Orders of the Brotherhood

Orders of the Brotherhood

History

Until more recent times, a member within the Dark Jedi Brotherhood would associate themselves with an Order. These three orders provided students of the Dark Side with three different paths in which to accumulate personal power. Each of the Orders had its own manner of operations, along with associated strengths and weaknesses that drew students to them. Originally, the three Orders on the Tripartite Path were the manipulative and subtle Krath, the ruthless warriors of the Obelisk and the cunning, domination focused Sith.

The Brotherhood operated under these three orders for many years, with each of the orders challenging each other for dominance but always serving the Dark Side first and foremost. This all changed after the events on New Tython. Under the leadership of Grand Master Muz Ashen, Dark Jedi Brotherhood forces waged a war against a newly discovered group of Jedi on the planet. After much blood was spilled the conflict finally ended with the Jedi becoming part of the Brotherhood. This required a change to the organization.

The followers of the Light Side brought with them a mirror of the Tripartite Path. A Jedi could become a peaceful Consular focused on learning, a highly trained Guardian that focused on defensive combat or a skilled Sentinel that augmented their abilities with stealth and technology.

Following the abolishment of the Krath and Obelisk Orders under the rule of Darth Pravus, the Orders saw a change again. All members of the Jedi Order were joined beneath one Order, being balanced against the Sith and Gray Orders. Non-Force users were brought into one of two orders, Mercenary or Loyalist Orders. This would see change again under Grand Master Cantor, with the Gray and Dark Jedi Orders being brought under a single umbrella: the Force Disciple order.

Orders

A member’s order is akin to a chosen professional course. The first determining factor as to which orders are available to members are whether or not they have the ability to use the Force. Those who can wield the Force and those that cannot (Non-Force Users) will have different Orders available to them.

A Non-Force user is able to select from the Orders of Loyalist and Mercenary. A Loyalist has pledged their service and support to a branch of their unit’s military as a professional soldier. In stark contrast, the Mercenary’s services are sold to the highest bidder and are not generally part of the “official” command structure of a unit. These Orders carry a wide range of options for development. You could be the Bounty Hunter with a gruff exterior and a heart of gold as a Mercenary or you could be the cruel taskmaster pushing their troops to the brink and beyond as a Loyalist, or many options in-between.

Orders available to Force Users are: Jedi Order, Sith Order, and the Force Disciple Order. The Force Disciple Order is less ideologically bound than the more traditional Jedi or Sith. For example, a Force Disciple could primarily use the light side of the Force but eschew the strict rules of the Jedi Order. The Jedi Order and Sith Order more closely align with their historical counterparts along with the rich histories and philosophical legacies of those organizations. Orders give members opportunity for more complex character development.

Loyalist Order

Not every of the Dark Brotherhood is a powerful Force user. Some of them are mundane people, who have decided to support the Brotherhood's agenda in one way or another. They very often join the military, either under the Dark Council or the Clans. They proudly serve as soldiers, pilots, mechanics, medics and others. They do not display Force sensitivity strong enough to be on par with trained Force Users, but do not let it deceive you. They are elite in their respective field of expertise, often supported not only with exceptional talents, but also with years of experience. They additionally receive extra training that makes them efficient in fighting Force Users. They are skilled in identifying Force-based attacks and well-versed in resisting such attacks within their scope of non-Force based abilities. Hence, they will not cower against enemies that are trained in the use of the Force.

The Loyalists are a force that one needs to reckon with.While the Force Users may be powerful enough to decimate armies and conquer new worlds for the Brotherhood, it is the army that will maintain control over these new worlds. Without the Loyalists, the power base of the Dark Brotherhood would soon vane as they would get involved in controlling the population instead of further conquest.

Many members of the Loyalist Order will find themselves in the leadership position, leading platoons, batallions, divisions or even whole armies, once they earn trust of the leaders of their Clans or the Iron throne. Others will earn their reputation as ferocious warriors or remain shrouded in shadows as special operatives and spies. Either way, they will climb through the military ranks as they prove themselves worthy of rewards for their loyal service. There have been One day, it may happen that a Loyalist will become the leader of whole Dark Brotherhood, which would be a revolutionary moment in the history of the organization.

Mercenary Order

Hired guns they are and their loyalty leans towards people who pay more. For many bounty hunters, smugglers and other people ready to sell their military expertise, the Dark Brotherhood has turned out to be a very profitable source of income. Often as talented as the Loyalists, the Mercenaries bring their skills in pilotting, fightning and other areas into the service of the Brotherhood. The main difference between them and the Loyalists is their motivation. While the Loyalists often share values of the group they work with. Mercenaries do it only for money. Mercenaries may be soldiers of fortunes, but they are also very often as skilled as the Loyalists are. They also receive additional trainings to make sure that they are capable of fighting the Force Users. They are hired for contracts, but they will not fear to fight anyone that opposes their employer.

