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VictreebelVictr
VictreebelVictr

Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Empty Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022)

May 30th 2022, 11:39 pm
Message reputation : 100% (3 votes)
Respect Darth Ruin


There is no passion…there is solely obsession.

There is no knowledge. There is solely conviction.

There is no purpose. There is solely will.

There is nothing…

Only me.




Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Daddy_12




Darth Ruin is a Dark Lord of the Sith that kickstarted the Draggulch Period. Phanius was a man of philosophical interests, and did not withhold his dark side convictions from making his extreme ideologies even more radical. These beliefs are based on the Cartesian view of assured existence, which suggests that an individual knows that one can know that he/she is existent because he/she can think and psychologically experience the external world; this ideology also implies that one can not know if the figures around him/her are real or not since one cannot verify whether or not others can think because they are not the observer. This idea was later called solipsism. The lack of proof of another’s true existence combined with the self-absorbed mentality that was Darth Ruin truly makes for an incredibly interesting character that paints a picture like no other in the Star Wars mythos.

And, hey, Bane respected him, and if Bane respected him, he must be worth respecting. With all that said (including the word “respect” which was used way too much in that last sentence), it is time to respect Phanius, the Dark Lord of Ruin.

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General Accolades

Darth Bane considered the title of Darth to be a title of power and mastery, and those whom held it helped invent its definition through their impressive accomplishments; this speaks well of Ruin considering that Bane singled him out specifically:


Book of Sith - Secrets from the Dark Side wrote:It is no accident that I took the title of Darth when I gained a mastery of the dark side, nor is it an accident that Kaan and his followers rejected it. It is a title of power.


-Book of Sith - Secrets from the Dark Side wrote:Lord Kaan preached that all were equal in the Brotherhood of Darkness, but he did not dare to appoint a thousand Darths. In fact, he did not permit the use of the title at all. Perhaps he sensed its inherent power—that an individual who held the title would not allow rivals to live.


Book of Sith - Secrets from the Dark Side wrote:But the word’s true meaning does not come from any language but from the proud histories and accomplishments of those who have born the title: Darth Ruin, who left the Jedi Order to pursue his monomaniacal philosophy of self-interest and gave rise to the thousand-year war that concluded at Ruusan, and who was among the last to hold the Darth title—until I took it up again.

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Abel Pena considers him to be incredibly evil, and likely far more so than the average Sith:


Abel G. Peña wrote:"Ruin is the definition of pure evil, as I conceive of him and it.”

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Ruin is a notable wielder of the Darth title:


Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Notabl10

-The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia: Volume 3

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Jedi Master Phanius was amongst the Jedi Order's greatest thinkers:

Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Phaniu11

-The Jedi Path

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Darth Ruin was originally a gifted Jedi Master:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Known by the name Phanius and believed to be an Umbaran, the pale-skinned man was a charismatic and gifted Jedi Master who exhibited hints of a disturbingly relativistic, some said solipsistic, morality.


Jedi vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Tionne Solusar wrote:According to the arcane scholar Murk Lundi, Darth Ruin was previously a Jedi Master named Phanius.


Jedi vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Tionne Solusar wrote:Records list Phanius among the first of the Lost, a roster of Jedi Masters who abandoned the Order and eventually—after the abdication of Jedi Master Count Dooku—became referred to as the Lost Twenty.

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Darth Ruin was charismatic and intelligent:


The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia: Volume 3 wrote:Two thousand years before the eruption of the Clone Wars, an intelligent and charismatic Jedi named Phanius renounced his oath and abandoned the Order to pursue prohibited teachings.

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Darth Ruin was incredibly confident, and so much so that he never saw his assassination as a possibility:


Jedi vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Tionne Solusar wrote:Evidently, his confidence blinded him to the possibility of being assassinated by his own Sith acolytes.

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General Feats

Darth Ruin declared himself as he Dark Lord of the Sith, and was seemingly not met with retaliation; thus, likely placing Ruin above all existing Sith at the given time:


The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia: Volume 3 wrote:Recruiting scores of Jedi and others strong in the Force, he was seduced by the dark side and declared himself a Dark Lord of the Sith named Darth Ruin.

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A noticeable amount of Jedi joined Darth Ruin (Peña suggested that it was about 50):


Only Sith Deal In Absolutes! wrote:There he was described as a male Jedi Knight who left the order 2,000 years before the events of Episode I, taking 50 or so Jedi with him.


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:A number of Jedi joined his Sith cause, and war with the Jedi brotherhood inevitably followed.


Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Bodo Baas wrote:A mysterious figure who may have been an Umbaran, Darth Ruin revived the
Sith Order and seduced a number of Jedi to his cause.


The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia: Volume 3 wrote:Recruiting scores of Jedi and others strong in the Force, he was seduced by the dark side and declared himself a Dark Lord of the Sith named Darth Ruin.

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Phanius kept his growth in the dark side undetected by his Jedi colleagues:

Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Phaniu10

-Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Tionne Solusar / Murk Lundi

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Ruin was able to unite the lingering Sith clans under his rule:


Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Tionne Solusar wrote:Unknown to the Jedi Order of the Old Republic, Phanius infiltrated and united various lingering Sith clans, then changed his name to Darth Ruin.

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Darth Ruin had a squire named Lord Eradicus during his reign:


Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Img_0411

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Darth Ruin was merciless and directed events that killed off many of his followers:


Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Tionne Solusar wrote:A merciless leader with supremely self-centered philosophies, Ruin was known for whims that resulted in countless deaths of his own minions.

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Phanius fell to the dark side through rationally considering the doctrines that came with being a Jedi:


Only Sith Deal In Absolutes! wrote:First, I eschewed the played out young, dumb Jedi who falls to the dark side angle for the Dooku-esque mold: the thinking Jedi Master who "wisely" turns to evil.

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A younger Ruin has the yellow eyes that is common with those who have given themselves over to the dark side:


Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) De975b10

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Ruin believed that he destroyed the mental barriers that prevented him from growing his self-centered ideology:

Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Phanius, convinced he'd obliterated the mental barriers that had kept him from understanding that his will superceded all things (or, in fact, was everything), took the name Darth Ruin.

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Ruin’s self-centered views intensified upon taking control of the last existing Sith clans:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Unknown to the order, he infiltrated and united the various surviving Sith clans, intensifying his self-centered views.

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Force Knowledge

Darth Ruin, when he was a Jedi, stole an important Sith Holocron when he fled from the Jedi Order, and, with its knowledge, created a new Sith order:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:One such student was a rogue Jedi who absconded from the Jedi temple with a rare Sith holocron. Armed with its corrupt knowledge, this Jedi founded a new order of Sith, who flourished over the next thousand Years.

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Phanius left the Jedi Order to pursue prohibited knowledge:


Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Tionne Solusar wrote:A charismatic Jedi of his time, Phanius abandoned the Jedi Order to pursue prohibited teachings.


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:He became one of "The Lost" when he abandoned the Jedi Order to pursue "alternative" knowledge.


Last edited by VictreebelVictr on December 28th 2022, 10:49 pm; edited 14 times in total
VictreebelVictr
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Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Empty Re: Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022)

May 30th 2022, 11:40 pm
Respect Dark Underlord


"Young master, have you heard the tale of the Jedi Master Murrtaggh and the Dark Underlord?"


Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) The_bi10


The Dark Underlord, an undead entity of sorts, was a reigning Sith Lord during the Draggulch Period. He formed and led the Black Knights, which were a band of Sith based on Malrev IV. Described as being a dark side spirit released from the depths of Hell by a rogue Sith Acolyte, Dark Underlord is an incredibly mysterious figure, and an interesting one at that. Perhaps he truly is the legendary General Xendor of the First Dark Jedi.

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General Accolades

The Dark Underlord was a warlord:


Star Wars: The Complete Encyclopedia wrote:An ancient Sith warlord during the time of the New Sith Wars.

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Legends describe The Dark Underlord as being either a Sith spirit conjured from the Chaos Realm by a Sith Acolyte who disappeared, or being the spirit of the legendary Dark Jedi Xendor:


Star Wars: The Complete Encyclopedia wrote:Conflicting legends of the Dark Underlord's origins describe him as an avatar of General Xendor's spirit that had possessed a follower, or as a being magically summoned from the realm of Chaos by a Sith acolyte.


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Some said he was called from the realm of Chaos by an inexperienced Sith acolyte who was never heard from again.


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Others even speculated that the Dark Underlord was the spirit of the Lettow general Xendor himself.

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Underlord is somewhat intangible since he is a dark side spirit:


The Emperor's Pawns Endnotes, Part 3 wrote:My original idea was that the character, who originally appeared in a sort of insubstantial form, was not merely employing a holographic-style disguise but that Blackhole was literally a ghostly apparition, a dark side spirit from beyond death. Though the idea was rejected, it was recently repackaged in a more ambiguous form for my project Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties (2006, StarWars.com) as the background for the Sith known as the Dark Underlord.

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General Feats

Chaos ensued for 250 years until Dark Underlord took charge:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Chaos largely reigned for the next 250 years until a powerful Sith leader emerged. Known only as the Dark Underlord, his presence was clouded with rumor and Sith folklore.

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Dark Underlord formed and led a group of Sith called the Black Knights:


Star Wars: The Complete Encyclopedia wrote:The Dark Underlord led a fighting force known as the Black Knights of Malrev IV in a devastating scourge of the Republic and the Jedi.

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Dark Underlord and his troops assaulted space stations on the Zona Miki route:


Star Wars: The Essential Atlas wrote:By 1750 BBY, rule of the Sith had fallen to the emotionless Dark Underlord, whose black knights assailed space stations along the Zona Miki route.

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Whilst dying to Jedi Master Murrtaggh, the Jedi was, somehow, immediately subdued by the dark side:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:While the Dark Underlord's Zeltron commander faced the Mandalorian intruders, Master Murrtaggh stole into his enemy's territory and assassinated the Sith Lord, martyring himself to the dark side in the process.

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Marauder

Dark Underlord was a marauder, and an incredibly bloodthirsty one at that:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:The only thing that was certain was that he was a bloody marauder of the first quarter of the New Sith Wars.


Abel G. Peña wrote:As such, the DU got Belia's line:

"...he was a bloody marauder of the first quarter of the New Sith Wars."

e.g. Belia Darzu, the dark side marauder.

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Dark side marauders are warriors:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Warriors who discover in themselves an ability to wield the Force can become dark side marauders.

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Marauders are considered living weapons of the dark side:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Without the mental disciplines and strict code of conduct the Jedi Order provides, these warriors become brutal, living weapons, delighting in inflicting pain and taking lives. The dark side marauder becomes an extension of the dark side of the Force in the same way that her weapons are an extension of her body.

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Dark side marauders are the ultimate mercenaries:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Dark side marauders are the ultimate mercenaries. Adventure, pillage, slaughter, and violence define them.

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Dark side marauders combine physical prowess with force abilities and are similar to Jedi guardians in this way:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Like Jedi guardians, dark side marauders combine physical prowess with training in the Force. Unlike Jedi, they bend it to their own violent purposes.


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Dark side marauders combine the best aspects of the soldier and the Jedi guardian, mixing a well rounded complement of fighting tools with the ability to wield the Force.

