Success or Death.
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
SETTING INFORMATION
[*]Description: From the ultimate exterior, the Library Temple is simply not seen. All one sees is the only way in or out: The Sith Obelisk, which is located across a sandpit with no apparent way to it on foot other than across the sand. The Sith Obelisk itself is a pillar of a square cross-section, topped with a pyramid and is actually placed on the precipice of the buried library temple. The Sith Obelisk is seemingly carved in black marble and inlaid with a pattern of red crystal and gold. Upon entering through the gateway opened by the obelisk normally protected by a force-field, one arrives in an enclosed room of black stone, lit with ambient light. That is the Court in which a newcomer's entry is judged. If granted access (one way or another) a passageway opens in the far end, leading down into the Library Temple itself. from inside, it is difficult to judge the size or shape of the structure. Its walls and pillars stretch far, far down and are criss-crossed with stairs and paths leading to and from the different areas of the temple.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Journey: Krayiss II is an arrid world and the I'Wtsia is not placed for convenience. There are shortcuts for one who knows them, paths cutting through the mountains and secret landing points for a shorter journey. For the initiate or the uninitated? It is a long and arduous pilgrimage through the canyons of Krayiss, checking by several minor shrines, regularly traversed by monks of the Kissai caste or particularly faithful converts to the Sith. The path also splits up in several places, leading to false Obelisks alchemised to look and feel like the original. If in doubt? Ask the Kissai.
The Krayiss Obelisk: A tall and thick pillar of black marble, square in cross-section, topped with a pyramid. The obelisk is decorated with grooves filled with red crystal sealed with seams of gold and subtly engraved with Sith Runes that maintains the enchantment. Upon touching the Obelisk and focusing, one passes through to The Court, through which one must pass in order to enter the Library. If approached by a force-nullification field, the Obelisk becomes inert and will not open the gates. As long as it is active, a non-force-user can enter the temple.
The obelisk is placed on stone at the far end of a sandy pit with no apparent way across without stepping on the sand. In the sand rests The Sentinel.
When one wishes to enter, one must recite the words: "Taka zeech ma toka duuwaj" A door will then appear in the sand, giving way to stairs that lead to the Court and close upon entry. These doors are usually protected by a force-field.
The Court: The doors opened by the Obelisk lead into a square room of matte black stone, the seams of which run with the same red crystals and gold as the obelisk outside. The lines outline a path on the floor of the room, running straight across to a sealed stone door carved into the far wall. At the exact middle of the room, the path is crossed with a large square shape of the same red crystal and gold. Above the door are a two-tiered dais resembling the judge's bench, upon which the spiritual judges appear to new arrivals so that they may be deemed worthy or unworthy of entry.
The judges appear as thirteen Kissai Sith Sorcerers in formal robes of black, red and gold. Adorning their fingers, necks and wrists are pieces of precious jewellery resembling in shape as items of Sith Alchemy, though, these items appear inert. The Guardian Court is lead by a Kissai named Lord Yugai Mizthas who bears slightly fancier robes and a taller hat than the rest, he will lead the proceedings and cast the most powerful spells. In the event that the Guardian Court should not find the first-timer worthy, they will attack through bursts of force lightning and sith sorcery. They are particularly weak against Force Light and other Force based attacks.
If one is worthy, proved one way or the other, the square in the middle descends into the temple itself. If one tries to force one's way through the doors under the Court, one will find oneself back at the Obelisk, doors shut behind.
The Library: The library is vast. The main structure of the Library Temple is shaped as a buried pyramid, entered from the top. The library itself makes up 70% of the temple's bulk and consists of levels upon levels stacked floor to ceiling with information in various forms. The deeper one goes, the more ancient the medium. Some parts of the library have collapsed under sand and stone, burying secrets and ancient artefacts. Other parts have recently been reconstructed after one Kentarch tried to destroy it rather than let it fall into the hands of the Sith Empire.
As one descends into the library temple, one first arrives in an recently reconstructed, gallery of statues, artefacts, and banners emblazoned with the Sith Imperial insignia. Every statue and exhibition in this entry museum has a story and a significance.
Here are some samples:
The Dark Lord: A marble statue of [member="Darth Carnifex"] with extreme likeness. It shows the Emperor standing on a hill, lightsabre in hand, looking down at those who enter, with irises of corusca gems set in eyes of black crystal making his gaze immensely lifelike. His robes billow behind him as though frozen in motion.
