Clan Tarentum history

"Of all the Clans, ours has stood above and apart time and again. Where was Taldryan when the Antarans first attacked? Was Satal Keto not forced to kneel at our feet, their banners delivered in triumph to Lord Khyron? What they called victories were pyrrhic at best."

―Master Zero Tarentae

Clan Tarentum is one of six remaining Dark Jedi Clans within the Brotherhood of Dark Jedi. Its constituent Houses are Cestus, Gladius and Tridens.

For a summary of the clan, see the Clan Tarentum Prospectus.

History

Founding

In the beginning, Grand Master Jac Cotelin called for the formation of Houses, groups which would promote association and competition between the members and the Orders of the Brotherhood. Not all answered the call for the formation of these Houses. A notable few stood apart.

Among the most notable who stood apart was Magnus Kaerner, Commander of the Brotherhood's elite Tau Squadron. Under direct order from the newly crowned Grand Master Justinian Khyron (orders which would hold long lasting repercussions in the form of swearing allegiance to Khyron above all other Grand Masters), Kaerner organized and gathered his squadron to the banner of a new House - House Tarentum. From the very beginning, one of the nicknames for House Tarentum was "The Tau House." While some said this with jealous scorn, others expressed their respect in addressing Tarentum in this manner.

Quaestor Kaerner chose to settle on Yridia II, the only naturally habitable planet in the system. Upon their arrival, the founders of Tarentum were promptly asked to leave. After a short but intense dialogue, the Yridians agreed to allow Tarentum to remain on the planet on the condition that they leave the few scattered islands of dry land to the Yridian people. Sly and cunning, the Dark Jedi of Tarentum abided by their agreement with the Yridians and built their fortress, Castle Tarentum, under the ocean on the surface of the planet.

With the ascension of Grand Master Khyron to the Iron Throne, Kaerner was appointed Knight Commander of the Brotherhood and Zero succeeded him as Quaestor of House Tarentum. In his reign as Quaestor, Zero, together with his Aedile, Maxamillian von Oberst, brought about a prominent period in Tarentum's history. Not only is this marked as a period of great activity and prosperity for House Tarentum, but it also ushered in two more Legends into the annals of Tarentum's history: Sirrus and Reinthaler.

Quite possibly the greatest legacy left to Tarentum by the effective, if somewhat unconventional, team of Zero and Oberst is the Victory-class Star Destroyer Corsair. Won during the First House Wars, the heavy cruiser was awarded to Tarentum by Grand Master Khyron for its Victory over the other houses of the Brotherhood. As a tribute to the pirates that once sailed the seas of Yridia epoch ago, Quaestor Zero christened the flagship cruiser the Corsair.

Shortly after their glorious victory, Zero was chosen by Grand Master Khyron to serve as Deputy Grand Master of the Brotherhood. Before Oberst could ascend as Quaestor to the House, events in the Phare System called both Reinthaler and himself away, to quell sedition within the Infiltrator Wing. Sith Warrior Torquemada emerged as the new Quaestor with Sith Warrior Faron becoming Aedile.

Clanning

The first Clan Seal, featuring a "sword" and "trident" which represent the two houses.

As House Tarentum continued to grow, the leaders of the House felt that the future of Tarentum lay along a separate path than that of Clan Alvaak. House Tarentum became Clan Tarentum.

Quaestor Torquemada and Aedile Jammin were elevated to Consul and Proconsul of the new Clan. The members divided to form House Tridens and House Gladius, named in an ancient, nearly forgotten, language for two fearsome weapons of war: the trident and the sword.

House Tridens, under the leadership of Quaestor Bull and Aedile Piett, remained within the sacred halls of Castle Tarentum. While House Gladius, under the direction of Quaestor Shadow and Aedile SilverFox, moved into an asteroid base within the Itanna Asteroid Belt, which is now known as The Sword's Sheath.

With its newfound status as a clan, Tarentum continued along a very prosperous path for quite some time under the reign of its first two Consuls -- Torquemada and Shadow -- achieving many notable victories when the Brotherhood went to war. During the reign of Consul Torquemada, Tarentum once again held high honors within the Brotherhood as House Gladius and House Tridens were named First and Second Houses of the Brotherhood respectively.

During the time of Consul Shadow, there also continued to be an unmatched rate of Tarentum-trained Dark Jedi ascending to the Dark Council from the clan's houses and leadership alike, including Quaestors Dreadnaught & Imp22 of Gladius, and Proconsuls Bull & Kumba; Kumba being eventually succeeded by Nazkeldu, then-Quaestor of Gladius, for overall second-in-command.

