Son of Liberty
Lan Graendal
"Death is lighter than a feather; duty heavier than a mountain."
Character Information
NAME: Lan Graendal
"Death is lighter than a feather; duty heavier than a mountain."
Character Information
--ALIAS: See above
HOMEWORLD: Coruscant
SPECIES: Mirialan
--GENDER: Male
--AGE: 42
HEIGHT: 1.93 Meters
WEIGHT: 88 Kilograms
EYE COLOR: Blue
HAIR COLOR: White
The Background
Strengths: Lan is extremely wise and philosophically inclined when it comes to thinking. As a man of the later years and one highly attuned to the Force and the teachers of Masters before him, he's retained the information like sponge sucks up water and has utilized such skills dutifully.
As an elder Master, he's been honed constantly and is in near-peak physical condition due to his rigorous training regimens that combine both meditation techniques and Lightsaber fighting drills.
While it may be a surprise to you if you've read the first two strengths, but Lan is Force sensitive and has attained the rank of Jedi Master over the course of his entire lifetime's devotion to the Lightside. He specializes primarily in meditation techniques and his connection to the Living Force could very well nearly rival that of Yoda's.
Though he's from Coruscant, Lan is a woodsman. He's skilled in stealth, wilderness survival, herbalism, and tracking. He's not one to share how he learned all of these skills, but he will share the fact that both the Kashyyyk lowlands and the jungle ground of Felucia weren't exactly the most suitable places to stay.
Weaknesses: The main problem, physically, with Lan is his age. Even though he trains his mind and body for the obstacles and challenges that both the galaxy and the Darkside throw at him, he will exhaust his strength more often. His meditation trances and Art of Movement abilities help to counter this, though.
Don't forget to take note of his rough history and failures as a young Knight. Lan may be attuned to the Force and seeks to stay completely devoid of all emotion that isn't compassionate or serene, his occasional wandering thoughts of the past are his surest course of downfall.
If he would've been born a Mule, he would have fit into that lifestyle perfectly. Stubbornness is supposedly a trait he'd inherited from his first master, Varlo Kale. Respecting the Jedi code and adhering to the Council's rulings are one thing, but preserving life and traces of the Living Force surpass any and all Council decisions. He'll take any course of action it takes to preserve life; be it friend or foe.
Personality: Wise and diplomatic, Lan is the "cool grandad" figure of many of the Jedi Padawans and Younglings of the Order. Master Lan Graendal is a warm-hearted and cool-tempered old Guardian who loves nothing more than making people smile and uphold the virtues of the Living Force. Being the Jedi Guardian that he is, he'll take all routes possible to secure peace and harmony for the galaxy, but will also use necessary force to secure such a peace if needed. Lan believes that a person should be free and be able to rightfully decide his own fate, which was ironically something that didn't happen to him in his childhood.
As an instructor, he is nothing different than usual. When teaching classes of Younglings or taking on a Padawan, he becomes their father figure and ultimately tries to mold them into capable, serene, harmonious, and peaceful Jedi. That's his sole purpose: to live for the Living Force and serve using its gift.
Biography: In the beginning, there was nothing. The soul that was to become Lan one day was merely nothing in comparison to the literal force that was conceiving him. And then there was light. This young Mirialan boy - no, infant - was thrust into the galaxy without so much as a "good luck" or "May the Force be with you" and had absolutely nobody. Nobody knew where he was from, who his parents were, and they didn't really seem to care either, not even when he pleaded for help and a purpose.
The people of Coruscant didn't care. Except for one.
The Rodian came as a savior to the young boy, taking him in from a life of rough living in the alleyways, fights with other children, and placed him into somewhat of a more comfortable life. Somewhat. The reptilian being went by the name of Kodak - no spoken surname. Kodak was a messenger and drug runner by hire, and guess what light bulb went off in his green head? Use the boy to make his life easier and maybe, just maybe, give him some food and a roof in return for his services. In reality, Lan didn't mind. This kind of life sure was better than using scraps of flimsi and his tattered cloak as a roof when the rains came. He didn't even have to worry about finding his next meal.
It was bliss compared to what he'd already been through.
The young Mirialan boy served under the Rodian runner for a few years, eventually earning some of his own keep. By the time Lan was five standard years old, he knew the streets of Coruscant district 2819 like the back of his hand and was more physically toned than any child his age ever should've been. When other kids his age should have been worrying about cuddly toys and going to the park, he was worrying about making this "package" run in order to get some food and maybe a few credits to hit the marketplace with.
On one seemingly uneventful run, called a milk run by Kodak, everything went awry. The Trandoshans who were supposed to make the payment were apparently staked out and ambushed. Lan walked right into it. Who would've guessed a little boy strolling into a warehouse with a package full of mysterious items wouldn't get into a heap of a mess? It got even worse when one of the scaled fiends took him hostage against the robed, silent attackers. In moments, his captors were deftly dealt with and he discovered the true identity of his saviors after prying open his fear-shut eyes.
They were Jedi. Three of them to be exact, all of them probably in their late teens or early twenties. With gentle and warm looks on their faces, they offered Lan a life that seemed like a literal heaven to the young boy. Happily, he accepted their gracious offer. Little did he know, he was going to become one of the heroes that he'd heard so many stories about.
Once he was inducted into the Order as a Youngling and his Force sensitivity was confirmed, time flew. Under tutelage of Masters Siodmak, Crix, and Uleya, the boy swiftly transformed into a strong and confident young man. Eventually, he became a Padawan and was sent up for selection among the Knights and Masters board. The three Jedi Instructors that he had trained under were some of the best, so the twelve year old was confident that he would be taken up in the first selection phase.
