Post by Darth Kairos on Apr 23, 2015 14:16:18 GMT
Name: Tora Venaris
Sith Name: Darth Ares
Age: 25
Species: Miraluka
Homeworld: Katarr
Gender: Male
Height: 180cm
Weight: 78kg
Eyes: N/a
Hair: Dark Brown
Skin Color: Caucasian
Appearance:
Possessing a lean build, Ares is of average height for a Miralukan, with a perpetually firm expression that hides his slightly boyish features. His dark brown hair is naturally unkempt, but is usually combed neatly back to keep most of it out of Ares' face. His torso is heavily scarred, as is his left arm, with the most prominent being a single, large scar over his right lung. The left side of his face is covered with an array of scars spider-webbing out from his left vestigial eye socket, which reach as far down as his cheekbone and as high up as his left temple.
Personality:
Strong in his convictions and carrying an equally strong sense of justice, Ares is compassionate, sociable, resourceful, and highly driven - factors he keeps hidden behind a persona of reserved authority, respectfulness and professionalism. He treats his fellow officers and soldiers with respect, fairness and equality, and naturally extends this same respect to other members of the Brotherhood. Despite many disagreements with the Brotherhood and its members in the past, Ares is firmly loyal to the organisation, the ideals it represents, and its ruling authorities. He attempts to remain fair and unbiased with his apprentices, and has come to view himself as a teacher rather than a mentor as he did in the past.
An extremely competent tactician and leader, Ares feels equally comfortable strategizing and commanding, and fighting on the front lines. Though he disagreed with many of the its policies in past, he views the Union as the galaxy's best hope for long-lasting peace and security; he believes the Galactic Empire to be too rigid and inflexible, and the Galactic Alliance incapable of maintaining stable government (or remaining free from corruption) without a central voice to lead and direct all others. Ares possesses a firm hatred of tyranny and totalitarianism, and though he acknowledges the Union can edge too closely towards these at times, he views himself as a powerful moderating factor capable of shaping and improving Union policy and leadership.
Ares cares very deeply for his friends and remaining family, and is, though he is unaware of just how deeply, deeply wounded by both the disintegration of his relationship with his apprentice and former flame, Darth Amorata, and the death of his Sith brother Darth Rayden. Though he cares for the lives of the soldiers under his command, experience has taught him the necessity of sacrifices, and though he refuses to simply throw lives away or treat them as dispensable, he no longer possesses the unwillingness to utilise dangerous or risky plans as he once did. Highly confident in his own abilities, Ares prefers to use his words as his first weapon, and only resorts to his lightsaber or prodigious Force Powers if he is pushed or diplomacy fails. He generally tries to avoid killing opponents when he can avoid it, but has little qualms about doing so when the time comes.
As experience has taught him, "Who Dares, Wins".
Speaks, Reads and Writes Basic, Miralukese, Sithese and Minnisiat
Equipment:
Lightsaber, Blue
Lightshoto, Blue
Scepter of Marka Ragnos/Ragnos' Sith Sword
Armour, Cobalt, constructed of armourweave and beskar with crushgaunt gauntlets.
Standard Issue Sith Field Kit, with Datapad, Basic Medkit and Multitool
Ships:
Vornskr-1 - Executor-class Star Dreadnought
Bastion - modified CR90-class corvette.
Stark Truth - YZ-900 Freighter
Lyanna - Luxury Yacht 3000
E-Wing Escort Starfighter
Backstory:
Born on Katarr to Toran and Marie Venaris, Tora began his life in early 11ABY. His mother died unexpectedly several months after Tora’s birth, prompting his father to move them from the planet’s surface to one of the orbiting stations, where Tora spent most of his early life. Exposure to a variety of alien races and passengers resulted in Tora developing a multicultural attitude to the galaxy in lieu of the traditional familial values expressed by Miralukan society, as well as causing him to develop keen social and communication skills. Tora was educated on-station, mostly by private tuition, and began working part-time on the station’s docks at age 12, rapidly developing considerable leadership and coordination skills. His relationship with his father was terse, with little communication beyond Tora’s progress in schooling and his work.
When he was 14, Tora’s leadership skills put him in conflict with another dock worker who felt he was being given special treatment due to his father’s position as foreman, and a violent confrontation eventually ensued. During the confrontation, Tora panicked and used the Force to defend himself, which resulted in the dock worker’s death and caused Tora, no longer thinking straight, to flee and stow away on an out-going vessel. Despite his young age, Tora was able to convince the ship – the Starbound Waltz - ‘s captain to take him on as a crew member, working as a permanent member of the crew as they took a variety of legal and somewhat illegal jobs – during which time he became very close with the Captain’s daughter, Celeste, seeing her as a surrogate sister. When the Yuuzhan Vong War erupted a year later, the crew took up work ferrying supplies (and, later, refugees, arms and munitions) across the New Republic and Galactic Alliance, coming into combat with Yuuzhan Vong Coralskippers several times but nonetheless escaping the war unscathed. Following the War, the ship’s captain retired, leaving Tora and Celeste to pick up where they had left off.
