Character History
Pre-history
On a small camp on the Onderon jungle-moon of Dxun, four mandalorian generals were gathered around a fire. They all were gathered for a reason. Recently there had been attacks to the four major mandalorian settlements around the jungle-moon. This was undoubtedly the work of the Onderon conservatives who still feared a mandalorian invasion. Times were dark for the re-building mandalorians. They had re-developed enough to be called a nation. Deep-space salvage explorations had provided them with many technologies they thought were lost when their homeworld was destroyed. There were now four hidden (but thriving) mandalorian settlements, all of which had been attacked on the course of the last few months. Although they had striven to keep their numbers hidden, the Onderon conservatives had gotten wise. They no longer considered the mandalorian unification effort to be insignificant and had acted on this thought. The four generals remained around the fire for the rest of the night discussing what the best course of action would be. In the end it was decided, should things get out of hand, to cut all communications and abandon the settlements in Order to seek refuge in a more remote zone of the jungle-moon.
Dawn broke and the generals returned to their camps. Each and every one of them had thoughts of relief, but little did they know that while they were away their camps had been bombed strategically by the Onderon conservatives. Without anyone to organize defensive maneuvres all were helpless. When the generals returned only the soldiers experienced enough to battle on their own were joining the fight in space. There was little hope for any of the settlements. Suddenly taken by unexpected concern on the face of war, one of the generals went to find his wife. Having found her, he took her in her arms and carried her to his ship. In the confusion of the battle, no one noticed that single ship taking off and entering hyperspace just above Dxun.
The Nurturing
A Warrior is Born
In the year of 9 ABY a small and battered space ship carrying a pregnant mandalorian woman and her husband, once a great mandalorian warrior, rushed through hyperspace. As the engines gradually failed so did the ship return to ordinary space. Unable to control the speed of the ship, the warrior had no other choice than to attempt a landing on the nearest planet, and as he did, so did the woman give birth to a young mandalorian that was to be named Vardar Fen'Amar. The planet was covered with high vegetation. The father knew these to be wroshyr trees, they had landed on the wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk.
There was nothing for them to do except build camp and try to survive in the harsh environment where they had crashed. After long hours of back-breaking labour, the camp was set up. Though he started by making a simple tent to shelter his wife and child, the mandalorian general soon transformed it into a dwelling of sorts. As a mandalorian warrior, he would go mad if he had to spend his whole life in one place. Fortunately, his wife hated the incessant noise of the local Tach, the general made sure they would not bother her during his usual target practices. He would also have to fend off the odd katarn attack on their camp.
The general, his wife and his child, young Vardar, lived a good life on Kashyyyk. His father taught Vardar all about mandalorian history and craftsmanship. Vardar soon learned the ways of the mandalorian warrior too, joining his father on his frequent hunts for sustenance. He grew up tough and yet kind to the ones he knew. He knew no other way of life than that of providing for himself and family. He had heard the teachings of war from his father, but they would mean next to nothing for the better part of his childhood.
The Child
As years passed, Vardar grew strong with the teachings and military training his father provided. When he was twelve years-old, disaster struck. While he had gone hunting with his father, his home had been raided by an unknown beast of the Kashyyyk Shadowlands. His mother lay on the floor, motionless. Vardar could feel the tears coming, but he held them in. A warrior has no emotion. His father never said a word, but Vardar could feel his grief as they both rebuilt the camp. He did not know how, but he could also feel something in the air, a dark aura. He discarded the strange feeling, and moved on.
Two years later, their rebuilt camp was visited by Wookiees. Vardar could always remember his father's humorous 'beware of these walking carpets' remark as they approached. To the amazement of his father, Vardar could understand the language of the wookiees. To him it seemed mere grunting. Young Vardar was beginning to unlock his true potential in the Force. At the moment when he understood the wookiees, he was taken back to the day of the death of his mother, when he felt the dark aura that emanated from the destroyed camp.
When he reached the age of fifteen, his father was already an aged man, his hair was almost all grey. Vardar would often leave him alone in order to watch the native wookiees while they hunted. After an year of scouting the native wookiees, he was asked by one of them to join the hunt. Although the grunts in the wookiee language aren't that accurate, Vardar could defenitely hear some sarcasm. Wookiees had no knowledge of how long he had been living in the Shadowlands, and during that particular hunt, he impressed all of them with his skills with a weapon. He continued to join the wookiees in their hunts for quite a while befriending one wookiee in particular. He was named Rwarrorr and was, like Vardar, both young and skilled in the hunt. Rwarrorr would often ask Vardar to go live with the other wookiees at the top of the wroshyr trees. Vardar always refused, he had to take care of his father.
