The Derriphan are a tribe of Massassi Warriors who were discovered frozen in stasis and utilized by Taldryan as a force of shock troops . The tribe were awoken from their sleep by Jac Cotelin and Telaris Taldrya Cantor under the supervision of then Quaestor Shaz'air Taldrya. The Derriphan were formerly pledged to Sith Lord Marka Ragnos but were then stolen by Lord Okemi, the forbearer of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, nearly 5000 years ago.
The Derriphan are now bound to Taldryan, the binding passed from leader to leader by means of an arcane ritual performed by the House’s Krath adherents and the Summit. The Massassi come highly trained and disciplined and have been well equipped by the House to act as a force of shock troops under the direct leadership of Taldryan’s Dark Jedi.
History
The Old Republic
Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos
The Sith Lord, Marka Ragnos, was lord over the systems of Korriban, Ziost, and the various worlds of the Sith Empire. He cemented his rule through cunning and violence, oftentimes employing his crack troops, the Massassi. Sith Lord Okemi, in seeking to bolster his own rise to power and primacy over all others slowly bound tribes of various Massassi to his will, in effect stealing them away from Marka Ragnos. When his many treacheries and treasons were discovered, this one among hundreds, he was humiliated in front of the royal court and exiled from the Empire to waste away in ignominy; it was a fate considered worse than death.
In time Okemi would go on, with his few followers in exile, to conquer the Antei System and found his own Sith Empire and then the first Brotherhood of Dark Jedi; the Triumvirate of Tiamat, Ferran, and himself. His caches of Massassi warriors, stolen from Marka Ragnos and frozen in stasis were forgotten and lost to the annals of time. Okemi lamented his loss of the finest warriors the Sith could offer and wrote of them in cryptic passages in the various works he left behind.
The Derriphan during their service to Marka Ragnos
Discovery
Krath scholar and student of history Vodo Biask Taldrya came across several of these passages as early as 25 ABY. Upon his ascension to the Dark Council as Voice of the Brotherhood in 34 ABY Vodo found his resources were greatly expanded and in his own time he sent out parties to search for artifacts and historical curiosities, among which he hoped to find remnants of the fabled Massassi Warriors. Surprisingly, in 35 ABY, word returned to him of a startling discovery. Not only were remnants of the caches found but an entire facility remained, filled with hundreds of the lost souls. He was unable to act on the information without the Grand Master, Muz Ashen, discovering the find and instead passed the information along to student and peer, Shaz’air Taldrya.
At the behest of Shaz’air, Grand Master Jac Cotelin came out his private musings to seek out the cache and revive the warriors for Taldryan. With the aid of Dark Prophet Telaris Taldrya Cantor they managed to awaken and orient the Derriphan. It was quickly recognized that the Derriphan suffered from a malady that was originally misdiagnosed as a case of Hibernation Sickness, the effects of Carbonite Freezing. Several warriors nearly died before it was recognized by Grand Master Cotelin that the Tribe required the bond of a Sith in the absence of Okemi and quickly performed the rite, saving the lot from a slow and agonizing death. With the Summit’s acquiescence Jac Cotelin helped the Derriphan settle upon Karufr and in doing so came to be greatly respected by the War Chiefs of the Tribe. Grand Master Cotelin then passed the bond his rite had created to Quaestor Shaz’air Taldrya who then passed it to his successor, Rian Aslar.
Physical Description
The Derriphan are Massassi of ancient stock meaning they are the pure-blood cousins of the ancient Sith species from the planet of Korriban. The Massassi derive sustenance from the Dark Side itself and require very little in the way of food or water to survive. Their bodies are incredibly resistant to physical damage and heal quickly. They stand nearly 2 meters tall and age very quickly, 50 years old comes dangerously close to being considered wizened. The crimson skin color and boney protrusions across their bodies are remnants of their Sith heritage. Other Sith traits in which they share are aggression, a healthy respect for shows of strength and leadership, and combat.
