Faction Lore: Dark Council



Shortly after the Battle of Naboo, Yoda said, "Always two there are -- no more, no less: A master and an apprentice." He was referring to the Rule of Two instigated by Darth Bane at the end of the New Sith Wars. In this organizational structure, the apprentice answered to the master and the master answered to no one. During the era of Star Wars: The Old Republic we know that there were numerous apprentices, each with a master that guided their training. The hierarchy, however, did not end there. These masters answered to the feared Dark Council on Dromund Kaas.
The Dark Vision


Over a thousand years before the Treaty of Coruscant, the Sith began to rebuild their defeated empire and the Emperor shared his vision for the future. Part of his plans included the creation of a Dark Council to oversee the restructuring and consolidation of the Empire's resources. The group consisted of twelve Sith Lords and resided in the Citadel in Kaas City, the Imperial capital. The circular chamber walls lined with angular recesses where the individual members stood separated from each other and had a holoprojector accessible at its center where all could see the Emperor's mighty visage.



The Dark Council met with the Republic dignitaries to discuss peace when Darth Malgus lead the assault that brought Coruscant to its knees. Once they signed the treaty, the Lords returned to Dromund Kaas. Shortly thereafter, the Emperor isolated himself and left control of his Empire in the hands of the Dark Council. As Bane discovered centuries later -- a discovery that lead him to establish the Rule of Two -- a group of Sith given equal power is a toxic formula. When the Emperor departed, he left the twelve members to argue over the power structure of the Empire. One can only imagine the political intrigue lurking in the shadows of the Citadel's dark corridors.


Dark Perceptions


Known members included Darth Howl, Darth Jadus, Darth Marr, Darth Vowrawn, and an unnamed skeletal female Dark Lord. Shrouded in mystery, most of them went to great lengths to hide their faces from any Sith Lord brought before them. Many of the council members wore masks to cover their faces. It is unknown if this was merely cosmetic, was used to instill fear in the lower ranks, or was a tactic to disguise their identities.



The members were the only Sith to have the privilege of seeing the Emperor's true face, but they were not originally privy to the entirety of their ruler's plan. Twenty-five years before the Treaty of Coruscant a Sith Acolyte named Teneb Kel discovered information about part of the Emperor's dark plan on a mission for the Dark Council. Kel's prey, the traitorous Exal Kressh revealed to him that the Emperor planned to "hollow out" numerous initiates and force his will upon them in order to create an army made up of his extended self. In return for this information, Kel demanded that the Dark Council grant him the title of Dark Lord.


A Dark Future


Now that the council has set up a powerful Imperial military, they have begun to focus their energy on recruiting new Sith Acolytes to help them carry out their goals and do their bidding. It is unknown how one of these acolytes ascends to become a member of the Dark Council. Theories suggest that an acolyte's primary goal is to become the apprentice of a council member. One can assume that the apprentice would one day take his or her master's place when the vacancy presented itself by natural or not-so-natural means. Will your character's actions catch the eye of a member of the Dark Council? Will a council member seek your assistance in usurping power from the other members? Will your ambition drive you to gain the council's favor no matter the cost, or will you search for a way to disrupt their plans in favor of your own agenda for the betterment of the Sith Empire?

Sources:
http://www.swtor.com/info/holonet/allegiances/sith-empire
http://www.swtor.com/info/holonet/planets/dromund-kaas
http://www.swtor.com/info/holonet/allegiances/sith-lords
http://www.swtor.com/info/holonet/timeline/treaty-coruscant
http://www.swtor.com/info/holonet/timeline/rebirth-sith-empire
http://www.swtor.com/media/webcomics/blood-of-the-empire
http://darthhater.com/2010/07/21/fatal-alliance-out-now-in-hardback/
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Council

Comments

  • Mufler's avatar
    Nerf Herder
    • Posts: 1
    #16 Mufler Posted 5/21/2011 12:49:04 PM
    Was just wondering why Daniel Erickson said in an interview that Dark Council would be in Korriban (at 3:10)
    - http://moseisleyradio.com/2011/03/19/open-bounty-004-daniel-erickson/ -
  • alexsau91's avatar
    Gamorrean Thug
    • Posts: 56
    #17 alexsau91 Posted 5/23/2011 11:37:35 AM
    Perhaps because they people who can travel and be in more than only one location? At some point the Sith-players travel from Korriban to Dromund Kaas, brilliant isn't it - proves that it can be done.

