History of the Sith

For the glory of the Sith Empire! Death to the Republic!

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History of the Sith

PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 6:05 pm

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M.Steiner
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You may have noticed that since we're a guild of the Empire we added a link to this guide on our group site. I don't like to steal other peoples work so up until now we linked directly to the thread it was posted on over on the official boards. As of tomorrow though the boards are being wiped, revamped and will become subscription based for release. Because of that the original thread for this will vanish with the rest of them and so I decided to repost it here before it's deleted. The link on our group site & on our useful links sticky will now point to this.
- All contents below were taken from the "Short History of the Sith for Newbies" guide posted by "Danik_Kreldin" on the official swtor forums before the wipe. All credit goes to him.
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This guide is for two types of people: 1) the non-hardcore Star Wars fan, someone who just watched the movies and played a few of the games. You don't bother too much with the EU but would like to know more in anticipation of TOR. 2) the fans who act like they know all but do nothing but spread falsehoods. You read some of the books but still don't quite understand the Star Wars ethos.

With Bioware, we know that TOR will be heavily involved in Star Wars lore; it will be one of the key tenets of the game. It's good to know where the lore come from, why certain characters and groups do what they do, and hopefully this guide will help you better understand the lore of the Sith. If you feel I made a mistake (I am only human!) or would like to improve on this guide, please leave a comment. Enjoy.

Contents
I. Sith History
Ia. Beginnings
Ib. The Hundred-Year Darkness
Ic. The Great Hyperspace War
Id. The Great Sith War
Ie. The Jedi Civil War and the Dark Wars
If. The Great War
Ig. The New Sith Wars
Ih. The Rule of Two
Ii. Palpatine and the Galactic Empire
Ij. Post-Rule of Two
Ik. The One Sith

II. Nature of the Dark Side
III. Questions About the Sith
IV. List of Sith Organizations
V. The Sith Code
VI. Darth and Sith'ari
VII. Ancient Sith Hierarchy
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Re: in the process of copying this over - please don't reply

PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 6:10 pm

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M.Steiner
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Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 5:57 pm
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I. Sith History
The conflicts between Sith and Jedi over the centuries can be divided into two eras: the Old Sith Wars and the New Sith Wars. Wookieepedia and other sources do not include the Great Hyperspace War or the Great Galactic War (featured in SW:TOR) in either category, but due to the fact that both wars occur within the timeframe of the Old Sith Wars, and that both involve the original Sith Empire which set the stage for the Old Sith Wars, I believe including them in the Old Sith Wars category is logical and fair. Thus, the Old Sith Wars began in 5,000 BBY and ended in 3,653 BBY, while the New Sith Wars began in 2,000 BBY and ended in 1,000 BBY. Future wars, such as the Clone Wars, were not technically Sith-Jedi conflict, although a Sith orchestrated and managed the entirety of the war against the Jedi.

Ia. Beginnings
The Sith of yesteryear were unlike any modern depiction of Sith we know. The Sith were, in fact, a species of red-skinned humanoids with tentacle beards that evolved on Korriban, with a civilization established approximately 100,000 years Before the Battle of Yavin (BBY). Far from the evil, sinister Sith of the movies or most other publications, the Sith species were primitive and developed a very strict caste system. The entire species was Force-sensitive, and they developed a religion around the dark side of the Force, with the Sith sub-species Kissai acting as the spiritual leaders of Sith society in the dark side of the Force. However, the Force as a concept and idea would not be discovered until much later, in 36,453 BBY, when scholars on Tython converged to share their mystical knowledge. The Sith species were too far and isolated to have ever been involved in the dealings of Tython. The mystics of Tython would later be splintered into two camps: the Bogan, the followers of the "dark" side of the Force, and the Ashla, the followers of the light side of the Force. Ashla would emerge victorious in this war. The defeat of Bogan led to the establishment of the Jedi Order, the sworn enemies of the later Sith Order.

But on Korriban, there was no notion of dark and light, good and evil; the Force just was, and the red-skinned Sith species used it as such. In 28,000 BBY, Adas became King of the Sith after a brutal war in which he unified the nations of Korriban. He became the Sith'ari, or Overlord, of the Sith peoples - the "perfect being". A powerful Force-sensitive, Adas ruled as a God-King on Korriban. His 300-year reign saw the birth of the first Sith Empire. Using technology borrowed from the Infinite Empire of the Rakatan, the Sith Empire conquered nearby worlds, including Ziost. The Infinite Empire also shared the secrets of holocron technology to the Sith. Under Adas's leadership and with help from the Rakatan, Sith society developed into a more civilized society - although primitive acts of ritual sacrifice were still common centuries later. At some point, Adas discovered that the Rakatan were planning on conquering Korriban. Adas would lead his people to victory over the Rakatan, stopping their plans of conquest, but the effort cost him his life.

Without their God-King, Sith society collapsed into civil war once more, leaving Korriban a wasteland. The surviving Sith relocated to nearby Ziost where they would rebuild their society. Many warlords claimed the title of Sith'ari in Adas's wake, but none would live up to the title. These warlords squabbled for control of the Sith, and it was prophesied that a true Sith'ari would come into being to save the Sith: this prophecy would not be fulfilled for several thousand years.

Ib. The Hundred-Year Darkness
Much changed in the galaxy in the coming centuries. A plague ravaged the Infinite Empire, leading to the near extinction of the Rakatan and the collapse of the Infinite Empire. In 25,053 BBY, the Core Worlds founded the Galactic Republic with the Jedi Order as the keepers of peace and justice. War and conflict were not unknown to the early days of the Republic, but none were as severe and far-reaching as the conflicts that would erupt after 7,000 BBY.

In 7,003 BBY, a small sect of the Jedi Order began to practice forbidden Force powers. They created new species, such as the powerful and dangerous Leviathan, and it was believed their powers could stop death itself. But the other Jedi believed such powers would only lead to abuse - fearing a repeat of the First Great Schism of 24,500 BBY, in which the Legions of Lettow went to war with the Jedi Order over the right to use the dark side of the Force, the Jedi Order attempted to stop this group of Jedi dissidents, lead by the Jedi Ajunta Pall, XoXaan and Karness Muur, among others. The two sides went to war, beginning the Hundred-Year Darkness. The war came to a head at Corbos, where the last of the so-called "Dark Jedi" surrendered after a bloody battle. The surviving Dark Jedi were rounded up and exiled from Republic Space - stripped of their weapons, the Dark Jedi were sent into the Unknown Regions of space, with most believing they would not survive for long on their own.

They were wrong. The Dark Jedi Exiles, lead by Ajunta Pall, survived. They came upon the world of Korriban in Sith Space, former homeworld of the Sith species. They eventually travelled to Ziost, where they were treated as Gods by the primitive Sith. Showcasing their amazing powers with the Force, the Dark Jedi subdued the Sith'ari, or King of the Sith, with help from the King's Shadow Hand, or second-in-command. The Dark Jedi installed themselves as ruler of the Sith, and Ajunta Pall became the first "Dark Lord of the Sith".

