Teepo Paladins The Teepo Jedi are fairly new in the long history of the Jedi tradition. They are a small, but fanatical branch of the Jedi order. They were founded around the same time that the Blaster became the common sidearm by a Twi'lek master named Nars Teepo. Nars Teepo had a very odd view on life for a Jedi master. He believed in change. He did not think the traditions should remain so static. He believed that the Jedi should change with the times and adopt the use of blaster weapons. This wasn't accepted by the Jedi community and Teepo was shunned from the order for what was assumed to be embracing the Dark side. Teepo took this very hard and took on the life of a hermit dropping from the face of the universe, but he continued to apply his knowledge to the study of the blaster and its applications. Many of his old friends and companions in the order refusing to let their friend, a distinguished master, fall to the Dark side traveled to him in hopes of convincing Teepo to change his ways. His fanaticism got the better of many of them. He could not be swayed, but instead had many new converts to his ideas. With this new influx of Masters and students the school flourished in a very isolated corner of the universe. Ignored by the rest of the Jedi community it grew but never overtook its humble beginnings. After many centuries, the Jedi's were called to fight a great evil. This great evil was such a threat that the old order swallowed its pride and called upon the Teepo's for help. The fought side by side as brothers in the Clone Wars only to be wiped out by Palpatine and Vader in the ensuing political chaos. The Teepo's were no more safe than the Jedi's of old. Many masters hid, but were sought out and destroyed. The only thing that kept the smaller school alive was the hermitic tradition of its founder. Many students and Masters were in hiding from the outset of the Clone Wars and this saved them in the massacres that followed. Along with following the Jedi code, the Teepo's have some basic rules that they abide. 1. Never draw your blaster without being drawn upon first. 2. Aggression is the Dark side. It should never be consorted with. Be at perfect peace and harmony before acting. Even if it means being killed. A Teepo Paladin never acts in anger or hate. (This may seem to be a restatement of the Jedi code, but the Teepo's take it far more seriously. It has been said that some Paladins have been killed without even moving a muscle simply because they could not control their anger. Of course, these are the truly fanatical.) 3. Never use a lightsaber (Nars Teepo was very clear about this. He made it Teepo law that they should never touch one. This seems to be a remnant of his scorn for the knights who dismissed him. (This rule is worthy of some debate since Jedi, by definition, do not scorn). Along with these rules there are some unstated regulations of the Teepo order. The Teepo never use Heavy blasters, or anything stronger. They never conceal a carried weapon (it is a symbol of who they are). They never wear armor of any kind (except a blast helmet,). The Teepo also endorse all aspects of the Jedi Code. The Teepo prefer to call themselves Paladins, not Knights. This has something to do with distinction between regular Jedi. They are still Jedi, of course. Some very adept Teepo have been known to wear blindfolds at all times. They use their powers to see the force and what it surrounds. During the Clone Wars many of the great Teepo began wearing blast helmets with the face shields welded shut so they could not see. It is the mark of a true Teepo master to actually do this. The more novice students would never wear helmets (it goes against the armor regulation), but many Masters say it is in the tradition of change that the order was founded. Also some Teepo have been known to wield two blasters at once. This is also a mark of status and ability.
