Darth Vexatus

Darth Vexatus, born Xanos Zorrixor, is a Sith Lord and one of the few Dark Prophets of the Dark Brotherhood. He is also the Overlord of House Ludo Kressh and one of the first Sons of Sadow. Vexatus is one of the few Masters of the First Echelon and one of only a handful of Masters of the First Caste of the Inner Order. He trained under Trevarus Caerick and Jac Cotelin.

Character History

He will strengthen himself through sacrifice (15 BBY – 7 BBY)

Falleen always tended to distance itself from the Core, leaving the Republic to fight its own wars. That was until Zurros, its Senator, decided to play both sides during the Clone Wars before siding with the Confederacy. Be it by chance or an act of punishment the Empire had designated Falleen as the site of its biological research program.

Xanos experienced a troubled childhood growing up on Falleen. They were a high cultured people but little could prepare them for the Empire’s atrocities or xenophobia. Many followed the lead of Prince Xizor, turning to the underworld for answers. Xanos was not so lucky, he was too young to understand, all he could remember was the pain of losing his family in the disaster. He was eight when Darth Vader had ordered the orbital bombardment of one of Falleen’s principle cities. There had been no warning, in a matter of minutes over two hundred thousand Falleen, including the royal House Sizhran, had been massacred.

The young Falleen survived, barely. Though he survived the ‘containment’ he lost the use of one of his eyes, including the better part of half his face. His body was broken and he spent weeks in the Bacta tank before he could walk again. From the outside he looked hardly any different, other than the scarring across the right side of his face. Inside he carried scars that would haunt him for the rest of his life, his right arm was prosthetic from the elbow down, and several of his organs had to be replaced. It was far from the situation he would have wished for, but he was alive.

He will crawl through his cloak (8 BBY – 0 BBY)

In the years following the sterilisation of House Sizhran Falleen society experienced a rapid break down. When Prince Xizor, the only surviving member of the royal household, turned to Black Sun, many followed him searching for a chance at revenge. Those left behind were less fortunate. Falleen society had been shattered, those who had survived left with nothing.

Xanos was taken in by an orphanage but treated like an outcast. Few of the other children could look at him without being horrified by the brutal scarring that covered his face and upper body. He was like a ghost, wandering without a home, without purpose, afraid.

It was in his fear that he began to discover his talents. He had always been lucky, his very survival was testament to that, but it was not until later that he discovered just what he could do. It was small at first, little more than a sixth sense, he could not control it, but he knew he was special. There were times when he could almost feel what others were going to do and react accordingly. It gave him an edge, but it also fostered resentment among the other children. He was frequently accused of being a cheat, others labelled him some kind of freak.

Nobody, not even Xanos himself, could see the spark of the Force for what it was.

His life will be balanced between peace and conflict (1 BBY – 10 ABY)

After the Battle of Yavin the galaxy seemed to change. Many star systems fell into the hands of the Rebellion. For Falleen little changed, life went on, the Empire continued its experiments but its presence gradually reduced as its forces became overstretched fighting a war on multiple fronts.

At sixteen Xanos left Falleen. He had seen enough of the ruin it had become and went in search of answers. With his unique talents he found it easy to get what he needed, combined with his species’ natural pheromones he found it increasingly easy to influence people. The next three years he spent travelling the galaxy. He made a living doing odd jobs for whoever was offering; he didn’t care whether it was smuggling or bounty hunting so long as it paid. With the authorities occupied with the Galactic Civil War it made life on the fringes surprisingly easy.

He will shed his skin and choose a new skin (11 ABY – 14 ABY)

The Emperor’s defeat in 11 ABY ushered in a new age and the end of the Galactic Empire. His throneworld, [[Byss], had been destroyed and without clear leadership the remaining Imperial Remnant was crippled. It was around this time that Luke Skywalker commissioned his new Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV.

By then Xanos had come to suspect his talents to be more than mere circumstance. He knew enough about the Jedi to see the signs, though it was impossible to know for sure. He decided to try enrolling at the Jedi Praxeum. The Jedi confirmed his suspicions. He could indeed touch the Force, the fact it had come naturally to him since such an early age was a sign of his innate affinity.

Xanos did not stay long. He had no desire to become a Jedi. He picked up a few basic skills but left to pursue his own path. He spent the next four years touring the galaxy, spending time among the various sects of Force-sensitives. His powers grew but without any formal training he could still not control his talents, yet none of the surviving traditions appealed to him, he had been an outcast almost from birth, he walked alone, his path his own.

