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20-07-2024, 07:46 PM
Pureblooded Diaspora: The Fortress-Gardens of Thule
Overview:
Thule is a fortress world of the Sith, one which has sat as a gemstone within the Sith crown for over three thousand years. It is a dark sided nexus, the closest thing to a sacred world the Sith have outside of the Stygian Caldera, and the holder of a lineage that even Dromund Kaas cannot boast of. Though it has often hidden itself from the galaxy outside of the various Sith orders, it has never deviated from absolute loyalty to the dark side.
Overview:
Thule is a fortress world of the Sith, one which has sat as a gemstone within the Sith crown for over three thousand years. It is a dark sided nexus, the closest thing to a sacred world the Sith have outside of the Stygian Caldera, and the holder of a lineage that even Dromund Kaas cannot boast of. Though it has often hidden itself from the galaxy outside of the various Sith orders, it has never deviated from absolute loyalty to the dark side.
Spoiler: History
Left without greater allegiance in the wake of Xim the Despot’s fall, the planet was first colonised by the Sith species before the arrival of the Exiles, as particularly far-flung explorers amongst the Pure made their way out of the Stygian Caldera and onto the world. Amongst Thule’s rocky terrain sprung Kissai temples, Zuguruk forges and great fortresses manned by the Massassi. As a world on the periphery of the Sith species’ domain Thule had reason to guard itself, and a militaristic atmosphere emerged early on - militaristic even by the standards of the Sith. Kissai houses organised into leagues of duelists and war-mages, Massassi organised themselves in more cohesive, regimented groups than might be seen in the hordes of Korriban or the household guards of Ziost and the Zuguruk formed lodges of siegesmiths or troops of mace-wielding sappers. Thule’s crown jewel was without doubt the Thule Stealth Regiment however, a troupe of elite special forces soldiers who proved some of the finest warriors the Sith was able to produce.
When the Exiles arrived within the Stygian Caldera, their influence united the Pureblooded race and began to expand its borders. This was a golden age for the people of Thule, who were well prepared for the rapid series of conquests rolling out from the Caldera and the halls of Thulian nobility teemed with trophies both gory and glittering. They contributed more than their fair share to the Great Hyperspace War that tore the galaxy nearly apart, aligning largely with Naga Sadow and producing a lion's share of heroes who inflicted nightmarish wounds upon the Republic. Yet, the Sith Empire lost - and was shattered. The Republic drove the Sith from Korriban and several other key worlds, entering the period of exile.
Thule survived the collapse of the Sith Empire however, managing to pass the Republic by as they surged past it into the Caldera. The world was one of the few beacons to which the survivors of the war could flee, and amongst them only the fleets led by The Emperor could rival it for the amount of refugees welcomed. The vast majority of these refugees were warriors returning from the war or defenders fleeing lost outposts on the borders of the Empire, swelling the planet’s military culture and reserves massively. Yet they chose to remain hidden, confident that the rest of their species persisted somewhere in the galaxy. They continued their military traditions, and when other, newer Sith cultures emerged to torment the galaxy they aided them from the shadows, standing alongside both Exar Kun and Darth Revan.
When the Sith Purebloods settled on the planet of Dromund Kaas they began to send out agents across the galaxy, and one of the first planets they visited was Thule. Though they found the planet much changed, transformed into one of extravagance and luxury albeit with a thriving martial culture, the people of Thule remembered their history and were the first planet to swear allegiance to the Hidden Empire. Their loyalty has not wavered over the years since, and they contribute comparatively massive amounts of men to the Imperial Officer Corps across branches, but especially within the Army and even more distinctly, to the special forces and the Imperial Guard.
When the Exiles arrived within the Stygian Caldera, their influence united the Pureblooded race and began to expand its borders. This was a golden age for the people of Thule, who were well prepared for the rapid series of conquests rolling out from the Caldera and the halls of Thulian nobility teemed with trophies both gory and glittering. They contributed more than their fair share to the Great Hyperspace War that tore the galaxy nearly apart, aligning largely with Naga Sadow and producing a lion's share of heroes who inflicted nightmarish wounds upon the Republic. Yet, the Sith Empire lost - and was shattered. The Republic drove the Sith from Korriban and several other key worlds, entering the period of exile.