One day, a couple of months after his sixteenth birthday, he returned to camp to find his father dead. He lay on his bed, peaceful. Vardar knew his father had always wanted to die on the battlefield even though he had never admitted it. Vardar knew there was nothing left for him in the Shadowlands. He had learned the ways of the warrior and, at the moment, no creature of the Shadowland posed a threat to him. The following day, after the hunt with his friend Rwarrorr, he took him up on his offer. For the first time in his life, Vardar left the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk.
The Guardian of the Tribe
Having lived with the wookiees for a long time, Vardar had been accepted as part of their tribe. He endured the trials and often helped the Holder of the Laws in his investigations. He had on some occasions met with the odd slave-hunter, but that was as close to true civilization as he had gotten. There was an occasion on which a group of slavers had come to Kashyyyk. Though most the wookiees had been subdued with neural restraining bolts, Vardar had been missed by the hunters. It was at that time that his leadership skills became apparent. He organized a small group of wookiees, among which was Rwarrorr. Together, they drove out the hunters, saving most of the tribe from a life of servitude. He was awarded with the title of Guardian within the tribe, as was Rwarrorr. He was also given a ceremonial bowcaster engraved with his clan's insignia. This was a great honor for him and for the wookiees as well. With the title came responsibility. The wookiee tribe-members began to call on Vardar for fairness and protection whenever trouble arose. One of Vardar's flaws was his pride, and still is. He would never miss an opportunity to show off his talent with a Blaster. The odd pair had become well-known. Much like his father, he loved spending his time at target-practice. Many times would they, he and Rwarrorr, go to the Shadowlands to aim at Tachs. Though Vardar didn't know it at the time, those would be some of the happiest days of his life.
Just before reaching his eighteenth birthday, Vardar started getting restless. The time when a mandalorian warrior must go to war is when he becomes a man, thus is the way of the mandalorians. Vardar could tell that it was not his destiny to stay in that world. Immediately he began work on a spaceship. His father had taught him much about machinery, and both of them used to tinker around with experiments. He would go to the Shadowlands and salvage parts of the ship his parents had crashed. Upon fixing one of the terminals on the ship, he recovered some of its data on mandalorian worksmanship as well as the building details. He soon had re-built the ship with some help from his wookiee friends. Barely a month later, the ship was ready and Vardar knew it was time for him to leave that life behind. Saying goodbye to the wookiees was harder than he thought it would be. He had grown attached to them, specially Rwarrorr. On a surge of nostalgia, Vardar carved Rwarrorr's family insignia above his own on the spaceship's hull. He put on his assault armor and left Kashyyyk, probably for good. He did not know whether he would return, but he suspected his path would not cross with the wookiee's in a long time.
Unforgiving Civilization
After Kashyyyk, Vardar flew his spaceship to the far world of Coruscant. His ways were less than adequate to its peaceful modern society. His affinity to the Force allowed him to be rather good at gambling and got him into quite a few bar brawls. Vardar had the tendency to be calm when drinking. However, if sober he had bad mood swings, while drunk these were a lot worse. It seemed that people would try to pick a fight with him for no other reason than that of being a mandalorian. He knew perfectly well the mandalorians had been a serious threat to the republic. He was incarcerated many times as a trouble-maker. During one of these said incarcerations, he was noticed by a Jedi Knight. When he first saw her, he could feel her presence in unknown ways. The young knight recognized the Force potential in Vardar. It was an uncommon thing in a mandalorian. But certainly, a mandalorian with Force aptitude would be an opponent to be feared. She thought Vardar might make a good addition to the growing number of Jedi. Which he did, for a time.