Despite their money-oriented motivation, Mercenaries are an important part of the Dark Brotherhood forces. There is even a whole Clan based on Mandalorian culture, but Mercenaries are seen in the ranks of all Clans. Some of them have even become Consuls of various Clans, which is a visible sign of trust put by the Council into them, despite their potential for betrayal. As a Mercenary, you can achieve much and keep it all for yourself. As Mercenary's name become more and more recognizable for their skills and effectiveness, they may become legends in the Galaxy. However, be aware that it is a very competitive market and one needs to work really hard to gain the fame one deserves.

Jedi Order

Guardians of the peace and protectors of the innocent, the Jedi may seem to be a very unusual addition to the ranks of the Dark Brotherhood, where the followers of the dark side seem to be a dominant force. However, despite hatred and mutual distrust with the Sith and other proponents of the dark side, they are a vital part of the Brotherhood bringing a unique perspective to the challenges that it faces. Initially, when the jedi were first admitted into the ranks of the Dark Brotherhood, there was a single Jedi colony and Clan under the protection of the Iron Throne. However, over time, some Clans that traditionally consisted of the Sith loosened up their approach and opened to admit Jedi among their members.

The Jedi are loyal servants of the light side of the Force. They are strong with the Force and display a strong code of ethics revolving around compassion towards other beings, controlling one's emotions and protecting the meek from the violence, crime and the dark side. Apart from skills they possess due to standard training and experience they have gained throughout the years, the Jedi are also Force-sensitive and can use supernatural powers provided by the Force. However, they do not use all abilities available since they believe that powers driven by emotions like anger, hatred or suffering lead to the succumbing to the dark side of the Force, which is against the Jedi code.

However, as their understanding of the Force grows and they prove their devotion to the light side of the Force, they will climb through the ranks of the other and grow more and more powerful. A significant milestone within the Jedi Order is finishing a training and becoming a fully-trained Jedi Knight. With time and devotion, the most dedicated members of the Jedi Order may become even renowned Jedi Masters who are among the wisest Jedi and often train new generations of the Jedi. Again, it may sound like a shocking situation, there have been some Jedi among members of the Council, leading various aspects of the Brotherhood. A notable example of a Jedi in the Council was Solari, who served as a Headmaster of the Shadow Academy.

Sith Order

As ancient as the Jedi, the Sith stemmed from the same root as the Jedi, but their teachings grew opposite to the followers of the light side of the Force. As servants of the dark side, the Sith are driven by greed, anger and hatred. They do not care about others and will pursuit their goals at all cost. Obtaining more and more power, both in terms of better use of the dark side of the Force and having political power, is their ultimate goal. Though everyone, who crosses their way, may be considered as their enemy, but they particularly hate Jedi as their sworn enemies. In one form or another, the Sith existed in the Galaxy for millenia.

To prove their worthiness, the Sith must show that they are cunning, cruel and determined to achieve their goals no matter of the cost. However, as they grow through ranks of their Order, they become more and more powerful. With time, they are allowed to study secret arcana of the dark side, learning unnatural powers, like Force Lightning or Force Choke, that make them feared warriors even among the bravest of soldiers.

The Sith are often seen at the top of echelons of Brotherhood's leadership. They have dominated the Council and Clan's leadership for many years. Though they share some of their former political influence with members of other Orders, the Sith still have strong impact on the future of the Brotherhood as every single Grand Master of the Brotherhood have been a Sith. It is not easy for the Sith to let an opportunity to seize more power off so simply.

The Force Disciple

Force-sensitive like the Jedi or the Sith, the Force Disciple do not adhere to neither of the codes. They are often viewed as walkinf a fine line between both extremities, but the truth is more complicated. Some of the Force Disciples follow the teachings of the light side, but they do not feel like being a Jedi is their true way. Some others do not hesitate to use powers that are granted by the dark side, but they are focused on personal gains, instead of the greater goal of eliminating the Jedi. Another group indeed tries to balance the light side and the dark side, drawing their power from both sides, but never leaning towards any of them too much. Each of the Force Disciples develops in their own pace and unique way. They follow their own path to show their independence from two primary sides of the conflict between the Jedi and the Sith. Though not so dedicated to neither to the light side nor to the dark side, the Force Disciples are a force to reckon with as they can unlock the same potential as the Jedi or the Sith, but without restrictions imposed by their moral codes. The Force Disciples often do not crave political influence as much as the Sith, but they are known to lead other members of the Brotherhood on various positions. At least one of the Force Diciples became a Deputy Grand Master, a potential successor of the ultimate leader of the organization.

Alignment & The Force

In the Brotherhood’s Character Sheet System, Force powers are considered neutral and are not tied to any particular Order. This means that a Dark Jedi can use Healing and a Light Jedi can use Force Lightning. This is done for logistics reasons. For more information see the CS Guide: Force Powers article.

Traditions

For those members who have reached the rank of Equite, it is possible to declare further adherence beyond Orders. Some traditions are chosen and made available based on Order, while others are available to all members. These act more like ideological or organizational familiarity. It is important to note that while traditions are available to further refine characters for others, it is not a requirement for membership. This feature functions as a value add in outlining a character for others at a glance and in no way limits those who do not partake in the available options. For more information see the Traditions page for details on the currently available Traditions.