Star Wars OPEN Star Wars: Episode XI: THE HIDDEN TEMPLE - follow up to the 2021 RPF Award winning game!

GM Approved.



Name: Natasi Daala
Age: Daala would like that question submitted with a reason. She’s managed to erase any documented history of her exact year of birth.
Species: Human
Homeworld: Irmenu
Affiliation: Maw Irregular Fleet
Force Sensitivity: .No.
Personal Effects:
Personal Starship (if any): The ISD II Chimaera and it’s fleet
Personal Weapon: Blaster pistols, a hold out vibroblade if she absolutely needs it.
Bio:
After a failed marriage, young Daala applied and was accepted to the Imperial Naval Academy at Carida. She thrived there and would have gained promotions, but was often passed over because she was female. Rather than being dismayed, she fought thought menial assignments until she her work came to the attention of Moff Tarkin.
He recognized her capabilities and removed her from Carida and placed her under his command.

During the time she served under Tarkin, she rose in rank on duty, and off duty she became his lover. Daala ventually earned the rank of Admiral under Tarkin, the rank was bestowed outside the naval hierarchy, he knew that they would never grant a female that title.

Tarkin wasn’t the only man she’d been with to advance her career during her younger years, and that could have led to his decision to place her in charge of his secret Maw Installation. It was an important assignment, and she was in charge with the top scientists in the galaxy. But, it wasn’t lost on her that she was tucked out of sight.

She had a difficult time after Tarkin’s death, but after some set backs she again found her footing and expanded her military.

Later she launched a carefully planned attack to murder a large group of Imperial remnant Warlords, when they preferred to argue rather than negotiate. She had the plan in place for such an occasion, and had protective masks for herself and Gilad Pellaeon when the chamber filled with poisonous gas. With the elimination of those Warlords, she set about building her own Empire.

In 49 ABY Daala joined Chancellor Aryan Graul to lead his military, but she later discovered that Graul was being held against his will and controlled by Snoke. Daala and Graul escaped Snoke’s clutches and went to Wavett to rescue Graul’s wife and son.

“Natasi Daala has been an erratic officer, a laser cannon with a malfunctioning actuator if you will, since she was an ensign in the Imperial Navy, and her recent actions bear out this diagnosis. Of course she is a hero—she has fought all her enemies, real and imagined, with bravery and ferocity. But she needs to be held, and cured, before ever being allowed to take up any sort of command again. The Alliance was foolish to elevate her to a position of power.”
MOFF GETELLES

 

GM Approved!

​

Name: Aryan Graul
Age: 92
Species: Human
Homeworld: Nubia
Affiliation: Unaligned
Force Sensitivity: Yes
Personal Effects: Hand-crafted walking cane from the artisans on Nubia; personal datapad and wrist comlink; a worn and tattered hand-written journal; a red pyramidal Holocron that he keeps concealed from public view


Aryan’s walking cane, reminiscent of many of the styles on his homeworld

Personal Starship: Refurbished Corellian Engineering CR90 Corvette Stardust
Personal Weapon: A blaster pistol attached to a shoulder holster and concealed within his jacket; a vibroblade sheathed to the inside of his boot
Bio: For many, particularly in more recent times, Aryan Graul remains an enigma. Other than a few general notes sprinkled along a timeline that spans back decades, very little is known about his history. His refusal to talk about certain aspects of his past only amplifies this perception. Perhaps he even prefers it this way.

The first public record begins with his military career in the Republic Navy. Aryan served as a pilot during the Clone Wars, commanding one of the elite, non-clone squadrons assigned to the Mid Rim. His fortitude and determination led to many successful missions, which ultimately convinced him to go career as a commissioned officer. However, his dreams came to a crashing end when a scuffle above Kashyyyk resulted in a serious injury. His wounds were extensive enough that he lost his left leg, forcing him to medically retire from the military.

While he was in the Navy, Aryan met his first love, a young woman named Sybelle. It wasn’t long before the two grew close, resulting in a whirlwind relationship that would surpass anything either of them had ever imagined. But where the war had brought them together, it would also serve as the catalyst that would tear them apart. Circumstances beyond their control, arising from class and social politics, forced them to separate. However, they did not depart without making a personal vow to find one another once the galaxy allowed them to do so.

Unfortunately, Aryan received a report that the war had claimed Sybelle before their reunion could come to pass.

Amid his grief, another woman entered the scene—Lyzia Eross. She was the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur who worked closely with his father and had been a part of Aryan’s life since he was a child. Although they had known each other from afar, he was unaware that his father had promised to betroth them once they reached the legal age of marriage.

Still reeling from Sybelle’s death, Aryan initially rejected the idea and held firm on his decision for several months, but it was impossible to remain adamant in the face of such an alluring woman. The two eventually married in 11 BBY, with their only son, Arek, being born two years later. Their daughter Jalynn came along three years after that. It was Lyz who became Aryan’s lifeline and moral support during the intervening months following his injury.


Lyz Graul, circa 44 ABY

The next available record highlights Graul’s achievements in politics a few years later, a career shift that blossomed from the ashes of his military service. After a short stint as a Councilman at the local level, the people elected him to serve on the Galactic Senate as the Senator from Nubia during the height of the Galactic Empire. His tenure lasted 9 years, and during that time, his charismatic personality helped him to become an influential force across the vast political stage.

Many assumed that he would eventually ascend to greatness as the leader of the Empire…

But then Emperor Palpatine disbanded the Senate in 0 ABY.


Senator Graul during a public debate in 1 BBY

It was at this point in the timeline that Aryan seemingly vanished from the galactic map. Some say he fled the Core to seek refuge in the Outer Rim after the Empire labeled him as a fugitive. Others insist that he returned home to Nubia to take over his parents’ mining and shipping company, working in isolation and contributing to the war effort in secret—there are rumblings that he even had a short stint among the pilots of the Resistance. Or perhaps he simply became a recluse. Whatever the case, there is no clear narrative outlining his fate. Only 44 years of rumors and heresy.

Until recently.

Aryan Graul, with Lyz at his side, emerged from the shadows to help lead the First Order, having been appointed by Armitage Hux to serve as Vice-Chancellor and Speaker for the new government. It was an odd choice considering the uncertainty surrounding his past, particularly the rumors that he had a tendency to become unhinged under certain conditions—some tied directly to an alleged drug habit—though Aryan vowed to separate himself from those negative connotations. He affirmed to rule with a strong hand, exercising the power, authority, and influence his position afforded him.


Vice-Chancellor Aryan Graul of the First Order, circa 44 ABY

However, he never fully adhered to the more totalitarian tendencies of Palpatine’s regime. It was the sort of government that Hux and Kylo Ren aspired to uphold—and one that Aryan hoped to overcome. The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor aimed to peacefully spread Imperial influence across the galaxy by providing aid to those planets ravaged by the last war. It was his goal to instill a stable Imperial hierarchy that would promote goodwill and security. That was how his campaign to establish a ‘New Order’ came to fruition.

Over the next ten years, Aryan accumulated fleet elements, equipment, and weapons—many of the assets stolen from Hux’s own coffers and written off as a loss—in preparation to defect from the First Order. He had intended to wait for the perfect opportunity to proceed, but the death of his daughter at the hands of a terrorist accelerated his plans.

