Clan Exar Kun

Clan Exar Kun
General information
Founder(s):	Khan Kunar Jonaleth Isradia
Historical information
Formed from:	Clan Alvaak
Founding:	19 ABY
Dissolution:	23 ABY
Other information
Notable members:	Exar Khaland Khan Kunar Chi-Long Jonaleth Isradia di Plagia
Affilliation:	Dark Brotherhood
Era(s):	Dark Jedi Brotherhood Era
[ Source ]

Named after the Sith Lord Exar Kun, Clan Exar Kun was created from the ashes of Clan Alvaak. The clan was eventually merged with Clan Satal Keto to create Clan Plagueis. The clan was divided into three houses: House Ziost, House Byss, and House Korriban.

History

The Beginning of Clan Exar Kun

When the Empire fell, feuding warlords seized control of what resources they could, and fled into the farthest corners of the galaxy to establish their private fiefdoms, many content to simply sit and brutalise the hapless occupants of the systems they conquered. Some, such as Grand Admirals Thrawn and Daala, sought to rebuild the Empire and regain their lost power. Others, such as Ronin, gathered themselves to implement the Final Order.

With a cabal of Dark Jedi under the leadership of the Star Chamber and with a heritage as ancient as the Sith, the Chiss Ronin gained much power for the Dark Brotherhood, able to secure and hold more territory through the Force than the meagre fleet he controlled would have otherwise allowed. In exchange, the Dark Jedi gained a fleet to protect them where the power of the Dark Side failed.

Inducted into the Dark Brotherhood, Ronin became a Dark Primarch, and was given leave as Grand Admiral to establish a Clan in his name: Clan Alvaak. This Clan, the Elite Clan, was favoured and ruled by Ronin, for he became the Overlord of Alvaak, and was exempt from many of the governing rules of Brotherhood, including being given leave to use the Alvaakian lightsaber, an in-elegant and overlarge lightsaber.

For many years, Clan Alvaak was by admission only; one would need to beat the Grand Admiral in single combat and starfighter dog-fight to gain entry to the Clan and its special privileges, but during the reign of one Grand Master, this was changed. Seeing the chaotic nature of the Brotherhood, the Grand Master ordered that each Clan be divided into Houses, without exception, and that the three Orders be represented by one House within a Clan.

Like the others, Clan Alvaak divided into three Houses; Dominatus, Caliburnus, and Ronin, with Ronin himself retaining the title of Overlord of Alvaak, and appointing a Consul to rule for him. With the new Houses, came new power and prestige for Alvaak, and for a time, the Clan enjoyed a golden age.

The Birth of Clan Exar Kun

Yet, all things must end, and during the reign of Grand Master Firefox, the Great Split was declared. Breaking from the yoke of the Emperor's Hammer, most of the Dark Brotherhood fled from their former home of Eos to Antei, ancestral home of the Star Chamber. In his arrogance, Ronin believe that his Elite Clan would remain with him, yet even there, dissent raged.

Four Alvaakian Jedi, heartened by the notion of freedom and disillusioned with their Overlord, broke from the Clan and fled with the others, taking with them a younger apprentice. The elders; Sith Warlord Khan, Sith Warmaster Khalin, Krath Epis Jonaleth Isradia Aquillarum, and Krath Priest Vally Tamalar, struck out from Eos aboard the transport vessel Reliance, with the young apprentice Vithril in tow.

The transport vessel Reliance.

There was great strength gathered in that small ship, a great concentration of the Dark Side that would draw to it their new Dark Master. For days, they drifted through space, lost and in shock at the tumultuous events preceding them, knowing only that they must go on and not surrender to the machinations of their enemies. It was then that Exar Kun found them.

A black shadow, a monstrosity of darkness of hate, he descended upon the wayward ship like a storm, and spoke to them of his plans and the events on Yavin IV. The three most powerful of them; Khan, Jonaleth and Khalin, he appointed his True Heirs, and bestowed upon them the name Kunar as sign of his favor. He taught them his arts of Mind Control so they might better serve him, and instructed Khan to lead them back to the Brotherhood with new purpose; overthrow the Jedi who had betrayed him and bring about the Final Order. They were to establish a new Clan in his name and finish what he had started.

