House Plagueis is one of the Dark Brotherhood's five independent Houses. Barely escaping the destruction of the Jusadih System Plagueis became a shadowy force, enslaving thousands to form a new army and taking a new Ascendant Fleet by force. Now, thought to be destroyed by every House and Clan in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, they have become a hidden force answering to the will of the Grand Master.
The Clan's Namesake
- "You must begin by gaining power over yourself; then another; then a group, an order, a world, a species, a group of species… finally, the Galaxy itself."
- ―Darth Plagueis the Wise
Darth Plagueis the Wise
The legendary Sith Lord, Darth Plagueis’ past is shrouded in mystery. A Muun, whose influence touched events in the galaxy for over half a century, Plagueis was discovered and trained by the unknown Sith Master of the time. Little more is known of the Muun Sith Lord’s past other than his choice of apprentice, Darth Sidious.
Although the specific events are unknown, Plagueis chose a gifted Nabooian known as Palpatine. Plagueis trained young Palpatine and declared him furthermore to be known as Darth Sidious. It is believed Plagueis realized that he had found the Sith Lord that would complete the millennium-old plan of Darth Bane: revenge and destruction of the Jedi Order.
From Sidious, it is known that Plagueis trained his apprentice in both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force, revealing Darth Plagueis’ wisdom in the necessity understanding one’s enemy, the Jedi, to assure their eventual destruction. Also revealed by his apprentice, Plagueis was fascinated with the concept of immortality and the possibilities of spontaneous generation, forcing him to delve into the deepest, darkest areas of the Force. By successfully influencing midi-chlorians, Darth Plagueis was able to save people from dying and create life.
After Plagueis had taught his apprentice everything he knew, Sidious killed him in his sleep, declaring himself the new Sith Master. With the ironic death of Plagueis, his legacy through his apprentice survived as Darth Sidious became the Sith Lord destined to take the final steps, to walk among the Jedi unseen, to bring about the destruction of the Jedi Order and the collapse of the Galactic Republic.
Brief History
The prelude to disaster for House Plagueis came in the form of precognitive visions glimpsed by Quaestor Reith. An Equite, Reith lacked the ability to see these visions during anything other than sleep or extreme meditation, and as such had no way to explore or examine the visions beyond faint glimpses. These visions showed destruction, mayhem, and carnage for the Ascendant House, and all invariably led to one conclusion - the total obliteration of all that Plagueis had built.
First during the Invasion of New Tython, then during the Orian Incursion, and again over a dozen other conflicts, Plagueis attempted to head off the disaster. With each victory or defeat, the House would breathe a collective sigh, only to realize that the threat had not yet passed. It was during the Horizon Crisis that the true menace would find the House of Ascendancy; the Jusadih Military Regime, the puppet government of their home system, would fall into chaos as the Dark Jedi in charge went insane. As all became anarchy and the forces of the House mustered to survive, the forces of Archibald Zoraan swept through the system, blasting it apart. Even as the forces orbiting each planet worked to destroy those below, bioweaponry and other toxins were deployed to ruin any chance of recolonization. With the death of Chi Long and the release of a Starweird into the system, it was not long before Jusadih was reduced to ashes. Barely surviving, even while aided by Clan Arcona against the enemy, the Plagueians were forced to flee into Hyperspace in a blind jump aboard the badly damaged flagship Ascendancy, the rest of the Brotherhood knowing only Arcona's report of their destruction.
Coming out of lightspeed, the Plagueians found themselves within the outer reaches of the Stygian Caldera. Near their position drifted a derelict space station, a relic of the Great Galactic War. Sending out a call to the remaining Plagueians who had not been aboard the Ascendancy, Tra'an Reith sought to rebuild. After the Saraask'ar were brought to heel and the station boarded, Plagueis set itself toward repairs and refit.
Using their cargo and parts, they were able to make the Ascendancy spaceworthy once again. At the direction of the Quaestor Solus Gar worked with the leader of the trandoshans, Tress'kar, to imprison and guard the crewmen of the rescue ships ships they would draw to the edge of the Caldera with a distress beacon. The reptiles kept their charges secure while Doctor Xu and Braecen Kaeth set out to fulfill Tra'an's vision. Once it was complete, the newly ascendant Dread Lord Reith revealed his project - a slave army, formed of Ravager soldiers and Subjugate crewmen. With the core of a new army at hand and a repaired ship, raids were launched and Plagueis began to become strong again. Working off of intel from Alaris Jinn, Plagueis forces infiltrated the Galactic Alliance base at Ord Pardron and captured or sabotaged the task force of ships lying at anchor there. The ships were renamed, their crews enslaved or killed, and Plagueis departed with the new Ascendant Fleet under the cover of the Ascendancy to regroup.