Thule survived the collapse of the Sith Empire however, managing to pass the Republic by as they surged past it into the Caldera. The world was one of the few beacons to which the survivors of the war could flee, and amongst them only the fleets led by The Emperor could rival it for the amount of refugees welcomed. The vast majority of these refugees were warriors returning from the war or defenders fleeing lost outposts on the borders of the Empire, swelling the planet’s military culture and reserves massively. Yet they chose to remain hidden, confident that the rest of their species persisted somewhere in the galaxy. They continued their military traditions, and when other, newer Sith cultures emerged to torment the galaxy they aided them from the shadows, standing alongside both Exar Kun and Darth Revan.
When the Sith Purebloods settled on the planet of Dromund Kaas they began to send out agents across the galaxy, and one of the first planets they visited was Thule. Though they found the planet much changed, transformed into one of extravagance and luxury albeit with a thriving martial culture, the people of Thule remembered their history and were the first planet to swear allegiance to the Hidden Empire. Their loyalty has not wavered over the years since, and they contribute comparatively massive amounts of men to the Imperial Officer Corps across branches, but especially within the Army and even more distinctly, to the special forces and the Imperial Guard.
Spoiler: Physiology
Thule had been home to comparatively large amounts of humans and near humans even before the Purebloods arrived upon the planet, a legacy of Xim’s initial settlement of the world. Though these populations were second class citizens under the initial waves of Pureblooded settlement, the arrival of the Exiles at least elevated the humans to a form of equity, though it certainly did not improve the lives of the near-human populations on the planet. This reality saw the distinct Sithblooded sub-species seen on the rest of the Sith worlds appear independently on Thule during the exile period, albeit in a slightly different manner. The world’s sizeable Pureblooded population, undisturbed by exile or genocide, largely melded into the human population of the planet. Thus the rate of Sithblooded humans with red marks is higher than say, Dromund Kaas or old Ziost, and a fair few Thulian humans have a faint red tint to their skin or other such markers. Those few Pureblooded families that have not bred themselves into functional humanity resemble Purebloods as found in the rest of the Empire, albeit before the return of the Empire many of these had begun to show undesirable traits from generations of genetic bottleneck. Thankfully, the influx of new Purebloods has ameliorated this somewhat.
Spoiler: Religion
The worship of the old Pantheon is certainly not thriving on Thule - most people on the planet follow a fairly standard galactic worldview, but it does have a form of longevity that many other worlds in the Sith core cannot boast. Thule’s landscape thrives with folk traditions which originate in the old Pantheon. The Storm Festivals which greet the planet’s raging storms feature a feminised anthropomorphisation of the storm which characterises them as ferocious but also rejuvenating and life-giving, dating back to old worship of the Mother Goddess, Marserha Jochor. Pre-battle prayers have largely died out, but the cries that the soldiers of Thule bellow as they go to war mention figures still mention the old war gods names. ‘May Zyantha take your eyes!”, “Hezarkal take you cowards!” and so on. Libraries and military academies often feature the left hand of Typhojem in their iconography.
However, while most Thulians do not truly worship the Pantheon, they do know of it. While the average citizen of Dromund Kaas would not know a Sith god to name them, the Thulians have grown up with vestigial priesthoods scattered throughout them, with books on them in their libraries, and with abandoned or partially-abandoned fanes in the caves or rocks they have scarpered over as children. Where worship does persist it is usually in the form of farmers leaving sacrifices at countryside fanes, more as a matter of tradition than devotion, or as the noble houses consecrating their child in the name of a god - usually Zyantha, Mekhath or Hezarkal. The worship of gods such as Vorket, Hes’falda and Slythmyr has died out entirely on the planet, even amongst the vestigial priesthoods.
Speaking of the priesthood, Thule is one of extremely few places that can still boast of possessing one. Temples, typically looked upon fondly as retreats of eccentric historical figures, still exist within many of Thule’s cities, and though they are almost never what one could call busy they do possess a priesthood of largely elderly priests and small congregations that sustain them, alongside traditional endowments from noble houses with a historical association with them. There are also the Chain-Priests, a small order of priests dedicated to Urgak-Val who play a role in the slave trade on Thule.