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Marauders are reliant on their strength in the dark side:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:She lives in a world where her destiny is entirely dependent on her mastery of her weapons and her strength in the Force. The dark side makes her survival far more likely.

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Marauders love the feeling of the dark side filling them, as well as the exhilarating feeling of battle:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:They often live for the joy of battle, the test of arms, and the tempering that only bloody conflict can provide-but they are hardly above taking pleasure in the spoils that victory provides. While the adrenaline rush of combat is a heady drug to them, the thrill of the dark side flowing through their
veins is far more intoxicating. To feel that thrill again and again, the dark side marauder seeks out any activity that lets her wield the Force against an opponent.

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Marauders are very qualified for jobs that require extensive combat knowledge and abilities:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Many can be found acting as bodyguards, gladiators, mob enforcers, mercenaries, street thugs, professional soldiers, or simply adventurers.

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Combat

Dark Underlord utilized a pair of Sith Swords as opposed to lightsabers:


Dark Forces Saga, Part 4 wrote:Though Jedi and Sith since those early times have taken to substituting laser swords in place of steel ones, the ancient Jedi Awdrysta Pina favored dual Jedi Katana, while the Dark Underlord insisted on using twin Sith Swords despite being outmoded by the time of the New Sith Wars.

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Dark Underlord was suggested to be a master of Jar’kai:


Star Wars: The Complete Encyclopedia wrote:He was a master of Jar'Kai combat, preferring to use paired Sith swords rather than more modern lightsabers.

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Dark Underlord was one of the few Sith Lords powerful enough to hold a candle to the Jedi, and he personally led the Black Knights through battles that were devastating for the Republic:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Consolidating a large Sith group known as the Black Knights on the planetoid Malrev 4, the Dark Underlord was one of the few Sith powerful enough to actively take the battle to the Jedi during this era, hacking through battlefields with his twin Sith swords.


Last edited by VictreebelVictr on May 31st 2022, 12:41 am; edited 2 times in total
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Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Empty Re: Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022)

May 30th 2022, 11:42 pm
Message reputation : 100% (1 vote)
Darth Rivan Respect Thread


"Darkness is a friend, an ally. Darkness allows us to understand others, to see what they value when they believe no one else is looking. It allows us to be honest with ourselves, to express those values that we would disavow in the light. The light blinds us. It is only in the dark that we see clearly, and there is a great dark hidden among these worlds."
-Darth Rivan


Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Papa_r10


Darth Rivan is an incredibly interesting character in the Star Wars franchise. From and a prominent part of an obscure era, Rivan was a Dark Lord of the Sith who strived to make scientific history with his studies. He primarily (and possibly only) makes appearances or mentions in RPG scenarios and sourcebooks. Though Rivan is unknown, I find that his mysterious life complements his character. He is far more riveting than the majority believe. With that said, this is the largest collection of Darth Rivan’s feats, accolades, and scaling chains. Respect the living incarnation of Revan’s most popular typo, Darth Rivan.

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Zelosian Perks

Photosynthesis, which is the ability to receive nourishment from water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight, is an outlet of sustenance for Zelosians:


Planets of the Galaxy: Volume 2 wrote:Their skin photosynthesizes for them, though they are also able to take nourishment from other sources, including other plants, as well as animal meat.

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Zelosians are able to fool others in to thinking that they are humans due to their similar physical attributes:


Planets of the Galaxy: Volume 2 wrote:The natives of Zelos If appear to be of Human stock, but with some subtle differences.Their height, build, hair color variation, and ability to grow facial hair is similar to other typical Human races.


Planets of the Galaxy: Volume 2 wrote:There is no good way to visually tell a Zelosian from a regular Human, since their skin pigmentation resembles the normal shades found in Humanity.

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Zelosians tend to keep their true identity hidden, which implies that they are all somewhat experienced at doing so:


Planets of the Galaxy: Volume 2 wrote:This plant heritage is something the Zelosians keep secret.

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General Accolades

Pena suggested that, had an undrained Rivan been around during the conflicts on Ruusan, he would have had a grand fight between him and Bane, and, at the very least, Kaan:


Abel G. Pena wrote:Anyway, I like the Rivan retcon because it avoids the potential unpleasantness of having a Darth Sith at Ruusan besides Bane.

"Yes. If Darth Rivan was at Ruusan and he was powerful, we'd expect him to have had a big fight with Bane, or at the very least Kaan, which means, from a practical point of view, we should've seen this in either Jedi Vs. Sith or Path of Destruction."

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There was a common belief that Darth Rivan was a “mad and evil genius”:


Sith Battlelords wrote:And I'm not the kind of person who believes in the whole "mad, evil genius" mentality. You don't get to be a Sith Lord, I bet, by just doing whatever you want. Everything you do has to have a purpose. There was a reason Darth Rivan came to Cularin, and there's a reason he built that fortress where and how he did.

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General Feats

Rivan either grew to be very old or there was another Sith before him that began the building of his fortress:


The Sith Fortress wrote:Regarding the dome that covers the protruding tip of Rivan's fortress, it has been dated at 1,132 years, indicating that Rivan must have been quite advanced in years prior to the Battle of Ruusan.

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Rivan brought many dark siders to his army:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:During the New Sith Wars, Darth Rivan consolidated many dark siders into an army.

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Rivan’s influence created a dark side nexus in his tome:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Also, the Sense Force option of the Use the Force skill cannot be used while within range of the dark side nexus that has developed here due to Rivan’s lasting influence.


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:As the heroes proceed through the sublevel toward the nexus of evil, they are unwittingly immersing themselves more and more fully within Rivan’s aura of influence.

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The dark side nexus left trespassers with a sense of dread and fear:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Upon reaching this area, the heroes immediately feel a deep unease that tempts them to turn back.

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Rivan was drained of all of his power and killed by an insignificant warrior on Ruusan during the battle between Lord Hoth’s and Lord kaan’s armies:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:The Darkstaff left Rivan bereft of the Force, and when he encountered a Force-user of inconsequential power, the Dark Lord was easily dispatched.

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Legends state that Rivan, being possessed by the Darkstaff, created a force storm that killed his entire army:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Legend relates that Rivan at last obtained possession of the Darkstaff that he both craved and feared, and that it created a hyperspace wormhole, known as a Force Storm, that annihilated Rivan’s Battlelord army.

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The force storm teleported Rivan to Ruusan centuries into the future:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Caught in the eye of this unnatural tempest, Rivan was flung to a time and place far removed from Almas. He found himself on the planet Ruusan, caught in the War of Light and Dark between Lord Hoth’s Army of Light and Lord Kaan’s Brotherhood of Darkness.

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Force Knowledge

Rivan might have written down his lineage, which goes back thousands of years and acknowledges Naga Sadow as his supposed ancestor:


The Sith Fortress wrote:The first name, at the top of the hall, is that of Naga Sadow, and it is widely believed that this is Darth Rivan's Sith lineage, which he traced back several thousand years.

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Darth Rivan’s personal journals have records of his studies on the darkstaff:


The Darkstaff wrote:Little was known about the darkstaff until recently, when a team of Jedi researchers made their way once more into the bowels of the Sith fortress beneath Almas and emerged with a pair of ancient books. These tomes, believed to be remnants of Darth Rivan's personal journals, have been turned over to the Jedi Council.

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Rivan believes that the darkstaff is capable of granting eternal life:


The Darkstaff - Darth Rivan wrote:I respect that. But I will not serve a tool that seeks my demise, that wants my power. I will build defenses, and when I am ready, I will go to the darkness and bring it to the wretched light.
I must. If I am to live forever, there is no other way.

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Rivan was smart enough to understand that the darkstaff was trying to tempt him with power:


The Darkstaff - Darth Rivan wrote:There are still times that I think, "Yes, I could take it and use it against everyone else. I could use it to drain the Force from their bodies, to watch them crumble to dust as their essence evaporated." But I know such thoughts are not my own. They are the darkstaff's thoughts. It would use me to drain others, and then it would drain me.


The Darkstaff - Darth Rivan wrote:An object that feeds upon the Force -- which may, in fact, store the Force within it, for whatever purposes it might ultimately have -- is antithetical to our existence, and any of us who created such a thing would surely have wanted it destroyed.

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Rivan suspects that one of his ancestors accidentally created the darkstaff, and then lost his/her life to it:


The Darkstaff - Darth Rivan wrote:I now believe it was created by one of my forebears, though the generations that have passed since its creation I cannot count. I also have trouble fathoming why the thing would have ever been made, and I have come to conclude that it was an accident, a byproduct of some strange experiment that could not be undone -- and that ultimately was the undoing of its creator.

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Rivan had many amulets and artifacts:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Abandoned and half buried in the sands of Almas for more than a millennium, Darth Rivan’s fortress has been recently invaded and pillaged by Jedi and Sith cultists. His tomes, amulets, and other artifacts have been stolen.

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Rivan owned a Sith manuscript that might have been written by Revan in his archives:


Jedi vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Gannod Chant wrote:“A millennia later came Darth Rivan, a Zelosian who took his name from a corrupted Sith manuscript that misidentified Darth Revan as “Darth Rivan, the most powerful Dark Lord of the Jedi Civil War.”


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:…and his Sith moniker is believed to have been culled from a corrupted Sith text, possibly written by Darth Revan.

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Darth Rivan knew of Darth Ruin and his creed:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:If the heroes have SevenAy with them, the droid can translate the text. It was referred to by Rivan as “the creed of ruin” and is written in Sith.

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Rivan owns a holocron that is not his own:


The Darkstaff - Darth Rivan wrote:I've been working with a holocron, trying to pull up anything that might allow me to better understand the darkstaff.

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Darth Rivan designed the Sith Battlelords to fix a supposed problem with large groups of Sith by connecting them through Sith rituals:


Sith Battlelords wrote:The basic idea of Sith battlelords goes back to the problem the Sith always had that made them adopt that "rule of two" thing. Namely, if you get too many evil guys in the same place, they're gonna kill each other. Evil doesn't work well together. Darksiders can't organize, because they're always afraid everyone else is going to stab them in the back -- literally. With a lightsaber. These kind of people aren't likely to work together, and nobody's sure gonna want to work for them.
So to take care of this problem, I guess Rivan designed these battlelords. The basic idea was to eliminate insubordination as an option for soldiers and make it difficult for someone who's in charge of soldiers to mistreat them. Kind of a forced morale thing. It was a pretty convoluted process, and he needed someplace special to do all the work -- like a fortress in the middle of nowhere that he could use to test things out and refine the technique.

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A scrap of durasheet is all that is left of Rivan’s tome, which implies that there was more:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:The scrap is all that’s left of a tome that belonged to the Sith Lord Darth Rivan.

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Fortress

Rivan created the fortress on Almas to have a place to run tests regarding Sith Battlelords:


Sith Battlelords wrote:It was a pretty convoluted process, and he needed someplace special to do all the work -- like a fortress in the middle of nowhere that he could use to test things out and refine the technique.

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Rivan’s fortress is supposedly older than anything in the Cularin System, and everyone knows about it:


Sith Battlelords wrote:Everyone wonders about that Sith fortress on Almas. I mean, it's not the kind of thing you can ignore, with the big black spire rising out of the desert. It's older than almost anything in Cularin, I guess.