After a period of mourning, Aryan and Lyz set out to the Expansion Region to accomplish their goal—partly to honor Jalynn’s memory. Under the guise of a goodwill tour to neighboring systems, the Grauls recruited member states to their cause. They began with Wavett and their shipyards, which became their unofficial capital, and later brought Admiral Yage and her fleet into the fold.

But when Aryan went to retrieve the assets that he had gathered within the Ghost Nebula, they were gone. A mysterious man known as Snoke had uncovered the Vice-Chancellor’s plan and claimed the fleet as his own. He later revealed his vision to form his own regime to supersede the beleaguered First Order. The self-proclaimed Supreme Leader named Aryan as the Chancellor of this new government… though, it was merely a ruse.

Aryan Graul had no choice. If he refused to serve, Snoke had promised to destroy everything that he held dear. This included his family, his reputation… and his legacy. He had become a captive—a slave to the Supreme Leader of the New Order.

For the next five years, Aryan worked from the shadows to fulfill Snoke’s bidding. With Captain Phasma acting as his personal bodyguard, he traveled around the galaxy to recruit more systems and regional polities to their cause. He met with the likes of Jagged Fel and Natasi Daala, eventually convincing the latter to serve as a military commander for their fleets.

It was Daala who also saw through the ploy and recognized Aryan’s plight. When Snoke finally revealed his grand plan in a coordinated attack that devastated Coruscant, Chandrila, and Concord Dawn, the Admiral took matters into her own hands and became Graul’s savior. She defied the Supreme Leader’s orders and fled the scene of the battle, freeing Aryan from his bondage.

Now on the run as a fugitive, Aryan returns to the besieged world of Wavett, alongside Natasi Daala, to rescue his wife and son from enemy forces.

​

 

GM Approved!

Character Sheet

Name: Xundel
Age: Unspecified
Species: Yoda species
Homeworld: Species Homeworld


Affiliation: Unaligned
Force Sensitivity: Yes
Personal Effects: Greater Krayt Dragon Bone cane, various cloaks, a pack filled with various supplies he’d need when on any world, including various types of grenades and knives
Personal Starship (if any): DeTA Interceptor, currently away in space


Personal Weapon: Curved hilted, deep red (almost black) lightsaber

Bio:

Xundel began life as many of his kind did, becoming a Jedi, at a young age. He excelled in his studies and eventually found himself as a Knight. At this time, his travels throughout the Known Galaxy took him to many worlds, assisting and guiding as a Knight would.

However, things began to take a turn when he first visited the swampy world of Dagobah. Finding himself unconsciously drawn to the dark side nexus on the world he spent many days, weeks, in the nexus, learning many things that changed his outlook on life.

Once he returned to the Temple on Coruscant, he met with the Masters and, with their blessing, changed from his peacekeeper role to that of a scholar. Spending many years in the Archives, he delved deep into the history of the galaxy, studying not just what was known of light and dark nexuses in the Known Galaxy but those that had been mapped in the Unknown Regions. Eventually he reached a point where he had enough evidence, he thought, to take to the Masters to allow him to take a ship and begin a more comprehensive mapping of such sources of light and dark energy in the UR.

Given his previously stellar record and the information he’d managed to collate in the Archives about such during his studies, he was granted permission to do so and given a hyper capable ETA-2. Filling the minimal holds with what he thought he would need, he took his leave of the Known Galaxy and entered the UR. Knowledge of him, beside the records of his tenure as a Jedi, were lost, and even those corrupted during the years of the Clone Wars and the subsequent fall of the Jedi and Republic.

He lost track of the years he spent out beyond the known regions, only that enough time passed that he had to make repair after repair to his ship, often having to make major renovations when certain parts wore out, until his ship was a hybrid of three different craft, unique but fully functional. In that time he’d mapped many of the dark nexuses, the light as well as they were often on the same world, but the focus was the dark ones.

He learned much in his time there, picked up skills he’d never considered as a Jedi and knew that he was forever in the dark, by choice. News eventually filtered out to him of a Galactic Empire and it’s fall, the chaotic years of a New Republic, and then the rise and seemingly subsequent fall of what he’d heard was called a First Order. The chaos that was strewn across the galaxy made him decide it was time to return to Known Space and find ways to utilize his new abilities and talents, to carve out his own place in the galaxy.

The following events, a short description, cover the time of Episode X and the Road to Episode XI

Spoiler

Xundel returned to the galaxy, drawn by a feeling, to the world of Bonadon. The first being he met was someone who reminded him of another, from before he left, as well as a prickly woman who seemed not to like him, from the moment they met. The first turned out to be someone named Nomi da Boda, the latter a former Jedi named Barriss Offee. After a curt confrontation, they headed their separate ways.

After that confrontation he found himself confronted by a helmeted woman. She, thankfully, was able to fill him in on events that had occurred since he’d left Known Space, which, it turned out, was quite a lot. After the, quite interesting, discussion he followed the trail of Nomi, in the Force. He found her in her tent, where she offered soup while they spoke.

That discussion was even more intriguing than the last had been, as she tried more than the first to draw him into galactic events. He was able, however, to get Nomi’s assistance for what he desired to do, what his path was. She gave him a pair of options to choose from to find others that could join his quest. A dark sider and an lightsider were both available and the light sider was the one that seemed most likely to be able to join him.

Taking her instructions, he departed the tent, heading to his ship. It led him to Milagro, where he found his target, but in trouble with fighters. After a short battle, just when they seemed to be getting the upper hand a RSD appeared. Thankfully his target gave him coordinates and he followed them through hyper to what turned out to be Naboo.

A short conversation followed, in a quiet space, where the one he was hoping would join him remained noncommittal but said they’d decide. Shortly thereafter, another battle had to be fought to escape the First Order arriving, leading them to Concord Dawn. Which made Xundel’s task even harder as he realized the complexities of Mandalorian culture.

What further complicated things was when Kylo Ren himself contacted Xundel and he had to shift and hide what he knew from the man, deflect him on his search. Thankfully he was able to keep the Sith from finding all that he wanted to know and that the man left believing him to be a more neutral version of Yoda. He had to convince those present to attempt to find and assist Rey but even that was complicated with events on Concord Dawn.

On their way, as Xundel attempted to contact Nomi, he and Madelyn found themselves in the middle of the Battle of Korilev. They attempted to avoid all of it but were caught up in the Force related destruction. They finally reached Bonadon once again, where Rey was, not far ahead of the Knights of Ren.

Which, of course, led to a battle where the Knights faced off against him and others, including Barriss and Rey. The battle was hard and brutal, ending in the destruction of most of the Knights, although Xundel managed to contain Vicrul and retrieve the Darksaber after Rey disappeared. He intended to keep it and safeguard it until he could return it to Rey but, between Barriss’ obvious dislike of him, her choice to cast him in a negative light at any opportunity, and the Mandalorians not accepting that someone other than a Mandalorian could hold the saber, he entrusted it to the young woman who traveled with Eleanor.

He took Vicrul to the First Order ship overhead, managing to keep it from destroying the planet. Setting off on a course he designated, it led them to a Mortis Tho Yor. There, he and Vicrul were separated and by the time the supposed Mortis spirit inside was done with him, Vicrul had fully submerged in the Dark and was gone. He set off once more, this time to Ruusan, after a conversation with the Force ghost of the now deceased Nomi.

Once he arrived, he traveled with some of the natives as he headed toward where he thought he could rest and allow others to come to him. However, the Force had other ideas and brought him face to face with a different version of himself. They faced off, discussing their paths, the other having become more successful. After the discussion, he continued on.

