Sutii Oopja
Shadow Knight
Members of the Shadow Court who distinguish themselves in mission with outstanding achievements or research with significant technological developments can be granted the title of Sutii Oopja, usually translated as Shadow Knights.
They get respect from other members of the Court and face more difficult or critical tasks, often outside the Empire. They are expected to deal with agents from rival organizations, like wayfarers or Cajenian League envoys.
Requirements
No one can apply to become a Knight. Members have to deal with their tasks, becoming more reliable, making their superiors entrust them with increasingly delicate domestic missions until they distinguish themselves, for instance, in an unexpected critical situation. Luck is often involved in the promotion, but with no skill it would be difficult to seize the opportunity.
Aleksija Lenkovič for instance, the current Shadow Count in Orkoza, became Knight during a manhunt in the capital city against a wayfarer. She was lucky to be at the Arkadhian Institute of Technology laboratories when chaos ensued, but it was her knowledge to allow her to repurpose the instruments she had available to pinpoint the wayfarer's location.
For agents acting behind the scene, like politicians and researchers, it is usually much more difficult to become Knights. They rarely receive tasks since their role is to develop technology or weave a support network, and outstanding results are generally harder to achieve.
Responsibilities
Tasks given to a Shadow Knight differ from tasks solved by ordinary members. They no longer carry out missions inside the Empire's borders unless there's a significantly hard task to deal with. Instead, they travel outside the Empire, mostly in Cajena and the Free Lands, dealing with foreign rival agents.
Typical tasks include reckoning enemies' forces or retrieving ancient artifacts from ruins (and frequently even from the hands of the rightful owner). Adding to the difficulty of an oversea mission, they must keep a low profile. In fact, the Nysian political scene sees everyone against the Empire, and the slightest apparent imperial criminal action inside another country's territory would cause political tensions. In particular, wayfarers could try to retaliate.
Alternative Naming
Šifjo Oopja, Knights of the Court
Source of Authority
Shadow Crown through Counts
Length of Term
Lifetime or until promotion
Related Organizations
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