The Old Ways of Zakuul

The Force: Beyond Light and Dark

To the Jedi, the Force is a partner to be respected. For the Sith, it's a power to be harnessed. Others believe the Force can reach far beyond the narrow scope of these two opposing factions. These philosophies aren't always so black and white.

In remote corners of the galaxy, far from the influence of the Republic or Empire, those sensitive in the Force develop their own beliefs and values. In the Valau tribe of Nagoa, Force sensitives are considered to be marked by the gods, chosen to act as instruments of their gods' wills. Valau Force wielders undergo an intense ritual to shed their previous identities and act solely as conduits for these gods. The concept of light and dark is irrelevant. The will of the gods is unquestionable, and the Force is simply a tool to enforce it.

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.beyond_light_and_dark

→ carbonite_freezing

Carbonite Freezing

Carbonite is a metal alloy that, when mixed with various gasses, can be used to flash freeze blocks of cargo for transportation or storage. Its use in freezing living creatures is relatively new in the galaxy and considered highly dangerous--subjects frozen for more than a few hours have a very low survival rate unless the carbonite is prepared with much expense at an elaborate facility. Even in the best cases, the sudden shock of flash freezing (often combined with a lack of life-support monitoring during suspension) tends to make the process extremely traumatic--sometimes even turning fatal hours after a subject has been thawed.

Still, a quick carbonite spray is the only known technique for freezing living creatures quickly and with minimal preparation. The technology is growing increasingly popular with bounty hunters and smugglers; as a result, many bounty hunting guilds have clauses in their contracts mandating live capture payment even if the bounty fails to survive the post-hibernation period.

Category: Lore

XP Level: 7

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.carbonite_freezing

→ commerce_in_free_zone

Commerce in the Free Zone

The shadowport of Asylum is more than a waystation for Zakuul outcasts fleeing political persecution. Many planets across the galaxy suffer under the Eternal Empire's domination, and their refugees have few safe havens. For fugitives lacking friends or family, Asylum's Free Zone is one of the only places where they can reliably obtain whatever they need to survive on the run.

Everything from freeze-dried Arconan nutrient paste to high-yield thermal detonators is for sale somewhere in the Free Zone, but that's where the convenience ends. Great expense separates Asylum's visitors from the goods they seek. The smugglers and gangsters who control the Free Zone charge exorbitant sums for their wares, forcing already-desperate people to even greater acts of brutality. Indeed, most violent crime on Asylum stems from refugees robbing each other to fund their purchases in the Free Zone.

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.commerce_in_free_zone

→ darvannis_vassal_world

Darvannis: Vassal World of the Eternal Empire

The desert planet of Darvannis meant little to both the Sith Empire and the Republic. When the Eternal Empire invaded the remote world, only the Hutt Cartel's hired mercenaries were present to fend them off. The Eternal Fleet easily drove the Hutts away and claimed the planet.

Now Darvannis is home to one of the largest factories in Zakuul's possession, manufacturing ships, weapons, and the countless Spire droids. Located beneath kilometers of tunnels and heavily defended, the Darvannis factory has been impenetrable since it fell into the Eternal Empire's hands. Even the Hutts grudgingly admit the Empire has done extraordinary things with the desolate planet. When asked, however, the Cartel insist they presented Darvannis as a gift to Zakuul, desperate for the galaxy to think they still hold a measure of power.

Category: Planets

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.darvannis_vassal_world

→ eternal_fleet

The Eternal Fleet

The Eternal Fleet is an ancient and unstoppable armada operated by sentient droids and controlled by the Eternal Throne. Centuries ago, the fleet nearly wiped out all of Wild Space. It took a colossal alien warship, the Gravestone, to deactivate the Eternal Fleet, and even it was subsequently lost in the final battle. Valkorion had heard rumors of the fleet before his arrival on Zakuul; it was the main reason he chose the planet to house his new empire. Once he gained control over Zakuul, he began his search for the fleet in earnest, using the Scions' Force visions to eventually find the dormant ships. He built the Eternal Throne to reactivate and command the lost fleet. While primarily used in military operations, the fleet is also key in collecting tributes and resources from conquered planets and protecting trade routes in Wild Space.

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.eternal_fleet

→ eternal_fleet_combat

Eternal Fleet: Combat

From the court-martial of Admiral Dannis Veriga, Republic Fleet:

When the Eternal Fleet came for Alderaan, we thought we were prepared. The Republic planned for a naval invasion. What we got was a massacre.

The enemy suddenly dropped out of hyperspace. There were hundreds of them, a massive wall of ships moving as one. I've never seen such a fluid formation. When we shot a vessel down, the others closed in and sealed the gap. Like the fleet was healing a wound.