Several more years passed in relative peace and routine before they ran afoul of the Galactic Alliance; though Tora doesn’t remember exactly what happened, he does remember that he was somewhere he shouldn’t have been or saw something he shouldn’t have, leading to Tora and the rest fleeing Alliance space to take refuge in the emerging Obsidian Union. Eventually making their way to the capital, New Bethrezen, Tora’s powerful Force-sensitivity was noticed by members of the New Sith Brotherhood, and they offered a deal – in exchange for his crew’s protection amidst the ranks of the Brotherhood of Independent Traders, Tora would join the Brotherhood to train as a Sith. He agreed, and parted ways with the ship and crew, joining the Brotherhood as an apprentice to Lady Vidia. After several months of training and missions, Tora was officially inducted into the Brotherhood and dubbed Darth Ares. Vidia took on an almost motherly role in Ares’ view until her abrupt disappearance, leaving Ares to finish his training under several different masters – during which time Ares’ loyalty to the Union began to waver, despite his idolization of the Dark Lord, Darth Xaos.
Shortly after Ares was Knighted, Vidia returned to the Union and attempted to sieze power, and Ares was responsible for recovering the Scepter of Marka Ragnos from the deceased Dark Lord’s tomb to ensure the failure of Vidia’s plans. A confrontation with another Brotherhood member shortly before he entered the tomb, coupled with Ares’ guilt and despair over his situation and his past actions within the Brotherhood, resulted in Ares facing a series of trials within the tomb created with the Force by the spirit of Marka Ragnos himself that allowed him to overcome his negative feelings and move past them, culminating in Ares seeing a vision of a happy, enlightened and peaceful future that would eventually come to define him. Ragnos himself commanded Ares to take up the Scepter and become his champion, an order Ares initially accepted without hesitation, participating in the rest of the civil war against Vidia and the subsequent campaigns to restore order. Following the end of the war, Ares was appointed the new Supreme Commander of the Terrestrial Forces and assigned several apprentices to begin training, which he would quickly develop strong relationships with - including Darth Amorata, a fellow Miralukan he quickly developed feelings for.
Ares was one of the first to come into contact with the One Sith along with Lady Loon, and was also partly responsible for the discovery of the hidden armoury world Dol Gorath along with Lady Hecate. During this period Ares also became aware that he had a younger half-sister, Sierra, and returned to see his father shortly before the latter’s death, becoming Sierra’s guardian. Despite an initially cold, terse relationship, the two eventually warmed up to each other over the course of several conversations, Sierra acting as Ares’ moral center on occasion and Ares in turn coming to see her as and treat her like a little sister. Despite his overcoming of the trials within Ragnos’ tomb, Ares’ conflicting loyalties eventually resurfaced again, causing him to take a leave of absence away from the Brotherhood’s eyes on New Alderaan. Whilst there, Ares and Sierra patched up the last few gaps in their relationship and had a long heart-to-heart on Sierra’s sixteenth birthday over dinner, shortly after which Sierra made the discovery that, despite what Ares’ father had told him, his mother was both still alive and was in fact Sierra’s own biological mother. A week later, Ares again encountered a member of the One Sith, who would have almost killed him if not for Ragnos’ intervention allowing Ares to claim victory. Even so, the fight left Ares in a catatonic state for several months, during which time Ragnos subjected Ares to multiple visions of the future showing what would become of Ares if he followed his ideals to their end.
Ares awoke and recovered in the Jedi Temple, having been recovered by the Jedi. His memories of Ragnos' vision were buried deep, but they left a deep mark on his subconscious that resulted in a gradual shift into a man worthy of the title 'Sith Lord'. After informing the Jedi about the existence of the One Sith and coming to surprisingly friendly terms with Jaina Solo, Ares escaped the Temple and returned to New Bethrezen, where he was appointed High Marshall and took a central role in the Brotherhood's military operations. Ares lead several raids on Galactic Alliance shipyards and bases, and was a leading figure in the destruction of the Boganite Cult that assaulted Duro. He continued to develop his relationship with Darth Amorata, and grew despondent when she slipped into an unexplainable coma. Partly to distract himself, and partly because he recognised the need for the Union to be proactive and retake the initiative in the war, Ares was the main architect of Operation Archmagister, a massive Union assault that brought great swathes of the Outer Rim under Union control.
After participating in a fierce duel with Darth Reaver to resolve personal differences, Ares temporarily departed Union space several days before Archmagister began. Instead, he made for the Unknown Regions to investigate reports of a Jedi presence assisting an insectoid race pressing up against the borders of the Chiss Ascendancy and whispers of a brewing conflict. Ares' taskforce came to the rescue of a Chiss Star Destroyer under attack by a Jedi strike force, and, in the ensuing battle, sacrificed dozens of pilots to capture a next-generation Jedi stealth fighter. In a brief lull in combat, Ares slipped into slumber, and a deal was struck and wiped from his memory. Thanks to the actions of his new apprentice, Arie Del, Ares was able to retrieve a Jedi prisoner - Lowbacca - from the battle, and later dueled the captured Jedi pilot Alema Rar in a battle that claimed her life - the first Jedi Ares had killed in nearly four years. He then spoke with Lowbacca, learning many details about the insectoid race - the Killiks - and eventually used the Wookiee's connection to the Killik hivemind as a point-of-entry into the Killik hivemind itself. His exposure to the hivemind nearly killed him - not from the weight of all of the lives within it, but from exposure to the dark, indescribably powerful force driving the Swarm.
