Hfihar Khnialmnae

Introduction

House   Khnialmnae is one of the oldest houses on record.  It has had many high and low points in its colorful history,  and has been both a Great House and one whose name was barely known.

Familial  Crest of s`Khnialmnae

Traditionally   the house has specialized in the arts of warfare, particularly those aspects   of warfare that deal with ones feet firmly planted on the ground.  For many years after the Landfall, during   myriad skirmishes and wars s`Khnialmnae became very well-known for it's skilled and intelligent warriors.

A Rise to power

After a series of circumstances, the countries of the Rihannsu at last became reunited.  Now that the twin worlds were one, however, it was difficult for s`Khnialmnae to practice the arts that had won such admiration in the centuries prior.

Khnialmnae Ancestral Castle in Ra`tleihfi on ch`Rihan

In order to preserve its power and mnhe'sahe, s`Khnialmnae swore a blood-oath to keep and defend the fledgling government.  This bold move, showing such faith in the new leaders, successfully prevented s`Khnialmnae from receding into the shadows.    However, it still lacked a direction-a motivation-to keep moving forward.

Using it's prestige as one of the premiere combatants in the arts of land warfare,   s`Khnialmnae began building alliances with the other, greater houses.  It did so by allowing all those worthy to train with its clansmen.  Not only   were the arts of war taught, there was also a rigorous religious and fine arts regimen.  The Knights of Khnialmnae were widely regarded as one of the best-educated and fined members of   Rihannsu society, as well as widely used to populate the legions of the Rei`Krannsu.

Khnialmnae Castle on the Planet Gotara

For three centuries during the expansion of the empire, s`Khnialmnae enjoyed a golden age.

Fall from grace

But the Elements sometimes test the mnhe'sahe of houses, and so it was with s`Khnialmnae.

When the concept of conscripting less experienced civilians to form a Space Galae and   to increase the Rei?Krannsu legions, rather than the skilled and experienced   warriors like the Knights of Khnialmnae and other nobility, forming a greater number of armed forces for conquest, arose, s`Khnialmnae was vehemently opposed to it.

Khnialmnae Castle on the Planet Algeron

Khnialmnae eloquently persuaded the Senate to not trouble themselves with the concept.  To the house, warfare was the occupation of professionals and the nobility whose calling it was to defend and expand the empire, not the average civilian whom knew nothing of the arts of war.

After several weeks of debate by correspondence, the Senate capitulated. Proponents of a more diluted Rei?Krannsu and the formation of a Space Galae were outraged, claiming Khnialmnae had used its power to stop legislation to preserve its own power, when it had sworn to protect the empire.

The Senate was becoming quietly divided on the subject when the Federation's U.S.S. Carrizal entered Rihannsu space. Eyes grew wide as the tiny vessel screamed away greetings at the empire. The senate tried to slap a classification on the occurrence at   s'Khnialmnae's behest, but it was too late, and public dissatisfaction (and shear panic) grew to a head.  The call to form the Galae was heard.

Khnialmnae Castle on the Planet Tegedaar

The Dark Years

Fvillha Ael soon demanded that action be immediately taken, and ordered s`Khnialmnae to begin training civilians the arts of aerospace combat tactics and ground warfare.

s`Khnialmnae refused.  "We cannot and will not.",  Lweiss   tr'Khnialmnae, a young officer in the new military, openly attacked the Fvillha. He called his rapid demands " as reactionary as his family. We should have expected such a thing from such a dull-witted man. No harm has been done, or will be done. We will see to that. There is no need to expend precious resources in pursuit of death in space."

Khnialmnae Knights' Training Facility on Gotara

The people disagreed. In fact, Khnialmnae was again accused of neglecting the defense of the people for its own gain. Khnialmnae was not one against the idea of a Galae, far from it, but it had set the "mood" for centuries, and some felt betrayed. The Galae was conceived, and  construction began immediately while s`Khnialmnae receded into the shadows.   It was far from being powerless, but the great days were gone now. Finally, the fleet was ready, and it was deployed.

No members of Khnialmnae had participated directly in constructing the vessels. No members of Khnialmnae manned any stations. And Khnialmnae still openly opposed the diluted Rei?Krannsu and the Galae.

Khnialmnae Knights' Training Facility on ch`Rihan

The Rihannsu began to see Khnialmnae not as the forefront of   innovation, but a backward conservatory, safeguarding nothing but their own   ideals. After the capture of U.S.S. Stone Mountain, the conflict with   Khnialmnae came to a head.