The centuries would past and interbreeding - made possible through Sith alchemy - led to the bloodlines of the Sith and Dark Jedi becoming intertwined. The term "Sith" eventually came to mean not just the red-skinned inhabitants of Korriban and Ziost, but the Dark Jedi who ruled them. Under the rule of the Dark Lords, Sith society advanced drastically - its borders were expanded and new species were brought into the Sith Empire, including humans, but the most populous species of the Empire remained the Sith.

Sith society eventually entered a Golden Age. The most prominent Dark Lord of the Golden Age was Marka Ragnos, a powerful Sith/Human hybrid Dark Lord whose rule saw the Empire at its most powerful. He died after a century of ruling, leading to a power vacuum that would see Naga Sadow vye for control against Ludo Kressh, culminating in the Empire's downfall.

Ic. The Great Hyperspace War
Two hyperspace explorers from Koros Major, Gav and Jori Daragon, came upon the Sith Empire in 5,000 BBY. They were treated with immediate suspicion by the Sith and arrested. Believed to be spies from the Republic, their execution was ordered by the Sith council. But Naga Sadow, one of the more treacherous Sith Lords, had other plans for Gav and Jori. Sadow believed that the Empire had become stagnant and the time was ripe for the Empire to conquer new worlds and spread the glory of the Sith Empire. His beliefs ran opposite those held by the former Dark Lord of the Sith, Marka Ragnos, and his contemporaries, including Ludo Kressh. Kressh and the other Sith Lords believed in remaining isolated and that pursuing a war-like path would only lead to their downfall. But Sadow would have none of it: he orchestrated Gav and Jori's escape from prison, and then killed a fellow Sith Lord, Simus, with Gav's own weapon to make it seem like the two explorers were responsible. After their escape, Sadow came before the Sith council, using the death of Simus and the explorers' escape as a means to press his cause of war against the Republic. The council bought his story, and Sadow was voted in as the new Dark Lord of the Sith.

Sadow took Gav Daragon under his wing as his apprentice, teaching him the ways of the dark side, while Jori escaped back to the Republic. Unbeknownst to her, her ship was bugged with a tracking device, allowing Sadow to know the way back to the Republic. Sadow launched his invasion of Republic space with his entire amassed fleet, leaving Sith territory undefended. The Republic was caught off guard. Koros Major and Coruscant became targets of a two-pronged assault, with Sadow using his dark side powers to create illusions of even larger assault forces. Sadow suffered a momentary lapse of concentration when his apprentice opened his meditation sphere, causing his illusion to falter. The Republic and Jedi forces were able to emerge victorious on Coruscant and Koros Major as a result. With the Sith invasion faltering, Sadow became desperate. After a counter-attack at Primus Goluud, spearheaded by the Koros fleet, Sadow betrayed his apprentice and used a superweapon which caused the system's star to implode. Realizing the errors of his ways, Gav gave the coordinates of the Sith Empire to Empress Teta, ruler of the recently unified Koros system, moments before his death at the hands of Sadow's betrayl.

Sadow fled back to the Sith Empire with the remnants of his invasion force. Over Korriban, Sadow was ambushed by Ludo Kressh and his fleet, declaring that Sadow was not fit to rule the Sith and had only led them on a path of detruction. Sadow was able to survive and kill Kressh by ordering one of his vessels to ram into Kressh's flagship. But Sadow would not rest easy for long: a Republic invasion force arrived and annihilated the remnants of the Sith fleet. Sadow escaped with his sole surviving ship, landing on distant Yavin IV where he placed himself into stasis for the centuries to come. As for the Empire he left behind, the Republic initiated a full-scale invasion of Sith space, rooting out the last few strongholds of the Sith Empire. One Sith Lord did survive the war; this surviving Sith fled to Dromund Kaas where he began rebuilding the Empire, vowing to defeat the Republic and return the Sith Empire to its rightful place. This secret group of Sith, later called the "True Sith", would remain hidden for nearly 1,300 years. But this sect of Sith were not the only survivors. On the Wild Space world of Kesh, a stranded Sith vessel, "Omen", set up a society that would remain hidden and isolated for millennia that would later be called the "Lost Tribe of the Sith". Several Sith escaped to the world of Thule, where they established a military dictatorship, while others escaped to Vjun, eventually giving rise to the Mecrosa Order.

Id. The Great Sith War
Freedon Nadd was a prodigy of the Jedi Order. But in 4,400 BBY, he fell to the dark side, the details of which are too lengthy to get into here. Nadd set his course for the heart of the old Sith Empire, hoping to search for Sith artifacts and teachings. He discovered the holocron of King Adas on Ashas Rees and eventually came upon the jungle moon of Yavin IV. There, he discovered the spirit of the ancient Dark Lord, Naga Sadow. Sadow took Nadd under his wing and taught him the ways of the Sith. When the time came, Nadd vanquished Sadow's spirit and left Yavin IV, eventually coming upon Onderon. Using his power, he proclaimed himself King of Onderon and taught the people Sith lore and magic. He won over the people by going to war with the Beast Riders and his dark side teachings spread throughout the populace. His bloodline would continue his dark rule years after his death, culminating in the rule of King Ommin and his wife, Queen Amanoa.

The Jedi eventually put an end to the dark bloodline of Nadd, ending the Beast Wars and moving Nadd's tomb to Onderon's moon of Dxun. But his tomb would not remain closed for long. A Jedi by the name of Exar Kun, hungry for knowledge, discovered the tomb and unlocked it, unleashing the spirit of Nadd. Promising knowledge, Nadd led Kun to Korriban where Nadd trapped him. Nadd claimed the only hope for escape was to turn to the dark side of the Force. But Kun refused at first, instead calling on his Master, Vodo-Siosk Baas, for aid. But the evil spirit attacked Vodo from light-years away, preventing the Jedi Master from helping. Exar, seeing no alternative, pledged himself to the dark side and was healed by Nadd's darkpower. In the resting place of the ancient Dark Lords, Nadd unleashed guardian beasts on Kun, who called upon the dark side to slay them all. The ancient Sith spirits approved of Kun and set him on his path to becoming a powerful Sith Lord.

On Yavin IV, Kun gained the loyalty of Naga Sadow's Massassi warriors and acquired the amulet of Marka Ragnos, boosting his power significantly. Nadd was pleased with Kun's progress, and believed that through Kun he would be able to resurrect his mortal self. But the Sith spirit was wrong: Kun turned on his Master, vanquishing the Sith spirit for good. But before his final death, Nadd reached out to the Sith adepts Satal and Aleema Keto, warning them about Exar Kun and declaring him to be a pretender to the Sith cause.

