Template:GJW X
|
I see the contestants are making their way out onto the starting grid. This article was originally created as an entry for a Tenth Great Jedi War competition and is not official DJB canon content. It is preserved here for historical purposes only.
|
History
Creation
The Master's Holocron was originally created by Kane Vader in the year 10 ABY on the planet Korriban. It is unknown exactly how Kane created the Holocron as he never kept a record of it nor did he explain it on the Holocron itself. By this point however Kane already had the idea for the Brotherhood in his mind, and was not far away from starting it. Kane imparted a piece of his own consciousness into the Holocron, establishing that section of his mind as both the first gatekeeper and the one to hold his knowledge. Originally the Holocron was something more personal to Kane, and it held a different name then it does now. This is also the reason that the Holocron contains no insights from Kane into the Force as that was not Kane’s concern at the time he made the Holocron. Kane’s original intention was for the device to contain his knowledge, ideals, thoughts and intricacies regarding the Brotherhood and where he hoped it would head.
In the year 11 ABY Kane stepped down as Grand Master leaving the Brotherhood and the throne open for a successor. Jedgar Paladin stepped up to take the mantle of Grand Master; however he first had to pass one final test from Kane himself. Kane had not told anyone of the Holocron at this point but when he left he left behind a personal advisor to inform his successor of its existence. Jedgar was contacted by Kane’s advisor and told he would have to be granted the knowledge of the Holocron to ascend to the position of Grand Master. This was one of only three occasions where the Holocron was accessed by an incoming Grand Master without the aid of an older one. Jedgar successfully learned all Kane’s avatar had to teach him about the Brotherhood, but the new Grand Master knew that the Holocron had the potential to be something more and so with that, Jedgar imparted a section of his own consciousness into the Holocron to join Kane’s, renaming the Holocron to the Master’s Holocron.
Growth
Jedgar updated the Holocron frequently during his reign as Grand Master understanding the power that came with knowledge. He imparted his opinion of the Brotherhood at the time of his reign, continuing the work that Kane had already put into the Holocron as well as a plethora of information on the fragmentation of the Galactic Empire, a major event during his time as Grand Master. 12 ABY came, and with it the end of the reign of Paladin, having stepped down as Grand Master, Paladin had left the throne open for his apprentice Kreeayt Havok to take up his mantle. Paladin showed Havok the Holocron and explained to him to him how he had come across the Holocron and what it meant for the Brotherhood. Kreeayt did not understand the potential of the Holocron in the same way that Paladin did, but upon Jedgar’s request and with his aid Havok imbued a part of his consciousness into the device thus creating the third gatekeeper. While Havok did create a gatekeeper representative of himself, he did not imbue it with the same level of knowledge as Paladin or even Kane had. Havok understood that the device could be powerful, but preferred to rely more on physical strength than anything else. Arguably Havok’s largest contribution was not his own, but the apprentice he introduced to the Holocron which would almost lead to its destruction.
The Other
Havok showed his apprentice the Holocron before his appointment to Grand Master and from that point on The Other wanted the device more than anything. The Other became the Grand Master of the Brotherhood in 13 ABY, and with it a period of turmoil for the Brotherhood began. The Other did indeed add to the Holocron, placing a much larger portion of his mind into the device than anyone before him however not much is known about the Other, other than the knowledge of Jac Cotelin. It is known that the Other unearthed a large Obelisk temple and that near the end of his reign he was being driven insane by the Dark Side of the Force. It wasn’t long before the Other was driven mad, and with that he fled taking the Holocron and all the knowledge it contained with him, he intended to create a new and better Brotherhood.
While little is known of the details it is known that Jac Cotelin hunted the Other down and killed him ending his reign and recovering the Holocron, although Jac was unsure of its power when he recovered it. Jac returned and took up the mantle of Grand Master, but told no one of the Holocron he had found. Jac activated the Holocron and found himself face to face with the four previous Grand Masters, he was surprised not exactly sure what he was faced with as the Other had never mentioned such a holocron to anyone. The thing that threw Jac off the most however was the avatar representing the Other, an avatar which clearly showed insanity and attempted to fight Jac, forcing the Grand Master to close the Holocron and leave it until a time where he could destroy the Other’s presence. This was also the second time the Holocron was activated by a new Grand Master without the presence of an older one.