At this time, a restructuring of great significance occurred within the Brotherhood as Grand Master Khyron declared that the Brotherhood's clans would now have three houses, each of a single order. House Tridens became aligned to the Sith Order, and House Gladius, to the Krath Order. This period saw the formation of Tarentum's third and youngest house, House Cestus of the Obelisk Order - which took up residence on the moon Koros orbiting Yridia II, and added a gauntlet to the clan's crest of a crossed sword and trident.

The second Clan Seal, featuring a "cestus" which represents the addition of a house.

After a distinguished reign as Consul, Shadow chose to step down as leader of the Clan. In his place came Archibald Zoraan, whose service to Clan Tarentum as Consul was marked by extensive absence and neglect. Still, the Dark Council called upon Archibald Zoraan to ascend to the Iron Throne and assume the position of Grand Master of the Brotherhood. As his apprentice and Deputy Grand, Grand Master Zoraan chose Torquemada of Tarentum.

With the former Consul occupying the most powerful position in the Brotherhood, command of Tarentum was left in the hands of Consul Kodiak Tonaloc, a former Quaestor of Gladius. At this time, Proconsul Nazkeldu also stepped down, and Pel, then Quaestor of Tridens, succeeded him. This era is marked with a overbearing shadow of troubled times, not only for Tarentum, but for the Brotherhood as a whole.

The ascension of Grand Master Zoraan sparked warfare amongst the Clans as each tried to take advantage of new situations, or demonstrate their loyalty to the Iron Throne. After the Dark Council had suppressed the warfare, the Grand Master retreated to his private chambers for months at a time, engaging in bizarre studies in a specially constructed observatory at the peak of the Dark Hall.

When several outspoken members vanished under mysterious circumstances, and after a particularly lengthy period of absence by the Grand Master, Clans Taldryan and Naga Sadow openly declared rebellion against the Grand Master, beginning one of the bloodiest battles in Brotherhood history. When the Emperor's Hammer intervened, and agents of the Clans stood ready to depose the Grand Master by force, Zoraan used his abilities to destroy the Dark Hall in a violent Force Storm that raged out of control. Zoraan was presumably killed in the ensuing chaos, which left the Dark Hall, dozens of Dark Jedi, and thousands of years of historical artifacts and records in ruin.

Perhaps taken aback by the multitude of events, Kodiak did not remain long as Consul, but returned to Gladius, and was succeeded by Pel as Consul, and Ciara Tearnan appointed Proconsul. By this time, the entire Brotherhood was in partial chaos, and a new war was held. Tarentum, troubled by it's own leadership changes, did not perform up to its usual standards. Shortly thereafter Pel elected to return to Tridens, and Ciara Tearnan took over the mantle of Consul of Clan Tarentum.

The reign of Consul Ciara Tearnan was a good one; marked by victory and fortune for Clan Tarentum. Under the leadership of Quaestor Ziguarath, House Cestus arose as the champion Obelisk House and was bestowed the title of First House of the Obelisk. House Tridens claimed the title of the Brotherhood's best Sith. And House Gladius made its own mark as an outstanding Krath house.

Ciara's reign was also a time of gain, as new acquisitions where also made. House Tridens constructed the XQ4 Platform Aegis under the supervision of Quaestor Wil Striker. Clan Tarentum claimed the M/CRV Cerberus as a prize in the military operation known as "Deception,"; the three-way feud between Clan Naga Sadow, Clan Arcona and Clan Tarentum. Tarentum took a very close second to Clan Arcona in the feud, which led to the acquisition of the corvette as a reward for their actions.

With just a few Vendettas during this period, it was said to be a time of friendships and fond memories. The only Great War of the period was said to have finished in chaos and left the Brotherhood without a clear victor. What started as a war against pirates, turned clans against each other and muddied alliances.

The Exodus

However, looming in the shadows was a hint of the trying times ahead. Troubled by the path that the Emperor's Hammer was headed, Lord Firefox conspired with six of his most trusted advisors to organize a rebellion and separate the Brotherhood from the Grand Admiral's control.

Mad with fury, the Grand Admiral ordered that all the Brotherhood's forces be held within Imperial Territories at all costs, and threatened execution to those Officers who did not immediately resign their Status within the rebelling Brotherhood. Thus was born the Second Brotherhood Civil War, the Emperor's Hammer Brotherhood (the Loyalists) against the Dark Brotherhood (the Separatists).

