The Time of the Rot

The Time of the Rot was the term given to a period of great turmoil and civil warfare that engulfed the Lost Tribe of Sith on the planet Kesh. This conflict began in 3,960 BBY and lasted approximately 960 years and saw substantial infighting between rival factions for leadership of the Tribe.

History
The Time of the Rot began in 3,960 BBY when the reigning Grand Lord Lillia Venn disappeared during the Night of the Upside-Down Meteor with some of her men. When her rivals learnt of her demise, a full scale revolt erupted in the city of Tahv which saw a full-scale massacre of her followers. These rivals then began to fight among themselves for leadership of the Tribe and control over Kesh. Two of these factions included the Gold Faction and the Red Faction. However, other splinter soon emerged with each proclaiming their own Grand Lord whilst denouncing their rivals as Anti-lords. The Marisota Floodplain became the site of many battles and campaigns between rival Sith factions.

In 3,000 BBY, a reformist Grand Lord named Varner Hilts assumed power over the Tribe. As a historian and the caretaker of the Tribe's Sith lore, he instituted the Hilts Restoration which established a power structure that allowed the Sith on Kesh to channel their ambitions without causing civil war. In his testament, Hilts outlined his view that the old ways of the Tribe had been forgotten and that they need to be restored in order to secure the Tribe's existence. To reduce conflict within the Tribe, he also sponsored a marine exploration program to explore uncharted lands and seas beyond the main continent Keshtah. Most importantly, he promoted a system of meritocracy where power in the tribe was earned rather than inherited. This helped lessen conflict between the ruling families. Within this system, assassination was tolerated but open warfare was strictly prohibited.

As a result of Hilts's policies, the Lost Tribe's marine explorers discovered the continent Alanciar, a new frontier that was rich in lumber and land to house Keshtah's surplus population. These enabled the Tribe to construct a large fleet of wooden sailing ships to enable further maritime exploration efforts. The Doomed&mdash;the descendants of stranded ancient Jedi and Dark Jedi that had caused the Great Calamity millennia earlier but had since relocated to the frozen continent of Eshkrene in the South Pole&mdash;also observed these developments on Keshtah through ice mirrors created by the Force. In 3,000 BBY, the Doomed had considered intervening in order to stop The Rot but changed their minds after Hilts managed to restore order to the Tribe.

In 2,975 BBY, the peace came to an end after the Sith anarchist Parlan Spinner freed the ancient Dark Jedi Remulus Dreypa from his oubliette on Eshkrene and brought him back to Keshtah. Dreypa and Spinner then instigated a rebellion against the Lost Tribe. When cornered by the Tribe's forces, Dreypa retreated to the volcanic crater known as Sessal Spire where he unleashed several Leviathans which had been hibernating for millennia. He then attempted to escape offworld by stealing the Last Hope hidden under the capital Tahv and unleashed his Leviathans on the Tribe. However, he was defeated by the combined efforts of the Tribe, the Doomed, and Spinner, who had turned against his former ally.

Appearances

 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Pantheon
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Pandemonium
 * Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith 1: Spiral, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith 2: Spiral, Part 2
 * Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith 3: Spiral, Part 3