They were relentless. We fought with everything we had, but barely scratched the enemy. It was like the entire fleet had a single pilot.

So yes, I ordered the retreat. Even then, only half of us survived. There's no stopping them. Why die trying?

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.eternal_fleet_combat

→ fall_of_mandalore

The Fall of Mandalore the Vindicated

Firsthand account from Ralia of Clan Lok:

The Skytroopers surrounded us. Two dozen, blasters aimed at our heads. We had already begun our death roar.

And then Mandalore the Vindicated cut through them, scattering their metal parts. He ordered us to rejoin the clan and leave the Skytroopers to him. But the droids had called for backup; suddenly, dozens were swarming him.

Mandalore dismantled them two at a time with a war cry like thunder. They kept coming, waves and waves, till we could no longer see him. I started to charge forward, but Droga stopped me. "He's already gone."

He was Ardus Lok. My brother, our Mand'alor. And he fell to machines. He will not be honored.

I pray to Kad Ha'rangir this pointless war will end soon.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16140945599292361085

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.fall_of_mandalore

→ force_ghost

Force Ghost

Death comes for all; the Jedi and Sith are no exception. Yet some who master the Force seem to find ways to resist the call of eternity and exist as an essence of their former selves. In this form, they may speak with the living and guide--or manipulate--old friends and former enemies.

The most notable example in recorded Sith history is Darth Vax, a prominent member of the Dark Council. After her death, she was unable to let go of the power and influence she enjoyed during life. When her son took her vacant seat on the Council and assumed the title of Darth Arrid, she began manipulating him behind the scenes, making him a puppet for her own agenda. Four years passed before the Council realized the young Darth Arrid was only a mouthpiece for the spirit of his mother.

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.force_ghost

→ gemini_hive_mind

GEMINI: Hive Mind

For easier control, GEMINI droids operate through a single collective consciousness. An order issued from the Eternal Throne is not sent to an individual droid, but to the hive mind for assignment to the best-suited unit. While each droid retains a limited sense of individuality, she acts more like an appendage of a singular brain than an individual connected to a network.

GEMINI droids share thoughts, reactions, and instincts. Every GEMINI feels when one unit's pain receptors fire. A single GEMINI's destruction is experienced by the entire fleet. A droid's existence does not end with deactivation; its consciousness is absorbed into the hive mind for redistribution. If a new chassis isn't available, the consciousness remains in the hive mind, waiting. Unless every GEMINI unit is destroyed, the Eternal Fleet's squad of captains can exist indefinitely.

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.gemini_hive_mind

→ gravestone_creators

The Gravestone's Creators

Little is known of the mysterious alien species that designed and built the legendary warship now known solely by its ominous nickname, "the Gravestone." Records from the dark age of Wild Space history in which the vessel rose to prominence have been lost. Only fragments of centuries-old data remain, describing a vast armada that spread across the sectors to conquer every inhabited world--including Zakuul.

If not for the abrupt appearance of the Gravestone and its destructive Omnicannon, Zakuul might still be enslaved by the conquerors. Though no one knows their species, much less their names, the Gravestone's valiant crew-members fought a desperate battle that left the enemy fleet shattered. The few survivors fled into the darkness beyond the galactic rim, never to threaten Wild Space again.

No one knows what happened to the Gravestone's crew, or exactly how the warship wound up buried in the Endless Swamp of Zakuul. Like the war that spawned the legend, truth remains elusive. Perhaps it always will be....

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.gravestone_creators

→ holo_sabacc

Holo-Sabacc

Rampant cheating has long plagued sabacc at both amateur and professional levels--but while most casino owners tolerate such profit-gouging trickery, Jar'ga the Hutt found a solution. He commissioned a version of sabacc played entirely through holo, eliminating physical cards. When Jar'ga unveiled the first holo-sabacc table at casino on Nar Shaddaa, it sparked a craze of galactic proportions. Soon every casino in known space had at least one holo-sabacc table.

Of course, it didn't stop cheaters in the slightest. Slicers immediately set to work creating stacked holo-decks and altering card algorithms. Sliced holo-sabacc systems can now be purchased at the black markets on every major world. Jar'ga himself has a sliced holo-sabacc table hidden in his casino--stacked, of course, in the dealer's favor.

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.holo_sabacc

→ identity_slicers

Identity Slicers

When the scum of the galaxy need a solid escape, they place themselves in the capable but expensive hands of an identity slicer. Creative, intelligent, and resourceful, these forgers can alter the identity of anyone with enough credits. A skilled ID slicer can even modify genetic code itself. Such precision takes years to master; many consider themselves artists and scientists, albeit unconventional ones.