In the rapture of his presence, they swore their loyalty to him, and went on to Antei as their Dark Master wished. Before the assembly of the Dark Council and the Consuls of the other Clans, they spoke of their communion with Kun, and were given leave to establish the new Clan in his name. House Byss, was created by Jonaleth for the Krath Order; House Ziost, created by Khalin for the Sith Order, and House Korriban, created by Vally for the Obelisk Order, with Khan as their Consul together became Clan Exar Kun. Vithril, the young Zabrak, took up his Master Isradia’s banner as Aedile of House Byss, and Clan Exar Kun was born to the galaxy.

Soon after, however, tragedy befell the fledgling Clan. A shockwave resonated through their symbiotic bond to their Dark Master as he died at the hands of the Jedi, and so part of them withered away also. In an uncontrolled explosion of temporal energy released by the Kunians when the pain of Kun’s death hit them, House Korriban was destroyed, wiped from existence by the power of the gathered Children of Kun. Fuelling their hatred, Khan swore vengeance on the Jedi and the Republic for their attacks and betrayal on their Dark Master, and vowed to see his resurrection and the death of every student of the Jedi.

The Sith-Antaran War

Their revenge, however, was halted by the Antaran War. In the centuries since the Star Chamber had ruled Antei, other life had taken residence on it, and refused to annex it to its rightful rulers. The Antarans waged guerrilla war on the Dark Brotherhood, but their pirate vessels and troops were no match for the training of the Jedi and the power of the Dark Side. Beside the rest of the Brotherhood, the Clansmen of Kun crushed the Antarans, and captured the neighboring system of Acarr as their base, thereby also seizing control of a major trade route, the Eidolon Run, and exterminating all competition to their domination as the only stop port along the Run.

Seeing the wisdom in their Master’s plans, the Clansmen plotted their revenge through covert methods. In seizing the Eidolon Run, they established a façade of cultured, peaceful and educated business men and women, and extracted a tariff on all ships and vessels passing through or resting in the Acarr System. The Houses of Clan Exar Kun each played their parts in this; House Byss formed the face of the operation as the merchants, traders, administrators and operatives of the Acarr Trading Consortium, while gathering intelligence, information and power to use against and infiltrate the Republic and the Jedi. House Ziost were the soldiers, pilots, enforcers, governors and muscle, at the same time as performing assassinations, extortion and protection services.

With Acarr firmly established as a trading stop and with its bountiful natural resources at its disposal, Clan Exar Kun works ever closer to the infiltration, corruption, domination and ultimate destruction of the Republic and the Jedi, and the restoration of their Dark Master.

The Great Jedi War

There would be no rest for Clan Exar Kun, however. For a time, during the celebratory Independence Games, the Kunians fortified and strengthened themselves, digging deep into Acarr to ensure they would not be removed. Even as they did, however, something was awakening on Antei.

Roused by the Dark Siders, the great spirits of the first Star Chamber incarnated on Antei as a horrendous plague, sweeping through the Dark Council and out into the Clans in an unstoppable wave. Grand Master Firefox, on sabbatical away from Antei, was no-where to be found. Clan Tarentum sealed Antei in the Shroud, and the madness of the plague which took possession of its victims minds spread war through the Brotherhood.

Jonaleth Isradia.

The Brotherhood split into factions. Clan Exar Kun was set upon by Clans Tarentum and Taldryan even as it sought to annihilate Clans Arcona and Naga Sadow, and form alliances with Clan Scholae Palatinae. Khan, Vithril, Mune and Khalin all fell to the plague and joined the growing army gathering on Antei to release their masters.

Times were bleak. Brought to the brink of destruction by the opposing armies, Clan Exar Kun was only saved when the armies of the Red Hawk Legion and the planet Vardor interceded. Then, Krath High Priestess came to Byfrost to seek out Jonaleth. As one of the strongest Krath remaining un-infected, she charged him with seeking out Grand Master Firefox in a desperate attempt he could find a cure before the Brotherhood finally destroyed itself.

Jonaleth accepted, and alone scoured the galaxy for the Grand Master. His mission was successful, and he returned with the Grand Master. The plague was conquered and purged, and the Brotherhood settled down to lick its wounds. Strengthened by its ordeal, Clan Exar Kun continued its plans.

The Time of Troubles

There came a point of stagnation for Clan Exar Kun. Much of its populace faded into their own studies and concerns, and despite all their successes, nothing seemed able to rouse the Clan. A coup was plotted by insurgent members to overthrow Consul Khan, and the now Sith Overlord crushed it.

Yet, disheartened and wishing to focus on his studies with the Master At Arms, Khan stepped down as Consul, appointing Khalin as his successor and Jonaleth as the Proconsul. Yet, the stagnation would not lift.