The Light
The Jedi
Vardar was taken to the Jedi academy on Coruscant. It beared the markings of lightsabres on its walls and he could tell it had been much greater in the past. He entered the halls of the Jedi and learned the ways of the Light Side of the Force. He mastered the Force in combat very quickly. The Jedi Masters were greatly impressed by his quick progress, after mere weeks, he could control time and space in battle situation. Vardar was the most gifted warrior of the academy and could beat other students rather easily even without tapping into the Force. He would many times engage in duel the knight who had first found him. He knew not if it was a bond through the Force, but in truth he did feel for the young woman. It was mutual, and it made both of them strong. It was customary to the academy to give out assignments to the students which they believed were ready for field work. Vardar, as was to be expected, constantly had his hands full. In periods of three days he would normally travel as much as to two different planets. Vardar was pleased that the Masters appreciated his work, but secretly he began to think of these missions as errands rather than missions. His female companion seemed to share his opinions though her view was completely jedi-like.
An Unexpected Incident
There came a day when Vardar was sent on a mission to investigate smuggling operations on Coruscant. He knew that it was unusual and could sense a bad moment approaching. He was as usual, kind and caring to all those who would ask help of him. It took him three days to follow up on a lead that had come to him. He had been approached by a vendor who clearly was a marketeer of illegitimate goods and had managed to find the source. He wasn't too surprised to find a Baragwin. Still under cover, he browsed through all the Baragwin's possessions. As he looked at the weaponry available, one particular weapon caught his eye. A heavy repeating blaster bearing the insignia of Clan Ordo. The baragwin explained to Vardar the make of the weapon, how it was originally baragwin with several mandalorian modifications, truly a top of the line weapon. Vardar had become suspicious. Before the merchant had finished spinning his web of lies, the young guardian felt annoyed as never before, almost angry. He used to Force on the Baragwin and he confessed to having stolen it from his father. The Jedi had taught Vardar to be kind and good to those around him. The teachings of his father were stronger. He considered this theft an insult to his family and honor. The merchant attempted to retract his words, to explain to the best of his ability what had happened, but Vardar had had enough. He raised his sabre and killed the merchant. As he walked out of the store, people could have sworn he was a true mandalorian general. Both wearing the armor and with the heavy repeater in hand.
The Jedi Council was less than satisfied with Vardar's explanation as to how he had gotten the repeater. Students are not supposed to bring material possessions from their missions and assignments. Vardar's conduct before the Jedi Council led him to two months of suspension. He was confined to meditation and self-searching not being allowed visits from his love. The probation ended and, without it ever being mentioned, Vardar was put back to work. In truth, Vardar was a necessity to the Council for better or for worse. The Jedi never found how the repeater came into his possession. Even though he was a Force Sensitive, Vardar was still Mandalorian. As such, his mind was stronger and more at the ready to counter mental manipulation. Powerful as they were, they had trouble reading him. Secretly, Vardar yearned for more. Though his heart was pure, he knew as all Mandalorian Warriors know, that only through power and strength can anything be achieved in life.
A Fateful Mission
An year had passed ever since Vardar had acquired his family's lost heavy repeater. The Jedi Council had sent him to the Twi'Lek homeworld of Ryloth to oversee a shipment of ryll kor. There had been an encounter with the imperial remnant, in their desperation they did not hesitate to infect themselve sand the Jedi strike force with a deadly disease. This particular shipment of unprocessed ryll kor was supposed to be sent to the republic so that a number of victims could be healed of the krytos virus. Vardar enjoyed the planet and their hospitality, even though he knew they were weakened by their certainty that the death of the empire meant everlasting peace. Vardar liked falling in with the wrong crowd. As a mandalorian, his ample physique allowed him to wander almost all corners of the cities he visited unharmed. It was in a bar filled with Twi'Leks of clearly shady personality that he was approached by a Human. Many of the Jedi he knew were Human, but none were like this one. He could feel the Force swirling around him like a hurricane. He knew this aura he emanated, but not from the time he had been with the Jedi. This was an ancient memory. The man talked to him for what seemed like an eternity. He spoke of battle like none of the jedi did. Vardar was humbled by his wisdom. Though they had not fought, Vardar knew his power was great. The man, who Vardar later came to know as Acxodim Pyralis, explained to him the versatile nature of the Force. How it could be used for both good and evil yet how it had to be used in full to bring balance to the universe. Vardar was hanging on his every word, and he knew now with absolute certainty what he had thought upon for some time. The jedi were weak, there was no honor in what they accomplished. As the man finished talking, Vardar remembered where he had felt his aura before. It was the same aura that hovered over his camp the night his mother was killed.
