Mandalorians

The Mandalorians are a nomadic, clan-based culture consisting of anyone that wished to join them regardless of species or gender and bound by glory and honor. To the galaxy they are known as brutal conquerors, mercenaries and responsible for the genocide of multiple species.

Despite their violent history they are not the monsters many believe they are. While they are known for their skills of war and destruction they have created a lasting culture and iron-clad order for those that call themselves Mandalorian. Among themselves they are known as the Mando'ade, or "Children of Mandalore"; they are warriors, conquerors and they are a family built on trust and equality.

History

Ancient Times

The origin of their culture is shrouded in myth and their exploits are infamous. The ancient history of the Mandalorians is, for most of the galaxy, based on rumors rather than fact. Only they know the true motivations of their culture while we can only theorize and ponder. Only they know their true origins and history of how the Mandalorians came to be while we can only wonder.

What we do know of the ancient Mandalorians are that they are warriors who have challenged governments that spanned the entire galaxy, fought alongside insidious beings seeking to dominate the galaxy, annihilated all who opposed them and welcomed those who were willing to join them.

Why the ancient Mandalorians brought war to others within the galaxy is uncertain. If modern Mandalorians are any indication it was for glory that the warriors of Mandalore sought which for them was only found in battle. Their success as a Mandalorian determined by their skill in war, the strength of the enemies they fought and the fact that they were the ones that were victorious after the events have transpired.

Even though we know little of the ancient history of the Mandalorians we know they have built a civilization and a culture that exist even in modern times. Their violent and glory filled history has not caused the iron-clad warriors to weaken and what they have experienced has not changed what it means to be Mandalorian over the millennia they have existed. Their language exists unchanged, their culture has remained unchanged and they themselves have not deviated from the path set by ancient Mandalorians.

The Clone Wars

In -33 CGT, a Mandalorian bounty hunter was recruited by a Sith lord for his prowess and extraordinary hunting skills. The assignments he was given were completed with success and ease. This led to his being used as the genetic template for an army of clones that were to be grown on Kamino for the Republic. To aid in bringing out the full potential of the clones, the Mandalorian was kept on as a military consultant at the Kaminoan facility. He would further assist in the design of the future Clone Trooper armor, which had similarities with his own. In exchange for his services, he received an unaltered clone, which would be his heir.

During the training for the clones, he would pass on many aspects of the Mandalorian culture. One such example is the flash training module, which included the traditional Mandalorian song Vode. He saw this as a useful tool to help instill within them a sense of purpose, modifying it slightly in order to give it meaning for soldiers serving the Republic.

The Alpha-class ARC troopers were trained by him personally. In order to train the other clones, a core of one hundred training sergeants were used, whom are are collectively known as the Cuy'val Dar. These Cuy'val Dar would pass on additional Mandalorian culture into the clone ranks. Some examples are found in the clones that took Mandalorian names for themselves or preferred Mandalorian songs and chants, such as the Dha Werda Verda. One of the training sergeants even went as far as to adopt six Null ARC troopers and several commandos as his sons.

As the wars progressed, some clones would come to resent the Mandalorian culture. This was primarily due to the fact that Mandalore aligned itself with the Confederacy of Independent Systems and began fighting against the Republic and its clone army.

Modern Times

Challenge and Change^[1]

It is true that the power of the Mando’ade who existed before Year 5 CGT was a shadowy remnant of the military powerhouse that held the galaxy by the throat under the leadership of te Ani’la Mand’alor. The Mando’ade were spread out, and the central government led by Mand’alor held only Manda’yaim and a few of the surrounding worlds.

The culture, the most important part of Mando’ade life and only identifying characteristic of a Mando’ad, was mostly intact, although there appears to have been an increased emphasis on bloodlines, a sad parting from the ancient proverb which states “Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'wadaas'la.” (Bloodline is not important, but you as a father are the most valuable thing).

These conditions, coupled with the fact that the Mando’ade were led by a weak Mand’alor, led to the usurpation of leadership by an Imperial Force-user by the name of Tyr DeMeer. DeMeer, claiming his Mando’ade heritage through blood, challenged and defeated Mand'alor, then annoucing himself as the Warrior Eminence and ruler of the Mandalorians. He would then proceed to gather many strong and able individuals to his side, which would include Andrew Panzer, Charles Osten, and Brutus Verlasy. Mandalore would grow and prosper once more into a government as well as having subsidiary mining, item, and ship factions.