Scared and worried what the brewing war might bring, Ares raced to one of the Killik colony worlds in an attempt to avert it. There he attempted diplomacy with Jaina Solo and her fellow Jedi Knight, Zekk, acting as diplomats on behalf of the Killik nests. Despite his best attempts, Ares was unable to come to an agreement that would avert the war - the Jedi, it seemed, were determined to bring about the war for Killik's benefit, aiming to force the Chiss Ascendancy to back down by force. Disgusted by their hypocrisy and determination to waste countless lives, Ares returned to his command aboard the Unyielding and lead the charge in the ensuing Swarm War, determined to stop the Killiks and the forces driving them by whatever means necessary.
Level: 16
Basic Path: Dark Force Adept
Advanced Path: Sith Lord
Master Path: Sith Warlord
Core Stats:
Strength: 10
Agility: 12
Toughness: 10
Intellect: 17
Presence: 18
Spirit: 18
Combat Proficiencies:
Can Use Single-Bladed Lightsabers
Can Use Lightsaber Shotos
Shii-Cho: 3
Makashi: 3 + 1 (Lightsaber Form Focus)
Soresu: 3
Blaster Weapons: 3
Exotic Weapon (Sith Sword): 3 + 2 (Weapon Focus, Weapon Mastery)
Heavy Weapons: 1
Simple Weapons: 3
Armour: 3
Skills:
Acrobatics: 3
Astrogate: 0 + 1 (Spacer)
Athletics: 2
Awareness: 2 + 2 (Sharp-Eyed, Skill Training)
Combat Awareness
Bluff: 3 + 2 (Persuasive, Master Manipulator)
Masterful Feint
Climbing: 2
Computer Use: 1
Craft (Lightsaber): 1
Diplomacy: 3 + 2 (Twister of Thoughts, Master Manipulator)
Dun Moch
Gather Information: 0 + 1 (Master Strategist)
Intimidate: 1 + 2 (Persuasive, Master Manipulator)
Demoralize Foe
Knowledge (Sith Lore): 3
Knowledge (Philosophy): 3
Knowledge (Influence): 3
Knowledge (Tactics): 3 + 3 (Skill Focus, Twister of Thoughts, Master Strategist)
Knowledge (Physics): 2
Pilot: 3 + 1 (Spacer) (Starfighters, Freighters, Shuttles, Speederbikes, Airspeeders, Landspeeders, Combat Speeders, Capital Ships)
Steady Legs
Sense Motive: 3 + 2 (Sharp-Eyed, Species Bonus)
Detect Intent
Survival: 3 + 1 (Skill Training)
Voice of the Wilds
Treat Injury: 3 + 1 (Skill Training)
Surgical Strike
Assets:
Unusual Ability (Spacer's Instinct, rank 1): As a spacer for most of his youth, Ares was exposed to a wide variety of cultures, situations, scenarios and dangers. His experience in these matters has heightened his Danger Sense, and he is capable of quickly recognising the nature a vast variety of these assorted situations. This realisation is usually accompanied by the phrase "I have a bad feeling about this..."
Unusual Ability (Durasteel Cladding, rank 2): Ares has fought in many duels, and taken many, many wounds. Though he's still in one piece, he doesn't have all of his original pieces: several of his bones, ribs especially, have had to be replaced with titanium inserts, and several others have had to be reinforced with steel to keep them in one piece. Aside from setting off every metal detector he walks through, these bones give him a +1 bonus to his base DR.
Unusual Item (the Scepter of Marka Ragnos, rank 2): An ancient Sith artifact of great power, the Scepter was bestowed upon Darth Ares after he braved the trials of Ragnos' tomb to recover it during the Second Union Civil War. Unable to wield it properly, Ares initially set about training with the weapon and stuck to his lightsaber in the meantime. It was used by Darth Ares to win the Duel on New Alderaan; thanks to the intervention of Ragnos' spirit itself, Ares was able to manifest a small Force Wormhole using the Scepter and annihilate a superior foe. Though victorious, the power also dealt severe damage to Ares' person, and he developed a healthy fear of the Scepter as a result. After the escalation of the Swarm Crisis, Ares grew confident that his own power was enough to control the Scepter's, and finally began to wield it in earnest.
Created by the Dark Lord Marka Ragnos, the Scepter is a great feat of Sith Alchemy. It was created with a Refinements of Khar Delba skill of four. The Scepter possesses the ability to drain the ambient Force energy out of a location, and concentrate it into another location or individual. It may also unleash the stored Force energy in a beam or shockwave, and can channel the Force power of its wielder to the same effect. Hidden within the Scepter is Ragnos' Sith Sword, an equally powerful Sith artifact. It lacks the Force-draining and -channeling capabilities of the Scepter itself, but is a superbly well-made Sith Sword. Though the length of a longsword, it's weight is low and well-balanced enough that it may be wielded in one or two hands. As the Scepter itself is quite cumbersome, it is usually carried by Darth Ares in a simple leather scabbard.