Lweiss, now an aging veteran again attacked the Fvillha openly,   stating that now, for certain more ships would come and would have to be   dealt with. Aidoann ir-Ihhlai t'Khnialmnae, then hru'hfirh agreed. The public   would humor the house no more. Lweiss was charged with treachery, and the   name Khnialmnae was treated with disdain.

The Planet Gotara

Aidoann received a number of swords from her district, and took   the hint to commit honorable suicide. In her last statement she said,  "the ways of old are a hindrance to the new age, yet I can find no place   there. I must be as I am, therefore I will find my own place among the   elements, that honor may return to find favor with my house once again."

Lweiss was sentenced to death.

The Frontier

The Planet Algeron

Then began the   long road back to honor. Hru'hfirh Ne'fvekh scraped together the vestiges of   the house from the four corners of both planets. A plan was devised in the house, and its younger members and knights began quietly and aggressively entering   training with the newly formed 17th Legion, "The Eagle's Talon", of the Rei`Krannsu, based on the Khnialmnae-held system of Gotara.

The Planet Tegedaar

Budgeting became intense and one of the most historic events in   Rihannsu history came to pass. Ne'fvekh tr'Khnialmnae re-affirmed the old   blood-oath to defend the Imperium and said, "In order to affectively defend the Imperium we must be ready to defend her at the extremities, not   relaying upon the resources of our government. Every member of our house must   be ready to sacrifice themselves for the good of the empire. We must be ready   to meet the enemy on the frontier. And we will."  After a few quizzical   looks he explained bluntly, "We're moving to Gotara."

This however, was not just an ordinary move. For decades funds   were laid up in preparation for the great trek to the new homeworld. Engineers   were hired and ships chartered. Finally all was in readiness.

Brick by brick the Khnialmnae castle was deconstructed and   transported to Gotara on of the planets it had tamed in the beginning expansion   of the empire.  Brick by brick the   great structure was reassembled on the cold banks of the River Rhannasa.   Khnialmnae had come to its new home.

At least that   is the story that others in the empire were told. In truth, the house's   eri'hfirh, Arrhae had fallen in love with a member of a rival house,   s`Annhwi. The hru'hfirh of s`Annhwi refused to allow the wedding unless   s`Khnialmnae was removed from ch`Rihan.  He considered it payback to the rejection his son received by the   Khnialmnae Knights.  Ordered not to   start a civil war and shamed that house s`Annhwi had effectively blackmailed   them off ch`Rihan, the true story was covered up.;  However, throughout the centuries.  s`Annhwi and s`Khnialmnae had been carrying on a blood-feud that still lasts   today.

Redemption & Revenge

Forced into   exile, the s`Khnialmnae moved to the planet Gotara, taking their castle but   leaving their lands intact, promising to return one day to ch`Rihan with   their castle and mnhe'sahe avenged.

During the two   hundred years of exile, they began to rebuild and gain allies on   ch`Rihan.  The s`Khnialmnae felt they   were now strong enough to reclaim their ancestral lands and restore their   mnhe?sahe.  Returning in force to   ch`Rihan, the Order of Knights struck its vengeance s`Annhwi, vanquishing   them near to extinction.  Returning to   their ancestral lands, and mnhe?sahe restored, the s`Khnialmnae brick by   brick rebuilt their castle while building another on Gotara; staking their   claim as the rightful blood-owners of the Gotara system and the surrounding   sector.

While   s`Khnialmnae was removed from ch`Rihan (and the spotlight), the old   transgressions were forgotten, the house now holding equally powerful   positions in the naval forces as it once did on land.   Reaffirming   their oath to defend the Rihannsu People.

THE NEW REPUBLIC

After several   hundred years, the s`Khnialmnae and the Order of Knights have served the   Rihannsu people with distinction.    Thought to be disbanded because they were not heard from and remnants   of s`Annhwi and their allies were still out to destroy them, Order of Knights   faded from the memory of the Rihannsu people, only to resurface at the one of   the darkest hour of the Rihannsu.

The Knights   and s`Khnialmnae sided with the proponents of the Rihannsu Republic against   the Imperium at the dismay of the enemies of s`Khnialmnae.  Allying itself in the struggle against the   corruption and illegitimate heirs of the Rihannsu Empire (from their point of   view).  Depleted in number, by wars   and blood feuds, the Order has once again embarked on the journey to increase   its number.  Recruiting only the elite   of Rihannsu society, teaching its ancient art of war.

Khnialmnae still   strives to increase and hold its status as a great house, and requires its   members to be as knowledgeable as possible in science, arts, literature,   religion, and of course, traditional swordsmanship.