House Magnate: Matharja

No house is held with as much spite and animosity as House Magnate Matharja. Though, simultaneously, no House is surrounded with as much mysterious allure, or confident refinement.

House Magnate Matharja originates from a military order within the Hive, prior to the Galactic Reconquest. At this time, it was the Pale Legion, which was lead at the time by Commander Matharja Bhagavad. Though, Matharja preferred to wield his lesser title in place of Commander; Inquisitor Matharja. The Pale Legion was an instrument created by the Hive to root out sedition within the armed forces, and long been a fearsome tool in maintaining vicious order.

That changed when Inquisitor Matharja became Commander, however.

The Hive’s gung-ho attitude towards sentencing those suspected of guilt was sloppy, irregular, and often incorrect. Matharja was a profound intellect with regard to logistics within the military, and leaned on creative solutions to solve complicated problems. Matharja was also credited to having three wives, all of whom were from military aristocracy, and rumored to be invaluable advisors.

Matharja began a subtle program of twisting the Pale Legion’s inquisitorial objectives to a more efficient, and effective process. Albeit, the results were at the time, and to this day, incredibly controversial.

Inquisitor Matharja set aside a portion of the Pale Legion to be responsible for ‘uncertain’ or ‘petty’ infractions of sufficient severity. In these cases, hand-picked adjudicators trained by Matharja would hear out the case of either side, before administering judgement. But, the details of the judgement would never be revealed, and the ruling of said judgement was always singular: assassination of the condemned.

This lead to an all-out frenzy between in-fighting officers, dignitaries, and courtiers in the Hive. Where two people sentenced each other baselessly, the chances of death were equal. And so, they would attempt to show their most virtuous and loyal sides after being accused… also, their most charitable sides.

Such prompted massive funds being redistributed into the Hive military from corrupt hands, almost always distributed unto Matharja’s command. And additionally so, gave the Inquisitor an almost palpable aura of fear by which to rule. All without wanton violence, and with a lessened death toll than political chaos typically involved.

Though, the High-Pteron began to resent the grave authority to which their Inquisitor wore, and begun to chafe him at his every turn. Going so far as to separate he and his wives all from each other. Which, for Matharja, was the last straw. With that last act of undeserved repudiation, Matharja turned all of the Hive assets at his disposal towards research, development, and classified operations.

Inquisitor Matharja’s joining of the Council of Twelve was a difficult maneuver. He initially did so under an alias, but such didn’t last long. After it became the Council of Thirteen, and the Galactic Reconquest began, Matharja’s Pale Legion became the Hive’s living nightmare. All of the resources provided to the previous Inquisitor, paired with prominent military and logistical knowledge resulted in strike-team, sabotage, and assassination operations that are whispered in hushed tones to this very day.

Though Commander Blacklance is on the record for calling Inquisitor Matharja a ‘deviant’, it appears they cooperated well. Moreover, it seems that in some ways, Matharja looked up to Blacklance. With some referring to Matharja’s constant support as being ‘Blacklance’s Shadow.’

After the Dissolution of the Councils, Matharja continued as the commanding officer of the Pale Legion, though eschewed his titles. The legion remained a veritable force in the early era of galactic liberation. Most notably, when they intervened to end a small war that broke out between two burgeoning states. In the same, practiced fashion as before the reconquest; those deemed guilty were assassinated with almost inhuman thoroughness.

This attracted the attention of the growing Human Hegemony, who wished to have the Pale Legion on their side. Matharja’s heir, a daughter named Matharja Basandalla, met with the then-Magnates for a week-long discussion of the terms. In the end, Matharja Basandalla agreed.

The terms were simple. The Pale Legion, also called Matharja’s Shadow, would provide their unique services to the growing Hegemony. This included a formalized and ‘virtuous’ means of settling political and personal disputes, as well as cutting edge research and development on associated means of covert operations.

And in return, the Pale Legion would have the full support of the Hegemony, and be rooted as its own body within an independent House Magnate; House Matharja.

And so, House Matharja has blossomed ever since. The Pale Legion, Matharja’s Shadow, also just called The Shadow now, has provided strong military assets in the form of soldiers and equipment to the Galactic Hegemony. Its society is, as one might assume in something inspired from Inquisitor Matharja, surrounded in a mysterious appeal. Considered cultured and graceful, the people are well-mannered and active. Combat arts are instilled at a young age, as well as many recreational activities. The litigious society is counterbalanced by means of its own creation; courtly duels, trials by combat, punitive torture via the wronged party, and – of course – free appeals to the Shadow for intervention.

Though, the political climate doesn’t favor house Matharja. The Hegemony favors, and has shifted House Matharja’s prominent figureheads to be those eager to deal out the Shadow at the slightest request. This has somewhat sullied their reputation as fair, impartial, and justified killings. Just as well, economic controls force certain portions of the House Matharja economy to acquire outside talents for development in place of research, which many see as an affront to their intended agreement.

Those natives who are dissatisfied with the positions available to them in the House Matharja society have a history as being rather enterprising. Seen as dashing, debonair, and daring. Whether striking out in the Hegemony's other bodies politic, or beyond. Especially since the Pale Shadow functions only within the Hegemony, and its official conflicts, for diplomatic purposes. Those who can't make it into the Shadow, or leave, or who have ambitions in the colonies our outside of the Hegemony together often take up the role of Bounty Hunters. With those that originate from House Matharja territories being particularly reputed, and upheld in urban legends as being rivaled only by House Blacklance bounty hunters - who are far rarer.

Though, one thing is certain, there’s always work for an agent of the Shadow. Though none are sure quite how one is chosen, one phrase is certain, and known even beyond the Hegemony:

“Blessed are those who walk beneath His Shadow.”