Vardar knew what he had to do. The next day, the Twi'Lek workers awaited the arrival of the jedi overseer. As the blast doors to the hangar opened they thought they would finally begin the shipment. With awe they looked upon Vardar, completely dressed with his father's blood red armor, heavy repeater in hand. With no time for words, he immediately shot the three Twi'Leks closer to him. As their bodies fell limp to the ground he put down his repeater and drew his sabre. His jedi weapon's blue glow contrasted with his red armor and as it was used for death and suffering, so was Vardar's experience of the dark side complete. For an hour he sat amongst the bodies meditating. Then he got up and walked away, to meet with Pyralis once again.
The Dark
Departure
Vardar did not have much in the manner of possessions, all he had physically could not compare to what he had in the way of spirit and mind. He had been instructed to pack all he wanted to take and then retrieve and land his ship by Pyralis'. As he walked to the ship, still wearing his red armor and carrying a small box he saw his loved one. The young knight stood fair under Ryloth's setting sun's light. Vardar dropped his box and stood, towering a bit above her. When she spoke, he could not help but feeling embarrassed. It was an awkward kind of embarrassment. He did not regret what he had done, he merely regretted that she had found out about it the way she did. Tears trickled down her face as she raised her ignited sabre. Vardar pleaded with her not to do it, but she couldn't betray her ideals. The battle was not long, grief and love prevented her from striking him down, he couldn't either. After few minutes, he destroyed her sabre with one blow, and as she kneeled weeping and defeated, Vardar walked away. Words could not describe his pain. As the ship's engines started and it lifted from the ground, he took one last look at his love and flew away to meet with his new master. The landing pad was mere minutes away. As he landed, Pyralis could feel the struggle within Vardar, but assured him it would be silent before long. As they both returned to their ships and took off to travel to Lyspair, the last rays of sun died on Ryloth and night emerged.
A Brotherhood Uncovered
It didn't take long for Vardar and Pyralis to arrive upon the Shadow Academy set on Lyspair. Having gone through the usual rites of initiation, he was signed up on Clan Tarentum. He quickly settled in, his thirst for battle finally being met with eager adversaries. Vardar did not get accustomed to the lower ranks for his battle prowess gave him a rather quick ascension to the esteemed Dark Jedi Knight rank. Upon reaching this rank, he was finally allowed to use his own Lightsaber in battle. Many adversaries lived to regret the day when Vardar was allowed to use this one destructive weapon. As time passed, so did Vardar mature under the guidance of Pyralis (who had left to join Taldryan, to Vardar's great sadness at the time), eventually achieving the status of Lord of Yu. He was the longest standing Lord of the Yu Circle during its golden days. All that rises, falls. And so it happened with Yu. After the disbandment of the Yu Circle, Vardar was left a lone warrior of House Tridens of Clan Tarentum. He soon became great friends with Ylith Atema, then known only as 'Ylith'. Both of them stood as comrades in arms, competing with each other while simultaneously bringing glory to Clan Tarentum in the battlefield. Their rivalries were as those of siblings, merely skin-deep. Times were good for Vardar as he felt accepted and somewhat revered in his environment.
An Unfortunate Exodus
After having grown accustomed to those around him, Vardar considered Tarentum a home. The destruction of Yu and the departure of Pyralis had taken their toll, yet he still stood a proud member of the clan. Without any forewarning, dischord began to rear its ugly head. As the leaders of the clan lost their ability to command some of the members. There were many who did not like the actions of their leaders and so there were many who left, both old and young alike. Vardar remained faithful to his clan as did others. One day, however, he just could not overlook what was happening. As the leaders of Tarentum showed ever more disdain for those of lower rank yet of superior power, Vardar grew ever more disgusted with what he was a part of. The inevitable came, and Vardar left. He became a part of Clan Arcona for a short while, following his mates. Eventually, he knew that the only way he could prosper once more was to part with the past once and for all, and he came to leave all behind and join Clan Taldryan.
