Krath
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [Source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Through darkness we find our greatest strength; through fear, our destiny.” - Krath proverb
Many of the origins of the Krath Order are enshrouded within the mists of time. Below is what has thus far been recovered.
Origins[edit]
All known accounts of the Krath’s origins point to the world of Empress Teta. It does appear to be the birthplace of the Order, even in its earliest stages. However, one must ask: where exactly did it originate on that world, and most importantly, when?
Official historical records show that Emperess Teta, first known as Koros Major, was colonized by a generation ship from Courscant around 27,000 BBY.
However recent findings within the Revan Mythologies have suggested an account that differs from the official records.
According to notes made available, during the Second Migration on the world of Tython (Known Time: more than a millennium after 36,453 BBY) non-forceful Tythons were forced to leave their home world by the Je’daii Order “for their own safety”.
Initially, they colonized the moons of Tython, but soon expanded to the rest of the system. One of the first-generation ships, however, ventured further than previously believed.
Whether due to a malfunction in its guidance system or the will of the Force itself, this ship found its way to far world of Koros Major. Thus, the exiles of Tython began to settle their new world around 26,000 BBY-27,000 BBY over 500-1000 years prior to any Coruscant settlement.
Early lives were difficult with much of the advanced technology of their previous world lost to them coupled with the desire to remain hidden from the wider galaxy. Nevertheless, they managed to carve out a living within the unforgiving landscape of their new world. Small villages sprang up, first around the remains of the spacecraft but then further afield.
Although exiled from Tython for being non-Force-sensitive, the colonists never forgot the teachings and seemingly miraculous feats of the Je’daii Order. By the time the generation ship arrived at Koros Major, these tales had evolved into an almost religious reverence for some. Moreover, given the several generations that had passed during the journey combined with the limited and carefully controlled gene pool on board the ship, some of the newborn colonists were unknowingly Force-sensitive.
The Rise of Krath[edit]
According to the most ancient surviving Tetan literature, one of the most powerful groups of colonists formed the Tameht tribe. It is said that the Holy Smiths of this tribe worshiped the god Krath, a formidable deity revered as the great dragon, a shapeshifter, and a Dark Magician.
Krath’s influence was profound, weaving a tapestry of mysticism and power that shaped the very essence of the Tameht tribe’s culture and beliefs offering them a form of community and shared purpose to the new settlers and was vital to maintaining order and cooperation within the early days of settlement.
The Holy Smiths, under Krath’s divine guidance, were believed to possess extraordinary abilities, crafting weapons and artifacts imbued with magic. These creations were not only tools of survival but also symbols of the tribe’s connection to their god. The Tameht tribe’s rituals and ceremonies often invoked Krath, seeking his favor and protection in their harsh new world. This deep-seated reverence for Krath permeated every aspect of their society, from their governance to their daily lives, solidifying his status as a central figure in their mythology.
By the time the sleeper ship from Courscant arrived as some point after 27,000 BBY the original inhabitants had around 500-1500 years of isolation from the wider galaxy.
Darker Influences[edit]
The Holy Smiths of the Tameht tribe were commanded by their god, Krath, to fashion a sacred object that would allow them to communicate with him. They forged the Talisman as directed. Krath had instructed a single hole of hexagonal shape to be drilled into the base of the Talisman. He told the Holy Smiths to set a strange crystal in it. Thus the Talisman of Krath was created.
These Smiths became the first Priesthood of Krath. They alone were able to communicate with the god of their people, and he with them. However, the early Krath Priests fell victim to insanity and demonic possession. It was not long before they began to understand why. They reasoned that the balance of the object was too precarious, and using the same crystalline substance, they drilled two additional holes in the base of the Talisman and set the crystals within them.
This seemed to restore the balance to the object and the rash of possession and insanity abated.
The Talisman was passed down from the Tahmeht to their successor civilization, the Zfana and finally to the Mshanyata people who rose to power a mere 12,000 years ago. The Mshanyata Krath Priests removed the two diamond shaped crystals, returning the Talisman to its original form, apparently believing that by doing so, they would unleash the true potential of their god.
During the flowering of the rival Makalasa Culture about 6,000 years ago, 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 a millennia.
The Krath Order[edit]
In the year 3998 BBY, the Jedi were numerous and powerful throughout the Galaxy, but it was also a time when thousands of Force-sensitive individuals (including those who had potential to be Jedi Knights) were succumbing to the Dark Side's fascination.
