Dathka Graush is an incredibly ancient Sith Lord and a very obscure character, but one that I'd make a thread for.
Respect Dathka Graush:
Power
Dathka Graush is among the most powerful Sith Lords in history:
The most powerful Sith Lords possess a talent for the dark alchemy of the Sith. The Emperor, like Naga Sadow and Exar Kun long before him, became a master of manipulating the genetic building blocks of living creatures through the dark side.
Source: The Dark Side Sourcebook
Sith acolytes spill blood and prove their strength in the mausoleums of history's most powerful and legendary Sith Lords.
Source: The Old Republic Encyclopedia
Dathka Graush's tomb is a potent enough nexus of dark side energy to interfere with any technology within a five kilometer radius. When in the vicinity of the Tomb of Dathka Graush, holocams fail to function, and the power of a ship's engines are drained.
Deksi says something's got the survey holocam malfunctioning -- some kind of planetary energy field. Or maybe the thing's finally given up the ghost. I'm going to describe what I'm seeing for posterity, and hope we've got the thing working soon. If we can't display holofootage of where the loot comes from, we won't be able to ask top cred. Hell, I might even contact a museum or two, once I'm set for life.
…
Listen to me, waxing poetical when I should be specific, as long as the holocam's still not working, Deksi.
...
It's getting late and Babb says we're needed back at the ship. Some kind of power drain's hitting the engines, now, and it's looking like we might be here a while.
…
The Jynni's Virtue crashed near the Valley of Golg not far from Korriban's equator, one of many "Valleys of the Sith Lords" found on the dead planet. Over thousands of years of bloody empire, the Sith Lords covered Korriban with ever-larger and more impressive tomb valleys. Such places are focal points of the Dark Side energy, and may cause hazardous, unpredictable electrical interference with any technology within five kilometers.
Source: Korriban: Planet of Lost Souls
The date stamp recordings from the log of the Jynni's Virtue reveals that the dates between the Virtue's recordings and that of other tapes made around the same time are inconsistent (by a difference of five months). This disparity may have been the result of the technological distortions caused by being near Graush's tomb. However, another reason for this is that the case of the tape also sustained considerable acid damage from an unknown source. As acid is virtually non-existent on Korriban, this may be related to Graush:
This pair of short log entries from the lost ship Jynni's Virtue, authenticated by Academy experts, features not the voice of Naz Felyood but instead that of his first mate, the Twi'lek female Babbnod Luroon. The date stamp indicates the recording was made five months after planet fall, but as heard in earlier tapes, Luroon claims the time since the ship crashed on Korriban had been much shorter.
Archivist's note: The case holding this log tape also contained a small ring of traditional Twi'lek design and had somehow sustained considerable acid damage.
Source: Korriban: Planet of Lost Souls
As a result of Dathka Graush's Sorcery and the residue of power left behind when Graush's spirit left Naz Felyood's body, the Correllian pirate will never age, causing him to wander Korriban for all of eternity until he finds the Heart of Graush:
If I find the Heart again, it will ruin me. Yet I know I won't stop looking, the way I know I won't stop breathing. Graush won't let me stop until I find him.
The Heart. That reminds me. If you find this, go. Leave this place now. Some things should stay dead. This planet should stay dead. I should stay dead. But something tells me an old friend isn't going to let me. I can hear him calling my name, and I'm not going to be able to resist. So go while you can. Don't wait until dark.
…
Now their cursed captain wanders Korriban, seeking the Heart of Graush. The ancient sorcery of Dathka Graush and the residue of the Sith Lord left in Naz Felyood's body has brought the Corellian's aging to a standstill. So though he is in all respects a Human, he will never be allowed to die -- and someday, he and the Heart of Graush may be reunited.
Source: Korriban: Planet of Lost Souls
The Heart was lost when Babbnod Luroon destroyed the Jynni’s Virtue, and Captain Felyood was doomed to wander Korriban forever as an undead being, searching in vain for the jewel.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopaedia
Sith Alchemy
Sith Alchemy is a Force-oriented practice allowing one to alter physical features of himself or other living beings.
Dathka Graush was a practitioner of Sith Alchemy, melding it with Sith Sorcery to perfect the art of necromancy:
I would have taken pleasure in meeting with Dathka Graush, who died decades before our arrival. Though he is gone, it was he who melded alchemy and spellcasting to perfect necromancy.
Source: Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
When Graush's spirit is forcibly ripped out of its resting place and forced to reveal its secrets, the spirit reveals ancient Sith alchemy which forms the basis for Cronal's Shadow Crowns:
The lore in the Temple fragments gave him the knowledge he needed to capture the corrupt spirit essence of Dathka Graush, to rip it free from its resting place in Korriban's Valley of Golg, to eventually extract and consume even the most secret lore of Sith alchemy that the ancient tyrant had carried to his grave.
And that ancient Sith alchemy had given him the knowledge to forge a device to control the living crystal that formed the structure of Mindorese meltmassif...
