Muur Talisman

"That's it, all right. From the records of Naga Sadow no less. He and the other Sith Lords of a millennium ago tore each other apart looking for it [...] All they knew was that it was ancient - and involved with the manipulation of life."

- Lucien Draay

The Muur Talisman was a Sith artifact created by the ancient Sith Lord Karness Muur to turn others into mindless thralls he could command. It was a powerful object of great antiquity and was mentioned in many Sith holocrons dating from before the Golden Age of the Sith. At some time the Talisman was buried in the Undercity of the planet Taris until 3,965 BBY when the Mandalorian Pulsipher lead an excavation party to retrieve it. Upon its exposure, the Talisman latched onto female Jedi Celeste Morne and began to corrupt her before Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick sealed her and the Talisman in Dreypa's Oubliette where they both remained for about 4,000 years until 19 BBY.

Origins
For centuries the Talisman remained in obscurity. Many Sith Lords&mdash;including Naga Sadow&mdash;tore at each other to find it and claim its power for themselves, but the Talisman was never found. At some point, its last owner had been crushed in a cave-in in the Undercity of Taris where the talisman remained for at least hundreds of years, spreading the Rakghoul Plague amongst the Outcast. As of 3,963 BBY the Jedi Covenant speculated that the Talisman could be located in the Taris's Undercity. Jedi Master Xamar of the First WatchCircle was attempting to locate the artifact when they were forced to leave the planet following Zayne Carrick's escape.

Rediscovery
Later, after the Mandalorian invasion of Taris, the Covenant witnessed a vision of impending doom related directly to the talisman and Zayne, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Cade Skywalker. Celeste Morne was sent to continue the search on Taris, but arrived just in time to witness a Mandalorian excavation party led by Pulsipher retrieve the talisman.

Pulsipher headed for Jebble and before he landed, he opened the case holding the Talisman, under the hidden eyes of Celeste Morne, Zayne Carrick and Marn Hierogryph, stowaways on Pulsipher's ship, the Mar'eyce. Celeste tried to make him throw it out the airlock, but under the Talisman's influence he was able to counter her mind trick. It attached to Pulsipher's arm and it began controlling him, even turning him on a fellow Mandalorian, leaving some glowing red marks on his comrade's armor chest plates. Those marks later turned the Mandalorian into a rakghoul and the plague spread throughout the Mandalorian ranks. The Rakghoul plague spread faster than usual, transforming the victims into smarter, organized rakghouls, wearing Neo-Crusader armor and using weapons against Zayne and Celeste as the two Jedi attempted to stop the plague and warn the Mandalorians and Republic of the threat. When Pulsipher captured Zayne to interrogate him for the Talisman's secrets, it sensed the Padawan's Force-sensitivity. The Talisman detached from the Mandalorian, turned the Rakghouls on Pulsipher, and attempted to attach itself to Zayne. As Celeste struggled to pry off the Talisman to save Zayne she called out to the talisman's attention by telling it she was a Jedi. Immediately, the Talisman attached itself to her neck. In that moment Celeste saw Muur's spirit appear where he told her that he was the future and she was his. Celeste then discovered that the Talisman gave her the ability to control the Rakghouls.

A suitable host
"I can feel the change inside me. Please, Zayne...end it now."

- Celeste Morne

Celeste began to fall under the Talisman's evil corruption and sensed the plague's immense potential along with the presence of the spirit of Karness Muur in the Talisman. She pleaded with Zayne to end her life while she could still control herself, but the rogue Padawan had a better idea. He enclosed Celeste in an oubliette of the Sith Dreypa, hoping to bring her to Covenant researchers on Odryn to remove the Talisman. However, Cassus Fett bombarded Jebble with nuclear missiles and Zayne presumed Celeste dead and the Talisman destroyed. The Jedi Covenant assumed Zayne was corrupted by the Talisman and killed Celeste.

Copies
When Zayne and his friends journeyed to the planet Odryn, Jarael, disguised as Celeste, and the Moomo Brothers pretended to carry the Muur Talisman, in order for them, Zayne, and Gryph to gain entrance to the Sanctum of the Exalted.

A replica of the Talisman is crafted to improve on the image that Zayne is a Dark Jedi when Xamar sneaks him into the Draay Estate.

Four Millennia later...
By 1,400 BBY, the oubliette was found by ice miners of Jebble. It was passed down by many owners, through blood and trade before it came into the hands of the crew of the Uhumele who were wiling to trade it. But the Talisman and its wearer were freed from stasis by the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader who was looking for a way to overthrow the Emperor. But Celeste Morne attacked Vader and, using the power of the Talisman, turned his Clone Troopers into Rakghouls, forcing Vader to escape and leave Celeste along with Rakghouls and the spirit of Karness Muur on the unknown moon.

Abilities
Through use of dark side alchemy, any non-Force-sensitive that was struck by the Talisman becomes infected with the Rakghoul Plague and transforms more quickly than from Rakghoul bites in the Under City of Taris. In addition to that under the command by a Force-user the Talisman can transform into rakghouls all suitable beings in much wider radius.

The power of the Talisman also allow its claws to become legs for mobility and bind itself to anyone who calls to it. But the greatest secret concerning the Talisman is that it houses the spirit of Karness Muur.

Behind the scenes
The Muur Talisman is also the logo for the Vector metaseries. However, in the Dark Times section of the metaseries, the logo was printed upside down for both issues. It is likely this is not a coincidence.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Vector
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 29: Exalted, Part 1
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 30: Exalted, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 32: Vindication, Part 1 (replica)
 * Star Wars Dark Times: Vector
 * Star Wars Rebellion: Vector
 * Star Wars Legacy: Vector