1. Introduction

"Blood and sweat are a small price to pay for the skills you will develop as an Obelisk. We have an unquenchable thirst for war – one that cannot be easily satisfied."

The Obelisk are forged through war; it is their purpose. The Order grinds that lesson into its initiates from their first day of training, which many do not survive.

The Obelisk do not study the mysteries of the Force like the Krath or fight from the shadows like the Sith. Instead, the Obelisk dedicate their time and skills to the art of war: knowledge of saber combat, melee engagements, and strategy. The Order has focused on three specific areas that make it unique:

• Firstly, all Obelisk dedicate the totality of their lives to the training and perfection of their minds and bodies to their chosen martial arts.
• Secondly, the Obelisk strive for excellence in lightsaber and melee weapon combat. To an Obelisk, any weapon that can be grasped is a deadly weapon.
• Finally, the Obelisk pride themselves on their sense of honor. This has long been looked at as an unusual trait among Dark Jedi. However, for an Obelisk, honor means an opportunity to fight a worthy foe again at a later date.

As the history of the Order will show, those who have survived the training of the Obelisk and have lived long enough to train an apprentice rarely do so. This is because many do not feel that a single individual is worthy of the time and patience needed to train. Unfortunately, due to this and an Obelisk’s drive to be on the forefront of the battlefield, the Order has had far fewer members than the Sith or Krath.

"Fighting men must be tempered in the fiery forge of true danger."

Throughout their history, the Obelisk have developed a reputation for being blunt and direct. Their thirst for competition, excellence, and mastery has brought them head-to-head with many other members of the organization. As a result of being bred for war with single-minded devotion, most Obelisk are stereotyped as “ground pounders” or mere “fighters”. However, many members of the Order have begun to expand their thirst for mastery into other interests, as well, challenging the ancient stereotypes.

2. History of the Obelisk Order

The Obelisk Order is the youngest and probably most misunderstood of the Brotherhood’s Orders. Some Sith and Krath view the Obelisk as outcast members from within their own Orders, but the truth is much more intricate. The history of the Order is replete with acts of glory, tales of victory, and a long wake of destruction.

2.1 History of the Obelisk

The Obelisk Order’s origins can be traced back to the second student of Darth, a famous warrior named Alaiedon who was renowned for his skill as a Jedi warrior. Alaiedon, or “The Iron Will” in Galactic Basic, succumbed to the Dark Side and discovered his true path: power. Enhancing his fighting abilities through the Dark Side, the warrior forged a legacy that lasts to this day. As Alaiedon’s power and mastery of the Dark Side continued to grow, he left his Master in search of his own destiny.

Driven by an unquenchable thirst for perfection, Alaiedon set about crafting himself into an unrivaled warrior. With this goal driving his every thought and decision, Alaiedon began a five-year journey to learn and absorb every style of combat he could discover. During this time, word spread throughout the galaxy of Alaiedon’s exploits and expertise as a fighter.

As Alaiedon’s obsession and mastery grew, many students petitioned to be taken under his tutelage and trained as his apprentice. However, Alaiedon’s single-minded focus on his own training and development meant that he never took on a student to share with them what he had learned. In spite of Alaiedon’s refusal to directly teach any of his followers, they still found ways to learn from him by studying his writings and practicing amongst themselves as they followed him from one stop to another.

Near the end of his journey, Alaiedon was contacted by an insurgent group seeking his help to topple a corrupt planetary government. Seeing a chance to test himself, Alaiedon agreed to assist the insurgents and took control of their armed forces. In a brilliant display of tactical genius, Alaiedon quickly dispatched the government with his new army, but, poisoned by the Dark Side, this first taste of command crept into Alaiedon’s soul and overcame him. One planet after another fell under the might of Alaiedon’s army until word of his rampage finally reached the Jedi.

As Alaiedon planned his next strike, four Jedi Masters arrived to confront him. Alaiedon saw no alternative: he had to attack head-on. In the epic battle that ensued, the seemingly-unstoppable Dark Side warrior dispatched three of the Jedi Masters before being cut down by the last, his body splayed out on display before his followers.

Though Alaiedon’s followers tried to avenge their fallen idol, the remaining unnamed Jedi Master wielded a Dark Side sword of great power, a weapon known as the sword of Son’Jiaat, or “Fury of the Gods”. The Jedi Master cut down many of Alaiedon’s followers that day, leaving only three alive. Though no records exist of exactly what happened next with the followers of Alaiedon, it is believed that they vowed never to make the same mistakes as their master. Instead, they established a school in an unknown location dedicated to the study of war and the Dark Side, a school that would forge new warriors to carry on Alaiedon’s legacy.

