Lesson Plan 3: The History of the Sovereignty and the Philosophy of the Ashborn

*Please note - this is not a script, rather a guide in order to aid in teaching this class. Feel free to relay this information in a way that best suits your character or you feel is the most effective. You are also welcome to refer to the related wiki pages - 'The Fireborn Sovereignty' and 'The Ashborn Covenant'.*

* Date and Time: Wednesdays, 6 PM PST
* Run time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
* In-game attendance mandatory: No
* Quiz available: Yes

## The History of the Sovereignty

The Fireborn Sovereignty was founded in 27 ATC from the remains of the former Sith Imperium, at the behest of Keine Raam. Here are some events to touch on.

* Keine Raam founded the Sith Imperium as a neo-Sith Empire on the 'promised world' known as Amgarrak.
* The Imperium thrived for years under the reign of Emperor Arestenax Roderick before an event in the Force known as the 'Transference' which brought many of the members of the old Imperium to the galaxy as it is known today. The Imperium settles on the planet Solaria, and works to secure the entirety of the planet and its resources.
* This Transference caused a rift in the Force, which Roderick sacrificed himself to seal. Upon his death, Minister of War Veldarius Imperior ascended the throne. Under his rule, the planet is built up, and the Imperium sees a few years of relative peace.
* The Hand of the Emperor, Vaguest Orion, challenges Veldarius for the crown and emerges victorious. Resistance to this 'Usurper's' reign begins to mount, helmed by many of Imperior's cabinet (and eventually Imperior himself). The resistance ultimately overthrows the Usurper and Imperior reclaims the throne.
* After a second period of peace, a former Imperial Sith known only as Valorrak reveals the location of the Imperium to the Empire, which in turn wages war on the Imperium. Though Imperium forces rally and defend Solaria, they are ultimately overwhelmed. In the midst of evacuations, the Empire ravages Solaria, turning it into a desolate wasteland.
* In an attempt to flee, the remnants of the Imperium make a blind hyperspace jump, and emerge outside the Eridanis Nebula. As they search for a place to settle, they discover a compound holding the Anzat, S'roq. With his help, they make their way into the nebula and find the promised world: Amgarrak - a massive Force nexus inhabited by humans and Sith alike, currently undergoing a civil war.
* The Imperium quickly brings this war to an end and seizes both capital cities. One kingdom - Namal - is confederated into the Imperium, and a new capital city is founded: Vaya'vilial.
* After two years, the Imperium begins to explore a Rakatan presence in the nebula, and Arestenax returns from the dead to lead the Imperium once more. However, his return once again destabilised the Force, and he was forced to give up his life. With the aid of Keine Raam, who guided back into the Force, he disappeared, and the Imperium was left with a singular directive: to leave behind the life they had and create something new.
* Veldarius Imperior and the Dark Council work tirelessly to this effect, and the Sith Imperium is reformed into the democratic Fireborn Sovereignty. A constitution is ratified, and Imperior is elected as the first Praetor of the Sovereignty.

## The Ashborn Philosophy

The Ashborn Philosophy - better known as the Tutai Qo or "Forged Way" - was created to replace the One Sith Philosophy of the Imperium. It is based, in part, on the last words of Keine Raam as he guided Arestenax back into the Force: "Untouched by Fate. Unknown to Death." It is also based on the iconography of the mythical starbird - from which the Sovereignty gets its name - which is consistently reduced to cinders, then reborn from those ashes.

### The Code of the Tutai Qo

> *There is no Light, there is Fire.*
> *There is no Dark, there is Ash.*
> *There is no Destiny, there is Mastery.*
> *There is no Death, there is Rebirth.*
> *We are the Spark and the Ember.*
> *We are the Shapers and the Shaped.*
> *Into the Forge we cast our chains, and from them shape our fate.*
>
>

The code can be divided into four edicts, each referencing lines from the Code: Infernos, Ash, Shape, and Alloys

* The Edict of Infernos ("There is no Light, there is Fire./We are the Spark and the Ember.") refers to the collective strength of sparks and embers, which can create an inferno when plentiful. No spark or ember is stronger than the inferno, just as no man is stronger than a united front.
* The Edict of Ash ("There is no Dark, there is Ash./There is no Death, there is Rebirth.") places importance on the individual. A single spark can reignite ash - as if the flame were never truly gone. In this way, so long as one adherent remains, so does the Sovereignty and the Tutai Qo.
* The Edict of Shape ("There is no Destiny, there is Mastery./We are the Shapers and the Shaped.") refers to an individual's power of self-creation. In the flames of our union, we may burn away that which weighs us down, bettering the Sovereignty as a whole.
* The Edict of Alloys ("Into the forge we cast our chains, and from them shape our fate.") refers to the dismissal of needless divisions. What we build of and for ourselves can be greater if we are willing to incorporate new ideas and new life into it. We take what makes us stronger and make it a part of us.

### Questions for Discussion

* In what ways does the Tutai Qo translate to every day life in the Sovereignty?
* While the Tutai Qo distances its adherents from both the Jedi and the Sith, how does it connect to those beliefs?