By Aradell
In no other land is the warrior caste so well defined as it is in Jedda Felsuin. It may seem strange to our way of thinking, but one becomes a member of the caste at birth, and the training begins even in infancy. To leave such a calling is the gravest of dishonors, and such a person will lose all privileges of society, becoming no more than an outcast.
The history of the Jeddan warrior tradition is colorful and rich, and makes for many good tales. But this treatise will focus instead on the different divisions within the caste, each division of which practices their own martial philosophy and way.
Each of the divisions was created based on several factors, and it is these factors which account for almost all the differences between them. Among these factors are the place of origin (of primary concern is whether they come from the Emperor’s or the Empress’ lands), the age of the martial art to which they devote themselves, the racial strengths of the people practicing the art, and the amount of reliance placed on the various martial elements, such as unarmed combat, weaponry, psychic or magical powers, and alchemical learnings.
Tirjita Warriors – Much of Jedda is jungle, and those lush forests are populated by numerous tribes who live as they have for thousands of years, gathering and hunting in their native lands. Among these tribes is the Tirjita, who live upon the mainland. They are thickset and stocky for Jeddans, being short and immensely strong. Masters of the jungle, they seem to appear and disappear at will, walking with utmost silence and being masters of camouflage. They are expert fighters with the bow and knife, and have developed a potent unarmed fighting style characterized by acrobatic rolls and solid linear and circular strikes.
The women of the tribe are herbalists, and from the plants of the jungle they mix ointments, juices, and teas which can affect the body in profound ways. They create the most effective poisons the world has ever known, and can manipulate consciousness, fertility, the healing process, and magical capacity to an immense degree.
By virtue of an ancient pact, the Emperor retains the services of an elite force of Tirjita Warriors, both men and women, whose mysterious ways aid him often in his political reign.
Shotai Warriors – Perhaps the most famous of the Jeddan warrior classes, the Shotai warriors are a modern evolution of the martial arts, tracing their lineage back less than a hundred years. The class was developed in the Empress’ lands, and thus has embraced the ideals of that isle, favoring lithe agility and speed over brute strength.
The Shotai warrior class was envisioned as being the most effective warrior class Jedda has ever seen, and since their introduction, they have indeed gained a potent reputation, instilling fear into many of the other elite warriors.
They are masters of stealth, training to make their footfalls silent and to leave no traces of their passing. Camouflage, hiding, and blending tactics are the core of their training, backed up with unarmed and small weapons fighting techniques. Their unarmed fighting skills focus on locking and joint manipulations, while their weaponry consists of daggers, stilettos, garrotes, throwing knives, and occasionally shortswords. The Shotai are also heavily trained in the creation and use of alchemical substances, and they utilize the most sophisticated of poisons, mixtures which cause flame to erupt and burn more brightly than any normal fire, and substances to cloak their smell, sedate victims, and create delusions in those they wish to deceive.
It is said that the most deadly aspect of the Shotai warriors is their mindset, for they are conditioned to be almost unresponsive to things most of us consider horrible, such as pain, death, blood, or needless violence. They are merciless killers, and thus are hated by most of the other warrior classes.
Shai-kan Warriors – The image of an impressively armored man, outfitted in resin full plate and bearing a long, curved blade, is perhaps foremost in our minds when we think of a Jeddan warrior.
The Shai-kan are an ancient class, thousands of years old, and have always been the elite of the battlefield. Trained as generals, they are masters of strategic thinking and adept in the use of war machines. Taught to fight in armor, they make formidable foes, for the millennia of artisanship behind the making of each suit allows the Shai-kan to accept an opponent’s sword-stroke while they return with their own. As masters of the sword, it usually only takes one blow to fell an opponent.
The use of the sword is their primary focus, and to see a Shai-kan in training is usually to see them practicing swordsmanship. Still, they do practice an unarmed fighting art, which is characterized by powerful linear kicks and hand-strikes.
The Shai-kan are usually well-educated individuals, graced in the arts and of high social standing. Honor is of primary concern to them, and they consider themselves the only true warrior class in Jedda. The Shai-kan serve both the Empress and the Emperor.
Yoru-ken Warriors – The Shai-kan have been utilized for many purposes throughout the ages – including the quelling of rebellions. In such situations, the Shai-kan were devastating, for a single warrior could easily destroy a force of twenty or thirty peasants before he fell from exhaustion. From among the common classes, the Yoru-ken arose, developing their art specifically to combat the Shai-kan.
Lacking armor or fine weaponry, the Yoru-ken turned to other means, both physical and mystical, to achieve their ends.
They were the first to perfect the martial arts of joint manipulation, and their methods are still the most potent in the field. With swift, fluid motions, they bend joints so as to render them useless, and the Shai-kan armor, which allows freedom of movement, does not protect against such manipulations.
They also developed powerful hand-strikes, conditioning their fingers, palms, feet, and fists and combining their strikes with mystical exercises meant to add more power to their blows. In this manner they could deliver crushing blows to the Shai-kan’s armor, allowing them time to move in and begin to tear sinew from bone with joint locks.
