- "At the end of the day people in this galaxy only respond to two things, credits in pocket or a blaster to their temple. "
- ―Tavens
Tavens is a Zabrak orphan who grew up on the planet Mandalore. As a young man, he was told stories about the Death Watch which lead him to study the conquests of past Mandalorian cutltures. After leaving his home planet, he led the life of a soldier of fortune before coming across a key member of Clan Arcona. Now working exclusively for the Shadow Clan, he attempts to rally other Mandalorians to follow him alongside the Dark Jedi back down the path to conquest and glory.
Personal History
- "This galaxy, even the Jedi, used to fear us. Now we cling to this dusty rock as paupers."
- ―Matil Caedoj
Early Childhood
MandaloreTavens was believed to be born around 15 ABY in Sundari, the capital city of the planet Mandalore. The Zabrak was abandoned on the doorsteps of the only orphanage in the capital city as a baby. With the New Mandalorian government still in power many families were still mired in poverty. Few homes were willing to add another mouth to feed, much less that of an alien. Tavens would go on to spend his entire childhood under the care of the orphanage staff which was lead by head matron Matil Caedo. The elderly Caedo was somewhat of an amateur historian and enjoyed telling the children grand stories about the ancient Mandalorians, especially their battles with the Jedi. Her Zabrak charge quickly became an eager student of her tales, taking every opportunity to hear any of her tales. By the time the Zabrak began to approach adolescence he was able to recite almost all of Matil's stories word for word.
Adolescent Years
By the time Tavens reached his teenage years a strong bond had formed between him and Matil Caedo. The head matron embraced this relationship and began to bring in more official sources of knowledge for the young Zabrak. It began with her scrounging local libraries for historical texts which Tavens devoured with at an almost staggering pace. After the local knowledge dried up, Matil began to use her own credits to download academic texts from the HoloNet. Both teacher and student began to discover that there was a fairly large group of academics and amateur historians across the galaxy that were fascinated by Mandalorian history. The teacher now also became a student, eagerly learning alongside her former pupile all she could about the conquests of the ancient Mandalorians.
The other orphans began to become jealous of the relationship the Zabrak shared with their head matron. The other children, all human, believe their alien "brother" was getting candy and treats because he was "brown-nosing" Matron Caedo. A few of the children confronted Tavens with their claim and threatened to beat him up if he did not share. He did not stand down to their threats and the children attacked their fellow orphan. He put up a good fight and his assailants ended up as bloodied and bruised as he did. The head matron watched the entire scene unfold but did not step in until well after the fight had ended. She did not tell the Tavens that she had witnessed the entire confrontation but was impressed with the poise under fire her alien charge had shown under pressure.
Tavens continued his studies as he grew into a young man. The bond he had formed with the head matron was now augmented by a level of respect he had gained in her eyes from the confrontation with the other ophans. As the Zabrak approached the age in which he would no longer be able to stay at the orphanage Matil Caedo adopted the alien child as her own. Although not opulent Tavens found his new quarters at the Caedo residence to be much more comfortable than the orphanage. Additionally, mother and son were now able to study in a more private setting. Matil introduced her son to a new story, that of the Death Watch. Tavens was fascinated by the story and began to revere their efforts to bring the Mandalorians back into dominance.
Studies also began to turn from strictly academic to martial. The elderly Caedo seems to have an almost endless access to varied forms of projectile weapons and blasters and possessed an even more confounding ability to operate them all. The newest member of the Caedo clan began to practice with other members of the family, and not simply operating the weapons, but also how to clean and fix equipment as well. They also began to study Teras Kasi, a form of unarmed combat. When Tavens' proficiency began to improve, he was immediately made to continue these activities with weights on his chest, legs and arms. This seemed strange to him at first but he quickly realized that a real Mandalorian fought in their armor like a second skin. He had assumed that in lieu of true armor he was being given a more realistic historical experience with the weights.Only a few years later, his theory would be proven very wrong.
