OOC: It recently came to my attention that many of you don't know the true story behind Gash. Here's the first half, unabridged, with dirty details abounding.
The story of Gash Jiren's life is long and complicated, much of it lost to the annonymity of time and faulty record keeping.
He was born "Searthen Jiren" on Asthentia, an ancient world of white-haired warriors founded nearly 4000 years ago by the Old Republic. The inhabitants of the world are a species unto themselves, and before the New Republic's dissolution they were officially given recognition as such in their archives, a crossbreed of human, Zabrak, and Chiss blood, human being the dominant influence. The world is a tropical paradise, ruled by a monarchy, and relatively free from the urban development of other ancient worlds. Born into the ruling monarchy as a 'Prince-Master', Jiren was to be the next ruler of the world, upon the deaths of his parents (rule of the world is gender-inclusive, meaning that neither the males nor females of the Jiren family take precidence in inheireting rule). Though the names of his parents have never been divulged, they likely went by their ceremonial titles, 'Queen-Matron' and 'King-Master'.
While Jiren was in his early teens (presumably thirteen or fourteen), his father died during mysterious circumstances, purportedly a tragic boating accident. Following this period, Joruck Denti, a Duke of Asthentia, moved in to take the reigns of power, particularly exploiting Queen-Matron Jiren's grief for his own benefit. As the young Jiren grew older, he began to study medicine, eventually earning his doctorate degree. As he neared his twenties, it became infinitely apparent to Joruck that he was too strong to be controlled as his mother had been. He contacted rebel forces in the area -- breaking Asthentia's nearly 1000-year isolation -- and informed them of the boy's Force sensitivity, painting him as a Dark Jedi of some sort.
At the time, however, Jiren did not even know of his Force-sensitivity. However, as Asthentia was founded by the Old Republic, many Jedi were involved in its colonization, and as time had gone by, they'd become part of the ruling class of the world. Over thousands of years, those Jedi evolved into the modern-day monarchy of Asthentia, and as a result, almost all of the Jiren family was unknowingly Force sensitive, as was a percentage of the population much greater than the galactic average. In fact, a good number of those whose Force abilities cannot qualify under "sensitivity" have very minor attunement to the Force, resulting in very basic instincts and other minor feats.
The rebel forces -- at the time, quite phobic of Dark Jedi, for obvious reasons -- stormed the world. However, the group was not a registered part of the Rebel Alliance, and acted outside of the typically humanitarian initiatives of that rebellion, being more extremists than political reformists. The entire capital city was razed, and Searthen Jiren nearly killed. In this battle, he received his first of three facial scars, across his left cheek. He sought out Joruck Denti, who told Jiren of his Force-sensitivity, boasting of his victory. Though reports are sketchy, some claim that Denti was responsible for the death of Jiren's father.
He fled the world, very much embittered towards Denti and the rebellion in general. During this time, he roamed the galaxy, delving deeply into his newfound Force abilities -- and more specifically, into the Dark Side. He sought out the Jedi, desiring to exact vengeance upon them, building a red-bladed lightsaber with which to do so. Around this time, the emperor fell as Endor, and the Jedi rose once again, providing the young Dark Jedi with numerous targets. Coinciding with this rise was the rise of the Sith, under men like Recon Klain and his Eternal Sith Order.
From one of his Jedi victims, Jiren received his second facial scar, cutting from above his left eye to below his right cheek. He found a bacta specialist to have the deformations repaired, but discovered in a routine preliminary blood test that he was allergic to bacta. This same Jedi bore a Holocron detailing the mysteries of the Sith. It was during this period that Searthen began to seek out these mythical Dark Siders, stealing the fallen Jedi's lightsaber and learning to fight with two of the weapons. He also adopted the name, "Gash".
Spiraling downwards from grief, anger, and increasing power in the darkside, Gash had developed selective amnesia towards his past; he now remembered almost nothing of his homeworld, his origins, or even his true identity. He fully immersed himself in the persona of "Gash Jiren", the embittered, scarred, hooded traveller. Many times throughout his life, this pattern would emerge; he would spin his own legend, and live within that cocoon of safety.