The Yoru-ken also developed magics, controlled completely with their minds, allowing them to overcome poisons in their bodies, to affect the elements (masters can start fire or make water ‘hard’ enough to walk upon, for instance), and to manipulate other’s minds, creating distractions or changing a person’s emotions.
A highly mystical class of warriors, they also developed a practical piece of defensive equipment which allows them to get in close enough to utilize their devastating joint attacks. Called ‘moro’, these are finely designed forearm guards crafted of wood and resin, which are worn under plain garb. When a Shai-kan makes their sword attack, the Yoru-ken blocks the killing strike with their moro, and then slips past the Shai-kan’s guard and finishes them with their highly effective in-fighting techniques.
To see a fully armored Shai-kan suddenly fall to what appears to be nothing more than a normal peasant is a surprising sight indeed. Especially, you might imagine, to the Shai-kan.
Kaelen Warriors – The Kaelen emerged as a social phenomenon early in the development of the Jeddan culture. Men in that time were concerned mostly with survival, and the Kaelen, or ‘enrobed ones’ were among the first to consider the advantages of higher technology. Traditionally they have been inventors, philosophers, and thinkers who were well ahead of their time.
They adapted their environments to suit themselves, and thus became much sought after by the women of the time, who could find, in the Kaelen, comforts that other men could never provide. Educated, wealthy, and refined, the Kaelen soon developed the practice of holding numerous wives, and it wasn’t long before they drew the envy of other men. Subjected to attacks and assassinations, the Kaelen had no choice but to learn fighting arts in order to defend themselves.
From this history was born the modern concept of the Kaelen – wealthy, intelligent, and powerful lords who are potent enough to hold their own lands. They owe allegiance to neither the Empress nor Emperor, but do have a strong honor bond among each other, for everyone bearing the title of Kaelen is brother to all others who hold the name. Some sages even consider the Kaelen to be the ‘third ruler’ of Jedda – a brotherhood of warriors who are independent from the Emperor and Empress.
The Kaelen hold to their own religion and deities, and keep to similar ways – they train diligently in armed and unarmed combat, methodologies of magic, and the secrets of ruling men. Within their religion each Kaelen is also a high priest to their own, personal deity, who is said to grant them superhuman abilities, such as the power to read men’s minds, shapeshift, or affect the weather.
The Emperor and Empress thus woo various of the Kaelen in order to secure their support in various matters, since a given Kaelen will typically have under him hundreds of warriors, a scattering of magi, and a large population of common folk who do his crafting and growing for him. Interestingly enough, the Kaelen will not refuse to attack another of their kind, though such confrontations are always privately held as personal duels.
Jotai Jo Warriors – Followers of the religion of Lakiratai, the Jotai live in temples within both the Emperor’s and the Empress’ lands. Dwelling in enlightenment, they often simply observe political and social change without interfering. Indeed, their primary aim seems to be to keep the cultural climate open enough so that those who wish to explore the practices and philosophies of Lakiratai may do so without hindrance. Beyond that, their allegiances seem to follow no logic we can understand, and they aid people or rulers according to their own principles.
Among martial artists, none are more potent, though the Jotai Jo refuse to use weapons or armor of any kind. They forge their mind and body until they can perform what most of us would consider ‘miracles’, such as plucking arrows out of the air, shattering sword blades with their bare hands, walking through walls, or simply appearing or disappearing at will. The legends say that the most advanced of the Jotai Jo "cannot be seen unless they desire it, have the strength of forty men, see both the future and the past, possess flesh which cannot be pierced by steel or wood, and know nothing of disease or age". Indeed, many swear that the Jotai Jo are invincible. Closer inspection of historical documents, however, attests to the fact that they are, indeed, mortal men and women, and tragic stories are told of Shai-kan warriors descending on temples and killing everyone within. Whatever the truths really are, the fact remains that the Jotai Jo are formidable martial artists who do, indeed, possess unexplained abilities.
These, then, are the six major warrior castes of Jedda Felsuin. As one can see, the Emperor claims the Tirjita and numerous of the Shai-kan as his own, while the Empress relies most heavily on her Shotai warriors and claims many Shai-kan as well. The Yoru-ken fight for the common people in both lands, while the Kaelen warriors pursue their own agenda and the agenda of their deities. And the Jotai Jo? No one can understand exactly what drives them.
Many other men and women serve as soldiers in the armies of the Emperor and Empress, but most of these serve only for a time, emerging from their castes, being trained as fighters, and after their service returning to their former place in society. As such, they are never titled as warriors.
As the ages continue to witness the traditional battle between the Emperor and the Empress, warrior classes will no doubt continue to emerge, grow, and evolve. But in the curious manner which the Jeddans have, they will probably never achieve that end that we, in the Old World, consider to be the very reason for having warriors in the first place – final victory.