"Mors Vincit Omnia" - Death Conquers All
The Deathsworn are called such because they are sworn to serve until their Death, and view themselves as Death’s mortal embodiment. The Deathsworn revere death, almost as if it were a living entity, as such they do not fear dying, and mete out death to gain Death’s favor. Functionally they resemble a combined arms military unit, with a variety of skills in both space and land combat, what separates the Deathsworn from the more orthodox military units of Tarentum such as the Grey Wolves and the Order of the Trident other than a lack of uniforms is the cult-like fanaticism and religious fervor inherent in the philosophies devised by Master Bloodfyre.
The Deathsworn have various origins including the Shadesworn of Clan Arcona where Etah originally hailed and the Death Dealers of Clan Tarentum that had strong roots in the Clans past, from where both Etah and Bloodfyre liberally pulled inspiration. But first and foremost the Deathsworn it is the House of Bloodfyre. The Deathsworn are blindingly loyal to Master Sith Bloodfyre, Death’s chosen servant, who uses the cult as his base of power, pursuing an agenda he feels is beneficial to the Clan including protecting the Clan from forces from without, and sometimes, within Tarentum.
History
In the course of his travels Master Sith Bloodfyre came across the journal of Darth Mortis, a Dark Lord of the Sith from a period thousands of years before the Dark Jedi Brotherhood and following two great wars that saw his master, only referred to as the Lord of Hunger, slain. Darth Mortis wrote at length about feeding the Darkside by creating wounds that rippled through the force and thereby empowered nearby Darkside practitioners.
Instead of seeking to establish a temporal Empire like his master, Darth Mortis took only a single world as his own raising an increasingly powerful army and fleet. The fanatical forces of Darth Mortis reveled in hedonistic excess daily infrequently striding forth into the galaxy and wreaking havok in order to create wounds in the force. In his time, Darth Mortis became greater and more powerful than his former master had ever been.
Attempting to dabble in Darth Mortis’ teachings, Master Bloodfyre influenced Anshar Kahn to slaughter the former inmates of the penal colony of Yridia II during the Yridian Revolt.This turned Yridia II into a powerful wound in force, powerful enough to ripple throughout the entire Yridian system. It wasn’t just the slaughter, but the manner in which the terror was wrought, the former prisoners were slaughtered in small groups, bit by bit, driving fear into the hearts of the survivors, fear that their time was also nearly at an end.
Following this experience, Bloodfyre decided to create a group within the Clan Tarentum to further explore the writings of Darth Mortis. Years passed before Master Bloodfyre saw his opportunity to do so, until he found within the Shadesworn cult of the Clan Arcona a Kiffar of strength and vision who had previously served as an Imperial terrorist on Coruscant, following the death of the Emperor. Bloodfyre convinced the Equite to become his student and lieutenant.
Thus Etah d’Tana left Clan Arcona, his home for many years, and joined Tarentum. The former Imperial Stormtrooper fought for Tarentum in the last half of the Dark Crusades before becoming the first Aedile of House Mortis. Etah and Bloodfyre decided that a House was too public of a venue to create the Deathsworn cult and hid it within House Mortis.
Now the Deathsworn will write their own history in the blood of their victims.
Organization
Patron: Master Sith Bloodfyre-Tarentae
Dark Jedi Master Sith Bloodfyre is the patron of the Deathsworn. The Grand Chamberlain of the Tarentae, a pillar of Tarentum and the Ghost Dragon of the esoteric Long family, the embodiment of Death itself. It was he who first answered the call of Darth Mortis and had the vision to bring the Deathsworn to life.
The patron is not generally in the field with the Deathsworn but directs their actions from elsewhere and has the final say on all operations and personnel decisions.
Vicar: Battlelord Etah d’Tana
Sith Battlelord Etah d’Tana was the first of Vicar of the Deathsworn. Master Bloodfyre sought Etah out from within the ranks of Arcona’s Shadesworn, handpicking Etah to help bring life to his vision.
The Vicar acts in lieu of the Patriarch commanding the Deathsworn in the field and acting as the overall leader of the group in his absence.
Harbinger: Battlelord Zekk
Sith Battlelord Zekk, second Aedile of House Mortis was the first Harbinger.
Higher ranking Sworn or Cultists may be appointed Harbingers. They answer to the Vicar in the field but operate independently, filling reconnaissance and special operations roles.
The Sworn: The line soldiers of the Deathsworn. Each of them posses shipboard skills such as piloting, astronavigation and mechanics as well as infantry skills such as blasters or explosives.
Cultist: Non-force users can serve the Deathsworn, though they don’t reap the benefits through the force, many of them are even more fanatical. They serve in a similar role as the Sworn.
Precepts of the Deathsworn
Master Bloodfyre and Battlelord Etah devised precepts for the Deathsworn based upon the writings of Darth Mortis and their collective experience.
- The Deathsworn kill large groups of innocent people to mass feelings of intense fear, anger, hate and suffering, which together create wounds that ripple and reverberate through the Force, empowering the Darkside.
- Genocide is the highest expression of death, but to create wounds there must be survivors to mourn the fallen.
- We should always attack the same city or planet more than once, but not too often or in any decipherable pattern. Certainty detracts from fear.
- The Deathsworn are terrorists and assassins, not soldiers or warriors. Our primary targets are the innocent and the harmless; they are mourned most bitterly.
- Whenever possible the Deathsworn conceal their identities masquerading as the enemies of their targets with the intention of causing reprisals from their victims against other innocent persons.
Perceptions
From Within
Clan Tarentum
Tarentum and more specifically Mortis is of course home to the Deathsworn. At the time of their founding, the Patron of the Deathsworn was also the Proconsul of the Clan, so the relationship is close. But the Deathsworn tends to view the decisions the rest of the Clan makes as wrongheaded and heretical.
Clan Arcona
Arcona is not only the perennial ally of the Clan Tarentum, but also the home of the Shadesworn. Etah, the first Vicar of the Deathsworn, who was also formally of the Shadesworn held a bittersweet view of his former home and like the Cult as a whole, viewed Arcona as an important resource.
Dark Council
The Deathsworn views the Dark Council as a necessary evil that they mostly ignore, interacting with the decisions of the Dark Council only through their own House Summit and Clan Summit.
All Other Clans
The other Clans are boring. They are too jaded to be useful as victims, but if they ever got in the way of the Deathsworn, they would likely be dispatched.
All Lighties
Jedi of the light side are the best targets. Their death reverberates through the force and their mourning also makes waves through the force. They are the choice target of the Deathsworn when it is safe and advisable to do so.
From Without
Clan Tarentum
Some within the Clan view the Deathsworn with suspicion, their rabid loyalty to Master Bloodfyre making them suspicious even to the Consul of the Clan Tarentum, Farrin.
Clan Arcona
The Shadesworn are aware of the Deathsworns creation, but not of its membership or nature, the rest of the Clan doesn’t seem to be aware.
Dark Council
The Deathsworn haven’t done anything to merit attention from the Dark Council….. yet.
All Other Clans
Not much is known about the secretive Deathsworn Cult by the greater Dark Brotherhood beyond rumors of a terrorist group existing within Tarentum.
All Lighties
The Jedi don’t know about the Deathsworn….. yet.