In those days the system containing Koros Major, was then known as 'The Empress Teta System', after a woman warlord who had conquered and united its seven worlds in the early days of space travel. As the millennia passed, the Teta system, well placed - situated deep in the galactic core, became the prime source of carbonite.
The descendants of Empress Teta were still the figurehead rulers of the seven worlds, but they had been largely forced to share their power with the commercial interests that had developed the carbonite mines. Together, the Tetan royalty and the wealthy mine owners formed an elite society, a tightly knit group that reigned over multitudes of the less fortunate.
The sons and daughters of these elite were a self-indulgent lot with a good deal of leisure time on their hands. As a way of amusing themselves, these young aristocrats began dabbling in the lore of primitive magic. At some point in their mischievous experiments, the young Tetans crossed an invisible threshold and tapped into a stratum of the Force that unleashed its dark mental reality with unexpected power.
Two of these young adults of the Tetan royalty, Satal Keto and Aleema Keto, became more and more interested in the Dark Side of the Force. They traveled to Coruscant and stole a sacred book of Sith powers and magic, the Sith Scrolls, to provide a basis for their secret group.
After they had stolen the scrolls form a Republic museum they traveled to the planet Onderon and met King Ommin who helped them translate the scrolls and receive more teaching to help them finish their research. They then took their knowledge and created the Krath, after an evil magician-god from children's fairy tales that were popular when they themselves were children.
While Lord and Lady Keto were carrying out a routine inspection of a mining station, their son, Satal, along with his cousin Aleema and Tutor, Korus made an unexpected appearance. Lord Keto questioned Korus for bringing the children there as it was a breach of protocol, but quickly realized that Korus was just a pawn in a greater plot.
Showing their newly learned knowledge in Sith illusion magic, the cousins made the Lord and Lady Keto believe that Korus had a snake-like beast where his tongue used to be.
Frightened and concerned, Lord Keto called for his personal security forces - but was too late. His wife and everyone else who opposed to Satal and Aleema were terrorized by the Sith magic. Those who didn’t die from catatonic shock were lowered in a vat of molten carbonite, including Lord and Lady Keto.
Establishing an army, Satal and Aleema declared themselves the new rulers of the Empress Teta system. The layer of Force the group had tapped into was so ominous and ruinous that every time the magic was used, the user became strong with the Dark Side. What had started out as a game suddenly grew serious, and took on a life of it’s own.
The Krath Holy War[edit]
Korus Major was the only planet in the Empress Teta system to oppose Satal Keto and Aleema and were quickly attacked. Using her newly acquired sorcery and mystical powers from studying Sith magic, Aleema managed to play mind tricks on her enemies.
As the attack on Korus Major continued, a joint peace keeping fleet of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Knights emerged from hyperspace.
On board the Republican command ship the Reliance, where mission overseers Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider. Ulic quickly ordered a cease-fire message to the Tetan fleet, but received no response.
Sending a reply of her own via Sith magic Aleema created huge “Space Grazer” beasts which hovered over the Republican ships. As Ulic and the other commanders panicked, Nomi Sunrider, channeling out through the force realized the beasts were illusions before ordering an attack on the Krath command station.
Aleema, having underestimated the Jedi, then instructed a second attack. As the Republican fleet continued their attack a large number of Krath ships came into view. Nomi informed the commander they were another illusion and the Republican fleet continued ignoring the enemy ships.
This time however, it turned out only half of the Krath ships were hallucinations. The Republic fleet was caught off guard and took considerable damage, including the Reliance, where Ulic Qel-Droma was badly injured. The Republican fleet quickly retreated before it could be destroyed.
Ulic Qel-Droma[edit]
The Krath began building up a huge space armory and the Jedi feared the sinister developments.
The Jedi Knights assembled on the planet Deneba, where Ulic Qel-Droma suggested an alternative way to defeat the Krath. Rather than an overwhelming military attack, where many Jedi would die, he suggested that someone joined the Krath, learning the secrets and defeating it from within.
And as guardian of the Empress Teta system, Ulic volunteered himself for the task. The plan was met with strong debate, many claimed it would only lead him down into the dark side. Before a decision could be made, the Jedi Knights were suddenly attacked from the air and by land.
A Tetan corsair released a barrage of life pods, which struck the surface of the planet like meteors and then revealed an army of Krath War Droids. At the same time the Jedi’s servant droids turned on their Masters as joined in the attack.
Casualties were high, Arkanian Master Jedi Arca Jeth was killed when his attention was averted to save his apprentice Ulic Qel-Droma.
Ulic learning that the Krath had initiated this attack, vowed to destroy the Krath. He disguised his identity and merged with the population on Cinnager (the largest planet in the Teta system). After many months he was initiated as a member of the Krath Order.