The Holocron remained relatively untouched, guarded by Jac’s personal troops until the following year. Jac stepped down as Grand Master but before he allowed Justinian Khyron to officially take his place, he had one final task for his apprentice. Jac introduced Khyron to the Holocron he had found upon his defeat of the Other, Khyron was surprised by this revelation and when Jac explained that they needed to remove the Other from the holocron Khyron agreed. Khyron was unsure what to expect from the section of the Other’s mind that inhabited the Holocron and when Jac opened the device the two immediately found themselves under a mental barrage from the avatar. The two Grand Masters fought back, removing the Other’s presence from the Holocron and effectively destroying it for good. The pair examined the Holocron then, learning from the presences of the four remaining Grand Masters. The two then combined there powers and imbued the Holocron with a section from each of their minds.
Continued Growth
Khyron’s reign was longer and more prosperous than any Grand Master before him, but with it came the First Brotherhood Civil War a harsh time for the Brotherhood but also a time for great learning. Khyron kept the Holocron with him often, although it was always hidden, and he added his thoughts on the Civil War the Brotherhood had endured as well as his own knowledge as Grand Master.
Alas there came a time where Khyron left, like Jac before him to continue expanding his knowledge of the galaxy. Before he left Khyron introduced his successor Justin Stryker to the Holocron, however Justin did not immediately take to the Holocron as his predecessors had leaving the device essentially untouched until the beginning of the Cordona Pirate Crisis. The beginning of the Crisis marked a change in Stryker, perhaps not large but noticeable enough and it wasn’t look before he took to the Holocron seeking its knowledge. Justin learned, and finally he understood the power that Khyron had explained to him, however the Grand Master craved more and he made the decision to leave the Brotherhood to gain this knowledge that he sought, before he left Stryker place his own essence into the Holocron thus securing the sixth gatekeeper as well as a multitude of information relating to the Cordona Pirate Crisis.
Khyron returned near the midway point of the Crisis, immediately returning to seat on the Dark Throne as Stryker was already gone. Khyron crushed the opposition and with the help of House Ektrosis the Crisis came to an end. Justinian picked a new apprentice, a powerful warrior by the name of Thedek, and it wasn’t long before he would become the new Grand Master. Khyron had planned to leave the Brotherhood for a second time, to continue traveling the galaxy in search of things he simply could not accomplish but before he left he took the time to pass on the Holocron to his apprentice, explaining how its existence came to be and what it now meant for the Brotherhood. With Khyron’s help Thedek learned the secrets of the Master’s Holocron, and was amazed that such a device could remain such a well kept secret. Khyron explained that it was the duty of all previous Grand Master’s to keep the Holocron a secret despite any ties to clans, for if any clans knew of it, it would be war to achieve the device and its power.
Justinian aided Thedek, helping the new Grand Master as he placed a part of himself in the Holocron, following in the footsteps of the many before him and the few that would follow. Thedek was powerful, and lead the Brotherhood through a prosperous time, often turning to the Holocron for aid, asking questions of the gatekeepers and implanting knowledge of his own. Thedek’s reign was not a long one however, and by 16 ABY he had essentially vanished leaving the Throne open for a successor
Archibald Zoraan
Archibald Zoraan orchestrated his rise to Grand Master as the Second Brotherhood Civil War began, loyalty to the Star Chamber had begun to fade and with no Grand Master to hold them, the Clan’s turned on each other, each seeking the power of being ruler of the Brotherhood.
Archibald was extremely cunning and with the aid of his Shadow Hand Pyrolius Torquemada he took control of the Brotherhood bringing an end to the Second Civil War and a start to his reign as Grand Master. During the Second Civil War a suit of Dark Armour had been found which Archibald seized for his own planning to bring himself even more power. It was around this time that an agent of Thedek’s arrived asking to speak to the current Grand Master. Archibald welcomed the agent into the Dark Hall, asking for any news of Thedek that he had. The agent said very little to the Grand Master, only giving him a video file of Thedek explaining something that would change Archibald’s view on the Brotherhood forever, The Holocron of Master’s. By this point the Dark Armour was beginning to drive Zoraan to insanity and as he examined the Holocron by himself it only made him crave power more and more. He poured over the Holocron at least one hundred times seeking every bit of knowledge he could discern from the seven gatekeepers that inhabited the device. It wasn’t long before the Grand Master attempted to impart his own knowledge into the Holocron and while he succeeded, his own gatekeeper was not as strong as the other seven and much of the madness that now controlled Archibald was passed onto the Holocron.