Following the death of Alaiedon and the creation of the school, little is known of the happenings of the Obelisk Order until the surfacing of the Triumvirate. Guided by the Dark Side of the Force, Ferran joined with Okemi and Tiamat, and together they journeyed to the Antei System. Once they had reached their destination, they began to forge an organizational structure that is still evident in the Brotherhood today. It is here that the Three began to layout their plans to expand their power and increase their sphere of influence to the systems surrounding Antei.

From what we can salvage from records, it is noted that Ferran often found himself left out of important decisions made by the Three, most notably with regard to a powerful ritual that Ferran was opposed to. Subsequently, in order to get his revenge for their betrayal of his trust, Ferran taught his newly acquired apprentice the ways of Alaiedon, something Ferran had been taught himself, inside the ancient school founded on the legacy of Alaiedon. This act proved to be the beginning model of what the Obelisk Order would be founded on. After years of preparation, Ferran slew Tiamat in the midst of a powerful ritual that spiraled out of control as a result. The devastation within the Antei system was unimaginable, with only rock and char remaining on the surface of the originating planet.

Many millennia later, an unnamed Grand Master resurrected Ferran’s work inside the Brotherhood, deciding to create a group of elite warriors that would carry on Ferran’s legacy within the organization. Choosing their sigil as the Obelisk, the order was used in combat to destroy the opponents of the Brotherhood. It was not until Grand Master Jac Cotelin was led to the text of Ferran that he saw the potential of this group. After having made an agreement with the Obelisk leaders at the time, the Obelisk Order joined the Brotherhood on a permanent basis.

2.2 History of the Obelisk Order inside the Brotherhood

After the Obelisk was cemented as an Order within the Brotherhood, one warrior was chosen among them by the Grand Master as their High Commander. This role served as a direct link between the rank and file of the Order and the Dark Council of the Brotherhood. These warriors were often the greatest that the Obelisk Order had to offer in terms of fighting and tactical prowess.

The first time the Obelisk Order as a whole saw major action was during the reign of Obelisk High Commander Sharad Taldrya Hett. Upon taking command of the Obelisk Houses in the Brotherhood, Sharad saw how they had crumbled into a state of near non-existence. He decided to bring back the Order from near destruction and set it on a new path of glory.

The new High Commander instituted an event known as “Feel the Force” and used it as a training opportunity to develop the Obelisk under his command and forge the foundations for a new resurgence. This training event was used as a spark to reignite the Order as a whole. Once again, the Obelisk were seen using their Force-based combat to bring victories and glory to the Brotherhood while reminding the rest of the Dark Jedi just how strong of a tool the Obelisk can be in the combat arena.

After Khobai Wrathraven took the position, he decided to pit the skills of the seven Obelisk Houses against each other. The tournament created rivalry between the different Obelisk Houses as the domination within the Brotherhood and the right to be proclaimed the victor of the first Blood Rite was at stake. Warriors in each House would compete against one another in various styles of combat, all overseen and judged by the High Commander. After weeks of open bloodshed, House Dinaari emerged victorious, with all other Obelisk Houses having to submit to their superior warriors.

Later, in an event known simply as “Disorder”, the Obelisk found themselves competing head to head against the other two orders within the Brotherhood. In a battle waged against the forces of Omancor Crask, the Orders of the Brotherhood found their goals at odds and often found each other as enemies on the field of battle. As Crask’s droid armies continued their advance and overran the Obelisk positions, two leaders of the Order made a drastic decision. Korras and Kir Taldrya Katarn ordered the Obelisk forces to be dropped right into the heart of the droid army, forcing them out and taking back the Obelisk stronghold.

With the Obelisk once again in possession of their stronghold, they found themselves facing yet another challenge. The Sith marched towards the stronghold of the Obelisk with the intention of taking control of it themselves. As the fight with the Sith began, the Obelisk Order faced a second challenge, this time in the form of the Krath. Deciding their best chance would be to attack from the underground, the Order deployed shock troopers to the Triumvirate Library in order to try and capture holocrons for themselves. These holocrons held information vital to the war effort and, despite numerous casualties on all three sides, it was discovered that the feud was nothing more than a plot for infighting against one another by the traitor known as Mike Halcyon.

