Star Wars: Echoes of Dathomir

Prologue - 43BBY - All About Dathomir

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

Part 1. The youngling years

The Galactic Republic. A democratic federal union of many governments that came together for the betterment of the galaxy. For thousands of years, it has worked to unite the many planets and governments within the galaxy, reaching from its very center on Coruscant in the core regions, all the way out to the lesser-known regions of the "Outer Rim". Some Outer rim planets refuse the rule of the republic. Some are too far for the Republic to care about truly, while others do not wish to be under the control of another government, and thus seclude themselves from being a part of the republic's greater rule.

It would be on one of these planets that our story begins. Far from the reaches of the republic and its senate, sitting just beyond the mid-rim in the space of the outer rim known as the Quelli sector, sits the planet of Dathomir. A remote planet with few neighbors, Dathomir is shrouded in deep mystery and myth. It is also known as "The Rancor planet", a name that would keep even the bravest of adventurers from daring to land on its surface, lest they be forced to tangle with such terrifying beasts.

The planet's surface is colored a deep red that is reminiscent of the color of fresh blood, a reflection of the bright red sun it slowly orbits. The red mist that filled the spaces between its trees and flowed down the side of its various mountains could be as thick as blood. The surface is made up mostly of swamplands and forests, of which its inhabitants made themselves at home. While the planet once held an abundance of life forms, many have been either wiped out or forced off the planet by the now two dominant species of the world.

One of these species was comprised of the Rancors, the beast from which the planet's nickname comes. Huge, deadly beasts known throughout the galaxy for their terror. Standing at around 5 meters tall, the Rancors were known for using their immense strength and sharp jaws to wreak havoc and destruction on anyone or anything they deemed a threat. Though Rancors can be benign creatures, the ones on Dathomir are known for their viciousness and brutality. Some even believe there may be sentient Rancors living on Dathomir.

The arrival of the second species to the planet remains shrouded in mystery, with some legends suggesting that the male members were a band of banished outlaws who journeyed from Iridonia and established themselves on Dathomir. The precise origins of the female members of this species, however, remain unclear. Over generations of intermingling, the two factions have now coalesced into a single species, albeit with distinct subgroups.

The males, known as "Nightbrothers", shared similar characteristics with the Zabraks from the planet Iridonia. The females however varied greatly from the female Zabraks on Iridonia. These females called themselves the "Nightsisters". These two groups lived quite separately from one another, only interacting when the act of mating was required. The females also differed greatly from their male counterparts, in more ways than one.

The Nightbrothers came in various sizes and colors. They grow horns from their heads, much as the Iridonian Zabraks do. They also cover themselves in tattoos, often to show familial ties and to show off accomplishments. Trained from a young age to become great worriers, they often spend much time fighting among one another for dominance over the clan and to prove themselves as worthy mating partners for the Nightsisters. Some of these Nightbrothers would even develop the ability to use the force, though this was rare.

The Nightsisters lacked the colorful skin tones of their male counterparts. Their skin, for unknown reasons, was much paler and whiter. They also lacked the head horns that are often prominent on Zabraks. The only similarity they seem to share is a cultural love for combat and tattoos, with many adults of both genders adorning their bodies and faces with various markings and tattoos.

Another difference between the Nightsisters and Nightbrothers is the sister's ability to access and use "magicks". Drawing from the natural magical ichor that flows freely through Dathomir, the sisters can achieve incredible magics and abilities, much like those able to wield and use the Force. Those strongest in the magics were known as the "Witches" of their clan. These sisters held more power than others and were generally also the leaders of their clans.

Those less connected to the magics often trained themselves in the art of combat and weaponry. Over many years, the Nightsisters came to create various weapons, such as light whips and light bows. Although not particularly skilled in the creation of weapons, once in hand, any weapon was quickly mastered and integrated into the regular combat training routine.

The Nightsisters and Nightbrothers only ever interacted for the purpose of mating. When the population dips to a certain number, a group of females, generally the strongest of warriors and those with a powerful connection to the magics were to be taken to an agreed meeting place. There, they would meet with the strongest of warriors from the Nightbrother clan. After the act of mating and given time to pass for the child to be born, its fate will be determined by its gender.

Males are given to the father and taken back to its Nightbrother clan, to be raised and trained as a warrior with the other males. If the child is female, it will be taken back to the Nightsister clan its mother belongs to. Rarely has this rule been ignored, save for the child of Talzin, a male who was allowed to live with his mother until he was sadly stolen away from her. Some say the boy possessed a connection to their magics, which made the Mother want to keep him at her side.

Despite the many myths and legends 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 fantasy and fiction, created to protect some great treasure the planet must hold. Pirates, smugglers, treasure hunters, and those of the like would occasionally head to Dathomir in search of riches and wealth, only to be greeted with death and the destruction of themselves.

Often, they would find out just how wrong they were only mere moments after landing their ship upon Dathomir's red and foggy surface. If they managed to survive or avoid the many Rancors or various creatures 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 its many warriors.

It would be during one of these such events that 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.

She would grow to become one of the most dangerous, yet interesting Jedi to ever grace the galaxy. And her fight would start, entirely unbeknownst to her, with the sound of a lightsaber.