- "Don't be foolish, like I once was"
- ―Meleu Karthdo, to his apprentice Darkblade
Meleu Karthdo is a Human Sith Battlemaster from Clan Taldryan. Following his life as an orphan at a young age, Meleu finally found his place in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, and served as the apprentice of Kz'set in Clan Plagueis. Following his knighthood, Meleu transferred to Arcona until the end of the Eleventh Great Jedi War. From there, he transferred to Clan Tarentum. Formerly a Magistrate to the Deputy Grand Master and to the Headmaster as well as Quaestor of House Mortis, Meleu Karthdo also served several terms as a member of the Wiki Staff.
Character History
Early life
Born in the Voss system in 8 ABY to unknown parents, Meleu was left on the doorstep of an old and retired miner, Syra Meleu (from whom he was named from, adopting the name Karthdo when he was older). During his upbringing Meleu was taught how to do a multitude of things, but being the sole 'child' of Syra, and with Syra being retired, Meleu decided to follow the footsteps of Syra and became a cubirian miner. At the age of 15, during a freak accident in a mine upon Voss, Meleu discovered that he was a Force user after saving fellow miners from a collapse. After telling his father Syra what he had discovered, he got a reaction he was not expecting, his 'father' had known all along but had not let on. In a fit of rage after discovering that he was too old to join the Jedi Academy, Meleu decapitated Syra, starting his path to the dark side.
Path to the Dark Side
After his father's execution-style death, Meleu quickly realized that mining was not for him, he wanted power but also wanted to experience the galaxy as he had had a love for space exploration ever since he was a little boy. He stowed himself on board a freighter ship from his mining facility which was headed towards Kessel, where another mining facility belonging to the same company was. However, after being discovered by two guards, Meleu dispatched of the two with use of the Force, and promptly took over the ship. Despite having a freighter full of goods worth millions of credits, Meleu wanted more, he craved more. The dark side was getting stronger and it led him to Ziost, home to the Sith. However the Sith, believing that he was in fact a Jedi due to his New Republic ship markings, took him prisoner. The Sith sentenced him to death, whilst shackled and chained, Meleu's anger grew within as a jeering crowd looked on. A sudden burst of power exploded from Meleu, breaking the locks on the chains that bound him. Using the Force once again, Meleu pulled the executioner's vibroblade to his own hand and swiftly repeated history - decapitating the man like his father. Impressed by his strength in the Force, a Verpine named Kz'set offered to teach the young Human the ways of the dark side of the Force.
The Brotherhood - Early years
Lyspair, home to the Shadow Academy
In his first years under the tutelage of Kz'set, Meleu quickly grasped lightsaber combat and was capable of completing hundreds of Ataru sequences proficiently. Kz'set taught him how to channel his hatred, and through this, he was able to empower his strength and defeat many able foes in sparring rooms within the Anchorage, where he had been stationed since his apprenticeship. However, like before, Meleu craved more power, but not of the physical kind, in fact he craved knowledge. As a result, Meleu traveled to Lyspair, where the Shadow Academy was based. Here, Meleu learned many new things, despite his goal being not that of physical power, but of knowledge, Meleu's dueling capabilities increased with his new found knowledge in almost all known lightsaber forms and martial arts forms. However, having not practiced them thoroughly enough, he was only capable of understanding the various ways in which each style was used, but this was still an advantage. Soon after, Meleu completed his trials and was swiftly given his title of Dark Jedi Knight and soon began construction of his new lightsaber.
After three years at the Academy, the newly appointed Dacien Victae (who had known Meleu back from when he was stationed at the Anchorage), made Meleu his new Magistrate, with the order of reorganizing and updating the archives on Lyspair. Recruiting some of the most knowledgeable Dark Jedi in the Brotherhood, Meleu began to recreate the archives.
For a short period of time, at the start of 32 ABY, Meleu took the position of Battleteam Leader of Apostles of Syn following the betrayal of Zednich Wolfram. Despite only controlling the Battle Team for a brief period of time, Meleu, along with his Sergeant Seabr'imsto'nedansr, helped write up the recent happenings of the team and store them within the Plagueis record vaults.