Sith Battlelords wrote:It's older than almost anything in Cularin, I guess.

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The Almas Fortress was 30 meters tall above ground:


Reidi Artom wrote:“The exposed portion is about thirty meters tall with a dome on the top.”

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The structure continued underground:


Reidi Artom wrote:“Sensors say there’s more of the structure below the ground.”


Almas wrote:Darth Rivan built a fortress partly underground, and enclosed the whole in a dome.

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Reidi was too fearful to personally check the fortress:


Reidi Artom wrote:Whatever it is, someone else is going to have to find out. I’m going to follow a hunch and not land.

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The Fortress of Almas puts fear in the author of Sith Battlelords:


Sith Battlelords wrote:And it's a scary place. I've been there a couple of times, helping the Jedi out. It's scary in a way nothing I've ever seen is scary. It's wrong in a way I never imagined anything could be wrong.

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Reidi Artom could feel power resonating from the fortress despite being in orbit, and so much so that she suggested that a Jedi would consider it to be powerful in the Force:


Reidi Artom wrote:“There’s something strange about the place. I can feel it, even from here. A Jedi would say that the Force is strong in this place. I don’t know about that, but it sure is creepy.”

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Future Jedi proved Artom’s assessment to be accurate:

Jedi vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force wrote:By 188 B.B.Y., a team of Jedi noted that they, too, had sensed the powerful infection of the dark side surrounding the fortress on Almas.

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The dark influence of the fortress reaches to the Jedi Academy on Almas:


The Sith Fortress wrote:A Dark Fortress Adventure Summary The dark side influence of the ancient Sith fortress is growing inexplicably stronger and reaching out across Almas, toward the Jedi Academy.

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Expeditions within the fortress have failed due to its great power luring Jedi to the dark side:


The Sith Fortress wrote:Deeper explorations of the fortress have as yet been unsuccessful. The influence of the dark side in this place is great, and there is a constant tugging at the mind of any Force-sensitive individual, a temptation, a promise of power and glory. As such, no Jedi is allowed to remain in the fortress for more than 90 minutes, and the guards outside the fortress are rotated every four hours.

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Rivan’s fortress produces powerful dark side energies that are slowly killing off the planet’s population of living organisms:


Almas wrote:The center of this wasteland is the ancient Sith fortress. Slowly, the wasteland grows. Jedi have measured the growth rate at about a meter of increased radius per year. Within this area, the planet is cold and dead. The atmosphere is barely breathable even with breath masks. Scholars among the Jedi study the area and speculate on what is killing the planet.

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For an unknown reason, the grasses of Almas do not grow near the structure:


Reidi Artom wrote:"The green-purple grasses don’t grow anywhere near it.”

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The fortress is powerful enough in the dark side to aid Rivan with his creation of an army:


Sith Battlelords wrote:That's why Rivan built the fortress. He needed a lab. A place with enough dark side energy to create these monstrosities to lead his armies.

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Rivan’s fortress shoots notably large bolts of lightning at trespassing ships overhead:


Sith Battlelords wrote:But that doesn't explain why he'd build a fortress that shoots huge lightning at passing starships.

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Jedi consider the possibility of multiple active Sith artifacts within the deep depths of the fortress that might be a reason Rivan’s fortress is so powerful with the Force:


The Sith Fortress wrote:The strength of the Force effects in place at the fortress indicates that there may be one or more active devices (or artifacts) in the bowels of the structure.

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Jedi Master Nerra Ziveri studied the dark energy pouring from Rivan’s Fortress:


Lanius Qel-Bertuk wrote:“What you may not know is that for some years, Master Nerra had turned much of his attention to probing the fortress’s dark side aura in earnest.”

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Jedi Master Nerra disappeared during his excavation of Rivan’s Fortress:


Lanius Qel-Bertuk wrote:“As you know, it has been two weeks since academy headmaster Nerra Ziveri disappeared. His last known position was on the far side of Almas, at the Sith temple.”

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Rivan’s base was invincible to blasterfire even a few hundred years after his reign:


Jedi vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force wrote:They may not have had much choice: the fortress was and is impervious to blasterfire.

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Rivan’s Fortress has no obvious entrances:


Reidi Artom wrote:“There aren’t any entrances or windows of any kind as far as I can see.”

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Sensors could not see within Rivan’s Fortress:

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Reidi Artom wrote:“Sensors cannot penetrate the interior.“

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Rivan used his fortress as a lab:


Sith Battlelords wrote:That's why Rivan built the fortress. He needed a lab.

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Darth Rivan’s Holocron

The dark side energy of Almas made Rivan’s holocron more powerful:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Deep within the academy was the Sith holocron he sought, which once belonged to the Sith Lord Darth Rivan. Moreover, the growing dark side energy on Almas had suffused the Rivan holocron with a powerful evil.

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Rivan’s holocron’s amp granted the gatekeeper free will:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:As a result, the holocron’s gatekeeper took on a life of its own, believing itself to be the actual spirit of Darth Rivan, and it gained the power to activate itself and act of its own free will.

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Darth Rivan’s holocron increased Draco’s powers incredibly:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:This is doubly true now that the holocron gatekeeper of the Dark Lord has found a cohort in the Inquisitor, augmenting Draco’s powers significantly.


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Before your eyes, the wraith seems to transfer some of its dark energy into the Inquisitor, wreathing the Human in shadows.

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Rivan’s holocron might be changing Draco’s appearance and voice:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:The evil holocron gatekeeper hovering in the room seems to writhe with malevolence, and there is clearly some vile connection between it and the Inquisitor. Draco’s eyes acquire a sickening gold hue, and his voice plummets in pitch as he gives a command to the woman and soldiers at his side. “My brave companions—kill them.”

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Valin Draco learned a lot from the holocron of Darth Rivan:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Draco learned much from the faux Sith Lord spirit, and he remained in the academy to study the holocron further.

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Rivan’s holocron feeds Draco with ancient Force techniques throughout battle:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Draco has the Dark Jedi Raik Muun flanking him, red lightsaber ignited, and directly behind him hovers an indistinct blot resonating with evil. This is the holocron gatekeeper of Darth Rivan, which provides Draco with advanced knowledge of Sith techniques throughout the fight.


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:As soon as the heroes attack, Draco allows the holocron gatekeeper of Darth Rivan to instruct him, teaching him some of the Dark Lord’s powers.

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Rivan might have created parasites that could supposedly lift dead bodies back to life (even though the bodies were really just being manipulated telekinetically):


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:The heroes have triggered a trap involving powerful parasites that animate the corpses of the dead in this room.


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Darth Rivan’s holocron gatekeeper convinced Draco to release two Force-sensitive parasites in the library archive room, where their telekinetic powers seemingly bring the corpses to undead life.

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K’kayeh Dreambeast

The k’kayeh dreambeast is a clone of the real k’kayeh dragon:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Similar to Sith dopplegangers, this k’kayeh dreambeast is an illusory clone of the actual living entity, spawned by Inquisitor Draco under the guidance of Darth Rivan’s holocron gatekeeper.

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The dream beast is a tenth of the size of the actual creature it represents:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:This dreambeast is only a tenth the size of the truly gigantic k’kayeh that lurks in the depths of the Almas Academy, but it is still enormous.

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The dreambeast is over twice the size of the biggest bull rancors, and shoots lightning through its nostrils:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Double the size of even the biggest bull rancor, the reptilian colossus drags its golden body into the chamber, scales shifting along its hide like impenetrable plates of anvilstone. The k’kayeh’s maw is a steely-toothed deathtrap, and its claws are eviscerating razors. As if that weren’t enough, instead of breathing fire, this dark side abomination can shoot Force lightning from each nostril of its monstrous snout.


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:The most disturbing thing about the beast is its snout. Sure, you’ve read the fairy tales about fire-breathing monsters. You may even have fought a dragon-slug on Corulag. But as you watch dark side lightning dance wickedly from one of the creature’s mammoth nostrils to the other, you know only one thing for certain . . . you’re in trouble.

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The dreambeast has a large arsenal of weapons:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:The k’kayeh dreambeast has many weapons at its disposal.

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Dreambeasts can attack the mind, which causes trauma damage to opponents:


Domain of Evil wrote:Dreambeasts attack in the normal manner, but instead of causing physical harm, they inflict mental trauma damage on their victims.

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Dreambeast victims believe that they are being physically injured:


Domain of Evil wrote:A victim of a dreambeast attack believes himself to take normal physical damage from an attack.


Domain of Evil wrote:The trauma of the attack feels real…


Domain of Evil wrote:Characters will even see wounds on their bodies, as if attacked by a substantial foe. Only later, after the combat is over does a character recover from the trauma and realize the attack affected his mind, not his body.

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The GM should apply the mental damage effects of the dreambeast attack after the combat is over:


Domain of Evil wrote:…They now become aware of having suffered mental damage.

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Dreambeasts can do physical damage as well as psychological:


Book of Sith - Secrets from the Dark Side - Sorzus Syn wrote:A smoke demon can travel as windblown miasma or coalesce into solid form when commanded to attack.

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Besides utilizing its teeth and claws, the dreambeast will attempt to crush opponents under its own weight:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Besides its teeth and claws, it uses its body as a bludgeon to crush the heroes.

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The huge dreambeast can crush anything in the room it is fought in:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Any cover in the room can be crushed (or appear to be crushed) by the enormous beast.

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The dreambeast can eat its opponents with its arm-length teeth:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Any hero grabbed by the creature winds up in its mouth to be consumed, taking damage from its arm-length teeth.

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A dreambeast can vaporize the body of the opponent by entering the nose or mouth:


Book of Sith - Secrets from the Dark Side - Sorzus Syn wrote:It can vaporize the body of a victim by entering the nose or mouth…

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K’kayeh Dreambeast stats:

Echoes of the Jedi wrote:K’kayeh Dreambeast
CL 8 Gargantuan beast 9
Force 2; Dark Side 12
Init +7; Senses darkvision, Perception +10
————————————————————————————
Defenses Ref 11 (flat-footed 13), Fort 30, Will 19
hp 176; DR 25; Threshold 50
Immune mind-affecting
Speed 8 squares
Melee 2 claws +18 (2d6+16) and bite +18 (3d6+16) or
Melee slam +18 (2d6+16)
Fighting Space 4×4; Reach 3 squares
Base Atk +6; Grp +33
Atk Options Pin
Force Powers Known (Use the Force +10): Force lightning (2)
————————————————————————————
Abilities Str 34, Dex 6, Con 34, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 13
Special Qualities sensor immunity, surface camouflage
Feats Force Sensitivity, Force Training, Pin, Skill Training (Initiative, Perception)
Skills Initiative +7, Perception +10, Use the Force +10
————————————————————————————
Sensor Immunity—K’kayeh dragons cannot be detected by life-form scanning sensors. Surface Camouflage—K’kayeh dragons receive a +5 bonus on Stealth checks while in a desert environment.

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It can create Living Nightmares by pulling from the dark energy of the almas Academy:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:The k’kayeh dreambeast creates these nightmares from the dark energy suffusing the remains of the Almas Academy.