With the other Houses and Clans thinking Plagueis dead, the leadership of Plagueis was content to allow that fiction to remain intact. The other Dark Jedi of the Brotherhood fought for the positions their vital members had lost, while those who had survived Zoraan's onslaught sought to capitalize on the advantages and disadvantages of one less House. Only two amongst their ranks - the Grand Master and his Shadow Hand - would know the truth whole truth of Plagueis's survival, with the Dark Councilors informed of the details that concerned their various dominions.
House Organization
House Officials
Dread Lord
The Quaestor of House Plagueis is styled the Dread Lord of Plagueis and is the autocratic ruler of the House and all its holdings. The Dread Lord is the supreme ruler of the entirety of Plagueis, serving as governmental leader as well as supreme military commander. The Dread Lord also determines the division of the spoils of any conflict or raid engaged in by Plagueis, even those undertaken by the leaders of Ajunta Pall and Karness Muur. The Dread Lord swears fealty to the Iron Throne.
Dread Lord's Wrath
The position of Dread Lord's Wrath is occupied by the Aedile of House Plaguies. The Wrath serves as a personal enforcer and executioner for the Dread Lord, taking orders directly from and answering only to him. Unlike the rest of the Dread Lord's servants, who are bound to his will by a dark side ritual, the Wrath is given autonomy. The Wrath is second in authority only to the Dread Lord, commanding similar levels of authority over those subordinate to him in the House on the assumption that he acts to project the Dread Lord's will.
Overseer
The Rollmaster of House Plagueis was styled with the ancient Sith title of Overseer and charged with oversight over the training of new Dark Jedi. The Overseer is also directs the indoctrination and training of new slaves in their service to the Ascendant House.
Vassals
The Battleteam Leaders of Plagueis are referred to as Vassals, having entered into a sworn loyalty to the Dread Lord in the context of the feudal system of House Plagueis. The obligations of the Vassals include military support and the return of tribute to the Dread Lord, in exchange for certain privileges including the grant of military assets to form a Vassalage. The Vassals of Plagueis are also allowed to appoint a lieutenant to serve as their second.
di Plagia
Those honored with the title di Plagia are the honored elders of House Plagueis, those who have demonstrated the utmost loyalty, dedication, and activity. The di Plagia serve as counselors to the Dread Lord and his servants. Given nearly the same level of respect and reverence as the Dread Lord, the di Plagia hold little authority of command and instead function as high-ranking political advisors.
Battleteam Ajunta Pall
- Main article: [[Ajunta Pall|Ajunta Pall]]
Ajunta Pall’s forces are lead by its Dark Jedi members the same way the Sith led the Imperial Military during the Great Galactic War. By and large, the Dark Jedi of Ajunta Pall are used predominantly as the “shock-troopers” of the Battleteam and theoretically are used sparingly during combat. In practice, however, given the aggressive nature of most Dark Jedi, specifically those in Ajunta Pall, these Dark Jedi will most often be found on the front lines of any battle.
Battleteam Karness Muur
- Main article: [[Karness Muur|Karness Muur]]
One could safely say that one of the reasons the Brotherhood, and in particular Plagueis, was so devastated by the Horizon Crisis was the fact they were caught unaware. The enemy struck without warning with devastating force. Plagueis could not afford for this to happen again, particularly in its current state. Hence, the newly knighted Arden was tasked with assembling a team of individuals that specialized in information gathering and more subtle forms of war. Karness Muur would be the eyes, ears, and when necessary “finger” of Plagueis.
Striking from the shadows, Karness Muur can be everywhere and nowhere. These members are the ones the Quaestor calls upon if he wants to keep his hands clean. Be it Hacking, Recon, Assassination, Interrogation/Torture, Manipulation, Bribery or anything of that nature, the leaders of Plagueis can find them here.
Due to the nature of it’s operations, Karness Muur tends to operate in two or three man teams in most circumstances. Smaller groups can be more stealthy by their very nature. However, missions requiring more force often call for multiple teams to be working as a cohesive unit on a given target. These teams are not necessarily fixed as different skills might be needed for specific objectives.
