User:Darth Xadún/Tool Shed

Gantoris
"I have dreamed of you. A dark man who offers me incredible secrets, then destrorys me. I am lost if i go with you."

- Gantoris to Luke Skywalker

Gantoris was a Human male native to Eol Sha. He was Force-sensitive descendant of Ta'ania, the daughter of a Jedi Knight, and used his fledgling abilities to protect the people of the volcanic world.

He was eventually discovered by Luke Skywalker and became one of the first students at his Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4.

The ambitious trainee was frustrated by Skywalker's individualistic and unorthodox training methods. He accepted training from the spirit of Exar Kun who was trapped on Yavin 4. Gantoris was unaware that Kun was actually draining his power to strengthen his spirit. When Gantoris eventually turned on the spirit, Kun incinerated him, making him first student to die at the Praxeum.

Early life
"On our world we don't have many choices. My people must take what we can find."

- Gantoris

Born into the sole isolated settlement on the volcanic world of Eol Sha, Gantoris's affinity with the Force first revealed themselves when he survived an avalanche as a child. Despite his companions being crushed mere feet from him, Gantoris instinctively shielded himself using the Force to survive the onslaught of rock. His connection with the Force allowed him to predict earthquakes, eruptions and avalanches, which he used to protect his fellow colonists on the unstable planet. Gantoris had repeated dreams of a "Dark Man" - a man who would promise him great power before destroying him. His abilities, combined with his tough attitude and charismatic leadership, led to him becoming the leader of the abandoned colonists that made up his home planet.

When Luke Skywalker came to Eol Sha, he was searching for the offspring of Ta'ania to join his Jedi Praxeum. Gantoris believed that Luke, in his black robes, might be the "Dark Man" who had plagued his dreams. He tested Luke with two challenges. First, Gantoris lead him into a geyser tunnel to collect lichen, and seeing if he could survive the eruption of the geyser. Luke tried to climb out, eventually having to use a Force Leap to escape. For the second test, Gantoris made Luke cross a lava pit and confront the deadly fireworm within. When Luke succeeded both challenges, Gantoris agreed to follow Luke off Eol Sha on the condition the other inhabitants of the hostile world be relocated by the New Republic.

Jedi training
"Success and failure will always be a part of your training." "Not for me. I choose not to fail."

- Luke Skywalker teaches Gantoris

Luke and Gantoris traveled to Bespin, to convince a gas prospector named Streen to join them. There, to demonstrate to Streen the potential of the Force, Luke began to teach Gantoris. He used telekinesis to move a metal structure to produce a gong-like sound, causing a rawwk to take flight. Gantoris proved himself a quick learner, being able to sense all the buildings around him through the Force and perform the exercise exactly.

At the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, Gantoris was an talented student, although this served to heighten his arrogance. He quickly became a rival of Corran Horn. Luke Skywalker believed it was because of Corran's similarities to himself, constantly pushing himself for improvement, just like Gantoris was. The former leader felt threatened by this other ambitious student.

The "Dark Man" Gantoris had seen in his dreams had begun to talk to him, convincing him that Skywalker was witholding the true secrets of Jedi knowledge. Gantoris' impatience only heightened the temptation of the power the Dark Man claimed to teach. Desperate to learn more, he undertook this mysterious tutelage, constructing dual-phase lightsaber. To construct it, he used 3 corusca gems that he had found near one of the Massassi temples. The combination of these gems gave the blade a purple hue. Gantoris then used his new lightsaber to challenge Luke to a duel. Many times during this fight he attacked out of anger, Skywalker regularly on the defensive to keep from antagonizing his student. Gantoris' rage meant he was perilously close to the Dark Side - only when he was momentarily distracted by a runyip charging through the undergrowth was Luke able to pull the lightsaber from Gantoris' hand using the Force, ending the duel.

The night after his duel with Skywalker, Gantoris knew he would be visited by the "Dark Man" again. He no longer trusted the shadowy spectral ghost that was once Exar Kun, but knew he believed he could at least face the Sith Lord without help from the other Jedi trainees or Master Skywalker. Gantoris attempted to remain peaceful during Kun's goading, but the specter showd him the colonists he had lead on Eol Sha as they were slaughtered by the Imperial forces under Admiral Daala. Outraged, Gantoris leapt at the shadow of Kun, who killed Gantoris by burning him to death from the inside out. This made him the first of Luke's academy students to die and deeply shook his confidence in his teaching abilities.

"My first true failure as a teacher was Gantoris. He built his lightsaber in only a few intense days, following instructions given to him by the spirit of Exar Kun. Gantoris thought he was ready, and my mistake was not seeing what he was up to."