The Guides This was the Cestian term for those dashta eels that grew to maturity from fertilized eggs. Unfertilized eggs grew into immature eels that never reached adulthood. Like all dahsta eels, the Guides lived beneath the surface of the planet Ord Cestus, hidden in grottoes beneath the Dashta Mountains. The X'Ting and human workers who were forced to labor for the Five Families believed that the mature, Force-sensitive Guides provided them with guidance in their lives, and devoutly maintained the secrecy of the location of the dashta eel pools. The original dashta eels retreated into the grottoes of the Dashta Mountains to avoid the struggle for survival that occurred on the planet's surface. They remained isolated until the Cestians began to settle in the caves of the nearby Zantay Hills, when they gladly gave their friendship to the newcomers. Often, the loyalty of an individual was tested by forcing them to place their arm inside a heavy, sand-reed basket. Rather than placing a poisonous creature in the basket, the Cestians placed several dashta eels. If the being under scrutiny could be trusted, the eels simply allowed the hand to be extracted. If a being proved devious or otherwise unworthy of trust, the eels viciously attacked the arm. Because the Guides and their immature brethren were highly attuned to the emotions of the Cestians, they gladly turned over some of the immature eels for use in creating the "living circuitry" of the JK-series of security droids. The Guides believed that, once the Cestians were accepted into the wider galactic community, they would be much happier. This communal friendship and love was noted for its healing influence on the Cestians, who kept their location a secret. However, the Guides had only given permission for their sterile young to be used in defensive droids only. The altering of the JK-series droids' programming for combat confused the Guides, who wondered why other beings could not understand their desires. They were scared that the immature eels would go mad from trying to comprehend the order to kill another being, and lost a measure of trust in their humanoid companions. In the wake of the destruction of the Five Families, the Guides fled into the deeper caverns with the dashta eels, and were not seen again.
The Potentium As Jedi learn more about the Force, they frequently form their own theories about how and why it works. They question how, if the Force creates and sustains all life, it can have a dark side. Some arrive at the erroneous conclusion that the Force is not divided into dark and light - that there is only the Force, and its energy is inherently positive, despite the use to which it is sometimes put. Those who believe in this theory feel that no "dark side" waits to corrupt them for daring to explore the limits of the Force any more than monsters wait beyond the galactic rim to devour starships. To them, the Jedi theory of the Force is just one way to perceive this potent life-energy, and the training and discipline the Jedi employ to reinforce their perspective only serves to justify the existence of the Jedi Order. Seeking another answer, these self-styled philosophers relabel the Force something that fits their perception of it - "the Potentium" is but one example - and attempt to explore their philosophy as far as possible. Some come perilously close to the dark side before other Jedi patiently bring them back from the brink. These "heresies" are fortunately rare, for, if unchecked, they can produce dangerously powerful Dark Jedi. Sadly, those who follow this line of reasoning straight to the dark side rarely perceive the danger, believing that they are making new discoveries that the Jedi were afraid to explore. Some come back from the dark side willingly when they see the error of their ways. Some refuse to renounce their mistaken beliefs and must be exiled to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Some must be, regrettably, destroyed. The core of this theory asserts that their is no distinction between the light and dark side. It claims that both aspects of the Force are the same energy viewed from different perspectives. Its adherents theorize that using dark side powers (Fear, Force Grip, Force Lightning, and so on) in the service of good still serves the cause of good, and doing so cannot actually lead a person to want to use the Force for evil. They question why using a Lightsaber to strike down an opponent is any different from using the Force to choke the breath out of someone. What they fail to see - and what the Jedi so dilligently try to establish - is that being a Jedi is not about exploring the limits of the Force, but about using what is already known to protect peace and justice. Jedi students should concentrate on learning how to use the Force, and leave careful exploration to the Jedi Masters. A being's position with in the Potentium - which was at once the beginning and the end of all things - could not be obscured by training and discipline. Those who followed the Potentium belief claimed that the Jedi Masters of the Old Republic rejected its existence because accepting it would mean accepting that they weren't needed to combat evil. About a hundred years before the Battle of Naboo, the followers of the Potentium were forced out of the Jedi Order. The discovery of the living planet Zonama Sekot led many followers of the Potentium theory to believe that Sekot itself was the embodiment of the Living Force, created to safeguard its purity.
The Reborn The Reborn are a group of Force-imbued warriors in the employ of the Dark Jedi Desann and the Imperial Remnant. Formerly Imperial soldiers and other lackeys, Desann used the power of the Valley of the Jedi to transform ordinary soldiers into lightsaber-wielding Dark Jedi. Though the process by which they were given their powers is highly experimental, it is speculated that the use of already-loyal soldiers (brainwashed) allows Desannt to control his legions of Reborn much more easily than he would formally trained Dark Jedi. Though each Reborn is unique and possesses their own special talents and abilities, they fall into three generic categories: Apprentices, Knights, and Masters, ranks based on the power of the Jedi whose spirits infused them with their Force ability. These dark disciples are pawns in the Remnants bid to amass an army of Force imbued dark acolytes. The Reborn are an unstoppable force; an evil instrument to bring back the ideals of the Emperor, the ways of the Sith and the Empire itself. In battle, the Reborn employ Force powers, lightsabers, and personal shielding.