The Zatitsis: One of the artworks in the library is a skull, on a simple pedestal. It wsas collected from Mandalore, and is believed to belong to Darth Kentarch who, during the fall of the Dominion, tried to destroy the Krayiss library rather than let it fall in the hands of the Sith Empire. His judgement is to watch his failure and betrayal against the Sith Order through eternity.
The skull is also something of an alchemical masterpiece, wrought by the master alchemist Cerbera. The skull is imbued with semi-sentience and, upon touch, will show an illusion of Chaos as a warning to all those who would follow in the footprints of the Zatitsis. On the pedestal is a plaque engraved with a poem:
Honourless, here I kneel.
A warning to he who
our treasure, would seal.
Nameless, here I lie.
He who betrays,
disgraced shall die.
The Lords in Conflict: Two statues of cast iron, laced with bright red crystal, each facing off the other with grim determination. Two great Sith Lords who reshaped the Sith and the galaxy:
One features Darth Bane, the founder of the Rule of Two. Under his statue is a plaque inscribed with:
"Two there should be, no more, no less: One to embody the power, one to crave it."
Opposite stands Darth Krayt, founder of the Rule of One. Under his statue is a plaque inscribed with:
"I have recreated the Sith; I have given it purpose. for what use is power without one?"
This juxtaposition mirrors the moment of Darth Krayt confronting the guardian in the holocron of Darth Bane and explaining the Rule of One, a major shift in Sith Imperial philosophy.
Emperor, Empire: The Sith Emperor Darth Sidious, one of the few Sith to successfully conquer the galaxy. He stands with arms extended towards the opening of the library as it opens up to the greater store of records.
Various busts: Including Darth Plagueis, Darth Vectivus, Darth Malgus, and many more.
The Resurgent: On a plaque on the left is an homage to [member="Vrak Nashar"] as a rebuilder of Pureblood Sith cities and culture, including his work on New Kaas City.
The Laboratories: Deep in the structure, separated off to the sides are four labs equipped for sithspawning and alchemical creations. The laboratories are not vast in comparison to a dedicated alchemy academy, but they are more than able to produce wonderous and despicable creations of the dark side.
The Dorms: High in the structure are simple rooms for students. The dorms are mostly self-sufficient and stock food and water for months in order to supply students for months.
The Hall: At the heart of the temple is a domed meeting hall for gatherings, lectures, and events. It is richly decorated with angular patterns of red crystal and gold on dark grey and black stone.
Ghosts! Throughout the temple, lost souls wander. Some ghosts are vengeful, tormented spirits of hatred with no sentience left in them, others are helpful and inquisitive, but all the more devious. Be wary of the spirits you meet.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Ironic, perhaps, but there is no record of when the Library Temple of Krayiss II was founded, but evidence suggests it was around since the founding of the first Sith Empire, back when Krayiss II was a much less arrid world. It was a testament to the power of the Red Sith and the dark side of the Force. As the original Sith Empires fell and the world was ravaged by war, the temple was sealed away, hidden from raiders. The wars nearly killed Krayiss and turned it into the arrid landscape we now know. The grand pyramidine structure was entirely buried in sand.
Decades turned to centuries, centuries to a millennium. All that roamed the halls were the ghosts of the trapped, the Sith went practically extinct, no one walked the pilgrimages any more, but the roads remained. Those who sought out the temple found themselves unworthy and shredded by the ghosts that lived there, or trapped within and driven mad by its secrets and labyrinthine bookshelves, but the temple remained.
New Sith Orders did not seek it, they had only eyes for the Core, not ancient secrets in the sand. The Jedi did not know it, so they did not come with their fire. It was largely untouched by the Gulag Plague and the 400 Years of Darkness, because no one knew it was there and out+most few ever visited the winding roads of the desert canyon. But the Netherworld brought something to life.
Or rather, un-life. The library was flooded with spirits and ghosts of different kinds, drawn to the temple's dark aura. Many of the ghosts that now walk its halls were pushed straight out of the netherworld, others who had walked that temple since its inception had suddenly vanished.
