Krath

What is Krath?

Krath is a unique being, born of the Force and existing solely within it.  It is theorized by many Dark Jedi that there are many other conscious entities in the Force, but only Krath has managed to establish a foothold in the physical world.  In the distant past, he somehow managed to communicate with a group of smiths and instructed them to create a talisman which enabled him to control people and events in the real world.  Now, the followers of Krath are partially possessed by the spirit of Krath, letting his essence flow through them along with the rest of the Force.  This enables Krath to have a kind of corporeal existence and gives his followers many powers.  Followers of Krath spend much time in mediation and prayer, opening themselves up to Krath so that he might enter their souls and give them the powers they seek., but there is a price to pay as those who give themselves to Krath are never the same again, their souls combine with the essence of Krath are changed and they become one with Krath.

 

History of Krath:

The Founding

Long before the Empire, before the Sith and before even the Jedi Knights, people worshiped at the altars of Krath.  Krath was a god of the Tameht tribe, a primitive people.  In their legends Krath spoke to their finest blacksmiths and ordered them to create a talisman using which they could communicate with him more easily, and this talisman was forged as Krath instructed with a hexagonal hole drilled into the bottom of it.  Krath ordered the smiths to place a crystal into this hole- a crystal whose powers of the Tameht smiths knew nothing about which we now know to be a crystal that conducts and stores the energy of the Force.  These smiths could communicate with their god, and he with them, using this talisman, and they became the Priesthood of Krath.  The High Priest would wear the talisman and he alone could communicate with Krath.  As a succession of High Priests fell into insanity and apparent demonic possession, the priests began to suspect some flaw within the talisman and after much mediation, they drilled two additional holes and added two more crystals into them.  This alteration seemed t be successful, and no more High Priests fell victim to madness or demonic possession for many generations.

The talisman was passed down through the generations and was passed to the Zfana civilization which succeeded the Tameht.  After a number of centuries, the talisman ended up in the hands of the Mshanyata civilization, who rose to power only 12,000 years prior to the Battle of Yavin.  The High Priests of the Mshanyata Krath removed the two crystals added by the Tameht and restored the talisman to its original form, believing in doing so they were freeing the true potential of their god which had been shackled by the two new crystals over the millennia.  During the flowering of the rival Makalasa Culture about 4,000 years after, the Mshanyata had become a group whom their enemies regarded as soulless and possessed.  It was during this time that their god Krath earned his reputation for evil.  The War of Five Thousand Days brought an end to the followers of the god Krath.  The Mshanyata were destroyed by the Makalasa, and the Talisman was lost for millennia…until it was found by a Force-sensitive student of the Sith.

 

Empress Teta

  During all the millennia in which the talisman had been the center of the Krath religion, it had always been wielded by people who knew nothing of the Force and the power of Krath had been limited.  However, after being lost for thousands of years the talisman came into light n the hands of Satal Keto, a student of the Sith.  Keto was convinced that the legendary talisman would, in his Force-sensitive hands, make him more powerful than the former Priests of Krath had been, and more powerful than his fellow students of the Sith.  Together with his cousin Aleema, he began to explore the powers of the talisman and began communicating with the god Krath.

