Tenebrae is a Battleteam belonging to House Shar Dakhan of Clan Naga Sadow. Formed in the year 36 ABY as a training and development team for the House by Mirus Cavataio, the battleteam is responsible for educating new Journeymen in order to hone their expertise and transform them into highly-skilled members of the military arm of the Clan, as well as serving as a recruiting ground for the Scepter of Ragnos of House Marka Ragnos. Utilizing a battery of advanced training programs implemented by talented instructors, Tenebrae is geared towards the ultimate purpose of shaping the future of Naga Sadow.
History
In the midst of the Dark Crusade, after Clan Naga Sadow's incursions on the worlds of Nfolgai and Khar Delba, House Shar Dakhan found Darkest Hour, its battleteam, scattered and lacking in membership. They had also found a considerable amount of Journeymen in the House with talent and a future that were starting to come out of their shells. This left the Clan Summit with two questions to be answered; one, what was to be done with the shell of a battleteam, and two, what would be done with all of the promising potential that was currently going to waste. Both questions could be answered in a single stroke; create a new battleteam dedicated towards instructing and shaping Journeymen into productive members of the Clan.
Mirus Cavataio, founder
The Summit approached the newly-crowned Templar, Mirus Cavataio, in order to create the battleteam and allowed him complete creative control. Using his experience as Battleteam Leader of the Wardens of Unity in Taldryan, Mirus assembled a plan within a day - first, use the lost temples on the planet Aeotheran as a base away from the hustle and bustle of a world wracked by internecine warfare and to assist in setting up House Shar Dakhan's control over the world. Next, establish one of the Temples as a training academy with the assistance of training-oriented Equites of Marka Ragnos and Shar Dakhan and assemble the Journeymen with the interest and drive to succeed in the Dark Brotherhood. Third, train them under the most educationally-intense possible conditions and shape them under pressure as they trained towards the rank of Dark Jedi Knight in whatever roles they wished to take. Once they reached that rank, they would be free to undertake whatever positions in the Brotherhood that they desired, equipped with the knowledge they would require to excel, as well as offer up the most promising students to the Scepter of Ragnos as the elite of the Clan.
The chosen name was simple, in his mind. Tenebrae, the birth name of an ancient Sith apprentice of Marka Ragnos, born as the conqueror of Nathema at only age ten and crowned Vitiate by his new Master. He summoned Sith Lords to his world after a century of ruling and sacrificed them all to his own immortality and established a new Sith Empire - he himself was the Sith Emperor, master of an Empire that all but destroyed the Galaxy and wreathed it in warfare. For a battleteam that would serve as the students of the Clan, the training ground of both power and prestige and the breeding ground of the greatest aspect of Marka Ragnos, the name was perfect.
To that end, Mirus called upon people he was familiar with and names that were thrown around by the Summits as promising members both from Shar Dakhan and Marka Ragnos. His own apprentice and people he had worked with across the Dark Crusade were called upon, as well as some fresh faces that Quaestor Kairus recommended for the task. At that point, Mirus took control of a temple on Aeotheran named Auriga, had them all brought to the one place and installed the Temple's keepers as his own personal Praetorian guard in one fell swoop. Thus, Tenebrae was officially born.
Modus Operandi and Training Regimen
Tenebrae is divided up into two groups - Students and Mentors. Students are members of Shar Dakhan that are ranked Jedi Hunter or lower that wish to learn in a training-oriented environment. Mentors are those ranked Dark Jedi Knight or higher with a specific skill they can impart upon the students. There may only ever be a maximum of six mentors - four mentors and eight students is the ideal number under the battleteam prospectus. At Dark Jedi Knight, the student is either relieved of their position on the team to allow more students to join, or may stay on as a mentor if their skills are great enough.
Once accepted into Tenebrae, students are brought to the remote unnamed island near the Bastion on Aeotheran, where Auriga rests. They are told to maintain the temple's location as an utmost secret, as Tenebrae's location is not known to the denizens of Aeotheran during the inter-tribal warfare dominating the planet.
