Department of CORE Studies:
Obelisk CORE
I-Introduction
The Obelisk Order is the youngest of the three orders of the Brotherhood and it frequently misunderstood as an order made up of casts off from the Sith and Krath. However, the Obelisk Order is unique in the Brotherhood, and its members serve an important role. This course will touch on the history of the order, it will explain what makes an Obelisk an Obelisk, and it will explain the important role the Obelisk play in the Dark Brotherhood.
II-History of the Order
Complete accounts of the Obelisk history may be found elsewhere, such as in the Codex and the Compendium. It is highly recommended that you read through the whole history, though the highlights of it will be listed and expanded upon here. Do not rely solely upon this brief synopsis for the exam, or for a complete history of the order.
The history of the Obelisk is defined by a unique combination of individual desire and small group cohesiveness, with all efforts aimed at achieving perfection in the art of war. A Force user named Alaiedon is generally credited with the start of the order, or at least the traditions of the order. Alaiedon left his teacher, attempting to perfect his mastery of the art of war, believing that if this could be done, none could challenge his power. To this day, all Obelisk focus on the perfection of their chosen arts; this trait began with Alaiedon.
Alaiedon wandered for five years, learning all that he could about personal combat, and attracting students in the process. No official count exists, but it is rumored that Alaiedon mastered over one hundred forms of personal combat. Alaiedon took no apprentices to train, perhaps fearing that they would surpass him. However, those that chose to follow him learned by watching and sparring with one another. While traveling, Alaiedon was approached by an insurgent group on a planet, seeking to topple their government. Alaiedon, more obsessed with testing his skills, especially against a superior force, took command of the insurgents, and led them to victory. Alaiedon himself awed all who followed him.
Perhaps feeling that he had mastered his art, Alaiedon led his forces across the star system, forming a sort of empire under his command. However, his actions brought the attention of the Jedi, and four Jedi masters confronted Alaiedon. In a grand battle, Alaiedon slew three of the masters, but his body fell to the fourth Jedi. Alaiedon’s spirit, however, bound itself to his sword. The remaining Jedi Master picked up the sword and all but three of Alaiedon’s students fell to that unknown master. However, they triumphed in the end, taking the sword with them. The three hid themselves, operating a small school to train those willing in the art of war. The sword remains in the possession of the Obelisk Order to this day, serving as a powerful artifact capable of benefiting the entire Order. More on this particular subject will be explained shortly.
Like the Sith and Krath, the Obelisk did not die out with the death of their leader. After the disappearance of Alaiedon’s students, another part of the Obelisk’s foundation came to be in the form of the Mecrosa Order. The Mecrosa Order was formed with help from House Mercetti of the Tapani Sector. Tied to the Sith by Lady Mireya, who married into the order and brought with her Sith teachings, the Mecrosa Order became an organized assassins guild. The Mecrosa blended the teachings of the Sith with their combat skills and they would be instrumental in the formation of the modern Obelisk Order. However, the establishment of the modern order still needed a strong, inspirational leader. That leader was the assassin known as Ferran.
A rogue Sith acolyte (in this case meaning student, not the Brotherhood rank), Ferran traveled to Antei, where he discovered the sleeping form of the Sith Lord Okemi, sealed in an obelisk, which is where the Order takes its name. Ferran awakened Okemi, and the two set out to rebuild the Star Chamber. Joining the Sith and the Obelisk was the Krath, led and represented by the insane sorceress Taimat. This Triumvirate, important to Brotherhood history, was nevertheless unstable, as most triumvirates are. Ferran, more often than not, disagreed with his two counterparts, and, unlike Alaiedon, Ferran began to personally train elite warriors. Further complicating matters was Okemi’s desire for eternal life and Taimat’s desire to stop him by collapsing the Anteian star. Ferran slew Taimat as her ritual in the Star Chamber went out of control, turning the Antei system into the bleak and foreboding system that it is today.
