Lit Ancient Races: Celestials, Rakata, and Co

Do we actually know their prominance ended in 30.000 BBY?

All we know is that they disappeared without a trace around that time, i bet that they stopped being the most prominent figures long before, as their most important contribution to galactic history, besides their magnificent constructions (which all date long before 30.000 BBY) is the advancement of the other ancient races, due to the lack of mention of them, i bet they withdrew from the galactic scene around the time the Killiks, Gree and Kwa started to advance other civilizations like the Celestials originally did for them, as they wouldn't need the help anymore, especially if the Kwa for example were already in a downfall by 37.000 BBY with the Rakata on the rise.

The Celestials left this legacy and then their involvement was more distant, i think given the lack of interaction with others at this time, they were focused on their own internal issues until something happened around 30.000 that made them either quit the galaxy, migrate to another dimension, ascend to a higher plane, or die out, maybe a reaction to what was happening in the wider galaxy.

 

Was it ever explained why the Rakata were so sensitive to the darkside?

 

The Rakatan computer in KOTOR says that, "The Rakata are by nature a cruel and savage species." According to Supernatural Encounters,

Spoiler

The 2018 version says that they were genetically engineered to be evil by Tilotny and the 2023 version says that they were genetically engineered to be evil by the Old Ones.

 

I do enjoy how the Rakata are an echo of what the Yuuzhan Vong were in their home galaxy, except their punishment by the Force wasn't as severe, makes me think that the Vong were even more destructive using the Dark Side, which is probably true since the Rakata didin't leave the galaxy completely barren.

Yes i think the Force itself punishing them by stripping them of their sensitivity is the best explanation for an otherwise unanswered mystery, or at least the most satisfying one.

Another explanation could be the negative effects of their canibalism causing genetic degradation to the point they lost the ammount of midichlorians needed to use the Force.

Or maybe both.

 

In KOTOR 2, if you tell Atton that Revan ended up on the dark side, there will be a holocron on Korriban with a recording of Bastila saying, "There is no one left with the power to control the Forge, though many have tried. I have watched them be devoured, their life drained from them as they attempt to tap into its power. Knowing what we do of the Builders and their fate, I am convinced that Revan did not intend us to keep the Star Forge. To use it would mean the end of the Sith... and the end of the Force." This, combined with Malak describing the Star Forge as "hungry", make me think that the Star Forge consumes the midichlorians of those who use it, causing the Rakata to lose their Force-sensitivity.

 

That's a good point, i hadn't thought of that, maybe because i never played KOTOR 2 with a Dark Revan backstory lol, but while this is true i don't think it can be the sole reason, as i doubt all the Rakata were users of the Star Forge, unless all of their technology had the same properties, burnign Midichlorians as if they were brain cells, this could also be a potential path to explain it, Rakatan tech being inherently damaging to force-sensitivity, ironically enough.

 

Spend a Force Point rpg dynamics made canon lol! I like that!

 

I've never liked the idea of losing Force Sensitivity, though the idea of the Rakata being like Morgoth in The Silmarillion is an interesting one. However, isn't Malak stronger because of the Star Forge?

 

Guess he found the Reverse button and pulled a Jerec!

Starforge Tech is related to Centerpoint and Tho Yor Tech. So i assume the draining effect is for a purpose. In a way they are Like bigger Worlddevastators. Suck in sunenergy and midichloroans and produce whatever one desires... infused with Said midichloroans as forceimbued technology created.

Cosmic Engines were merely movers and generators. Starforges fransform to create. Tho Yor are for Transport and as mobile focal Points along midichloreans leylines.



Gesendet von meinem FP5 mit Tapatalk

 

Now im thinking about a Force version of Prion disease. But its damaged Midichlorians instead of proteins.

 

Th

That actually is an adapt idea and consider how Madcow disease arose from cows being fed other cows. With the Rakata being a cannibalistic race, it fits that they fell to a Prion like disease

 

Yes, he became stronger by absorbing the energy of the Jedi encased by it and powering it up, however he only got to use it during his final fight with Revan, we don't know if he would have become weaker if he kept using it constantly.

Think about it this way:

The Star Forge grants you an external, unnatural power boost, but at the cost of eating away some of your natural reserves, at first the cost is negligible due to the power boost far surpassing your natural power, but if you use it too much eventually your natural limitations as a result of paying this price many times won't be compensated by the power boost, because you wouldn't be naturally powerful enough to use the Forge anymore.

And the weaker the Force User, the faster they burn out, hence why Revan's acolytes in the Dark Side timeline, including Bastila, were unable to properly use it, since they were far weaker than Malak.

This puts into perspective how powerful the Rakatan Predors were, if they were using these machines constantly for millenia before seeing any side effects.

 

Since Kotor1 somewhat implies that all Rakatan tech was created by the Starforge, they perhaps would have had all their best and most powerful priests at it powering it 24/7, and this select group of people losing their powers was conflated with a species wide decline.

If we look at the timeline of events as presented by Kotor itself rather than Essential Guides, there is something rather interesting

The timeline here is:

• The Rakata lose their connection to the Force
• They had to start using more conventional technology while their empire fractures
• War, plague and rebellion caused them to retreat back to Lehon

• (notably the plague seems completely separate from their loss in sensitivity though later sources conflate the two)
• However with the context of the Force Drives, perhaps they were literally losing access to their colony worlds adding another reason to retreat

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• The Rakata at Lehon essentially nuke themselves into oblivion
  • Perhaps fighting over the Forge, some warlords wishing to take it from the current users who can't seem to use it properly and others wishing to destroy it

Perhaps then "we are losing the Force and we need to recall to Lehon" thing was just the rulers at Lehon covering up the fact that they can't feed the Forge, while they bring more and more Force users back home to serve as batteries.

These sacrifices and their lies are uncovered and civil war breaks out. Years later surviving Rakata are convinced that they have lost the force due to evolution (none of the handwaves in kotor made much sense so ignoring them makes the most sense).

EDIT: another thought, Revan used the Starforge just fine for two years, then Malak overclocked it when he took over, then the Starforge became unusable. Seems like its hunger increases exponentially the more overclocked it becomes... Clearly you are meant to think of Nihilus here. Maybe it became so overclocked it stripped the force from all Rakata in the system before going dormant due to lack of power. Then the remaining Rakata scatter in their forceless hyperdrives across what is later known as the Rakatan Archipelago.

Alternatively a noted weakening of force powers at Lehon led to the assumption that there was a species wide loss of force sensitivity so everyone gets recalled to Lehon, since most colonies are only accessible through force drives, this further feeds the Starforge and it continues draining everyone. Panic builds as they lose control of the Forge and their powers, Regular hyperdrives are created, civil war breaks out, people run off to the stars, the ones at Lehon are forced underground

 

Exactly my thought

 

Very nice work, all.

Soon enough, a draft timeline should be feasible to build (in basic order at least - dates being much more abstract)
From circa Empyrean Wars (if such be the suited label) to the Tho Yor Arrival and Rakata decline - with any luck.

Speculation and essay spitballing also probably welcome too.

 

It seems the kaiju dream is alive and well from the news I’ve seen from Celebration. Excited to see what’s to come.

 

I bet we get lots of weird Mortis/WBW and maybe Whills lore stuff. The Kaiju could be like stone Guardians