Government
The devastation wrought by the Horizons Crisis in 36 ABY had a profound impact on the government of House Plagueis. The Jusadiah Military Regime would fall with Jusadiah, paving the way for new governance of the Ascendant House. Where the JMR was steeped in the military traditions and formalized structure of the Imperial Military, the new feudal structure ruling Plagueis would be closely modeled on the magocracy of the old Sith Empire.
The title and position of Dread Lord is given to the leader strong enough unite the entirety of the House under his banner and seize control through power, cunning, and mastery of the Force. The Dread Lord was the absolute ruler of Plagueis with unquestioned authority. The cabal of Force wielders beneath him is the Synod, made up of the Dread Lord's Wrath, the Overseer, any duly appointed Vassals and their seconds, and the di Plagia. Many of the members of the Synod are assigned a specific area of authority, or sphere of influence. Slaves, information gathering, or command of a Vassalage were just some of the spheres that the Synod members could be designated to oversee. The control exerted by the Dread Lord and Synod were absolute, even over the other Dark Jedi of the House regardless of rank.
The unrestricted authority of the Dread Lord and Synod does not, however, translate to unrestrained loyalty amongst the members of the House. Like any Dark Jedi, those members of Plagueis with power often want more and those that lack it desire to attain it. Political factions are known to form within the ranks of the House, coalitions formed around powerful individuals. While the Dread Lord maintains his own network of intelligence gathering assets, many members of the Synod and the House's Equities maintain their own resources both within Plagueis and without. Knowing of a rivals weakness or of an opportunity to elevate oneself in the eyes of the Dread Lord can serve as a powerful motivator to keep information away from the other members of the House.
Society and Culture
Culture
The culture of Plagueis following the Horizons Crisis is very different from that which came before, one that is far more Force driven than its predecessor. The trappings of the more civilized Empire of Palpatine and the Imperial period have given way to something that shares far more with the Empire of the Sith of Ziost. Plagueis would instead thrive on slavery and exploitation. Given the consequences of Horizons, the leadership of Plagueis lived under the constant belief that if knowledge of their existence and their location were known, they would face the threat of external attack.
House Plagueis is the only House in the Dark Brotherhood to lack a planetary dominion, and its internal society reflects this. Often raiding settlements, convoys, and ancient Sith ruins, their core society spends much of their lives aboard the ships of the Ascendant Fleet. These ships become something of a home to them, often bearing their personal possessions. When they return to the Anchorage, Dark Jedi trade spoils of war with one another for favor or other goods.
Plagueians live at war. When not raiding or engaging in missions, they are typically training for the next fight. Some play the political game between one another, while others travel and liaise with contacts within and outside of the Brotherhood. Functioning as almost a rogue House, their lifestyle and strength nevertheless draws a steady stream of traitors and turncoats. Only in Plagueis does a Dark Jedi never have to hide.
Religiously, Plagueians follow the Final Way, a Brotherhood doctrine first observed by Okemi and revived by the Dark Lord Kane Vader. They see it as their duty to raid and pillage; in doing so, they seek to gradually convert all survivors into Dark Siders or slaves and bring about an era of ferocity, power, and darkness for the Galaxy. Like the Sith of old, they realize that their goal could take time, and thus they are content to live with war in their hearts and blood on their hands for the foreseeable future.
Castes
Like the ancient Sith Empire, Plagueis would also adopt a hierarchy built on a rigid caste system and stratified rank structure to put its subjects in their proper places. The caste system is broadly divided between Force users, non-Force users that serve the House, and slaves, with specific levels within those classes.
- Lords of Plagueis : The Dread Lord and members of the Synod make up the highest level of Plagueian society. Elevation to this level is determined solely by the Dread Lord, though the counsel of the Synod is often consulted. Members of this caste will have their name preceded by “Lord” when addressed formally by a subordinate or member of a lower caste.
- Force Users : The second highest level of Plagueian caste system is made up of the remaining Dark Jedi that are not a part of the Synod. In keeping with the magocratic structure of Plagueis, the Dark Jedi are superior to all those that lack Force ability. Even the lowest ranked Journeymen will still be superior to the commanding officers of the Ascendant Fleet and will be addressed as "sir". Any non-Force user, however, is expected to refer to a Force user that has completed their trials of knighthood as “my lord” out of respect.