Then came a new dawn for the Sith Orders. The original Sith Empire founded after the 400 year darkness did not have the Kissai to show them. Its researchers located the obelisks and filed them, but no excavation was attempted nor research parties dispatched to find the temple. The One Sith did not concern itself with the ancient Sith and looked only to the Core. The Resurgent Empire re-established Kissai presence on Krayiss and the Dominion had evidently breached through to the temple, but done little to explore it, as evident in their attempt at destroying it.
Then, Darth Carnifex' Sith Empire came, they were the first to truly explore the ancient temple in all its splendor. Initally, they thought it was a small thing, filled with sand, but it only grew with their restoration attempts. As its splendor was revealed, so did the researchers' excitement. It was resolved that the temple were to be restored and protected, so that it would never fall again.
Krayiss II would once again join the other Sith worlds of the Stygian Caldera as the heart of a Sith Empire, and its temple would be a shining pearl in the Imperial Crown.
- Intent: To submit a rebuilt Sith Library Temple on Krayiss II to replace the one that was destroyed by the Dominon, and to expand upon the lore of library temples and an under-used ancient sith-world.
- Image Credit: None used.
- Canon: Krayiss II Sith Obelisk and Library Temple.
- Links:
The Sith Empire invasion of Krayiss Hex (#146: Explosions) - Library Raid: Temple of Pain - Fresia (Retrieving artefacts and books)
- Wookiepedia: Kissai
SETTING INFORMATION
- Structure Name: The Great Library of Krayiss II (short: The Library Temple) or Tsakwia iw Wtsia (Temple of Knowledge, I'Wtsia for short).
- Classification: Library and Sith temple.
- Location: Krayiss II
- Affiliation: The Sith Empire, Sith, and the dark side of the Force.
- Accessibility: The temple can only be accessed through an obelisk, the location of which is a secret kept by the Sith Order. Only those who are initiated in the Sith Order are given knowledge of its position. However, it is not out of reach for those who would spend enough time and resources searching for it.
- Security: The Library Temple has three essential layers of protection:
The Pilgrimage: The temple can only be accessed through the obelisk, the whereabouts of which is only known to those initiated in the Sith Order and versed in the dark side of the Force.
Nestled between jagged mountains and arid wastes, searching for it is no simple task. In order to confuse enemies of the Sith, six fake obelisks are placed within a one hundred kilometer radius of the true obelisk. These fake obelisks are imbued with the dark side to look like the real deal, but they do nothing other than waste your time.
At the end, upon reaching the true obelisk, one must recite the verse: "Taka zeech ma toka duuwaj" in order to reveal the secret door and deactivate the force-field that protects it (One could theoretically blast through the force-field with sufficient firepower).
- The Sentinel: The true Obelisk is set over a vast sand-pit with no other path across. Buried in the sand pit is a beast dubbed The Sentinel, and its entire existence is based on protecting the Obelisk from un-rightful entry.
One who knows that the Sentinel is there can appease it with a small blood-sacrifice. If your blood is tainted with the dark side, then it will let you pass (The blood of a dark jedi or sith).
- The Guardian Court: Upon entering through the Obelisk, one is met with a court of guardian Sith Spirits. These spirits judge the intruder's intent and worth, and will attack any threat to the Library and its secrets. The three fundamental ways of gaining access are:
1. Being deemed worthy by the Sith Spirits by facing their trial and answering their inquiries.
2. Claiming one's right by show of force, defeating the sorcerous Sith Spirits in combat and forcing them into submission.
3. Admission by recommendation of a spirit-court approved Lord of the Sith, the court will be appeased.
Only when The Guardian Court is appeased or defeated will the path onward be revealed. Though, being given access does not mean you are allowed to ever leave. If the court deemed you unworthy to enter, then they will try to bar you from leaving as well.
[*]Description: From the ultimate exterior, the Library Temple is simply not seen. All one sees is the only way in or out: The Sith Obelisk, which is located across a sandpit with no apparent way to it on foot other than across the sand. The Sith Obelisk itself is a pillar of a square cross-section, topped with a pyramid and is actually placed on the precipice of the buried library temple. The Sith Obelisk is seemingly carved in black marble and inlaid with a pattern of red crystal and gold. Upon entering through the gateway opened by the obelisk normally protected by a force-field, one arrives in an enclosed room of black stone, lit with ambient light. That is the Court in which a newcomer's entry is judged. If granted access (one way or another) a passageway opens in the far end, leading down into the Library Temple itself. from inside, it is difficult to judge the size or shape of the structure. Its walls and pillars stretch far, far down and are criss-crossed with stairs and paths leading to and from the different areas of the temple.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Journey: Krayiss II is an arrid world and the I'Wtsia is not placed for convenience. There are shortcuts for one who knows them, paths cutting through the mountains and secret landing points for a shorter journey. For the initiate or the uninitated? It is a long and arduous pilgrimage through the canyons of Krayiss, checking by several minor shrines, regularly traversed by monks of the Kissai caste or particularly faithful converts to the Sith. The path also splits up in several places, leading to false Obelisks alchemised to look and feel like the original. If in doubt? Ask the Kissai.