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Living Nightmares (LN)

Living Nightmares are horrifying beings of pure Force energy that shape-shift:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Living nightmares are manifestations of Force energy that appear in shifting, horrific forms.

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They take the forms of the opponent’s fears and target the mind:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:They usually take on the forms of monstrous beings from their targets’ memories and attack the minds of their opponents.


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:This creature is horrific in its visage, yet looks as though it is only partially in our world. Its form continually shifts from one monstrous appearance to another, and it drifts through the air as though it has no mass of its own.

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Living Nightmares can perform ‘Attack the Mind’ which is essentially a psychological attack that can kill just as well as a physical one:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Attack the Mind—This creature’s melee attacks target the opponent's Will Defense instead of its Reflex Defense, and the creature's damage (treated as energy damage) ignores SR and DR. The creature’s attacks target the mind of the opponent, though the damage it causes can kill just as easily as physical damage. This creature’s attacks are considered mind-affecting.

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Living Nightmares have the ability ‘Semi-Corporeal’ which essentially means that they take half the damage from physical attacks, but full damage from energy-based attacks:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Semi-Corporeal—This creature is a manifestation of Force energy and is only partially vulnerable to normal attacks. It takes half damage from weapons other than energy weapons. If a weapon deals energy damage or another type of damage, the creature takes full damage from that weapon. If a weapon deals energy damage and another type of damage, the creature takes only half damage from that weapon.

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LN target those without energy-based weaponry or those that are weak-willed:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Given their semi-corporeal nature, living nightmares tend to focus their attacks on opponents without energy weapons. However, if they discover that an energy weapon-wielding foe has a particularly low Will Defense, they will target that opponent instead.

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They ignore those who are immune to psychological attacks:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:They completely ignore any creature that is immune to mind-affecting effects, as they know that their attacks will be fruitless.

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The stats of a Living Nightmare:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Living Nightmare CL 6
Medium beast 7
Init +7; Senses darkvision, Perception +17
————————————————————————————
Defenses Ref 14 (flat-footed 10), Fort 13, Will 11
hp 53; Threshold 13
Immune fear, mind-affecting
————————————————————————————
Speed 6 squares (fly)
Melee slam +9 (2d6+2)
Base Atk +5; Grp +9
Atk Options attack the mind
————————————————————————————
Abilities Str 8, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 16
Special Qualities semi-corporeal
Feats Running Attack, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Finesse
Skills Perception +17
————————————————————————————

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The gatekeeper of Rivan’s holocron plans on summoning the k’ayeh dragon and does so if stripped from the holocron:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:If the gatekeeper couldn’t retain control of Draco, he planned to summon the real k’kayeh dragon, which has grown to a massive 200 meters (as big as some space slugs) since the Dark Lord first created the monster more than a thousand years ago. If the gatekeeper is stripped from the holocron, his final howl of rage awakens the k’kayeh and draws it upward. If the gatekeeper is not separated from the holocron, he chooses to summon the beast at this moment.

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Draco is able to use the knowledge/power gained from Rivan’s holocron to prevent the k’kayeh dragon from eating him:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Still seething with the dark side of the Force from his tutelage under the Sith holocron gatekeeper, Draco is able to control the beast—at least enough to keep it from devouring him.

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The k’kayeh dragon is so loyal to Rivan/Valin Draco to the point that it hurls itself off of a cliff to follow him:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:As Draco plummets into darkness, the Force lightning stops, and the k’kayeh dragon descends into the abyss once more, presumably after the body of the Inquisitor.

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The stats of Darth Rivan’s gatekeeper:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Darth Rivan's Holocron Gatekeeper
CL 10 Medium Sith holocron gatekeeper Jedi 7/Sith apprentice 5/Sith lord 3
Force 5; Dark Side 16; Strong in the Force
Init +12; Senses darkvision, Perception +10
Languages Basic, Sith, Zelosian
————————————————————————————
Defenses Ref — (flat-footed —), Fort —, Will 31
hp —; Threshold —
Immune fear, physical effects
————————————————————————————
Speed 8 squares (fly)
Base Atk —; Grp —
————————————————————————————
Abilities Str —, Dex —, Con —, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 20
Special Qualities aura of malevolence, dark side bond, Sith holocron gatekeeper, temptation, vulnerability to sever Force
Talents Power of the Dark Side, Dark Presence
Feats Force Sensitivity, Skill Focus (Use the Force), Strong in the Force
Skills Initiative +12, Knowledge (galactic lore) +14, Use the Force +22
————————————————————————————
Aura of Malevolence—All creatures within 3 squares of the gatekeeper take a –2 penalty to Will Defense.
Dark Side Bond—The gatekeeper has been instructing Inquisitor Draco and can lend him the strength of his knowledge. As a standard action, Rivan can grant any one of the following benefits to Inquisitor Draco until the beginning of Rivan’s next turn:
• +1 Force bonus on attack rolls
• +2 Force bonus to any Defense of his choice
• +1 die of damage with lightsaber attacks
• +5 Force bonus to Use the Force checks made to deflect incoming ranged attacks
• +5 Force bonus to Use the Force checks made to activate the rebuke power

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Inquisitor Valin Draco learned how to spawn a dream beast of Darth Rivan’s K’kayeh through the knowledge he gained from the Dark Lord’s holocron:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Similar to Sith dopplegangers, this k’kayeh dreambeast is an illusory clone of the actual living entity, spawned by Inquisitor Draco under the guidance of Darth Rivan’s holocron gatekeeper.

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A dreambeast can be summoned by focusing on the energy and air around the summoner:


Book of Sith - Secrets from the Dark Side - Sorzus Syn wrote:By concentrating on the air and energy around you, you can call forth a manifestation of the dark side.

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Sith Alchemy

Kaluthin

Darth Rivan ignored the unlivable status of Almas to make it his home and to build a fortress on it:


Almas wrote:The planet itself is an anomaly in space; a molten terrestrial world orbiting beyond the usual range for such planets. The core is hot, but the surface should be ice covered and unlivable. The planet's original atmosphere contained methane, phosphorus, and other heavy gases, all of them poisonous. That did not deter a Sith Lord named Darth Rivan from choosing the planet as his home. Darth Rivan built a fortress partly underground, and enclosed the whole in a dome.

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The air on Almas is deadly enough to kill a bantha:


The Sith Fortress wrote:For as long as there have been Jedi on Almas, we have avoided the wasteland. It is an unclean place, strong in the dark side of the Force, and dangerous. The air is toxic enough to kill a bantha - on good days.

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Darth Rivan possessed notable expertise of biology, and so much so that he created the kaluthin within a year on Almas:


Almas wrote:But Rivan, like most Sith, was not content to leave nature to its own devices. He possessed some expertise in biology, and over a period lasting but a single revolution of Almas about its suns, used the Force and his knowledge to develop a new species of plant he called kaluthin.


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Darth Rivan is an enigma of the New Sith Wars. A Zelosian, he defied nearly every stereotype of his gregarious people except for his knowledge of plant biology…


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:Drawn to this dark side artifact, Rivan erected a stronghold on the poisonous planet Almas, using the Force and his biological knowledge to terraform the world into a paradise.

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The land would have to be terraformed in order to live in Rivan’s fortress:


Sith Battlelords wrote:I mean, it's way away from everything else, it's out in the desert, it had to be terraformed just to be livable -- and I read that thing that was supposedly written by Darth Rivan about why he came to Cularin.

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The anomaly that is Almas was considered unlivable because it had a hot core and an icy surface:


Almas wrote:The planet itself is an anomaly in space; a molten terrestrial world orbiting beyond the usual range for such planets. The core is hot, but the surface should be ice covered and unlivable.

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Kaluthin changed the planet of Almas into a beautiful garden world:


Almas wrote:Before he was slain, his creations had begun to terraform the planet from an unlivable nightmare into the garden-like world it is today.


Almas wrote:He spread the kaluthin across the surface of Almas, and they slowly changed the planet.

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The long roots of the kaluthin brought the heat from the center of the planet to the surface in order to cool down the core and to heat up the surface:


Almas wrote:The taproots brought heat from the center of the planet, and the methane processing turned the atmosphere.


Almas wrote:Kaluthin's unique properties include the ability to synthesize methane from the air and create oxygen, and a taproot that reaches miles into the crust of the planet.

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Kaluthin are responsible for producing light on the planet of Almas. They replace what would be a sun:


Almas wrote:The kaluthin, glowing with phosphorus, are responsible for the light, and it can be a little unsettling to visitors to see the light coming from the planet rather than the sky.

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Kaluthin were designed to receive nutrients and hydration from underground lakes:


Almas wrote:There is no surface water, but below the surface lie large underground lakes where the icy crust has melted. The kaluthin all nourish themselves from these underground lakes, and the settlers dig deep wells to mine the precious water.

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The kaluthin bound Almas’s soil together so that it is solid:


Almas wrote:Thus, the planet is more like a living plant than anything else, as the roots of the kaluthin bind the soil together.

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Other plants taken to Almas form a symbiotic relationship with kaluthin because of the grass’s influence:


Almas wrote:Other plants have been introduced into the soil, and those that survive form a symbiotic relationship with the kaluthin.

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Almas is now considered to be a living planet due to its reliance on the kaluthin grass:


Almas wrote:Thus, the planet is more like a living plant than anything else, as the roots of the kaluthin bind the soil together.

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Removing the kaluthin would unbalance the atmosphere just like Almas had been before Rivan’s arrival:


Almas wrote:The expense of mining does not outweigh the value of the small mineral deposits in the planet's crust, and removing the kaluthin would cause the planet's atmosphere to become unstable.

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Even over 1,000 years after his death, the kaluthin continued to prosper and grow across the rest of the planet:


Almas wrote:Centuries passed, and the kaluthin continued to prosper. They spread across the whole planet, and by the time Reidi Artom came to Cularin the planet supported an oxygen atmosphere a little richer than humans considered normal.


Almas wrote:Over much of the surface, the kaluthin grow.

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K’kayeh Dragon

Darth Rivan’s k’kayeh dragon is one of fearsome guardians the galaxy has ever known:


Almas wrote:It's also likely due to the influence of Darth Rivan, but exactly how the Sith Lord created the dragon and made it one of the most fearsome, silent guardians in the galaxy is unknown.)

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The k’kayeh dragon is Rivan’s greatest alchemical accomplishment:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:The k’kayeh dragon is the greatest product of Darth Rivan’s dark arts.

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Rivan played a role in designing the k’kayeh dragon:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:While it is unclear whether the dragon ever qualified as a "pet" to Darth Rivan, it was certainly, at least in part, of his design.

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The k’kayeh dragon is real, ancient, and evil:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:While speculation about the creature runs rampant and is used as a tool to scare small children into behaving, the k'kayeh dragon is real, ancient, and wholly evil.

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The k’kayeh dragon is 200 meters long:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:The creature itself is over 200 meters in length.


Darth Rivan created the k’kayeh dragon, and it has grown to be 200 meters in size over the past 1,000 years:


Echoes of the Jedi wrote:If the gatekeeper couldn’t retain control of Draco, he planned to summon the real k’kayeh dragon, which has grown to a massive 200 meters since the Dark Lord first created the monster more than a thousand years ago.