Finally, he sought out Recon Klain's Eternal Sith Order (ERO), wishing to learn more and develop his latent talents under the great masters of that order. He did so, training under the Sith Master Skye Keller, a strong but strangely-compassionate Sith. About halfway through his training, he ran out on his Master, learning of a doctor stationed on Naboo specializing in a new form of bacta-ryll healing alternative, called "ryllca". Desiring a way to heal himself despite his allergy, he held the doctor hostage and stole a good portion of his stock -- in the process being shot in the face by a blaster, nearly dodging it but being skinned by the blaster, this receiving his third and final scar. He was also badly wounded during his raid on the doctor's camp, and forced the man to perform surgery on him, replacing his arm with a prosthetic.
Given the final choice, though, Jiren decided to keep the scars as a reminder to himself of what he'd done, and failed to do. That, anyway, was the rationalization found in his journals at the time; many psychological experts, having analyzed the Jedi Master's life, maintain that he did so if only to perpetuate now-growing myths about himself. Many of the less-talented students of ERO had begun to spin magnificent tales about the Sith. Gash disappeared for a few months, resurfacing months later with hardened resolve, quickly receiving his promotion to Sith Knight.
During Jiren's brief hiatus, one change had occured; Recon Klain, founder of the rapidly-expanding and galactically dominant ERO, had abandoned his own order, gone "rogue". It was at this time that Gash began searching throughout the galaxy for the man he'd long admired and held as an example of Sith might above all others, eventually locating him on Korriban (though nearly dying during a treacherous flight through a small cluster of black holes in the process). He found the Rogue Sith Master already expecting him on a Sith temple. The two immediately saw within one another some sort of fellowship -- some unknown connection. Side by side, the two journeyed to Ziost, the ancient ice world of the Sith. Together, they tamed one of the temples of the world, Gash using his technological abilities to begin the creation of an army of battledroids similar to those used by the Trade Federation; these later became known as Cobra Battledroids.
The two fought side by side on Ziost, finding at first a new enemy and, once he'd been defeated, a new companion in the Sith Warrior Qual Zaiso. However, in Gash's eyes, Qual was a rival. He perceived the man as a threat to the approval he received from Recon Klain, and did not take kindly to that. Their rivalry was kept in check only by Recon, however, who made it clear that any infighting would not be tolerated.
Following this, many of Recon's old students from ERO began to join the new Sith Order they'd established on Ziost; initially, it bore no name, but gradually took on the moniker "The Ziost Empire". During this time, ERO fell from prominence, while the New Order rose to power along with its rival, the New Republic. Xylon Hexyra, also known as "Hexadragon", left the Eternal Rogue Order and joined forces with the New Republic as a Rogue Jedi. Though Gash had barely known Xylon, this event would later become quite significant.
The Ziost empire (TZE) then carried out what still lives today as one of the most brutally effective paramilitary attacks in history; the assault on Theed. It also lives on as testament to the crimes of Gash Jiren, which, in the eyes of many -- perhaps even Gash himself -- he has not even begun to make up for. Initially planned as an attack on the Jedi capital of Otah Gunga, Recon and Gash changed their plans in the midst of the assault, making room for a target opportunity they knew would both humiliate the Jedi and draw them out; unprotected Theed.
They struck quickly, killing hundreds of citizens, battling and wounding -- even killing -- Jedi. They fled, but not before planting an explosive device in the primary civic building of Theed. A problem with the detonator led to Qual Zaiso volunteering to stay behind and detonate it manually -- in essence, commiting suicide. Their final act of terror was for Gash himself to strafe the city in his modified CloakShape fighter, lighting fires that would burn for hours, as he broadcasted the words, "Theed, you are an example of the Jedi's weakness. Where are they now? Protecting you? No. Do you see what happens when your defenders are inadequate as these jedi?"
This daring and successful assault solidified Gash as a galactic figure -- famous or infamous, villain or hero, this tremendous act of war would always be remembered. In a twist of fate, however, it would be this attack, which catapulted him to galactic infamy as a Sith, which would set in motion events which would lead him down a path towards the Jedi. For from this attack, he took with him a small souveneir -- a holocron.
To be continued...
