Old Wounds

“Memories are markers. They allow us to navigate the past, and to recognize the shape of the path we have chosen. They can reinforce our beliefs. They can buoy us, bring warmth to our hearts. But they can also haunt us. Traumatize us, even when they do not linger on our minds.

“This does not mean that we should seek to eradicate these old wounds. The scars left behind are a part of who we are today. We must learn the contours of these scars so that we may fully understand ourselves, and so that we may better serve as Jedi. Pretend our scars–and the memories that come with them–do not exist, and our ignorance will lead us that much closer to the dark side.”

–Master Orgus Din, from a Jedi Academy lecture

(Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)

Makeb’s Mysterious Survival

As Republic forces rocketed away from Makeb with millions of refugees, one thing was certain: the planet was doomed to total destruction. In the aftermath, however, it appears that Makeb’s groundquakes and volcanic eruptions have drastically subsided. Against all odds, the planet has stabilized and remains capable of supporting life… for now, at least. 

The exact cause of Makeb’s abrupt recovery may never be known, but the planet’s continued existence makes it hotly-contested territory in the war between Republic and Empire. Before either faction can claim the world, they will first have to defeat the Hutt’s mercenary soldiers, who were left to die by their former masters and now claim the world as their own. With its vast mineral resources and abandoned wealth up for grabs, Makeb is a valuable prize worth fighting over. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)

Kira Carsen’s Dark Past

Kira Carsen concealed her true origins from the Jedi Order, but the truth finally came out when one of the Emperor’s servants set a trap to bring her home. Kira was born in Imperial space and raised at Korriban’s Sith Academy. She escaped her deadly training while still a child and fled to Hutt Space before being taken in by Master Bela Kiwiiks.

Kira kept her past a secret out of fear of being shunned by her adopted Jedi family–or worse, being imprisoned for her connection to the Sith. Although she claims to be a loyal servant of the light side, the fact remains that good Jedi do not keep such secrets from their allies. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR - Knight Class Storyline)

The Seeds of Rage

The Sith Order is constantly seeking ways to fuse dark side power with technology, creating new and terrifying weapons for inflicting terror and despair on the Empire’s enemies. One of the greatest practitioners of Sith alchemy, Lord Fulminiss, devoted his life to developing insidious new devices for corrupting other life forms. The subterranean machines code-named “Seeds of Rage” were Fulminiss’s crowning achievement.

 The Seeds use a combination of low-frequency transmissions and pure dark side power to subtly manipulate the thoughts and emotions of any living creature nearby. Over time, victims of these devices are driven homicidally insane and contaminated by dark side energy. The Seeds can affect intelligent species and beasts with equal success, and rumors persist that these horrific devices can even overwrite the programming logic of droids. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)

Joiners and the Killik Hive Mind

Joiners are non-Killik individuals who have been absorbed into the Killik hive mind. Prolonged exposure to the powerful pheromones released by Killiks causes an alteration of the subjects' brain chemistry, making them subservient to the nest's desires. Long-term exposure can turn a subject's eyes completely black, though this appears to be the extent of visible physiological changes.

Initially, Joiners retain many characteristics of their own personality, as well as some sense of individual identity. At this point Joiners often describe the relationship as symbiotic, feeling they gain more from the Joining than the Killiks. Over time, however, their personalities become more and more subsumed, until they cannot conceive of any existence away from the hive mind.

In turn, a nest also absorbs the knowledge, skills and personality traits of its Joiners. A single Joiner rarely changes a nest's nature, but a nest that Joins an army of warriors may become war-like, and a nest that Joins a party of explorers may gain a degree of curiosity and wanderlust.

It is possible to medically reverse the Joining process even in the later stages. However, most Joiners--even those experiencing the initial transformation--refuse to willingly submit to the procedure. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)

Iokath Remotes

The strange remotes are one of Iokath's many mysteries. These technological obelisks have been spotted across the world, hovering just above the ground via unseen propulsion systems and scanning their surroundings with omnidirectional lenses. Some remotes are mobile, while others hang in stationary orbit around the planet's various technoliths. They are outfitted for observation over combat, though they possess the unique ability to interface with Iokath's advanced technology.