The position of Obelisk High Commander lasted until the second reign of Grand Master Jac Cotelin. In a move to improve the overall efficiency of the Council and the Brotherhood as a whole, he launched a project called “Dark Council Amalgamation”. This project, among other measures, disbanded the Order Leaders. Before this decree, the Obelisk Order was led by the Obelisk High Commander Korras Aquillarum.

Since that time, the members of the three Orders have been divided amongst the Houses of the Brotherhood, no longer subject to the Orders that once defined each House. However, as the Brotherhood continues to evolve and grow in their power, you still see the Obelisk on the frontlines of combat, defending the territory and the might of the Brotherhood at every turn, always upholding the pact they made long ago to the Grand Master and his cause.

3. Past Obelisk Leaders

Unfortunately, due to the destruction of the Triumvirate Library, little is known of the first thirteen Obelisk High Commanders. But their names have been forged into the Obelisk Order’s history. Below is a listing of Obelisk High Commanders and, if possible, notations on their leadership.

• Y’yzak “Blazer” Jorgan First Obelisk High Commander

• Stretch

• Imp22

• Dreadnaught

• Z’lar Kahn

• Rocannon

• Dreadnaught This served as his second term as OHC

• Z’lar Kahn Succeeded Dreadnaught with another second term as OHC

• Rizlib

• Sharad Hett Instituted event known as “Feel the Force”. Effectively bringing the Obelisk Order back from the brink of obscurity

• JeD I. ReDNecK

• Exar Khaland

• Khaen Final Obelisk High Commander to serve in the Brotherhood under the banner of the Emperor’s Hammer. Khaen served only a few days prior to the Exodus. This schism led him to remain with the Emperor’s Hammer fleet.

• Sharad Hett returned as Obelisk High Commander during the Exodus. During his second reign as High Commander, he worked together closely with Sith High Warrior Predator in order to organize several training events between Sith and Obelisk Orders.

• Khobai Wrathraven took power as fifteenth Obelisk High Commander. He focused most of his reign on organizing tournaments where Obelisk could show off their martial prowess and train with the best the Order had to offer.

• Shaithis Var’rek served as the sixteenth Obelisk High Commander. He was a highly active member of the Order during the reign of Khobai, who had sought advice from Shaithis. Over time, he became an unofficial advisor to the High Commander. The sixteenth High Commander led his order into a Brotherhood war subjugating the Antaran “Council of the Six Spears”. As he found it hard to get back into the regular day-to-day affairs of running an Order after leading a massive military campaign, he resigned to pursue his martial interests.

• Korras Aquillarum was appointed the seventeenth and final Obelisk High Commander. At the height of his power, he led the military invasion of Coratua, a planet controlled by pirates who had become a threat to the powerbase of the Brotherhood. After a month-long siege with heavy losses, the Brotherhood emerged victorious. The Grand Master appointed the High Commander as Governor of Coratua, and this world provided the Brotherhood with a large quantity of supplies until its decimation by the Vong.

5. Disciplines of the Obelisk

Assassin

Obelisk Assassins are an unusual, deadly blend of the common Obelisk bloodlust and covert action. They specialize in infiltration, evasion, and destruction, and are utilized by all Brotherhood leaders when necessary. The assassins take great care to execute their missions flawlessly; those who fail are utterly shunned, if not worse. Although they do not charge into battle like their fellow Obelisk, they are, at their core, killing machines.

Paladin

Paladins draw their philosophy from the teachings of the Matukai. The Matukai sought balance between the physical and spiritual forms of combat through strenuous exercise and frequent meditation. The Paladins seek to meld the physical prowess of their Order with a more esoteric understanding of the Force - they are warrior priests, wielding unseen powers in tandem with unstoppable brute force.

Centurion

Centurions form the bulk of the Obelisk Order. They are single-minded, ferocious, and brutal. They are sometimes called "Ministers of War" for their unparalleled devotion to combat. More than just mindless warriors, the Centurions spend at least as much time honing their wits and building mental fortitude as they do engaging in physical combat. They blend peerless martial skill with the endurance and willpower necessary to overcome any foe.

5. Conclusion

Being an Obelisk in the Brotherhood guarantees you absolutely nothing, other than the opportunity to obtain greatness for yourself. However, just as the Sith seek more power and the Krath seek knowledge, an Obelisk must seek martial perfection.

6 - Credits

The preceding information was compiled from previous versions of this course, as well as from Wookieepedia, theforce.net and the DJBWiki. Many thanks to all the people who supplied and preserved the information used in the creation of this course. The latest update was completed by Daniel “Seraphol” Stephens under the reign of Farrin Xies.