Satal and Aleema were royal heirs to the Empress Teta system and had begun initiating themselves in the ancient Sith lore and magic. They formed a group on Empress Teta called the Krath and began planning a take-over of the system. Having been trained by Freedon Nadd during their time on Onderon, the cousins launched a coup in 3,997 BBY and murdered the nobility. Empress Teta fell under the rule of the Krath and the dark side of the Force.

At the Jedi convocation on Deneba, called to discuss the threat of the Krath, Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma argued that the way to defeath the Krath was for him to infiltrate the group and destroy them from within. The Jedi Masters assembled saw the dangers in Ulic's plan, knowing the dangers inherent in attempting to infiltrate the dark side. But after witnessing the death of his Master, Arca Jeth, at the hands of Krath war droids, Ulic decided to go ahead with his plan. Ulic successfully infiltrated the Krath; during his mission, Ulic discovered Satal Keto was responsible for the attack that killed his Master. Losing himself in anger, Ulic killed Satal, which further pushed him into the darkness.

But the newly forged Sith Lord, Exar Kun, saw the danger posed by Ulic Qel-Droma and set out from his base on Yavin IV to kill him and Aleema. He saw them both as threats to his power. Attacking the Krath base on Cinnagar amidst a Republic/Jedi invasion, Kun incapictated Aleema and dueled Kun. But before the battle could be decided, spirits of long-dead Sith Lords appeared in the Citadel, including Marka Ragnos. Ragnos put a stop to the duel and ordered that Kun and Qel-Droma must work together to achieve a new era for the Sith. Agreeing, Kun was declared the new Dark Lord of the Sith, with Ulic his apprentice. The two vowed to conquer the galaxy and destroy the Republic and the Jedi.

As the Great Sith War raged, a new threat appeared on the horizon: the Mandalorian Crusaders, the roving warrior society. Seeking glory, the Mandalorians attacked the forces of Exar Kun. But Mandalore the Indomitable, leader of the Crusaders, was defeated in single combat by Ulic Qel-Droma. Swearing his loyalty, Mandalore vowed his armies to the Sith cause, allowing the Sith to greatly expand the war.

A major assault was launched on the Republic capital, Coruscant, in an effort to bring a swift conclusion to the war. Kun was hesistant about launching an attack on the capital so soon, instead believing the Sith should consolidate their forces. Mandalore and Qel-Droma, however, disagreed and believed they could handle the invasion without the support of Kun and his Sith converts. As Mandalorian Basilisk War Droids and the Sith army attacked the city-planet, Aleema, the treacherous leader of the Krath, finally initiated her plan to overthrow Ulic; using her Sith magic, she convinced Mandalore and the armies of Ulic to retreat, leaving Ulic behind on Coruscant to fight alone. Ulic was captured by the Jedi and sentenced to death. He would later be rescued by a force led by Mandalore and Exar Kun; Kun would slay the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and his Master, Vodo-Siosk Baas, during a grand duel in the Senate Chambers.

On Ossus, home to the great Jedi library, Ulic fought against his brother, Cay, and killed him. Nomi witnessed the murder of Cay at Ulic's hands and lost control of her emotions; lashing out with the Force, Nomi stripped Ulic of his connection to the Force. Upon losing this connection, Ulic was horrified to realize the atrocities he had committed, including killing his own brother. Repenting, he vowed to help the Jedi defeat Kun.

As Qel-Droma turned, the war turned sour for the Sith. On Onderon, the Republic and Onderons were able to repel the Mandalorian Crusaders with help from the Beast Riders. Mandalore himself was shot down on the jungles of Dxun and killed by native beasts; his body would be found by another Mandalorian, who would take his helmet and become the warrior later known as Mandalore the Ultimate.

On Yavin IV, the Jedi, led by Ulic Qel-Droma, arrived with a full battle-fleet. Kun realized his battle was lost and used his Sith powers to drain the life essences of his loyal Massassi warriors, using it to strip his spirit of his mortal body. He believed that he would be able to escape Yavin IV and continue his war against the Jedi. The Jedi, with Nomi Sunrider directing them, combined their powers in one massive effort of light side energy that swept across Yavin IV. This energy collided with the dark side energy created by Kun's magic; a chain reaction was set off, resulting in a massive firestorm that swept across the jungle moon, destroying most of the surface of Yavin IV. The Jedi were stunned and horrified by what their actions had wrought on Yavin IV and left the world behind.

With the defeat of Kun, the Republic launched an offensive against the remaining Krath forces in Empress Teta and returned the system to Republic control.

Ie. The Jedi Civil War and the Dark Wars
Several decades after the end of the Great Sith War, the Mandalorian Wars raged across the galaxy. Led by Mandalore the Ultimate, the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders wreaked havoc across the Republic, still reeling from the devastation of the Great Sith War. The war was orchestrated by the secret Sith Emperor on Dromuund Kaas, still alive after his escape from the Great Hyperspace War; the "True Sith" as they would be known to a select few were behind Mandalore's invasion in preparation for their own later invasion of the galaxy. The invasion was a large success, largely because the Jedi were hesitant to get involved. Their numbers having never recovered from the Great Sith War, the Jedi Council was reluctant to get involved in another war. But some in the Order refused to stand by and watch: one such man was a Jedi who would later be called "Revan" after the Revanchist movement he started. Gathering many Jedi to his banner, Revan initiated a campaign against the Mandalorians. A strategic genius, Revan was able to turn the tides against the Mandalorians. During his campaign against the Mandalorians, Revan discovered Star Maps left behind by the Rakatan Infinite Empire, hinting at a superweapon of great power lurking in the Unknown Regions. Revan ultimately discovered the existence of the "True Sith" and believed he could stop them by turning to the dark side.

Revan ultimately defeated the Mandalorians at Malachor V and became a hero to the Republic. But soon after he disappeared with his apprentice, Malak, and many military officers of the Republic Military. He went on a search for the Star Forge, the weapon left behind by the Rakatan. On his journey he encountered the Sith Emperor of the True Sith. The ancient Emperor corrupted both Revan and Malak and gave them the mission of returning to the galaxy to spearhead a Sith invasion. With the power of the Star Forge at his hands and a significant portion of the Republic fleet, Revan launched a surprise invasion of the Republic in 3,959 BBY. His Sith Empire was a powerful insitituion based out of Korriban, where a new academy was built and many new Sith adepts were trained. The war was long and costly and there seemed to be no end to Revan's resources, thanks to the dark power of the Star Forge. But as with all Sith, betrayal soon turned Revan's plans on its head.

During a battle against a Jedi task force sent to bring Revan to justice, Malak opened fire on his Master's ship during a Jedi incursion that saw Revan pitted against several Jedi, including Bastila Shan. Revan survived the attack was but comatose and was saved by the quick actions of Shan, who escaped the flagship to safety. She returned to the Jedi Council with the still comatose Revan. There, the Jedi reprogrammed Revan's mind to forget his evil ways; Shan, who had a connection to Revan through the Force, was charged with protecting Revan and to hopefully learn the secrets of how Revan was able to build such a massive fleet.