New beginnings: Clan Arcona
Following a personal dispute within Clan Plagueis, Meleu reluctantly left the Clan, seeking another unit to affiliate himself towards. His loyalty to the Brotherhood was spotted by Clan Arcona, who took him under their wing. Within a short period of time, Meleu cemented his position in the Clan and his presence soon became known following his victory over V'yr Vorsa on the battlefields of Begeren. Unfortunately, he was injured whilst fighting Kuran alongside the legendary Wuntila Arconae. This mishap lead him to once again journey to Lyspair, where he undertook several more grueling weeks training both physically, and mentally. His knowledge of Ataru became more and more proficient as time passed.
Unfortunately for Meleu, Arcona was in the middle of internal conflict between those loyal to the Quaestors, and those loyal to those holding the Arconae title. Consul Marick Arconae left the Dajorra System for several weeks, which gave time for an actual conflict to start. In the weeks that followed, Meleu sided with the Arconae. The Arconae pushed the Quaestor supporters further and further back as a result of tremendous leadership decisions shown by Timeros Caesus Entar Arconae, until they reached the Arcona Citadel. Here, in the final decisive battle in the throne room, just as the battle had begun, Marick Arconae broke up the infighting and shamed both sides for almost destroying the Arconan name.
However, if anything, Meleu had personally benefited from the events and was recognized for his combat skills by the summit, despite his traitorous support of the Arconae. As a result, he was given the rank of Sith Warrior.
Eleventh Great Jedi War
Still under the Arconan wing, Meleu fought alongside his Clan mates against the likes of the One Sith and his former clan, Plagueis, who had sided with the former. Witnessing the partial destruction of Antei and the damage to his now-home Lyspair, the war was nothing short of brutal. However, Meleu basked in the feeling of change as the war began to develop. With the Grandmasters being lured to their apparent death, it was inevitable that something momentous was about to occur. Several days later, following the resignation of Sith Lord Muz Ashen from the role of Grandmaster and his succession by Darth Pravus, his feelings of inevitability had become a realization. The death of Taigikori Aybara, the then-Justicar came even more changes, with veteran Jac Cotelin taking his place.
The result of the war was an Arconan victory, nothing surprising for Meleu at the time, since they had won the previous two Great Jedi Wars. However what was a surprise was the fire that was lit under the Clan following the large changes made around the Brotherhood - one of them being the replacement of Consul Marick Arconae by then-Aedile of House Galeres, Atyiru Caesus Entar. This fire brought forth past members who had long been rogue back to the Brotherhood, notably to Clan Naga Sadow.
Being patriotic to the Brotherhood as a whole, and able to spot a struggling Clan, Meleu transferred to now-clanned and long-time allies of Arcona, Tarentum, in order to strengthen their ranks.
Clan Tarentum
Following his transfer to Clan Tarentum, Meleu quickly began to make his name for himself across the Yridia System due to his position as Magistrate to the Deputy Grand Master, as well as having been a tutor to many Journeymen who moved through the Shadow Academy. As an academic at heart, Meleu was keen to read up on the history of Tarentum and consequently came across Necromancy, an almost extinct art within Tarentum, but one that held true Tarentae values. A combination of Meleu's thirst for leadership, the need for the rejuvenation of Necromancy and space in the newly re-clanned Tarentum for a House, Meleu proposed to open a new House within the Tarentae ranks - House Mortis.
With the proposal accepted, Meleu took reigns of Mortis as its Quaestor with Etah d'Tana being his Aedile. Meleu's place in the House was short lived. Mere months after his first day in charge of Mortis, Meleu stepped down, as well as leaving his position of Magistrate to the Deputy Grand Master in order to travel to galaxy away from Tarentum and Brotherhood dominion.
On his return, Meleu left Clan Tarentum and join the once-great Clan Taldryan and House Dinaari.