- Luke Skywalker speaks of Gantoris

Following Gantoris's death, his lightsaber went to Kirana Ti. He was buried in a beautiful grove on Yavin 4, the site marked by a gray plinth.

Personality and traits
"I want your anger, Gantoris!"

- Exar Kun to Gantoris

Having become a respected leader, Gantoris was a head-strong and confident man, even to the point of arrogance. He had gotten used to his position of leadership, and was not used to succumbing to the opinions and decisions of others. His rapid development at the Praxeum would only enforce his self-importance, where he outstripped his peers in development. His high ambition meant Gantoris always strove to improve his skills, a trait possibly driven by his dreams of the "Dark Man" in a hope to defeat him. This ambition lead him to challenge Luke Skywalker in a lightsaber duel, in which he was defeated.

He had trouble in grasping the possibility that others could possess power he did not, as was demonstrated when Corran Horn created an illusion over all the members of the Praxeum, including Luke Skywalker. Horn intended to raise a large boulder with telekinesis, but unintentionally implanted the image of the stone rising in the minds of the group while nothing of the kind. Gantoris' outburst demanding him to explain his powers of mind manipulation showed he felt he was fooled by Horn, and was loathe to be deceived or outclassed in any way.

Despite these foibles, Gantoris' hardened experience meant he knew the importance of solidarity, teamwork, and aiding others. He would lead by example, challenging himself again and again to improve, encouraging others at the Praxeum to do the same. He upheld concepts such as honor above personal disputes, as he showed when he refused to attack an unarmed Corran Horn during combat training in the Praxeum.

Despite his strength over the other students, Gantoris was respected by many of his peers, with Streen counting him as a friend at the Praxeum.

Powers and abilities
"Am I a Jedi now?"

- Gantoris while dueling Master Skywalker

Gantoris had used his ability to sense his surroundings with the Force most of his life; as a result he was skilled at feeling the area around him and noticing any changes, and when taught, affecting things through telekinesis.

Having to draw on the Force for most of his life in order to survive the harsh world of Eol Sha, he rapidly learned the techniques he was taught at the Praxeum. He was the most promising student, showing strength for the generating a protection bubble. He was also highly adept at telekinesis.

Under instruction from Exar Kun, Gantoris was able to remove tiredness by drawing strength from the Force. He was also able to wield a lightsaber with minimal instruction.

Behind the scenes
Gantoris was created by Kevin J Anderson and first appeared in Jedi Search. He is the first student Luke Skywalker recruits for the Praxeum, and as the most promising student he represents the success of the new Jedi. This makes his fall to the Dark Side haunt the Jedi trainees even more. He is also used in the novel to introduce the character of Exar Kun, a key protagonist.

Gantoris' lightsaber is described in Dark Apprentice to be purple-white with rainbow colours running along it's length. No other works involving lightsabers have refence to these shimmering colours, with Gantoris' lightsaber itself refered to as purple or purple-white in other works.

The spirit of Exar Kun never actually reveals his name to Gantoris.

The The Jedi Academy Sourcebook allows the playable Gantoris character to wield a Double-bladed lightsaber although his lightsaber is specifically duel-phase.

Appearances

 * I, Jedi
 * Jedi Search
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force
 * Children of the Jedi
 * Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught

Kas'im
"Knowledge is power, Bane. My purpose is to give you that knowledge. It is up to you to figure out how best to use it."

- Kas'im

Kas'im was a male Twi'lek Sith Lord who lived during the New Sith Wars. The apprentice of Na'daz, Kas'im learned all of the seven forms of lightsaber combat from him, before killing his master in a duel. He was then recruited into Kaan's Brotherhood of Darkness and served as the Blademaster on Korriban, teaching Sith apprentices the art of lightsaber combat. Kas'im was approached by Bane, who asked to be taught in secret after Bane had lost a bout to Sirak, another apprentice at the academy. After teaching Bane all that he knew, he was killed by his apprentice on Lehon after attempting to bring Bane back into the Brotherhood.

Biography
Kas'im was born into slavery on Nal Hutta and labored on until he was found by a Sith named Na'daz. Bought by Na'daz, he left his parents behind for the Sith. He felt no remorse or regret for his parents, as he barely knew them, with no emotional ties, good or bad. He trained under Master Na'daz on Ryloth, learning all seven forms of lightsaber combat from him. Eventually, he struck his Master down in a trial of skill&mdash;a practice Darth Bane would adopt for his new order.