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The k’kayeh dragon is incredibly Force-sensitive; the environment of Almas and Rivan’s personal design are likely to blame for this:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the k'kayeh dragon is that the creature is sensitive to the Force. (This can, in large part, be attributed to the environment in which it has lived for the past millennium. It's also likely due to the influence of Darth Rivan, but exactly how the Sith Lord created the dragon and made it one of the most fearsome, silent guardians in the galaxy is unknown.)

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The k’kayeh dragon is able to use Force lightning:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:In addition, two times a day, the k'kayeh dragon can shoot Force Lightning out its nostrils - one bolt from each nostril. The bolts emerge simultaneously, four meters apart, and either follow parallel paths, or converge on a single point.

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Even being a thousand years of age, the k’kayeh dragon plows layers of rock and ice:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:Since its birth over a thousand years ago, it has roamed the deep recesses of Almas, tearing through layers of rock and ice, swimming through rivers that have been thawed by the environment created by the kaluthin -- and hunting.

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Large teeth, which likely belong to the k’kayah dragon, are found in the desert of Almas. They are longer than a Wookiee is tall and cut just as well as lightsabers:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:But there's one thing we do know -- lately, expeditions to the desert have been finding teeth: tiny teeth, sharp as razors, and huge teeth, longer than a Wookiee is tall and with edges that slice metal as easily as a lightsaber would. Whatever creature these came from, it's huge, and you don't want to meet it.

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The k’kayeh’s teeth ignore damage in the same way that lightsabers do:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:Beyond its raw damage-dealing potential, the k'kayeh dragon has dozens of rows of razor-sharp teeth. These teeth ignore hardness in the same manner as lightsabers, and therefore bypass most forms of damage reduction.

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The fearsome k’kayeh, in battle, primarily tries to eat whatever is bothering it, but, if the target is larger, it will prioritize crushing or slashing at the opponent instead:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:In combat, the k'kayeh dragon is fearsome. Its primary weapon is its bite, with which it frequently will attempt to swallow whatever is proving most annoying at the moment. However, it usually won't try to swallow anything smaller than Huge size, preferring to smash small things and grind them into the floor of the desert by flopping on top of them or pummeling them with its enormous claws.

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The k’kayeh is covered in armor-like skin:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:Its outer dermal layer can hardly be called "skin," since it most closely resembles armor plating.

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The k'kayeh camouflages perfectly with the sand of Almas:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:It is, perhaps not coincidentally, the precise color of the sand that covers the wasteland of Almas, and if the great dragon is not moving, it is almost impossible to spot from above.

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Rivan designed the k’kayeh to desire the cooler depths of the planet likely so that it was hidden and could abuse its camouflage:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:The beast spends very little time on the surface, though, preferring the cooler depths of the planet.

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The k’kayeh dragon was designed to desire to hide itself from those who might be watching:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:However, the beast requires more food than it can safely get near the surface, since sating itself on the sentients of Almas would draw more attention to its existence than the creature wants.

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The k’kayeh can not be sensed through both the Force and technological equipment made to detect organisms; the Jedi go as far to say that it might not even be alive (or at least not how they define the word):


Dragon of the Desert wrote:The creature is completely immune to any Sense-based Force ability, and something in the makeup of its hide makes it undetectable by sensors designed to detect life-forms. It's possible that the k'kayeh dragon is not "alive" in the sense that we understand the word, but this, of course, has never been proven.

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The k’kayeh primarily eats underground to avoid being seen:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:It subsists primarily on aquatic creatures, such as the blind coboko fish, that populate the frigid subterranean rivers that it calls home. It also dines on the strangely pungent forfra moss, which grows on the ceilings of many of the tunnels beneath Almas.

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It is oddly intelligent enough to wait for a potentially toxic underground moss to ripen so that it is safe for consumption:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:The moss grows slowly and can actually be toxic to the dragon if eaten at the wrong time in its development cycle, so the creature is careful. It bides its time until the scent of the moss is unmistakable before feasting.

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The k’kayeh can breath both in air and water, and so much so that it lives in a huge lake:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:It breathes equally well in air and water and makes the closest thing it has to a "home" in an enormous underground lake that sits at the conjunction of several of the rivers that move beneath the surface of the planet. It can sleep for weeks at a time before needing to surface and feed.

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The k’kayeh eats whatever it wants and can get its mouth around just about everything on Almas:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:The k'kayeh dragon eats anything it can get its mouth around - which is to say, almost anything it wants.

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The k’kayeh dragon is capable of eating entire ships along with their crews:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:It has captured foolhardy travelers who insisted on braving the wasteland, swallowing them whole, ships and all.

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K’kayeh dragon stats which include skills, Force skills, Feats, Force Feats, and Special Qualities:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:K'kayeh Dragon: Force-Using Armored Subterranean Predator 20; IM -2; Defense 35 (-2 Dex, -8 size, +35 natural); Spd 10m, burrow 20m; VP/WP 540/400; Atk +33 melee (8d8+21 bite, crit 19-20) or +28 melee (4d10+10, 2 claws) or +28 melee (4d20+31, crush) or +18 ranged; SQ Surface Camouflage, Darkvision, DR 25, Sensor Immunity, Swallow Whole, Improved Grab (Claws), Immune to Sense-based Force abilities; SV Fort +32, Ref +10, Will +11; SZ Colossal (200 meters long); Rep 4; Str 52, Dex 6, Con 50, Int 6, Wis 20, Cha 15. Challenge Code I.


Dragon of the Desert wrote:Skills: Hide +9, Intimidate +12, Listen +17, Move Silently +2, Spot +12, Survival (desert) +9, Understand Sith.


Dragon of the Desert wrote:Force Skills: Force Strike +10, Enhance Ability +31, Battlemind +35.


Dragon of the Desert wrote:Feats: Power Attack, Force Sensitive, Track, Cleave, Great Cleave, Frightful Presence, Improved Critical (Bite).


Dragon of the Desert wrote:Force Feats: Rage, Alter, Control, Sense.


Dragon of the Desert wrote:Special Qualities: Surface Camouflage (the k'kayeh dragon has a +10 species modifier to its hide checks while in a desert environment), Sensor Immunity (does not detect on life-form scanning sensors)

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The k’kayeh dragon was designed to hold off entire armies of Jedi, and will do so by flinging itself into the air and crushing the Jedi in a splash-effect kind of fashion:


Dragon of the Desert wrote:Finally, having been designed to hold off armies of Jedi who might storm the Sith fortress, the k'kayeh dragon will, when faced with a large number of threats, utilize its crush attack. The creature rises up until it's almost vertical, then crashes down atop its targets.

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Sith Battlelords

Based on a Jedi datapad, the author of “Sith Battlelords” came to the conclusion that Rivan chose the planet to create Sith Battlelords:


Sith Battlelords wrote:I think I may have figured it out. I mean, I got hold of a file. I'm not going to post it here, since it was something I horked off a Jedi's datapad. I don't want anyone tracing it back to him (or her -- I'm not telling). It laid out this scary ritual thing that would explain a lot about why we got a place like this here, and why Rivan would have wanted it to start with.
He wanted to use it to make Sith battlelords.

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Information regarding the Sith Battlelords is disturbing and concerns those who read it:


Sith Battlelords wrote:The contents are disturbing enough that the mainstream media is refusing to even discuss it, lest it further fuel the delusions of the Believers. All the same, the file has been making the rounds of some of the conspiracy-focused nodes, drawing no small amount of concerned reaction from many who read it.

-----
Darth Rivan performed multiple “scary” rituals in order to create Sith Battlelords:


Sith Battlelords wrote:It laid out this scary ritual thing that would explain a lot about why we got a place like this here, and why Rivan would have wanted it to start with. He wanted to use it to make Sith battlelords.

-----

Even though he perfected the process involved in the rituals, Darth Rivan’s reign was ended before he was able to create an army of Sith Battlelords:


Sith Battlelords wrote:Some small amount of information has leaked into public awareness about the battlelords, but the fact is that they were never created on any large scale. Darth Rivan did perfect the process but was betrayed by his apprentice before being able to create sufficient battlelords to build an army.

-----

The ritual that creates Sith Battlelords is described below:


Sith Battlelords wrote:This isn't making sense. Let me outline the process for you.
There's a long, drawn-out ritual. All sorts of Sith "magic" is involved, and I don't want to know exactly what happens. But at the end, the person who's supposed to become a battlelord is laid down and cut open. Then he bleeds, and while he's bleeding, his troops pass by and track through his blood. (I guess there could have been female battlelords, too. I never thought about it.)

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Any creature can be bonded to a battlelord:


Sith Battlelords wrote:"Bonded" is a template that can be added to any living creature.

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Any living organism can be a Sith Battlelord through the ritual:


Sith Battlelords wrote:"Sith battlelord" is a template that can be added to any living creature.

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Weaker creatures will not likely survive the ritual to become a Battlelord:


Sith Battlelords wrote:It is unlikely that a 1st-level character could survive the process of becoming a battlelord, due to the harm inflicted on the prospective battlelord during the ritual.

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After the ritual, the troops are connected to one another:


Sith Battlelords wrote:Somehow, with everything that's gone on, this bonds them to the commander. Then some more dark side badness gets done, and if the commander survives, when he stands up again, he's a battlelord and is connected to his troops.

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Once bonded, individuals are permanently connected to the battlelord:


Sith Battlelords wrote:This creature has taken part in the latter stages of the rituals involved in creating a Sith battlelord and is permanently bonded to the battlelord in question.

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Rivan forces his military to be loyal to himself and each other through the ritual of Sith Battlelords:


Sith Battlelords wrote:The basic idea was to eliminate insubordination as an option for soldiers and make it difficult for someone who's in charge of soldiers to mistreat them. Kind of a forced morale thing.

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Troops can not inflict pain or attempt to leave their commanding battlelord or else they will die:


Sith Battlelords wrote:That means they can't leave him. They can't get more than five kilometers away from him (this part was kind of vague, but what was being described made it sound like about five km), or they'll fall into this wracking pain and eventually just die. They can't take action against their battlelord, or they have the same problem. Wracking pain, followed by death. So what you've got is a bunch of troops who don't have any choice but to be loyal.

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Troopers connected to a commanding battlelord can not kill him/her because damage done against the commander can, by the commander’s desires, actually become inflicted upon the infictor. This motivates troops to keep their authorities safe:


Sith Battlelords wrote:Here's the best part, though. You'd think that they'd just want to kill the battlelord, right?
They can't! If they try to kill the battlelord, and if they actually manage to hurt him -- if they manage to draw blood -- the damage doesn't affect him. Instead, it affects one of them, one of the troops who are bonded to him. As long as they're close enough for him to see them, any time he gets hurt, he can make it hurt any of his troops instead. So the troops sure aren't going to try to kill him, and they're going to do everything in their power to keep him safe. Because for him to die, they either all have to be dead first, or they have to be nowhere around him.

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“Painful Bond” forces loyalty to those who serve the battlelord:

Sith Battlelords wrote:...the Painful Bond (also described below) enforces loyalty in his or her troops.

