Obelisk (order)

You must unlearn what you have learned. This article contains obsolete data. It reflects a Dark Brotherhood policy, position, or object that has been removed or replaced. It is preserved here for historical purposes only and should not be used/referenced.

The Obelisk were one of three Orders of the Brotherhood, but the Order is now obsolete.

History

The most recently formed of the Three Orders of the Star Chamber, the Obelisk are the acknowledged masters of personal combat and ground-based military strategy and tactics. Obelisk members are often found in command of Brotherhood operations ranging from Special Forces to regular army maneuvers. As masters of hand-to-hand combat, martial arts, and weaponry, they also train the Apprentices in defense and the fine arts of the lightsaber. In all things, the Obelisk serve as the warriors of the Brotherhood.

An Obelisk

"To conquer a fighting system you must let it conquer you. You must give yourself to it totally."

―Kir Taldrya Katarn

Obelisk history is long and full of harsh lessons learned in the heat of battle. The Obelisk trace their history to the second student of Darth. His name, Alaiedon, is often translated as “The Iron Willed”. This Jedi was a renowned warrior in his own right, made even more powerful through the Dark Side of the Force. Alaiedon left Darth to begin a quest of his own; to satisfy his obsession with perfecting the art of war so completely that none would ever be able to challenge his power.

Alaiedon traveled for five years, absorbing everything he was taught or that he witnessed at an incredible rate. The Warrior's increasing proficiency drew a number of students to him. By his student’s estimates he had soon mastered nearly a hundred fighting styles, while using the Force to make these styles even more powerful. His students begged Alaiedon to teach them what he had learned, yet he refused, overcome by his obsession. Still, the students learned from observing their master. The Warrior's apprentices would often read their master's collected texts and participate in practice sessions against each other.

On what was to be the final stop on his long journey across the Galaxy, Alaiedon was asked by an insurgent group to take command of their army in efforts to topple a corrupt planetary government. Tempted by power, the Warrior agreed and readied himself and his apprentices as he prepared a plan of tactical genius. Executing his strategy flawlessly, Alaiedon stunned his apprentices as well as the forces under his command by his utter and complete mastery of combat and military tactics, sweeping away opposing forces with unprecedented ease and swiftness. Quickly rallying his forces, the Warrior swept out across the star system, conquering all who stood in his way. His conquests quickly drew the attention of the Jedi. As Alaiedon consolidated his seat of power and prepared for further conquests, an enclave of four Jedi Masters arrived to confront the Warrior. The Jedi commanded that Alaiedon abandon his cause, but the warrior had no intention of agreeing. The power exerted in the epic battle that followed could be felt several systems away and darkened the skies overhead. When his students arrived Alaiedon lay motionless next to the slain bodies of three Jedi Masters, and the single remaining Jedi held a sword which throbbed with Dark Side energy. The Jedi Master slew all but three of Alaiedon’s apprentices. The remaining apprentices fled for their very lives from the Jedi and the sword he wielded. Eventually settling on an unknown world, the three decided not to repeat their master's mistakes. Instead, they established a small school to train willing men and women in the art of war.

Nothing was heard from this group for many years, nor do the Obelisk resurface in any form until Ferran's joining with the Three in the Star Chamber. Ferran, a notorious assassin from the tribes of Corellia, was often accompanied by an odd tutor for most of his life. It would be many years before it was discovered that his tutor was one of the last graduates of the ancient school dedicated to Alaiedon's art of war. Ferran eventually followed the Dark Side to the Antei system, where he found Okemi the Admiral and Tiamat the Sorceress expecting him. Together, they carefully constructed their influence within the surrounding systems. Ferran often disagreed with the two about their methods, and was usually out-numbered by his partners. In his frustration, he began to teach students what he had learned from his tutor in addition to their dark studies. It is said that Ferran slew Tiamat as her ritual collapsed around her and her students, which rendered the Antei system the lifeless shell that it is today.