He wasn't.
Days turned into weeks as he anxiously awaited for a summoning to the Council chambers to meet his new mentor, friend, and brother or sister. It was only then when he was being sent to Tanaab as part of the Agricultural Division did he finally find his master. The public transport vessel was jam-packed, save for the special seating aisle for the Jedi. The Jedi Knight who was with him was being sent to Raxus Prime on an assignment and he seemed to actually be interested in Lan. Seeing this, the Jedi Padawan almost begged to be taken as an apprentice to this young man. He told the Knight that he knew his life was meant for more than this, although it was a vital job, but he yearned for something greater.
That Jedi Knight was Varlo Kale. The young twenty three year old was a human male hailing from Empress Teta and intended on specializing as a Jedi Guardian. None of that really mattered to Lan. He was just ecstatic that he had finally been chosen and was saved from a life of dullness and boredom.
Under Varlo, Lan grew and grew each day. Adhering to the Jedi code and helping those in need were probably the most important things he knew how to do. The Living Force was in each and ever living thing in this entire galaxy and simply being connected to that web of life and complete harmony was more exciting than anything he'd ever imagined.
The two lived together, fought together, did everything together and after almost ten years of training was Lan finally ready to become a Jedi Knight. His whole life had been spent dreaming to attain this rank in the Order when he could finally specialize in using the Force and doing his own missions. He was granted the rank before the Council and officially became a Knight of the New Jedi Order.
Instead of doing those things right away, he reevaluated himself and his priorities. Even a Jedi had to have goals, right? Well, Lan remembered when he was just becoming a Padawan and the excruciatingly painful moments of anxious waiting for a master. Rather than fulfilling his own goals and desires, he taught himself a lesson in selflessness and took an apprentice.
After personally screening some of the Padawans himself and spending sleepless nights of research into their backgrounds did he finally choose a young Epicanthix to become his padawan learner. The newly christened knight was a little wary considering the mental immunity trait that was a natural trait of the Epicanthix, but he took Henry Klaus as his apprentice anyways.
Surprisingly, Lan made quite the good instructor. By taking his years of growing patience and wisdom, he immediately started applying that to his own padawan and things were great for both of the Jedi. With Henry's youthful flare and the matured and tempered Lan, the duo hit the missions assigned to them hard. It seemed like the whole world revolved around these two strong and confident Jedi. What seemed to be a strong bond at first would ultimately sour in the end.
During one particular mission to Panatha to help administer the distribution of a vaccine to an illness plaguing the world, things went bad once Henry came back into contact with his family. What memories Henry had left of his father and his siblings was that they were mean and definitely not fond of the Jedi. Not to mention the fact that they were of noble status and were capable of pulling strings in the military. Seeing the power, wealth, and fortune that he could have by using the skills of the Force that he'd learned, Henry's heart leaped at the chance of a lifetime and betrayed Lan.
The Jedi Knight couldn't tell what his padawan's emotions were or his intentions, due to his natural Epicanthix trait, and was caught entirely off guard when he narrowly avoided being killed by his own padawan learner. Time and time again during that stand off did the Knight attempt to make peace with the young boy and lead him back into the Light. He was too late. Corruption of the Darkside had already seeped into his soul and now all he desired was power and strength, two things he figured the Jedi would never offer because of their strict code.
He would never know.
In order to defend his own life and strike down evil, Lan was forced to slay the corrupt padawan. Taking that life was probably the hardest thing he'd ever had to do as a Jedi. The seemingly emotionless knight finally displayed some form of it that wasn't compassion or happiness. Sorrow streaked his form and he barely escaped back to Coruscant, where he confided with his former master Varlo Kale and the Grandmaster of the Order.
For months, his life went downhill because of his emotional attachment to Henry. Taking a vow to live by the Jedi oath that meant avoiding attachments, he isolated himself from such things for years and years. That was how his life went, silently in meditation to keep away the thoughts of his failure as a brother and a Jedi. But the Light still continued to shine in his life and he accepted the Living Force once again. Learning under it and serving it as best he could until he became a Master.
That's how his life went. Now he's looking for a little change in this life. Especially with tensions high, the Sith returning, and the Imperials keeping up the pressure.
The Appearance
Appearance: TBA
The Faction
Faction: N/A--Branch: Jedi Guardian
--Rank: Jedi Master
The Force
Force-Sensitive? Yes
Force Powers:
Art of Movement - Expert
Battlemind - Master
Breath Control - Novice
Center of Being - Master
Hibernation Trance - Expert
Force Speed - Intermediate
Force Concealment - Expert
Force Light - Expert
Force Sense - Expert
Force Telepathy - Intermediate
Force Telekinesis - Expert
Force Track - Expert
Meditation Techniques - Master
Skill Rank: Recognized, Weak, Novice, Intermediate, Expert, and Master
Training: Intensive training over the course of a lifetime, much of which revolves around that of mental Force abilities and extension lightsaber course instruction. It's not all book smarts either, much of his current abilities have been honed both in battle and in peacetime and is willing to use them whenever the Living Force calls upon him. While he lacks many Force abilities, he makes up for it with his emphasis on both Ataru and Vaapad.
Lightsaber Form(s)/Style(s):
Shii-Cho - Expert
Soresu - Practitioner
Ataru - Master
Vaapad - Expert
Skill Rank: Learner, Practitioner, Expert, Master
Notable Possessions:
- Delta-7B Interceptor, "Verde"
- R4-P117, "Arfour"
- Meditation Crystal
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