Consul Ciara chose to remain loyal to the Iron Throne, while others choose to put their careers as lifelong officers of the Empire first. It was a tough choice, one many decided they would not make but instead choose to simply disappear into shadow. Proconsul Domi led the Emperor's Hammer Loyalists of the Clan back into the heart of the Empire, which included most of House Tridens, as well as Quaestor Gelton Torr of Cestus. Those lost members of Tarentum remain with the Hammer to this day.

Utilizing the power of the reestablished Star Chamber, the Grand Masters shrouded the Force from those within the Empire to allow the Clans the necessary time to escape. The destination of the Exodus was an ancient one known as Antei, the Star Chamber's seat of power over four thousand years ago and the new home of the Dark Council. All the clans laid claim to the systems surrounding Antei, but one. Clan Tarentum chose to remain in their ancestral home within the Yridia System.

Having seen her clan through the tough time of the Exodus and its many hardships, Ciara chose to resign, ending her 2 year reign as Consul. Succeeding her was Proconsul Ziguarath, an individual known for his efforts in House Cestus. Ziguarath's reign was short one, as his attention was called to a war that required the majority of his attention. Leading the clan during Ziguarath's absence were the three Quaestors, Sith Bloodfyre of Gladius, Zekk of Cestus, and Rekio Corsair of Tridens. Eventually, Sith Bloodfyre was appointed Proconsul and later succeeded Ziguarath as Consul.

The Golden Age

The reign of Consul Bloodfyre was perhaps one of the most successful in recent years, and might even been seen as a new golden age for Clan Tarentum. It was a time of gain for both the Clan and individuals as the Clan's possessions grew from its many victories and many were exalted for their contributions to the Clan.

At the outset of the Consul's reign came the second Sith War and House Tridens dominated in a fashion unique to Tarentum. Not only was House Tridens named First House of the Sith Order (the last house to ever receive this honor), but they were also given the Marauder Corvette Creeping Death. The bulk of the victory, and much honor, went to Rekio Corsair who had more points on his own than the next closest House did. Following the conclusion of the Sith War, Rekio would eventually go on to become Proconsul of the Clan.

House Cestus also enjoyed great success as they placed Second in the Obelisk Rite of Supremacy mostly due to the efforts of Shadow Warrior and also Cannabisia. House Gladius was not without its share of triumph. The Keepers of the Night, led by Lady Telona Murrage, claimed a great victory over the other Krath receiving as their prize a tome from the very libraries of the Dark Hall itself.

When it was not preoccupied in it's conquests, Clan Tarentum found itself in a never before seen state of expansion and development. Several projects and systems were put in place or reestablished from the past. Master-Apprentice pairings once again flourished as senior members took student under their wing and a system of trials for Knighthood was instituted that consisted of three parts: one from the House Summits, one from the Clan Summits, and a third test from the Master.

Bloodfyre honored Oberst, returned from his absence along with Master Zero, with title of Marshal and the first of many land grants - the Sea of Darkness. Rekio, along with the confirming voices of Spears and Oberst, granted Bloodfyre the title of Grand Chamberlain of Tarentum. Along with the titles and grants that were given out, a new mark of distinction was created to honor those who had served the Clan with distinguished service in times past and present. The first two individuals to receive the Clan's name of Tarentae were Oberst and Telona, followed soon after by Ciara, Ziguarath, and Sith Bloodfyre.

In another show of their might, Clan Tarentum swept away all opposition in the Third Sith War and again for the second time in a row claimed dominance over the Sith Order. This time for their victory, Tarentum gained a full Wing of Starfighter to compliment their growing number of capital ships, as Clan Tarentum had acquired the Bulk Cruiser Doomsday and the Transport Argos through the Capital Gains competition in addition to the Creeping Death the previous year.

There was little time to celebrate the victory however, as something dark and consuming infested the Clans Brotherhood. Tarentum sealed the shroud to Antei and war between the Clans soon broke out. A strange disease called the "Consciousness" crippled over half the Brotherhood. The concentration of the war then shifted from between Clans to "infected" verses "sane" members of the Brotherhood.

Okemi, fallen Warlord of the ancient Star Chamber, perpetuated the Consciousness in the absence of Lord Firefox. As the end neared, Firefox returned and slew Okemi, restored order to the Brotherhood which had been ravaged by the chaos of the Consciousness. When honors were awarded in celebration of the end ordeal, Clan Tarentum placed second only by the narrowest of margins to Clan Taldryan. Following the events of the Fifth Great Jedi War, Sith Bloodfyre-Tarentae took charge of the Sith Order as the newly instated Sith High Warrior. His successor was none other than his trusted Proconsul Rekio Corsair Tarentae.