However, he found a First Order camp where he needed to go, having to slip through it to reach where the thought bomb had been set off. He faced off with the reconstituted remnants of the souls that the thought bomb had held, that wanted to take him and take him over so they could live once more. The battle, mentally, was a heavy one. It ended as the strain of trying to take him shattered what was left of the thought bomb.

It knocked Xundel out and when he woke he found himself face to beak with Vergere, the self styled Darth Traya. They discussed things as a paralytic she’d given him wore off. The discussion led to her deciding to join him in his plans. He received a message on his com, one almost ten years old, when the galactic jamming ended, that convinced them to travel to Tython to try to find the mysterious sender of the message.

When they arrived, however, there were multiple presences. One on Ashla, one on Bogan, one on a mountaintop of Tython, and one in the deep chasm that had once driven a Jedi to the dark. They each had their merits and faults but none would actively tell him they were who he’d come to seek. However, he finally decided and headed down, to find the one on the mountaintop.

When they arrived, they found the Master of Masters there, an old friend and foe of what Xundel served. Their discussion went back and forth but Xundel was able to summon the other presence on Tython. Eventually that presence appeared and Aden Kya joined the group. With the First Order about to appear they were able to save one of the other two stranded beings, the one on Ashla, adding T’ra Saa to their midst.

They began their trek across the Known galaxy headed for Pesegem, or Korriban as most know it, but after a stop at Wavett they were pulled out of hyper by another Tho Yor. This time, they were held in it for five years time, five years of bickering and arguments and beginnings of bonding before the supposed corporeal form of it showed itself, the same as had happened when he and Vicrul had visited one of them.

After a debate with the being, one that apparently was fruitless, they were allowed to leave. As they left, doing an inventory onboard the ship, a holocron was found and as they attempted to access it they were wrenched out of the ship and into an entirely other place.

What they found was themselves in the clutches of Snoke, each in their own Force cage. After much debate with the extremely powerful darksider, with Vergere being lost to them, they were released. When the Master joined them, after a last discussion, they left his base, onto the ship he’d left for them. They discussed where to head next and the Master suggested that they track down Abeloth.

With no other good options, they set out, heading to find the Chaos Goddess. Their course first returned them to Wavett, arriving just in time for the, basically, derelict ship Snoke had left them to be hit by fire not even directed at them. They went into an immediate dive toward the planet’s surface and crash landed, luckily without too much more damage, although with that ship it was hard to tell. What mattered now was what their next step could be, where to go next to do what was needed.

 

Luck has not came to Concord Dawn, however.

Quite the opposite.

In the backdrop of the galaxy-wide assault, the world was savaged by several dipyramid monoliths, each as large as a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer but vastly more deadly.

Celestial technology; a hundred millennia old - devastating and then consuming the planet only to create more ships and TIE variants; revealing that they are commanded by the New Order.

Unbeknownst to the Mandalorians, it was a test. Not even a test of them, but an experiment with weapons before the main offensive.

One which the clans were crushed by and scattered from.

Where will Asteria end up?

TAG: @TheSilentInfluence

 

A better question might be asking about the Underworld.

Where is that in all this?

The New Order is upsetting a crystallising status quo again… the Resistance has drawn hard on the goodwill of Calrissian, Karrde, Terrik, Antilles and Solo.

The war is on-going, but is it winnable in the darker depths of the galactic citizenry?

Let us ask Abaddon and the successors of the Resistance terrorist Tirran Huxley…

TAG: @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

Or perhaps we should ask the dark parts of the soul that can serve a monster?

The Eclipse Fleet was designed to be the armada that broke the galaxy for the First Order. The brainchild of the late Armitage Hux, it was delayed by Resistance sabotage and the flagship stolen. Instead, it became the tool of choice of the New Order, which secretly maintained control of the shipyards of Kuat, behind the facade of the fallen First Order.

Smuggled out via a secret hyperroute, three of the five Eclipse-class Super Star Destroyers were doled out to the warlords - Daala, Gherlid, the Tarkinate - and used to bring the Galactic Alliance to its knees. But the one assigned to Daala was destroyed by her at Chandrila, and the Tarkinate’s vessel smashed by them at Coruscant in a civil war that exploded into motion before the Resistance were even driven from the Core.

Now Warlord Gherlid uses his to fend off other Imperials in the Remnant and to lay claim to Coruscant, even as the Resistance regroups to strike back -

But the last two?

The last two attend Mortis, commanded by Vice Admiral Veed and a shadowy Grand Admiral… and it’s here we meet Najla Romeyn

How does one serve a regime that reveals immense superweapons as its primary source of destruction? That allows the citizens of Coruscant to burn in the middle of the pyre of an Imperial civil war? That stokes the chaos for hitherto unknown aims?

Let’s see

TAG: @Vehn

 

One Last Sentient

Cut from a different cloth than the rest

A healer

In a galaxy fallen to war

Based on Borleias, a hospital ship travels to nearby Venjagga to relieve the world of its casualties -

A battle between New Order forces and Warlord Gherlid's forward scouts has ended, they've withdrawn -

Leaving death.

What can she do?

Let's find out.

TAG: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

 

What.

Where.

And now how.

How has this happened.

The answer is in the hands of a handful, at present.

As A'Sharad Hett and Barriss Sunrider will discover, the Bogan Collection on Atrisia, concealed within the tomb of the First Emperor by the late Luminara Unduli, contained the answer.

The past tense is applicable, because, well, it's gone.

It's already been taken.

What will be found in it's place?

Who else has hidden the past here?

Ancient Jedi? Threats? Mysteries?

We shall have to see.

TAG: @CosmoHender, @Shadowsun, @darthbernael, @Mitth_Fisto

 

OOC: GM Approved CS

Name: Atin-Kot Kouwr
Age: 3640, counting the last 3600 years in Stasis
Species: Taung
Homeworld: Mandalore
Appearance: 2 meters tall, grey skin, yellow eyes, typical Taung features


Affiliation: Unaligned
Force Sensitivity: Yes but currently stripped of his force powers

Personal effects: Having been taken prisoner, all that remains, that he has are his robes.

Bio: Born on Mandalore, Atin-Kot was typical of his race until approximately the age of 10. He had grown up learning to hunt with the adults of the clan, learning the skills necessary to hunt any sort of game on the planet. He likewise had spent many hours learning all he could of all the species those of his clan had faced as they ventured out among the stars.

All of that changed shortly after his tenth birthday, when on a hunt he thought how the hunt would be simplified if the mythosaur they were after would appear so they could take it. Suddenly the creature they had been stalking reversed course and stepped out directly in front of them. Dismissing it as a fluke he continued taking part in the hunts for another year before it happened again, in the exact same way. At this point he realized it was he that had caused it to happen, which amazed, disgusted, and terrified him.

His amazement was due to the fact he had never heard a single story of his kind having any Force powers. The disgust came from the disgust his kind had for those that used the Force, and the actions that had driven them from their homeworld, which may also account for why there were no stories of his kind using the Force. He was terrified because he knew that as soon as he was discovered he would be cast out.

He began preparing for that day, ensuring he had all his gear and weapons prepared and hidden in a remote location far from his clan's homes. His fear came true two days past his thirteenth birthday and his advancement to adulthood. The clan chief himself and a handful of warriors physically manhandled him from the village and under the penalty of death exiled him from the tribe and swore to disseminate news of his exile and the reason why to all the clans.