Ferran eventually died and the Obelisk order sank back into relative obscurity, with the Sith and the Krath taking far more prominent, and far more destructive, roles in the annals of galactic history. However, the Grandmaster known as ‘the Other’ brought the Obelisk order back to life, creating a highly trained group of warriors. These warriors kept the Obelisk as their sigil and name. When ‘the Other’ brought about the First Brotherhood Civil War, the newly recreated Obelisk order served as his elite shock troops and assassins. Many promising Sith and Krath lost their lives to these warriors, but due to “the Other’s” flight from the Brotherhood and through skillful political negotiations by newly appointed Grandmaster Jac Cotelin, the Obelisk agreed to serve the Brotherhood. In return, members of the Obelisk Order were granted access to the collected texts of Ferran.
Complete accounts of the Obelisk history may be found elsewhere, such as in the Codex and the Compendium. It is highly recommended that you read through the whole history, though the highlights of it will be listed and expanded upon here. Do not rely solely upon this brief synopsis for the exam, or for a complete history of the order.
The history of the Obelisk is defined by a unique combination of individual desire and small group cohesiveness, with all efforts aimed at achieving perfection in the art of war. A Force user named Alaiedon is generally credited with the start of the order, or at least the traditions of the order. Alaiedon left his teacher, attempting to perfect his mastery of the art of war, believing that if this could be done, none could challenge his power. To this day, all Obelisk focus on the perfection of their chosen arts; this trait began with Alaiedon.
Alaiedon wandered for five years, learning all that he could about personal combat, and attracting students in the process. No official count exists, but it is rumored that Alaiedon mastered over one hundred forms of personal combat. Alaiedon took no apprentices to train, perhaps fearing that they would surpass him. However, those that chose to follow him learned by watching and sparring with one another. While traveling, Alaiedon was approached by an insurgent group on a planet, seeking to topple their government. Alaiedon, more obsessed with testing his skills, especially against a superior force, took command of the insurgents, and led them to victory. Alaiedon himself awed all who followed him.
Perhaps feeling that he had mastered his art, Alaiedon led his forces across the star system, forming a sort of empire under his command. However, his actions brought the attention of the Jedi, and four Jedi masters confronted Alaiedon. In a grand battle, Alaiedon slew three of the masters, but his body fell to the fourth Jedi. Alaiedon’s spirit, however, bound itself to his sword. The remaining Jedi Master picked up the sword and all but three of Alaiedon’s students fell to that unknown master. However, they triumphed in the end, taking the sword with them. The three hid themselves, operating a small school to train those willing in the art of war. The sword remains in the possession of the Obelisk Order to this day, serving as a powerful artifact capable of benefiting the entire Order. More on this particular subject will be explained shortly.
Like the Sith and Krath, the Obelisk did not die out with the death of their leader. After the disappearance of Alaiedon’s students, another part of the Obelisk’s foundation came to be in the form of the Mecrosa Order. The Mecrosa Order was formed with help from House Mercetti of the Tapani Sector. Tied to the Sith by Lady Mireya, who married into the order and brought with her Sith teachings, the Mecrosa Order became an organized assassins guild. The Mecrosa blended the teachings of the Sith with their combat skills and they would be instrumental in the formation of the modern Obelisk Order. However, the establishment of the modern order still needed a strong, inspirational leader. That leader was the assassin known as Ferran.
A rogue Sith acolyte (in this case meaning student, not the Brotherhood rank), Ferran traveled to Antei, where he discovered the sleeping form of the Sith Lord Okemi, sealed in an obelisk, which is where the Order takes its name. Ferran awakened Okemi, and the two set out to rebuild the Star Chamber. Joining the Sith and the Obelisk was the Krath, led and represented by the insane sorceress Taimat. This Triumvirate, important to Brotherhood history, was nevertheless unstable, as most triumvirates are. Ferran, more often than not, disagreed with his two counterparts, and, unlike Alaiedon, Ferran began to personally train elite warriors. Further complicating matters was Okemi’s desire for eternal life and Taimat’s desire to stop him by collapsing the Anteian star. Ferran slew Taimat as her ritual in the Star Chamber went out of control, turning the Antei system into the bleak and foreboding system that it is today.
