Siriwan McAllister-Kurita

Siriwan McAllister
Personal
Also known as	"The Dragon Lady"
Born	2496
Died	2632
Affiliation	House McAllister House Kurita
Profile
Profession	Coordinator of the Draconis Combine
Family
Parents	Martin McAllister (father) Illiyana Sorenson (mother)
Spouse	Warren Kurita
Children	Hehiro Kurita

Siriwan McAllister-Kurita (born 2496 – died 2632) was the daughter of Martin McAllister and Illiyana Sorenson, herself the daughter of Blaine Sorenson, the then Lord of Rasalhague. Siriwan was one of the most remarkable leaders of the Draconis Combine and House Kurita, serving as Coordinator on three separate occasions. She was the eleventh, thirteenth and seventeenth Coordinator.

Biography

The child of a secret marriage between an officer of Draconis Combine and a daughter of the ruler of Rasalhague (then an independent state), Siriwan was raised largely by her maternal grandfather after her mother was drowned in a watersking accident. After diplomacy between Rasalhague and the Combine collapsed in 2501 her father was only able to visit in secret and could only meet her during the otherwise private conferences with Blaine as they conspired to overthrow the Von Rohrs.

In the aftermath of Martin McAllister's successful coup in 2510, Siriwan moved to New Samarkand, the then capital of the Combine. The court was not welcoming to their new ruler's 'foreign daughter' but she used her outsider status to become an acute observer of politics and skilled in exploiting them for her own benefit. His father informed her that she could not become Coordinator because she was a woman. And when her father was murdered in his bedchamber, the nineteen year old was his only heir, but the patriarchal nobility Combine would not accept her as ruler in her own right. Instead she served as Brevet Coordinator until her marriage, shortly afterwards to a distant cousin, Warren Kurita, who assumed the throne.

During their short marriage, Siriwan was the inexperienced Warren's closest advisor and it was on her advice that he named their son as Heir-Designate shortly after his birth. Almost exactly a year later, Warren died of 'mysterious causes', ascribed to eating bad shellfish. Once again Siriwan accepted power, this time as regent to her infant son. She quickly dropped any assumed reluctance from the role and became an imperious and adept leader. Preferring negotiation to warfare, she adopted a defensive strategy during the later years of the Age of War rather than place herself in a position where her inexperience in military affairs could let her down.

Siriwan would remain regent for almost four decades before relinquishing power to her son Hehiro, although there are some sources suggesting that she offered to resign before that and he had persuaded her not to. Again, she remained a key advisor to the new Coordinator and the matriarch of House Kurita. When Hohiro died, after thirty-five years on the throne, Siriwan lead the mourners at his state funeral.

Hehiro's son, Leonard Kurita died in 2605 of mysterious causes perhaps not unremoved from those that had killed Warren Kurita eighty-eight years before. His heir, Blaine Kurita, was already seriously ill and died within a year. Despite being 109 years old, Siriwan once again assumed power, this time in her own right. She admitted to being exhilarated at the experience and confident in her ability to wield it, but the nobility were less delighted and only two years later she retreated to her accustomed role as advisor, yielding power to her granddaughter Sanethia Kurita. Amazingly, Siriwan was able to remain a force in Kurita court politics for another quarter of a century.

Family

Siriwan's father, Martin McAllister, was descended distantly from Shiro Kurita the founder of the Draconis Combine, through Shiro's second son, Hugai and her mother was descended from Shiro's brother Urizen Kurita via Daniel Sorenson an illegitimate nephew of Jason Kurita who Daniel had overthrown to establish a semi-independent Rasalhague during the reign of the Von Rohrs dynasty. As such Siriwan was heir to both branches of House Kurita.

Her husband Warren was another distant descendant of Shiro Kurita, by way of Coordinator Parker Kurita, who had been overthrown by Nihongi Von Rohrs. Their son Hehiro Kurita and his descendants ruled the Draconis Combine thereafter. Siriwan outlived her husband, son, three of her grand-children and one of her great-grandchildren.

Murderess?

It is not clear how much of a hand Siriwan had in the mysterious deaths of Warren and Leonard Kurita. Two deaths eighty-eight years apart may have simply been a coincidence. Certainly no one within the Draconis Combine would suggest that the twenty year old daughter of the respected Martin McAllister might have married Warren simply to legitimize her rule and then done away with him once he had provided an heir who she could rule 'on behalf of'. The notion that a 109 year old grandmother would have a reigning Coordinator assassinated rather than tolerate his abuses of authority would be equally unthinkable.

Quotes

“	For a house that will endure one thousand years carve its beams from honor.	”
	— Haiku by Siriwan McAllister-Kurita, 2579

Bibliography

• House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)
• Handbook: House Kurita