When Lord Kaan founded his Brotherhood of Darkness he recruited Kas'im to serve as Blademaster in the Sith Academy on Korriban. While at the Academy, Kas'im taught the young Bane the art of the saber and continued to teach him in secret after his defeat at the hands of Sirak. This private tutoring eventually led to Bane's superiority over the other apprentices with the blade. Due to Bane's success at defeating Sirak in a duel, Kas'im gifted him with the curve-hilted blade of his slain master, which he had kept ten years after killing him.

After the Academy Headmaster, Qordis, led Bane to abandon the Brotherhood of Darkness, Kas'im attempted to convince Bane otherwise. Bane ignored his pleas and declared himself Darth Bane.

After Bane's departure for Lehon&mdash;the Unknown World&mdash;Kaan sent Kas'im on a mission to assassinate him. Kas'im found Bane, who had just destroyed the holocron of Darth Revan, in a Rakata temple, and continued to show allegiance to the Brotherhood of Darkness despite Bane's efforts to guide him to Bane's future order following the Rule of Two. Following Bane's expressed distaste for Kaan's Brotherhood, Kas'im was left with the decision to destroy Bane. However, in an intense battle, Bane's skill in Form V forced Kas'im to resort to splitting his double-bladed weapon into two single-blades, utilizing a masterful display of Jar'Kai, causing a distraction for Bane. Unable to best Kas'im's usage of Jar'Kai, Bane took the battle outside. Driven backward by Kas'im's superior swordplay, Bane defeated him by emitting a massive Force Wave. While the wave was powerful enough to reduce Kas'im to a mass of pulpy liquid and pulverized bone, he was able to shield himself with the Force. However, he was unable to shield the Rakata's Temple of the Ancients, which collapsed and crushed him.

Bane would still carry the lightsaber of Kas'im's Master, presumably until the day of his death.

Powers and abilities
Kas'im was an exceptional individual who had mastered all seven forms of lightsaber combat in a relatively short space of time. He preferred the double-bladed lightsaber not out of versatility, which he himself stated the weapon lacked, but because of the unfamiliar nature it possessed against an opponent as he once explained to Bane during his time as an apprentice on Korriban. In addition to these skills, Kas'im was a lethal practitioner of the dual-blade technique of Jar'Kai, a skill he kept secret and discouraged his students from delving into.

Kas'im possessed a level of proficiency in lightsaber combat so high that he is often considered the greatest swordsman of his age, and possibly one of the greatest ever to have lived. His lightsaber itself was a unique construction like all lightsabers, but had the possibility to disconnect the 2 blades of the double-bladed lightsaber enabling him to wield a single blade in each hand. He also possessed a hook-handled lightsaber (formally belonging to his master which he bequeathed to Bane during his secret training.

Behind the scenes
It should be noted that Kas'im's knowledge of Form VII would have been in the Juyo form, as Vaapad was not created until approximately 50 BBY by Mace Windu.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

Kas'im Kas'im

Duel on Lehon
The Duel on Lehon was a lightsaber duel fought in 1000 BBY between the Sith Lords Kas'im and Darth Bane. Kas'im, the Korriban Academy Blademaster, was sent by Kaan, leader of the Brotherhood of Darkness, to try and sway Bane back from his desersion of the Brotherhood, or kill him for his desertion. When Bane would not be convinced, Kas'im attacked.

Prelude
Bane had risen through the Brotherhood of Darkness, but had researched much about the ancient Sith from the library on Korriban. The concepts he learned from the texts made him feel uneasy about the Brotherhood, thinking it's promise of equality of the Sith Lords went against the very doctrine of the Dark Side. Bane yearned to know more secrets of the Sith. Having searched the library archives, and scourged the abandoned Valley of the Sith on Korriban, he eventually discoved a scroll containing the location of a Rakatan Temple on the ancient Sith world of Lehon. Bane stole Qodis' ship, the Valcyn, and flew to the abandoned planet. There in the temple, he discovered the holocron of Freedon Nadd, and had spent weeks learning all the secrets the holocron had to offer. I was here he concieved the Rule of Two, assumed the title Darth Bane, and fully renounced the Brotherhood and everything it stood for.

Meanwhile, the Brotherhood's leader, Kaan, had discovered Bane's desertion. Having witnessed Bane's fighting prowess, Kaan decided to send Kas'im to convince Bane to return to the fold, believing the formidable Blademaster would be one of the only Sith capable of killing Bane if he refused to re-join the Brotherhood. This was also a test of Kas'im's loyalty to Kaan, for the Twi'lek had gone against the rules of the Academies by training a defeated apprentice.

Aftermath
The Duel on Lehon was a duel that altered the course of Sith history. Had Kas'im defeated Bane and killed him, the Rule of Two would not have been implemented, Kaan's Brotherhood of Darkness would have continued, and the New Sith Wars may never have ended.