Resources (rank 2): A little over two-thousand assorted individuals currently operate under Ares' personal command; the majority of these individuals are the Remnants of Lady Vidia's Wachetroopers. Ares is currently in the process of organising these men into a dedicated fighting force, but this process is taking a great deal of time due to his other responsibilities. For now, many of these individuals operate as mercenaries, under the banner of a small administrative staff Ares has managed to put back together, and a portion of the proceeds this fledgling organisation collects goes into Ares' personal accounts. This supplements the noticeable income he already receives due to his ties to Kuat Drive Yards, and the assorted channels he can call on for funding.
Contacts & Allies
Contacts/Allies (Smuggler's Alliance, rank 2): The Smuggler's Alliance, a loose coalition of Smugglers and Spacers, was formed during the Thrawn Campaign by Talon Karrde (hence its official moniker, the "Talon Karrde Organization"), and saw heavy operation until the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, with fingers in smuggling, information brokering, gambling, and even legitimate businesses. The sheer devastation caused by the conflict, and the peace that finally resulted from its end, saw a dramatic drop in the need for Smuggling operations, and it seemed many members of the Alliance would have to go legitimate. Fortunately for the group, the advent of the Union war gave them new markets to exploit. Chief-of-State Natasi Daala's strong stance against smuggling has lead many of them to shirk their former New Republic/Galactic Alliance loyalties, and now many operate in a grey area that naturally brings them into conflict with the Brotherhood of Independent Traders.
As a former Spacer, Ares came into contact with members of the Smuggler's Alliance numerous times, and is broadly informed of the inner workings of the group. He knows where and how to find several of its more prominent members, who to ask for what information or goods, and how to get cheap prices for their services.
Influences
New Alderaan (Minor): Darth Ares' involvement with New Alderaan began in the early half of 35 ABY, where he sought out the planet as a private refuge to gather his thoughts. His discovery lead to his initial incarceration, but over the course of several months he won the trust of the local elite. His presence drew the One Sith to the planet, and the resulting clash saw over a hundred people die and Ares grievously wounded. Despite the tragedy, Ares retained their trust, and secured funding and support that allowed them to finish re-building their high-tech industry in mere months. Now beginning to flourish, Ares succeeded in securing the planet's official neutrality in the Union/Alliance conflict, and it was used as the stage for important negotiations between the Union and Red Sith. The planet's location is a closely guarded secret, and, whilst the general populace is aware of the presence of an outsider who has been of great help to their affairs, only a few members of the aristocratic elite are aware of the details of Ares' involvement.
Kuat Drive Yards (Moderate): One of the largest shipyards in the galaxy, and the most prolific and advanced military ship-builder, Ares has been working on influencing Kuat Drive Yards since before his Knighthood. He currently controls one of The Ten, the ruling families of Kuat (and, by extension, Kuat Drive Yards), which has allowed him a great deal of influence and information over and on the inner and high workings of the shipwright. Through Kuat Drive Yards, and its many subsidiaries - including, most notably, Rothana Heavy Engineering - Ares is responsible for many under-the-table deals that provide the Union with KDY products - such as Star Destroyers - without drawing the attention of the Galactic Alliance. It also provides him with quite an impressive amount of capital for his personal account.
Perks:
Athletic
Blind-Fight
Cautious
Combat Analysis
Combat Expertise
Danger Sense
Dueling
Force Channel
Force Affinity
Force Potency
Force Mastery
Force Power Focus (Force Push/Pull)
Force Power Focus (Force Resistance)
Force Power Focus (Force Speed)
Force Power Focus (Force Valour)
Force Power Focus (Telekinesis)
Improved Martial Arts
Iron Will
Lightsaber Form Focus (Makashi)
Martial Arts
Persuasive
Power Armor Training
Two-Weapon Fighting
Weapon Focus (Exotic Weapon: Sith Sword)
Sharp-Eyed
Situational Analysis
Improved Situational Analysis
Advanced Situational Analysis
Skill Focus (Knowledge (Tactics))
Spacer
Force Powers:
Sense
Force Empathy: 3
Telepathy: 3
Sense Force: 3
Control
Enhanced Senses: 3
Force Absorb: 3
Force Jump: 3
Force Speed: 4 + 1 (Force Power Focus)
Force Stealth/Qey'tek: 3
Force Valour: 4 + 1 (Force Power Focus)
Alter
Battle Meditation: 1
Detoxify Poison: 3
Force Armor: 4
Force Barrier: 3
Force Deflection: 3
Force Dominate/Control Mind: 2
Force Grip: 3
Force Healing: 3
Force Lightning: 3
Force Push/Pull: 3 + 1 (Force Power Focus)
Force Resistance: 4 + 1 (Force Power Focus)
Force Stun: 3
Mind-Trick/Affect Mind: 3 + 1 (Twister of Thoughts)
Telekinesis: 4 + 1 (Force Power Focus)
Lvl Abilities:
1 Control, Starting Abilities
2 Force Weapon, Skill Training
3 Sense, Sacred War
4 Alter, Force Talisman
5 Contacts
6 Resource Access
7 Minions
8 Influence
9 Twister of Thoughts
10 Skilled Lieutenants
11 Influence
12 Master Manipulator
13 Exceptional Minions
14 Influence
15 Forces
Army: 2
Bases: 1
Fleet: 2
Tech Level: 3
Training: 3
16 Battle Meditation
17 Master Strategist
Spare Points:
5 x Asset
3 x Influence Asset
Sith Name: Darth Ares
Age: 25
Species: Miraluka
Homeworld: Katarr
Gender: Male
Height: 180cm
Weight: 78kg
Eyes: N/a
Hair: Dark Brown
Skin Color: Caucasian
Appearance:
Possessing a lean build, Ares is of average height for a Miralukan, with a perpetually firm expression that hides his slightly boyish features. His dark brown hair is naturally unkempt, but is usually combed neatly back to keep most of it out of Ares' face. His torso is heavily scarred, as is his left arm, with the most prominent being a single, large scar over his right lung. The left side of his face is covered with an array of scars spider-webbing out from his left vestigial eye socket, which reach as far down as his cheekbone and as high up as his left temple.