He had managed to make it to his gear, retrieve it, and slip offplanet before they had cordoned the spaceport. He managed to work his way from planet to planet until he reached the planet of Taris. It took much convincing to get any Jedi there, from any rank to take the time to search him for any evidence of Force Powers, but eventually he found one of sufficient rank that believed and saw the Force ability in him to get him accepted to the Taris Academy.

He worked hard, his physical strength and hardiness served him in good stead as he naturally drifted toward the path of a Sentinel. As he graduated, and crafted his sabers, he finally realized he’d found a new clan, one that accepted him for what he was, not just a Taung, but a Jedi. Such belief was tarnished to a degree when the Mandalorian Wars began. He knew his people, and those who had flocked to their banners and become Mandalorians, were ravaging worlds and the Jedi, the clan he’d come to believe as his, did nothing.

That is, until a pair of Jedi, Revan and Alek, managed to convince the Council to allow them to fight and end the war. He had gone with those who would be known to posterity as the Revanchrists and fought in the wars, his armored form, double bladed saber in hand came as a shock to those of his race that he fought. After the Battle of Dxun, and all he’d seen there, he could not continue, he could very well see where this was headed and so he returned to the Temple, and the Council’s judgement.

Following Malachor, and the return, then the departure of the Exile, the council realized they desperately needed information, needed to know what Revan and those who had followed him were doing. Called to the Council chambers, Atin-Kot was given sealed orders direct from the Council that he was to become an agent of the Council, and rejoin those he’d fought alongside in the Wars, reporting back to the Council as needed. He followed Revan and the others into the Unknown Regions, and rejoined their ranks. And returned with them, a ‘Sith’, to wage war against the Republic. But now he’s been called back, by the Council, to join a team, for a mission of the utmost importance, targeting Lord Revan himself.

The following takes place during the events of Turning Point - The Betrayal of Darth Revan

Spoiler

Atin-Kot, and those others that had been called were drawn to Sernpidal, where they met for the first time. They were an eclectic group and it was evident in how they could barely call themselves a team. Even after meeting and beginning to know each other, they were at odds, partially not helped by the fact he, himself, was a Revanchrist.

After a violent encounter at the cantina they had gathered at, they had to set out, on their own routes, to rendezvous at the manor of Colonel Scherp, someone Ati-Kot knew. One of their own had been taken captive and they had to breach the security, finally work as a team. They finally reached the Colonel and, after the Taung had to use tactics the Jedi would find abrasive, he managed to get what they needed, the codes and their companion, from the man.

After departing, on Scherp’s own shuttle, they returned to Bastila. The plan was, of course, to board Revan’s flagship with the codes they had, and capture him. After the briefing, they were given a chance to catch up with those they needed to, as it was basically a suicide mission. Atin-Kot, following all the various orders he had, spoke with Darth Malek, by comm, to ensure that that Lord knew that Revan would soon be off the board.

Bastila knew of his second orders and, after a discussion, they set up the ambush, her to lead one team and he the other. At Nouane, the ambush began, Atin-Kot leading his team toward Security Command, while Bastila headed for the bridge. His team ran into Darth Voren, just outside their objective. The fight was short and bloody but left their objective in ruins. They were called to the bridge, through the Force, to assist Bastila.

When they arrived, a tremendous battle ensued, between all of them and Darth Revan. The tide of the fight only truly turned, when Darth Malek fired upon Revan’s ship, betraying him as planned. After a discussion whether to kill him or bring him back unconscious, the Jedi chose the latter, secreting him between them and rushing off the Dark Protector just before it exploded.

They brought Revan to Dantooine and were all summoned before the Jedi Council there, to report on the mission. Or so they thought. Instead they were held to account for their actions as most taken had to have been outside the norms of what the Jedi, the ones attempting to remain out of the war, expected. Each of the team was ‘punished’ in various ways and Atin-Kot worst of all.

The Council refused to accept his explanation or offer and instead stripped him of his Force powers. He was cuffed and remanded to the custody of Zeseem. The entire team was sent off, ostensibly to return to Coruscant, Atin-Kot now a prisoner. However, things changed. The ship was wrenched out of hyper as they were enroute and taken by a Sith ship, lead by Darth Igrol.

Atin-Kot was able to use his minimal previous exposure to those Sith to keep the Jedi from being killed outright, although he himself was beaten to appear as though he was still on the side of the Jedi. He attempted to get the Jedi to recognize that letting the Sith ‘turn’ them was the best option, before they arrived at Dromund Kaas.

They were taken by the Imperial Guard, led into the Emperor’s throne room. Where they were almost immediately overwhelmed by the presence of a Darkness. He set them in a space they did not know where they were taken apart mentally, again and again, for years. Torture and pain, their minds stirred by his hidden fingers, for years until the pain and torture was nothing but background noise.

After that period, they found themselves awake, in what might have been a workshop, dangling from the ceiling. There were three children below, that the three of them managed to convince to release them from the physical constraints they were in. The children, who it turned out were the Emperor’s children, scattered when they suddenly realized their father was there.

The Jedi faced him, realizing he didn’t seem to be present at the moment, in his body. An attempt to kill him and the Emperor came back into himself. Without any effort, he immobilized them and rendered them unconscious. All they knew, as they slipped into unconsciousness, was where he was taking them, Atrisia. Unknown to them, he did just that, sending their stasis containers and other items to that world, where they have been sequestered for the last 3600 years, waiting for someone to wake them.

 

The how can be answered by Mortis.

Mortis is the answer.

Five years ago Kylo Ren sought this place, guided by his Sith Master, Tor Valum, who trained Darth Plagueis for a time. The creature had assisted with the resurrection of the Sith time and time again in the last seven millennia, until Kylo Ren felled him and took his knowledge.

But whereas Kylo Ren found nothing on Mortis, save for his second death at the hands of Rey, it would seem that Snoke had what he needed to command this place.

A key, perhaps.

But the ancient Sith avoided the technology of the Celestials - of the Ones, of the Father, Son and Daughter - because it was too dangerous. That their knowledge of the Cosmic Wars was paper-thin. That to court this technology was to embrace your doom. As it had during the Vultar Cataclysm. Or with the Kathol Gates Cataclysm. Or with Centerpoint Station. Or even the Chiloon Monolith. All who had used these had died or had their great works undone.

Indeed.

Three such questions and answers were apparent.

They were the Sages of Dwartii.

Sistros, Yanjon, Faya.

And their statues held them once more.

Here, in the belly of the beast.

Within Mortis.

TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @HanSolo29, @Mitth_Fisto

 

This covers all but the why.

Why has this happened again.

Why is a question always deeper than its answer, said the great trickeries of Darth Trayus.

The hermetica which spawned broken individuals, anguished and betrayed.

But that doesn't help us.

Not now.

The why is what is sought by the Light.

The why at the heart of the Darkness.

The why that can save them all.

But we'd need to ask Ahsoka Tano about that, no doubt...

But where did she stand in the middle of all this?

What remains of the good of the Jedi?

Is there only the bad of the Sith?

TAG: @Corellian_Outrider

 

GM Approved!

NOTE: The Aryan Graul depicted in this character sheet is from the Twilight Timeline; not the one that appears in this game. It follows the events that take place during the Twilight of the Force trilogy (an AU story) GMed by Sinrebirth.