What happened next is not completely known. Ulic Qel-Droma disappeared from view for a number of years.
Months had passed, and during that time, Qel-Droma had become ingratiated in the Krath, and also been taken by Aleema as her lover. His colleagues on the Jedi planet of Ossus became concerned when they heard no word from the entrenched Qel-Droma. Using all the mental powers at their disposal each time they attempted to penetrate the cloak of dark power that enveloped the sanctums of the Krath, they came up against “a wall of thought like blackest iron” and could advance no further.
As a result, a team of Knights was dispatched, consisting of Nomi Sunrider, Tott Doneeta, and Qel-Droma's younger brother Cay, to locate Qel-Droma and report on his progress.
Arriving in the starship Nebulon Ranger, Sunrider jettisoned from the ship inside of an escape pod, and entered the capital city of Cinnagar, with intentions of being captured by the Krath. Once in custody, she hoped to get close to Qel-Droma, and attempt to persuade him to return to Ossus with her.
Recognizing his superior expertise in military affairs, Aleema made Qel-Droma warlord of the Krath, placing him in command over all of Empress Teta's military forces. Satal, however, still harbored suspicions of Qel-Droma being a Jedi spy. His skepticism was strengthened when he received a report that another Jedi had been located and captured in Cinnagar.
Nomi Sunrider was taken to the Krath war room, where Ulic was trying to prove his allegiance to the Krath via a skeptical Satal Keto. When Keto learned that Ulic and Nomi knew each other, he planed to test Ulic’s loyalty to the Krath by getting him to kill his fellow Jedi companion. Ulic agreed to and hoped Nomi could escape by herself.
Ulic attempted to place a hidden message for Nomi within a G-12 service droid, but was intercepted by Satal Keto's assistant. Suspicious of the droid's activity the assistant brought it before his master. Satal immediately discovered the hidden message, Learning his intuition was true, he ordered Norgor to kill both Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider.
During the assassin attempt, Ulic slew Norgor. Aleema recognized the dead assassin as one of Satal's minions, and confessed to Qel-Droma that it was Satal who orchestrated the attack on Deneba. Upon hearing this, Qel-Droma became enraged, and left her in search of Satal.
Nomi Sunrider, using Jedi Battle Meditation, turned the guards of her cell in the dungeon against each other. While they fought over her, Nomi easily escaped. Calling for reinforcements, Cay Qel-Droma and Tott Doneeta arrived. Fighting their way through the Krath's defenses, the two Jedi met their comrade in the courtyard of the Iron Citadel, and became engaged in a firefight with the Krath soldiers.
Ulic Qel-Droma and Satal Keto begin an intense duel. Qel-Droma gave deeper into his anger, blaming Satal for Jeth's death. Giving himself to the hatred for Satal Keto, due the man responsible for the death of his Master, Qel-Droma submitted himself fully to his rage, and struck Satal down.
With his dying words, Satal revealed that Qel-Droma had been successfully drawn to the dark side, thanks to his rage-enhancing Sith poison. Upon learning of her cousin's death, Aleema took Ulic Qel-Droma as her partner, giving him full dominion over herself as well as the Krath cult.
The Brotherhood of the Sith[edit]
With Ulic Qel-Droma cementing himself as co-ruler and Warlord of the Krath, the planet was shortly after visited by Exar Kun, who desired to destroy those who could potentially impede his own ascension to that of Dark Lord of the Sith. To this end, he attacked the Aleema and Qel-Droma, but was interrupted by the spirit of the millennia-old Dark Lord Marka Ragnos, who advised them to ally instead of competing.
Thus was formed the new Brotherhood of the Sith, with Exar Kun as Dark Lord. The Krath under the rule of newly-christened Sith Lord Qel-Droma became an integral part.
This signaled the beginning of the greatness of the Krath Order. Within six months, the Tetans had conquered large territories and imposed several defeats on the now-strained Republic military. Qel-Droma's alliance with the Mandalorians led by Mandalore the Indomitable further strengthened the cult's influence.
During this same period, the Krath order constructed a number of temples upon many of the worlds they invaded and seized during the Krath Holy Crusade of the Great Sith War.
Such temples were renowned for their extraordinarily deep taint by dark side energies, and the guards fortunate enough to have been chosen for duty at these temples were granted the use of Holy Battle Armor, which only served to increase their reputation as fanatics.