The Tyia A philosophy brought to the planet Revyia some 30 years before the Battle of Yavin by a trader. The Tyia holds a strong regard for life and peace, which struck a chord with the Revwien race. It has been described as an alterate method of coming to know The Force, as the Tyia teaches that introspective reflection is the way to learn the true way of the universe. Students learn to control their own personal Force (known as the Tyia) through meditation and ceremony.
The Wyrd This group of Force-attuned Tarasin drew their strength from the Dark Side of the Force. The Wyrd was essentially a terrorist group, preying upon Tarasin and offworlder settlements and stealing supplies and children. As the Clone Wars dragged on, the activities of The Wyrd became more obvious and frequent, and many believed that they had become allied with the Sith.
Theran Listeners The members of this cult of Force-sensitive individuals could sometimes hear the voices of the Spook crystals through the Force. Found mainly on the planet Nam Choris, they were the latter-day versions of the prophet Theras, and often had healing powers as well as insight and foresight.
Upland Liberation Front This was the name used by the Korunnai guerillas who fought to free their people from the oppression of the Balawai, during the years following the Clone Wars. Often referred to as the ULF, this band was believed to have crystallized around the rogue Jedi Knight, Depa Billaba, and spiritual leader Kar Vastor just after the Battle of Geonosis. In order to draw the attention of Mace Windu and the rest of the Old Republic, the leaders of the ULF put together a scene of wanton death and torture, then recorded the entire scene and placed a data wafer with the recordings into the mouth of a dead woman. With a carefully placed tip to the Republic's Intelligence agency, they managed to achieve their goal of bringing Windu back to Haruun Kal. What Master Windu discovered, though, was that the ULF was barely clinging to its own existence, reduced to staging raids on Balawai outposts just to acquire food and medical supplies. The ULF was being held together by the sheer will of Kar Vastor, who had become the lor pelek of legend. Disease and the jungle were claiming as many Korunnai victims as the Balawai gunships that patrolled the jungles. When Mace Windu finally met up with Depa Billaba, she revealed that the ULF was just a name she had created to help garner attention for the plight of the Korunnai. The illusion of the ULF was meant to force the Balawai militia to expend huge amounts of resources trying to pin down leaders and resources, looking for patterns they believed any organized resistance would employ. The fact of the matter, though, was that the ULF was simply a clan of surviving Korunnai who used guerilla tactics in an effort to avoid extinction. Every member of the clan, being Korunnai, were naturally Force-sensitive
Wild Knights This group of Force-sensitive Barabels remained separated from the Jedi Knights during the early decades of the New Republic. Their isolation was self-imposed, and based on a fear of the xenophobia of Emperor Palaptine. For a short time, they were trained by the Jedi Knight Eelysa, who was on Barab I on an intelligence-gathering mission. However, when the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy and threatened all forms of life, the Wild Knights decided that it was time to end their self-imposed exile and help the Jedi. Saba Sebatyne made the first move, sending three students to join Luke Skywalker at Eclipse. They flew a collection of well-maintained but battle-scarred Y-Wings, but were also well-skilled in the control of an X-Wing. In the wake of the Battle of Coruscant, the ranks of the Wild Knights were augmented by Danni Quee, whose expertise on the gravitic technology of the Yuuzhan Vong was invaluable in battle.