Archibald’s reign lasted only a year before the combined might of Clans Naga Sadow, and Taldryan rebelled against the Grand Master. The conflict was bloody and it wasn’t long before the Empire intervened lead by future Grand Master Chi-Long. Archibald refused to allow this and destroyed the Dark Hall with the immense power of a force storm. Both the Dark Hall and the Master’s Holocron were lost however the Holocron was not destroyed as Archibald had created measures to ensure its survival should such an event transpire.
Lost and Found
The Reign Without the Holocron
With the death of Archibald Zorran the Brotherhood was once again left leaderless and this time the Empire intervened placing several Imperial members on the Dark Council. Chi-Long stepped up, becoming the new Grand Master and attempted to lead the Brotherhood through one of the more difficult times of its existence. He struggled however as the Clans still held dissent over what had happened with Zorran, and it wasn’t long before Chi leaked the knowledge of the Skin of Fire attempting to unify the Clans to a single cause. It worked, to an extent as the Clans began to work together to find the Skin of Fire. During this time Jac Cotelin still held the knowledge of the Holocron, however he decided for whatever his reasons may be to not reveal this to Grand Master Chi-Long. The former Grand Master had agents searching the galaxy for any trace of the Holocron. The Hunt for Skin of Fire had been a success and the powerful artifact had been recovered, however it was too late as Chi-Long was ousted as Grand Master by the Imperial Remnant.
The Recovery
'“It seems Archibald was more powerful than we originally imagined.”
“Where is it?”
“Korriban”
“Retrieve it.”'
Jac Cotelin speaking with Grand Master Firefox about the Holocron of Master’s.
Chi-Long’s reign had been a rough one and his ousting had caused tension between the Brotherhood and the Imperial Remnant, Firefox was the next to step up and take the mantle of Grand Master and his reign would be possibly the most important in the Brotherhood’s history. It wasn’t long into Firefox’s reign as Grand Master when Jac Cotelin approached him, the former Grand Master had at long last discovered the location of the Holocron after two years of searching and he knew that it would be helpful to the Brotherhood in their time of need. Firefox was initially sceptical of the idea, wondering how the Holocron could have survived the devastation that had been unleashed by Zoraan and Jac explained that the deceased Grand Master had expected the assault and perhaps a day before his force storm had destroyed the Dark Hall he had translocated the device to Korriban, storing it inside the empty tomb of Naga Sadow. Firefox was surprised to learn Archibald had mastered the ability of translocation and it wasn’t very before the pair of Grand Master’s would travel to Korriban.
Korriban
Firefox and Jac traveled to the old Sith home world and made their way to the tomb of Naga Sadow, relishing in the Dark Side that pulsed throughout the planet. The pair entered the tomb, surprised to find it relatively unguarded. The searched the tomb, eventually coming across the room that contained both the Holocron and the ancient Rakatan Star Map.
Jac convinced Firefox to activate the Holocron right there in the tomb of the ancient Dark Lord, and with a little pressure Firefox agreed. They opened the Holocron and were immediately assaulted by the avatar of Archibald Zorran who attempted to crush the minds of both Grand Masters. Their combined might was enough to defeat Archibald and the pair removed his presence from the Holocron thus ensuring that no one would ever have to suffer his madness, finally the mad Dark Lord was gone. The pair spent a solid day in the tomb as Firefox examined the Holocron and with the help of Jac the Grand Master added his own powers to the Holocron, the number of gatekeepers now stood at eight, and they were eight of the most powerful beings to ever exist. Jac examined the Star Map while Firefox learned from the Holocron and it was the Star Map, along with the Obelisk ruins that had been uncovered that convinced Firefox to send his agents to the ancient home of the Star Chamber, Antei.