They conquered the Empress Teta system under Krath’s guidance, but unfortunately the pair were soon lost to the world after placing the talisman in the Iron Citadel for safe keeping, intending to return and continue their exploration of its powers later.  What happened next is unknown, but both were killed before they could return.  Satal’s life essence was not lost, however, and his spirit was drawn to the talisman.  From this artifact, Keto’s spirit lives on, sealing itself and the talisman away for thousands of years, all the while exploring the ways of Krath and seeing the possible futures.  Here he saw his opportunity for life.  He found a mind focused on the ancient magics, a mind suitable for his plans.  Reaching out through the Force to that mind he used hi power to draw that dabbler in the ancient magics to the resting place of the talisman he was trapped in.  This dabbling Dark Jedi picked up the talisman and became to first High Priest of Krath in four-thousand years.  This was four thousand years ago, and the Jedi were many and spread across the galaxy.  The Dark Jedi who found the talisman was possessed by Satal Keto- in effect Keto was restored to life in a new body.  The Dark Jedi was the son of the wealthy Elite in the Empress Teta system, a group made rich by the carbonite mines which provided the galaxy’s main supply of the highly prized material.  He and many of his friends, with nothing to do and the ability to satisfy their every desire had become bored and started  dabbling in primitive magic.  It was this that opened his mind to Krath and allowed the spirit of Satal Keto to draw him to the talisman.  Once possessed by Keto, this Dark Jedi became vastly more powerful, no longer the petty magician he was before, but a fully fledged Dark Jedi Master with immeasurable powers.  Satal Keto, in his new body, returned to his home in Empress Teta and soon drew his rich friends into Krath’s powers and they all became powerful.  Their group was known as the Obsidian Order as well as the Order of Krath and its influence began to spread rapidly, drawing many Dark Side followers.

The Light Jedi saw the threat that the foolish children had become and called a gathering on the planet Deneba.  Ulic Qel-Droma, a Jedi Master, warned the assembled crowd of Light Jedi that “We are witness to sinister developments…A war with the Krath might last for years.  Many Jedi will die, and what will be gained by this bloodshed?  We will have slain thousands, but the Krath themselves will survive, their dark powers intact.”  It was finally decided that they should infiltrate the Krath rather than risk a direct war, and Ulic Qel-Droma volunteered for the task.  Disguising his identity and blending in with the population of Cinnager, the main planet in the Empress Teta system, the eventually gained access to the Order of Krath.  The became a low ranking priest of the Krath, and then for years he was not heard from at all.  After this time he re-emerged…as a High Priest of the Krath, possessed by the essence of Krath as so many before him had been.  This lead to the first major war between the Jedi and the followers of the Dark Side.

Imperial Order

During the Jedi purges instigated by Emperor Palpatine, all of the followers of Krath were destroyed and the talisman, still containing the soul of Satal Keto and the power to communicate with Krath, was lost again.  After the Imperial Order’s conquest of Kuat Drive yards the young Dark Jedi Knight who had coordinated the attack disappeared, he was not aboard his flagship, the ISD Protector, and his personal shuttle was missing from its hangar.  For a month he was feared lost, but after a time he reappeared as mysteriously he had left.  He bore a strange talisman about his neck, and his seemed to be focused into another reality…he was Morrish, the first High Priest of Krath since the fall of the Krath Empire.  Then Morrish was creating a new Order of Krath within the Imperial Order’s Dark Jedi under the guidance of Master C’Boath.  The Jedi of this order explore the Dark Side of the Force in a more mysterious and arcane way than the more overt, aggressive way typical of the Sith.  The members of the Order Krath are typically quiet and mysterious, spending long hours meditating and communicating with their god in mysterious rituals.  Their powers are more subtle than those of the Sith, and focus more on manipulation of people and events to suit their purposes.  Followers of Krath are feared almost as much as followers of the Order of Sith, and the mere sight of a dark-robed priest of the Krath is a sight feared by all Light Siders and Rebels across the galaxy.

Morrish began to fill the ranks of the inner council with those Krath himself chose to serve him.  One of the new Krath Avatars was Merlyn Gabriel, a woman from Tatooine.  She was the emperors hand and served Lord Vader, Grand Admiral Thrawn and Grand Admiral Larsen.  It was on board the SSD Executor II where Master C’Boath guided her to the Dark Side.  In time, the Dark Jedi changed.  Master C’Boath and High Priest Morrish disappeared.  For a while there was again no High Priest, then Krath made his choice.  It was Merlyn Gabriel, the new High Priestess of the Krath Order.  As Grand Master Arakano lost his body and became a transcend, alive the Force, the position in the Dark Jedi Order was filled with a member of the Krath Order.  It was Kamin, former Krath Avatar, who now became the new Grand Jedi Master.  All this happened while the Dark Jedi Order took control of the Empress Teta System again.

