Campaign of the Month: June 2014
Battletech (Farscape) : The New Breed
Warlord Varsha Arkadjian
Mother of the Tribe
Description:
Chief Honzo’s eldest surviving child and daughter, Varsha Arkadjian is the shapely “Mother of the Tribe”. At nineteen, she was considered by many to be an “Old Maid”, but proved capable of acquiring a consort whenever she wanted one. She sports a traditional male war-braid and continues to sport military styles of clothing despite she is rarely involved directly in the activities of her soldiers. As the chief’s daughter she had a particular status; Independent and extremely opinionated for a woman of her tribe, there was a certain light in her eyes and the set of her shoulders that hinted at a desire for change to the tribal status quo.
Living in the heart of the Corazón Jungle has given Varsha the opportunity to excel at survival and hunting skills, making her a Veteran Scout NPC, early in her youth. She speaks Spanish along with several tribal dialects, and fair, if halting, “trade” French and English as well. She has experience in a wide variety of other formerly almost exclusively male traits among her people, such as gun skills, combat tactics, and administration of resources, and could early on shoot, gamble and speak better than any other warrior of her tribe. Her Leadership, Navigation (Ground) and Tactics are all excellent, and she knows the jungles of the southern region better than most anyone else.
Toady, she spends most of her time in administrative tasks, and works hard to improve the quality of life for all her people; both traditional tribals, as well as the newer subjects of her growing district. Oil revenues play an important part in the development of her society, and demand close attention to relations with other neighboring people, including the ever-present status of * “The Iron Dingoes” who assisted in giving her the position she craved, and continue to support her efforts, though they admittedly gain from the relationship in sufficient ways to make their relationship one of mutual appreciation and respect.
As the leader of a territorial district within The New Republic of Sangria, she holds an increasing position of power and authority in international politics, and retains a close relationship with the governor of The District of Garcia, and the two are often closely allie din voting and development agendas.
Bio:
Born the eldest surviving child and daughter of Honzo Arkadjian, the chief of the village of Tuadann, Varsha has the heart of her people. Active, curious and desiring to be the best at everything, she quickly became something of a “tom-boy” and was initially almost respected by the older male warriors of the tribe. Indeed, many younger men saw her as the perfect wife when they became chief, but Varsha saw things differently. Raised by her father’s warriors (her mother having died in child-birth), she learned their traditions, their skills and ways, and became, without open consent, the best warrior in the tribe.
A skilled hunter and survivalist among her people, Varhsa has (much to her father’s dismay) become a beacon of light to most of the young girls of the local region. Indeed, above even the other male warriors, Varsha is seen as the future ruler (by many of the youth, male and female, and women in the tribes) of the small kingdom her father has carved from the jungle’s heart. This, in turn, has dismayed the bulk of the “Old Caste” of warriors and tribal elders, who feel the changes of having a “girl” run things is weak and a slap against the face of ancient tribal traditions. She is, however, no longer a “girl”.
Her father, seeking to end the problems facing them, decided to marry her to a foreign fighter from “The First Fire”, Soldier Kassler, to please his new allies and get rid of her as a threat to his own power. She did not agree, and chose to seek-out allies of her own in the coming conflict in the heart of the Corazón Jungle. When chance allowed her to meet the soldiers of * “The Dead Man’s Hand”, she seized upon it, and asked for their help to over-throw her father’s cronies, and lead them to Brightwater Base to destroy her father’s allies.
In late January 3022, the Dead Man’s Hand invaded Brightwater Base, forced the local mercenary Mech force to surrender, and sacked the base. They also put several companies of regular infantry to flight from The Oriental Republic of San Isabel, who were in residence at the hidden site. Taking a lance of Mechs from the DMH, Varsha took her father into custody, and assumed control over her village of Tuadann, and the confederacy of nearby villages, as well as their military forces.
In early-3024, she kidnapped and convinced Lord (LtSG) Henry “Fitzy” Fitzroy to become her consort. On many levels, she deemed this a perfect relationship; he was only on-planet for short periods of time, had no influence among her people, and was both attractive and intelligent. He makes the trip out to the Corazón Jungle as often as his duties will allow.
At present, Varsha leads this new confederacy with the hesitant support of the village councils, but she understands she must affect real change if she is going to remain respected and in control of her people. As of early 3023, Varsha had signed a treaty with * “The Iron Dingoes”, wherein she and her troops are treated as auxiliaries in exchange for regular, monthly shipments of salt, kerosene and munitions. Her forces act only within the borders of the Corazón Jungle, or along its borders, but they are growing increasingly bold in their movements within these confines.
As of 3024, several isolated villages have begun to work with her growing confederacy, specifically among the eastern Montagnardi tribes, though those of the coast, more akin to traditional fishing villages from outside the jungles, remain resistant to her influence. In late-3024, Varsha was acknowledged as the “Governor” of the Corazón Jungle, and technically represents the region as a territory of the The New Republic of Sangria. Her rise has been virtually unopposed, with the exception of some independent coastal villages, and the south-eastern Achuar tribe.
In late-3025, the daughter of Varsha was born, Fuerza Arkadjian, the heir to the tribes and inadvertently resolved the mystery of the tribe’s origins through her birth in the Wreck of the “Concordat Mercy”, which was attended by Doctor Max Helmut “Moxie”.
Starting in 3026, Warlord Arkadjian began a sweeping series of reforms, improving local standards of living, and ensuring both modern educational and medical standards. These changes have made her capital of Tuadann a shining beacon in the depths of the Corazón Jungle, and many of the villages of her nascent state are looking to her for direction and guidance.
By the mid-3030s, she had turned to feeding and educating her people. The village and surrounding region had become a self-sufficient agricultural and industrial center to the point that in late-3039, it was a showcase in what could happen with proper funding and the drive to make positive change among the people of the Corazón Jungle.
In the 3040’s, the she concentrated on absorbing the new Marabitanas territories, and building her local industrial capabilities, importing new metal forges and electrical equipment to improve its independence from outside production. Today, the small metal smelters and foundry have led to a resurgence of small-scale equipment and weapons manufacturing in the community, often finding markets for their weapons in black market venues both north and south of their borders.