The Unauthorized Biography of Gash Jiren, Part One
From Vermillion Equinox Press
By Viryn Quell
From Vermillion Equinox Press
By Viryn Quell
The story of Gash Jiren's life is long and complicated, much of it lost to the annonymity of time and faulty record keeping.
He was born "Searthen Jiren" on Asthentia, an ancient world of white-haired warriors founded nearly 4000 years ago by the Old Republic. The inhabitants of the world are a species unto themselves, and before the New Republic's dissolution they were officially given recognition as such in their archives, a crossbreed of human, Zabrak, and Chiss blood, human being the dominant influence. The world is a tropical paradise, ruled by a monarchy, and relatively free from the urban development of other ancient worlds. Born into the ruling monarchy as a 'Prince-Master', Jiren was to be the next ruler of the world, upon the deaths of his parents (rule of the world is gender-inclusive, meaning that neither the males nor females of the Jiren family take precidence in inheireting rule). Though the names of his parents have never been divulged, they likely went by their ceremonial titles, 'Queen-Matron' and 'King-Master'.
While Jiren was in his early teens (presumably thirteen or fourteen), his father died during mysterious circumstances, purportedly a tragic boating accident. Following this period, Joruck Denti, a Duke of Asthentia, moved in to take the reigns of power, particularly exploiting Queen-Matron Jiren's grief for his own benefit. As the young Jiren grew older, he began to study medicine, eventually earning his doctorate degree. As he neared his twenties, it became infinitely apparent to Joruck that he was too strong to be controlled as his mother had been. He contacted rebel forces in the area -- breaking Asthentia's nearly 1000-year isolation -- and informed them of the boy's Force sensitivity, painting him as a Dark Jedi of some sort.
At the time, however, Jiren did not even know of his Force-sensitivity. However, as Asthentia was founded by the Old Republic, many Jedi were involved in its colonization, and as time had gone by, they'd become part of the ruling class of the world. Over thousands of years, those Jedi evolved into the modern-day monarchy of Asthentia, and as a result, almost all of the Jiren family was unknowingly Force sensitive, as was a percentage of the population much greater than the galactic average. In fact, a good number of those whose Force abilities cannot qualify under "sensitivity" have very minor attunement to the Force, resulting in very basic instincts and other minor feats.
The rebel forces -- at the time, quite phobic of Dark Jedi, for obvious reasons -- stormed the world. However, the group was not a registered part of the Rebel Alliance, and acted outside of the typically humanitarian initiatives of that rebellion, being more extremists than political reformists. The entire capital city was razed, and Searthen Jiren nearly killed. In this battle, he received his first of three facial scars, across his left cheek. He sought out Joruck Denti, who told Jiren of his Force-sensitivity, boasting of his victory. Though reports are sketchy, some claim that Denti was responsible for the death of Jiren's father.
He fled the world, very much embittered towards Denti and the rebellion in general. During this time, he roamed the galaxy, delving deeply into his newfound Force abilities -- and more specifically, into the Dark Side. He sought out the Jedi, desiring to exact vengeance upon them, building a red-bladed lightsaber with which to do so. Around this time, the emperor fell as Endor, and the Jedi rose once again, providing the young Dark Jedi with numerous targets. Coinciding with this rise was the rise of the Sith, under men like Recon Klain and his Eternal Sith Order.
From one of his Jedi victims, Jiren received his second facial scar, cutting from above his left eye to below his right cheek. He found a bacta specialist to have the deformations repaired, but discovered in a routine preliminary blood test that he was allergic to bacta. This same Jedi bore a Holocron detailing the mysteries of the Sith. It was during this period that Searthen began to seek out these mythical Dark Siders, stealing the fallen Jedi's lightsaber and learning to fight with two of the weapons. He also adopted the name, "Gash".
Spiraling downwards from grief, anger, and increasing power in the darkside, Gash had developed selective amnesia towards his past; he now remembered almost nothing of his homeworld, his origins, or even his true identity. He fully immersed himself in the persona of "Gash Jiren", the embittered, scarred, hooded traveller. Many times throughout his life, this pattern would emerge; he would spin his own legend, and live within that cocoon of safety.