As his first act and against Jonaleths advice, Khalin allowed re-entry to the Clan of the ones whom had plotted against Khan, and hell broke loose. The aggressive actions and dissention caused thereby very nearly destroyed the Clan. Jonaleth beseeched Khalin to take action, but was instead crushed. House Byss fled to Clan Exar Kuns allies, Clan Scholae Palatinae, and Jonaleth resigned as Proconsul before the Dark Council became involved.

Grand Master Chi-Long.

In an act designed to save Clan Exar Kun, the Dark Council removed Khalin as Consul and replaced him with former Grand Master Chi-Long. The summits of both Houses were replaced with the only candidates available, and Vithril and Jonaleth returned from their temporary exile. Acting swiftly, Chi-Longs advisors and servants struck down and destroyed the insurgents, and re-established order on Byfrost.

Seizing Clan Exar Kun in an iron grasp, the Grand Master purged the decay that had taken hold and consolidated his power in Acarr as the third Independence Games began by appointing Braecen Isradia as Proconsul of the Clan. During this time, the population of Clan Exar Kun exploded and thrived by Braecen’s urgings and guidance, a new wave of leaders and mighty Jedi arose from the ranks of Clan Exar Kun, and Jonaleth Isradia penned the legendary “Path of Kun”, a detailed work describing the paths to power in Kun’s name.

Crimson Tide

In their weakened state, the Sons did not see the looming threat of the Crimson Tide. These mercenaries and their army were descended from the Jedi and soldiers whom had battled against Satal Keto in aeons past, and like a scavenger of the stars, they fell upon the great Clan in its hurt state, and began to systematically eradicate it. Those few Elders of the Clan who remained fought with skill and cunning never before seen, but their numbers were too few, even with the Force as their ally.

The Crimson Tide's insigna.

In the end, they could hold but a single world against the onslaught of the Tide, and reaching out with their powers, beseeched the help of allied Clans. Only one was close enough to respond in time; the still frail Exar Kun. Heeding their ally's call, the Kunians sent what remaining forces they had after their own war to re-enforce their allies.

The battle was long and hard as Elders, Equites, Journeymen and followers of both Clans fought side by side against the marauding Tide, but in the end, the superior power and skill of the Jedi won the day, and the Crimson forces were thrown back into the darkness of space to lick their wounds and plot their revenge. The battle was over, the Dark Side had won, but at a terrible cost. What little that remained of both Clans before was now decimated further – the Consuls of Satal Keto and Exar Kun had fallen in battle, and as many took stock of the situation, they fell into desperation, and lay down to die. On the field of battle in both Clans, yet again a single Elder still stood.

The Birth of Plagueis

The Dark Council saw the trouble Clan Exar Kun and Clan Satal Keto were in, and formed a plan to merge the Kunians with the members of Clan Satal Keto, in a bid to create a super Clan and consolidate the best parts of each into a unified whole. Thus, in a move unprecedented, Clan Exar Kun and Clan Satal Keto became one. Just as the ancient tales linked Exar Kun and Satal Keto in destiny and myth, so their namesake Clans became one, and stronger for the union.

The vitality and power of Exar Kun mixed with the ancient knowledge and wisdom of Satal Keto to create Clan Plagueis, named for Darth Plagueis the Wise, Master of Life and Death. The memories of the two Clans remained shared however, for the new Clan’s Houses were Exar Kun, Satal Keto and the new House, Bane; named for the near-mythical Sith Lord whom began the tradition of two.

The might of Clan Plagueis saw them take a resounding second place in the Independence Games, and having served his tenure with honor and accomplished the unimaginable, Chi-Long stepped down as Consul shortly after Braecen moved on to join the Knight Commander as leader of the Society of Envoys.

Lucien Isradia took Chi-Longs place as Consul while Warhunter became Proconsul, and together with Jonaleth Isradia, the ancient Loremaster of the Clan, a new clan was born.

Clan Summit

Roll of Consuls

1. Khan Kunar
2. Exar Khaland
3. Chi-Long

Roll of Proconsuls

1. Gilkane
2. Exar Khaland
3. Jonaleth Isradia
4. Ethran Sayre Isradia
5. Braecen Kunar

Exalted Kunars

The Exalted Kunars were the most respected members of the clan, aside from the Consul. Only members who were dedicated and worked to improve the clan were accepted and given the clan name Kunar, so as such only four ever found themselves on this list. They were wise, strong, and loyal. Today, many of these Kunars still exist, although none have kept the clan name.

Exalted Kunars

• Khan Kunar
• Khaland Kunar