WARRIOR HOUSE SHIVA
Ki-linn Liao, great granddaughter of Kali Liao, inherited her ancestor's holdings on Highspire as part of her birthright as a member of the Celestial Dynasty of House Liao. And, like Kali before her, Ki-linn became the focus of adoration and worship by the Thuggee death cult that survived the fires of the Jihad to fester and grow once more in the remote mountain valleys and jungles of Highspire. Raised to believe in her own divinity, Ki-linn was nevertheless kept on a short leash by her cousin Daoshen, who shared her delusions of divinity. Though it is unclear just how aware Daoshen has been of his cousin's actions over the course of her relatively-young life, it is likely that he is much more indulgent of Ki-linn's association with the Thuggee cult than Sun-Tzu had once been of his sister's. Evidence has come to light that not only was Ki-linn the architect of the so-called "Daughters of Kali" cult of women that rose up on Wei in the immediate aftermath of the Blackout to embark on a campaign of terror and violence, but she was rewarded by having Wei added to her personal landholds and given a seat on the Prefectorate.
During the Capellans' renewed drive into the Republic after the Blackout, Ki-linn was offered as a bride in a clever play by her cousin to seal his alliance with Jacob Bannson, who used his immense resources to help the Chancellor in his bid to retake the Capellan Confederation's birthworld of Liao from the Republic of the Sphere. Though the pairing was displeasing to Ki-linn, her public persona was very much one of love towards her husband, and she publicly mourned for him when he fled the Confederation...though, as the rumor goes, Ki-linn sent Death Commando hit squads after Bannson when he left. The reason for Bannson's flight from the Capellan Confederation remains a mystery, but it is possible that he stumbled upon Ki-linn's secret: she was training her Thuggee worshippers in the vein of the so-called "Thuggee Warrior Houses" that her ancestor raised during the Jihad, and was almost certainly encouraged to do so by Kali Liao herself at some point. That Ki-linn would repeat history in this way is almost a foregone conclusion, as she is utterly convinced of her divine right to do so, and her strident calls for war against the Federated Suns within the House of Scions betrayed the bloodlust and desire for retribution that burned within her.
And so it was in 3145, during the height of the Capellans' renewed war against House Davion, that the so-called "Warrior House Shiva" made its spectacular battlefield debut in a brutal assault on the nearby Federated Suns world of Bell. The newest Capellan war machines fought side-by-side with designs (mercifully) not seen since the Jihad: Word of Blake Celestials, Demons, and Spectrals. Though no one has been able to confirm the source of these terrifying monstrosities, the most obvious answer would be that Kali Liao herself had sequestered them away from prying eyes. Soon thereafter, a second attack was launched against Lee, and the Thuggees were merciless in their butchery and destruction, making no distinction between warriors and civilians. It is believed that, given their successes against these particular targets, Warrior House Shiva may be growing bolder, and the long-standing Davion stronghold of Kathil is almost certainly in Ki-linn's crosshairs as the Capellan Confederation proper continues their invasion of the Federated Suns.
Though the rank-and-file appear to be on a par with legitimate janshi as one might find in Warrior Houses such as Dai Da Chi or Imarra, the elite of the Thuggee force appear to be another Jihad-era relic: the dreaded Phansigar, cybernetically-enhanced, hyper-elite troops with a singleminded devotion to Ki-linn herself. And despite the fact that Kali's Thuggees did not count women among their ranks, Ki-linn has not excluded them from her new Warrior House. One of these women, holding the rank of
Jemadar and known only as "White Lotus", commands the aerospace contingent of Warrior House Shiva. A former Death Commando,
Ying-zhang Jericho Xu, commands the first battalion; a former House of the Setting Sun assassin,
Jemadar "Daitya" commands the second battalion; Tikonov native
Ying-zhang Nikolai Zuyevo commands the third battalion; and hardline Liaoist and borderline psychopath,
Jemadar Veronica Nguyen, commands the fourth battalion.
The House Master is a mysterious, murderous Phansigar known only as "Vritra", having taken his rebirth name from the serpentine Hindu demon and personification of drought. His rise to the vaunted rank of
Risaldar has come at a high price, as his sacrifices of flesh in service to the Death Goddess are many and his enhancements are equally legion: among his known implants include cybernetic eyes, full-body myomer, vehicular DNI, a communications implant, enhanced prosthetic jaws with incisor injectors, an enhanced prosthetic tail, a pair of enhanced prosthetic arms, and a massive pair of flight wings crafted to resemble the wings of a bat... or, more likely, a demon. He commands Warrior House Shiva with singular devotion to the Death Goddess and her newest incarnation, and there is not a single Thuggee within the House that would not give their very lives at his command.
Warrior House Shiva's war machines are painted a lustrous ebony, accented with vibrant red stripes resembling the gouges made by tiger claws. All members of the Warrior House wear an all-black uniform with two symbols: the House symbol on the right shoulder, and the image of the Goddess Kali on the left shoulder. The aforementioned House symbol appears to be an inverted Liao triangle, upon which is set the open eye of the Indian deity Shiva, symbolizing the Warrior House's ultimate purpose: annihilation.