Young Adulthood
Sundari
The Seedy Underbelly
Into The Fray
Menat Ombo, New TythonUpon arrival at the Shadow Academy, it as immediately clear that it was not business as usual. Only one Dark Jedi was there to meet him as he entered the academy. The other human did not identify themselve and only took Blarex's name, assigned him to House Galeres. The new recruit was directed to a shuttle with no other information given. Still unsure of what was going on, he boarded the shuttle that was stocked with all forms of armaments and the two crew members, one male one female. He asked where they were going and the woman explained that the Brotherhood was at war with a group of Jedi on a planet called New Tython which was where they were headed. Blarex it seemed, would have to prove himself in combat on day one.
The fledgling Dark Jedi was able to connect with other members of his clan once arriving on New Tython, notably his master Marick. With the assistance of Clan Arcona , Blarex was able to prove himself worthy in the crucible of combat. Much of the combat Blarex experienced was on the streets of Menat Ombo, the main city of New Tython. Without the ability to deflect blaster bolts and lacking a ranged weapon of his own, Turon used his intelligence and wisdom to survive the battle.
Although not turning the tide of any battle on his own, Blarex was awarded with 11 Seals of Decimation and an Anteian Cross for his efforts. The ability to be dropped into the middle of an on-going war and hit the ground running granted the young journeyman to ascend quickly through the ranks of the Order.
AWOL
From the year ABY 35 to early ABY 37, Tavens went sight unseen by anyone within the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Concerned he may have been captured by competing interest, the Arcona clan summit did assign a few mid-level assets from the Dajorra Intelligence Agency to locate their missing mercenary. Even the much vaunted operatives within the DIA did not get a sniff of the Mandalorian. To this day, even after his return to the ranks of the Shadow Clan, only Tavens knows what transpired during his unapproved leave of absence.
Dark Crusade
- Main article: [[Dark Crusade|Dark Crusade]]
ISDII Eye of the Abyss IISimilar to his induction into the Brotherhood, Blarex returned from his leave with the entire organization engaged in conflict. The enemy this time was the One Sith. Upon landing the Wealth of Nations in Port Ol'Val, he learned the entirety Arconan Armed Forces were deployed to Rhelg. Looking to repeat his success from the Tenth Great Jedi War, the Sith rushed to meet up with the forces of the Shadow Clan. As soon as he arrived, he discovered that the fighting on Rhelg had finished and he had missed an Arconan victory.
Landing on the flagship of the Clan's fleet, ISDII Eye of the Abyss II, the Corellian was ushered immediately to his master's office. Marick gave his apprentice a briefing on the current state of affairs, the upcoming escalation against the One Sith forces and the state of the Clan. Suprisingly, the Hapan did not question the young Sith on his whereabouts for the past year and Blarex did not volunteer the information either.
The Proconsul did assign the Jedi Hunter to a mission at the end of there meeting, one which required an immediate departure from the Acronan fleet. Marick sent him back to Port Ol'Val to track down a suspected agent of the One Sith. The intel dossier indicated the target was not even a Force Sensitive, let alone a trained Sith. The errand seemed trivial, especially as Clan Arcona prepared for the next phase of the conflict, Blarex was concerned he had lost the confidence of his master.
The prey proved to be more than a match for the Corellian's abilities as a hunter. At times, Blarex felt as if he were chasing a breeze that could disappear and re-form at will. Each time he got close enough to see the white hood of his target, the enemy agent would seemingly vanish into thin air. It became clear that his mark not only knew he was being tracked, but who was the one doing the tracking. The Jedi Hunter paid off a spice fiend to wear his robes and follow the mission target in his place. As the two men came into an area with only one exit, Blarex set off a shock device he left inside his robes. Even as a journeyman he felt the sheer panic of poor spice fiend who was not only going through withdrawal but was unexpectedly hit with enough electricity to stun a Wookie.
The ruse worked as the suspected agent also felt the panic in The Force and smoothly exited the main thoroughfare into the alley Blarex was hiding in. As soon as the hooded man passed his hiding place, the Jedi Hunter swiftly moved upon him. Before the other man could react, the Corellian had his blaster pressed firmly against his temple. As the man's hood fell down it revealed the long, dark hair of Marick Arconae. This was his final test as a journeyman, with his sucess Blarex was officially promoted to Dark Jedi Knight.