Witches of Dathomir Three to four millenia ago, a Jedi Knight by the name of Allya was sent to the planet Dathomir to live out the rest of her life in obscurity, away from the Jedi Council and their code which she defied more than once. Other prisoners were sent to this planet as well; men and women who broke the laws of the Galactic Republic by pirating, slaving, smuggling, murdering, and so forth. Many of those who came before Allya died due to the hordes of rancors that inhabited the planet. The small humans were tasty tidbits to the giant beasts and, until Allya came along to tame the beasts with her Force abilities, hundreds were meals for the rancors. Allya tamed the rancors and had become an icon and hero to some of the prisoners, who soon let her be their leader in orangizing themselves to survive in the wilds of this planet. Those who opposed Allya's rule were either banished to try to survive elsewhere or eaten by the rancors that served Allya faithfully. Hence, the matriarchal society of the Dathomirian witches began. Allya taught her three daughters how to use the force through the use of chants to focus their abilities. Allya, unfortunately died when her oldest daughter was 16 seasons old. Allya's bones lay at the bottom of Crystal Lake just outside of the Singing Mountain range. The daughters were ages 16, 14 and 13 seasons old and ruled by their mother's example: rancor threats and their Force strong abilities, which were relatively wild and uncontrolled. The two younger sisters took a group of younger "common" folk when they decided they no longer wished to be under their older sister's rule. The elder of the two moved to the north of the Singing Mountian range and the younger moved to the east of the Singing Mountain range. As the daughters grew older, they took on mates, initiating their first mating rituals and bringing about the first inkling of distinguishment of mate and slave. Daughters and sons were born of these daughters of Allya and only the daughters were taught the teachings Allya passed onto them. Hence the ritual of only Force taught women allowed to practice "magic." Each area the followers or groups under Allya's daughters moved to was named due to its distinctive attributes. Those who remained there and made it a flourishing and livable environment formed clans beneath a "witch" who would protect the clan of people and bless them with more Force strong "witches." The number of "witches" allowed in a clan was never limited, but the number of those who could effectively work with the Force were few to begin with and therefore this never became an issue. Some of the clans split off from each other over time due to political and social differences. Approximately 40 odd years before the current time, Palpatine discovered the planet and used it as a prison planet to place the political prisoners who opposed his rule. He made the discovery of the Nightsisters--Dathomirian witches who were cast out of their home clans due to their dark use of their "magic"-- and for awhile wished to utilize them for his own dark purposes, but soon found that Gethzerion and her followers were too wild and uncontrollable and interdicted the planet. It was rumored that Emperor Palpatine was afraid of the Nightsisters and feared if they were ever able to get off the planet, his life and position would be in jeopardy. Four years after the fall of the Empire, Dathomir was visited by Rebel Alliance heroes: Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia. The events that included these heroes soon led the Witches of Dathomir to freedom from Warlord Zsinj and the group of Nightsisters under the leadership of the evil Gethzerion. After this victory, the Singing Mountain Clan Mother Augwyne was given the deed to Dathomir after giving Han Solo several baskets full of precious gems and helping him to get his ship, the Millennium Falcon, back and repaired. Once this happened, Augwyne's granddaughter, Teneniel Djo, was considered a princess and left Dathomir to marry the Hapan Consortium's Prince Isolder. After much negotiating, Dathomir became a member of the New Republic as well as a member of the Hapan Consortium through the marriage of Teneniel Djo and Prince Isolder. From then on, the whole of Dathomir was under the leadership of Mother Augwynne of the Singing Mountain clan.
Yashuvhi This branch of mainline human stock was cut off from the rest of the galaxy many millennia before the Galactic Civil War. A Jedi Knight and his crew were exploring the Unknown Regions when an accident brought their ship out of hyperspace. The crew survived, and settled on the planet Yashuvhu. Lacking the technology to repair the ship, the Jedi and the crew were cut off from the rest of the galaxy but nonetheless managed to survive and prosper. The descendents of the original crew were all sensitive to the Force, having the Jedi as their main forebears. The Yashuvhi were discovered by the crew of the Pathfinder III during the century leading up to the Battle of Naboo.