Personality:
Strong in his convictions and carrying an equally strong sense of justice, Ares is compassionate, sociable, resourceful, and highly driven - factors he keeps hidden behind a persona of reserved authority, respectfulness and professionalism. He treats his fellow officers and soldiers with respect, fairness and equality, and naturally extends this same respect to other members of the Brotherhood. Despite many disagreements with the Brotherhood and its members in the past, Ares is firmly loyal to the organisation, the ideals it represents, and its ruling authorities. He attempts to remain fair and unbiased with his apprentices, and has come to view himself as a teacher rather than a mentor as he did in the past.
An extremely competent tactician and leader, Ares feels equally comfortable strategizing and commanding, and fighting on the front lines. Though he disagreed with many of the its policies in past, he views the Union as the galaxy's best hope for long-lasting peace and security; he believes the Galactic Empire to be too rigid and inflexible, and the Galactic Alliance incapable of maintaining stable government (or remaining free from corruption) without a central voice to lead and direct all others. Ares possesses a firm hatred of tyranny and totalitarianism, and though he acknowledges the Union can edge too closely towards these at times, he views himself as a powerful moderating factor capable of shaping and improving Union policy and leadership.
Ares cares very deeply for his friends and remaining family, and is, though he is unaware of just how deeply, deeply wounded by both the disintegration of his relationship with his apprentice and former flame, Darth Amorata, and the death of his Sith brother Darth Rayden. Though he cares for the lives of the soldiers under his command, experience has taught him the necessity of sacrifices, and though he refuses to simply throw lives away or treat them as dispensable, he no longer possesses the unwillingness to utilise dangerous or risky plans as he once did. Highly confident in his own abilities, Ares prefers to use his words as his first weapon, and only resorts to his lightsaber or prodigious Force Powers if he is pushed or diplomacy fails. He generally tries to avoid killing opponents when he can avoid it, but has little qualms about doing so when the time comes.
As experience has taught him, "Who Dares, Wins".
Speaks, Reads and Writes Basic, Miralukese, Sithese and Minnisiat
Equipment:
Lightsaber, Blue
Lightshoto, Blue
Scepter of Marka Ragnos/Ragnos' Sith Sword
Armour, Cobalt, constructed of armourweave and beskar with crushgaunt gauntlets.
Standard Issue Sith Field Kit, with Datapad, Basic Medkit and Multitool
Ships:
Vornskr-1 - Executor-class Star Dreadnought
Bastion - modified CR90-class corvette.
Stark Truth - YZ-900 Freighter
Lyanna - Luxury Yacht 3000
E-Wing Escort Starfighter
Backstory:
Born on Katarr to Toran and Marie Venaris, Tora began his life in early 11ABY. His mother died unexpectedly several months after Tora’s birth, prompting his father to move them from the planet’s surface to one of the orbiting stations, where Tora spent most of his early life. Exposure to a variety of alien races and passengers resulted in Tora developing a multicultural attitude to the galaxy in lieu of the traditional familial values expressed by Miralukan society, as well as causing him to develop keen social and communication skills. Tora was educated on-station, mostly by private tuition, and began working part-time on the station’s docks at age 12, rapidly developing considerable leadership and coordination skills. His relationship with his father was terse, with little communication beyond Tora’s progress in schooling and his work.
When he was 14, Tora’s leadership skills put him in conflict with another dock worker who felt he was being given special treatment due to his father’s position as foreman, and a violent confrontation eventually ensued. During the confrontation, Tora panicked and used the Force to defend himself, which resulted in the dock worker’s death and caused Tora, no longer thinking straight, to flee and stow away on an out-going vessel. Despite his young age, Tora was able to convince the ship – the Starbound Waltz - ‘s captain to take him on as a crew member, working as a permanent member of the crew as they took a variety of legal and somewhat illegal jobs – during which time he became very close with the Captain’s daughter, Celeste, seeing her as a surrogate sister. When the Yuuzhan Vong War erupted a year later, the crew took up work ferrying supplies (and, later, refugees, arms and munitions) across the New Republic and Galactic Alliance, coming into combat with Yuuzhan Vong Coralskippers several times but nonetheless escaping the war unscathed. Following the War, the ship’s captain retired, leaving Tora and Celeste to pick up where they had left off.