Characteristics
Appearance
Physically, Meleu is definitely well built. Being slightly taller than the average Human, Meleu is seen to have a height advantage over many of his opponents. In his upbringing however, this became an annoyance, as his height encumbered his work in the mines. On the topic of the mines, Meleu has a chiseled-like definition to his body muscles. This is the most defining feature when eyes are first set upon him, having superior upper body strength than the majority of his opponents. Years of work in the mines also helped shape his lower-body and leg muscles, spending approximately thirteen hours a day on his feet. Although rarely seen, Meleu has a very average looking hairstyle; his natural hair color being brown. The combination of a helmet and long hair would incommode Meleu, subsequently he keeps his hair relatively short. His face is similar to his body, very chiseled; especially his chin. He has a slightly thin-looking face and very pale skin following his years of mine work and his life under his helmet as a Sith and a practitioner of the dark side. His eyes are his most striking facial features. His muscular features and side effects of using the dark side of the Force are heavily juxtaposed by his deep blue eyes. They somewhat resemble what little compassion Meleu has left in the world. A small glimmer of hope.
In terms of his attire in battle, Meleu has a very clichéd Sith look, wearing a cloaked black robe, adorned by a metallic helmet and various low-end Sith artifacts. The classic robe that he wears is slightly tattered and his cloak is obviously well worn. This is a result of these items being of semi-significant sentimental value to him, as the moment he first clothed himself in him is defined in his head as the moment in which he became a true Sith. The robes have seen numerous inter-Force-sensitive duels and they are embellished by artifacts stolen from the bodies of his dead opponents, something Meleu claims to be 'trophies' to prove his victory over his weak opponents. Meleu also carries a set of metallic boots with him. Unlike his robes and cloak however, these are a relatively new addition to his apparel.
Relationships
Meleu has had several notable relationships with various Arconans and Plagueians. Here is a list and a short detailed summary of each of these:
Kz'set was Meleu's first real encounter of a fellow Dark Jedi. For a brief period of time, but undoubtedly an important period, Kz'set trained Meleu in the ways of the Force, various lightsaber forms and martial arts forms, along with numerous philosophical pieces of advice. As a result, Kz'set was recognized for his efforts in tutoring Meleu to Knighthood, receiving a Scroll of the Master.
Darkblade is Meleu's second apprentice. Despite being in Arcona for only a few months, Meleu was immediately tasked with training this specific potential Knight. Darkblade proved to be a force to be reckoned with, and despite only having been a student for a few mere months, he soon reached the final step on his way to knighthood, being named a Jedi Hunter. During the Civil War, the two had split ideals, with Darkblde moving over to support to Quaestors. Unfortunately for their relationship, the two encountered each other, with Meleu coming on top. Despite a brief lull in their strong connection, the two soon forgave each other. Soon after this, Darkblade was knighted and resides on Lyspair, having been given the role of Docent.
Dacien Victae was Meleu's second mentor. During his lower-leveled Journeymen ranks, he spent the majority of his time on Lyspair, the homeworld of the Shadow Academy. Dacien, a fellow Plagueian at the time and newly minted Headmaster, helped him choose a variety of notable texts that he should study. Dacien tracked his progress over several months, and following Meleu's Knighthood, Dacien recognized the potential in the new Knight and offered him a position under him in the Academy. To this day, Meleu continues to work for the Headmaster reorganizing and reconstructing old tomes and books.
Lexiconus was Meleu's savior in terms of pulling him out of near boredom. Handing him the responsibilities of Battle Team Sergeant of Dark Forge following Saskia Ortega's transfer to Soulfire Strike Team. Despite this, the two have had some conflict. During the Arcona Civil War, the two were on opposite sides of the war. At one point, the two clashed, resulting in minor injuries on both sides. Following the conclusion of the Civil War, Lexiconus continued to chastise Meleu for his decisions made. Thankfully, the two have begun to rebuild a bridge of neutrality for the benefit of their Battleteam.