Name: Joren Graal (also known as Sistros)
Appearance:






Age: Thousands of years, though he physically appears in his early 40s
Homeworld: Nouane (his soul/spiritual form); Nubia (physical form)
Affiliation: Unaligned
Force Sensitivity: Yes
Personal Effects: A small travel bag filled with items stowed from home, including change of clothes, hygiene products, and various textbooks; a notepad and stylus; wrist chrono and utility belt with a pocket vibroblade; two red pyramidal Holocrons
Personal Weapons: A silver and gold plated Forcesaber; a custom-built lightsaber with a silver and black hilt and a blue blade


Joren's personal lightsaber


Forcesaber

Bio: Sistros is an ancient entity that dates back to 36,454 BBY, a product of the Dwartii system in the Allied Region of Nouane. Renowned for its libraries and philosophers, Nouanese ministers often rose in prominence and held positions of power in the early days of the Galactic Republic.

True to form, Sistros served as one of the Four Sages of Dwartii, highly influential, but nonetheless controversial, lawgivers whose decrees often spoke of their implacable resolve. Despite their reverence, many viewed their edicts as ruthless and relentless. Sistros, in particular, fell under scrutiny for his tendency to pander to the masses to achieve selfish goals.

But what many do not know is that Sistros had a rather conventional start—like so many others before him.

Born Joren Graal in Nouane City, he originally adhered to an ancient order of Force users known as the Protectors, the spiritual predecessors of the Jedi Order. Under the tutelage of a single Master, a Black-Coat simply known as the Master of Masters, the Protectors sought a peaceful existence. It was their mandate to safeguard against the prophesied End of Time—to protect the light and prevent the darkness from entering the galaxy from a specified point called the World Between Worlds.


Dr. Joren Graal, circa 36,454 BBY

There were five Protectors at the beginning with Joren designated as their leader. He served gallantly in his role, though there were some among their group who believed that he had allowed his own vanity to go to his head. Nevertheless, that did not deter the Master from christening him with a new identity, almost as a rite of passage—Sistros. It was the name of his true self.

However, Sistros soon became the victim of his own machinations; paranoia and fear dominated his thoughts. As a result, he became suspicious of the Master’s motives—was he a benevolent or a malevolent force?—and that distrust trickled down through the ranks. In the end, it crippled the Protectors’ ability to function as a single unit. They were unable to uphold their pledge when the darkness finally prevailed and brought about total destruction to their world.

They had failed; Sistros had failed.

...or had the Master intended for this to happen all along? Had the Master betrayed them?

The uncertainty surrounding their fate eroded Joren’s mind. He couldn’t stop agonizing over the events that had occurred; what he had done, what he had failed to do. That ultimately led to an epiphany—everything had gone according to plan.

And yet, Sistros could not accept it.

That refusal had permeated his very soul, curdling into guilt as it carved out a hollow spot where his heart had been. This corrosion continued to expand and grow until it developed into an obsession, a frantic desire to Change the outcome and master the Epitaph. He craved safety, order, and destruction to anyone who opposed him. It was a dangerous path; a quest for power and certainty that would undoubtedly inflict great darkness on the galaxy. He would cause untold suffering...

And that’s why the Force had rejected him, demanding that he endure a painful death rather than survive to carry his teachings over to the next age. There was only darkness in the end for Joren, and so he vanished into the ether, his passing creating a terrible wound in the Force that left an echo in its wake. This same echo would carry through the Graal bloodline for thousands of generations.

At a certain point along the timeline, a documenting error changed the spelling of ‘Graal’ to ‘Graul’, but it wasn’t until the modern era that Sistros finally resurfaced in the flesh. His soul became reborn through a child named Aryan Graul.


Aryan Graul, circa 34 ABY (Twilight Timeline)

The boy was strong in the Force, a fact that was not lost to his father, Norin. The elder Graul had spent years researching the history of the Epitaph and the impacts it had imposed upon his legacy. It led to an obsession that often presented itself through his rigorous standards and abrasive attitude, especially when dealing with others. It was also through his shared passion for the Epitaph that he met Ike. The waifish man had preyed on Norin’s paranoia, and as a result, he came to fear his son. Not only was he concerned about Aryan’s power and the potential it wrought, but he believed that the boy would inevitably surpass him in prominence.

To prevent this from happening, Ike introduced Norin to a technique for Force sensitivity suppression. It was a repressive form of brainwashing that caused Aryan to associate Force usage with pain. It was extremely cruel and accounted for the many beatings he had endured throughout his childhood. Ike and Norin would later use a similar method to conceal Aryan’s daughter, Jalynn.

Despite the abuse and its many consequences, the technique proved successful—Aryan refrained from using the Force. It even passed out of his memory after a time, a forgotten talent that would one day reemerge in the future during a confrontation on Ach-To.

The death of his wife and son served as the catalyst for this revelation; it caused such immense pain that it awakened his latent Force abilities. This eventually led to his training as a Jedi Knight, but the corrupt nature of New Republic politics soon played into Aryan’s cunning nature. He succumbed to his ambitions and selfish passions, falling to the Dark Side to become Darth Skelm.

A trail of destruction followed in his wake, and despite ascending to sit upon the Eternal Throne to command a new Eternal Empire, he was still missing one crucial piece to embrace his true heritage as Sistros.

Omnipotence.

Aryan achieved this goal above Nouane, the world that birthed his spiritual form. In a cruel twist of fate that fulfilled a grim prophecy—one that spoke of Joren Graal’s inherent Darkness—he consumed the planet and depleted it of all sentient life. He then channeled that energy unto himself and his family to elevate them to godhood.

This act completed Aryan Graul’s transformation; he had fully embodied his true form, becoming Sistros once more.

But it was only a temporary solution. The Darkness that had eroded Sistros’ mind—known as Skelm—would later come to betray him, stripping him of his power and leaving him for dead after a series of battles had weakened his resolve. It was the beginning of a new chapter in his life; an epiphany that would lead him down the road toward redemption.

He fully rejected Skelm and exiled himself to the remote world of Ach-To to heal and learn from the ancient Jedi tomes hidden on the planet’s surface. It was an enlightening experience that lasted five long years, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy the deep longing that continued to pull at his soul; he still felt empty… and alone. While he had embodied his past as Joren Graal and could recall many of the memories and experiences from that time, he still wasn’t ‘whole’.

Fortunately, the Master of Masters appeared once more to assist him on his journey toward completion and rebirth.

In the meantime, Joren Graal’s original form, still wandering the depths of the netherworld after thousands of years, stumbled upon a gateway that ultimately allowed him to cross over to the Twilight realm. It was here that he encountered Aryan Graul, and the two would finally unite and merge to become one soul… one entity.

Sistros was whole once more.

After undergoing his transformation, Joren now finds himself in unfamiliar territory; he has passed through into a new reality that is unlike his own.


Joren Graal reborn; crossing time and space to begin a new journey

Spoiler: Joren Graal Full Bio

Bio: "Knowledge is a destination. Truth, the journey."

This was the mantra by which Joren Graal lived his carefree and illustrious life. But it did not come without humble beginnings.

From a very young age, Joren expressed a certain intuition for things beyond the natural realm of human understanding; he found that he could perceive things… feel things that normal people could not. He attributed his gift to the Force, but never found the means to officially confirm or deny his suspicions. This would lead to a lifelong journey to seek answers, and contributed to his decision to pursue ethics and theology as a career path.