Internal Focus

The appointment of Rekio to Consul was followed by a host of other changes in the Dark Council itself. Jac Cotelin once again became Grandmaster of the Brotherhood and named Telaris "Mav" Cantor as his Deputy Grand Master. The positions of Lord Chamberlain and Chancellor were dissolved and a new position, Lord Hegemon, was created. During this time, Tarentum watched with pride as yet another Tarentae, Spears, joined the Dark Council as Headmaster. Rekio's appointment also marked the beginning of a period where Tarentum's attention was focused inward, rather than outwards towards the galaxy at large, or even the rest of the Brotherhood.

In the aftermath of the Great Jedi War, many clans committed to seek out and train able apprentices to replace the fallen. Tarentum, choosing to take advantage of their necromantic powers, took another path. Using the remains of the dead, various members of the clan created an army of undead to fill the menial roles within the shortages of the post-war structure. Unfortunately, events took a turn for the worse and the moon-base of Koros was soon overrun by Aptrgangr. The Cestus Complex, as well as House Cestus, itself was severely weaken by the ordeal. As a result, the site was closed and the surviving members joined House Tridens and house Galdius.

Following the resolution of the incident, the Consul turned his attention to expanding the Clan’s socio-economic power and influence in the Yridia System. The clan expanded and began colonizing Yridia III and Yridia IV for the first time, with land being granted on the later. The Upper Nobility, the Tarentae, also continued to expand as Proconsul Anshar Kahn joined the ranks of Tarentum’s Inner Order.

For the next few years, Tarentum maintained its power, but yet it remained the most distant of the clans from the Dark Council. Rekio served as Consul for some time and was eventually succeeded by his Proconsul Anshar. Anshar held the position for a short period of time before he was appointed as the new Headmaster of the Shadow Academy. His predecessor, Spears, took the reigns of Clan Tarentum, but shortly thereafter turned them over to Welshman Corsair who had been Anshar's Proconsul as well.

Welshman led the clan through the Seventh Great Jedi War, but chose to step down shortly thereafter. His replacement came in the form of former Consul and Sith High Warrior Sith Bloodfyre. Bloodfyre's second tenure would mark the beginning of a new chapter in Tarentum's existence, though no one knew it at the time.

Conflict and Renewal

Under Bloodfyre's leadership, Tarentum engaged in the wargames of "Second Darkness" under the direction of Grand Master Sarin. While at the award's ceremony, Tarentum's forces, like the rest of the Brotherhood, suffered heavily under the crushing wave of the Yuuzhan Vong attack. Tarentum would lose the cruiser Acheron in the Battle of Antei and the Corsair suffered heavy damage.

Tarentum would return to the Yridia system to heal from the fight. Perhaps a major saving grace was the fact that the Yridia system remained outside the Yuuzhan Vong's invasion path, so the system remained intact. Bloodfyre was soon summoned by Grand Master Sarin to a private meeting. There, Sarin presented each clan with new warships. Bloodfyre returned to the clan determined to start preparing for future conflicts both inside and outside the Brotherhood. To do this, Bloodfyre ordered the reestablishment of House Cestus. In a move to cleanse Koros of undead and to give the reborn House a new home, Bloodfyre, along with the assistance of Trevarus Caerick and Anshar Kahn, crashed the Corsair into Koros, destroying the remaining undead and presenting Cestus with its new base.

Shortly after this, Bloodfyre stepped down as Consul. In his place returned Anshar Kahn Tarentae who had been asked by Grand Master Sarin to return to the position. Though Anshar had done much to get the Shadow Academy back on its feet after evacuating Lyspair, he agreed to take up the mantle of Consul once again. Upon arriving, Anshar immediately set out to rebuild the clan and prepare it for upcoming conflicts that he knew were coming. Anshar appointed some new house summits where needed and then turned his attention to dealing with the refugees flowing in from other parts of the galaxy touched by the Yuuzhan Vong.

In the mix with true refugees were agents of a Hutt crime lord, known as Deutta. Deutta was intent upon destabilizing the Yridia system long enough to set up his syndicate in the economically powerful system. However, his elaborate plans failed and Deutta himself was killed. With events at home now settled, Anshar began to stockpile war supplies and increased the training efforts in the clan. He appointed Rekio as his Proconsul.

Later on, Rekio would step down as Proconsul and Dranik Tarentae would be appointed to the vacant position. Anshar then organized a Clan strike on the planet Prakith, where a secret Imperial research facility held potential weapons and technology that would benefit Tarentum. The operation was successful, as the clan gained several plans and designs for technology they had gathered in the facility. It was also the first time that Tarentum had planned a mission outside of the Yridia system since the Yuuzhan Vong invasion.