Marduss was Meleu's first apprentice. Taking him under his wing whilst in Plagueis, Meleu held a strong bond with his younger student. Pushing him physically and mentally through training left a mental scar in the back of Marduss' mind. The day after his knighthood and after Meleu had defected to Arcona, Marduss cut any ties with his Sith master.
Powers and Abilities
Lightsaber Combat
Having studied on Lyspair for a considerable amount of time, Meleu has obtained a vast array of knowledge when it comes to lightsaber combat. However, with physical limitations, he has only been able to utilize a handful.
Primarily, Meleu is close to mastering the Ataru form and has proven this on many occasions. Ataru is the perfect form for Meleu to utilize, and he has come to understand this. Ataru allows Meleu to use his significant height and weight advantages that he holds over the majority of his opponents. On top of this, the form goes hand-in-hand with several of his Force powers (Rage and Amplification), as they allow him to maximize his strength. As a result, Meleu can be difficult to fight against.
The Niman lightsaber form
Meleu has also further dabbled into Niman. Unlike standard Niman however, Meleu studied right back to the origins of the form, where it originated from dual-wielded variant. He adopted this form in pursuance of rounding off his lightsaber combat capabilities. Solely using Ataru would become an issue, opening his entire body up to attack with no real way of defending himself - orthodoxly anyway. Consequently, the idea of being able to swap between an aggressive and a more passive form appealed to Meleu. The form that he has finally come to learn is definitely more violent than the Jedi-standard Niman however, as Meleu continues to apply the more aggressive styling of the form along with its ancient dual wielding techniques.
As mentioned before, Meleu has studied deeply in the field of dual wielding. Despite only owning one lightsaber himself, Meleu is capable of using both his vibrosword and the saber given to him at knighthood together. The result is impressive, allowing him to catch out an opponent in the midst of a battle by switching from single bladed combat to dual.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Whilst Meleu is a better swordmaster than martial artist, hand-to-hand combat forms are very present in his duels. Primarily, as not only someone who enjoys toying with his opponents, but also someone who loves to display his true anger, Meleu utilized K'thri. This classic Zabrak way of fighting complements both of these things, as it is known that those unfamiliar with the form first believe their opponent to be dancing, before moments later finding themselves on the floor. Meleu mixes this in with his fighting to create a show; mixing fluid and artistic movement with athletic and acrobatic sweeps and kicks.
Meleu came about using this form after having been appointed Magistrate. Now having access to the majority of the records within the library on Lyspair, Meleu was able to begin self-teaching this traditional and usually xenophobic form.
Secondarily, Meleu takes advantage of Broken Gate. Whilst this is a very common form throughout the galaxy, Meleu uses this specific form in order to successfully evade unexpected strikes and to feed his craving for fear and pain. This striking and attacks that this form uses are designed to penetrate the opponent's guard through sheer pain by the amount of damage inflicted. Consequently, Meleu combines this with his use of Ataru to severely weaken an opponent's guard before finishing them off.
Finally, it may have become obvious that Meleu does not often utilize hand strikes. This is a result of him having no need to do so as hand strike-based duels and fights rarely occur - usually only in certain traditional events - which Meleu does not partake in.
Weapons and Armaments
The Blight-bringer
After his knighthood in early 32 ABY, Meleu began construction of his new blade, the Blight-bringer. As an unorthodox fighter, it was destined for Meleu to create an unconventional lightsaber. The first striking feature of the blade is its curved hilt, carved from a wave of durasteel and phrik. Next, the blade itself. The crimson hue of the blade is used to instill fear within those not within the Dark Jedi ranks, as red blades are often linked to practitioners of the dark side of the Force.
On the outside, the blade itself does not look practical at all. The fact that a saber with a curved hilt is found commonly with those that practice Makashi was noted by Meleu, but put aside. The shape of the lightsaber allows Meleu to combine the power of Ataru with the accuracy of having such a blade, making him a dangerous opponent. This also goes hand-in-hand with his heavy use of martial arts combat, as the comfortable grip on the saber allows for more concentration on mid-saber clash kicks and leg swipes.
Positions Held