    In Threat of Peace Darth Baras meets with the Dark Council on Korriban. In Blood of the Empire Teneb Kel meets with the Dark Council on Dromund Kaas.
  • Swordwalker28's avatar
    Nerf Herder
    • Posts: 10
    #13 Swordwalker28 Posted 5/19/2011 9:29:06 AM
    This is awesomesauce! One question, anyone know if its possible to ascend to the dark council or something? The holonet has for the inquisitor in aurabesh "dark council aspirant" and then this here "will you do anything to be a member" etc
  • DarthShnooky's avatar
    Dark Lord
    • Posts: 345
    #14 DarthShnooky Posted 5/19/2011 1:37:15 PM
    My guess is that you will not actually be able to become a member of the Dark Council. It is, after all, only supposed to have a handful of members. I imagine that BW will keep the two Councils as story elements to drive players of each side in an effort to earn a place on the Council. But you can't really have thousands or millions of people on each Council. If everyone ends up on the Council as a story element, then it kind of loses its cool.

    They could make it very limited. Like say the #1 PvPer on each side is a member of the Council. But that would create a lot of headaches and issues with the, seemingly, endless "casual vs hardcore" debate. In the end, i think it's easier for them to keep the Councils as story factors that provide a goal we can never quite reach. Sort of the ultimate carrot on a stick.
  • alexsau91's avatar
    Gamorrean Thug
    • Posts: 56
    #15 alexsau91 Posted 5/19/2011 4:31:15 PM
    That won't happen. If you join the Dark Council in game it will be a story element just as Daniel Erikson said that the titles 'Darth' and 'Lord' would be.

    They won't have it as a one-single player award. Remember that despite being an MMO, it is set in the Star Wars universe and being developed by the story based BioWare. Being Star Wars it needs to fit into the timeline, and for that BioWare have written 8 stories for 8 Star Wars characters - since their not going to interpret every player as a different star wars character. Ie the Sith Inquisitor is ONE Character (like Revan and the Exile) - but being played online by thousands of people in very different ways.

    Your theory is that the Council is a community system when we already know that its a story system, if a player joins the council it will be part of the story - they won't be able to preside over other players meetings with the Councils.

    If the Sith Inquisitor page has "aspirant to the Dark Council' then it is entirely possible, we can't say one way or another - what we can say with 99% certaintly is that it will be a story based reward obtainable by every player if they do everything required rather than a reward for best PVPer on a server.
  • darthuser2806's avatar
    Spice Runner
    • Posts: 187
    #12 darthuser2806 Posted 5/18/2011 9:59:13 PM
    Having known only a small fraction of this information, I really enjoyed the background. I love these little snipets of lore, specifically because I know nothing of the EU. Thank you DH.
  • darthuser3060's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 64
    #6 darthuser3060 Posted 5/18/2011 7:41:27 PM
    isn't the Dark Council on korriban and the emperor on Reimund Kaas?
  • DarthShnooky's avatar
    Dark Lord
    • Posts: 345
    #7 DarthShnooky Posted 5/18/2011 7:56:28 PM
    http://www.swtor.com/info/holonet/planets/dromund-kaas

    Clearly states in the Overview that the council is on Dromund Kaas with the Emperor. Korriban is where the Sith Academy is located for training new Sith apprentices. Also tombs and other ruins from the Golden Age Sith Empire -- little modern political infrastructure, however, as far as i know. Most of the military leaders and politicians of the Empire are on Dromund Kaas.
  • Trusin's avatar
    Gamorrean Thug
    • Posts: 54
    #5 Trusin Posted 5/18/2011 5:45:45 PM
    ya lol i was just asking questions about the sith... Great work DH. On a side note I look forward to playing a Sith then a Jedi because all the knowledge I have of Star Wars comes from the movie and they don't exactly say a lot about the Sith.
  • Ghost's avatar
    Spice Runner
    • Posts: 119
    #3 Ghost Posted 5/18/2011 5:13:13 PM
    but are they dark?
  • LuckyArc's avatar
    Dark Lord
    • Posts: 307
    #8 LuckyArc Posted 5/18/2011 8:05:21 PM
    Sufficiently so.
  • DH_Sghetti's avatar
    Gamorrean Thug
    • Posts: 44
    #9 DH_Sghetti Posted 5/18/2011 8:51:03 PM
    And they have cookies.
  • Baelor's avatar
    Spice Runner
    • Posts: 194
    #10 Baelor Posted 5/18/2011 9:25:20 PM
    Filled with hate. And chocolate chips.

    I am the light that brings the dawn.

  • DarthShnooky's avatar
    Dark Lord
    • Posts: 345
    #11 DarthShnooky Posted 5/18/2011 9:36:31 PM
    The chocolate chips contain Potassium Benzoate!



    ....that's bad.
  • MrSonatch's avatar
    Nerf Herder
    • Posts: 7
    #2 MrSonatch Posted 5/18/2011 4:43:35 PM
    I like it, thx.
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