The Exodus
Antei
The recovery of the Holocron had been a great boost to Firefox personally and he knew now what direction the Brotherhood needed to take. The Grand Master went personally to oversee the construction of the new Dark Hall on Antei and left behind his Shadow Hand Mairin Astoris to watch over the Brotherhood. It was during his time on Antei that Firefox constructed a secondary holocron, an outer shell of sorts to hold the Master’s Holocron, it was during this time as well that Firefox renamed the device, now calling it the Anteian Holocron in honour of what would be the Brotherhood’s new home. This second holocron was specially designed and created by Firefox himself created with a red adgean crystal and the outer shell made completely of electrum. This holocron was intended as a guard for the Anteian Holocron and could only be opened by the unique force signature of one of the current eight gatekeepers and was only intended to be used when Firefox could not keep the Holocron on him personally.
The Alliance of Seven & The Exodus
While Firefox worked tirelessly on Antei, the Brotherhood found itself under assault by a Pirate Consortium. Led by Shadow Hand Mairin Astoris the Clans formed a truce with each other for the first time since Archibald had ruled the Brotherhood, and together they formed an alliance that would be known as the Alliance of Seven. Together the Clans were able to defeat the pirate Consortium but their power scared the Imperial Remnant and attempted to execute Mairin Astoris trying to destroy the alliance that held so fragilely between the Clans. The Shadow Hand escaped fleeing into exile, and the Remnant’s plan backfired doing nothing more than drive the Clans closer together. Firefox returned from Antei to find the Brotherhood together and yet apart with the loss of his Shadow hand, and his fury knew no bounds. The Exodus was a challenging time for both Firefox personally and the Brotherhood as a whole and throughout the entirety of the event there was never a time that he didn’t have the Anteian Holocron on his person.
The Grand Master feared that the Imperial Remnant would learn of the Holocron and attempt to take it from the Brotherhood via force. The Council of Seven convened and with it the Exodus began. As the Brotherhood removed itself from the Imperial Remnant the Council grew closer, leading the Brotherhood through a time of great peril and expanding their power. It was at this point that Firefox made the decision to share the Anteian Holocron with more than just Grand Masters, Corran Force, Trevarus Caerick, and Acxodim Pyralis were the first, second, and third respectively to ever be shown the Holocron outside of the circle of Grand Masters. Chi-Long was told of the Holocron and Firefox offered to show him the device and include him as one of the gatekeepers, but the former Grand Master declined. The Brotherhood was now a separate entity once again, and with that the group of Clans traveled to Antei to begin building anew.
Expansion of the Brotherhood
The year was now 21 ABY and the Dark Council had solidified its control over Antei, the Clans had spread out taking control of their own separate territories and the Brotherhood was in relative state of peace. Firefox kept the Holocron in a secret location now, protected by the outer shell he had created for it and by the Grand Master’s most trusted servants who while they had no idea what they were guarding, did their job well. The one thing Firefox had not been expecting was for Jac Cotelin to steal the Holocron. The Sixth Great Jedi War began quietly, more quietly than anyone had expected and it didn’t take long for Okemi to take control of Jac Cotelin, Keirdagh Taldrya Cantor, and Trevarus Caerick. This exposed a slight flaw in how the knowledge of the Holocron was passed on, as two of the three Dark Jedi who were taken over had knowledge of the Holocron. The plague spread through the Brotherhood rapidly and it was a mere six months before the majority of the Brotherhood was infected.
It was near this time that Jac traveled to the Holocron’s secret location, having been told of it as a recognition of his Deputy Grand Master status, and slew all of Firefox’s personal guard stealing the Anteian Holocron without anyone realizing, his unique power as Grand Master giving him the ability to remove the device from its protective outer shell. Firefox didn’t find out right away only bothering to check when the Sith High Warrior returned and informed the Grand Master of the situation that had transpired. Firefox was shocked and rushed to check on the Holocron, finding it was missing he knew what he had to do. The Grand Master launched an assault on Antei, finding the hidden tomb of Okemi and slaying the piece of consciousness that was the Dark Lord. The Brotherhood returned to normal and Firefox ensured the return of the Holocron, moving it to a separate location and telling no one where it was until the time came when he would step down as Dark Lord.