However, the clan would also face conflict on the MC80 Renegade, a decommissioned ship that held the spirits of its former crew as well as the ghosts of seven Dark Jedi. These Dark Jedi had broken free of the Crystal of Tears when it was broken by Trevarus Caerick, and they proved formidable foes as they drove Anshar from his body and possessed several of the Tarenti, pitting them against each other. However, with the help of the strange Talitha, Anshar was able to retrieve his body as the clan called upon the Keepers to aid them in winning the battle.

After the events on the Renegade, Dranik stepped down as Proconsul and Maxamillian von Oberst took up the position for a second time. Anshar and he began working to prepare ships and reorganized the military for the latest upcoming conflict, including repairs on the retrieved MC80. Tarentum's Houses also prepared with seeking their artifacts that would hopefully increase their power, though unbeknownst to most, the clan summit was aware of the upcoming conflict that the Dark Council had planned for the Brotherhood.

An Uphill Climb

The Ninth Great Jedi War was expected to be a test in the Brotherhood's power, but what wasn't expected was the enemy itself. Thinking that the Dark Jedi would face the Yuuzhan Vong, the Brotherhood was instead greeted by a sect of Jedi led by Omancor Crask, a former Sith who had deviated from the New Jedi Order. The Vong had began to die out from a strange sickness, and the Dark Council's attention shifted to ridding Antei of the Jedi. Under the council's orders, Tarentum joined the rest of the clans on the ground, working mostly to get rid of any droid forces and Jedi who stood in the Brotherhood's way. Assisted by troops from the Army of the Iron Throne, Tarentum assisted the Brotherhood in seizing Codei Prison, and the war itself was deemed a major victory as the Brotherhood reclaimed their home planet.

While successful in their assignments, Tarentum could not avoid several consequences in battle. While several of the clan's ships took slight to moderate damage against a Super Star Destroyer unleashed by the enemy Jedi, many Tarenti were announced killed or missing in action. Tarentum returned to Yridia adequately smaller in size, and several changes were made in the houses to make up for the multitude of lost numbers. While the clan worked to make up for the losses by drawing in new members, leaders had to dedicate themselves to helping their houses and fellow Dark Jedi through a difficult recovery.

Consul Anshar, upon returning to Yridia, had plans for Tarentum. The clan's powers of necromancy had been tested before the war, and they would be tested after the war. The clan had an alliance with the Keepers, but that also meant Tarentum would have to pay the price for the Keepers' knowledge and assistance. Soon the clan would have to face battles that would be more of a match than what they had fought on Antei, and that meant that the clan's wounds would have to be healed quickly in order to face the upcoming struggle.

At the same time, tensions were beginning to mount in the houses of Tarentum. While leaders of Cestus showed support for the clan summit even after the massive losses on Antei, those in Gladius especially were beginning to show distrust. Tarentum's military operations had also been affecting citizens of the Yridia system on a large scale, economically, politically, and financially. It also would not be long before the events of the Renegade would return to haunt the clan, as those that had escaped Tarentum's wrath would now become its main opponent after the reclamation.

Consuls Emeritus

1. Torquemada
2. Shadow
3. Archibald Zoraan
4. Kodiak Tonaloc
5. Pel
6. Ciara Tearnan 10/28/2001 - 06/01/2003
7. Ziguarath 6/5/2003 - 9/28/2003
8. Sith Bloodfyre 10/25/2003 - 10/17/2004, 9/7/2006 - 12/18/2007
9. Rekio Corsair 10/17/2004 - 10/17/2005
10. Anshar Kahn Tarentae 10/17/2005 - 3/13/2006, 12/18/2007 - Present
11. Spears 3/15/2006 - 4/19/2006
12. Welshman Corsair 4/19/2006 - 9/7/2006

The Sith King

Tarentum's history interlaces and interweaves with that of Grand Master Khyron's at many points. Her founding members were agents of the Sith King. To that end, Tarentum has sworn allegiance directly to the Sith King above all others - ruling Yridia as a vassal, and at the disposal of His Royal Highness.

DJB Facts

• Of the "original" Houses (Only 2 Clans existed at the time - Ar'Kell and Alvaak), Tarentum was the last to form.
• All of the original members were members of Tau Squadron.
• House Tarentum dominated in the very first House Wars, and earned the VSD Corsair as prize for the victory.
• Prior to the war with the Yuuzhan Vong (GJW8), Clan Tarentum acted as the Guardians of the Shroud of Antei, a fact that irritated certain other Clans of the Brotherhood, as well as certain elder members of Tarentum themselves.

External Links

Clan Tarentum's homepage