Ferran eventually died and the Obelisk order sank back into relative obscurity, with the Sith and the Krath taking far more prominent, and far more destructive, roles in the annals of galactic history. However, the Grandmaster known as ‘the Other’ brought the Obelisk order back to life, creating a highly trained group of warriors. These warriors kept the Obelisk as their sigil and name. When ‘the Other’ brought about the First Brotherhood Civil War, the newly recreated Obelisk order served as his elite shock troops and assassins. Many promising Sith and Krath lost their lives to these warriors, but due to “the Other’s” flight from the Brotherhood and through skillful political negotiations by newly appointed Grandmaster Jac Cotelin, the Obelisk agreed to serve the Brotherhood. In return, members of the Obelisk Order were granted access to the collected texts of Ferran.
III-Heart of the Obelisk
Having looked briefly at the history of the order, one can turn to the characteristics of the order and its individual members. Above all, it should be noted that Obelisk study the art of the warrior, of combat, above all else. They are, on the whole, the best lightsaber instructors in the Brotherhood, for their study of the Force is almost entirely focused on enhancing their own skills in combat. The lightsaber is merely the primary weapon of individuals, though Obelisk do not limit themselves to solely using lightsabers.
The Obelisk are an interesting group when compared to the Sith and the Krath. Though they possess the same basic desire as the other two orders, to become more powerful, an Obelisk’s defining characteristic is his, or her, pursuit of individual perfection. In essence, there is an end for Obelisk. Sith crave political power and Krath crave mystical knowledge, but these are not subjects in which lend themselves to having a defined end. For Sith, there will always be an opponent to place under their thumb, even if that opponent must be imagined. For Krath, there is always another theory worth investigating, even if that theory exists only in their mind.
Now, that the Obelisk can obtain an ‘end’ does not mean that they are limited. Instead, because followers of the Obelisk path seek perfection in their art, they will push themselves and train until they have mastered, for example, a particular fighting style. They may combine it with other forms or seek to add to the form, but in the end, the Obelisk will be forced to stop when the form can no longer be expanded. In this regard, the Obelisk can be limited, but it is on the individual level. An Obelisk who never advances beyond the rank of Templar, even if they master a particular form of combat, will never be ab
Having looked briefly at the history of the order, one can turn to the characteristics of the order and its individual members. Above all, it should be noted that Obelisk study the art of the warrior, of combat, above all else. They are, on the whole, the best lightsaber instructors in the Brotherhood, for their study of the Force is almost entirely focused on enhancing their own skills in combat. The lightsaber is merely the primary weapon of individuals, though Obelisk do not limit themselves to solely using lightsabers.
The Obelisk are an interesting group when compared to the Sith and the Krath. Though they possess the same basic desire as the other two orders, to become more powerful, an Obelisk’s defining characteristic is his, or her, pursuit of individual perfection. In essence, there is an end for Obelisk. Sith crave political power and Krath crave mystical knowledge, but these are not subjects in which lend themselves to having a defined end. For Sith, there will always be an opponent to place under their thumb, even if that opponent must be imagined. For Krath, there is always another theory worth investigating, even if that theory exists only in their mind.
Now, that the Obelisk can obtain an ‘end’ does not mean that they are limited. Instead, because followers of the Obelisk path seek perfection in their art, they will push themselves and train until they have mastered, for example, a particular fighting style. They may combine it with other forms or seek to add to the form, but in the end, the Obelisk will be forced to stop when the form can no longer be expanded. In this regard, the Obelisk can be limited, but it is on the individual level. An Obelisk who never advances beyond the rank of Templar, even if they master a particular form of combat, will never be ab