Joren attended Nouane City University (NCU), where he excelled at his studies and achieved his various degrees, including his BA and doctorate. With his reputation and accolades, the university later asked him to carry on as an official member of their faculty team. He gladly accepted the offer and remained at his alma mater to teach and conduct his research. This served as a stepping stone for the fame that would soon come his way.

Shortly after acquiring his job at NCU, Joren wrote and published his first book, Spiritual Realms, which chronicled his personal experiences traveling for a standard year through the isolated mountain regions of Nouane in search of ethnic and religious significance. It borrowed from a series of essays he previously had published under the same name and quickly soared to the bestselling list, spawning a sequel book, The Spiritual Unknown.

The acclaim surrounding Graal’s memoir, Spiritual Realms, led to an offer from a local HoloNet channel to host his own documentary and travel series. Based on similar topics covered in his books, the series sent Joren on a globe-trotting adventure around Nouane to focus on the exploration of culture, myth, religious traditions, and how they all linked back to the human condition. The show, Divine Encounters, became a critical and financial success and boosted Joren to worldwide fame.


Dr. Graal consulting with a local guide on the set of 'Divine Encounters'

It was through the success of his HoloNet series that Joren discovered the Protectors and their culture. Intrigued by their teachings and moved by their philosophy, he worked diligently with his people to dedicate a portion of his upcoming season to their lifestyle, history, and values… particularly how they all pertained to the Force. This held a personal incentive for Joren, and he did not relent until his crew managed to make all the proper arrangements. The Protectors agreed to allow Graal and his crew to live among them for two weeks to document them and capture all of the necessary footage.

However, by the time the crew moved into the area and gained clearance to begin pre-production work, the Board of Directors at Joren’s university and his representatives at the network devolved into a financial dispute over sponsors. Both entities wanted full disclosure of the funds and would not budge on their stance. As negotiations commenced, production on the next season of Divine Encounters, and the segment on the Protectors, remained on hold until they reached a resolution.

Despite the obvious setback, Joren did not let it deter him from fulfilling his own personal journey of self-discovery. He felt himself being lured deeper into the Protectors’ realm, a sensation he would later credit to the will of the Force. In response to this intense calling, he opted to stay with the Protectors in the interim and aimed to learn from them. It was through these teachings that he found his own awakening in the Force—the intimate connection between all living things that opened pathways that he never before imagined. It was the very thing he strived to achieve since childhood.

But as an intellectual, he often battled with the science behind it all; the practical and impractical, and applying the concept of the Force to a more sensible and pragmatic world. He held onto the hope that he would one day find a definitive answer.

A year after his initial contact, Dr. Graal continued to meet and take direction from the Protectors, seeking guidance from the Master of Masters and honing his awareness in the Force. While he maintained his role as a conscientious and devoted student, he also kept one foot in the ‘real’ world and continued to teach at NCU and give lectures around Nouane. He also remained optimistic about Divine Encounters and expected a settlement soon, which would allow for the show to resume production.

In his personal life, he had recently married his long-time partner, Tera Morr. The couple had been expecting their first child when things began to go awry. As Joren became more immersed in the Master’s teachings, he slowly found himself spiraling out of control. His work turned into a dangerous obsession—especially when he accepted his role as leader of the Protectors.


Tera Moor-Graal, circa 36,454 BBY

The Master had also anointed Joren with a new identity, the name of his true self—Sistros. The Black-Coat instructed him never to reveal this Truth to the others, or he would suffer repercussions that would span the course of time. This mentality helped to sow the seeds of distrust and paranoia among the group. What started as an enlightening experience would eventually end in tragedy.

The following is an account, taken from the journal of the Epitaph, that describes the fall of Joren Graal (credit to @Sinrebirth for the amazing post):

Joren could only panic. It had happened; all the terrible things he had sought to avoid.

His mind spiraled into what-if's, as he was want to do.

He was crippled.

Had they needed Vydra? The things he had taken from Yanjon, they were gone from his person, which meant someone else had stolen them... the true traitor? Dunkeel had said their names, and this had happened to them... was Vydra now crystallized by his actions? Was it Zas'tel behind this? Had he his own instructions in the absence of the Master? Did this connect to his vision? Had Dunkeel just betrayed them? Had that single moment in the restaurant with Vale and Zinara doomed them all, preventing them from working together until just too late?

His mind was spinning.

It was over; they'd failed... or had they done what the Master intended?

He still, to this moment, didn't trust the Master - he would never.

And now this had happened, days since his vanishing...

Joren felt set up.

He agonized over what he had done, what he had failed to do.

But it was all just the ripple of his utter guilt.

He had failed his partner; his child, and Tera, they were gone... but he could still feel them, somewhere, somewhen... somehow...

He wanted to be there; he wanted to name a son or a daughter.

Aryan...

Was that his name?

Or was that a name that Joren would have, one day?

Was it too late to believe in reincarnation?

In souls?

His last thoughts were simply more questions...

As the crystal rose up over his chin, he didn't stop thinking, worrying, wondering, demanding the galaxy to tell him what had gone wrong.

His very last moment was an absolute certainty, as darkness engulfed him.

It had gone exactly as planned.

I couldn't tell you if he was right, or wrong.

But he couldn’t accept it.

That refusal - it curdled into guilt that girdled him, corroded him.

It would turn, when he emerged, into obsession.

A frantic desire to Change what had already happened.

To master the Epitaph.

To become a rogue pawn.

He would cause great darkness, to achieve power, to achieve certainty. He would crave safety, and order, and destruction to anyone who opposed him.

The Holocron of Prophecy confirmed what would happen to his descendants. It also confirmed that seed lay in the guilt that Joren felt now, in the inequity that would be created in his child by the disappearance of the father.

And so, the statue didn't accept him; he would be dark, in the end, and nothing more or less. His name would become Skelm, one way, or another.

It pushed him out, unconscious, into the lava.

He vanished into it, his death a terrible wound in the Force that left its own echo, one which passed through his bloodline for a thousand and more generations.​

The final image taken of Joren prior to his death

In the aftermath, Joren’s spirit roamed the netherworld for thousands of years, restless and agitated. He felt aggrieved by the circumstances that had resulted in his death, particularly the manner in which he had left his wife. He had told Tera that he would be back after he dealt with the crisis at the Clock-Tower; they were meant to have a life together in peace. But he had broken that promise when the Darkness and Abeloth had descended on them, precipitating the End of Time.

It had been beyond his control… a lack of certainty…

And yet, he still blamed himself, and he suffered the guilt that came along with it.

He vowed to find Tera, to reconcile and make amends for his past transgressions, but throughout his wanderings, he discovered something else entirely. Something contemptible and ungodly; the Darkness that had plagued his life and destroyed everything that he had held dear—Skelm had revealed himself.

It was through this encounter that he eventually reunited with the Master of Masters and traveled through a gateway that led him across space and time. It was in this new realm that he stumbled upon his future incarnation as Aryan Graul. They resonated with each other, existing as the same mind and soul. Through the will of the Force, they would merge together and become one.

Through this transformation, Joren Graal experienced a rebirth; he was whole once more.

Spoiler: Aryan Graul Full Bio

Bio: Aryan was born on Nubia as the only child to Norin and Ashaiya Graul. His parents were the proprietors of a rather large mining corporation and shipping company, which included several bronzium processing plants in the capital region of Rordis. As the sole heir, Aryan would one day have a stake in the company for his namesake alone, but his dreams and aspirations remained elsewhere...among the stars.

