Graks Oya'karir

Aliit Graks Oya'karir
General Information
Status	Active
Leader	Kaze Zill
2IC	Vacant
Headquarters	Acclamator-Class Assault Ship Condor Dragon
Historical Information
Founded	Year 22, Day 300
Political Information
Affiliation	Blue Star Dominion
Type	Mandalorian Clan

Aliit Graks Oya'karir is a newly formed Mandalorian clan, led by Kaze Zill. Founded as a result of Zill's experiences with other Mandalorian clans, and combining elements of both the culture of the Ewok people and Mando'ade, it looks to be a small, tight-knit family for the foreseeable future.

Ethos

In addition to following the Resol'nare, the creed by which all Mandalorians live their lives, Graks Oya'karir borrows heavily from Ewok culture, in particular the species' role as hunters on their native moon. Choosing to specialize in styles of combat that would be familiar to the Ewoks, the clan heavily favors unconventional warfare, practicing ambushes, asymmetrical combat, and hit and run tactics. While personal duels are permitted, Graks Oya'karir understands that in order to take down larger prey, coordination and teamwork are often required, and this is encouraged in established clan doctrine.

In addition to the skills of combat, clan members adhere to the belief that war is not the sole domain of a warrior. While all members are trained to fight when needed, the clan also welcomes craftspeople, philosophers, and scholars to their ranks. It is believed that creating a masterpiece of one's trade or the composition of a beautiful poem are equally as worthy of respect and honor as felling the most fearsome prey.

Graks Oya'karir also believes that one is never fully a master of their chosen craft, and that there is always more to learn. Notably, members are encouraged to study the art forms and combat styles of many cultures and species. To that end, outsiders with significant skills are often invited to the clan to spend time teaching their methods to members. Recently, teachers of the Noghri martial art of Stava and instructors in Zavat have spent time teaching among the clan.

The clan also believes in the concept of Vheh'ad burc'ya, roughly meaning "animal bond." Believing that creatures have just as much, if not more, to teach about life and the hunt, Graks Oya'karir members often form friendships with creatures, joining them on hunts or even taking them into combat. No mere pets, it is considered highly dishonorable to abuse or mistreat a bonded animal.

Initiation

In addition to embodying the Resol'nare, Graks Oya'karir believes that a position within the clan is earned. This takes the form of a series of trials.

Upon joining, an initiate to the clan is assigned to a ruus'alor, or sergeant. The ruus'alor acts as a mentor with the initiate being an apprentice, who accompanies their ruus'alor into both training and live combat while they learn the ways of the clan. Several trials are observed, all of which test a particular skill or set of skills of the initiate. All trials must be completed, however the order in which they are completed is determined by the individual's ruus'alor. Once the ruus'alor judges his initiate to be ready, they are sent on a final trial, traveling to a remote or dangerous world together with their mentor and a group of close friends. The initiate is then required to venture into the wilds, stalking and ultimately killing a beast, with preference given to larger or more fearsome creatures. Upon returning to the clan with the body of their kill, it is roasted and a feast is held, during which the initiate is presented with their suit or armor, or beskar'gam, for the first time. Failure is not considered dishonorable for the initiate; rather the ruus'alor is deemed accountable for sending their initiate on a trial before they were ready.

While not all clan members are full-time warriors, all members are required to be capable of bearing arms in the defense of the clan. Therfore, all members, even those whose paths do not follow that of the warrior, must complete the trials. It is understood that many initiates come to the Mandalorian way of life later in life, with some already possessing skills or attributes that mark them out as exceptional. For this reason, even the rawest of initiates are not treated as lesser beings, but encouraged to both learn and be learned from.

Home

While the forest moon is considered the clan's spiritual home, Graks Oya'karir is based primarily in the Woldona system, with their base of operations being the Acclamator-class Assault Ship, the Condor Dragon. A relic of the clone wars, the ship was found derelict in an asteroid field before being returned to fully operational status by Kaze Zill, with tremendous assistance by the shipwrights and repair yards of the Blue Star Dominion. The ship provides permanent accommodation for clan members, with many calling spacious apartments aboard the ship home. Extensive hangar bays, a product of the ship's design as a planetary invasion vessel, house both clan ships and personal vessels.

Weapons and Armor

Graks Oya'karir makes use of a traditional Mandalorian armor design, the beskar'gam, as it is essential to the cultural identity of the Mandalorian people. Most often the armor is made using a durasteel alloy, with an under-suit of blaster-resistant armorweave. Beskar'gam provides a large degree of modularity, with clan members employing a wide variety of built-in weapons and systems. Rangefinders, thermal/electromagnetic imaging suites, wrist-mounted dart launchers and flamethrowers, grappling lines, retractable wrist-blades, and jetpacks are all common components of the armor's systems.

Clan members frequently make use of camouflage, in keeping with their hunting background. Armor is painted to match the environment one expects to fight in, and extensive use is made of camo-patterned cloaks, helping to break up the distinctive silhouette of the Mandalorian warrior.

An expansive armory is maintained, with members being encouraged not only to become proficient in a wide variety of common weapons, but also to experiment with more exotic or esoteric weapons. The EE-3 blaster carbine, prized for its modularity and effectiveness at multiple engagement ranges, is a commonly employed weapons system. Kinetic weapons, commonly known as slugthrowers, are also common, valued for their ability to fire without instantly giving away the shooter's position when sniping.

Loyalty

Members of the clan support Kai Oryk as the true Mand'alor.

The clan also maintains close ties with the Blue Star Dominion, of which Alor Kaze Zill is a ranking member, and considers Aliit Dael'mor to be a close ally.