Since identity slicing is highly illegal, forgers are notoriously reclusive. Isolation from the outside world causes personality quirks that can sometimes develop into mental imbalance. The most notable example was Dalan Reid, a veteran forger who, after twelve years of isolation, began constructing dozens of replicas of HoloNet singer Viella Zall using local wildlife. Reid was finally caught when he used his Viella clones to hold an impromptu concert on Tatooine.

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.identity_slicers

→ mandalorian_death_ceremony

Mandalorian Death Ceremony

The Mandalorian death ceremony--kote kyr'am or "glory death"--is reserved for those who die with the highest honor. Traditionally, only warriors who have fallen to Jedi or faced impossible odds are awarded the kote kyr'am.

To ensure the warrior's spirit can join those of other Mandalorian paragons, the body is burned on an elevated pyre. Clan members send shouts into the sky, bellowing war cries and retelling feats. The night becomes a celebration of drunken feasting and brawling in honor of the dead.

The only non-Mandalorian to receive the kote kyr'am was Lord Raze, a Sith warrior who fell while singlehandedly rescuing a Mandalorian clan from a battalion of twenty Jedi on Dantooine. The clan was so moved by her skill and fearlessness, they broke tradition and honored her as a fallen sister. No outsider has received such a distinction since.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16140945599292361085

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.mandalorian_death_ceremony

→ odessen_planetary_shield

Odessen: Planetary Shield

The Alliance's first line of defense is the Odessen planetary shield. This defense grid protects the Alliance base and the surrounding area from turbolaser bombardments and other aerial attacks. Although walkers and ground troops can slip through the shield, the defense grid ensures the Eternal Fleet cannot wipe out the Alliance with a single devastating bombardment.

The shield's construction was spearheaded by Doctor Oggurobb, the Alliance's sharpest scientific mind. When Oggurobb conducted early stress tests on the shield, Fleet Admiral Bey'wan Aygo bet that his strongest battleship could break through the fledgling defense grid. Fortunately for Oggurobb, the shield held strong--and Bey'wan is still paying off his debt.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16141175286209814624

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.odessen_planetary_shield

→ odessen_wildlife_evolution

Odessen Wildlife: Evolution

Notes from Doctor Juvard Illip Oggurobb:

Due to the rapid escalation of evolution observed on Odessen, I have imported creatures from other planets and released them into the wilds to monitor the effects.

The sleen, extracted from the jungles of Dromund Kaas, exhibited a marked increase in agility and reaction time. Perhaps this creature's serum could be used to make performance-enhancing adrenals.

From Makeb, I secured a fine makrin specimen with the intent of studying its adaptability. As predicted, this remarkable species altered the texture of its skin to better mirror the sturdy hardwoods of Odessen forests.

The Taris bogstalker saw the most shockingly rapid evolution thus far. The creature developed an incredible predatory feature: a plasteel-like barb at the end of its tail. It has evolved enough to warrant a new breed, which I call the "steel-tailed stalker."

I've allowed the creatures to continue their existence on Odessen, as I hope to further observe their acclimation.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16141175286209814624

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.odessen_wildlife_evolution

→ satele_shan_disappearance

Satele Shan: Disappearance

When the Republic bowed to the Eternal Empire, Grand Master Satele Shan renounced her title and vanished. Though there exists no official record of her whereabouts or actions following her disappearance, possible sightings have led to strange speculation.

A summary of sightings reported to the SIS:

- A woman matching Satele's description was seen entering an ancient temple on Yavin 4. When she emerged, she was speaking to an unseen listener--or perhaps to herself.

- Intercepted outgoing messages reveal Satele's son, Agent Theron Shan, made a single attempt to contact her. No reply was sent, but records show the message was opened on Ziost.

- A bug planted on a Zakuulan patrol ship shows records of an unmarked vessel entering Wild Space. The patrol conducted a search and recorded a single human passenger. Lifeform scans, however, suggested there were two beings present on the ship. No explanation was made for the discrepancy, and the woman's identity was not reported. The patrol ship crew could not recall the confrontation.

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.satele_shan_disappearance

→ shae_vizla_bounty_hunter

Shae Vizla: Bounty Hunter

Even among Mandalorians, Shae Vizla is legendary. In her younger years, she was a ruthless bounty hunter, racking up high-profile kills, from crime lords to politicians.

