Tahv

"You told us about Tahv, your town&mdash;it sounds a good size."

- Yaru Korsin, to Adari Vaal

Tahv was the capital city of the Wild Space world of Kesh. It was built around 5,000 BBY by the planet's native sentient species, the Keshiri; Tahv's walls originally served the purpose of keeping the Keshiri safe from the planet's many dangerous creatures. Shortly thereafter, during the Great Hyperspace War, a group of Sith were forced to crash-land on the planet in their starship, the Omen. The Lost Tribe of Sith, as the survivors of the accident became known, conquered the Keshiri&mdash;as the natives believed them to be their gods&mdash;and helped them to drive away and domesticate Kesh's native beasts. Tahv then became a decorative city, focusing mainly on workings of art, often created by Sith artists using the Force.

The Lost Tribe of Sith quickly took command of Tahv and the planet's government, and often forced the native Keshiri to work for them. Although the Sith moved into a newly-built Temple in the nearby Takara Mountains, they soon returned to live in Tahv. Many of the Sith lived toward the center of the city, while the Keshiri lived in the outskirts, or as servants to the Sith. By 3,960 BBY, a stadium, the Korsinata, had been built in Tahv to hold rake-riding sporting events. By 41 ABY, the class difference between the Sith and the Keshiri had narrowed, although the outskirts of Tahv remained inhabited mostly by the less wealthy Keshiri. By that time, the Tribe's ruling body, the Circle of Lords, convened in the Circle Chambers in the capitol in central Tahv.

Description
The city of Tahv was located on the remote Wild Space world of Kesh. Tahv's walls were large, originally built for defense against the planet's many dangerous animals; however, they were later used more for display than protection. The city itself was decorated with various workings of art, created through the Force by Sith artists, including levitating fountains, trees sculpted and shaped by the Force, and glass sculptures. The city was also home to at least one pauper's tavern, which was decorated extensively with ornately carved glass. Sometime after 4,975 BBY, a facility was created for housing the various wild species on Kesh, including the flying uvak used for transportation on the planet.

Tahv had an extensive aqueduct system that was orignillay constructed by the indigenous Keshiri species and later improved upon by the Sith; the aqueducts were typically monitered by one Sith Saber and the Saber's apprentices. The outer edges of the city, nearest the walls, were the home of the more impoverished inhabitants&mdash;mainly the native Keshiri. Toward the center of the city, the area known as the Circle, Tahv grew more appealing and luxurious. Within the Circle was the capitol building and the Circle Chambers, in which the Circle of Lords, the planet's governing body, convened. The entire city was permeated by the dark side of the Force, helping the Sith there to thrive.

History
The city was first built by the Keshiri people sometime before 5,000 BBY. The walls of the city served mainly as protection for its inhabitants from the many dangerous animals that roamed the planet. In 5,000 BBY, during the Great Hyperspace War, the Omen&mdash;a Sith starship carrying a shipment of Lignan crystals to Sith Lord Naga Sadow&mdash;was knocked off-course while attempting to execute a hyperspace jump, and it crash-landed on Kesh in the Takara Mountains. The survivors of the crash made contact with a Keshiri woman, Adari Vaal, who told them of the city of Tahv. The Keshiri believed the Sith to be their gods, the Skyborn, and befriended them. Shortly after the Sith arrival, it was decided by the councilor Izri Dazh&mdash;leader of the Keshiri the Neshtovar, the Keshiri uvak-riders&mdash;and the city's governing body that all of the Keshiri in Tahv would be moved to humbler homes so that the "Skyborn" could live in luxury and the Keshiri could serve them.

With the help of the Sith&mdash;who eventually reorganized themselves into the Lost Tribe of Sith&mdash;and their superior technology, the Keshiri were able to drive off and domesticate many of the planet's predatory creatures. The Sith did not spend long in Tahv; within fifteen years of their arrival, they had left the city in favor of a Temple in the Takara Mountains. However, just ten years later, Grand Lord Yaru Korsin was killed, and in his honor, Nida Korsin, his daughter and successor as Grand Lord, ordered the Sith and their families to return to live in Tahv. There, the Sith remained dominant over the Keshiri for thousands of years. In the same year as Nida Korsin's rise to power, she founded the Skyborn Rangers, an organization of uvak-riding Sith. Sometime later, a facility was contructed in Tahv to honor Nida Korsin and the Skyborn Rangers. The facility housed various predatory animals native to Kesh, as well as the uvak.

Meanwhile, with the threat of danger removed, the walls of Tahv became more decorative than functional, and the city itself became more focused on art and beauty rather than protection and practicality. Sith artists began to influence the city, using the Force to shape trees and create impressive sculptures of glass formed from the planet's lavender sand. Windows, jewelry, domes, spires, and even weapons were fashioned with great care and sophistication. The Sith eventually formed three rival guilds that competed mercilessly for control of the craft of shaping sand into glass. It was not uncommon for such artisans to employ bodyguards to protect themselves from assassination attempts. The shikkar, a delicately crafted knife made from glass, was often used by the guilds to murder rival guild members. Meanwhile, the Keshiri became second-class citizens, and were even employed as servants and slaves of the Sith.