The Grand Master whose name was stricken from all records of the Dark Brotherhood resurrected Ferran’s legacy in the Brotherhood. He created a cabal of elite warriors, and chose as their sigil the Obelisk. This Order swept through their Brethren, assassinating and otherwise silencing the opponents of the Other. During the battle to reclaim the Brotherhood, Grand Master Cotelin was mysteriously led by the Dark Side to Ferran’s ancient texts. The Grand Master knew that a group of warriors trained using these texts would be an incredible asset. He turned them over to the cabal members on the agreement they would serve the Brotherhood. Thus Grand Master Cotelin retained the legacy of the Warrior when he recreated the Star Chamber.

In a forgotten temple to the Warrior on Antei, an ancient sword was discovered by a lone Obelisk. This sword, called Son’Jiaat, roughly translated as Fury of the Gods, is the center Obelisk study today. Brotherhood scholars argue about the origin of this sword, with some even believing this could be the lost sword of Alaiedon.

In the Brotherhood now, the Obelisk are the principal warriors and tacticians. While the Obelisk are excellent field commanders, their training primarily focuses upon martial warfare, making the typical Obelisk unfit for fleet command. Their control of the Brotherhood’s armed forces and their own individual clout as tutors of the combat arts ensures that they can never be trampled or ignored by the Sith and Krath in their machinations.

Force Powers

Main article: Obelisk Powers

Obelisk Disciplines

Assassin

Virtuosos in the arts of silent death, Obelisk Assassins are consummate killers and often the first choice when considering the use of force against an enemy. Formed around Obelisk who lusted after the challenge of assignments thought impossible, the Discipline has guided and honed assassins for whom failure is a stranger. Specific details of the discipline's development are shrouded by mystery and disinformation as is the assassin's way. But they are known as masters of infiltration, subterfuge, and evasion. They can be found in the employ of every leader in the Brotherhood. Their missions are meticulously planned and executed - the target of a Master Assassin will always be sent to the next world in ignorance of his own death. With the Dark Side guiding their skilled hands, these operatives are true harbingers of death.

Paladin

Paladins are the warrior-mages of the Obelisk Order, who formed from Obelisk seeking a broader skill set - wanting to become more than mere killing machines. Moving beyond the focus of pure physical prowess, Paladins base their system upon the teachings of the Matukai. These ancient Force-adepts sought balance between the physical and spiritual forms of combat through strenuous exercise and frequent meditation. The Paladin's meditations lead them to a deeper understanding of the nature of the Force, and this self-exploration allows for unusual adaptations of traditional Obelisk abilities.

Centurion

Centurions represent a philosophy utterly devoted to succeeding in combat; no matter the mission, no matter the cost. They spend their lives building themselves in the image of war with single-minded, often dogmatic training too arduous and demanding for all but a devout few. Indeed, members of the Brotherhood often refer to them as the "Ministers of War" - a title the fierce and merciless guardians of the Brotherhood have paid for in blood. But this training does not end with the physical, for their strength of mind is as impressive as that of their body. Their mental development is vital, for their valiant actions require far more than the power found in muscle alone. One Obelisk Centurion in the field is worth a legion of traditional warriors. The Brotherhood's leaders are well aware of this, which is the reason Centurions can always be found where the fires of war burn brightest.

Stereotypes

Obelisk stereotypes of the other orders:

• Krath: "Fighting men must be tempered in the fiery forge of true dangers, and the dangers present in books and politics are few and far between."
• Sith: "Ships of metal and blasters from afar are nothing compared to combat with an opponent face-to-face."

Aligned Houses

In the past, several houses were Obelisk aligned and thus allowed only Obelisk into their ranks. These were:

• Auctoritas of Alvaak
• Borealis of Aquillas
• Cestus of Tarentum
• Dinaari of Taldryan
• Dorimad Sol of Scholae Palatinae
• Galeres of Arcona
• Kirleta of Satal Keto
• Korriban of Exar Kun
• Primus Goluud of Naga Sadow

Trivia

This version of the history of the Obelisk was written by Kir Taldrya Katarn and Telaris "Mav" Cantor to fit with Trevarus Caerick's story of the Tripartite Path.