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Further description of Painful Bond:


Sith Battlelords wrote:Painful Bond. Those bonded to a battlelord cannot stray far from their leader. Depending on the strength of the dark side site used for the battlelord ritual, the troops must stay within 5 kilometers (for the weakest site) to 15 kilometers (for a particularly strong site) of their battlelord. Exceeding that distance results in the bonded individual becoming sickened (with standard penalties, but manifesting as an intense, twisting abdominal pain and throbbing headache) for the first 12 hours. After that, the bonded individual loses 1 point of Constitution per hour (Fortitude save negates, DC 10 + the battlelord's character level + one-half the battlelord's Charisma modifier) until he or she either dies or comes back in proximity of the battlelord. A bonded individual who returns to the battlelord's sphere of influence immediately recovers all Constitution points lost as a result of the painful bond and is no longer sickened. (Note that it is quite likely that a battlelord interested in manipulating "heroic" captors will point out that as long as they keep him prisoner, they're killing soldiers who are doing nothing but following orders.


Sith Battlelords wrote:Painful Bond. Those bonded to a battlelord cannot stray far from their leader. Depending on the strength of the dark side site used for the battlelord ritual, the troops must stay within 5 kilometers (for the weakest site) to 15 kilometers (for a particularly strong site) of their battlelord. Exceeding that distance results in the bonded individual becoming sickened (with standard penalties, but manifesting as an intense, twisting abdominal pain and throbbing headache) for the first 12 hours. After that, the bonded individual loses 1 point of Constitution per hour (Fortitude save negates, DC 10 + the battlelord's character level + one-half of the battlelord's Charisma modifier) until he or she either dies or comes back in proximity of the battlelord. A bonded individual who returns to the battlelord's sphere of influence immediately recovers all Constitution points lost as a result of the painful bond and is no longer sickened.

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Battlelords are incredibly difficult to kill:


Sith Battlelords wrote:The Wounding Bond (described below) makes the battlelord very difficult to kill…

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Sith Battlelords have durable skin:


Sith Battlelords wrote:The Sith battlelord's skin toughens as a result of the ritual. The creature gains +1 natural armor, or a +1 bonus to its existing natural armor.

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It was suggested that Sith Battlelords might not die if stabbed with a lightsaber:


Sith Battlelords wrote:I guess he didn't succeed, which is a good thing. Because I really wouldn't want a bunch of these battlelords running around. We have enough trouble killing the things that die when you stick a lightsaber through them. We don't need to deal with things that might not –

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“Wounding Bond” makes battlelords hard to kill:


Sith Battlelords wrote:The Wounding Bond (described below) makes the battlelord very difficult to kill...

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Further description of Wounding Bond:


Sith Battlelords wrote:Wounding Bond. Any time a Sith battlelord would take wound damage, every bonded individual within 30 meters of the battlelord must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the battlelord's character level + one-half the battlelord's Charisma modifier). If at least one bonded individual fails his or her save, the battlelord is unaffected by the attack. The individual who failed the save takes the wound damage that otherwise would have been inflicted on the battlelord. If more than one bonded individual fails the save, the wound damage is distributed evenly among those affected. Any bonded individual who knowingly attacks his or her battlelord is treated as having voluntarily failed the save to resist the wounding bond.


Sith Battlelords wrote:Wounding Bond. Any time a Sith battlelord would take wound damage, every bonded individual within 30 meters of the battlelord must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the battlelord's character level + one-half of the battlelord's Charisma modifier). If at least one bonded individual fails his or her save, the battlelord is unaffected by the attack. The bonded individual who failed the save takes the wound damage that otherwise would have been inflicted on the battlelord. If more than one bonded individual fails the save, the wound damage is distributed evenly among those affected. Any bonded individual who knowingly attacks his or her battlelord is treated as having voluntarily failed the save to resist the wounding bond. Particularly dedicated bonded creatures have been known to voluntarily fail their saves to keep the battlelord alive; this keeps the number of dedicated "bonded" relatively low.

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A battlelord can appoint a Quickening Bond or a Ferocious Bond to those connected with the battlelord:


Sith Battlelords wrote:In addition, when the battlelord template is first applied, the battlelord chooses to gain either the quickening bond or the ferocious bond. Once the choice is made, it can't be changed.

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Quickening Bond gives the battlelord the ability to potentially daze a connected individual in order to gain an “extra attack”:


Sith Battlelords wrote:Quickening Bond. If the battlelord is within 30 meters of any bonded individuals, he or she can attempt to use the quickening bond. The battlelord indicates one of his or her followers, and that individual must immediately make a Will save (DC 10 + the battlelord's character level + one-half of the battlelord's Charisma modifier). If the bonded individual fails the save, he is dazed for 1 full round, and the battlelord gains an extra attack that round. If the bonded individual succeeds on the save, the battlelord gains no benefit from the quickening bond. This ability can be used once per round as a free action and can be attempted a number of times per day equal to the number of Dark Side Points the battlelord possesses.

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Ferocious Bond gives the battlelord the ability to potentially daze a connected individual in order to temporarily gain double the initial strength:


Sith Battlelords wrote:Ferocious Bond. A battlelord within 30 meters of any bonded individual can elect to use the ferocious bond. The battlelord indicates one of his or her followers, and that individual must immediately make a Will save (DC 10 + the battlelord's character level + one-half of the battlelord's Charisma modifier). If the bonded individual fails the save, he is dazed for 1 full round, and the battlelord doubles his Strength bonus for purposes of damage (but not attacks) for the remainder of the round. If the bonded individual succeeds on the save, the battlelord gains no benefit from the ferocious bond. This ability can be used once per round as a free action and can be attempted a number of times per day equal to the number of Dark Side Points the battlelord possesses.

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A bonded would get his/her initial abilities coupled with various other benefits:


Sith Battlelords wrote:A bonded creature retains all of the abilities of the base creature except as noted below:
Defense: As the base creature.
Vitality points/Wound points: As the base creature.
Attacks: A bonded creature gains a +2 morale bonus on all attacks when within 1 kilometer of its battlelord.
Saves: As the base creature.
Skills: +2 to Survival and Sense Motive checks.
Feats: Iron Will (bonus feat).
Ability Scores: As the base creature.
Special Qualities: A bonded creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature, and also gains the following.

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It is suggested that the Sith Battlelords could have changed the results of the Siths’ lost battles (specifically in the Draggulch Period):


Sith Battlelords wrote:From what I can tell, it's not like these guys ever made it into wide circulation. If they had . . . well, the battles the Sith lost? They might have won.


Last edited by VictreebelVictr on June 5th 2022, 10:58 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Empty Re: Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022)

May 30th 2022, 11:43 pm
Respect Belia Darzu


"Maggot of metal, rust, and rot. Sith life draws breath, old life does not."


Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Belia_10


Belia Darzu was a Dark Lord of the Sith and a major influencer of the Sictis Wars. She is primarily known for the grotesque plague of her making known as the technovirus. The virus was spread through spores that, when injected, would disfigure their prey. Soon, metal tumors would develop and grow over the host’s body; this operation is the process of transforming into a technobeast. The technobeast is a jarring figure that is made up of mechanical networks and whatever flesh (if any) is left on the victim. Still conscious, the robotic slaves do just as Belia Darzu says. With no widely known cure, the enemies of Darzu, Jedi or not, feared going into battle with her army of bewildered zombies. Luckily for them, Belia Darzu was poisoned by the Mecrosa Order and, along with her death, the creation of technobeasts came to a halt. With that said, respect who might be one of the most terrifying and inhumane characters in Star Wars history, Dark Lady Belia Darzu.


Beforehand

Darth Bane fact checked Hetton to make sure that his statements regarding Belia Darzu were legitimate:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Bane had used that time to study the datacard's contents carefully, analyzing every tiny scrap of information Hetton had assembled about Belia Darzu. He cross-referenced much of the data with his own sources, verifying everything he could to authenticate Hetton's research. And Bane was now confident that everything the old man had discovered was true.

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Belia Darzu is the historical highlight between the last Sith of the era and Darth Rivan:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:The last quarter of this bloody, backstabbing period saw the rise of the Dark Lord Belia Darzu, the major historical intermediary between Darth Rivan and the last Sith of this era, Lord Kaan and his Brotherhood of Darkness.

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General Accolades

Belia Darzu is a powerful Sith Lord:


Darth Plagueis Novel wrote:A powerful female Shi’ido named Belia Darzu had been a Sith Lord in the pre–Bane era creating armies of techno beasts, she controlled using dark side energy.

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Dark Lord Belia Darzu is “terrifying”:


Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology wrote:The ancient Sith warrior Larad Noon wore a dark combat jumpsuit to enhance his mobility, while the terrifying Belia Darzu crafted heavy battle armor for maximum protection during fights with multiple Jedi.

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Belia Darzu is a fearsome Sith Lord who kept the Sith Cult alive:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Dark Heavy Battle Armor: Worn and crafted by the fearsome Belia Darzu-one of the Sith Lords who kept the Sith cult alive before the Battle of Ruusan.

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Belia Darzu was considered to be a more dangerous threat to the Republic than the Dark Underlord:


Star Wars: The Essential Atlas wrote:The Republic fought back by hiring the Mandalorian Mercs, culminating in the Dark Underlord’s assassination on Malrev IV. Yet the Sith menace only grew.

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General Feats

Belia Darzu was the Dark Lord of the Sith:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Hetton wrote:"She was a Dark Lord of the Sith who reigned over two centuries ago.”


Only Sith Deal In Absolutes! - \"Endnotes for Droids, Technology and the Force: A Clash of Phenomena, Part I wrote:I later picked up this thread for "Path of Evil" in Vader: The Ultimate Guide (2005, IGN Entertainment) and christened her a full-fledged Dark Lady of the Sith.

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Belia Darzu led the New Sith Empire to victory:


Book of Sith - Secrets from the Dark Side wrote:They achieved victories from the Battle of Mizra to the Sictis Wars, but those were victories without a clear line of succession.

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Darth Bane used the dark side power (which likely omitted from Darzu’s holocron) to find the inner sanctum of the stronghold:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:One thing Helton's research had not provided was a map of the stronghold's interior, but he could feel the power emanating from beneath him. There was little doubt that the source of the dark side energies hanging like smoke in the air of every room and hallway of the fortress was located at the bottom of the steps. It was here, Bane knew, that he would find Bella's inner sanctum.

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The energies from the holocron attracted the technobeasts to the inner sanctum, and a remnant of their leader motivated them to stay:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Over the decades they'd been slowly drawn to this chamber by the dark side energies radiating from the Holocron, the last surviving remnant of their mistress, calling them to her side. Driven only by simple, primal instinct, they had been helpless but to obey until, one by one, the entire bulk of her technobeast army had assembled in this single chamber.


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Occasionally they would bump one another with a hollow clank, their movements awkward and clumsy as they jostled for position to move ever closer to the Holocron in the center of the room. But though they were clearly drawn to it, none dared to come within three meters of its pedestal. Instead they congregated in a loose, scuffling circle, an army of the living dead awaiting orders that would never come.

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The dark side power within the inner sanctum (which held Darzu’s holocron) was so great that it blinded Bane’s senses from being able to sense what was past its entrance (that being an army of technobeasts):


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Bane approached the door, pausing at the threshold. He was unable to get any sense of what awaited him on the other side; his Force awareness was overwhelmed by a great concentration of dark side power.