The Massassi organized themselves into tribes consisting of the warriors, some priests, and those who would maintain the homes and dwellings though the Derriphan now only consist of the warriors because of Okemi’s scheming. Normally, the Massassi would belong to a Sith Lord of the oldest empire but Lord Okemi bound them to his will through a Dark Side ritual. Upon their resuscitation the lack of a living bond to their Lord the warriors began to suffer and were then bound to Grand Master Jac Cotelin who then passed the bond to the Quaestor of the Taldryan.
Organization
The Derriphan consist of 2,500 trained and blooded warriors. They are organized into five Warbands of 500 warriors commanded by a War Chief. The eldest of the War Chiefs, presently Jyyrh Kiyaa, acts as the Senior War Chief or the first among War Chiefs. Each Warband consists of five units of 125 warriors called a Battlegroup which is commanded by a Zuun, meaning First Warrior. Battlegroups have five units of 25 called a Circle which are led by an Arban.
The Derriphan are unique within the armed forces of Taldryan, aside from their rather exceptional and ancient origin, in that they report directly to the command of a Dark Jedi in the field. In contrast Taldryan Expansionary Force is commanded by a corps of professional officers. The House Summit holds command authority over the force but does not allow Dark Jedi of Taldryan to take command, appropriate equipment or units, or otherwise take charge of Expansionary Naval, Marine, or Armed Forces. The Derriphan are given to the command of trusted individual Dark Jedi by the House Summit to command in the field. The on-going training of the Dark Jedi thus includes practice maneuvers and staged war games allowing the members of the Taldryan and the warriors of the Tribe to accustom themselves to one-another.
As part of his relationship with the War Chiefs, Grand Master Jac Cotelin negotiated a means by which Taldryan Dark Jedi could train with and earn the trust of the warriors of the Massassi. The Summit of Taldryan may at any time call on the Massassi but members must prove themselves worthy of the honor to command. In training and fighting with, and establishing their dominance, they earn the respect and loyalty of the Massassi and would be eligible to lead them in combat.
Outfitting
Armours used by Derriphan Soldiers. They are largely similar, with several small modifications for different uses
The Derriphan are equipped with a locally manufactured armor designed solely for their unique physiology, called Typhojem after the Sith God of the Left-handed. Typhojem armor consists of a Thermoelatic body glove that covers the wearer from head to toe and is capable of regulating the body’s temperature. The body glove can be sealed against chemical, biological, and radiological attack. The armored plates affix to the integrated harness and various hard points, built into the body glove, ensuring a secure and flexible fit for agile wear. The plates are made of a carbon-composite ceramic which is layered over thin pieces of hardened Durasteel. The Ceramic is then painted with several layers of an ablative plastic that evaporates and absorbs blast damage. The result is a lightweight, highly resistant armor that allows a great range of movement and is equipped with various external hard points for affixing additional pieces of armor or equipment. The Typhojem Helmet includes the latest in target acquisition software, HUD displays, and coms for unit coordination and friend or foe identification; it operates on the securest of Taldryan’s radio frequencies
It is House Policy to allow the Massassi any weapon they see fit so that each warrior is equipped to deal the maximum amount of death and destruction upon command. Typically each warrior carries a traditional Sith Lanvarok, a hybrid Polearm and razor-disc throwing projector in which they were all originally trained and a blaster weapon of their choosing.
Trivia
- The Derriphan represent the warriors of a Tribe of ancient Sith Massassi. They were originally the property of Lord of the Sith, Marka Ragnos and stolen from him by the founder of the Triumvirate, Okemi.
- In conversation with War Chief Jyyrh Kiyaa, Jac Cotelin determined that it is possible that other caches of hibernating Massassi Tribes may also exist.
- The Derriphan are the only martial forces that members of Taldryan may command in battle, and they will fight fearlessly unto the death at the order of their Dark Jedi commander.
- The Derriphan were named by Halcyon Taldrya
- Page created by Anubis Annedu and heavily added to by Vodo Biask Taldrya
- Fictional back story created by Anubis/Vodo