He wanted to harness his powers, he did not want the Force to harness him like the Jedi demanded of their pupils. He hated the Empire for what it had done to him, and in that hate that he found strength, in moments of passion he found power. This was not the Jedi way, he know that much. Apart from the Sith he knew not where to turn, but they had been wiped out the day that the Emperor had perished…

He will know brotherhood (15 ABY – 18 ABY)

By 15 ABY Xanos had managed to dig up several leads. The Emperor may have been no more but the dark side had not died with him. The Empire Reborn movement and the Disciples of Ragnos had confirmed the Jedi had not erased all evidence of the Sith. The answers were still out there for those willing to search them out.

Xanos was visiting Ryloth when he first met Trevarus Caerick. He did not know it then but he later found out the man was a member of an ancient society called the Krath, a group of mystics and scholars of Sith lore. It was from Trevarus that he learned of the Brotherhood, a remnant of the Sith order formed by several of the Emperor’s former Dark Side Adepts.

Following the instructions provided to him by Trevarus Xanos made his way to the Minos Cluster, a region controlled by one of the remaining Imperial warlords, and offered himself to the Shadow Academy there for training.

He will choose the fate of the weak (19 ABY)

In 19 ABY the Imperial Remnant had grown weak and corrupt. They cared little for the Star Chamber or its vision and less still for its minions. With the Empire no longer able to provide the vessel required to restore the Sith order the Brotherhood declared its independence and scattered its members throughout the galaxy, the Dark Council relocating to the ancient world of Antei.

Now known as Xanos Sadow and Consul of Clan Naga Sadow, upon advice from his Master Trevarus Caerick, Xanos led his Clan to the Orian system. There they forged a new home under the guise of the Dlarit mining corporation. In the ruins of the ancient Sith temples Xanos was finally able to pursue mastery of his powers.

He will win and break his chains (20 ABY – 23 ABY)

A year after the Exodus, Xanos was offered a seat on the Dark Council as Sith High Warrior and became a full Sith adept. From there he helped lead the Brotherhood to victory over the Antarans in the conquest and the Antares system.

Toward the end of 21 ABY during the war against the ancient Sith Lord Okemi Xanos was mortally wounded in a fight against the Dark Jedi Master Kem-Shu Maeda, one of the thralls under the Sith Lord’s command. For the second time in his life he was forced to spend over a month in a Bacta tank. When he was healed the aspiring Sith renounced his position on the Dark Council and went into exile, determined to unlock the secrets that would ensure he never failed again.

Xanos does not speak much of his time in exile. He visited the worlds of the Sith Empire, including others such as Lehon, Ruusan and Malachor, but few, if any, know more than that. What is known is that when he returned a year later his powers had grown exponentially. He was no longer a mere adept, he had become worthy of mastery. In the months that followed he quickly reclaimed his status as Consul and was soon recognised by the Dark Council as worthy of becoming a full Sith Master.

He will rename himself (24 ABY – 26 ABY+)

In 24 ABY Xanos became Jac Cotelin’s Shadow Hand. During his time as Deputy Grand Master the Brotherhood descended into civil war after the emergence of a clone of the Grand Master. The war threatened to tear the Brotherhood in two, with even Clan Naga Sadow ending on opposite sides to Xanos himself. In the end, the rightful Grand Master slew his doppelganger, and the Brotherhood was reunited, though not without loss.

The war opened Xanos’s eyes to the threat of having more than one contender for the mantle of the Sith. In time he grew disillusioned with the Star Chamber, the Council of Dark Lords, believing it an affront to the Rule of Two. Casting aside his position, he declared himself Darth Vexatus, adherent to the true ways of the Sith, and left, departing to the darkest corners of the galaxy in search of the final mysteries…

DJB Facts

• 3rd Dark Prophet since the Exodus
• 23rd Deputy Grand Master of the Dark Brotherhood
• 9th Sith High Warrior of the Dark Brotherhood
• 13th and 16th Consul of Clan Naga Sadow
• 9th and 15th Proconsul of Clan Naga Sadow
• 3rd Quaestor of House Ludo Kressh
• 3rd Aedile of House Ludo Kressh
• Commander of Diamond Squadron of House Ludo Kressh

Trivia

File:YZ775.jpg

Xanos's YZ-775 light freighter

• The name Xanos was originally a corruption of the name Xanatos, a unit from MechWarrior 4.
• The name Zorrixor is an anagram of Xizor with a few additional letters inserted.
• The name Vexatus is derived from the word vexation meaning to annoy or a state of irritation.
• Xanos spent a collective total of 791 days as Consul.
• Xanos joined the Dark Brotherhood on 12th August 1999
• Xanos originally used the name "Goatham", his surname from real life, but eventually changed it in favour of something more appropriate.