Source: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor
Sith Sorcery
Sith Sorcery or Sith Magic is a Force-oriented practice that involves a wide spectrum of arcane and esoteric powers.
Dathka Graush used a combination of technology and Sith sorcery to replace his organic heart with that of a ruby that contained the spirits of his defeated foes (said to be over 1000 Sith spirits). This Heart would allow Graush's spirit to possess somebody, and, eventually, regenerate his form:
I've got something. No, lots of somethings. A sword . . . that'll fit in the pack . . . an amulet, some kind of pyramid-shaped crystal that feels warm to the touch -- maybe it's some kind of power cell treated to work in this environment. There's also a jewel as big as my fist sitting where this fellow's heart should be. Wish I could read these inscriptions, or provide an image for [DAMAGE]
...
Using Sith magic and the most advanced technology he could find, Graush replaced his own heart with a Force-sensitive crystal capable of keeping him alive (some said invincible). The crystal was of the same kind used to entomb defeated Jedi in other Sith crypts, but it held Dark Side spirits collected over thousands of years. No one is sure who made the Heart, but Graush put it to good use. When his mummified corpse was entombed in the Valley of Golg, the Heart was entombed with it. The Jedi have been unable to locate the artifact to this day, despite a thorough survey of Graush's tomb made at great risk to the surveyors.
Source: Korriban: Planet of Lost Souls
This immense jewel was imbued with the dark side of the Force by Dathka Graush more than 7, 000 years before the Battle of Yavin. Graush removed his own heart and replaced it with the jewel, hoping to keep himself alive forever. It was believed that the jewel contained more than 1000 Sith spirits, but that didn’t prevent Graush’s inevitable death. The Heart of Graush was buried with him in his tomb on Korriban, where it awaited another being’s touch. The Heart would then take possession of his or her spirit, giving Graush momentary life. As long as the Heart remained in contact with the being, Graush could regenerate.
The Heart was found by pirate Naz Felyood, captain of Jynni’s Virtue, during the New Order. The ship crash-landed on Korriban after escaping an Imperial boarding party, and Felyood set out to scout the location. He stumbled into Graush’s tomb and tried to take the Heart, inviting the possession of the Sith spirit and unleashing Korriban Zombies. The Heart was lost when Babbnod Luroon destroyed the Jynni’s Virtue, and Captain Felyood was doomed to wander Korriban forever as an undead being, searching in vain for the jewel.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopaedia
Sorzus Syn (and a note from Palpatine) detail the power of amulets. Mere minor amulets can create protective shields, knit injured flesh, sharpen battle focus and energize weakened muscles, and yet destroying those are sufficient to kill all life in a ten-meter radius. Major amulets are much more powerful, often causing most to be forever lost to dark side insanity. Among Sorzus Syn's collection (including amulets that can cause one to appear as anyone or anything, and one that can instantly translate any language), the Heart of Graush is among the most powerful. When the Heart is paired with the Helm of Graush, the wielder can control the forces of nature.
Minor amulets can create protective shields, knit injured flesh, sharpen battle focus, or energize weakened muscles. However, great amulets are priceless and often unique. users must first overcome the amulet's seductive song. For if they can't, they will be forever lose to dark side insanity. I have acquired many of these prizes for myself, but I remain restless knowing that many more lie locked in the tombs of Korriban.
…
Minor amulets: Destroying one will release a wave of energy, killing all life in a ten-meter circle.
…
Of the amulets I have encountered, these are the most powerful:
…
Heart of Graush: The dead king Dathka Graush replaced his own heart with this fist-sized ruby, which contained the souls of his foes. When paired with the Helm of Graush, the wielder can control the forces of nature.
Source: Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
Dathka Graush combined Sith Alchemy and Sith Sorcery to perfect the art of necromancy. With it, he mastered the spell Tasiwinokka Hoyakut, a spell enabling him to summon entire legions of reanimated dead. These undead Korriban zombies are impervious to pain and can turn living beings into zombies as well through their rabid bite. This spell is so complex and esoteric that even Emperor Palpatine never learned the technique. Graush placed the spirits of the Korriban zombies inside his Heart, and they would be unleashed when somebody touched the Heart:
The legacy of Dathka Graush, the ghoulish "zombies" encountered by the crew of Jynni's Virtue, are the result of Graush's experiments in Sith sorcery and the dizzying amount of raw material (corpses) to work with. They lay dormant until disturbed by Captain Felyood's theft of Graush's Heart. Unlike simple Sith spirits of possession, Korriban zombies can spread like a disease thanks to a ravenous appetite for living, sentient flesh. Fortunately for the galaxy at large, even Emperor Palpatine never learned the secrets of their creation, so for now these Sith ghouls are confined to the tombworld.
