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The Wanderer known as Arack Tavar has not always been so; in what he calls "Past Lives", he has been a Battleteam Leader, an Aedile, a Guard Commander, as well as a loyal soldier of Arcona, lover, and, more recently...a Demon called Umbra. During his time as Umbra, he wreaked much destruction and deceit against those he called friends and the one he loved, culminating in the Demon's death at the hands of a resurgent flood of emotion that the abomination was not prepared for, in the end driving it back into the Abyssal Plane. The man who was that Demon now stands aligned with House Marka Ragnos in Clan Naga Sadow.
Part I: Demonic Entity
The Ritual
The Ritual of Transference was performed on board the Creeping Darkness by the Shadowlord, Mejas Doto. The Ritual took five hours and an immense amount of power, but did not drain Mejas in the slightest. In the course of the Transference, all of Umbra's powers, memories, abilities, traits, and even physical appearance was pushed into Talos' body, eradicating the once human.
When the Ritual was done, the young, handsome, Talos d'Tana was no more, instead laying in his place was a tall, pale, bald, and crimson-eyed monstrosity.
Manifestation
- "If you do not accept that transmission, the Proconsul promised me a tasty morsel...such as a little baby girl"
- ―Umbra to Xathia
Umbra's first mission, and his revelation to the rest of Arcona, was to mend the the rift caused by the Shadesworn agents, and he was put aboard the Eye of the Abyss II and made his way to the Bridge, where he confronted the entire True-Arconan Summit; Taigikori Aybara, Legorii Kryotek Entar, Rho Ozrei d'Tana, Tirna Quirja, and Xathia. Also present were Aiorius Van Trayus, Zakath, and Etah d'Tana.
Within moments of his arrival, the klaxon for signal-arrival beeped, alerting the True-Arconans that a transmission was waiting. The Summit accepted and the cowled faces of Sashar Arconae and Vorion, the co-leaders of the Shadesworn. Before Vorion could speak, Xathia and Rho swarmed the console; demanding to know what he had done with Alyssa and what Talos had become, respectively.
Vorion took the verbal onslaught and eventually quelled the ranting by raising a hand and a immediate silence fell over the True-Arconans. He explained the entire situation; including the purpose of the Shadesworn, the kidnapping of Alyssa to use as bait and the transformation of Talos into the Entity of Umbra. He then explained the reason that Umbra was onboard the ship and the Stair of Doto, the ritual that would pioneer Clan Arcona's reclamation of the Dajorra System. The climbing of the Stair had begun.
Gathering the 14,000
- "Welcome, Emissary Umbra. I am Lieutenant Commander Neevil, Battalion Commander of Task Force 19"
- ―LTC Neevil to Umbra upon his arrival at Sukhur
The Fist of the Shadesworn's first mission during the Stair of Doto was to gather the secret and elite Task Force 19 from House Galere's former home, the planet of Sukhur. As the Abyssal Demon was preparing to depart in the Creeping Darkness, flagship of the Shadesworn, the Lord Consul, Sashar Arconae, sent with him an aide in the form of Talos' brother, Etah d'Tana
The entire trip to Sukhur passed in relative silence, when Etah was not trying to pry answers out of Umbra, the Demon now in full control of the body of Vyranius. When the duo arrived at Sukhur, they found fourteen thousand black armored troops and one annoying officer named Neevil. Neevil quickly tried to assert his authority over the Demon and Sakiyan but resulted in the officer's death as he was grasped by a Shade Tendril and flung casually across the Grand Hall of the former Galeres base. Umbra then made Etah the new Battalion Commander, along with the de-facto rank of Lieutenant Commander.
The Demonic Entity then gave an invigorating speech, a trait of Talos' that had shown through, and the 14,000 Reclaimers (Task Force 19 code name) were boarded onto the Interdictor, bound for Selen and more specifically, Giletta Spaceport.
The Precursor
When the Reclaimers, Etah d'Tana, and Umbra landed via Assault Shuttles near Giletta, they found Selen a completely different environment. Oddly beautiful but radiating evil, the now terraformed planet was a true testament to the crazy biots of the Yuuzhan Vong.
On the first day of fighting, as the battle lasted just over seven days, Umbra and his men slew over a score of Yuuzhan Vong Warrior Caste members and it was there that Umbra realized the true extent of his passive powers, other than Shade Tendril, which he made excellent use of. The Entity was faster, stronger, and a better combatant, as well as immortal, but not invincible.
By the close of the third day, Umbra found something both disgusting and amusing at the same time. Not only could be restored by food and medicine, as he did not need sleep, he could heal himself and boost his innate abilities with consumption of Vong flesh.
- "What...what is he...Oh my god! He's eating the flesh of the Yuuzhan Vong! Oh dear lord"
- ―AEF Sergeant upon seeing Umbra's new appetite
Finally, the end of the Seventh Day dawned and the fighting started to cease as the call went out from Darth Sarin for a massing of forces in the orbit around Antei. The time to go home had come!
Unifying War
- "War....War never changes. Or so I thought"
- ―Umbra reflecting on the opening battles of the Ninth Great Jedi War
The fleets of the Six Great Clans dropped out of hyperspace around the Dark Council's fleet. With turbo-lasers primed and shock troops ready to deploy against the worshipers of Yun-Yuuzhan...but they found their most hated enemies...nowhere. The Vong Biot-Fleet had simply vanished, wiped out by some unknown force.