Jac’s Second Reign
Another year passed before Firefox stepped down as Grand Master, he had grown weary and relinquished the Throne to his apprentice and former Grand Master himself, Jac Cotelin. Jac’s second reign was a time of relative ease and expansion for the Brotherhood, and despite several major incidents the Anteian Holocron remained relatively safe and untouched except for the few occasions where Jac would go to it himself. It is not known where he held the Holocron during his reign but it is known that Jac did not use soldiers to guard it, trusting no one the Grand Master used his own abilities in the Force to guard the Holocron and it remained safe, that is until the eruption of the Third Brotherhood Civil War. The Brotherhood had been on the brink of civil war for many months following a series of several incidents that had weakened the ties of the Clans, when suddenly out of nowhere a clone of Jac Cotelin emerged. This clone proclaimed himself to be the true Dark Lord of the Sith and it wasn’t long before the Brotherhood erupted into war, three Clans siding with each Dark Lord.
The clone knew everything that Jac knew, and he understood the power represented by the Anteian Holocron and as such he stole it. The clone slaughtered Jac’s guards and took the Holocron for his own believing it would give him the power to rule the Brotherhood. Upon activating the Holocron however the clone found that the gatekeepers within would not explain their secrets to him, knowing the clone for what it was the Holocron closed itself and would not reopen. After a long battle, Jac finally slew the clone unifying the Brotherhood once again and taking back the Holocron that had been stolen. Jac found that the Holocron would not reopen for him, something that greatly troubled him and for almost a year the Holocron remained closed.
Sarin & The Vong
A New Grand Master
"I did not fall to the Dark Side. I was not seduced by the Dark Side. Falling indicates passivity. Seduction indicates a lack of control. I chose the the Dark Side. I chose power."
— Darth Sarin
The year was now 26 ABY, Jac was preparing to step down as Grand Master allowing his apprentice Sarin to take his place and at the same time Firefox was preparing to step down as Justicar leaving the position open for Kir Katarn to take his place. Jac was still concerned at his inability to open the Holocron, especially with an incoming Grand Master and contacted Firefox for his aid in the matter. Jac, along with his apprentice Sarin, former Grand Master Firefox, and incoming Justicar Kir Katarn combined their powers and together they were able open the Holocron at last. The gatekeepers were cross, but with a little prodding from both Jac and Firefox they released their knowledge to both Sarin and Kir, thus making Kir the first and thus far only Dark Jedi below the rank of Dark Jedi Master to learn its knowledge although he would later be elevated to the rank of Dark Jedi Master and eventually Dark Prophet.
Despite the knowledge the Holocron contained Sarin was initially sceptical about imparting what was essentially a piece of himself into the device and it was only with Jac’s convincing that he did so, thus bringing the number of gatekeepers up to nine and fully ushering in Sarin’s rule as Grand Master.
The Vong
By this point the Yuuzhan Vong had begun their invasion of galactic space, already forcing the Jedi off of Yavin IV. Sarin knew that the Vong would be a great challenge, one the Brotherhood might not necessarily be prepared for and as such he put the Brotherhood through a test that would be known as the Rite of Supremacy: Second Darkness. Clan Taldryan became the champion of the Rite of Supremacy and a relative peaceful year for the Brotherhood began. 27 ABY ushered in a new Deputy Grand Master as well as the return of Kaine Mandaala as Herald. Sarin held the opinion that more people needed to learn of the Holocron so that its secrets could be carried on. Sarin showed the Holocron to his knew apprentice, Muz Ashen, as well as Prophet Kaine Mandaala and as such the two became the fifth and sixth non Grand Masters to learn the secrets of the Anteian Holocron.
It wasn’t long before the peace ended and the Vong invaded Brotherhood space, they crushed their way through the forces of the Brotherhood and it wasn’t long before the Brotherhood was pushed into a retreat. Sarin had left the Anteian Holocron in the Holocron Center of the Brotherhood and realized that it could not be left behind, so together with Muz they returned secretly to Antei long enough to break into the Center and steal the Holocron. Sarin knew that it would be of little use to the Vong, but it was such a powerful tool that he could not leave it behind.
Return to Antei & Omancor Crask
It was nearly three years until the Brotherhood returned to Antei and they weren’t entirely sure what to expect. What they found shocked them, the Vong had been decimated and the planet had been overtaken by a Jedi Master known as Omancor Crask along with his rouge sect of Jedi. The group was more powerful than the Brotherhood could have possibly anticipated and Sarin was shocked when Crask appeared to him, slipping past the Brotherhood’s defences to meet with the Grand Master personally. Crask asked Sarin to give him the Anteian Holocron, and Sarin questioned how the old Jedi Master could possibly know of its existence question the Jedi and even threatening him. Crask declined to explain to Sarin how he had learned of its existence only telling the Grand Master that he had a week to relinquish it before war began, and with that Crask returned to Antei as unnoticed as he had been arriving.