However, as its military campaign met increasing and determined Republic and Jedi resistance, the Krath/Sith alliance began to fall apart due to internal tensions; Aleema began a campaign of more or less open infighting, causing Qel-Droma's capture by the Jedi and murdering his Tetan supporters. Once freed by Kun, the rogue Jedi retaliated by sending Aleema on the mission that would prove to be her doom - she was consumed by a supernova of her own design during the Battle of Kemplex Nine. Qel-Droma was stripped of the Force by the Jedi Nomi Sunrider, which led to his capture after which he was presumed dead.
With no one left to lead the Krath, the cult quickly fell apart from internal strife.
Scattered to the Wind[edit]
Those few Krath that survived the end of the Great Sith War were scattered across the Outer Rim, mainly in the regions around Korriban.
Some Krath eventually joined old Sith settlements, while others continued to exist on their own, delving into depths of the dark side.
During the following decades, Jedi and Republic forces occasionally clashed with these isolated pockets, who no longer had the benefit of ancient Sith teachings or access to the technology left behind in the Empress Teta system.
The Dark Brotherhood[edit]
"The Sith is strong, and has always been the backbone of the Brotherhood. But the time has come for the Krath to take their place by their side, for the good of the Brotherhood. You and the priests must make a pilgrimage..." - Grand Master Jedgar Octavius Paladin
In 4-ABY (1995), Master Melan Pyr of the Dark Brotherhood returned to Eos and requested from the Grand Master Paladin to be readmitted into the fold. When questioned on what drove him away, he responded "Voices, my Master. Voices that will not let me be. I must go.... somewhere..."
Also felt by the Grand Master, his deeper connection to the Dark Side identified the source as 'The Krath'. Paladin sent Melan on a mission to investigate in what would be forever known as The Krath Haj. Melan traveled to Cinnegar where he joined their sect and learnt their secrets. What he found was not an organized order but a collection of loosely connected practitioners preserving fragments of older teachings led by Sebban Keto (descendant of Satal Keto). For a time he lived among the surviving practitioners, studying their rituals and the historical fragments they had preserved.
When Pyr eventually returned to the Brotherhood, he carried with him not only the Talisman of Krath but the knowledge he had gathered during his time among the surviving Krath. Rather than dissolving the tradition, the Brotherhood chose a different approach. The Krath were invited to join. Some accepted the offer and became part of the Brotherhood’s expanding structure. Others declined, remaining within the Empress Teta system or dispersing into the wider galaxy.
From this moment the name Krath ceased to refer solely to a failed cult of Sith sorcerers. It became the title of a distinct philosophical tradition within the Brotherhood itself.
For his efforts, Melan Pyr was promoted to High Priest of the Order of the Krath, the first the hold the title in the Dark Brotherhood.
The Dark Jedi Brotherhood[edit]
For years, the Krath Order thrived inside the Dark Brotherhood and the Emperor’s Hammer, its rituals and temperament fitting neatly into the Brotherhood’s shifting politics.
That stability didn’t survive 12-ABY. When the Split tore through the Dark Brotherhood, many of the Krath’s strongest voices left with the exiles, and the Order never truly recovered. What remained limped on, thinned, scattered, and increasingly out of step, until it was finally folded back into the rebuilt EH Dark Brotherhood under the Sith banner.
The Krath who departed with the exiles carried their teachings into what became the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, preserving their own lore, rites, and half‑forgotten relics. In that isolation they uncovered their own legends and unearthed old Krath trinkets, charting a path that diverged sharply from the remnants left behind. One such legend was the figure known only as The Wanderer, whose story is detailed further below.
The Secret Order[edit]
The Krath Order was formally reactivated within Emperor's Hammer in 34-ABY with the introduction of the Secret Order Path System, marking the first sanctioned revival of Krath tradition since its dissolution in the aftermath of the Split. Rather than restoring the old hierarchy, the modern Krath were rebuilt as a dedicated Path - an integrated discipline for Agents seeking mastery of the Force through study, ritual, and the darker arts of manipulation and insight.
This new incarnation draws heavily from the fragments that survived the Order’s original fall: alchemical practice, esoteric knowledge, and the Krath’s long‑standing fascination with the unseen. But it also reflects the realities of the modern fleet. The Krath Path is structured, codified, and deliberately accessible, allowing any Agent to walk the road once reserved for a select few.
In this form, the Krath did not simply return—they were distilled. What was once a scattered sect became one of the four pillars of the Secret Order, a legacy reshaped for a new era while still carrying the echo of the old Order’s shadowed ambition.