Several more years passed in relative peace and routine before they ran afoul of the Galactic Alliance; though Tora doesn’t remember exactly what happened, he does remember that he was somewhere he shouldn’t have been or saw something he shouldn’t have, leading to Tora and the rest fleeing Alliance space to take refuge in the emerging Obsidian Union. Eventually making their way to the capital, New Bethrezen, Tora’s powerful Force-sensitivity was noticed by members of the New Sith Brotherhood, and they offered a deal – in exchange for his crew’s protection amidst the ranks of the Brotherhood of Independent Traders, Tora would join the Brotherhood to train as a Sith. He agreed, and parted ways with the ship and crew, joining the Brotherhood as an apprentice to Lady Vidia. After several months of training and missions, Tora was officially inducted into the Brotherhood and dubbed Darth Ares. Vidia took on an almost motherly role in Ares’ view until her abrupt disappearance, leaving Ares to finish his training under several different masters – during which time Ares’ loyalty to the Union began to waver, despite his idolization of the Dark Lord, Darth Xaos.
Shortly after Ares was Knighted, Vidia returned to the Union and attempted to sieze power, and Ares was responsible for recovering the Scepter of Marka Ragnos from the deceased Dark Lord’s tomb to ensure the failure of Vidia’s plans. A confrontation with another Brotherhood member shortly before he entered the tomb, coupled with Ares’ guilt and despair over his situation and his past actions within the Brotherhood, resulted in Ares facing a series of trials within the tomb created with the Force by the spirit of Marka Ragnos himself that allowed him to overcome his negative feelings and move past them, culminating in Ares seeing a vision of a happy, enlightened and peaceful future that would eventually come to define him. Ragnos himself commanded Ares to take up the Scepter and become his champion, an order Ares initially accepted without hesitation, participating in the rest of the civil war against Vidia and the subsequent campaigns to restore order. Following the end of the war, Ares was appointed the new Supreme Commander of the Terrestrial Forces and assigned several apprentices to begin training, which he would quickly develop strong relationships with - including Darth Amorata, a fellow Miralukan he quickly developed feelings for.
Ares was one of the first to come into contact with the One Sith along with Lady Loon, and was also partly responsible for the discovery of the hidden armoury world Dol Gorath along with Lady Hecate. During this period Ares also became aware that he had a younger half-sister, Sierra, and returned to see his father shortly before the latter’s death, becoming Sierra’s guardian. Despite an initially cold, terse relationship, the two eventually warmed up to each other over the course of several conversations, Sierra acting as Ares’ moral center on occasion and Ares in turn coming to see her as and treat her like a little sister. Despite his overcoming of the trials within Ragnos’ tomb, Ares’ conflicting loyalties eventually resurfaced again, causing him to take a leave of absence away from the Brotherhood’s eyes on New Alderaan. Whilst there, Ares and Sierra patched up the last few gaps in their relationship and had a long heart-to-heart on Sierra’s sixteenth birthday over dinner, shortly after which Sierra made the discovery that, despite what Ares’ father had told him, his mother was both still alive and was in fact Sierra’s own biological mother. A week later, Ares again encountered a member of the One Sith, who would have almost killed him if not for Ragnos’ intervention allowing Ares to claim victory. Even so, the fight left Ares in a catatonic state for several months, during which time Ragnos subjected Ares to multiple visions of the future showing what would become of Ares if he followed his ideals to their end.
Ares awoke and recovered in the Jedi Temple, having been recovered by the Jedi. His memories of Ragnos' vision were buried deep, but they left a deep mark on his subconscious that resulted in a gradual shift into a man worthy of the title 'Sith Lord'. After informing the Jedi about the existence of the One Sith and coming to surprisingly friendly terms with Jaina Solo, Ares escaped the Temple and returned to New Bethrezen, where he was appointed High Marshall and took a central role in the Brotherhood's military operations. Ares lead several raids on Galactic Alliance shipyards and bases, and was a leading figure in the destruction of the Boganite Cult that assaulted Duro. He continued to develop his relationship with Darth Amorata, and grew despondent when she slipped into an unexplainable coma. Partly to distract himself, and partly because he recognised the need for the Union to be proactive and retake the initiative in the war, Ares was the main architect of Operation Archmagister, a massive Union assault that brought great swathes of the Outer Rim under Union control.
After participating in a fierce duel with Darth Reaver to resolve personal differences, Ares temporarily departed Union space several days before Archmagister began. Instead, he made for the Unknown Regions to investigate reports of a Jedi presence assisting an insectoid race pressing up against the borders of the Chiss Ascendancy and whispers of a brewing conflict. Ares' taskforce came to the rescue of a Chiss Star Destroyer under attack by a Jedi strike force, and, in the ensuing battle, sacrificed dozens of pilots to capture a next-generation Jedi stealth fighter. In a brief lull in combat, Ares slipped into slumber, and a deal was struck and wiped from his memory. Thanks to the actions of his new apprentice, Arie Del, Ares was able to retrieve a Jedi prisoner - Lowbacca - from the battle, and later dueled the captured Jedi pilot Alema Rar in a battle that claimed her life - the first Jedi Ares had killed in nearly four years. He then spoke with Lowbacca, learning many details about the insectoid race - the Killiks - and eventually used the Wookiee's connection to the Killik hivemind as a point-of-entry into the Killik hivemind itself. His exposure to the hivemind nearly killed him - not from the weight of all of the lives within it, but from exposure to the dark, indescribably powerful force driving the Swarm.