With a new identity, Revan was implanted into the Republic army and placed under the command of Jedi Shan in the war against Malak and his Sith Empire. Malak initiated a galaxy-wide search for Shan, hoping to capture her and use her for her rare ability of battle meditation. Malak caught up with Shan at Taris, who escaped to the planet below. Revan also escaped the attack and, with help from Carth Onasi, rescued Shan from Taris as it was destroyed by Malak's orbital bombardment.

On Dantooine, Revan was brought before the Jedi Council, still unaware of his past. There he began training as a Jedi Knight; the Masters were cautious of perhaps training the man who could become Revan again, but the Jedi went through with it in the hopes of stopping Malak and the superweapon he held secret. After receiving a vision of the Star Maps, Revan and his companions set forth to piece together the puzzle of the Star Forge. But their journey was cut short after capture by the Sith flagship Leviathan. There, Revan discovered the truth of his identity. But the man named Revan refused to return to his old ways, instead renouncing his dark past and pledging himself to the light. Escaping Leviathan, the Jedi and their companions made their way to Lehon, homeworld of the Rakatan, where they discovered the Star Forge, key behind the Empire's military might. Signaling the Republic fleet, the Jedi and Republic launched a full-scale assault on the Star Forge while Revan infiltrated the Star Forge. There, he confronted his former apprentice, Malak, and slew him in battle. The Star Forge was destroyed, and the threat of the Sith Empire seemed over. However, Revan began to recover more memories after war's end. He remembered the True Sith, the group that had corrupted him in the first place, and set out to the Unknown Regions alone to do battle against them before they could invade the Republic.

But with Revan's departure, the Jedi still faced many threats. The remnants of the Sith Empire fought one another in the sith Civil War, but were eventually re-united under the Sith Triumvirate of Darth Sion, Darth Nihilus and Darth Traya, whom was Revan's former Master, corrupted to the dark side after following in Revan's footsteps to find out what caused him to turn. The Sith Triumvirate began to undermine the Republic from within and eventually launched the First Jedi Purge; the Purge saw nearly the entire Jedi Order eradicated. The Order publicly disbanded as the Triumvirate and their agents assassinated Jedi across the galaxy. Nihilus, the Lord of Hunger, devastated the entire world of Katarr by draining all life there, including that of nearly one hundred Jedi.

Eventually, the Triumvirate split apart - Nihilus and Sion, concerned only with greater power and slaughtering the Jedi, betrayed Traya and severed her connection to the Force. Traya set out on an even greater cause: she vowed to destroy the Force itself. Aiding the Jedi Exile on her return to the galaxy, Traya orchestrated the deaths of the surviving Jedi Masters and her own two former apprentices, Nihilus and Sion. She then intended to sacrifice herself to create an even greater wound in the Force which she believed would destroy the Force itself. But her plans were foiled by the Jedi Exile, and in her last moments she surrendered herself to the Force. The Dark Wars came to an end, and the Jedi Exile went ahead with the task of rebuilding the Jedi Order before she herself set out into the Unknown Regions in search of Revan.

After the collapse of the Triumvirate, the remnants of the Sith Empire completely swallowed themselves whole.

If. The Great Galactic War
This section won't be in great detail as the game is yet to be released. But, the Sith Empire of old - the true Sith Empire that ruled over Sith Space centuries ago before the Great Hyperspace War - remained hiding deep within the Unknown Regions, led by a Sith Emperor who had survived the Great Hyperspace War, making him nearly 1,400 years old. Almost three hundred years after the end of the Jedi Civil War, the Sith Emperor initiated his grand invasion of the Republic. It is unknown what came of Revan and the Exile, for the Sith military stampeded over the Republic defenses with the help of the Mandalorian clans. A final push was made into Coruscant, where the Sith forced the surrender of the Republic by signing the Treaty of Coruscant.

After war's end, the Sith Empire carved up a significant portion of galactic territory and fell on this newly acquired territory to hold their ground, fearful of overstretching their resources. The Sith Emperor himself retreated from operating his Empire, instead leaving the day to day operations of the Empire to his Dark Council. The galaxy then entered an interstellar Cold War, with the Sith and Republic engaged in an intense stand-off, ready to re-ignite the flames of war at any time.

Ig. The New Sith Wars
Eventually the Sith Empire collapsed and lost their war against the Republic; scattered Sith clans remained throughout the galaxy over the next thousand years, but for the first time in millennia the galaxy was free of the tyranny of the Sith. That all changed in 2,000 BBY. Phanius, a Jedi Master, abandoned the Jedi Order and became the first Dark Lord of the Sith in centuries: Darth Ruin. He united the remaining few Sith clans and tribes into the New Sith Empire. He declared war on the Republic and set the galaxy down a path of darkness for the next thousand years.

Ruin himself would not last long; he would eventually be assassinated by his minions. But Ruin's death could not stop the rebirth of the Sith. By 1,750 BBY, the Empire was under the domination of the Dark Underlord who unleashed a terrifying campaign against the Republic with his Black Knights. Eventually he would be stopped, but his position would soon be replaced by other Dark Lords.

A turning point in the war came at 1,466 BBY, where the Sith achieved a stunning victory over the Republic and the Jedi at Mizra. The Battle of Mizra would unlock the Outer Rim to the Sith; for the remainder of the war, the Sith totally dominated the Outer Rim territories. The Republic fell further back on the Core as resources ran law and the Jedi found themselves overstretched. By 1,400 BBY, the situation had deteriorated so badly that the HoloNet collapsed and interstellar commerce became non-existent, and the Jedi were forced to assume military and political control over the Republic; from 1,400 BBY to the end of the war, a Jedi occupied the post of Supreme Chancellor. To make matters worse for the Republic, the Candorian plague swept across the galaxy, killing two-thirds of the population on many Republic planets.

But the Sith were in a precarious situation of their own; while the New Sith Empire was indeed a powerful political and military force, it was a loosely organized one with various Sith Lords and clans vying for power. Many Sith claimed the title of Dark Lord of the Sith, leading to much in-fighting in the Empire. By 1,250 BBY, Belia Darzu ruled as Dark Lord of the Sith and her campaign against the Republic would be called the Sictis Wars, where Darzu's creation, the Technobeasts, unleashed havoc on the Jedi from her base on Tython, birth place of the Jedi Order. Darzu would be assassinated by the Mecrosa Order, a Sith organization based in Tapani that did not appreciate Darzu's incursions into Tapani territory.