Sarin was slightly disturbed that Crask had found out about the Holocron, but he declined to give it to the Jedi Master, and with that the Ninth Great Jedi War had begun. The War was a bloody one, and despite the fact the Brotherhood won, Sarin’s body was ultimately destroyed in a final climactic duel with Crask. The Grand Master’s spirit lived, but was in no position to lead and so he relinquished the throne to his apprentice Muz Ashen, thus ushering a difficult time for the Brotherhood, but one that Muz would ultimately lead then through.
Present Era
Muz took the Anteian Holocron, but declined to return it to the Holocron Center of the Brotherhood. He returned it to the protective outer shell that Sarin had left behind during the fall of Antei and had it moved to a location that at the time only he knew, guarded by his personal troops as well as a series of Force traps set by Muz himself. Finally the Grand Master added his own essence to the Holocron, bringing the number of gatekeepers up to ten, where it currently sits. The next four years were perhaps the most remarkable for the Brotherhood, what with the founding of Independent House Revan, and the addition of the first light Jedi house to the Brotherhood, Odan-Urr, a Rite of Supremacy and an Order War as well as the dissolution of Clans. However during this time the Holocron remained relatively untouched, Muz added to it and based his rule off the knowledge he had gained from it but nothing serious had happened to it.
In 34 ABY Halcyon Taldrya became Deputy Grand Master and Muz’s apprentice and within time Muz allowed him to see the Holocron, thus making Halcyon the seventh and thus far final person to see the Holocron without becoming Grand Master. The Anteian Holocron remains in a location known now only to Muz and Halcyon, still guarded by Muz’s personal guard and is undoubtedly the most powerful Holocron possessed by the Brotherhood.
Contents
Properties
The Anteian Holocron
The Anteian Holocron was designed and created by Kane Vader in 10 ABY as an addition to help the Brotherhood grow although it has changed since then and now holds the knowledge of ten of the most powerful men to ever rule the Brotherhood. It has a dodecahedral shape, and is housed inside of a separate nameless four-sided pyramidal Holocron that acts as a guard of sorts and can only be opened by the unique force signature of one of the ten Grand Masters who act as the gatekeepers of the Anteian Holocron. The Anteian Holocron is small, slightly smaller than a grenade and is crafted from an extremely rare white adgean crystal which channels Force energy and allows the Holocron to be activated. The Holocron is also relatively light despite its power, light enough that a small child could lift it.
Unlike the majority of holocrons which only contain one gatekeeper the Anteian Holocron contains ten, with each one representing a different Grand Master who has passed on their knowledge to the Holocron. Upon activating the Holocron the Ten as they are known, appear to the user along with an artificial representation of what is now the Dark Hall designed and added to the Holocron by Lord Firefox himself. The user will approach each member of the Ten individually and the gatekeeper representing the Grand Master chosen will decide if the user is worthy to learn the knowledge kept within. To learn the combined knowledge of the Ten is a long and grueling process and would take the average Elder at least three days of nonstop learning to achieve it all, although a Grand Master would be able to complete it in about one day.
The Outer Shell
The outer shell is pyramidal in shape and was designed and created by Lord Firefox himself as a guard of sorts to protect the Anteian Holocron. Created using a combination of a red adgean crystal and the rare metal electrum the pyramid is large and extremely heavy, no mere man would ever be able to lift it and only an accomplished force user would ever be able to move it especially since the shell itself is the size of a small desk. The shell can only be opened by a unique force signature; this signature must be from one of the ten Grand Masters whom also have a gatekeeper inside of the Anteian Holocron. This precaution was designed by Firefox so that even if the outer shell was stolen it could not be opened without the help of a Grand Master. Assuming that the force signature is given the pyramidal holocron contains one gatekeeper represented as a simple Imperial soldier who then asks the user two questions pertaining to knowledge already contained inside the Anteian Holocron, thus ensuring that someone new cannot open it without the aid of someone who already knows its secrets.
Trivia
Image Courtesy of Furios.
Idea and Description Courtesy of Arcadian
Editor Tra'an Reith