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Belia Darzu, being a Shi-’ido, can change her outward appearance as well does her holocron’s gatekeeper:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Belia Darzu had been a Shi'ido in life, a changeling species whose members were capable of shifting their appearance, so it was not surprising that the projection that served as the gatekeeper of her Holocron similarly changed forms.


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:The appearance of the gatekeeper often mirrored that of the Holocron's creator:or at least, the image the creator wanted others to see. Bane remembered how the gatekeeper of Belia Darzu's Holocron would often change appearance, reflecting her changeling heritage.

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Darzu is capable of switching appearances between both species and gender:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:At various times she appeared to be Twi'lek, Iridonian, Cerean, or human, occasionally even switching between genders.

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Darzu usually took the form of a young, human woman:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:She was currently in the form she most often assumed: that of a tall human female with short brown hair. She appeared to be roughly thirty years of age, with a sly, almost crafty, look to her features. In this guise she was typically clad in a dark, formfitting flight suit, dark boots, and a pale yellow vest that left her arms bare. She also wore yellow gloves, a short black sleeve over each elbow, and a red flight cap and belt.

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Combat

-Belia Darzu likely has defeated groups of Jedi at a time when one considers the reason she invented heavy battle armor:


Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology wrote:The ancient Sith warrior Larad Noon wore a dark combat jumpsuit to enhance his mobility, while the terrifying Belia Darzu crafted heavy battle armor for maximum protection during fights with multiple Jedi.

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Abel G. Pena confirms that Belia Darzu’s heavy battle armor was used for her personal use; she just does not appear to be wearing it in any known images of her:


Abel G. Pena wrote:Heh heh. No big. She just doesn't have on her heavy armor there. She is a changeling, after all. That might not even be actual clothing on her

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Belia Darzu was poisoned, and likely not given a chance to defend herself:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Only during the New Sith Wars and the Jedi Purge did the order participate in sector events more actively, respectively poisoning Sith Lady Belia Darzu for her unwanted incursions into Tapani Space and taking revenge against the Pelagian Jedi for their role in decimating Mecrosa during the Cleansing.


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Darzu's apoptotic army was ultimately sabotaged by Mecrosa poisoners, ending her evil.

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Force Knowledge

Belia’s gatekeeper explains to Darth Bane the purpose of a holocron’s capstone since he didn’t know:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:"You said the adjustments can take months. How is that possible?" Bane asked with a shake of his head. "The cognitive network degrades too quickly." Belia's image flickered into view again. "The cognitive network must be trapped within the capstone before you begin," she explained. "Capstone?" Bane asked, his nerves tingling with excitement. In all his research he had never heard mention of a capstone before. An image of a Holocron appeared once more, though no longer in cutaway. The small black crystal built into the apex of the pyramid was flashing. "The capstone is key to the process," Belia's voice said. "Without it the cognitive network will degrade before you complete your adjustments, and you will fail every time." Bane stared in wonder at the image. He had known that the dark crystal was an essential part of the Holocron's construction. Yet he had believed its sole purpose was to channel the power of the symbols etched across the sides of the pyramid into the matrix. He never imagined it would serve another function as well.

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Belia’s gatekeeper explains the Rite of Commencement to Bane, which was beyond anything he has mastered thus far:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:"You must invoke the Rite of Commencement," Belia told him. The projection shifted to show an incredibly elaborate and complicated Sith ritual, one that went beyond anything Bane had mastered so far.

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Bane realized quickly that it would take months to just memorize the Rite of Commencement:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:With subtle pushes from the Force he flipped through image after image after image, realizing it would take him many months of careful study to memorize the rite. Still... the secret was his!

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Darth Bane wanted more time to study Darzu’s recordings regarding Sith Alchemy.


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Much of what he discovered focused on the rituals and practices of Sith alchemy-something he would explore in depth when he had more time.

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Darth Bane was able to create his own gatekeeper after studying Belia Darzu’s holocron:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:His own Holocron projected an image of Bane still clad in his orbalisk armor. Although the parasites had proven impractical in real life, the horrific appearance of his body covered by the infestation was more visually impressive and intimidating. It also hinted at the sacrifices one must make to embrace the true power of the dark side-a valuable lesson for any who would follow his teachings.

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This armor imbues the wearer with notable defense, force stealth, strength, and other benefits:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:This heavily plated armor provided a defense bonus of +9 and damage reduction 10. Darzu also imbued her armor with dark side stealth to keep her hidden (+2 equipment bonus on saves made against See Force and Telepathy) and increased might (+2 Force bonus to Strength) to boost her physical power. The total cost for this suit of dark armor was 37,000 credits and 2 Force Points.

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Ismaren and Cronal utilized Sith Scrolls to preserve Darzu’s secrets for themselves:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Centuries later, the Emperor's Hands Roganda Ismaren and Blackhole would use Sith scrolls preserving Darzu's secrets for their own sinister purposes.

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Belia Darzu studied Sith Alchemy and learned mechu-deru:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Hetton wrote:She was a student of Sith alchemy; it was said she learned the secrets of mechu-deru, the ability to transform the flesh of living beings into metal and machinery.

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Darzu discovered secrets behind creating a holocron, secrets which Bane failed to reveal:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:"Many also believe that before her death she discovered the secret of creating Sith Holocrons," Hetton added, and Zannah's thoughts flashed back to Bane and his failed attempts to do the same.


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Though it was possible that he would discover new information on Tython unlocking the final secrets of creating a Holocron, it was also possible that Belia had succeeded using the exact same process he had employed in his failed attempts.

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Sith Alchemy

Belia Darzu is a master of monster-creation:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:A changeling and master of monster creation, Darzu was infamous for assimilating her conquered enemies into her own army, the Metanecrons, though the conversions were anything but voluntary.

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Belia Darzu was a master of mechu-deru:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Using the Sith power known as mechu-deru, she created the frontline of her force: hulking part-creature, part-machine technobeasts infested with nanogene droids.

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Darzu was able to bring her dead enemies back to life, and then she would control them to strengthen her army:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Another sizable portion of Darzu's army was made up of her dead opponents, spurned to life by Sith incantations.

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Darzu unleashed zombie-like technobeasts during the Sictis Wars:


Star Wars: The Essential Atlas wrote:The consequent hardening rise of Sith power led to the despotic reign of Darth Rivan on Almas and the unleashing of zombie-like technobeasts by Belia Darzu during the Sictis Wars (1250-1230 BBY).

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Belia Darzu created an army through her knowledge of Sith Alchemy and mechu-deru:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Hetton wrote:She used this power to create an army of technobeasts: organic-droid hybrids bound to her will."


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Bella's experiments in Sith alchemy had revealed the secrets that allowed her to surround herself with a technobeast army.

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Belia Darzu set an army of technobeasts to guard her fortress:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Bane guessed that the army assembled in the chamber must once have roamed the halls and rooms of the stronghold, guarding it against attack and serving the needs of their mistress. With Bella's death-poisoned by the assassins of the Mecrosa Order when her alliance with them fell apart-they had been left to wander mindlessly, without any purpose or direction.

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The plague, which is likely Belia Darzu’s technovirus, brought upon the Republic its darkest age:


The Jedi Path wrote:The Fourth Great Schism, which occurred a millennium ago, brought on a thousand years of fighting, the ascendance of Darth Ruin and the Sith, and the plague that provided the drumbeat for what was truly the Republic’s Dark Age.

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The technovirus is transported through nanospores, which are directly injected via nanodroid or by those already infected:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Bane breathed them in even as he cut the creature down, chopping it diagonally clean through from shoulder to hip. He could feel the technovirus inside him, its nanogene spores burrowing up to his brain to eat away his frontal lobes and begin the process of transforming him into an abomination that was neither droid nor alive.

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The nano-machines attacked the frontal lobe in which they would overrun the mind of the prey and even prolong their existence for centuries:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:From Helton's research, Bane knew that the technovirus attacked the frontal lobes of the brain, reducing its victims to mindless automata incapable of higher thought functions-a grim fate for any sentient being. The creatures in the room were in an even worse state. Over the centuries what remained of their brains had been kept alive by the nanogenes of the technovirus, but the inevitable long-term degradation had impaired their motor skills and reduced them to shells of shambling, mummified metal.

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Darzu’s nano-droids rewrote the prey’s genetic code to turn them into a monstrosity:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:In combat, the tiny droids could infect their enemy, rewriting the unfortunate being's genetic code until she became a undead technobeast herself.

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Darzu is able to infect just about any species, such as humans, banthas, and even rancors, through her nano-machines:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:They seemed to have come from all manner of species: a menagerie of humanoids and beasts from every corner of the galaxy that had fallen victim to Bella's technovirus. Once a mutated combination of flesh and technology, most of the technobeasts' living tissue had long since rotted and fallen away. What remained were desiccated strands of skin and sinew clinging to bone, supported and held together by rods, wires, and twisted scraps of metal. The arms and hands of those creatures that had walked on two legs in life had been transformed into flat, jagged blades extending from their elbows. The larger creatures-like the technobeast bantha he saw across the room, or the rancor near the pedestal in the center-had become machines of war, with blaster cannons fused to their shoulders and their hides replaced with spiked, plated armor.

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Those infected by Darzu would ‘live’ for centuries, even when they began to decay:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:An eerie silence hung over the scene; the vocal cords of the unfortunate creatures had disintegrated hundreds of years earlier. The only sound was the faint whirring of mechanized joints and the rusty scraping of metal across the stone floor as they milled about in slow confusion.

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After about three hundred years, the technobeasts wandered around Darzu’s holocron in order to protect it:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:The chamber beyond was enormous, at least fifty meters long and easily twenty wide. Standing alone in the center was a pedestal, atop of which rested a small, familiar four-sided pyramid: the Holocron of Bella Darzu. Yet this was not what had grabbed Bane's attention. The rest of the room had been completely overrun by an army of techno-beasts.

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Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Except for her technobeasts, Belia's stronghold was supposed to be empty.

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Darth Bane counted about how many technobeasts were in the inner sanctum of Darzu’s stronghold, though his actual figures are unclear:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:He made his way slowly through their legions, trying to estimate their number as he edged ever closer to the center of the room. Fifty? A hundred? It was impossible to count; their bodies of rusted metal and mummified flesh all seemed to blend together into a single ghastly mass.