 

- This can be found at http://www.virulent.de/krath/ritual.html

 

Rites of the Krath:

The Rites listed below are used in many areas of a Krath’s life.  Each is described and given both instructions as well as reasons for invoking.  The misuse of any rite will be cause for total loss of rank and any Krath present at the time will and must invoke the Rite of Cleansing at once.  Do not take these lightly.  Your growth in both the Krath and Force depends on the proper use of each Rite.

 

Rite of Vengeance:  The Rite of Vengeance is invoked when the personal honor of a Krath is marred.  The only way for a Krath member to regain his/her/its status as an active member is to avenge to the wrong.  This could be any number of things, including but not limited to:  Slander, assassination attempts, killing of a Krath, and going over a superior’s head.  The Rite must be witnessed by a command level officer to be valid.  The being invoking the Rite must announce it in the open.  It is to be a formal duel. If the being that is challenged runs, then the Rite has not been satisfied.  The Rite must be completed by striking a lethal blow without the aid of a weapon of any kind.  If the victim flees and refuses to accept the Rite; then the Krath member may make a plea to the Masters and perform a Rite of Cleansing to settle the debt.

 

Ritual of Initiation:  This is the first and most important Rite a follower of Krath will ever undertake.  It opens their soul to Krath and such is the first step down the path of Krath.  Krath himself enters the soul of the prospective member of the Krath Order and if it rejects them as unworthy then they will suffer incredible agony and perhaps even death as the power of Krath passes through them.  Those that pass this test will carry a part of Krath with them always and will be better able to start along the long and difficult road of exploring the Lore of Krath.

 

Rite of Passage:  This is the Rite that is required for all members wishing to become an apprentice.  It must be undertaken within two weeks of joining.  Once a member asks the Masters, and is approved the being must then perform the Rite of Passage to make the new rank official and become an apprentice.  The Rite involves the slaying of a bystander often a person close to the Member.  The slaying will be ordered by the Masters and must be preformed before at least one Master.  The member does not have invoke the Rite aloud.  But the kill must show skill.  Weapons are lowed, but not needed.  The Masters will then vote as to if the kill was skillful enough to warrant the promotion.  Another part of the Rite will be a test set forth by Lord  Ulic, involving knowledge of Krath ways, as well as Sith techniques.  Failure will result in the banning of the member from the Krath.

 

Rite of Cleansing:  This is a Rite that is preformed within the Krath.  A member that has wronged another member must perform the Rite to become in good standing with the leadership.  The member that must perform the Rite will be informed by his/her/its commanding officer.  The Rite is between the two members.  Only other Krath may witness it.  The Rite instructs that the being seeking forgiveness must offer his/her/its soul to the being that he/she/it has wronged.  But at the same time the being that is offered the soul must accept.  Then the transgressor is in the service of the wronged member for the period of 24 standard hours.  After the time, if the member has completely any tasks set before him/her/it, then the soul of that being is returned to him/her/it and the Rite is complete.

 

Calling of the Souls:  This Rite is the most brutal of the Rites, and is only observed by the Krath.  This Rite involves the calling and storing of a being’s soul.  This is a Rite that must be preformed when the Rite of Passage, the fist kill, or a kill that is claimed in the Rite of Vengeance.  The soul of the vanquished will be trapped within a soul gem and held by the member until the member is to fall in battle at which time the soul is allowed to complete its quest to the beyond and rejoin the Force.  Until such time, the soul is given up it is in limbo and can be used in conjunction with an amulet or Katana.  But only officers and Force Masters have the skill needed to use the Katana.  The Rite is complete when the soul is taken and the name of the vanquished is spoken aloud.  To capture the soul, the member must move in close enough to the victim and look into the eyes to capture the soul.  Then and only then may the lethal and final blow be given.  The kill must be in the presence of a command level officer.

 

Rite of Communion: The Rite of Communion must be passed in order for a Krath Master to gain access into the Inner Council.  In this ritual part of Krath’s power is passed into the prospective Inner Council member, and this gives them a deeper understanding of Krath which in turn makes them better to decipher the Lore of Krath.

