Sivar-Eshrad Ceremony

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The Sivar-Eshrad Ceremony is an ancient Kilrathi ritual performed annually in honor of their war god, "Sivar".

Overview

The Sivar-Eshrad Ceremony is hosted by the Kilrathi Empire every year in order to pay tribute to the war god Sivar. Being of a race bred for warfare, the Kilrathi looked to their war god for guidance in their constant drive for galactic conquest. Every year, they were to pay homage to the war god; doing so would guarantee them victory over their foes. If the ceremony was disrupted, the Kilrathi would lose the favor of Sivar and be doomed to defeat against their opponents.

Every year, a new planet was selected to host the Sivar-Eshrad Ceremony, regardless of whether it was under possession of the Empire or the enemy. All Kilrathi task forces stationed on the frontlines were to observe the ritual firsthand, and any nonbelievers would be summarily exterminated. The ceremony was hosted by the priestesses of Kilrah.

History

The Sivar-Eshrad was practiced for untold centuries long before the onset of the Terran-Kilrathi War. When the War unfolded, the Ceremony continued to be held annually largely uninterrupted, until the Terran Confederation took note of its cultural importance in the early years of the War.

On 2654.293, Commodore Geoffrey Tolwyn launched an assault on the Sivar-Eshrad Ceremony as it was being hosted in the Dolos System. The resulting raid effectively disrupted the ritual and proved to be a severe psychological blow to the Kilrathi. For this attack, Tolwyn was promoted to Rear Admiral.

In 2655, the Kilrathi selected the Firekka System, a newly-inaugurated member of the Terran Confederation to host that year's ceremony. Every available carrier force arrived at Firekka in full force, driving off the Terrans and enslaving the native Firekkans. In response, the Terrans launched Operation Crusade, led by the TCS Tiger's Claw to break the Kilrathi's hold on the system. Upon learning of the ceremony taking place on the surface, the Terrans deployed a large marine force to disrupt the procession. When the Terrans landed, they and their Firekkan allies assaulted the Kilrathi priestesses, effectively halting the ritual in spite of a large loss in men and materials. The Kilrathi responded by driving the Tiger's Claw and the rest of the Terran fleet out of the system. However, having been considerably demoralized by the ceremony's failure, the Kilrathi bowed under pressure to the Firekkan rebellion and abandoned the system in 2656.

Behind the scenes

The Sivar-Eshrad Ceremony is the backdrop for the second Wing Commander game expansion "Secret Missions 2".