Source: Korriban: Planet of Lost Souls
Tsaiwinokka Hoyakut, or Reanimated Dead: This complex spell animates both the freshly dead and the skeletons of the carrion fields, transforming them into an unstoppable legion impervious to pain and able to transmit a necromancy infection by biting. I would have taken pleasure in meeting with Dathka Graush, who died decades before our arrival. Though he is gone, it was he who melded alchemy and spellcasting to perfect necromancy.
…
Given the illusion of life through spellcasting, the dead seek to drag others into the grave.
…
Korriban’s Valley of Golg teems with lurching bundles of bones, still waiting for orders from a creator who has been dead for seven thousand years.
Source: Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
The term used to describe those beings reanimated after their deaths by the ancient magic of Dathka Graush. After Graush’s murder, the spirits of these zombies were captured in the crystal called the Heart of Graush, which was later buried with Graush in the Valley of Golg. The spirits that possessed the dead bodies were released whenever a person touched the Heart of Graush. They then set off, searching for their old bodies as well as living flesh to eat, infecting their victims to become more zombies. The only way to kill one of these zombies was to cut off its head.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopaedia
As a result of Dathka Graush's Sorcery and the residue of power left behind when Graush's spirit left Naz Felyood's body, the Correllian pirate will never age, causing him to wander Korriban for all of eternity until he finds the Heart of Graush:
If I find the Heart again, it will ruin me. Yet I know I won't stop looking, the way I know I won't stop breathing. Graush won't let me stop until I find him.
The Heart. That reminds me. If you find this, go. Leave this place now. Some things should stay dead. This planet should stay dead. I should stay dead. But something tells me an old friend isn't going to let me. I can hear him calling my name, and I'm not going to be able to resist. So go while you can. Don't wait until dark.
…
Now their cursed captain wanders Korriban, seeking the Heart of Graush. The ancient sorcery of Dathka Graush and the residue of the Sith Lord left in Naz Felyood's body has brought the Corellian's aging to a standstill. So though he is in all respects a Human, he will never be allowed to die -- and someday, he and the Heart of Graush may be reunited.
Source: Korriban: Planet of Lost Souls
The Heart was lost when Babbnod Luroon destroyed the Jynni’s Virtue, and Captain Felyood was doomed to wander Korriban forever as an undead being, searching in vain for the jewel.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopaedia
Essence Transfer
Essence Transfer is a Force power enabling one to manipulate his essence or those of others, and transfer it into another body.
Dathka Graush was not only able to become a Force ghost upon death, but also displayed enough skill in Essence Transfer to capture the spirits of a thousand of his Sith foes and trap them in his ruby Heart. He also placed the spirits of his Korriban zombies in the Heart, which, when touched, would unleash both their spirits and his:
Using Sith magic and the most advanced technology he could find, Graush replaced his own heart with a Force-sensitive crystal capable of keeping him alive (some said invincible). The crystal was of the same kind used to entomb defeated Jedi in other Sith crypts, but it held Dark Side spirits collected over thousands of years.
Source: Korriban: Planet of Lost Souls
This immense jewel was imbued with the dark side of the Force by Dathka Graush more than 7, 000 years before the Battle of Yavin. Graush removed his own heart and replaced it with the jewel, hoping to keep himself alive forever. It was believed that the jewel contained more than 1000 Sith spirits, but that didn’t prevent Graush’s inevitable death. The Heart of Graush was buried with him in his tomb on Korriban, where it awaited another being’s touch. The Heart would then take possession of his or her spirit, giving Graush momentary life. As long as the Heart remained in contact with the being, Graush could regenerate.
The Heart was found by pirate Naz Felyood, captain of Jynni’s Virtue, during the New Order. The ship crash-landed on Korriban after escaping an Imperial boarding party, and Felyood set out to scout the location. He stumbled into Graush’s tomb and tried to take the Heart, inviting the possession of the Sith spirit and unleashing Korriban Zombies.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopaedia
Heart of Graush: The dead king Dathka Graush replaced his own heart with this fist-sized ruby, which contained the souls of his foes.
Source: Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
The term used to describe those beings reanimated after their deaths by the ancient magic of Dathka Graush. After Graush’s murder, the spirits of these zombies were captured in the crystal called the Heart of Graush, which was later buried with Graush in the Valley of Golg. The spirits that possessed the dead bodies were released whenever a person touched the Heart of Graush. They then set off, searching for their old bodies as well as living flesh to eat, infecting their victims to become more zombies. The only way to kill one of these zombies was to cut off its head.
Source: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopaedia
Combat Skill
Graush is among the ancient Sith Lords, whom Kreia claims are vastly superior swordfighters to the Jedi and Sith of her age. Specifically, she claimed that the Exile (at the time, at least) and herself were "children playing with toys compared to the prowess of the old masters". Chris Avellone, lead writer of KotOR II, has confirmed the authenticity of this quote and that Kreia "knew what she was saying":
"If you were to face an ancient Sith Lord in combat, you would learn that we are as children playing with toys compared to the prowess of the old masters."
Source: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
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