By 1,100 BBY, after nearly 900 years of war, the Republic entered its "Dark Age". The Republic essentially ceased to exist. The remaining Jedi wielded near-unlimited power in their control of the remnants of the Republic. The Sith, however, were so divided against one another by this time that the Sith Empire too was in a final stage of collapse. In 1,006 BBY, one of the Dark Lords, Kaan, reorganized the Empire into the Brotherhood of Darkness. In the Brotherhood, none were called "Darth" and instead there were many Dark Lords of the Sith who ruled together, thus keeping the Sith content and preventing further in-fighting. The Brotherhood began their assault by recapturing the Sith homeworld of Korriban, where they re-established a Sith academy. The Brotherhood's assault ravaged the Republic, capturing worlds as far into the Core as Chandrila. By 1,001 BBY, they were well on their way to taking Coruscant. However, they were opposed by the Army of Light led by Jedi General Hoth. Hoth's counter-attacks took the Sith by surprise, even capturing the former capital of the Sith, Dromuund Kaas.

As these events occurred, an aspiring Sith Lord was rising through the ranks of the Brotherhood: Bane. This powerful Sith, destined to be the propheized Sith'ari, read much of the ancient texts and saw Kaan's "Rule by the Strong" as weak and ineffectual; he believed that so many powerful Sith ruling together was diminishing their individual powers. He secretly began to plot against the Brotherhood as the Sith and the Jedi engaged on the world of Ruusan. There, seven battles would be waged, with many Jedi and Sith losing their lives in bloodshed. Bane was not present, however; instead he was on the world of Lehon, where he discovered a holocron created by Darth Revan centuries ago. From that holocron he was able to forge the idea of the Rule of Two, an idea he saw as the salvation of the Sith. The holocron also taught him the power of the thought bomb. Realizing his opportunity, Bane taught the thought bomb to Kaan, who saw it as his opportunity to wipe out the Jedi. Kaan and his Brotherhood hid themselves in a cave, where they were assaulted by Hoth and ninety-nine of his Jedi. Kaan unleashed the thought bomb; unable to properly control it, the thought bomb killed all the Sith and Jedi in the cave, exactly as Bane planned. Bane was the last surviving Sith Lord, and he set about to resurrect the Sith under his Rule of Two. But for the Jedi, they saw the threat of the Sith as over. The New Sith Wars came to an end on Ruusan, and the Republic entered a transition phase known as the Ruusan Reformations, spearheaded by the first non-Jedi Chancellor in centuries, Tarsus Valorum.

Ih. The Rule of Two
The Rule of Two is the belief that there shall never be more than two Sith at one time; a Master, to hold the power, and an apprentice, to crave it. The Master trains his or her apprentice with the expectations that, hopefully, the apprentice will grow strong enough to kill his or her Master and replace him. If they are not, a new apprentice is taken and the cycle begins again. By this, the Sith will grow stronger and stronger with each generation, hiding in the shadows, biding their time, until they were strong enough to strike again. They would no longer directly confront the Jedi with mass armies and grand battles; instead they would infiltrate the Republic from within and eat away at it like a cancer, killing it from the inside. Bane, the Sith'ari, the Chosen One of the Sith, took his first apprentice, Zannah, from the ruins of Ruusan. Zannah became a master of Sith sorcery and eventually defeated her Master, taking on the apprentice Darth Cognus.

Cognus herself took on Darth Millenial as an apprentice, but the pair would not remain so for long; Millennial grew to disagree with the Rule of Two, believing it to be too restrictive. Millennial wished to revert to the ways of the Rule by the Strong and departed for Dromund Kaas, where he established the Dark Force religion - the Dark Force would later became the Prophets of the Dark Side, whose farseeing abilities would come in use to the later Darth Sidious.

The Jedi knew of the Rule of Two though thought the Sith to be extinct after confrontation on Ambria, where they believed Bane and his apprentice to be dead after a ruse orchestrated by Zannah. Thus, the Sith were able to plan in secrecy and engage their operations without the Jedi ever knowing. For a thousand years the Sith grew stronger and stronger until one Sith made Bane's dream a reality: Darth Sidious.

Ii. Palpatine and the Galactic Empire
Sidious was described by historians as the most powerful Sith Lord in history, and his achievements certainly seem to verify this. Apprenticed to Darth Plagueis, whom Sidious killed in his sleep, Sidious true power lay in his cunning intellect and power of manipulation. He would become Senator of Naboo in the Galactic Republic where he influenced many other Senators with his charming personality, and many saw him as a good politician working in the best interests of the Republic. But a select few were let in on his dark secrets, and he used these agents to aid in his hidden agenda: taking over the Republic and destroying the Jedi. Under the persona of Palpatine, Sidious orchestrated the events leading up to the Battle of Naboo. The crisis led to a vote of no-confidence in the Supreme Chancellor, Finis Valorum, which Palpatine was able to use to his advantage. He was elected as the new Supreme Chancellor, and his plan for galactic domination was well underway.

With his new apprentice, the former Jedi, Count Dooku, Sidious established the Confederacy of Independent Systems and began a Separatist movement against the very government he ruled. The emergency situation created by the Separatist movement led to Palpatine being re-elected even past his term limits. His apprentice began the secret construction of a Clone army for the Republic to be used in the upcoming conflict. Known as the Clone Wars, the conflict was one giant ruse established by Sidious; he controlled both sides of the war, a war which sole purpose was to eliminate the Jedi, which it did very well. Countless Jedi perished during the war against the Confederacy, dying for the Republic they believed in but had no idea of knowing was now ruled by the Sith.

The war gave Sidious the ability to gather more and more power to his office of Supreme Chancellor. It was the perfect set-up. As the war raged on, he cultivated his next apprentice, the great Jedi Knight and prophesied Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, who he intended to replace Dooku with. By 19 BBY, the Clone Wars was at its end and Sidious initiated his end-game. He revealed himself to the Jedi and turned Skywalker to the dark side, declaring him Darth Vader. Under the pretense of treason, Sidious branded the Jedi as traitors and across the galaxy they were hunted down by the armies of the Republic. The Temple on Coruscant burned and the Jedi were driven to near extinction. The few survivors, including Obi-Wan Kenobi and Grand Master Yoda, fought back initially; Kenobi was able to incapacitate Vader, forcing Vader to forever don his black suit of armor and life-support system. Yoda's assault on the newly crowned Emperor was less successful. Both Jedi fled into exile, but rescued Anakin Skywalker's children, keeping them safe until the time was right to strike back against the Galactic Empire.

Palpatine was the first Sith in history to achieve total galactic domination; the Republic was transformed into the Empire, and for the next twenty years Palpatine ruled virtually unopposed, save for a few minor rebellions. But by allowing several Jedi to escape and live, and through his own folly of organizing the various rebel cells into the Rebel Alliance via Galen Marek, Palpatine planted the seeds of his own destruction.

In 0 BBY, the son of Skywalker, Luke, came of age and destroyed the Emperor's prized weapon, the Death Star. Eventually father and son would re-unite, although at first as enemies; Vader planned to use his son as a weapon against the Emperor, to overthrow him and rule the galaxy for himself. But the plan was turned on its head by Luke: with his love and devotion, Luke was able to turn his father back from the darkness. Aboard the second Death Star, Vader once again became Anakin Skywalker and fulfilled his destiny: he killed Darth Sidious and with it, himself, ending the tyranny of the Sith over the galaxy.

