Star Wars: Echoes of Dathomir

Prologue - 43BBY - All About Dathomir

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

     It is a time of mostly peace across the galaxy. Many worlds feel safe and secure within the rule of the Galactic Republic, since residing in republic space allowed its government to provide protection and supplies to those under its care. Though these worlds would count as only a fraction to the many that took up the rest of the galaxy, some falling into other areas controlled by less helpful ruling bodies, like the Hutts. Others would find themselves far out in the area of space known to many as the "Outer rim", a mostly ungoverned and unlawful area that reached out to the unknown and often less traveled areas of the galaxy.

     It would be on one of these such planets that our story begins. Far from the reaches of the republic, sitting just beyond the Mid rim in the space of the Outer rim known as the Quelli sector, sits the planet of Dathomir. Dathomir is a remote planet, known to some by the nickname of "The Rancor planet". The planet's surface is colored a deep red and is very hostile and unwelcoming to most forms of life, be it sentient or not. While it once held an abundance of life forms, most of those species have been either wiped out or forced off planet by two species that would come to work together to make themselves the dominant ones of the planet.

     One species was comprised of the Rancors, a large and well-known deadly beast. Standing at around 5 meters tall, the Rancors were known for using their immense strength and sharp jaws to wreak havoc and destruction onto anything or anyone they deemed as a threat. Interestingly enough, Rancors were once a mostly benign and peaceful creature. Their behavior and nature were changed by the other sentient species that were working to make Dathomir their new home.

     The main sentients of the planet were comprised of two groups. One group, entirely made of Zabrak males, were known as the "Nightbrothers." The other group, who ruled over the Nightbrothers and worked to learn to control the rancors, were known as the "Nightsisters". Nightsisters came in a variety of looks. Some were born with fair white hair. Others were born with hair black as the Dathomirian Night. Some were born with skin as pure and white as the snow on Hoth, while others had almost the skin tone of a pale human. Each sister was as unique as the next, with many opting to change their looks further by tattooing various symbols and designs on their face and body,

     The colors of their eyes ranged from clan to clan, with some colors being more prevalent due to the genes being passed down. Colors could range from Icy blue to deep violet purple, and if a female baby was found to be born with bright green eyes she would be seen as luckier than the rest, as green was considered a sacred color to the witches. 

     Some of these Nightsisters were capable of amazing powers, which they called their "Magicks". To other beings in the universe, this power is known as the Force. The Force is a Mystical energy, which binds and connects everything in the universe with one another.

     Some use the Force for good, like the famous jedi, being called users of the "Light side".

     Others had been known to use the Force for evil, such as the quest for power and control over others. These users of the "Dark side" of the force were known as the "Sith", a race of dark force users that had been long since wiped out thanks to the Jedi.

     The Nightsisters of Dathomir would come to develop their own ways of using this force energy. It fell within a middle ground of the Force, an area that was grayer than a "Light" or "Dark". Those who could wield these Magicks better than others were known as the "Witches" of the Nightsister tribes. These Witches would often show immense powers and capabilities, honing and working on them to better be able to protect their villages from those who would be foolish enough to call themselves their enemies.

     The Sisters also worked to create weapons that could be used to protect the clans further as technology from other planets inevitably arrived with those who would wish to exploit the planet's resources. The Witches of the clans found themselves able to domesticate the Rancors of the region using their mysterious abilities, using them as tools to help rid the planet of unwanted visitors and pests.

     Those few who knew of the witches' existence on Dathomir would often question how exactly they are able to reproduce if there are no males in the tribe. This question could easily be answered by looking to the other side of the planet. There one could find villages of Zabrak men, horned and often tattooed heavily across their bodies. These men were known as the "Nightbrothers", and they seemed to live entirely separate from the Nightsisters.

     The Nightbrother clans knew of the Sisters and their powers, and when confronted by them over territory or the need for males for breeding, the Brothers often knew better than to try and fight the Sisters off. The Witches of each clan were often the first to breed, wanting to pass on their abilities and powers into a female child. If a male was born, it would be sent back to the village with the Nightbrother it was bred from, being raised among the rest.

     If the child was female, she would be then be kept by the Sisters and raised among their ranks. If the baby showed signs of being able to wield the mysterious Magicks, they would be separated from the other children and raised differently, learning to control the Magicks and all the powers they possess rather than simple defense techniques.

     Unlike the Dark side of the force that some in the galaxy know of, The Witches Magicks were not inherently evil. Often the Witches would only use their Magicks in hopes of protecting their village and fellow Sisters from unwelcome visitors, unlike The Dark Side users who more often than not used their powers only for seeking power and control over others.

     Despite the many stories and rumors of Witches and Magicks that surround Dathomir, all manner of beings would still find themselves heading to the dark planet in search of what they believe to be hidden treasures. Some believed that the stories of mystical forces and sentient Rancors were nothing but myth and legend, created to protect some great treasure the planet must hold. Pirates, Smugglers, Treasure hunters and those of a many a foul breed would head to Dathomir, believing whatever was living there wouldn't be as bad as the stories had made them sound.

     Many would usually find out just how wrong they were only mere moments after landing their ship upon Dathomir's red and foggy surface. Often the sounds of their ships entering the normally quiet atmosphere would put nearby villages and groups of Rancors on Alert. If they managed to survive or avoid the many Rancors that live out in the less inhabited areas of the planet, they would often find themselves eventually entering a Nightsister village, where they would be dealt with swiftly by the many warriors who inhabited the area. Only on the occasion did the Enemy show up with a new weapon of some sort, the technology of which would throw the Sisters off guard and cause many casualties among the villagers before being taken down by the mighty power of the Witches and warriors.

     During one of these such events however, one Nightsister village would find themselves completely outmatched. Even as a surprising ally would appear seemingly just in time, only one of the villagers would survive the battle.

     That last remaining villager would grow to become one of balance, someone who would have to find a way to balance both sides of the force within herself. And this is her story.