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When Darth Bane reaches for the holoron, all of the technobeasts immediately attack in unison (notice that there are multiple situations where Bane’s armor protects him from potentially fatal occurrences):


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:As his fingers closed over the Holocron he heard a noise that caused him to pull his hand back with a start. It sounded like the moan of a long-dead god rising from the grave; a hundred mechanized limbs sprang to action with an angry hum as the monsters swarmed over him. Bane thrust out with the Force, and a dozen of the oncoming creatures exploded into dust and tiny flecks of small, twisted metal. But the others surged forward like a wave, driving him under. Their feet stomped and kicked at him; their bladed arms slashed at him as he lay prone on the floor. But none of their attacks could pierce the chitinous shells of his orbalisk armor. From his back, Bane slashed indiscriminately with his lightsaber, hewing off limbs with every swipe. There were no screams of pain or gouts of blood-the bodies of his enemies had been exsanguinated when their flesh had crumbled away centuries before. The only sounds of battle were the Dark Lord's own grunts of exertion, the clatter of metal falling to the stone floor, and the occasional small shower of sparks. Even in their rage, the creatures were slow and cumbersome. Bane's vicious strokes quickly cleared enough space for him to find his feet again. He rose to see the wall of creatures pressing in on him, and he unleashed a wave of lightning through their ranks. The bolts arced through the mostly metal bodies; the nanotechnology that animated their frames and gave them life smoked and smoldered, and a dozen more of his opponents toppled over never to rise again. A heavy blow suddenly struck Bane in the back, the metal rancor sending him flying with a swipe of one massive, club-like claw. He slammed face-first into what might once have been a human, and the technobeast opened its mouth and released a cloud of tiny metal spores directly into his face. Bane breathed them in even as he cut the creature down, chopping it diagonally clean through from shoulder to hip. He could feel the technovirus inside him, its nanogene spores burrowing up to his brain to eat away his frontal lobes and begin the process of transforming him into an abomination that was neither droid nor alive. Before he could reach out with the Force to save himself, he felt a surge of heat in his blood as the orbalisks released a burning chemical to destroy the microscopic invaders. His skull felt as if it were on fire as his heart pumped the searing chemical through his carotid artery and up into the capillaries of his brain, but he could feel the nanogenes wither and die in the heat almost instantly. Using the pain in his head to fuel his rage, Bane spun and leapt at the rancor, slicing both its metal legs out from under it. The laser cannons on the creature's shoulders tried to fire at him, but in the more than two hundred years since its creation the power cells had lost their charge and the only result was a barely audible click. The torso fell to the floor, but the claws still clutched for him; Bane had to leap back out of the way before lunging forward to sever the arms at the shoulders. That enemy vanquished, he used the Force to disintegrate two more advancing technobeasts, then felt something bump against his foot. He glanced down to see that the rancor's jaws had clamped shut on his boot; it was trying to gnaw off his leg. Once again his orbalisk armor protected him from harm, and Bane sliced the rancor's head from its body, relieved to see it finally go still. There were still dozens upon dozens of the abominations in the chamber, closing in on him from all sides. Bane now realized that they couldn't possibly harm him, but he also knew the technobeasts would not stop until he had reduced each one to pieces. The slaughter lasted over an hour. He used his lightsaber to repeatedly dismember his enemies, conserving his Force abilities to stave off exhaustion in arms, legs, shoulders, and back. Three times during the one-sided melee he allowed himself to lose focus, his martial instincts thrown out of sync by the unnerving silence of his enemies as they were butchered. Each time his attention lapsed he was knocked to the ground by the blows of one of the lumbering creatures that got close enough to make contact and forced to battle his way back to his feet. Two other times during the battle he felt the burning in his brain as the orbalisks purged his system of yet another cloud of nanogene spores he had unknowingly inhaled. By the time it was done every muscle in his body ached from hewing through hundreds of cubic meters of metal, bringing back memories of the long shifts he had endured in the mines of Apatros as a young man. From wall to wall the room was littered with the limbs, torsos, and heads of the technobeasts, the carnage made bearable only by the fact that there was no gore. Kicking aside the remains with weary legs, Darth Bane slowly cleared a path back to the center of the room. He extinguished his lightsaber and hung it from his belt, then staggered forward, grasping the edges of the pedestal to keep from collapsing as his thighs and calves simultaneously cramped. Gritting his teeth, he leaned heavily on the pedestal to take the weight off the locked-up muscles. Breathing deeply, he called upon what remained of his Force abilities to replenish his strength. After several minutes the spasms began to fade, and he was able to stand gingerly once more. His body and will were exhausted; the smart thing would be to rest before attempting to use the Holocron. But he had come too far, and endured too much, to be put off any longer.

-----

It took days for Bane to recover from his battle with the technobeasts:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Here Bane had been exploring the Holocron off and on for the past several days. He had proceeded carefully, still drained from his battle with the technobeasts. The slow pace allowed him to recuperate his energies and rebuild his strength as he probed the crystal archives.

-----

Belia Darzu created her own holocron:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Even more impressive, at least from Bane's perspective, Belia had successfully created her own Holocron. And there was strong evidence to support the theory that the Holocron she created-the repository of all her knowledge-was still hidden somewhere in her stronghold on Tython.

-----

It takes incredible precision to create a holocron:


Darth Bae: Rule of Two - Darzu's Gatekeeper wrote:"The process of creating a Holocron cannot be rushed, " the gatekeeper explained. "The adjustments to the matrix must be made with precision and care."

-----

It can take several months to create a holocron:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Darzu's Gatekeeper wrote:"It can take weeks, or even months" Belia's image explained, "before the final stages of construction are completed."

-----

Belia Darzu’s gatekeeper was able to manipulate her holocron’s physical structure:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Her form flickered, to be replaced by the image of a Holocron shown in cutaway. The filaments and strands of the crystal matrix in the image began to shift and move, illustrating the adjustments the gatekeeper was talking about.

-----

Darth Bane found Belia Darzu’s lab; the found equipment clearly communicates the Dark Lady’s passion for Sith Alchemy:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:As he moved deeper into the fortress, he began to come across Bella's alchemy labs. Sealed beakers filled with strange-colored liquids rested atop long metal tables. Empty vats connected by coiled glass piping used to distill or separate mixtures lined the walls. In one room the hearts and brains of a dozen different species floated in specimen bottles, preserved forever in clear embalming fluid. Another lab contained notes and sketches tracking Bella's efforts to transform living creatures into organic-droid hybrids.

-----

Bane was not able to understand Darzu’s experiments without her holocron:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Bane paused at these, glancing through them briefly before continuing on his way. He was unable to make sense of the cryptic scrawl; he needed to find Bella's archives-and hopefully the Holo-cron where she had stored all her knowledge-if he was to comprehend her experiments.

-----

Bella Darzu created the Dark Heavy Battle Armor:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Dark Heavy Battle Armor: Worn and crafted by the fearsome Belia Darzu-one of the Sith Lords who kept the Sith cult alive before the Battle of Ruusan.

-----

Darzu’s heavy battle armor provides “maximum” protection against even groups of Jedi:


Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology wrote:The ancient Sith warrior Larad Noon wore a dark combat jumpsuit to enhance his mobility, while the terrifying Belia Darzu crafted heavy battle armor for maximum protection during fights with multiple Jedi.

-----

Dead incantations and technobeasts came to a halt with the death of Belia Darzu:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:Darzu's apoptotic army was ultimately sabotaged by Mecrosa poisoners, ending her evil.

-----

Fortress

These are the size measurements of Belia Darzu’s forretress:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:He brought his ship in low, only a few hundred meters above the ground, as he raced toward the only feature visible on the horizon: a massive, two-towered citadel constructed entirely of black durasteel. The building was square and measured 150 meters on each side. The exterior walls rose up thirty meters above the ground, and the only entrance appeared to be a massive, twenty-meter-wide gate on the face of the front wall. The towers stood on either side of the front wall, rising up another ten meters from the corners.

-----

Darth Bane could feel the dark side throughout the fortress:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Bane stepped forward, wary and watching for any trick or trap that might await him. He could feel the power of the dark side in this place, but he detected no immediate threats to his person, and he proceeded cautiously. Using glow rods to light his way, he explored the stronghold room by room...

-----

Darzu’s stronghold was equipped with ion cannons:


Darh Bane: Rule of Two wrote:As he closed to within a few hundred meters, a barrage of ion cannon fire erupted from the towers. Bane pulled hard on the stick, banking the Mystic ninety degrees to starboard, narrowly avoiding the unexpected attack.

-----

The stronghold’s ion cannons were automatic, and this was proven by their consistent pattern of shot direction by Bane:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:The Mystic's sensors had detected no life-forms present during his pass, suggesting that the ion cannons were likely part of an automated defense system still active after almost three centuries. This theory was confirmed twenty seconds later when Bane used the exact same barrel-roll maneuver on his next attack run to eliminate the second tower; automated defenses were nothing if not predictable.

-----

Hetton chose not to visit Belia’s stronghold due to it being impenetrable:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Hetton wrote:"In my research I discovered the coordinates for a long-forgotten hyperspace lane into the Deep Core. But I never dared to make the trip. I feared the defenses of Belia's stronghold would be impenetrable. And then I met you."

-----

The stronghold’s electrical source was still resuming its duties three hundred years after Darzu’s death:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:Unlike the floor above, Bane realized, generators were still providing power to the room beyond-another sign that it was of critical importance.

-----

Belia Darzu’s forretress was mostly just a military base:


Darth Bane: Rule of Two wrote:It was primarily a military base, the majority of the space taken up with the barracks and mess halls necessary to house and provide for an army of followers.

-----

Marauder

Belia Darzu was a marauder:


Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties wrote:The only thing that was certain was that he was a bloody marauder of the first quarter of the New Sith Wars.

-----

As such, the DU got Belia's line:


Abel G. Pena wrote:"...he was a bloody marauder of the first quarter of the New Sith Wars."
e.g. Belia Darzu, the dark side marauder.

-----

Dark side marauders are warriors:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Warriors who discover in themselves an ability to wield the Force can become dark side marauders.

-----

Marauders are considered living weapons of the dark side:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Without the mental disciplines and strict code of conduct the Jedi Order provides, these warriors become brutal, living weapons, delighting in inflicting pain and taking lives. The dark side marauder becomes an extension of the dark side of the Force in the same way that her weapons are an extension of her body.

-----

Dark side marauders are the ultimate mercenaries:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Dark side marauders are the ultimate mercenaries. Adventure, pillage, slaughter, and violence define them.

-----

Dark side marauders combine physical prowess with force abilities and are similar to Jedi guardians in this way:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Like Jedi guardians, dark side marauders combine physical prowess with training in the Force. Unlike Jedi, they bend it to their own violent purposes.


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Dark side marauders combine the best aspects of the soldier and the Jedi guardian, mixing a well rounded complement of fighting tools with the ability to wield the Force.

-----

Marauders are reliant on their strength in the dark side:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:She lives in a world where her destiny is entirely dependent on her mastery of her weapons and her strength in the Force. The dark side makes her survival far more likely.

-----

Marauders love the feeling of the dark side filling them, as well as the exhilarating feeling of battle:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:They often live for the joy of battle, the test of arms, and the tempering that only bloody conflict can provide-but they are hardly above taking pleasure in the spoils that victory provides. While the adrenaline rush of combat is a heady drug to them, the thrill of the dark side flowing through their
veins is far more intoxicating. To feel that thrill again and again, the dark side marauder seeks out any activity that lets her wield the Force against an opponent.

-----

Marauders are very qualified for jobs that require extensive combat knowledge and abilities:


The Dark Side Sourcebook wrote:Many can be found acting as bodyguards, gladiators, mob enforcers, mercenaries, street thugs, professional soldiers, or simply adventurers.


Last edited by VictreebelVictr on June 5th 2022, 11:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
Freedon Nadd
Freedon Nadd

Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Empty Re: Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022)

November 27th 2022, 6:58 am
Well done Respect Threads. Though it would have been better if they were separate.
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Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022) Empty Re: Respect The Draggulch Sith (2022)

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