Nature of a Krath[edit]
The Krath are a mysterious and secret Order that prefer to keep to themselves and keep their large tomes of knowledge hidden within the Order's archives. This innate scholarly nature often causes them to be mistaken for an easy target by outsiders, but anyone who has truly met a Krath will tell another story entirely. The Krath Order is an Order strong in the use of the raw Force. Through centuries of honing and study they have come to possess the ability to destroy things with mere thought and perform other astounding feats with the Dark Side provided they have progressed into the advanced ranks of the Krath Priesthood. Unlike the Sith who rely on their ships and the Obelisk who rely on their arsenal of weaponry, the Krath rely on the pure, unaltered Force to do their dirty work.
Aeons of study have made them brilliant tacticians. They are often consulted by the Sith and Obelisk in times of war to find the best strategy of attack in a crucial battle. The Krath are particularly strong in being able to see into the future, often claiming that one only has to study the past to know how it repeats itself.
Traditions & Rituals of the Krath[edit]
The Krath carried with them a body of rites, relics, and teachings that survived in fragments long after the Order itself faded. Some were formal practices, others half‑remembered rituals passed between initiates, and a few were legends tied to artifacts whose origins are still debated. What follows are the traditions most commonly associated with the Krath pieces of a belief system that blended mysticism, discipline, and a willingness to peer into the darker corners of the Force.
- Talisman of Krath
- Star of Krath
- Shield of Czarnik
- The Krath Haj
- Path of Krath
- Ultimate Ritual
- Will and the Way of The Krath
Important Krath Members[edit]
- Satal Keto
- Aleema Keto
- Treml Czarnik
- Melan Pyr
- Bob-Fett
- Pendragon
Historically Aligned Houses[edit]
- House Dominatus of Clan Alvaak
- House Qel-Droma of Clan Arcona
- House Aleema of Clan Satal Keto
- House Acclivis Draco of Clan Scolae Palatinae
- House Gladius of Clan Tarentum
Krath Force Powers[edit]
The Path of the Krath contains skills focusing on the mysteries of the Force, covering Dark Side abilities involving control, sense, alteration, and even the Sith alchemy of legends.
Examples of followers of the Path of the Krath include scholars, archeologists, ritualists, witches, shamans, cultists, as well as Sith and other Dark Side devotees that are more interested in pursuing the promise of unlimited power over igniting their lightsaber.
Noted strengths of followers of this path include many powers some might consider unnatural, such as domination of the Force, scholarship, life extension, illusions, control of the elements, mental manipulation, and power.
- See: Krath Path Abilities
Krath Weapons[edit]
- See: Krath Culture
Krath Titles[edit]
- See: Krath Titles
Krath (Mythology)[edit]
- See: Krath (God)
- See: Krath (Dragon)
- See: The Magician
The Wanderer[edit]
"He walked every road in the galaxy and discovered they led to the same place." - Unknown
Among the traditions of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood Krath, few figures are spoken of with greater reverence or greater uncertainty than the Wanderer. Their ancient accounts describe him as a nomadic mystic who travelled the galaxy in the earliest days of the Dark Side, appearing at pivotal moments before vanishing once more into obscurity. He is mainly remembered as a prophet and guide who helped lead the exiled Dark Jedi toward the future Sith Empire.
Within the Secret Order Krath, many regard the Wanderer as little more than a legend: a useful myth derived from fragments of history, philosophy, and superstition. Others are less certain - among certain circles, it is quietly suggested that the Wanderer was not important because of what he taught, but because of what he noticed. These traditions claim he perceived a pattern underlying events that others mistook for fate, prophecy, or coincidence. The exact nature of this insight remains unknown, though discussions of it have historically been discouraged within the Order, whose leaders have often regarded such speculation as philosophically corrosive and politically dangerous.
- See: The Wanderer
Behind the Scenes[edit]
The Krath were originally created as a home for members who wanted to build - stories, graphics, lore, and the stranger creative experiments that didn’t fit anywhere else. In its earliest form, the Order had no flying component at all; it was a haven for writers, artists, and world‑shapers who preferred crafting the shadows rather than flying through them.
Tau Squadron became the first attempt to give the Krath a formal flying presence, but even then the Order’s heart remained in creation rather than combat. Tau carried the banner, but the Krath stayed the spiritual home of the maker, the ones unafraid to explore darker themes, push boundaries, and carve out their own corner of the Brotherhood’s mythos.
Sources[edit]
- Wookiepedia
- Krath.doc by KP Bob-Fett
- EH Newsletter Archive
- Dark Side Compendium Current & Archive
- File:Secret Order Path System Handbook.pdf
- Dark Jedi Brotherhood Wiki