At this point they are introduced to one of the most advanced training programs in the Brotherhood, similar to the Shadow Academy but on a more detailed scale - all manner of combat including lightsaber Forms, armed and unarmed combat is covered in highly-intensive and realistic scenarios as a mandatory training regimen for all students. Tactics and strategy of warfare on both small and large scales are also introduced given Shar Dakhan's military bent as the primary warfighting force of the Clan.
Other areas of education such as leadership studies, piloting, diplomacy, Dark Side philosophy, history, lore and Force training are all covered as part of the programs students may study. At request, more esoteric topics can be covered by the mentors, but most are trained as all-round members of the Clan to serve in any role requested of them. In this way they are able to challenge themselves in a highly intellectual environment and push their mental and physical limits to heights that they likely had not experienced prior, shaping them under pressure much as a diamond is formed.
Should the House require a mission completed, it is Tenebrae's students and mentors that are deployed; typically one of the mentors will lead multiple students on the mission while the others stay back to complete other duties. In this way, the students are exposed to actual conditions under the watchful eyes of someone with experience that can also troubleshoot problems should things go horrifically awry. All mentors and students are allocated all the resources required for training and missions from House supply as needed.
Members of Tenebrae with other positions, such as Black Guard or Royal Guard responsibilities, will have these catered for. Training under such programs can be conducted at Auriga as necessary given the experience of the Mentors available, but should their duties require extended periods away from the Temple, this is permitted.
Temple Auriga
Auriga, lost Sith temple.
Surrounded by the most beautiful jungles and mountains on Aeotheran, the temple known as Auriga, typically referred to as 'the Temple', is located on a remote island near the Bastion on the planet Aeotheran. Once upon a time it was a Sith temple, built on a nexus of Dark Side energy. The Temple itself is set upon the top of a hill with a landing pad behind it for access to the Temple, with an underground pathway down to a waterfall for swimming activities and training. From this vantage point the majority of the island is visible to the mountains in the distance, allowing a constant vigil to be maintained across their domain.
Constructed of ancient marble held together across the ages by the loving touch of the caretakers, Auriga is a beautiful building inside and out consisting of architecture a mix of the native style and ancient Sith stylings. Jade spires ending in high points reach towards the skies for roofing with large, circular windows adorning the walls. The interior is consistent in design almost everywhere; dark onyx flooring with silver inlays between the tiles, then marble walling with golden trims and detailing. Iconography of ancient Sith in reliefs and frescoes are commonplace across wall space, an inspiring and dark presence accented by a gorgeous backdrop. Personal warbanners are all displayed prominently from the Temple walls on the outer balcony, each member's personal mark made on the Temple in their own way.
Multiple large halls exist inside the Temple, one of them lightly padded to permit rough combat training to reduce the risk of permanent injury. A meeting room redesigned as a classroom exists with twelve seats and a holoprojector in the middle of the room to facilitate seated lessons and note-taking. An armory permanently guarded by two men is always available to the mentors and students, as well as a fully-stocked kitchen handled by two military cooks, luxurious living quarters and a meditation chamber right above the Dark Side nexus. A gym, a recreation room, a communications center and a library are all stocked as best as the House could possibly furnish for the team. At the core of the nexus rests the secret chamber whose artifacts and knowledge are known only to the leader of Tenebrae; what dark wisdom garnered from the Temple's relics is available inside the chamber is known only to one person.
Auriga is maintained by a cadre of staff both from House Shar Dakhan and from the group of people Mirus found guarding the Temple as acolytes of the Force and worshippers of a Sith cult; after displaying his own power in the Force, Mirus converted them all to be his personal army and keepers of Auriga's secrets. They are also students of a sort, permitted to learn from the mentors as need be in order to secure their loyalty and further their power in the Force.
Members of Tenebrae
Mentors
Students
Trivia
- “Tenebrae” is a Latin phrase meaning ‘darkness’ or ‘shadow’.
- Logo designed by Tyren Atema.
- Wiki page contents written by Mirus Cavataio and Syntari Bastiayn.