The largest of the planet’s temples is the Great Temple at the very heart of the planetary capital of Hurom. The Great Temple is ancient, and absolutely enormous. Its towering stone and metal edifice looms over the city, and is the heart of the planet’s nexus - it seethes with a passive dark sided energy. The temple is where the religion still lives with any sense of vibrancy, its priesthood is a genuine political force upon the planet, the government of the planet meets within its halls, and many regiments are blessed here before being sent out into the galaxy. It is perhaps within the Great Temple of Hurom that the Sith religion is at its greatest power and reverence anywhere in the galaxy.
However, while most Thulians do not truly worship the Pantheon, they do know of it. While the average citizen of Dromund Kaas would not know a Sith god to name them, the Thulians have grown up with vestigial priesthoods scattered throughout them, with books on them in their libraries, and with abandoned or partially-abandoned fanes in the caves or rocks they have scarpered over as children. Where worship does persist it is usually in the form of farmers leaving sacrifices at countryside fanes, more as a matter of tradition than devotion, or as the noble houses consecrating their child in the name of a god - usually Zyantha, Mekhath or Hezarkal. The worship of gods such as Vorket, Hes’falda and Slythmyr has died out entirely on the planet, even amongst the vestigial priesthoods.
Speaking of the priesthood, Thule is one of extremely few places that can still boast of possessing one. Temples, typically looked upon fondly as retreats of eccentric historical figures, still exist within many of Thule’s cities, and though they are almost never what one could call busy they do possess a priesthood of largely elderly priests and small congregations that sustain them, alongside traditional endowments from noble houses with a historical association with them. There are also the Chain-Priests, a small order of priests dedicated to Urgak-Val who play a role in the slave trade on Thule.
The largest of the planet’s temples is the Great Temple at the very heart of the planetary capital of Hurom. The Great Temple is ancient, and absolutely enormous. Its towering stone and metal edifice looms over the city, and is the heart of the planet’s nexus - it seethes with a passive dark sided energy. The temple is where the religion still lives with any sense of vibrancy, its priesthood is a genuine political force upon the planet, the government of the planet meets within its halls, and many regiments are blessed here before being sent out into the galaxy. It is perhaps within the Great Temple of Hurom that the Sith religion is at its greatest power and reverence anywhere in the galaxy.
Spoiler: Culture
Thule is not the world it once was - though it is utterly militaristic, so too is it fond of life’s pleasures. The planet’s populace are largely relatively affluent, and outside of the military training compulsory for all those who live upon it, pace of life is surprisingly slow. Thule is a beautiful, but arid planet, and much of the world is a brushland wilderness of warm-hued rocks favoured for hunting grounds by the planet’s old nobility, and as trial-grounds for those hoping to join Thule’s lauded special forces groups. The areas around the planet’s cities are generally pleasant however, with abundant oases, slow-running rivers of clear water and sizable aquifers. These water sources are supplied through the ferocious storms that occasionally whip up around the cities, brutal enough that many from off world would react to them with fear, but the Thulians celebrate their coming with Storm Festivals believed to date back to ancient worship of Marserha Jochor. Though the planet is a dark sided nexus, it does not operate with the ferocity of Korriban and is somewhat more subtle. Though it may skew one towards more dark sided acts, it is a velvet whisper and not a slavering beast.
On the outskirts of the cities roll pleasant vineyards and rolling agricultural fields, each one staffed by farmers whose clans have held the land for centuries and who are said to be a better shot with a rifle than the average Imperial soldier. Many of these fields hold cultivars of ancient planets - dating back to Ziost or Dromund Fels in the days of the ancient Sith. All of Thule’s cities are fortresses in their own right, with towering walls and emplacements fit to repel an Republic battle-group. Each city also hosts not only a garrison large and well equipped enough to call it a standing army, but also its own populace - which is trained from early childhood to the extremity of old age in military affairs, and required by law to own a blaster rifle (or a pistol, for small children). Predictably, codes of honour fairly comparable to those found within the more established and long-running Imperial houses of Dromund Kaas are highly prized and deeply ingrained upon the planet. Most cities of Thule extend below the ground, in comfortably cool and well ventilated tiered subterranean suburbs which can transform into murder-corridors for any invader who tries to breach them.