Scared and worried what the brewing war might bring, Ares raced to one of the Killik colony worlds in an attempt to avert it. There he attempted diplomacy with Jaina Solo and her fellow Jedi Knight, Zekk, acting as diplomats on behalf of the Killik nests. Despite his best attempts, Ares was unable to come to an agreement that would avert the war - the Jedi, it seemed, were determined to bring about the war for Killik's benefit, aiming to force the Chiss Ascendancy to back down by force. Disgusted by their hypocrisy and determination to waste countless lives, Ares returned to his command aboard the Unyielding and lead the charge in the ensuing Swarm War, determined to stop the Killiks and the forces driving them by whatever means necessary.
Level: 16
Basic Path: Dark Force Adept
Advanced Path: Sith Lord
Master Path: Sith Warlord
Core Stats:
Strength: 10
Agility: 12
Toughness: 10
Intellect: 17
Presence: 18
Spirit: 18
Combat Proficiencies:
Can Use Single-Bladed Lightsabers
Can Use Lightsaber Shotos
Shii-Cho: 3
Makashi: 3 + 1 (Lightsaber Form Focus)
Soresu: 3
Blaster Weapons: 3
Exotic Weapon (Sith Sword): 3 + 2 (Weapon Focus, Weapon Mastery)
Heavy Weapons: 1
Simple Weapons: 3
Armour: 3
Skills:
Acrobatics: 3
Astrogate: 0 + 1 (Spacer)
Athletics: 2
Awareness: 2 + 2 (Sharp-Eyed, Skill Training)
Combat Awareness
Bluff: 3 + 2 (Persuasive, Master Manipulator)
Masterful Feint
Climbing: 2
Computer Use: 1
Craft (Lightsaber): 1
Diplomacy: 3 + 2 (Twister of Thoughts, Master Manipulator)
Dun Moch
Gather Information: 0 + 1 (Master Strategist)
Intimidate: 1 + 2 (Persuasive, Master Manipulator)
Demoralize Foe
Knowledge (Sith Lore): 3
Knowledge (Philosophy): 3
Knowledge (Influence): 3
Knowledge (Tactics): 3 + 3 (Skill Focus, Twister of Thoughts, Master Strategist)
Knowledge (Physics): 2
Pilot: 3 + 1 (Spacer) (Starfighters, Freighters, Shuttles, Speederbikes, Airspeeders, Landspeeders, Combat Speeders, Capital Ships)
Steady Legs
Sense Motive: 3 + 2 (Sharp-Eyed, Species Bonus)
Detect Intent
Survival: 3 + 1 (Skill Training)
Voice of the Wilds
Treat Injury: 3 + 1 (Skill Training)
Surgical Strike
Assets:
Unusual Ability (Spacer's Instinct, rank 1): As a spacer for most of his youth, Ares was exposed to a wide variety of cultures, situations, scenarios and dangers. His experience in these matters has heightened his Danger Sense, and he is capable of quickly recognising the nature a vast variety of these assorted situations. This realisation is usually accompanied by the phrase "I have a bad feeling about this..."
Unusual Ability (Durasteel Cladding, rank 2): Ares has fought in many duels, and taken many, many wounds. Though he's still in one piece, he doesn't have all of his original pieces: several of his bones, ribs especially, have had to be replaced with titanium inserts, and several others have had to be reinforced with steel to keep them in one piece. Aside from setting off every metal detector he walks through, these bones give him a +1 bonus to his base DR.
Unusual Item (the Scepter of Marka Ragnos, rank 2): An ancient Sith artifact of great power, the Scepter was bestowed upon Darth Ares after he braved the trials of Ragnos' tomb to recover it during the Second Union Civil War. Unable to wield it properly, Ares initially set about training with the weapon and stuck to his lightsaber in the meantime. It was used by Darth Ares to win the Duel on New Alderaan; thanks to the intervention of Ragnos' spirit itself, Ares was able to manifest a small Force Wormhole using the Scepter and annihilate a superior foe. Though victorious, the power also dealt severe damage to Ares' person, and he developed a healthy fear of the Scepter as a result. After the escalation of the Swarm Crisis, Ares grew confident that his own power was enough to control the Scepter's, and finally began to wield it in earnest.
Created by the Dark Lord Marka Ragnos, the Scepter is a great feat of Sith Alchemy. It was created with a Refinements of Khar Delba skill of four. The Scepter possesses the ability to drain the ambient Force energy out of a location, and concentrate it into another location or individual. It may also unleash the stored Force energy in a beam or shockwave, and can channel the Force power of its wielder to the same effect. Hidden within the Scepter is Ragnos' Sith Sword, an equally powerful Sith artifact. It lacks the Force-draining and -channeling capabilities of the Scepter itself, but is a superbly well-made Sith Sword. Though the length of a longsword, it's weight is low and well-balanced enough that it may be wielded in one or two hands. As the Scepter itself is quite cumbersome, it is usually carried by Darth Ares in a simple leather scabbard.