By 3,960 BBY, over a millennia after the arrival of the Sith, a stadium, the Korsinata, had been built in Tahv. The dangerous sport of rake-riding was held in the stadium, wherein Humans wrangled with uvaks whose wings had been clipped and fitted with glass prongs. In that year, an assassination attempt on Grand Lord Lillia Venn was made during a rake-riding event. The attempt failed, however, and resulted in the deaths of two of the Tribe's High Lords, Pallima and Dernas, as well as the framing of High Lord Candra Kitai and her daughter, Sith Saber Orielle Kitai, who were believed to be behind the attack. Candra was made to live and work in the facility&mdash;which by this time had come to be nicknamed by Orielle as "the zoo"&mdash;that had been built in honor of Korsin and the Skyborn Rangers.

In 37 ABY, a month-long festival, Presentation, was held in Tahv. This festival had several attractions: it gave the Keshiri a chance to join the Lost Tribe of Sith, and also held a competition for the Tribe's younger members to obtain an uvak. By 41 ABY, the class differences between the Keshiri and the Sith had begun to narrow, and several Keshiri held high positions in the Lost Tribe of Sith&mdash;at least one was a member of the Circle of Lords. In that year, Ship, a Sith Meditation Sphere, arrived on Kesh to assist in the training of the Tribe's apprentices. It also helped the Tribe begin to form its own armada, with the intent of waging war on the galaxy. Two years later, Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker touched an Aing-Tii relic known as the Codex, causing his presence to be magnified and his name called through the Force to members of the Tribe. In response, the Tribe recalled their armada back to Kesh, and held an emergency meeting at the Circle Chambers in Tahv. It was during this meeting that Ship abruptly left Kesh, to follow the call Skywalker created through the Force.

Inhabitants
The city of Tahv was originally occupied only by the indigenous Keshiri people. When the Sith arrived on the planet, they discovered the Keshiri and allied themselves with the native species, and the population of Tahv grew to include these newcomers as well. The Sith became dominant over the Keshiri; and, quickly taking control of the planet's government itself, they became the first-class citizens, with the native species dropping to a lower social status, often serving the Sith as slaves and servants. By 41 ABY, however, the status differential had narrowed.

Circle
The Circle was an area of Tahv that lay in the center of the city. It was known for its many artistic landmarks, as well as being very luxurious. Far more appealing than the outer areas of the city, where the poorer inhabitants lived, the Circle was the home of the wealthier citizens. It was in the Circle that the capitol building stood, and the planet's seat of government, the Circle of Lords, ruled from the Circle Chambers there.

Capitol building
The capitol building was a large, glass-domed building located in the center of a cluster of buildings in the Circle. The capitol's interior was dim and cool; and it had stone floors as well as a fountain of water. The building was several stories high, and the Circle Chambers were located in the upper levels. They were accessible via several flights of winding stone stairs.

Circle Chambers
The Circle Chambers, made of glass, was located in the highest levels of the capitol building in Tahv. The ceiling of the hall was composed of a stained-glass dome. It was in this chamber that the Circle of Lords held council. The Lords were seated upon a raised dais, with the Grand Lord, who presided over the Circle of Lords' meetings, sitting on a throne made from metal and glass. Seated beside the throne were the High Lords, and beneath them were the Lords and masters.

Circle Eternal
The Circle Eternal was a plaza in Tahv where a council of Neshtovar&mdash;Keshiri uvak-riders, and the planet's governing body before the arrival of the Sith&mdash;held council. Located in the Circle Eternal was a tall column that served as a sundial. A meeting was being held in this plaza when the Omen crashed in the nearby mountains. A later meeting was held with the newly-arrived Sith, still believed to be the Skyborn, during which it was decided for a temple to be built in the Takara Mountains. Twenty-five years to the day after the Sith's arrival, a gathering of celebration took place in the plaza.

Korsinata
The Korsinata was a sports stadium located in Tahv. The stadium boasted a pentagonal field and several boxes that housed high-ranking members of the Sith Tribe. The dangerous sport of rake-riding&mdash;wherein humans wrestled with uvaks whose wings had been clipped and fitted with glass prongs&mdash;was held in the Korsinata.

"The zoo"
A facility nicknamed "the zoo" by Sith Saber Orielle Kitai was used to house the wild animals of Kesh. Constructed sometime after 4,975 BBY in honor of Nida Korsin and her Skyborn Rangers, it housed a variety of predatory species. Although the Sith had killed those species for sport by 3,960 BBY, the structure remained in use as a home for the Tribe's uvak. After being framed for an attack on Grand Lord Lillia Venn, former High Lord Candra Kitai was enslaved and made to live in the facility and shovel manure in its stalls.

Behind the scenes
The city of Tahv was created by author Christie Golden for her first Star Wars novel, Omen, the second novel in the nine-part Fate of the Jedi series. It has also been featured in John Jackson Miller's Lost Tribe of the Sith eBook series.

Appearances

 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Skyborn
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Paragon
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Savior
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Purgatory
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Sentinel
 * Imprint
 * Omen
 * Allies
 * Ascension