The noble houses who still hold considerable influence on the planet live up to their underlings example, and each house typically holds several hereditary officerial roles in regiments both on and off Thule, which they prepare their various scions for rigorously from birth - to fail in the expectations associated with these responsibilities can lead to anything from shame to exile or death. Most of these houses, although now largely human in appearance, trace their origins to older Pureblooded families and traditions of the era persist in their forms to this day - a Kissai-descended family might maintain a fencing school that also teaches a group of youths from throughout their city, or even hold onto vestiges of war-magic, such as the ability to use force blast, though this is very rare. One hailing from a Massassi origin might still train their children in Arvalok, a derivative of the Lanvarok which mounts a blaster rifle on the end of a broad-bladed halberd and in rare cases may even still hold an ancient Lanvarok as the ancestral weapon of the leader of their house. Conversely, a family that traces its origin to the Zuguruk might prime their children to join the Empire’s diverse engineering and siege corps, or fit them with extensive and esoteric battle-cybernetics.
Many of these houses, being Sith derived as they are, are typically cutthroat and cunning. But the planet’s compulsive need to be military ready has precluded the development of wide-scale conflict between them. Instead matters are most often dealt with through closely scrutinised duels, either with blaster weaponry or melee weapons depending on the duelist’s choice. Many noble houses host duelling circles or arenas to accommodate this practice, some of which claim to have seen duels of great legend such as the Feat of Zurvash the Bloodied who slew eighteen mercenaries hired by the near-human guilds of Hurom when they sued for legal equality, or the Gauntlet of the Crimson Sons, which saw several succession crises born in the city of Nerrem. When these more accepted options fail or prove unattractive however the Thulian houses are not immune to the lure of the assassin, and for this they most often turn to criminal syndicates which have risen amongst the planet’s oppressed near-human populace.
One might expect to walk the streets of these fortress cities and experience a measure of Dromund Kaas’ militant dourness, but they would be wrong. One might see the populace walking in styles inspired by military dress, heavily armed guards and armoured vehicles at each junction, and a rifle over many ‘civilians’ shoulders, but that clear warrior mindset does not make the Thulians a dour group. The colourful bazaars, teeming with spices and fine wines, chime with laughter and vibrant conversation. Cafes bustle and art galleries crowd, public parade squares trumpet Imperial victories and the countless arms ranged in each city ring with activity. Guards on the street ruffle the hair of children, and fireworks fire from the battlements almost as often as test-fires of artillery and AA guns do.
Thule has another claim to fame however - the Sith language has survived on the planet more profoundly than it has in the halls of many of the old Pureblooded houses of Dromund Kaas. It is almost as common to hear a Thulian dialect of Low Sith (distinct, but mutually intelligible to the original language) as it is to hear Basic in most of Thule’s cities, and in some of the more remote cities, or the inner wards of the capital, Hurom, it may even be more common to hear Thulian outright. The dialect is typically written in the Aurabesh alphabet however, and Kittat has not been well preserved outside of the planet’s temples.
Thulian food is a delightful fare - roasted meats, perfumed stews flavoured with sweet fruits, stuffed vegetables, rice and pasta dishes, fresh, simply cooked fish with citrus, light tapas-style meals. It is diverse, healthy and delicious, and is much feted within Thulian culture at large. It is well known, after all, that a well fed army fights far better than a hungry or unhealthy one. Of course, the wines of Thule are regarded as some of the Empire’s finest and its meads produced from the planet’s apiaries are lauded as well. Though those apiaries are said to host species of insect made particularly vicious by the planet’s dark sided nature, and those not of the centuries-old hereditary apiarist families rarely dare to approach them.