Yrashu Society The Yrashu are very tall, green, bald, primitives who dwell in Baskarn's lethal jungles. Despite their bold and brutish shape, the Yrashu are - with very few exceptions - a very gentle species, at one with their jungle environment, and create ceremonial maces from the roots of the Hmumfmumf tree. They eat the Mmhmm butterflies as a source of food. The Yrashu speak a strange language that mostly consists of "mm" and "schwa" sounds. The jungles of Baskarn are a very rigorous environment that can overcome and kill the unwary within moments. The Yrashu are well-adapted to their environment and are perfectly safe in it. Here, despite their low levels of technology, they are masters. The Yrashu are sensitive to the Force and as a result have a very open and loving disposition to all things. Taking a life is the worst thing one can do and Yrashu do not kill unless the need is very great. However, some of the Yrashu, called "The Low," are tainted by the dark side of the Force. They are tolerated but looked down upon as delinquents and persons of low character. It is the only class distinction the Yrashu make. They have not been integrated into galactic society, and have not yet made contact with the Empire. Yrashu will instinctively fight against the Empire because they can sense the Empire's ties to the dark side of the Force. They will also oppose stormtroopers or other beings dressed in white armor, because white is a color which symbolizes disease and death to the superstitious Yrashu.
Ysanna A tribe of Force-sensitives living on modern-day Ossus, the Ysanna all seem to be able to harness some amount of the Froce for their own use. These warrior-priests use The Force to guide their out-dated projectile weapons, helping them obtain food and defend themselves. Their history shows that they arrived on Ossus just following the Great Sith War, and survived the devastation wrought on the planet during the Clone Wars. The Ysanna seem to have a bond with the tree-like, ancient Jedi Master Ood Bnar, who also survived the planet's many trials and remains alive when Luke and Kam discover the Ysanna youths Jem and Rayf
Zeison Sha If there ever was a sect of Force-users built for survival under harsh conditions, it is the Zieson Sha. Nearly two millennia before the rise of the Empire, a group of families fleeing the wars between the Jedi and the Sith escaped to a remote Outer Rim planet known as Yanibar. The group consisted mostly of families and friends of Jedi, who were potentially targets of Sith attacks. The plan was to set up a home on the out-of-the-way world and wait for the Jedi to come for them once it was safe. However, the Jedi who set up the refuge were all killed in battle, and, as a result, the colony on Yanibar was left alone and forgotten. Yanibar was a harsh world of seasonal extremes - dry, blistering summers and frigid, wet winters. In the early years, the mixed group of beings stuggled for survival, and thousands succumbed to an environment so extreme and fickle that most would consider the planet uninhabitable. However, the blood of the Jedi was strong among the colonists, and over the years many learned to channel their Force abilities to adapt to and overcome the environmental hardships of their world. As the centuries passed, the original reason for colonizing Yanibar faded into myth. The Zeison Sha, unaware that their original protectors had been killed, began to see their isolation as abandonment by the Jedi. Over the generations, the Jedi came to be viewed not as protective but as uncaring. Having already become rugged and self-sufficient in their life's trials, the Zeison Sha developed a philosophy of self-reliance and rejection of the Jedi. What was once a colony full of Jedi descendants became the roots of a philosophy that rejected the Jedi as protectors and took it upon themselves to provide strength and solidarity for the inhabitants of the refuge. This philosophy, and the lessons taught by Yanibar's harsh environment, became the basis of a new Force tradition. The Force flowed easily through members of the society, and the Zeison Sha honed their skills to help the colony not only survive, but eventually to grow and prosper. After a few centuries, the planet's isolation lessened. It was discovered and occasionally visited by fringe traders. In time, Yanibar developed into an outpost between known space and the Unknown Regions. Visits were infrequent but grew over the course of decades. What was once a small settlement eventually became a well-populated fringe city and spaceport, though the inhabitants of the world still maintained a relative measure of anonymity. Some Zeison Sha, learning that the wars with the Sith were over, returned to the galaxy at large. They found, however, that the Jedi were all-too-eager to snatch their Force-sensitive children and turn them into disciples at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Many returned to Yanibar with angry stories of the Jedi, only bolstering the Zeison Sha's anti-Jedi philosophy. Those who continue to feel the need to travel the stars make sure to hide themselves from both the Jedi and, later, Darth Vader's hunting squads. The Yanibar colony is composed of a mix of Humans and non-Humans, but other species include Duros, Twi'lek, and Rodian's, to name a few. The diversity of species living on Yanibar increased as some colonists left the planet to explore the galaxy and made its presence known to others. The Zeison Sha focus their teachings on self-reliance and independence. Following their perceived abandonment by the Jedi, the Zeison Sha came to be completely self-sufficient, and passed on to their descendants the ideals that allowed them to survive such harsh conditions. The Zeison Sha philisophy centers on being able to take care of oneself and one's family, teaching not only autonomy but also ways to manipulate the Force for one's own defense.