Resources (rank 2): A little over two-thousand assorted individuals currently operate under Ares' personal command; the majority of these individuals are the Remnants of Lady Vidia's Wachetroopers. Ares is currently in the process of organising these men into a dedicated fighting force, but this process is taking a great deal of time due to his other responsibilities. For now, many of these individuals operate as mercenaries, under the banner of a small administrative staff Ares has managed to put back together, and a portion of the proceeds this fledgling organisation collects goes into Ares' personal accounts. This supplements the noticeable income he already receives due to his ties to Kuat Drive Yards, and the assorted channels he can call on for funding.
Contacts & Allies
Contacts/Allies (Smuggler's Alliance, rank 2): The Smuggler's Alliance, a loose coalition of Smugglers and Spacers, was formed during the Thrawn Campaign by Talon Karrde (hence its official moniker, the "Talon Karrde Organization"), and saw heavy operation until the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, with fingers in smuggling, information brokering, gambling, and even legitimate businesses. The sheer devastation caused by the conflict, and the peace that finally resulted from its end, saw a dramatic drop in the need for Smuggling operations, and it seemed many members of the Alliance would have to go legitimate. Fortunately for the group, the advent of the Union war gave them new markets to exploit. Chief-of-State Natasi Daala's strong stance against smuggling has lead many of them to shirk their former New Republic/Galactic Alliance loyalties, and now many operate in a grey area that naturally brings them into conflict with the Brotherhood of Independent Traders.
As a former Spacer, Ares came into contact with members of the Smuggler's Alliance numerous times, and is broadly informed of the inner workings of the group. He knows where and how to find several of its more prominent members, who to ask for what information or goods, and how to get cheap prices for their services.
Influences
New Alderaan (Minor): Darth Ares' involvement with New Alderaan began in the early half of 35 ABY, where he sought out the planet as a private refuge to gather his thoughts. His discovery lead to his initial incarceration, but over the course of several months he won the trust of the local elite. His presence drew the One Sith to the planet, and the resulting clash saw over a hundred people die and Ares grievously wounded. Despite the tragedy, Ares retained their trust, and secured funding and support that allowed them to finish re-building their high-tech industry in mere months. Now beginning to flourish, Ares succeeded in securing the planet's official neutrality in the Union/Alliance conflict, and it was used as the stage for important negotiations between the Union and Red Sith. The planet's location is a closely guarded secret, and, whilst the general populace is aware of the presence of an outsider who has been of great help to their affairs, only a few members of the aristocratic elite are aware of the details of Ares' involvement.
Kuat Drive Yards (Moderate): One of the largest shipyards in the galaxy, and the most prolific and advanced military ship-builder, Ares has been working on influencing Kuat Drive Yards since before his Knighthood. He currently controls one of The Ten, the ruling families of Kuat (and, by extension, Kuat Drive Yards), which has allowed him a great deal of influence and information over and on the inner and high workings of the shipwright. Through Kuat Drive Yards, and its many subsidiaries - including, most notably, Rothana Heavy Engineering - Ares is responsible for many under-the-table deals that provide the Union with KDY products - such as Star Destroyers - without drawing the attention of the Galactic Alliance. It also provides him with quite an impressive amount of capital for his personal account.
Perks:
Athletic
Blind-Fight
Cautious
Combat Analysis
Combat Expertise
Danger Sense
Dueling
Force Channel
Force Affinity
Force Potency
Force Mastery
Force Power Focus (Force Push/Pull)
Force Power Focus (Force Resistance)
Force Power Focus (Force Speed)
Force Power Focus (Force Valour)
Force Power Focus (Telekinesis)
Improved Martial Arts
Iron Will
Lightsaber Form Focus (Makashi)
Martial Arts
Persuasive
Power Armor Training
Two-Weapon Fighting
Weapon Focus (Exotic Weapon: Sith Sword)
Sharp-Eyed
Situational Analysis
Improved Situational Analysis
Advanced Situational Analysis
Skill Focus (Knowledge (Tactics))
Spacer
Force Powers:
Sense
Force Empathy: 3
Telepathy: 3
Sense Force: 3
Control
Enhanced Senses: 3
Force Absorb: 3
Force Jump: 3
Force Speed: 4 + 1 (Force Power Focus)
Force Stealth/Qey'tek: 3
Force Valour: 4 + 1 (Force Power Focus)
Alter
Battle Meditation: 1
Detoxify Poison: 3
Force Armor: 4
Force Barrier: 3
Force Deflection: 3
Force Dominate/Control Mind: 2
Force Grip: 3
Force Healing: 3
Force Lightning: 3
Force Push/Pull: 3 + 1 (Force Power Focus)
Force Resistance: 4 + 1 (Force Power Focus)
Force Stun: 3
Mind-Trick/Affect Mind: 3 + 1 (Twister of Thoughts)
Telekinesis: 4 + 1 (Force Power Focus)
Lvl Abilities:
1 Control, Starting Abilities
2 Force Weapon, Skill Training
3 Sense, Sacred War
4 Alter, Force Talisman
5 Contacts
6 Resource Access
7 Minions
8 Influence
9 Twister of Thoughts
10 Skilled Lieutenants
11 Influence
12 Master Manipulator
13 Exceptional Minions
14 Influence
15 Forces
Army: 2
Bases: 1
Fleet: 2
Tech Level: 3
Training: 3
16 Battle Meditation
17 Master Strategist
Spare Points:
5 x Asset
3 x Influence Asset