On the outskirts of the cities roll pleasant vineyards and rolling agricultural fields, each one staffed by farmers whose clans have held the land for centuries and who are said to be a better shot with a rifle than the average Imperial soldier. Many of these fields hold cultivars of ancient planets - dating back to Ziost or Dromund Fels in the days of the ancient Sith. All of Thule’s cities are fortresses in their own right, with towering walls and emplacements fit to repel an Republic battle-group. Each city also hosts not only a garrison large and well equipped enough to call it a standing army, but also its own populace - which is trained from early childhood to the extremity of old age in military affairs, and required by law to own a blaster rifle (or a pistol, for small children). Predictably, codes of honour fairly comparable to those found within the more established and long-running Imperial houses of Dromund Kaas are highly prized and deeply ingrained upon the planet. Most cities of Thule extend below the ground, in comfortably cool and well ventilated tiered subterranean suburbs which can transform into murder-corridors for any invader who tries to breach them.
The noble houses who still hold considerable influence on the planet live up to their underlings example, and each house typically holds several hereditary officerial roles in regiments both on and off Thule, which they prepare their various scions for rigorously from birth - to fail in the expectations associated with these responsibilities can lead to anything from shame to exile or death. Most of these houses, although now largely human in appearance, trace their origins to older Pureblooded families and traditions of the era persist in their forms to this day - a Kissai-descended family might maintain a fencing school that also teaches a group of youths from throughout their city, or even hold onto vestiges of war-magic, such as the ability to use force blast, though this is very rare. One hailing from a Massassi origin might still train their children in Arvalok, a derivative of the Lanvarok which mounts a blaster rifle on the end of a broad-bladed halberd and in rare cases may even still hold an ancient Lanvarok as the ancestral weapon of the leader of their house. Conversely, a family that traces its origin to the Zuguruk might prime their children to join the Empire’s diverse engineering and siege corps, or fit them with extensive and esoteric battle-cybernetics.
Many of these houses, being Sith derived as they are, are typically cutthroat and cunning. But the planet’s compulsive need to be military ready has precluded the development of wide-scale conflict between them. Instead matters are most often dealt with through closely scrutinised duels, either with blaster weaponry or melee weapons depending on the duelist’s choice. Many noble houses host duelling circles or arenas to accommodate this practice, some of which claim to have seen duels of great legend such as the Feat of Zurvash the Bloodied who slew eighteen mercenaries hired by the near-human guilds of Hurom when they sued for legal equality, or the Gauntlet of the Crimson Sons, which saw several succession crises born in the city of Nerrem. When these more accepted options fail or prove unattractive however the Thulian houses are not immune to the lure of the assassin, and for this they most often turn to criminal syndicates which have risen amongst the planet’s oppressed near-human populace.
One might expect to walk the streets of these fortress cities and experience a measure of Dromund Kaas’ militant dourness, but they would be wrong. One might see the populace walking in styles inspired by military dress, heavily armed guards and armoured vehicles at each junction, and a rifle over many ‘civilians’ shoulders, but that clear warrior mindset does not make the Thulians a dour group. The colourful bazaars, teeming with spices and fine wines, chime with laughter and vibrant conversation. Cafes bustle and art galleries crowd, public parade squares trumpet Imperial victories and the countless arms ranged in each city ring with activity. Guards on the street ruffle the hair of children, and fireworks fire from the battlements almost as often as test-fires of artillery and AA guns do.
Thule has another claim to fame however - the Sith language has survived on the planet more profoundly than it has in the halls of many of the old Pureblooded houses of Dromund Kaas. It is almost as common to hear a Thulian dialect of Low Sith (distinct, but mutually intelligible to the original language) as it is to hear Basic in most of Thule’s cities, and in some of the more remote cities, or the inner wards of the capital, Hurom, it may even be more common to hear Thulian outright. The dialect is typically written in the Aurabesh alphabet however, and Kittat has not been well preserved outside of the planet’s temples.
Thulian food is a delightful fare - roasted meats, perfumed stews flavoured with sweet fruits, stuffed vegetables, rice and pasta dishes, fresh, simply cooked fish with citrus, light tapas-style meals. It is diverse, healthy and delicious, and is much feted within Thulian culture at large. It is well known, after all, that a well fed army fights far better than a hungry or unhealthy one. Of course, the wines of Thule are regarded as some of the Empire’s finest and its meads produced from the planet’s apiaries are lauded as well. Though those apiaries are said to host species of insect made particularly vicious by the planet’s dark sided nature, and those not of the centuries-old hereditary apiarist families rarely dare to approach them.