Out of the ashes came the New Republic, which fought against the remnants of Palpatine's Empire for another twenty years. Palpatine resurrected himself through various clone bodies around 10 ABY but was finally cast away good into the Netherworld.

Ij. Post-Rule of Two
Many of Sidious's Dark Side Adepts still remained after his death, including Lumiya, the self-proclaimed Dark Lady of the Sith. Lumiya took it upon herself to turn the son of Han Solo, Jacen Solo, to the dark side. Jacen took the name of Darth Caedus and set about beginning a Second Galactic Civil War in the hopes of creating a peaceful galaxy for his daughter, Alanna, to live in. But Caedus had fallen into the old Sith trap: believing he was doing good, while falling further and further into the darkness, killing those he loved and causing misery for countless others. Caedus was eventually killed by his twin sister, Jaina, but peace was brought to the galaxy after his death.

Still hidden away on Khest, the Lost Tribe of the Sith lived with a small but prosperous civilization. They would finally be re-introduced into the galaxy circa 43 ABY, but their story is still being told as per the Fate of the Jedi series and not much else can be said of them at this time.

Ik. The One Sith
The One Sith was founded in 30 ABY by Darth Krayt, formerly A'Sharad Hett, a Jedi Knight and hero from the Clone Wars. He became disgusted after discovering the truth about Anakin Skywalker and his involvement in the destruction of the Jedi. Blaming himself for the events, he left his crusade against the Empire and became a bounty hunter. On a mission to Korriban, he discovered the tomb of an ancient Sith Lord, XoXaan, one of the Dark Jedi Exiles who first met with the original Sith species. XoXaan taught A'Sharad the ways of the dark side. But his fall to the dark side was not complete until his capture by the Yuuzhan Vong during the Yuuzhan Vong War. Tortured by the Vong, he fell completely and declared himself Dark Lord of the Sith as Darth Krayt and established the One Sith on Korriban. The One Sith were guided by the Rule of One, which placed emphasis on obedience to a single Dark Lord of the Sith, in this case Krayt, whose leadership and dream would unite the galaxy in peace. The One Sith were very numerous, with thousands of Sith lords united in their service to Krayt. The Sith of the One Sith were taught blind obedience and absolute loyalty, and their lives were forfeit to the Dark Lord. Upon completion of their training under a Sith Master, the apprentice was required to slay his Master with Krayt's permission. With the Rule of One, Krayt believed the Sith were given a purpose and that they would be free of the ambition and in-fighting that destroyed previous Sith Orders.

As his movement grew, Krayt grew old and his body began to fail him, largely due to Vong implants he received during his captivity in the war. He placed himself into stasis to prolong his life, and the One Sith remained in hiding on Korriban, secretly manipulating events from behind the scenes though never getting fully involved. In one event they helped aid the downfall of Darth Caedus and fed misinformation to the Dark Jedi Alema Rar.

In 127 ABY, the Sith made their presence known to the Galactic Empire, ruled by Roan Fel. The Sith convinced the Empire to go to war with the Galactic Alliance, the successor state to the New Republic, unleashing the Sith-Imperial War on the galaxy. The war saw the Galactic Empire reclaim most of the galaxy and the near-annihilation of the Jedi Order. But the Sith showed their true hand after the end of the war: Krayt disposed of Roan Fel, who fled into hiding, and declared himself Emperor of the new Galactic Empire. For the first time since Palpatine, a Sith ruled the galaxy. But their conquests were not complete; the Galactic Alliance fought on, led by Gar Stazi, and the few remaining Jedi put their hopes into young Cade Skywalker, a descendant of Anakin Skywalker.

Krayt sought Cade out for his amazing healing abilities, to heal him of his Vong implants. He tried to turn Cade to the dark side, but his plans failed. On Had Abbadon, he was betrayed by his advisor, Darth Wyyrlok and killed. Wyyrlok, however, knew he could not let Krayt's dream died; he continued to trick his fellow One Sith into believing Krayt was merely recovering from his wounds in stasis, and that he would continue to speak for Krayt until his return.
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Re: in the process of copying this over - please don't reply

PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 6:25 pm

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II. Nature of the dark side
The dark side of the Force is what the Sith draw their power from. It is opposite to the light side of the Force: it draws on raw emotion, hatred, destruction, death, anger, jealously and other negative aspects. It grants its users a wide array of powerful and deadly powers. But while the dark side offers immense power, it takes more than it gives: the dark side eventually drains on an adept, resulting in a deteriorating body. As a result, the user is forced to draw more and more on the dark side to sustain himself, leading them further down the darkness.

A good description of the dark side can be found in the Star Wars core rulebook from West End Games: "The dark side springs from the negative and descrutive impulses of all living beings - anger, fear and hatred are its symptoms. Death and war are the byproducts of the dark side. It is dangerously seductive to those who lack the ability to control their emotions and passions. Those who give in to the dark side find their abilities greatly enchanted at first, but as time passes, the dark side does not respond so readily. The dark side demands more and more of those in its power."

The dark side is the imbalance in the Force: the Jedi seek to restore that balance by eliminating the Sith, and therefore users of the dark side. Anakin Skywalker was believed to have brought that balance to the Force with the death of Palpatine and himself, but the Jedi were wrong in believing the dark side could be stopped forever. It is nature for normal beings to draw on their raw emotions, become angry and hateful. If all life is connected to the Force, then the dark side must forever exist, for not everyone has the steel-hard resolve of a Jedi to control his or her emotions.

Many have believed that they could call upon the dark side to do good - but this is foolhardy. Anakin Skywalker believed he was doing good by giving himself into the dark side in an effort to save his wife. In the end, he only killed her and brought the tyranny of the Empire to the galaxy. Jacen Solo believed he was doing good, bringing peace to the galaxy for his daughter. In the end, he killed loved ones and destroyed countless lives in this pursuit. Some believed the dark side did not exist at all, such as the followers of the Potentium: but that is the trick of the dark side, convincing arrogant Force-users it does not exist and therefore poses no threat. But once calling upon it, the dark side ensares them, giving them a taste of true power. They call on it more and more, falling further into its cold embrace until it is too late.

While it is possible to escape the clutches of the dark side, it is very difficult and often requires an external influence, such as Luke Skywalker's love of his father acting as the catalyst for Anakin Skywalker's redemption. Once out of the control of the dark side, a redeemed Force user will see the haze of darkness lift, revealing to them the atrocities they had committed, as was the case with Ulic Qel-Droma: released from the dark side, he saw the murder he had committed, including the murder of his own brother, and fought hard to redeem himself.

Like with the users of the Potentium, many believe they can walk the middle road, using powers of the dark side while still remaining inherently good. Quoted from the WEG rulebook: "Those who are sensitive to the Force soon learn that there is no middle ground between the dark and the light. For most beings - unaware of the power of the Force - the struggle between good and evil is not as powerful, not as compelling. FOr those attuned to the Force, the struggle of good versus evil, life versus death, is of utmost importance." In the words of Luke Skywalker in Omen, "There is no room for compromise. We walk the path of the light side, or we fall into darkness. There is no gray area, Ben."

