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The Keepers of the Secrets of Life and Death (more commonly just “The Keepers”) were a unique group of individuals. The Keepers oversaw all aspects of life and death in order to maintain the delicate balance on the planes of existence. Some Keepers had chosen to share their knowledge with Clan Tarentum, thus leading to the necromantic powers of the clan. The Keepers would eventually be killed after their true malicious intentions for Tarentum became known.
A Brief (Known) History
The history of the Keepers is shrouded in mystery and scant details are known. As the beings themselves were not even known by many, their history is an even bigger secret. The only real interaction with the galaxy was Palpatine’s murder of five of seven known Keepers, leaving only Tel'Ratha and Shade alive.
These two Keepers made their way to the Outer Rim where they encountered House Gladius of Clan Tarentum. From there, Tarentum began to learn the secrets of necromancy.
True Keepers
True Keepers were actually a race of beings, though where they came from is unknown and had not been revealed by the few known Keepers. Though by no means immortal, Keepers appeared to be extremely long lived. Some, such as Tel'Ratha, utilized the darker arts of necromancy to maintain their bodies and spirits. Others, such as Talitha, made little or no apparent effort to maintain their life; by all accounts, it seems to maintain itself. Clan Tarentum had only three known Keepers in its presence:
- Tel'Ratha: extremely secretive and knowledge hungry, Tel’Ratha abhorred leaving his crypt where he does his research. At one point in his life, Tel’Ratha was renowned as a healer.
- Shade: Not quite as secretive as Tel'Ratha, Shade was seen more often than his fellow keeper.
- Talitha: Appearing to be no more than 12 years old, Talitha had in fact lived for at least 1000 years.
- Zero: the ranking master in Clan Tarentum, Zero was the chief apprentice of Tel’Ratha and Shade, as well as Grand Master Khyron. Though not one of the Keeper race by birth, Zero had been accepted into their fold.
In general, Keepers had the ability to blend in with a normal society with little or no notice from the general populace. However, those that were attuned to the Force would know something was amiss, and with Tel’Ratha and Shade in particular, there was an overwhelming influence that less skilled Jedi cannot withstand.
Agents of the Keepers
Technically, any member of Clan Tarentum who practiced the necromantic arts was subject to be called upon to assist the Keepers. However, there was a small group of beings associated directly with the Keepers. Collectively known as the Agents of the Keepers, they acted as eyes and ears to the Keepers. Some Agents included:
- Dr. Steiner: The Chief of Medicine at the Mystics Asylum, Steiner was noted for his thick accent. Once the doctor for the Mystics of the Black Arts, he generally avoided dealing with most clan members. Only a few dealt with him directly, and even fewer trusted him.
- Sirrus: another ranking member of Tarentum, Sirrus was noted for his insanity, yet he also was the Director of the Mystics Asylum.
- Lord Khyven- a fearsome warrior, Khyven was the guardian of the Keepers. He was totally loyal to the Keepers and he had an ever present aura that emanated fear and dread. Only those with strong wills could stand up to him. He was killed by Lady Nilani in 26 ABY.
- Lady Nilani- known as the Ghost Lady, Nilani was skilled with blades and shows a strength that surpassed what one might assume based on her physical appearance. She was killed in 27 ABY by Ronovi Tavisaen.