Fanclub **Knights of Darkness ** - Home of the Sith, Dark Side & Knights of Ren v4.0

Dagobahsystem

I trust the above will not happen again...

 

dragonsith13

*kneels*

Deepest apologies both to you and everyone here, my Lord.

It shall not happen again.

*bows head*

 

E. L.Knight

Master, here is my latest task:

The species that has been discovered is based on the Horta from the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Devil in the Dark." Like the Horta, this species is silicon-based and excretes corrosive substances that can dissolve both hard rock and biological organisms. Unlike the Horta, which wasn't Force sensitive and was trying to protect itself, this creature is more dangerous, more aggressive and is a Force-sensitive.

How this would benefit the Sith? Well, despite its aggressive instincts, it responds more favorably to the command of a Sith, not unlike Ship's acquiescence to the Sith and Abeloth. In addition to being used to attack enemies of the Sith, it can be used for mining purposes.

 

That would be useful for undermining the Jedi!

 

E. L.Knight
My sixth task is complete, Master. *bows respectfully* And, as instructed, I withheld no details.

KoD Task #6 - Spiritual Spartans



Tell me why you chose the Kaleesh. Be very specific in your details.

After discovering General Grievous and realizing he is not purely robotic, but a sentient being, I became curious about what he was and how he came to be a cyborg. The dark tragedy of his story sparked my curiosity about his species and I started researching anything and everything Kaleesh. Sadly, there is not a great deal of material on the Kaleesh, but some of the things I did find appealed to my interest.



* Honor - Though Grievous appears as a ruthless killer with a disgraceful habit of retreating when he's been had, this is not who he truly is. The Kaleesh are honor-driven warriors, seeking to immortalize themselves through their acts of valor. Their resilient, fearless ways remind me of the Spartans in 300 (a favorite film of mine). They would rather die free than live as slaves. I can't help but admire that type of bravery. In contrast, Grievous was grossly altered from what he really was by Count Dooku, who trained him to retreat if fear, surprise, and intimidation were not elements on his side and so he was altered mentally as well as physically. This is not the way of the Kaleesh. This was self-preservation that had to be taught to the warlord who at one time would not hesitate to engage an enemy to the death.



* Mystery - No one outside of the Kaleesh species has seen a Kaleesh face. They wear masks and this was something else that intrigued me. While the masks are based on the ancient traditions of their culture, it also gives the impression that the Kaleesh are a very private race. They do not wish to be exposed to outsiders. The fact that the masks are made of skulls serves as a silent threat to their enemies. In battle, it's not difficult to imagine the fearsome appearance of a battalion of death masks staring back at you, essentially forcing you to gaze into the face of your own demise.



* Family - From what I have gathered about the Kaleesh, they come from tight-knit families, functioning as a tribal unit. While they frequently make war with each other, fighting over territories and resources, if Kalee is attacked, they lay all differences aside and fight together to protect their homeworld. I find tremendous respect for this as well. As noted in the history of Kalee's war with the Huk, the Kaleesh did not appeal to others for help, though they had every right to do so. They seemed to live by an unspoken rule of what happens on Kalee stays on Kalee and I can see the reasoning behind this as well. The species was often captured and sold by other species as slaves. Why would they want the help of anyone else at the risk of what it may cost them down the road?



* Appearance - Yes, I will admit, the unmasked Kaleesh are not easy on the eyes, but they do bear a strong resemblance to one of my favorite real world animals. Bats are perhaps the most largely misunderstood mammal on the face of the earth and I see this paralleled with the Kaleesh. Their unmasked faces are very bat-like when compared with smaller, less popular bats such as vampires and browns. Though they are said to be a reptilian species, I see more resemblance to bats than I do snakes or lizards. The only similarities there would be the scaly skin and the slitted pupils. I have yet to find anything factual on whether or not they are cold blooded, but I like to run with the idea that they would not do well on a planet such as Hoth.



* Representatives - There are only a handful of characters bringing the Kaleesh to attention within the Star Wars universe, most notable of course being Grievous, previously identified as Qymaen Jai Sheelal. Second most notable would have to be Xivhkalrainik, better known as Xalek because his human overseer could not properly pronounce his birth name in his native tongue. Xivhkalrainik was originally a slave to the Sith, but when he was discovered to be Force-sensitive, he was brought on as an acolyte to undergo Sith training. By killing off the competition and getting away with it, he gained a position as an apprentice under Lord Kallig, who would later become Darth Nox. Through his training, the Kaleesh became a very fierce Sith inquisitor. It is through Xivhkalrainik's story that much of the Kaleesh culture and the value of family members can be learned. Rhoderu Iij Kummar is another notable Kaleesh worth mentioning, though her information is intertwined with that of Grievous as she was his first love. Ronderu is the best representative of a female Kaleesh, every bit as fierce a warrior as the males. The original backstory of Grievous details the bond forged in war and makes it clear that Kaleesh develop strong ties with one another as Ronderu's death is what caused Qymaen Jai Sheelal to re-identify himself as Grievous.