The Warrior of Might
Joining the First Clan of the Brotherhood was not the easiest thing Vardar had had to do. Knowing his history with other Clans he was submitted to several trials and loyalty testing, or so they told him. It seemed that most of the time the elders of Taldryan merely wanted to cause him pain for the trouble he had given them while on adversary clans. Surely enough he was allowed to join the ranks of Taldryan having passed with distinction both the physical and the spiritual trials of acceptance. For some time he maintained a low profile. Fighting for Taldryan in a discrete manner, surgical strikes against other clans. However, it was not long before he decided he no longer wanted to hide in the shadows. As the Great Jedi Wars passed he fought for Taldryan as he had never fought before. One man can hardly turn the tide of a war, but Vardar's skills helped them secure their rule over the lesser clans. Shortly after his second War fighting alongside the other warriors of Taldryan, Vardar decided he wanted to be a leader and not just another man among men. He was put to the service of Alanna Taldrya as assistant Envoy for House Ektrosis and has remained so until this moment. He has faith that somehow he will be able to better the clan as a whole for what he believes will be a golden age of the Force.
The Equalizer
Though he still fights for Taldryan, Vardar considers himself a grey jedi of sorts. He is not the type to kill for no good reason thought his sudden mood swings sometimes lead him to it. He is both kind and ruthless, keeping everything under control. He thrives on his ex-master's words of wisdom, attempting to bring balance to the universe through usage of both the Light and the Dark side of the Force. His feelings about this have never interfered with his work or his standing in Clan Taldryan. He knows nothing can be concluded until they do. For it is then that will be found out where his true loyalty lies. To the universe and himself, or to his home and Clan.
DJB Facts
Positions Held
In the past
Lord of Yu
Assistant Envoy for House Ektrosis of Clan Taldryan
In the present
None
Weapons & Armor
Baragwin Heavy Repeating Blaster - Functioning much like the common repeating blaster, it is of Baragwin design. The Baragwin are an advanced species of aliens that were making weapons long before our species started discovering space travel. Vardar acquired this weapon after killing a Baragwin merchant, it was however, his by right.
Mandalorian Disintegrator - Once his father's, now his. This Mandalorian pistol bears the insignia of the once mighty mandalorian clan Ordo. Vardar took it with him after the death of his father. It bears great personal value, and he has never used it. It is usually kept in a place of honor above his Brotherhood awards. In his most personal moments, Vardar turns to this object and uses it to remind himself of the past. Thoughts of long hunts with his father, through the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk, surface upon looking at it.
Lightsaber - The weapon Vardar made with his own hands while still a member of the Jedi Order. The color of the blade was made red to match his armor, a while after joining the Dark Brotherhood. Vardar used to be bothered by other members of the Brotherhood because his sabre had a certain Jedi character to it. They stopped after a pile of bodies was found a few meters away from his personal quarters. Having an odd design with obvious influences of Mandalorian worksmanship, this saber is unique and symbolizes what Vardar has become. It has become impossible for Vardar to travel without is lightsabre. It has become his trademark weapon as a warrior for the Sith faction and will often be his weapon of choice when going on missions for the Brotherhood. However, Vardar still likes the simple pleasure of carrying his Heavy Repeating Blaster for no other purpose than to scare other sentients.
Wookiee Ceremonial Bowcaster - A unique weapon given to Vardar not long before leaving Kashyyyk. Though it may seem like an ordinary bowcaster, this weapon carries great value among the wookiee tribes, it is given only to those who have accomplished great deeds. It is usually given solely to wookiees, but when Vardar helped save the tribe from a life of slave-labour, the wookiees made an exception. Vardar treasures it as he treasures the memories of those somewhat happy days.
Full Body Mandalorian Assault Armor - A suit of armor worn by the generals of the Mandalorian armies. It was his father's and also carries the insignia of clan Ordo. This armor is blood-red and will instill fear on all opponents who watch Vardar charging at them while wearing it. Vardar has made it a habit of never washing the outside of the armor. Every blood stain is as a badge of honor and a reminder of how fleeting life and glory is.
Sith Robes - Having varied over the years, Vardar now uses the common outfit known as that of the 'Eradicator' within the Brotherhood. It is occasionally outfitted with a cloak, as Vardar uses it primarily when his missions require stealth. For battle and dangerous missions, he will use his Assault Armor.
Outstanding Achievements
During his stay with the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, Vardar has been the longest standing Lord Of Yu (in Clan Tarentum), and played important roles in both the sixth and seventh Great Jedi War as a warrior of Clan Taldryan. His performance with a lightsabre has been outstanding, having received praise from the Grand Master himself who referred to Vardar as 'Destruction personified'.