However, it all became clear when Darth Sarin released a message saying that a splinter cell of Jedi Knights had taken over the Dark Hall and a Jedi Master named Onmacar Crask sat on the Iron Throne. The long expected War would not be with the Yuuzhan Vong...but the Order of the Jedi.
- "You're sitting in my chair"
- ―Darth Sarin to Crask
The War lasted over seven weeks of non-stop space combat as well as field operations, which Umbra was part of. He worked in concert with Legorii Kryotek Entar, the late d'Tana's best friend, as well as other Clan notables, including Timeros Caesus Entar, Rho Ozrei d'Tana, and Taigikori Aybara. During the middle of the War, political intrigue wracked the Shadow Clan...Proconsul Vorion had succumbed to the lethal power of the Krath and had attempted a hostile takeover of the Clan. He was warded off by true members of the Clan, including agents of the Shadesworn, that errant cult he had led composed of the leadership. Vorion was left alone and the once respectable figure now pored over ancient tomes of Krath knowledge.
Finally, the dust cleared and the word was spread that the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sarin, had felled Jedi Master Crask in combat, but the exertion and loss of his lightsaber had meant Sarin's own death as well. When the Shadow Hand, now Thirteenth Grand Master, Muz Ashen, found Sarin, he also found the corpse of the rogue Jedi Master laying next to him.
Sarin was interred and respects paid to one of the greatest Dark Lord's in the recent history of the Dark Brotherhood. Then...the time came for the Clans to depart, and for Arcona, that meant finally going back to Dajorra...but not for Umbra.
Part II: Revert
- "I'm back...the hold of Vorion and the Demon are past...I am now, and forever more, Arack Tavar"
- ―Arack Tavar, upon breaking free of Umbra's control
Breaking Free
The tired Demon, after having gone nearly two months without Vong Flesh, which it had come heavily to rely upon, stumbled through the galaxy, into the deep space of the Unknown Regions, where he fell into a coma as his body succumbed to malnourishment. He was found, over a month later, by a member of the Order of the Silver Dragon and recognizing the abomination that the Demon was, the member took him to the planet of Zalso.
At Zalso, the Order of the Silver Dragon worked day and night, invoking rituals (that were Force-based, but that fact was unknown to the Dragons), that eventually, with the inner-humanity of the Demon cooperating, nearly restored Umbra back to a Human. However, not all was well for when the reborn Human awoke, a horrible, grating voice, resonated around the chamber of the Silver.
- "You have banished me, peon! Indeed you have! But know that you have destroyed bonds that will take a millenium to restore. Fear not, though, you are one with the Demonic Curse, you will never die, you are still an immortal that must live with the knowledge of what he has done FOREVER!"
- ―Umbra's departing curse to Arack Tavar
Ignoring the Curse at first glance, Arack profusely thanked the Dragon Elders and was about to try and find transportation off of Zalso when he was placed under arrest and knocked out...his restoration had come without a price, for now he was to serve the Order of the Silver Dragon as a soldier in their Armada.
Desiderium
For nearly a half year, Arack trained in both the ways of the Force and lightsaber, as well as intense tactical training, restoring Tavar's muscles and skills, as they had been wiped out during the Rituals. Plaguing him throughout his daily training though, was the fact that he done so much damage to his family and one true love.
After another a month had concluded, Arack was freed from his obligation of training with the Dragon Armada and given a shuttle back towards the System of Dajorra. However, as Arack, clad in resplendent robes of silver, sat in the back of the shuttle, he realized then and there that Arcona wasn't for him anymore...he had served merely as a ground auxiliary force in the War, nothing of note that had aided in their ultimate victory.
Quickly applying Force Persuasion to the shuttle pilot, he convinced him to take the shuttle towards the Orian System and more specifically, the world of Tarthos. Arack Tavar would join House Marka Ragnos and make amends...whatever the cost.
Ultionis
Equipment
From his weaponry to his clothing, the Human keeps his wardrobe and armory simple, stressing the maxim 'Practicality over Ornamentation'. Below is the list of the equipment that Tavar uses on a day-to-day basis.
Weapons
- Spectre - Created by Umbra's own hand after the conclusion of the Ninth Great Jedi War, Spectre is a simple weapon, using the new Spectrum hilt given to the First Clan as a reward for winning the Great War as well as the right to use many different colors. Umbra put a unique focusing crystal into his weapon, resulting in his blade being a soothing golden color when activated. The symbol of Arcona acts as the activator button. Arack now wields this weapon in his travels, in an attempt to wash off the taint that the Demon left upon it.
- Silver Knife - Given to Arack by the Order of the Silver Dragon, Tavar keeps this knife on his person at all times, as a back-up in case something should happen to his precious Spectre.
Apparel
Possessions
Warbanner - Every warrior, whether a member of the Dark Brotherhood or not, needs to be known by a crest, some sort of heraldry. Long ago, the Heralds of time forgotten came up with the idea of a Warbanner, granted to members initially at the rank of Guardian. As one rose higher in the hierarchy of the Brotherhood, more options became available.
Umbra tore down the Red Dragon Banner that represented Talos d'Tana in battle and sketched a new one, having it made by the Herald Keibatsu. The banner is blood red with a black Shadesworn crest adorning the center. Hanging from the rafter of the banner is a silver medallion bearing the crest of Arcona.
Out of pure restrictions set in place by the Office of the Herald, Arack Tavar has kept this banner but he does not bear it in his quarters of the Cathedral, out of disgust for what the Demon did and for respect of his new Clan.