* Culture - The Kaleesh are a very spiritual race strongly adhering to traditions and rituals that have sustained the species for centuries. I especially love the sanctity with which the Kaleesh regard the death and burial of their own. They want it to be an honorable tribute and memory to their fallen and do not take it lightly. For this reason, I have a hard time picturing any Kaleesh becoming a Jedi because the Jedi do not believe in mourning or missing the dead. As one who has suffered many losses myself, I find this to be the strongest cord that binds me to holding the Kaleesh as my favorite Star Wars species. I believe the dead deserve to be remembered, mourned, and missed; honored as well.



* Devotion - Lastly, my perspective of the Kaleesh is one that views them as being highly devoted race (though to others this might be seen as stubbornness). Judging by the stories of Qymaen Jai Sheelal and Xivhkalrainik, they seem to have a single-mindedness that gives them an excellent sense of focus. Grievous was originally devoted to protecting his people; he saw nothing else, he lived for nothing else. Xivhkalrainik was devoted to training as a Sith inquisitor and driven to be more than just a common slave. I wish there were more stories to go on to further illustrate this quality of the Kaleesh people because this is one thing that grabbed my attention.



All in all, I almost always find myself on the side of the underdog. I love the determination of the Kaleesh to survive against the odds; against being falsely accused and punished unjustly. What the Republic did to the Kaleesh should have wiped them out, but they fought back and they didn't stop. Grievous also, whether knowing it or not, sacrificed himself to ensure relief for his people, which I find admirable. All of these things pulled at my creativity and I decided to come up with a character I could immerse in the Kaleesh culture and honor code and these are the things that spawned Grievance Vexx.

 

Kaleesh-Cyborg
Nice job on your task here. Very detailed and thorough.

 

Thanks, Dags.

 

Loved reading your essay, and I of course loved the art. Can I ask who Vexx's love interest is?

 

My apologies for the eye strain there, Darth Kronos . This is what happens when I am invited to explain a personal interest and my master asked that I be specific in the details.

Thank you, Nehru_Amidala . I perhaps had a bit too much fun writing it and I love finding little gems of Kaleesh art (though it is not easy because they aren't very popular). As for Vexx, he currently has no romantic interest in anyone. He is too consumed by his cause to restore honor to the Sheelal family and the memory of his father. At the moment, he is too mistrusting to open himself up to anyone even on a friendship level. It's all (war) business. If you are referring to the first pencil sketch, that one isn't mine. Someone else did that and it is a reunion of Grievous and his first love Ronderu. I thought it was a nice image to use to illustrate Kaleesh devotion. The only image that is my art is the last one.

 

*Whistles* Wow. That is a LOT of Kaleesh art. I will admit they do have a certain...style about them. Also Kalessh, Nice drawing by the way.

 

Thank you, Corvus.
I agree; the Kaleesh definitely have their own style.

 

Kaleesh-Cyborg

+1 prestige from me for that very well done task.

 

Thank you, Headmaster. *bows respectfully*

 

Yes, well done Vexx!

 

*Is training outside with his light saber against training Droids*

 

Back from the Arlington County Fair! I went with another Aspie friend of mine, and I swear that I haven't seen him that relaxed since high school! We went on 8 rides, all of them exciting, I got my mom's birthday gift and I got henna tattoos... and my palm read.

 

*drags exhausted sorry carcass into the great hall and collapses on the carpet* Friday...where have you been all my week? I have missed you...*crawls toward the bar*

 

What'll it be, Vexx?

 

Undiluted kahlúa, please. How are you on this long-awaited eve that puts the average work week to a well-deserved death?

 

*Shoves a chilled, just opened bottle of kahlúa.*

I've been good. Worked this morning and this afternoon, I took an Aspie friend of mine to the county fair. We rose so many rides, I had to buy tickets twice! Afterwards, we bummed around the exhibit hall, I got henna tattoos and a birthday gift for my mom. Her birthday is on October, so I struck early. I was just driving home when the rain started.

 

I had my palm read once. I was a mild skeptic before. Now, I'm an unabashed critic.

I was talked into it by a friend of mine. He wearing sports shorts and workout t-shirt. Me in polo shirt and more formal shorts. The readings were private but we shared them later. Exactly the same, but his were sports related. Mine were business related.

Sent using Tapatalk this was.

 

I just did mine for fun.

 

Thank you, Hekate. May you be blessed for showing mercy to a burned-out Kaleesh. *sticks a straw in the bottle and goes to town while listening to Ishy's story* Sounds like it was a clothes reading to me.

 

Sounds like a clothes shave to me...