Now a full member of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, Blarex was entrusted with leading his first mission as the Shadow Clan descended upon Bhargebba. While naval and ground forces battled with the One Sith for the fate of Bhargebba, Blarex was assigned a detachment from the Abyss II consisting of infantry, heavy troopers, scouts, medics and engineers to fortify and secure a forward command post. Although the newly Knighted Dark Jedi was disappointed he would not be on the tip of the spear, he was excited to command such a large force into battle for the first time.
Bhargebba Intel DossierThe site of the command post was to be in a small underground vault less than 10 kilometers from the One Sith main dig site. Consul Wuntila Arconae was set to launch a full assault on the dig site only a few standard hours after Blarex's detachment was tasked with establishing the forward operating base. The strategic value of the location was not lost on the One Sith forces as they were heavily fortified before the Arconan forces arrived. The entrenched One Sith forces easily pinned down their attackers outside of the complex, behind the tree line.
Blarex knew if his forces could break through the forces defending the entrance of the vault, that he would be able to then utilize his significant numerical advantage. Options were seriously limited to the rookie commander on how to accomplish this task. An air strike was out of the question, the complex had to be kept intact. The Clan Summit only sent one squad of heavy troopers along with the detachment and no other trained Dark Jedi. Charging the entrance, would result in a bloodbath. Although he would win the war of attrition, he would not throw the lives of his forces away needlessly. He knew many of these soldiers from New Tython and they had a part to play in his survival of that conflict.
As he thought of these men, he began to focus on the emotions surrounding the battle. The fear of losing good soldiers in combat, the anger when one fell. The emotions fueled the Dark Side within him and he emerged from behind the cover of the forest. With his lightsaber tracing lines in the air, he carefully pushed toward the entrance to the vault complex. Each blaster bolt he deflected made him angrier, the thought that each one could have killed one of his men or him, sent him in to a furious rage. After crossing half of the 100 meter length of open field he noticed that grenades joined the blaster fire. The Dark Jedi Knight had to retreat, his stamina was starting to fail him and if he fell the mission was lost.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that his commanders had seized the initiative. While the attention of the defenders was focused intently on Blarex, two full squads had advanced unnoticed on either side of the windowless complex. When both arrived at their location, they simply threw two Thermal Detonators into the open doorway. The forces inside didn't have time to react. As Blarex and his two squads entered the antechamber they saw that no one survived, all organic beings had been completely atomized. The remainder of the complex was easily secure by the overwhelming forces of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. The Shadow Clan had their forward operations base, which Blarex and his forces successfully defended against multiple counterattacks during the remainder of the battle on Bhargebba.
Personality
Blarex is a rare breed of Dark Jedi, on an average day he is even tempered and even affable. Both the men he leads in combat, and in business, follow him willingly. His leadership style is not one that rules by fear of failure but of the rewards of success. As Turon Framke, he instituted a very generous profit sharing program to all levels of employees at Framkorp. From the janitor to the CFO, every employee has an equal share of the company profits. This is not to say that each employee receives the same compensation for their level of employment, but Blarex believes that any profit the company reaps is the product of the sum total of the staffs work.
This style has served Blarex well in his pursuits as a Dark Jedi as well. Although he is a member of the Sith Order, fear, violence and deception are not his chosen means of leadership. The young Sith is known to take a vested interest in the thoughts of his subordinates, knowing that the fresh eyes of a newly minted apprentice or a green private could see things more expirienced eyes could miss. When it comes to mistakes made by those under his command, the Sith is more apt to sit with the individual in question and help them learn from their error than to slice their head off with his lightsaber. Both in business and in combat, Blarex is known to genuinely care for those who follow him.
It is the emotions generated by his relationships that fuel his power. While many Dark Jedi focus inwardly to fuell their dark power, it is these external emotions that power the Dark Side within him. The fear he feels when a subordinate is in trouble, the anger when he loses a soldier under his command, these powerful emotions push Blarex to perform at the highest levels possible.
Enemies would be foolish to mistake his caring for a weakness. Although Blarex greets friends with an open hand, he meets his enemies with a closed fist. The power afforded to him by his emotional attachments is commonly wielded against those that stand in his way.