In addition to the independance that is such a large part of their philosophy, the Zeison Sha encourage helping those in need; though each member of the community is expected to take care of himself, using one's powers to assist someone else is a noble and honorable pursuit. Those members of the Yanibar colony who had the blood of the Jedi flowing in their veins eventually formed a loosely organized tradition that allowed them to train future generations in the ways of the Force. The Zeison Sha use their talents to fend off the dangers native to Yanibar and defend those who cannot defend themselves. Whether protecting a home from a violent storm or fending off a pack of wild Voorcats terrorizing an outlying region, the Zeison Sha train to ward off any threats. The Zeison Sha are masters of telekinetic powers, and their training far surpasses that of many Jedi. Unfortunately, their philosophy of self-reliance has caused a number of losses to the dark side over the years. Self-sufficiency can quickly turn into selfishness, independance from the Jedi Order transforms into bitterness, and the incredible feats of telekinetic skill often lend themselves well to attack rather than defense. Dark Zeison Sha are not common, but every few years one or two trainees are lost to the dark side and must be turned back or eliminated.
Typically, a Force-sensitive parent is charged with teaching his or her son or daughter the ways of the Zeison Sha. When a Force-sensitive child is born to non-Zeison Sha parents, the youth is assigned to an experienced member of the organization for Force training while still remainnig at home to grow as an individual in a normal setting. An integral part of training is the use of the discblade, the chosen weapon of Zeison Sha warriors. The discblade is a focus for their discipline and telekinetic ability, and is a unique weapon that defines the Zeison Sha warriors as separate from the Jedi but powerful Force-users nonetheless. Most Force-based training of Zeison Sha warriors resolves around telekinetic ability: lifting large objects, protecting oneself (and others) from incoming projectiles, snatching objects from the hands of an enemy, and, of course, controlling the flight path of the discblade as it streaks towards a target. The Zeison Sha excel in powers that involve the manipulation of physical objects using the Force. They discovered for themselves a way to wrap the Force around their bodies so that they can resist damage from harmful objects. One power that gives the Zeison Sha warriors an edge in combat is the ability to make their discblades return to their hands when thrown; if he misses, a Zeison Sha can recover his weapon quickly and be prepared to hurl it again immediately. In fact, the sight of a Zeison Sha warrior hurling his discblade and having it return perfectly into his hand appears to be an amazing feat of athleticism when, in truth, it is little more than a logical application of the Force. They are masters of pushing, pulling, lifting, hurling, and smashing any perceived threats using the Force as an extension of their will. The Zeison Sha are capable of using telekinetic powers with such ease that it becomes almost second nature to them, and they are frequently able to perform tasks that normally seem difficult with an almost effortless grace. The most telented Force-users among the Zeison Sha become warriors. They use their telekinetic powers to their fullest and are experienced masters of the discblade weapon. Many of the beings from the Yanibar colony owe their lives to the vigilance of powerful Zeison Sha warriors, and many in the galaxy at large who have encountered Zeison Sha travelling the stars can attest to their prowess. Though a few Zeison Sha warriors have turned to the dark side of the Force, the movement has remained a presence on its homeworld and has survived over the years despite threats from both the Jedi and the Empire. The Zeison Sha warrior can imbue his or her discblade (a discblade the Zeison Sha wields personally) with the Force. It takes a few seconds to imbue the weapon wit the Force, and will drain the wielder very slightly for a small amount of time. This will increase the damage done by the imbued discblade for a certain amount of time. A Force-imbued discblade gains another benefit when used against a Lightsaber. If the wielder of a Lightsaber attempts to strike a Force-imbued discblade, the Lightsaber's cicuits will be damaged slightly.