Finally: "It is in this blazing moment that you finally understand the trap of the dark side, the final cruelty of the Sith- Because now your self is all you will ever have," from the Revenge of the Sith novelization.

III. Questions about the Sith

a) Who is the Sith Emperor in TOR?
Currently unknown and will likely not be revealed until you play the game and find out through story progression. Currently, we can rule out several prominent individuals who are usually named for the role.

* Naga Sadow: Naga Sadow was Dark Lord of the Sith in 5,000 BBY and led the Sith Empire to war with the Republic in the Great Hyperspace War. This war would lead to the destruction of the Empire, forcing the remaining Sith into hiding until the events of SW:TOR. Many claim Sadow is the current Sith Emperor due to his age and former status as ruler of the Sith. However, Naga Sadow is dead by the time of the events of the Great Galactic War, having been killed by his apprentice, Freedon Nadd, during his exile on Yavin IV in 4,400 BBY.

* Ludo Kressh: The Sith Emperor also cannot be Kressh; Kressh was killed during his battle with Naga Sadow over Korriban upon the latter's failure to conquer the Republic. Even if he had somehow managed to survive, Ludo was never a war-mongerer; in fact, Ludo was something of a pacifist, believing that war with the Republic was unnecessary and dangerous. He preferred to continue to live in isolation, not bothering with outsiders, a far cry from the evil, manipulative and conquering Sith Emperor of TOR.

* Darth Revan: The Sith Emperor is stated to be nearly 1,400 years old by the time of the game. Furthermore, Revan had actually met with and was corrupted by the Sith Emperor prior to the events of KotOR, so Revan is ruled out entirely.

b) Are Sith evil?
In short, the answer is yes. As far as the Star Wars universe is concerned - and its creator - the Sith are the representatives of evil. They use the dark side of the Force and bring imbalance to it. However, not all Sith are necessarily evil people; many Sith set out with good intentions but were simply corrupted by the dark side, as was the case with Jacen Solo. The first Sith Empire itself was not an evil organization; before Naga Sadow, the Sith had no dreams of galactic conquest and were quite content with living in isolation in Sith Space. It was Naga Sadow who was the first war-mongering, galaxy-conquering Sith that set the stage for future like-minded Sith. In fact, before him, the Sith even seemed to have shown consideration and friendship with one another. The Sith Council was upset at the death of Simus, and the fact that Simus was allowed to live even after his faied duel with Marka Ragnos suggest an organization that is not entirely evil. However, the same cannot be said for future generations of Sith, especially the likes of Palpatine, who has been described by out-of-universe sources as the pure manifestation of evil. Palpatine has blatant disregard for all life, and is responsible for the deaths of billions during his dark reign.

c) Who is the most powerful?
This question is asked about every day on the forums. One must understand that Star Wars is not like Dragon Ball Z; there is no powerlevels and nonsense. All great Sith were unique in their own right and brought forth their own special abilities and accomplishments.

Regardless, that has not stopped many from trying to answer this question. The simple answer is from Lucas himself, who has said Palpatine/Darth Sidious as the most powerful in history. This is backed up by other sources, such as the Essential Guides and novels. In terms of pure accomplishments, Palpatine certainly takes the cake, being the first Sith to legitamately rule the galaxy and driving the Jedi to virtual extinction. Palpatine was also the end-result of one thousand years of Sith natural selection via the Rule of Two, an experiment of sorts to create stronger and stronger Sith with each generation.

In any event, it doesn't matter that much. The Sith have produced a long line of great and powerful Force users, such as Naga Sadow, Exar Kun, Revan, the Sith Emperor, Bane, Palpatine and Vader.

d) Is the dark side stronger than the light?
No. In the words of Yoda, "No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive." The dark side grants its users certain incredibly powers - no one can deny the power of Force lightning or Force Storm, the most powerful use of the Force created by Palpatine. But it is not necessarily more powerful than the light side. Easy, yes, and very seductive. This can be seen with the KotOR games: playing through them as a dark side user, the game is certainly more easy. You get a lot more credits because you bully or steal from NPCs and earn credits easily. The game is a lot more easy, but you can play through it as a light side user, face a lot more hardships and find the way through more difficult, but a light side user is still able to topple the regime of Darth Malak. Look at Yoda: a 900 year old master of the Force who fought Darth Sidious, the most powerful Sith in history, on equal terms and nearly won.

IV. A list of Sith or Dark-side related organizations over history:
* Followers of Bogan (pre-26,000 BBY-approx. 25,783 BBY)
The original followers of the dark side. They went to war with the followers of Ashla, the followers of the light side, on Tython, leading to their destruction and the birth of the Jedi Order.

* Legions of Lettow (24,500 BBY)
Founded by Xendor, the first Dark Jedi, they went to war with the Jedi early in the Republic's history.

* Dark Jedi Exiles (7,003 BBY-6,900 BBY)
The Dark Jedi Exiles, led by Ajunta Pall, were defeated by the Jedi in the Hundred-Year Darkness. The surviving Dark Jedi took control of the Sith species on Korriban and Ziost, leading to the first Sith Empire.

* Sith Empire/True Sith (6,900 BBY-approx. 3,623 BBY)
The first Sith Empire, led by the Dark Lord of the Sith, descendants of the Dark Jedi Exiles. They went to war with the Republic in the Great Hyperspace War under the leadership of Naga Sadow. Defeated, they were nearly wiped from the face of the galaxy, save for a small remnant, led by the Sith Emperor, which escaped into the Unknown Regions. They re-emerged many centuries later, beginning the Great Galactic War, but were ultimately defeated and eliminated from the galaxy.

* Lost Tribe of the Sith (5,000 BBY- )
A small tribe of the original Sith Empire that survived the war in isolation, trapped on the world of Khest. They built a society around the dark side and were re-introduced to the galaxy in 43 ABY.

* Naddists
A Sith cult on Onderon based around their former King, Freedon Nadd, a Dark Lord of the Sith.

* Brotherhood of the Sith (3,997 BBY-3,996 BBY)
Founded by the Dark Lord of the Sith, Exar Kun. Went to war with the Republic in the Great Sith War, leading to wide spread destruction and the death of many Jedi.

* Krath (3,997 BBY-3,996 BBY)
Founded in the Empress Teta system by two heirs to the royal throne. A Sith cult, they practiced Sith magic and sorcery and later joined forces with Kun's Brotherhood. Was destroyed at the end of the war.

* Revan's Sith Empire (3,959 BBY-3,955 BBY)
Founded by Darth Revan after his corruption by the Sith Emperor of the True Sith. Sought to weaken the galaxy in preparation for the True Sith invasion. Destroyed after Revan returned to the light and killed his apprentice, Malak.