The Ba'slan She'vla^[1]

In the immediate period following DeMeer’s usurpation of leadership of the Mandalorians, many Mando’ade aliite elected to remain and rallied behind the aruetii, forming what today is known to the galactic community as “Mandalore.”

However, many other clans opted to not follow the usurper and instead opted for "Ba’slan She’vla" (strategic disappearance). Several also later fled, out of disagreement with DeMeer’s unique views and practices.

Although shunned and cut off from home, they lived as they always had. They drifted from place to place and job to job as mercenaries.

Unification of the Ba'slan She'vla Aliite^[1]

Years passed in this way, and they clearly took their toll on Ba’slan She’vla clans, whose strength and numbers dwindled considerably. However, Kai Oryk, a member of one such clan, decided he would not let these people die without a fight. After telling one of his friends, a wealthy ex-pirate by the name of Derek Shado, of his plans, Shado offered to provide the initial funding for a venture to formally reunite Ba’slan She’vla clans.

Negotiations began with several groups for a new Yaim for the proposed organization, but one was finally found on Argovia, a small temperate world in the Argovia system of the Endocray sector. Once the planet was obtained, a camp was set up and the call for unification sent out. The response was immediate and within days, representatives from dozens of the scattered clans arrived on Argoiva and pledge their support to Kai’s cause, proclaiming him leader of their crusade.

The Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders and the Exodus^[1]

This new group formalised its structure on Day 280 of Year 9, CGT, and adopted the name “The Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders” like the ancient group of the same name. The Neo-Crusaders rejected the current Mand’alor and called for a new crusade to bring honour and glory to the Mando’ade.

Things went well initially, and the clans began to flourish once more. Although jobs were few and far between, those that were taken were handled with the extraordinary proficiency and quality befitting Mandalorian mercenaries, and the group’s reputation began to grow.

The Ba'slan She'vla clans remained unified until Year 10, Day 81 CGT when disagreements between Shado and Kai, regarding Shado's contemptuous conduct, came to a head. On this day, Kai decided that enough was enough. The unification would not last while Shado tainted the Neo-Crusaders, and the organisation couldn’t operate with such a paranoid leader, following Shado's usurpation of the group, whilst Kai and most of the Mando'ade were fighting a contracted battle in the outer-rim. Kai resigned, left the organisation, and invited the other Mando’ade to do so as well. Every clan agreed that Kai was the leader they would follow, and every Mando’ade, to the last, left the Neo-Crusaders and joined Kai’s exodus.

A New Beginning for the Ba’slan She’vla Aliite, Mando’ade^[1]

Directly after the exodus from the now-defunct Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders, the group of clans continued their mercenary style and returned to their nomadic life; moving from job to job.

As the contracts came and went, the collective amount being raised grew and with the discovery of even more vode, from their journeys to other parts of the galaxy, the Mando’ade clans were once again thriving to an exuberant level.

It was only a matter of time before the clans found a new home, which could not only sustain their work, but also offer them the ability for a more permanent settlement. Naming the planet Manda to "Evaar’la’yaim", the clans set about the formation of a more public group, to allow them the ability to fulfill their initial wish: to unite all of the broken Ba’slan She’vla aliite (clans), offer a safe haven for all their vode and bajur’ir (educate) the ignorant masses of aruetiise about Mando culture.

On the 167th day of year 10 CGT, the group publicly announced the founding of the mercenary group, Mando’ade, led by Kai Oryk.

Cultural Library

Over the centuries, the Mandalorians have fought with and against many armies over hundreds of worlds. Their ability to learn and adapt never ceases. Each conflict has brought new alien languages, yet Mandalorian language itself has changed hardly at all. The philosophy, ideals, identity, and bonds have only grown after every battle.

Most Mandalorians are not concerned with biological lineage. Their definition of offspring or parent is more by relationship than birth. Adoption is very common and it is not unusual for soldiers to take war orphans as their sons or daughters if they impress them with their aggression and tenacity.

Mandalorians wear armor for two reasons. One is so that they reduce their chances of death. The second is so they have a means of identifying each other no matter how different their physical appearance maybe.

- The Klath`mor Monolith

- The Story Of Pq'narc

- The Six Legged Spider

Resol'nare^[2]