While he abided by his father’s wishes and enrolled at the University of Coruscant after completing secondary school, he was again tempted by his passions and joined the Republic Navy to become a pilot shortly after graduation.

His military career was littered with excellence, and he eventually rose to the rank of Commander, becoming a hometown hero in the process. With each passing achievement, he became more and more convinced that a career as a fully commissioned officer was the way to go, but that all came to a crashing end when he was seriously wounded in a scuffle in the Mid Rim. His injuries were extensive enough that he ended up losing his left leg, and he was medically retired from the military at the age of 28.


Commander Aryan Graul of the Republic Starfighter Corps

During his tenure in the Navy, he met his wife, Lyzia Eross; the two were married in 20 BTA, with their only son, Arek, being born three years later. It was Lyzia who served as Aryan’s lifeline and moral support during the intervening months following his injury. As a philanthropist, she actively traveled around to various worlds stricken by the war to offer assistance and provide for those people in need. She also held rallies on notable Republic worlds to garner support for her cause. Aryan often accompanied her, and it was soon discovered that he had a real knack for interacting with the public and charming a crowd. His speeches were often engaging, and he soon gained the attention of a prominent politician working within the Imperial Senate—Garrit Pilleu, a member of the Nubian Ruling Council and aide to the current Senator of Nubia.

The bureaucrat was infatuated by the young man’s passion and took him under his wing to help him learn the ropes. With Pilleu’s help, Aryan’s influence over the people remained strong. When the time was right, it was the old man who ultimately pushed Graul to seek elected office in the Senate, where he felt he would have the most impact. Against all odds, and helped along by a sympathy vote due to his injury, Aryan won the election by a landslide and became the next Senator of Nubia in 9 BTA. He viewed the outcome as some kind of epiphany; he was their savior, and anything less than that was simply unacceptable. It was a dangerous thought that would slowly begin to consume his mind.

In fact, it wasn’t long before he became a victim of his own machinations. While he adopted a public mask that kept him quite favorable to the people—he was considered a charismatic and attractive politician—he continued to obsess over the government and his quest to obtain the kind of influence he needed to become the savior he envisioned himself to be.

Aryan spent the following 9 years building clout and networking among his peers and beyond to establish long-standing connections. He even gained several big-name proponents in the Republic Senate, which quickly pushed him into the limelight with his idea for a unified government. He had become the Senate’s newest ‘superstar,’ and he basked in the glory; he was one step closer to his goal—ultimate rule as the galaxy’s next leader.

Despite his lofty aspirations, he remained completely oblivious to the fact that his pursuit of power was slowly corrupting him and turning him into a monster. This would certainly come to the forefront in 0 BTA when Emperor Amedda unexpectantly called for peace between the Republic and Imperial factions; he wanted to put an end to the decades-long Cold War and restore the galaxy to its former glory. The Senate approved this proposal and swiftly moved forward to conduct peace talks on Alderaan.

Aryan, recognizing this moment as an opportunity to get ahead, took the initiative and led the delegation alongside Chancellor Mon Mothma, Senator Bail Organa, and Princess Feyna of Alderaan. As the chairman of the Peace Committee, it was his responsibility to organize everything from the Imperial side of the table, gaining plenty of traction in the process.


Senator Graul during an HNN newscast to discuss Emperor Amedda’s ‘declaration of peace’.

But unfortunately, it would not be a smooth transition. After a Dark Jedi resistance cell launched an attack against the peace delegation by targeting its three main theaters on Alderaan, Naboo, and Coruscant, the galaxy lost its leader when Emperor Amedda was mortally wounded. This cleared a pathway for Aryan to rise to the top. In his last moments, the dying Emperor left behind a decree that named Senator Graul as the next Galactic Emperor. He had finally achieved his goal, but it would not be a prosperous reign. In fact, despite his best efforts, it would be relatively brief.

The coming days revealed a cunning plot set in motion by Amedda himself—now very much alive and calling himself Darth Wyyrlok. He had deceived the Senate by luring them unknowingly into a trap on Alderaan through the peace talks. From here, he proceeded to demonstrate the full might of the Galactic Empire by destroying the planet with a monstrous superweapon called the Death Star, which would later have a twin nicknamed the Ultimate Weapon.

Caught in the chaos that ensued in the wake of this atrocity, Aryan became the brunt of scrutiny when Amedda set him up to take the blame for Alderaan’s destruction. Public opinion turned against him and things soon turned disastrous—Darth Ananke forced him into a detrimental partnership with her underworld associates; his son, first believed to have perished at Alderaan, became the victim of kidnappers and disappeared; his wife betrayed him and issued orders on his behalf to invade unsuspecting systems throughout the Empire, including Chandrila, Naboo, and Mandalore; the Admiralty and regional governors became divided and refused to acknowledge him; the remnants of the Republic began applying pressure to end the war.

However, things took a turn for the worst when Darth Wyyrlok addressed the galaxy via the HoloNet and openly accused Aryan of murdering his Chief of Staff. He did not attempt to deny the allegation and decided to flee into the Unknown Regions; all was lost.

It was difficult to say what had transpired after he fled, or where he had gone; Aryan refused to talk about it. When he arrived on Bakura a few days later to take refuge after being labeled a war criminal, he was a changed man in more ways than one. He had lost his wife and son at the hands of Darth Ananke, but through a series of strange circumstances, he had awakened an innate ability within himself—a latent Force sensitivity. It had always been there, suppressed and hidden after years of abuse; it had only been a matter of time before he discovered this special gift. It was a terrible form of restitution in exchange for his family, but he remained determined to make the most of his new reality. This led him to An’ya Kuro, a former Jedi Knight who agreed to take him under her wing and train him in the ways of the Force.


“Meeting you was no mere coincidence...I view it as an opportunity.”
—Aryan Graul trying to convince Master Kuro to train him

Aryan spent the next fourteen years on Bakura, studying, training, and strengthening his skills in the Force. He became quite adept with his new powers and rose to the rank of a Jedi Knight. But fate would once again come calling. When Bakura broke their traditional stance to remain independent and decided to join the fledgling New Republic, they needed a leader to represent them in the Galactic Senate. Aryan saw this as an opportunity to regain some of his former glory and immediately stepped up to the challenge.

It was a long and tiring campaign, but Aryan ultimately secured the nomination and went on to win the election. He became Bakura’s new Senator, though the decision did not come without controversy. While this would mark the first time Aryan had appeared in the public eye since the Galactic Civil War, the past was not so easily forgotten. To many throughout the galaxy, he was still a war criminal responsible for untold crimes against the Republic itself. Some even believed that Bakura’s choice to elect such a divisive figure was a political statement to express their true sentiments about joining the New Republic.

Either way, Aryan found himself fighting an uphill battle to prove himself. That did not weaken his resolve, however. He only wanted to re-establish himself on Coruscant and make amends for all of the sins he had committed. For Aryan Graul, this was a second chance.

In 12 ATA, Aryan became acquainted with a fellow Bakuran bureaucrat—Gaeriel Captison. She was a member of an influential political family and held a lot of clout in the main government circles. It was only natural that the two would become close colleagues, though no one could anticipate that things would develop beyond that. They soon entered into a formal relationship and their love for each other flourished.


Aryan Graul with Gaeriel Captison during the election-night party on Bakura

However, it wasn’t an easy journey. When their courtship became public knowledge just prior to the campaign, they fell under a lot of scrutiny and were the subject of gossip on all the major media outlets. Many criticized them for the staggering age gap between them and made judgments based on Aryan’s past indiscretions—they referred to Gaeriel as a ‘trophy girlfriend’ and questioned their motivations.