Physical Appearance
Blarex's armored robes.As and adult human, Blarex stands at 1.79 meters and weighs about 79.38 kilograms. Even though he is of average height and weight, he maintains a very tone frame. The Corellian's skin is a very even dark brown tone. His smooth complexion, as well as his azure eyes, help maintain his double life as the a VP at Framkorp. His natural hair color is black, although he keeps his head shaved smooth on a daily basis. The executive does keep a very well trimmed goatee, which other than his eyebrows and eyelashes are the only other hair on his face.
The persona of Turon Framke is generally found in high end but standard business attire. Keeping up the persona of a fiercely loyal Corellian all of his clothes, but his particularly his business attire, are of Corellian design and manufacture. The businessman's attire is of a very small color pallet, kept to the profession tones of blue, grey, black and brown. It is very rare to find Turon in casual attire whether inside or outside of the business environments.
As the Sith Blarex, the attire is quite different. To facilitate his front-line fighting style, he wears a caped robe with armoring on the torso, feet, lower legs, wrists and forearm. The armor is accented in blue, which is the Corellian's favorite color regardless of persona. The robe is also emblazoned with the symbol of Clan Arcona to pay homage to the group that gave him the opportunity the Jedi withheld from him Similar to his civilian life, Blarex can always be found in his armored robes. It is important to him to show solidarity with the rank and file troops because if they have to live the military lifestyle, he will as well.
Fighting Styles
Blarex's lightsaber.
Blarex is a front line fighter and a master of defensive abilities. As a leader of men, the Corellian Dark Jedi knows the value of protecting his allies. Although not a master duelist and not one to take down an entrenched enemy position solo, his ability to stand tall under intense enemy assault allows time for fellow Dark Jedi to join the fray or for non-Force Sensitive troops to get into position. It is not uncommon to see Blarex holding a choke point so even a single squad of troopers can safely ex-filtrate a position. The Sith Imperator's selfless fighting style has ingratiated him to the rank and file of the the combined Arconan armed forces.
Hand To Hand
As an amateur fencer since his early teenage years, Blarex does possess above average hand to hand combat skills. At the Corellian Boys Academy, he was taught Kartranin by the coach of the fencing team. As a common sword based style with many non-lethal techniques, Kartranin is still very popular among many of the aristocratic private school among the Core Worlds. As an advanced student, the fencing coach also trained his young pupil in the alternate form of Tu'rek.
Upon his joining the fencing team at the Corellian Institute of Technology, the coach introduced elements of Shyarn-ado and a little Dulon into the future Dark Jedi's technique. By the end of his college career, the Corellian was a master of Kartranin, as well as Tu'rek. He was also very proficient in Shyarn-ado and an average talent of Dulon.
Lightsaber
Upon elevation to Knighthood, Blarex chose a relatively plain hilt design for his personal lightsaber. What is unique however is the orange color crystal that is embedded within. The newly minted Dark Jedi Knight told his fellow Arconans that he chose orange to stand out in the fray. He said it was his intention that the flashing blade of his orange lightsaber was a beacon to both friend and foe alike.
Stylistically, Blarex spent his training time as a journeyman focused on Form III, Soresu. With his inclination to be the first to the front line of a firefight, or jump headlong into a chokepoint, the Corellian recognized that defense would be his greatest contribution to the battlefield. As a master of Soresu, the young Sith can withstand a continued onslaught for an extended period of time. Generally speaking, his body will give out long before his technique fails him. He spars tirelessly with his fellow Arconans while under fire from multiple Seeker droids.
DJB History
Conflicts
Tenth Great Jedi War - 35 ABY
Dark Crusade - 36 to 37 ABY
Positions Held
Member of House Qel-Droma/Clan Arcona
Former Apprentice to Marick Arconae
Outstanding Achievements
Joined the DJB during Great Jedi War X earning 11 Seals of Decimation.
Earned 13 Seals of Remembrance in the Independence Games celebrating the tenth anniversary of The Exodus.
Behind The Scenes
Blarex is a character created by Ryan. The name "Blarex" first came about during the early days of the [World of Warcraft]. At the time, Ryan's younger brother was playing a Human Paladin. This same younger brother just lost Ryan's original character to a scammer. After purchasing a new game key, he decided to create a new character. Also a paladin, he modeled all of the character features except one after his younger brother's paladin, Tharex. His changed the skin tone to an African-American tone and called him Blarex for black Tharex. To this day, Ryan will play an African-American in most games if given the option.