The Krayiss Obelisk: A tall and thick pillar of black marble, square in cross-section, topped with a pyramid. The obelisk is decorated with grooves filled with red crystal sealed with seams of gold and subtly engraved with Sith Runes that maintains the enchantment. Upon touching the Obelisk and focusing, one passes through to The Court, through which one must pass in order to enter the Library. If approached by a force-nullification field, the Obelisk becomes inert and will not open the gates. As long as it is active, a non-force-user can enter the temple.
The obelisk is placed on stone at the far end of a sandy pit with no apparent way across without stepping on the sand. In the sand rests The Sentinel.
When one wishes to enter, one must recite the words: "Taka zeech ma toka duuwaj" A door will then appear in the sand, giving way to stairs that lead to the Court and close upon entry. These doors are usually protected by a force-field.
The Court: The doors opened by the Obelisk lead into a square room of matte black stone, the seams of which run with the same red crystals and gold as the obelisk outside. The lines outline a path on the floor of the room, running straight across to a sealed stone door carved into the far wall. At the exact middle of the room, the path is crossed with a large square shape of the same red crystal and gold. Above the door are a two-tiered dais resembling the judge's bench, upon which the spiritual judges appear to new arrivals so that they may be deemed worthy or unworthy of entry.
The judges appear as thirteen Kissai Sith Sorcerers in formal robes of black, red and gold. Adorning their fingers, necks and wrists are pieces of precious jewellery resembling in shape as items of Sith Alchemy, though, these items appear inert. The Guardian Court is lead by a Kissai named Lord Yugai Mizthas who bears slightly fancier robes and a taller hat than the rest, he will lead the proceedings and cast the most powerful spells. In the event that the Guardian Court should not find the first-timer worthy, they will attack through bursts of force lightning and sith sorcery. They are particularly weak against Force Light and other Force based attacks.
If one is worthy, proved one way or the other, the square in the middle descends into the temple itself. If one tries to force one's way through the doors under the Court, one will find oneself back at the Obelisk, doors shut behind.
The Library: The library is vast. The main structure of the Library Temple is shaped as a buried pyramid, entered from the top. The library itself makes up 70% of the temple's bulk and consists of levels upon levels stacked floor to ceiling with information in various forms. The deeper one goes, the more ancient the medium. Some parts of the library have collapsed under sand and stone, burying secrets and ancient artefacts. Other parts have recently been reconstructed after one Kentarch tried to destroy it rather than let it fall into the hands of the Sith Empire.
As one descends into the library temple, one first arrives in an recently reconstructed, gallery of statues, artefacts, and banners emblazoned with the Sith Imperial insignia. Every statue and exhibition in this entry museum has a story and a significance.
Here are some samples:
The Dark Lord: A marble statue of [member="Darth Carnifex"] with extreme likeness. It shows the Emperor standing on a hill, lightsabre in hand, looking down at those who enter, with irises of corusca gems set in eyes of black crystal making his gaze immensely lifelike. His robes billow behind him as though frozen in motion.
The Zatitsis: One of the artworks in the library is a skull, on a simple pedestal. It wsas collected from Mandalore, and is believed to belong to Darth Kentarch who, during the fall of the Dominion, tried to destroy the Krayiss library rather than let it fall in the hands of the Sith Empire. His judgement is to watch his failure and betrayal against the Sith Order through eternity.
The skull is also something of an alchemical masterpiece, wrought by the master alchemist Cerbera. The skull is imbued with semi-sentience and, upon touch, will show an illusion of Chaos as a warning to all those who would follow in the footprints of the Zatitsis. On the pedestal is a plaque engraved with a poem:
Honourless, here I kneel.