Doctor Oggurobb believes the remotes were built centuries ago as multi-purpose drones used to construct the massive planetary structure of Iokath. More recently, the AI known as ARIES likely repurposed them to monitor any trespassers stranded on the planet. Oggurobb has attempted to dismantle several damaged remote husks recovered from Iokath--to disastrous effect. Latent safeguards buried in the remotes sent electric shocks through eight of Oggurobb's assistant researchers, singing eyebrows and temporarily blinding two scientists. At this rate, the true function of the Iokath remotes may forever remain a mystery. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)

Force-Sensitive Chiss

Though incredibly rare, the Chiss have produced Force-sensitives among their people. There's a strong stigma against Force-sensitives among the Chiss because many believe it's an impurity or faulty genetics, and must be purged. Most Force-sensitive Chiss work hard to hide their shameful abilities.

When a Force-sensitive is discovered in the Ascendancy, the consequences depend on the individual's social standing and family lineage. A lower-class Chiss is exiled from the Ascendancy, while a social elite may be allowed to use a combination of surgery and medication to keep their powers dormant. Any Chiss caught practicing or weaponizing the Force within Ascendancy territory is executed without question. Chiss wishing to hone their skills must leave their families behind and take their chances with the Sith or Jedi. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)

Firestorm Lasers

Although the Desolator superweapon was destroyed in orbit above Tython, the legacy of Darth Angral and his son Tarnis lives on. Imperial scientists have adapted the Desolator technology into a new form: the Firestorm Turbolaser. These cannons superheat the atmosphere in a targeted area, literally setting the air on fire and incinerating anyone unfortunate enough to be caught within the area of effect.

The Firestorm Turbolasers have one key weakness: they must be deployed relatively close to the battlefield. This leaves the artillery units vulnerable to counterattack and destruction. Indeed, the only way to remain safe from these deadly weapons is to ensure they are never fired. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR - Firestorm Lasers (Knight))

Environment of Taris

Before Darth Malak’s orbital bombardment, Taris was a dying world. Industrial pollution had irreparably damaged the oceans, and chemicals and toxins poisoned the undercity’s foundation. When the sprawling metropolis was reduced to rubble, countless pollutants were released into an already tainted ecosystem.

But this was not the end for Taris. For hundreds of years, the planet went without sentient interference, and the ecosystem began to adapt and thrive. Rich vegetation grew within the ruins, scaling steel towers and thrusting aside fallen skyscrapers. Animals–some native to the planet, some pets and lab specimens that had survived the bombardment–bred and repopulated the developing jungles.

Of course, some areas remain too polluted to inhabit–acidic lakes and radioactive sinkholes–but for the most part, Taris is an environmental success story and an object of fascination for scientists. The largest black mark remains the rakghoul plague, and the fear that it may one day spread to Taris’s animal population. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)

Dramath's Holocron

All holocrons are based on a complex yet elegant technology: a lattice of organic crystals woven together at a microscopic level. The crystal lattice can store vast amounts of information, as well as replicate the appearance and personality of the holocron's creator as a gatekeeper who will guide students in their training.

In his youth, Valkorion--then known as Tenebrae--discovered a way to twist and pervert the lattice so it could capture the spirit of powerful Force users, locking them in a metaphysical cage. He used the weapon on Dramath, his tyrannical father, and trapped him inside the holocron for centuries.

But the same corrupted technology Valkorion used to vanquish his father could also be turned against him, permanently imprisoning his immortal spirit... or obliterating it from existence. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)

An Omen Most Dire

The Sith Emperor stalks the galaxy once more. Whether his return from the brink of oblivion is the result of the Emperor’s own dark manipulations or merely the result of a terrible convergence of events, his ultimate goal remains the same–to consume all life in the galaxy as fuel for his own immortality.

Despite this chilling turn of events, hope remains. The Emperor’s plans have been stopped before, and the Republic is in a stronger position than ever. But the future is always in motion, and the manipulations of the Sith are never predictable…. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)