The Sith Emperor

Major Story Arcs

Childhood

On the planet Medriaas, the future Sith Emperor was born to a poor farmer and his wife. He was named Tenebrae, and, even as a small child, he never showed emotion, he never even cried. At the age of six, he began to manifest signs of Force-sensitivity, which caused his father to become suspicious, as neither he nor his wife possessed Force powers. When confronted, Tenebrae's mother admitted that she had committed adultery with the planet's ruler, Sith Lord Dramath. The farmer attacked his wife in his rage. In retaliation, Tenebrae used his powers to feed off of his anger and snapped his neck using the Force. He then proceeded to torture his mother with the Force as punishment for betraying their family. Tenebrae then began to take over the other members of the village. Over the next four years, his power and reputation grew as he conquered the surrounding villages and raised an army of followers.

His father, Lord Dramath, had heard rumors of Tenebrae's activities, but they had occurred in a remote region of the planet and he had long forgotten his affair with the farm woman. As a result, he believed these events to be of no consequence to him. When Tenebrae was the age of ten, Lord Dramath finally decided to investigate and decide what Tenebrae's fate would be- would he become one of Lord Dramath's servants or would he be killed. However, Lord Dramath greatly underestimated Tenebrae's power. Tenebrae stripped Dramath of his Force powers, drove him insane, and then killed him.Then, Tenebrae conquered the rest of Medriaas while his half-brother, Dramath the Second, fled the planet. In three years, Tenebrae had conquered Medriaas and crushed any who opposed him.

Sith Lord & Emperor

After his conquest of his planet, Tenebrae was summoned to Ziost by Marka Ragnos, who was the Dark Lord of the Sith of the time and ruler of the Sith Council. Ragnos gave the thirteen-year-old the right to rule Medriaas and granted him the rank of Sith Lord, bestowing upon him the title of Lord Vitiate. Lord Vitiate then returned to Medriaas, renamed it Nathema, and built a palace on the spot of his childhood home. He ruled Nathema for one hundred years and spent much of his time studying dark side secrets.

After Marka Ragnos died in 5,000 BBY, a struggle to determine who would succeed him as Dark Lord of the Sith, a struggle that Vitiate chose not to involve himself in. When Naga Sadow triumphed over Ludo Kressh, Vitiate did not participate in the Great Hyperspace War. Because of his lack of involvement in any battles or conquests during his reign, Vitiate gained a reputation as a reclusive scholar. However, when the Empire met its defeat above Korriban, Vitiate launched his plans into action.

By broadcasting speeches that described how the Jedi Order would destroy the Empire and massacre their people, Vitiate played on the Empire's fears and manipulated 8,000 sith into joining him on Nathema to aid him in a ritual. He promised them that it would unleash the power of the dark side. Meanwhile, Vitiate's historians and scientists searched for the location of one of the Empire's original colonies, Dromund Kaas. Just before the Sith Lords arrived, Vitiate's researchers theorized a hyperspace route to Dromund Kaas that would prevent the Jedi from following.

When the Sith arrived, Lord Vitiate dominated their minds and crushed their will and bound it to his. The ritual took ten days, and, when it was completed, all life on Nathema was annihilated, except for Lord Vitiate, and absorbed the life force of the entire planet. The Force was stripped from the very fabric of Nathema and Vitiate gained unimaginable power and immortality. From that moment forth, the man was no longer known as Lord Vitiate, but simply as the Emperor. He was a figure of enormous power and wisdom to his fellow Sith.

After Nathema was destroyed, the Emperor blamed its destruction on the Jedi and further panicked the Empire, while offering them hope and deliverance. He traveled to Korriban to promise his people safety and salvation from the Jedi, and soon led them in a great exodus from the Sith worlds. While the Emperor knew the location of Dromund Kaas, no one else did. He exploited this by leading his followers in a series of blind hyperspace jumps. These hyperspace jumps lasted twenty years and forced the Sith to become more and more dependent on the Emperor. In 4,980 BBY, a scout ship, under the Emperor's orders, finally located Dromund Kaas. When the vessel returned to the Sith fleet, Vitiate led them to the long-lost planet. In the jungles of Dromund Kaas, the Emperor declared that the Sith would build a new empire from the ashes of the old, and that the new Empire would return and enact its revenge upon the Republic.

Other Media

Video Games

Star Wars: The Old Republic

The Sith Emperor was one of the main antagonists of the popular MMORPG from Bioware.

Novels

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan

A storm is coming, and there is no escape.

Revan: hero, traitor, conqueror, villain, savior. A Jedi who left Coruscant to defeat Mandalorians — and returned a disciple of the dark side, bent on destroying the Republic. The Jedi Council gave Revan his life back, but the price of redemption was high. His memories have been erased. All that’s left are nightmares—and deep, abiding fear.

What exactly happened beyond the Outer Rim? Revan can’t quite remember, yet can’t entirely forget. Somehow he stumbled across a terrible secret that threatens the very existence of the Republic. With no idea what it is, or how to stop it, Revan may very well fail, for he’s never faced a more powerful and diabolic enemy. But only death can stop him from trying.

• Written By: Drew Karpshyn
• Published By: Del Rey