* Sith Triumvirate (3,955 BBY-3,951 BBY)
Following the Jedi Civil War and the Sith Civil War after the collapse of Revan's Empire, three Sith, Darths Traya, Nihilus and Sion took control of the Sith remnants and initiated the First Jedi Purge. Traya ultimately became obsessed with destroying the Force itself but all three were stopped by the Jedi Exile.

* Mecrosa Order
A secret society which protected the House Mecetti of the Tapani sector. Viscountess Mireya of Vjun married into the House Mecetti, bringing with her her ancient Sith teachings with corrupted the Order.

* New Sith Empire (2,000 BBY-1,006 BBY)
Founded by Darth Ruin, leading to a 1,000 year conflict known as the New Sith Wars. The Empire was dissolved after in-fighting.

* Brotherhood of Darkness (1,006 BBY-1,000 BBY)
The remnants of the New Sith Empire merged to form the Brotherhood of Darkness under Kaan. Was destroyed on Ruusan after Kaan used the thought-bomb.

* Order of the Sith Lords (1,000 BBY-4 ABY)
Formed by Darth Bane after the destruction of the Brotherhood, based around the Rule of Two. This Order would ultimately spawn Darth Sidious and the Galactic Empire.

* Prophets of the Dark Side
A secret sect of dark side users formed around the Dark Force religion. They were gifted farseers. Founded by Darth Millennial after his falling out from the Order of the Sith Lords. The Prophets would later be recruited by Darth Sidious and form his Secret Order of the Empire. Ultimately eliminated by Lumiya.

* Dark Side Elite
Seven handpicked Dark Side Adepts serving Darth Sidious.

* Emperor's Hand
A secret body of Dark Side Adepts serving Darth Sidious.

* Inquisitorius
An organization within the Galactic Empire that hunted down Jedi survivors of the Great Jedi Purge.

* Lumiya's Sith (4 ABY-41 ABY)
After the death of Sidious, Lumiya, self-proclaimed Dark Lady of the Sith and formerly a pupil of Darth Vader, took on her own apprentice and went to war with the Jedi. Ultimately succeeding in corrupting Jacen Solo to the dark side, giving birth to Darth Caedus and the Second Galactic Civil War. Wiped out with Caedus's death.

* Disciples of Ragnos (14 ABY)
A Sith cult that worshipped the old Sith Lord, Marka Ragnos, and sought to resurrect him. They succeeded in this goal, but were ultimately stopped by Jedi Jaden Korr.

* One Sith (30 ABY- )
Founded by Darth Krayt, fallen Jedi A'sharad Hett. Based around the Rule of One. SUcceeded in taking over the galaxy cira 130 ABY.

V. The Sith Code
Peace is a lie; there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.

VI. Darth and Sith'ari
a) Darth
Not all Sith Lords have used the title Darth. Its origins are difficult to pin down. The first known Sith to use the Darth titles were Darth Revan and Darth Malak. Many believe they acquired the title Darth through the Rakatan, as they studied on Lehon and used the Rakatan weapon, the Star Forge. The Rakatan word Daritha, meaning emperor, is believed to be an inspiration for Darth. Other Rakatan words, "darr", meaning "triumph" and "conquest", and "tah", Rakatan for "death", seem to suggest that Darth is a conjoining of these two Rakatan words, implying "triumph over death" - a goal many Sith sought. However, the Jedi knew of "Darth" before Revan ever fell to the dark side - as shown by Haazen, a fallen Jedi, saying his name would be "Darth Hayze".

Others indicate that the Darth title is much older than Revan, as shown by Darth Andeddu, whose exact time period is unknown but whose clothing seems to indicate an era within the old Sith Empire. Some simply contend that "Darth" is a shortened form of "DARk Lord of the SiTH".

Members of the Old Sith Empire did not begin to call themselves Darth until the Great Galactic War. In the original Sith Empire, members were simply referred to as a Lord or Dark Lord of the Sith in the case of the leader. The title would be revived by Darth Ruin and used throughout the New Sith Wars until its replacement by the Brotherhood of Darkness. Kaan, leader of the Brotherhood, did away with the Darth title and instead gave all ruling Sith the title of Dark Lord of the Sith, believing it would increase unity within the Sith. With the collapse of the Brotherhood, Bane revived the title and all Sith of his Order of Sith Lords were given the Darth title.

b) Sith'ari
Sith'ari literally meant Overlord in Sith. It really meant perfect being, a God amongst the Sith, who would lead the Sith in glory. King Adas was hailed as the first Sith'ari by the people he unified and saved from the Rakatan. His 300-year rule and power in the dark side of the Force led his followers to believe he was invincible, a God-King. But his death sent Sith society spiraling downward into civil war. Sith warlords rose up in this turbulent time, each declaring themselves Sith'ari - but these were all false claimants to the title. The civil war would ravage Sith society, forcing them to relocate to Ziost. As the centuries went by, the title of Sith'ari lost its true meaning - any Sith Lord could declare himself Sith'ari. But at some point, a prophecy was foretold that a true Sith'ari would emerge - a perfect being, free of all restrictions, that would destroy the Sith and make them stronger than ever. This prophecy was fulfilled by Darth Bane in 1,000 BBY when he destroyed the Brotherhood of Darkness, establishing the Order of the Sith Lords.

VII. Ancient Sith Hierarchy
The first Sith Empire had a rigid caste system and hierarchy, remnants from their primitive society. Due to how long the caste system endured, the different castes were often considered sub-species of the original Sith.

The lowliest caste were the Slaves - they were weak, meek and, unlike the other Sith, had only three fingers on each hand. They were typically used for slave labor and for sacrifices. They worshiped their Sith Lords as gods and were buried with their respective masters upon his or her death.

The engineer caste were the scientific-minded Sith who built Sith technology, including the first Sith starships and droids.

Next were the Massassi, the warrior caste of the Sith. They were larger and more aggressive than their Sith brethen and formed the bulk of the first Sith's military.

Next were the Kissai, the spiritual leaders of Sith society. They studied the dark side of the Force and implemented it in Sith society through the use of alchemy and Sith magic.

After the arrival of the Dark Jedi Exiles, the Sith were split into two groups: the Red Sith, the original members of the Sith, and the products of the interbreeding between the Sith and Dark Jedi, who became the Dark Lords of the Sith. After this period, Sith society became unified under the Dark Lords. A single Dark Lord of the Sith ruled them all, while each Sith Lord sat on the Sith Council, ruling their own respective worlds and choosing who was to be the Dark Lord of the Sith.

By the time of the Great Galactic War, the Sith Empire had abandoned its caste system - in fact, the Sith species and hybrids seemed to have disappeared or been reduced to a small minority, with humans forming the bulk of the Empire. However, the political system seemed to have remained the same - with a single Dark Lord of the Sith, or Emperor, ruling with a Sith Council beneath him, overseeing the affairs of the Empire in his place.
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

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