Finally, he sought out Recon Klain's Eternal Sith Order (ERO), wishing to learn more and develop his latent talents under the great masters of that order. He did so, training under the Sith Master Skye Keller, a strong but strangely-compassionate Sith. About halfway through his training, he ran out on his Master, learning of a doctor stationed on Naboo specializing in a new form of bacta-ryll healing alternative, called "ryllca". Desiring a way to heal himself despite his allergy, he held the doctor hostage and stole a good portion of his stock -- in the process being shot in the face by a blaster, nearly dodging it but being skinned by the blaster, this receiving his third and final scar. He was also badly wounded during his raid on the doctor's camp, and forced the man to perform surgery on him, replacing his arm with a prosthetic.
Given the final choice, though, Jiren decided to keep the scars as a reminder to himself of what he'd done, and failed to do. That, anyway, was the rationalization found in his journals at the time; many psychological experts, having analyzed the Jedi Master's life, maintain that he did so if only to perpetuate now-growing myths about himself. Many of the less-talented students of ERO had begun to spin magnificent tales about the Sith. Gash disappeared for a few months, resurfacing months later with hardened resolve, quickly receiving his promotion to Sith Knight.
During Jiren's brief hiatus, one change had occured; Recon Klain, founder of the rapidly-expanding and galactically dominant ERO, had abandoned his own order, gone "rogue". It was at this time that Gash began searching throughout the galaxy for the man he'd long admired and held as an example of Sith might above all others, eventually locating him on Korriban (though nearly dying during a treacherous flight through a small cluster of black holes in the process). He found the Rogue Sith Master already expecting him on a Sith temple. The two immediately saw within one another some sort of fellowship -- some unknown connection. Side by side, the two journeyed to Ziost, the ancient ice world of the Sith. Together, they tamed one of the temples of the world, Gash using his technological abilities to begin the creation of an army of battledroids similar to those used by the Trade Federation; these later became known as Cobra Battledroids.
The two fought side by side on Ziost, finding at first a new enemy and, once he'd been defeated, a new companion in the Sith Warrior Qual Zaiso. However, in Gash's eyes, Qual was a rival. He perceived the man as a threat to the approval he received from Recon Klain, and did not take kindly to that. Their rivalry was kept in check only by Recon, however, who made it clear that any infighting would not be tolerated.
Following this, many of Recon's old students from ERO began to join the new Sith Order they'd established on Ziost; initially, it bore no name, but gradually took on the moniker "The Ziost Empire". During this time, ERO fell from prominence, while the New Order rose to power along with its rival, the New Republic. Xylon Hexyra, also known as "Hexadragon", left the Eternal Rogue Order and joined forces with the New Republic as a Rogue Jedi. Though Gash had barely known Xylon, this event would later become quite significant.
The Ziost empire (TZE) then carried out what still lives today as one of the most brutally effective paramilitary attacks in history; the assault on Theed. It also lives on as testament to the crimes of Gash Jiren, which, in the eyes of many -- perhaps even Gash himself -- he has not even begun to make up for. Initially planned as an attack on the Jedi capital of Otah Gunga, Recon and Gash changed their plans in the midst of the assault, making room for a target opportunity they knew would both humiliate the Jedi and draw them out; unprotected Theed.
They struck quickly, killing hundreds of citizens, battling and wounding -- even killing -- Jedi. They fled, but not before planting an explosive device in the primary civic building of Theed. A problem with the detonator led to Qual Zaiso volunteering to stay behind and detonate it manually -- in essence, commiting suicide. Their final act of terror was for Gash himself to strafe the city in his modified CloakShape fighter, lighting fires that would burn for hours, as he broadcasted the words, "Theed, you are an example of the Jedi's weakness. Where are they now? Protecting you? No. Do you see what happens when your defenders are inadequate as these jedi?"
This daring and successful assault solidified Gash as a galactic figure -- famous or infamous, villain or hero, this tremendous act of war would always be remembered. In a twist of fate, however, it would be this attack, which catapulted him to galactic infamy as a Sith, which would set in motion events which would lead him down a path towards the Jedi. For from this attack, he took with him a small souveneir -- a holocron.
To be continued...