Her brutal assassination of Senator Keenig caught the attention of Darth Malgus himself, earning her a partnership with the Sith Empire. Shae's skill and efficiency led her to join the Empire's biggest campaigns against the Republic. She was present for the assault on Alderaan--according to rumors, she saved Malgus from certain death. Regardless, she earned Malgus's trust enough to play a vital role in the sacking of Coruscant.

After over a decade working for the Empire, Shae retired to Rishi, where she earned the local nickname "Torch." She carefully avoided the war and distanced herself from the Mandalorians until the Eternal Empire's invasion thrust her back into the fray once again.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16140945599292361085

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.shae_vizla_bounty_hunter

→ shae_vizla_mandalore

Shae Vizla: Mandalore the Avenger

When Mandalore the Vindicated fell in battle against the Eternal Empire, Shae Vizla reluctantly assumed leadership over the clans. She had sizable shoes to fill: the fallen Mandalore was popular, respected, even revered. As a lone hunter, Shae had very little experience leading people, much less an entire culture.

With the clans fractured and beaten down after years of war with Zakuul, Shae had to adapt quickly to bring her people together. She proved to be just the leader the Mandalorians needed. Her introductory battle as Mandalore the Avenger was the clans' first victory in six months.

With her impressive track record and ruthless combat tactics, Shae is perfectly suited for wartime leadership. Yet some believe the battle-hardened Mand'alor isn't fit to lead long-term, and the end of the war may see more than one challenge for her title.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16140945599292361085

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.shae_vizla_mandalore

→ state_of_the_galaxy

State of the Galaxy

With the sudden arrival of the Eternal Empire, the galaxy was turned upside down. The Eternal Fleet struck both the Sith Empire and the Republic at once, first targeting their shipyards, then cutting off supply lines. Within months, Dromund Kaas and Coruscant were blockaded. Without Darth Marr's leadership, the Dark Council scrambled to fight back against Arcann's forces and were ultimately defeated. While most council members were killed, others disappeared to unknown corners of the galaxy. When the dust settled, only Darth Acina remained, and she quickly named herself the new Sith Empress. Even facing this new threat, Supreme Chancellor Saresh couldn't let go of her grudge against the Empire. She tried to wage war against both enemies and failed, costing millions of Republic lives. Finally, the Senate overruled Saresh to discuss a peace treaty with Arcann. She is no longer officially the Supreme Chancellor, but continues to rule from the shadows. Both sides are forced to pay tribute to Zakuul and are technically under a cease-fire, but that doesn't stop them from quietly trying to eliminate one another. As long as tributes are paid on time, Arcann allows the fighting to continue.

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.state_of_the_galaxy

→ zakuul_thrillseeking

Zakuul Society: Thrillseeking

Raised in comfort and safety, Zakuulans want for nothing. But despite leading easy lives of intellectual and creative pursuits, they occasionally feel compelled to seek out less high-minded excitement.

Oldtown offers an opportunity for Spire citizens to enter another world and indulge their need for exhilaration. Many Zakuulans have paid at least one visit to cheer at the gladiator pits or sample the red light district. Countless more simply venture down to tour the seedy streets and thrill to the distasteful and the taboo.

The key to Zakuulan thrill-seeking is to never face any real danger. Though Spire residents flock to the delightfully seedy Oldtown, they avoid the truly treacherous Breaktown below it.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16141110623579443940

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.zakuul_thrillseeking

→ zakuulan_wealth

Zakuulan Wealth

To bring a society from oppressive tribalism into a glorious golden era requires significant funding. When Emperor Valkorion began his project, he funneled wealth from the Sith Empire into Zakuul, effectively robbing one empire to fund another. As Valkorion's grand society blossomed, the Eternal Empire turned its view outward, conquering planets and claiming their resources. By the time the Republic and Sith Empire fell, Zakuul had amassed the greatest fortune in the galaxy.

Much of it is channeled directly into Zakuul--expansion of the Eternal Fleet, lavish updates to the Spire, generous gifts to the citizens--but the Empire's treasure is so great, it couldn't possibly be spent entirely. The bulk now sits idle aboard the massive treasury called the Gilded Star, serving as a symbol of Zakuul's status--and a reminder of the Eternal Empire's power.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16141110623579443940

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.lore.kotfe.zakuulan_wealth

Category:	Lore
Related planet:	16141110623579443940 – not found
Unlockable by:	all classes
Faction:	Both
XP level:	1

Added with:	Patch 4.0.0
Global ID:	16141177433531219577
Codex ID:	3146
FQN:	cdx.lore.kotfe.zakuul_religion
Star Wars name:	The Old Ways of Zakuul
Other languages:	Die alten Bräuche von Zakuul Les anciennes voies de Zakel
Other sites:	TORCommunity

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