Nevertheless, they persevered and grew stronger through their efforts. In the coming year, they would solidify their love through marriage and welcome a new child into the galaxy—a boy named Arek, in honor of the son he had lost years earlier.

It was a new life, in more ways than one.

Shortly after his induction as Bakura’s Senator, Aryan succumbed to his lust for power and allowed his ambitions to once again dictate his actions. He quickly lost his way, falling to the Dark Side when he aligned himself with a mysterious Black-Coat known as Darth Trayus and his cabal of centrist politicians. Their goal was to overthrow the corruption within the New Republic and to restore the legacy of the old Empire.

To accomplish this task, the Black-Coat instructed Graul to perform a ritual that involved the blood of a powerful Force user. He was to inject himself with the concoction, which would then bond his own blood to the Eternal Fleet—an ancient armada of ships operated by sentient droids and controlled through the Eternal Throne. Not only would it grant him control of the fleet, but it would elevate him to become the Eternal Emperor, the supreme ruler of the galaxy.

After a series of defining events, which included the discovery of his long-lost daughter, the murder of his father, Norin Graul, as well as a deadly duel against his former master, An’ya Kuro, Aryan achieved success. His cruel slaughter of Master Kuro allowed him to collect her blood and utilize its unique properties to complete the ritual.

While he had attained his objective and ascended to the Eternal Throne—as Darth Skelm—he was not alone in his endeavor. Unbeknownst to Aryan, another presence had sought the power of the Eternal Fleet; a man known as Bernael had initiated the ritual at the same time as Graul, elevating them both. As a result, they each commanded a portion of the fleet. Divided equally among them, they became known as the twin Emperors, and the Eternal Empire was born.

Bernael would go on to become one of his closest allies and friends; not only did they compare on an intellectual level, complementing each other in their rule—Bernael served as the brawn and main strategist for the military, while Graul was the political force—but they also shared an intimate connection that went back centuries. They were part of an ancient prophecy, two halves of the same Epitaph that resonated within their souls. The Dwartii scholars would regard them as Sistros Nevet; two gods made flesh.

Together they forged an unbreakable bond, their power unparalleled. They quickly launched several attacks across the Core and beyond to cement their place on the galactic stage, decimating Coruscant, Naboo, and depleting Graul’s homeworld of Nubia of all of its lifeforce. Every living being on the planet perished, their energy redistributed and consumed by Bernael to augment his abilities.


Eternal Emperor Graul addresses the galaxy prior to the Battle of Nubia

Aryan would repeat this technique years later on Nouane, draining the planet of all sentient life to transform himself and his family—his daughter Jalynn, his son Arek, and his wife Gaeriel—into literal gods. The galaxy would come to know them as the Eternal Family, immortal and radiant.

Through his exaltation, Graul also adopted a new name—a new identity to fully embody the vestiges of his past, through his ancestor Joren Graal, and to embrace his divine nature as Sistros. Aryan Graul ceased to exist, and he became Sistros Graal, the Eternal Emperor; the name of his true self.

In the intervening years, the Eternal Empire, with Graal and Bernael at its helm, continued to grow and expand to earn its reputation as a formidable power across the galactic plane. Fear and brute force were the tactics used to maintain order; insolence was not tolerated. However, the threat of an extragalactic invasion by the mysterious Yuuzhan Vong—abetted by the unexpected return of the late Chancellor Palpatine—hung like a shadow over everything Graal had built. He could not afford to squander their progress.

And so, from his stronghold on Bakura—the Eternal capital—Graal dedicated time and resources to education, prevention, and reinforcement. It was a concentrated effort to bolster their strength and vitality against the alien invaders; preparation for the inevitable war looming on the horizon.

Emperor Graal wanted to ensure that the Eternal Empire emerged as the victors once the dust settled.

And yet, it wasn’t enough to save his kingdom from destruction.

After a series of confrontations—first on Bakura, and then on the forgotten world of Korriban—Aryan saw his Empire fall to shambles. While his efforts helped a ragtag group of Jedi and resistance fighters defeat the reborn Palpatine, the encounter left him gravely injured from a blaster wound to the chest. In his last moments of consciousness, he ordered his droid pilot to set course for Ach-To, a world that had historical significance. Not only did it serve as a reminder of his first wife and son, but he believed that it held the key to unlocking the truth about his past… and the Epitaph itself.

Graal spent five years exiled on the oceanic world after his recovery. While the rest of the galaxy fell into anarchy without a proper government entity to enact control, Aryan continued to grow and learn from the ancient Jedi texts that he uncovered in the scattered ruins on the planet. He often isolated himself for several days on the cliffs to meditate on his findings and to immerse himself within the Force’s invigorating flow.

It was here that he had an epiphany and began to transform himself once more, following the path toward redemption. Guilt continued to plague him, however—guilt over the countless atrocities that he had committed against the galaxy and its denizens. He struggled to atone for those sins, often finding it difficult to tolerate his own existence, and it wasn’t until the Master of Masters returned that Aryan gained guidance.


Aryan Graal meditating during his five-year exile on Ach-To

The Black-Coat visited him during his isolation, revealing a way in which he could ‘give back’ to the galaxy and possibly set things on a more secure path. One of the ancient tomes highlighted plans for a beacon buried deep within the Jedi Temple on Coruscant; if they could activate this archaic machine, it was possible to unite the peoples of the galaxy and restore order. Not only would it absolve Aryan of his many misdeeds—and clear his conscience in the process—but it was a symbol that represented hope.

It was the very thing they needed in such a time of great distress.

But as Aryan set out on his journey, he would find more than redemption; he would become whole once more when the spirit of his previous self—in the form of Joren Graal—would appear to him from across space and time. The two wayward souls would reunite to become one.

Aryan Graul; Joren Graal was reborn.

[/SPOILER

 

But only one group has to ask all those questions.

What has happened to the galaxy in the last fifteen years.

How has the New Jedi Order been decimated so.

When did Grandmaster Luke Skywalker die, along with Han Solo, and Leia Organa?

Why has the Force not warned them of this?

Who is Rey Skywalker?

Their time is up. The rendezvous point, agreed fifteen years ago above Nirauan, has been called.

Wherever they are, or where, in the Unknown Regions - on the galactic disc, in the stellar halo, within the satellite galaxies - they were to regroup.

The Jedi Council had tasked them with finding Mortis.

With locating the Dagger of Mortis, so that they might prepare for the Old Ones.

None of them have succeeded in that quest, but they hold pieces of several puzzles.

But only one person knows of their rendezvous.

The last living member of Luke Skywalker's Jedi Council.

Jaina Solo Fel.

TAG: @TheAdmiral, @SiouxFan, @clone commander bossk, @Sarge, @ConservativeJedi321, @Lady Belligerent

 

GM Approved




Character Sheet

Name: Jaina Solo Fel
Age: 40
Species: human
Homeworld: Coruscant, anywhere Jagged is.
Affiliation: unaligned
Force Sensitivity: Y
Personal Effects: vibroblade, her droid Cappie,
Personal Starship (if any): X-Wing
Personal Weapon: lightsaber - violet blade
Bio: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jaina_Solo_Fel

Recent years were spent on Korriban feigning insanity while chasing Sith. Then Jaina took off in search of Ben Skywalker, and has so far been unsuccessful in locating him.