Command Element Tian-Zong
Archangel
Yu Huang
SeraphFa Shih Squad
Purifier Squad
1st Battalion1st Company Tian-zong
Yu Huang
Lu Wei Bing
Shen Yi
Ti T’sang
Ti T'sang DDC
Jinggau
Lao HuFa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Sha Yu
Yao Lien
Men Shen
Yinghuochong Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
2nd Company Emperor
Pillager Z
Thunder
Cataphract
Vandal
Vandal
Vandal
VandalPo II Heavy Tank
Po II Heavy Tank
Snake
Snake
Huron Warrior
Huron WarriorRegulator II (Stealth)
Regulator II (Stealth)
3rd Company Wraith
Assassin
Cossack
Ebony
Raven II
Raven II
Dola
DolaPixiu Heavy Tank
Pixiu Heavy Tank
Duan Gung
Duan Gung
Gun
GunPixiu Heavy Tank
Pixiu Heavy Tank
2nd Battalion1st Company Seraph
Seraph
Deva
Deva
Deva
Deva
Preta
Preta Shedu Squad
Shedu Squad
Waneta LAM
Waneta LAM
Malak
Malak Tengu Squad
Tengu Squad
2nd Company Seraph
Seraph
Deva
Deva
Deva
Deva
Malak
Malak Purifier Squad
Purifier Squad
Yurei LAM
Yurei LAM
Raptor II
Raptor IIPurifier Squad
Purifier Squad
3rd Company Seraph
Seraph
Deva
Deva
Malak
MalakBolla Stealth Tank
Bolla Stealth Tank
Djinn Squad
Djinn Squad
Pwwka LAM
Pwwka LAMBolla Stealth Tank
Bolla Stealth Tank
Asura Squad
Asura Squad
3rd Battalion1st CompanyMorningstar City Command Vehicle
Minion Advanced Tactical Vehicle
Brutus Assault Tank
Brutus Assault Tank
Predator Tank Destroyer
Predator Tank Destroyer
Zahn Heavy Transport
Zahn Heavy Transport
Ying Long Squad
Ying Long Squad
Ying Long Squad
Ying Long Squad
Sheriff Infantry Support Tank
Sheriff Infantry Support Tank
Zahn Heavy Transport
Zahn Heavy Transport
Ying Long Squad
Ying Long Squad
Ying Long Squad
Ying Long Squad
2nd Company Po II Heavy Tank (Gauss)
Po II Heavy Tank (Gauss)
Po II Heavy Tank (Arrow)
Po II Heavy Tank (Arrow)
Po II Heavy Tank
Po II Heavy Tank
Zahn Heavy Transport
Zahn Heavy Transport
Amazon Squad
Amazon Squad
Shen Long Squad
Shen Long Squad
Po II Heavy Tank
Po II Heavy Tank
Zahn Heavy Transport
Zahn Heavy Transport
Amazon Squad
Amazon Squad
Shen Long Squad
Shen Long Squad
3rd Company Regulator II Hovertank
Regulator II Hovertank
Regulator II Stealth Hovertank
Regulator II Stealth Hovertank
Nisos Attack WiGE
Nisos Attack WiGE
Tufana Hovercraft (iNarc)
Tufana Hovercraft (iNarc)
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Nisos Attack WiGE
Nisos Attack WiGE
Tufana Hovercraft (iNarc)
Tufana Hovercraft (iNarc)
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
4th Battalion1st Company Pixiu Heavy Tank
Pixiu Heavy Tank
Pixiu Heavy Tank
Pixiu Heavy Tank
Zahn Heavy Transport
Zahn Heavy Transport
Sheriff Infantry Support Tank
Sheriff Infantry Support Tank
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Predator Tank Destroyer
Predator Tank Destroyer
Zahn Heavy Transport
Zahn Heavy Transport
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
Fa Shih Squad
2nd Company Behemoth II Heavy Tank
Behemoth II Heavy Tank
Behemoth II Heavy Tank
Behemoth II Heavy Tank
Brutus Assault Tank
Brutus Assault Tank
Zhukov Heavy Tank (Liao)
Zhukov Heavy Tank (Liao)
Shen Long Squad
Shen Long Squad
Shen Long Squad
Shen Long Squad
Regulator II Hover Tank (Arrow IV)
Regulator II Hover Tank (Arrow IV)
Regulator II Hover Tank (Arrow IV)
Regulator II Hover Tank (Arrow IV)
Shen Long Squad
Shen Long Squad
Shen Long Squad
Shen Long Squad
3rd Company Luduan Scout Vehicle
Luduan Scout Vehicle
Nisos Attack WiGE
Nisos Attack WiGE
Tamerlane Strike Sled
Tamerlane Strike Sled
Shun Transport VTOL
Shun Transport VTOL
Amazon Squad
Amazon Squad
Amazon Squad
Amazon Squad
Yasha VTOL (Interdictor)
Yasha VTOL (Interdictor)
Shun Transport VTOL
Shun Transport VTOL
Amazon Squad
Amazon Squad
Amazon Squad
Amazon Squad
AeroSpace WingCommand FlightStriga
Striga
Striga
Alpha SquadronMengquin
Mengquin
Transgressor
Transgressor
Troika
Troika
Beta SquadronRusalka
Rusalka
Transit
Transit
Defiance
Defiance
Omega SquadronShade
Shade
Umbra
Umbra
Thrush
Thrush
Naval AssetsLung Wang (Command Element)
Assault Triumph (1st Battalion)
Assault Triumph (2nd Battalion)
Triumph (3rd Battalion)
Triumph (4th Battalion)
Kuan Ti (Escort)
Lung Wang (Escort)
Avenger Upgrade (Strike)
Achilles Upgrade (Strike)
Overlord A3 (Assault)
Lung Wang P2 (Assault)
Vengeance DC (Aerospace Wing)
Zhen Niao (Recon)