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24-04-2023, 09:48 PM
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Warriors of Old; on the Massassi.
By Acolyte Wradaii Sutta'Qo.
In the days before the coming of the Jen'Jidai to Korriban's red sands there was constant conflict among the native Sith. These battles were fought for myriad reasons, and the elites upon the battlefield were undeniably those named the Massassi. In the common tongue it may be termed the 'warrior caste' of the Sith hierarchy. Though they were considerably less intelligent than either the Kissai or the Zuguruk, they understood key concepts and were capable of maintaining their equipment independently. What they lacked in intelligence they more than made up in martial prowess, as I will entreat in the following paragraphs. However, let us begin by sketching an image of the creature.
A decent start is to assume the key features that identify the Pureblood Sith even to this day. Red skin, bone- and cartilage ridges, tendrils and spines. However, the Massassi were notably larger than the other castes, invariably standing taller than their brethren and being more disposed to large, muscular builds. Some records indicate that rather than hair, they grew long spines from their head and upper back. Like the other Sith castes they were capable of drawing nourishment from the Dark Side of the Force. However, through an apparent quirk of biology, their physical body grew in accordance with their power over the Force. Over the ages, this led to a corruption of the caste, where their strength continued to grow at the cost of their intelligence, and by the time the Jen'Jidai landed on Korriban they were already little more than mindless beasts, capable only of combat.
Let us rewind to before that time, to see what their role was in this ancient landscape. As stated before, they formed the warrior caste of Sith society. Their traits as detailed above made them ideal, but many lesser species possess these traits to some degree and resorted to simple savagery. However, at the core of a Massassi's being laid the concept of loyalty. A concept some Sith these days might scoff at, but one that has many boons when applied in specific situations. Firstly a Massassi didn't trust blindly, as the weak would. Gaining a Massassi's trust was a challenging task to any aspiring Lord, requiring displays of power, honour and wisdom. Massassi weren't bought, either. Trinkets interested them none. What they wanted more than anything, was a Lord that would send them into glorious battle. One that would utilize their strengths to the fullest and let them accrue honourable victories. It is this precept, core as it was, that allowed them to remain useful even when their minds deteriorated.
So how did they attain their many victories? Sadly, few remains of their traditional arts. Scholars generally agree that the Massassi had an oral tradition, and rarely recorded anything other than the results of battle or ritual records. Rather, they passed their techniques from generation to generation by direct instruction. The smattering of facts we do know is from the histories kept by the other castes. The arts evidently utilized their supreme strength to its utmost, as their destructiveness was commonly noted. They were practically always accompanied on the field by a handler to instruct them and keep them from going berserk. The only relics of their combat style is the famed Massassi Ianvarok, a more ancient form the regular Ianvarok in the form of a large pole-axe capable of releasing the characteristic disc projectiles through brute strength rather than a mechanical trigger. Efforts are underway to reconstruct the art of using these weapons by prominent experts throughout the Empire, but currently no conclusive breakthroughs have been made.
Over the ages the caste withered, their numbers dwindling due to their endless battles until they eventually grew extinct. At least, their clearly distinct caste did. Their descendants persist to this very day, their blood shamefully thinned by the interbreeding with other species. But few can claim this heritage with any certainty, but those that do appear intent on reviving the old traditions of the caste. A worthwhile effort in principle, but one that requires careful consideration in its extent.
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Warriors of Old; on the Massassi.
By Acolyte Wradaii Sutta'Qo.
In the days before the coming of the Jen'Jidai to Korriban's red sands there was constant conflict among the native Sith. These battles were fought for myriad reasons, and the elites upon the battlefield were undeniably those named the Massassi. In the common tongue it may be termed the 'warrior caste' of the Sith hierarchy. Though they were considerably less intelligent than either the Kissai or the Zuguruk, they understood key concepts and were capable of maintaining their equipment independently. What they lacked in intelligence they more than made up in martial prowess, as I will entreat in the following paragraphs. However, let us begin by sketching an image of the creature.
A decent start is to assume the key features that identify the Pureblood Sith even to this day. Red skin, bone- and cartilage ridges, tendrils and spines. However, the Massassi were notably larger than the other castes, invariably standing taller than their brethren and being more disposed to large, muscular builds. Some records indicate that rather than hair, they grew long spines from their head and upper back. Like the other Sith castes they were capable of drawing nourishment from the Dark Side of the Force. However, through an apparent quirk of biology, their physical body grew in accordance with their power over the Force. Over the ages, this led to a corruption of the caste, where their strength continued to grow at the cost of their intelligence, and by the time the Jen'Jidai landed on Korriban they were already little more than mindless beasts, capable only of combat.
Let us rewind to before that time, to see what their role was in this ancient landscape. As stated before, they formed the warrior caste of Sith society. Their traits as detailed above made them ideal, but many lesser species possess these traits to some degree and resorted to simple savagery. However, at the core of a Massassi's being laid the concept of loyalty. A concept some Sith these days might scoff at, but one that has many boons when applied in specific situations. Firstly a Massassi didn't trust blindly, as the weak would. Gaining a Massassi's trust was a challenging task to any aspiring Lord, requiring displays of power, honour and wisdom. Massassi weren't bought, either. Trinkets interested them none. What they wanted more than anything, was a Lord that would send them into glorious battle. One that would utilize their strengths to the fullest and let them accrue honourable victories. It is this precept, core as it was, that allowed them to remain useful even when their minds deteriorated.
So how did they attain their many victories? Sadly, few remains of their traditional arts. Scholars generally agree that the Massassi had an oral tradition, and rarely recorded anything other than the results of battle or ritual records. Rather, they passed their techniques from generation to generation by direct instruction. The smattering of facts we do know is from the histories kept by the other castes. The arts evidently utilized their supreme strength to its utmost, as their destructiveness was commonly noted. They were practically always accompanied on the field by a handler to instruct them and keep them from going berserk. The only relics of their combat style is the famed Massassi Ianvarok, a more ancient form the regular Ianvarok in the form of a large pole-axe capable of releasing the characteristic disc projectiles through brute strength rather than a mechanical trigger. Efforts are underway to reconstruct the art of using these weapons by prominent experts throughout the Empire, but currently no conclusive breakthroughs have been made.
Over the ages the caste withered, their numbers dwindling due to their endless battles until they eventually grew extinct. At least, their clearly distinct caste did. Their descendants persist to this very day, their blood shamefully thinned by the interbreeding with other species. But few can claim this heritage with any certainty, but those that do appear intent on reviving the old traditions of the caste. A worthwhile effort in principle, but one that requires careful consideration in its extent.
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