Shroud and administered an oath. During this ceremony, the initiate's sponsor, another Warden of at least knight rank, will lead the new recruit into the chamber of ceremonies within the Warden Stronghold. A candle-lit table is placed at the center of the room, with the Stronghold's residing Lords Commander each standing behind one of the seats. Wardens of knight or initiate rank, shall stand further back, in the shadows and dressed in full Warden attire, their faces concealed by their masks. Upon entering the chamber, the new recruit is to proceed to the head of the table, draw his sword or lightsaber and place it upon the table. Afterwards, the Wardens in the shadows will recite the Code of the Shroud. Finally, the sponsor will instruct the recruit to kneel and will recite the words of the oath, which consists of three phrases: "Uphold the principles of our Order and all that for which we stand. Never share our secrets, or divulge the true nature of our work. Do so until death, whatever the cost." The sponsor shall then slap the recruit with the back of his hand, accompanying the gesture with the words "That is your oath. And this is so you would remember it." The recruit will then be prompted to rise and the other Wardens within the chamber shall then welcome the new initiate as a brother or sister, as is the case.

Internal Hierarchy
The hierarchy of the Wardens of the Shroud is organized into a Master-Knight-Apprentice structure, like classic orders. However, these ranks hold different names and promotions are handled a bit differently. At the very top of the hierarchy, sits the Eternal Emperor, the absolute, undisputed leader of their order. The other ranks ranks are listed as following:


 * Lord Commander: The Lords Commander are the masters of the Wardens, charged with the role of leadership, spiritual and philosophical guidance and overall strategy for the order. In order to become a Lord Commander, a Knight Warden must first receive approval from at least half of the existing Lords Commander, then must complete a Journey of Solitude, where the aspirant must survive for thirty days alone in the wilderness of a harsh, unpopulated planet, using only their wits, lightsaber and meager survival supplies that they are given.


 * Knight Warden: The Knight Wardens are full members of the order, tasked with being the eyes, ears and the arm of the Lords Commander. They also perform the task of training initiates. In order for an Initiate to become a full Knight, he must first receive the approval of his teacher, before attempting a Trial of Shrouds, essentially a spiritual journey that an Initiate's Knight Warden teacher devises. Each Trial of Shrouds is different and decided by the Initiate's master.


 * Warden Initiate: Initiates are apprentices, who have yet to learn enough to be qualified as full-ranked members of the order and are still under the tutelage of a Knight Warden. There is no set number of years for the duration of this apprenticeship, in order to advance, an Initiate must first receive approval from his or her tutor, then attempt to pass a Trial of Shrouds and earn a black lightsaber.

Beliefs
The beliefs of the Wardens center around the idea that the Will of the Force is the source of all evil in the Galaxy and the cause of its biggest problems. The Force itself is viewed as a sort of puppeteer, a sentient, malevolent entity which enslaves people through the spread of various Cults centered around it, in order to effectively steer the Galaxy away from the natural order dictated by the principle of natural selection and in a direction which benefits its own interests.

Thus, the Wardens take upon themselves the task of finding a way of lobotomizing and shackling the Force, bringing it under the complete control of those who can be entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the balance (the Wardens themselves), or destroying it altogether, if it becomes necessary. They see themselves as being in a state of war with the Force itself, with the stake being that the winner enslaves the loser.

Their secondary objective is to prevent the spread of such Force Cults that are seen as the tools of the enemy, from becoming entrenched within the Eternal Empire, the Wardens' power base.

Of all the various organizations centered around the Force, it is the Jedi whom they despise above all others. The Jedi Code's own open notions of surrendering to the will of the Force, are seen as anathema to the principles that the Wardens uphold and the Jedi Code's notion of peace is often referred to as the Noble Lie, as peace causes stagnation, which ultimately leads to tragedy of apocalyptic proportions.

The Sith are seen in a somewhat different light, due to their individualistic nature and beliefs. While the Wardens admire the Sith Code's promotion of individual improvement, those Sith who give in to their impulses and allow themselves to be controlled by their own emotions, are seen as the Sith who failed to achieve their true potential, while those few who have succeeded to rise above such impulses and have achieved mastery over them, such as some of the more powerful Sith Lords, are respected for their accomplishment.

The core principles and beliefs of the Wardens are condensed into the Code of the Shroud, explained below:


 * The Force is a chain, thus I seek Freedom.

The first line of the Code represents the belief that the Force is a chain, a sentient, malevolent entity which enslaves and controls its wielders and thus manipulates the Galaxy for its own ends. Most Jedi are believed to be hypocritical, mindless drones who lack individuality and independent thought, while most Sith are seen as little more than animals, lacking self-control, driven by base instinct and momentary impulse. A Warden seeks internal discipline, while maintaining individuality.


 * Through Freedom, I find Truth.

The second line of the Code represents the enlightenment and inner balance which comes after one has gained freedom from ideological conformity to a Force alignment, through individual growth. This is achieved through mastering, but not suppressing one's emotions.


 * In Truth, I find Purpose.

The third line of the Code explains that the Warden has a duty and serves a calling higher than the Force itself. The Warden has ascended from being a mere Force wielder and has become more than the Force's tool, gaining a true understanding and acceptance of the concept that the various ideologies and religions often associated with the Force, are a deception through which the Force itself manipulates the Galaxy and being willing to work to prevent any Force cult from gaining too much influence, in order to hinder the Force's means of influencing events in the Galaxy.
 * From Purpose, I gain Strength.

The fourth line explains that a Warden gains the unshakable willpower that is derived from commitment to the greater mission of the order. A Warden is willing to do whatever it takes to advance the order's goal of shackling the Force under the order's control, by any means necessary and at any cost.

The fifth line of the Code teaches the Warden that the controlling and corrupting influence of the Force is shed through sufficient willpower. Willpower allows Wardens to wield all aspects of the Force without becoming corrupted by its influence. A Warden remains disciplined, stalwart and rational, without giving up one's emotions and surrendering one's identity, like the Jedi, while also resisting the Darkside's temptation to give in to one's impulses and fall onto a path of self-indulgence.
 * With Strength, my Will prevails


 * I shall break the chains.

The sixth and final line of the Code represents the order's ultimate mission to free the galaxy from the destructive influence of the Force by gaining absolute control over it. At this point, the Warden has gone through the process of becoming a truly awakened Force wielder and is now fully prepared to embrace and accomplish the mission of the order. This is to be accomplished through any means necessary, even if those means are an evil onto themselves, as they are seen as serving the greater good.

Equipment
WIP