A warning to he who
our treasure, would seal.
Nameless, here I lie.
He who betrays,
disgraced shall die.
The Lords in Conflict: Two statues of cast iron, laced with bright red crystal, each facing off the other with grim determination. Two great Sith Lords who reshaped the Sith and the galaxy:
One features Darth Bane, the founder of the Rule of Two. Under his statue is a plaque inscribed with:
"Two there should be, no more, no less: One to embody the power, one to crave it."
Opposite stands Darth Krayt, founder of the Rule of One. Under his statue is a plaque inscribed with:
"I have recreated the Sith; I have given it purpose. for what use is power without one?"
This juxtaposition mirrors the moment of Darth Krayt confronting the guardian in the holocron of Darth Bane and explaining the Rule of One, a major shift in Sith Imperial philosophy.
Emperor, Empire: The Sith Emperor Darth Sidious, one of the few Sith to successfully conquer the galaxy. He stands with arms extended towards the opening of the library as it opens up to the greater store of records.
Various busts: Including Darth Plagueis, Darth Vectivus, Darth Malgus, and many more.
The Resurgent: On a plaque on the left is an homage to [member="Vrak Nashar"] as a rebuilder of Pureblood Sith cities and culture, including his work on New Kaas City.
The Laboratories: Deep in the structure, separated off to the sides are four labs equipped for sithspawning and alchemical creations. The laboratories are not vast in comparison to a dedicated alchemy academy, but they are more than able to produce wonderous and despicable creations of the dark side.
The Dorms: High in the structure are simple rooms for students. The dorms are mostly self-sufficient and stock food and water for months in order to supply students for months.
The Hall: At the heart of the temple is a domed meeting hall for gatherings, lectures, and events. It is richly decorated with angular patterns of red crystal and gold on dark grey and black stone.
Ghosts! Throughout the temple, lost souls wander. Some ghosts are vengeful, tormented spirits of hatred with no sentience left in them, others are helpful and inquisitive, but all the more devious. Be wary of the spirits you meet.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Ironic, perhaps, but there is no record of when the Library Temple of Krayiss II was founded, but evidence suggests it was around since the founding of the first Sith Empire, back when Krayiss II was a much less arrid world. It was a testament to the power of the Red Sith and the dark side of the Force. As the original Sith Empires fell and the world was ravaged by war, the temple was sealed away, hidden from raiders. The wars nearly killed Krayiss and turned it into the arrid landscape we now know. The grand pyramidine structure was entirely buried in sand.
Decades turned to centuries, centuries to a millennium. All that roamed the halls were the ghosts of the trapped, the Sith went practically extinct, no one walked the pilgrimages any more, but the roads remained. Those who sought out the temple found themselves unworthy and shredded by the ghosts that lived there, or trapped within and driven mad by its secrets and labyrinthine bookshelves, but the temple remained.
New Sith Orders did not seek it, they had only eyes for the Core, not ancient secrets in the sand. The Jedi did not know it, so they did not come with their fire. It was largely untouched by the Gulag Plague and the 400 Years of Darkness, because no one knew it was there and out+most few ever visited the winding roads of the desert canyon. But the Netherworld brought something to life.
Or rather, un-life. The library was flooded with spirits and ghosts of different kinds, drawn to the temple's dark aura. Many of the ghosts that now walk its halls were pushed straight out of the netherworld, others who had walked that temple since its inception had suddenly vanished.
Then came a new dawn for the Sith Orders. The original Sith Empire founded after the 400 year darkness did not have the Kissai to show them. Its researchers located the obelisks and filed them, but no excavation was attempted nor research parties dispatched to find the temple. The One Sith did not concern itself with the ancient Sith and looked only to the Core. The Resurgent Empire re-established Kissai presence on Krayiss and the Dominion had evidently breached through to the temple, but done little to explore it, as evident in their attempt at destroying it.
Then, Darth Carnifex' Sith Empire came, they were the first to truly explore the ancient temple in all its splendor. Initally, they thought it was a small thing, filled with sand, but it only grew with their restoration attempts. As its splendor was revealed, so did the researchers' excitement. It was resolved that the temple were to be restored and protected, so that it would never fall again.
Krayiss II would once again join the other Sith worlds of the Stygian Caldera as the heart of a Sith Empire, and its temple would be a shining pearl in the Imperial Crown.