 

Lore of Krath:  Krath is a being that exists outside of time and therefore has knowledge of the future and past.  Krath has much power to influence the physical world, but without the smaller more focused vision of mortals, Krath cannot direct his power effectively  and so the followers of Krath must learn how to determine Krath’s will and how to channel the power of Krath to effect the real world.  The knowledge of how to gain access to this power and of how to share in Krath’s trans-temporal knowledge is known as the Lore of Krath.  The Lore of Krath is explored through meditation, with followers of Krath exploring the enigmatic and complex mind of Krath in an effort to better understand its mysteries.  As followers gain deeper understanding of Krath, they become more powerful and closer to the spirit of Krath, and are said to have progressed along the “Path of Krath”.

Order of Krath:

High Priest/Priestess of Krath-  The High Priest of Krath is the head of the entire order and is the embodiment of Krath in the physical world.  The will of the High Priest is not entirely his own – in a sense she is possessed by the spirit of Krath, but this spirit gives the High Priest powers beyond those of meaningless mortals.  High Priests are chosen by Krath himself, guiding through the Force to find the ancient talisman that allows Krath to directly influence the physical world.  Currently the position of High Priestess is filled by Emperor’s Hand Merlyn Gabriel, her soul now a strange and potent mind and her own consciousness combined with the souls of past High Priests long dead as will as the essence of Krath itself.

 

Hand of Krath-  The Hand of Krath is second only to the High Priest and acts as the High Priests assistant as the High Priest typically takes a mysterious and detached role, seen only rarely usually in times when the future of the Order is flux.  The actual day to day running of the Order is therefore done out on his behalf by the Hand of Krath, who acts as the High Priest’s representative.  The Hand of Krath is not possessed by Krath as the High Priest is, but has been through the Rite of Communion and so has part of Krath’s essence within him.

 

Krath Avatars-  The three Avatars of Krath, together with the High Priest and the Hand of Krath, form the Council of Krath which rules the Krath Order and coordinates the exploration of the Krath.  The Avatars are chosen from the best Krath Members in the Coven of Krath by the High Priest and they are powerful figures within the Order.

 

Krath Masters-  Krath Masters are powerful Dark Jedi who are strong in the ways of Krath and are dedicated to gaining new knowledge from the Krath Lore.  They are further along the path of Krath than the Krath Warriors, and are accordingly more mysterious figures working more in subtle and mysterious ways rather than the more direct way of the Krath Warriors.  Krath Masters can get a Command over a Victory Class Star Destroyer of the Hell’s Teeth Battlegroup.  To become a Krath Master, you have to follow the mystic path of Krath and take responsibility of the Order.

 

Krath Warriors-  Krath Warriors have begun their journey along the path of Krath and have begun their studies in Krath Lore.  They serve the Order more obviously and more directly than the higher ranking members, it is the Krath Warriors who are often seen fighting for the Empire, and the Krath Warriors are less with drawn and mysterious than those further down the path.  They are skilled with the Lightsaber, as are all members of the Order of Krath, since the Lightsaber is the main weapon of those in the Order, because their powers tend to be subtler and less combat-orientated than those of other Dark Jedi.  To become a Krath Warrior, you have to be a fully trained Dark Jedi Knight.  Also you have to give your reasons for choosing Krath, how the spirit of Krath chose you and how you survive the ‘ordeal’.

 

Krath Initiatives:  The Krath Initiates are not yet members of the Krath Order.  Once you pass the Ritual of Initiation one becomes Initiated in the Order of Krath, they are just beginning their journey along the path of Krath and they have only a rudimentary grasp. Of the secrets of Krath’s lore.  Often Krath Initiates are still students or adepts.  Nevertheless, they are powerful individuals and respected by their fellows and feared by their enemies.  It is the moment when you know that you will follow the path of Krath and you become a Krath Initiate.

 

Back to Factions