- The Willing : Not all that serve the Dark Jedi of Plagueis are slaves or others forcefully brought to heel. There are those that serve willingly, and these members of Plagueis make up the third caste within the House. These non-Force users are considered full citizens of the House and enjoy more freedom and privileges than those below them. Many that make up this caste come from the remains of the Jusadih Military Regime and the officers and men that survived the Horizons Crisis. Still others come from those who Plagueis takes in raids that are willing to serve their new dark lords freely. Only those who unquestioningly demonstrate their loyalty by allowing the depths of their psyches to be laid bare with the Force are granted this place in Plagueian society.
- Saraask'ar : Originally paid mercenaries of House Plagueis, the Saraask'ar Clan are now direct subjects of the House following their failed attempt to seize control of the Ascendency and the House's resources after the Horizons Crisis. The Trandoshan slavers occupy a unique position in the caste hierarchy, being neither free nor slaves. Given some autonomy, the Saraask'ar are not given the rights of citizens of the House. They are, however, the only caste that is able to engage in direct contact with the galaxy at large without requiring the direct permission of the Dread Lord, serving as a buffer to protect the knowledge of the survival of Plagueis. The Saraask'ar's clan chief is allowed greater privledges within Plagueis then his subordinates, such as being allowed to advise the Synod and sit in on war councils.
- Slaves : The lowest level of Plagueian society are the slaves. Ranging from the standard, shock collared laborers to those warped by the Force such as the Subjugates, Ravagers, and Wraiths, the Slaves make up the single largest segment of the House. Lacking any rights or privileges beyond controlled access to basic necessities, the slaves of Plagueis are the property of their masters. They are allowed only what they are given; disobedience and insolence are punished viciously. Should a slave become crippled, resources are not wasted; they are put down, quickly if they served well and slowly if they fail. Slaves that lash out against a Dark Jedi of Plagueis, or their protected servants and envoys, can expect a severe punishment or even death. Any slave that is taken into Plagueis will never be allowed to leave the House alive, preserving the secret of Plagueis's survival with their lives.
Economy
The economy of Plagueis does not come from legitimate sources; all of their assets come from piracy, raiding, black market sales, and the slave trade. They have taken this to heart as a philosophy; among the Dark Jedi of Plagueis working for money is seen as soft and stupid, while trading coin for goods is typically seen as a sign of weakness. As many a of the House's members would say, a true Dark Jedi pays the blood price for his possessions.
While it does use the Galactic Credit Standard, Plagueis tends to favor physical currency such as coins and bills over credit chips or electronic transactions. While a vast reserve of physical currency is kept at the Anchorage, there are also electronic accounts kept in the various banking houses of the galaxy under aliases under the direct control of the Saraask'ar. These laundered bank funds are used by the House to make large purchases of goods.
By far the largest export for the House is in trafficking trained slaves. The vast majority of those sentients seized in raids are unsuited for the needs of Plagueis, and are instead handed over to the Saraask'ar for training and sale. These slaves will never see the interior of a Plagueian ship or the Anchorage, and are instead transported to one of the various Saraask'ar enclaves for indoctrination. Sold on the Invisible Market, these slaves bring in most of the House's income. Other goods seized from the Plagueian raids are sold on the black market or more legitimate outlets. Their most common imports are weapons, armor, medical supplies, and foodstuffs, though they get the bulk of the latter two during surprise attacks and raids. Lacking the heavy burden of supporting a dominion, the House enjoys a large return on their relatively small losses. To facilitate trade, Plagueis relies on the Saraask'ar to act as intermediaries.
Military
Command
There is little differentiation between House Plagueis and its military, as they are nearly one and the same. Every Dark Jedi holds military authority, every man is a soldier, and even the most docile of slaves provide logistical support for the Plagueian war machine. While the Dread Lord maintains overall command of the military forces, his Wrath acts as the military executor and often times commands the fleet or elements of it in the Dread Lord's stead. The upper leadership positions of the fleet and army of Plagueis are held by the House's Dark Jedi using a similar structure to that employed by the resurgent Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War.
Ascendant Fleet
The Ascendant Fleet is centered around the twin destroyers Ascendancy and Predominant. The Ascendancy acts as the House flagship and, armed with its long range turbolasers, leads the fleet in large engagements. The Bothan Assault Cruisers Harrower and Terminus, along with escort vessels and troops, form two smaller, independent raiding units that are assigned the the Battleteams. While independent from the wider Ascendant Fleet, these units serve the will of the Dread Lord and must heed his orders.
The starfighter forces of House Plagueis are no longer made up primarily of outdated Imperial types dating from the Galactic Civil War. Instead, the House has primarily adopted fighters designed by the New Republic and it's members. Later model X-wing and A-wing fighters support Y-wings and Corellian designs to form the starfighter wings assigned to the Fleet's capital ships.
Ascendant Legion
The majority of the Ascendant Legion is made up of indoctrinated slaves such as the Ravagers, Wraiths, and Subjugates. These troops, like those of the Sith Empire before, fight with a single minded fury and selflessly hurl themselves in combat against their foes. The conditioned slaves are supported by more standard enslaved sentients and directly lead by officers of The Willing. Most of the small unit leaders in the Legion are former officers or soldiers from before the fall of Jusadih. Balmorran SD-10 battle droids
serve as the shock troops of Plagueis, often as the first military forces to enter a battle. The infantry is supported by mechanized forces formed into fast moving units on the ground as well as by starfighters and combat airspeeders in the air. The main body of the Ascendant Legion operates from the Ravager, an Acclamator I-class assault ship captured from the Galactic Alliance. This ship is used when any large scale planetary raids or attacks are called for by the Dread Lord.
Allies and Enemies
Neutral
- Arcona: Having tried to aid Plagueis during the destruction of Jusadih, the Shadow Clan is one of the few that Plagueis does not have a direct animosity towards.
Enemies
- Tarentum: The Tarenti, never particularly fond of Plagueis, has come to despise the Ascendant House. Having tried to capitalize on the House's apparent demise, they were rewarded with the ever-present threat of raids. As yet, no conflict has arisen of this distaste.
- Odan-Urr: The Jedi of Odan-Urr have been recognized as a threat to and defiance of the Final Way as followed by Plagueis. In a galaxy that the Ascendant seek to plunge into darkness, they stand tall and uphold the light, making them the hated foe of Plagueis.
- Scholae Palatinae: Having allied with Plagueis before the end of Jusadih, the Imperial-minded Palatinaeans sought to exploit this alliance before outright turning on Plagueis during the Orian Incursion. This betrayal has driven a wedge between the two Houses, and has created a bloody hatred between them.
- Naga Sadow: Turned on by Palatinae during the Orian Incursion, during which Plagueis invaded their worlds, the House of Sadow fought a vicious guerrilla war against Plagueian and Palatinaean forces and ultimately managed to drive their aggressors off of their world.
- Taldryan: Allied with Naga Sadow for some time, Taldryan has despised Plagueis from its controversial inception. Having taken a sore blow against Zoraan during Horizons, the Brotherhood Within a Brotherhood thought that Plagueis had been destroyed and sought to salvage their power.
Typical House Actions & Reactions
The loss of their dominion has transformed Plagueis, erasing all aspects of their former legacy and leaving Plagueis as the embodiment of their motto of "Adapt, Ascend, and Avail". It has also made them fierce and violent; given a period of six months, they will almost always lash out at a designated target for their wrath. Plagueians like to utilize their newly untethered nature and secretive base to move throughout the vastness of the galaxy and confuse their enemies, striking at random in hit-and-run attacks. Other Houses and Clans hope for peacetime in between attacks; the Plagueian war is a guerrilla war on a grand scale, and thus never ends.
When struck, Plagueis will react in kind; only in the Antei system do they refrain from overt warfare. They will typically move against agents of an enemy from the shadows, or outright launch attacks at targets on opposite ends of an enemy's home; by doing this, they hope to fluster and overextend the foe, striking when he is vulnerable. Only gifts that increase Plagueian power and standing are sufficient to make them declare a temporary truce or cease-fire; Plagueis does not embrace peace, for peace is a lie.
Important Figures
The following is a list of all members who have had an influence on and impacted House Plagueis that do not wear the Clan Name. For those whom serve in the most distinguished of manners, the title of "di Plagia" was bestowed upon them; today, the right to name Sons and Daughters of Plagueis is lost to the Ascendant House, though their recent successes are evidence that they work to reclaim it. Listed below are those di Plagia still in service; for their wayward brethren, they need only locate Plagueis, as the House is always willing to adopt and initiate Rogues.
The Honored di Plagia
- Main article: [[di Plagia|di Plagia]]
Influential Leaders