Baran Do sages

The Kel Dor species has a long and proud Force tradition known as the Baran Do sages. For thousands of years before joining the Galactic Republic, the Baran Do acted as advisors and seers for the leaders of the Kel Dor. Since joining the Republic, the Baran Do dwindled as the Jedi claimed the Force-sensitive members of the species to add to their own ranks. However, those who were passed over by the Jedi or discovered too late to begin Jedi training continue to train under the remaining Baran Do sages, passing the eons-old tradition down as it was done before the coming of the Jedi.

The Baran Do Sages originally began studying the ways of the Force to expand their already exceptional senses as a means of predicting danger for their people; in time, everything from war to famine to natural disasters were averted thanks to the Baran Do. Their powers developed out of simple sensory expansion into the ability to foresee the future, the past, and places far away. Once the Baran Do learned how to listen to the Force as well as to their own senses, they became an invaluable resource for investigating crimes, predicting future troubles, and discovering the truth about mysterious events. The Baran Do sages were revered as an all-seeing sect that could divine the truth from even the most complex and difficult situations.

Most rulers of the Kel Dor people traditionally had at least one Baran Do advisor. In the days when the Baran Do were more numerous, many high-ranking members of Kel Dor society had sages in their employ as well. Most governmental institutions made use of the Baran Do as a part of their daily operations; a powerful Baran Do sage would often be used as an early warning system to help the authorities predict nature disasters. Such predictions and subsequent preparations prevented the deaths of hundreds and thousands.

With the introduction of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic to Kel Dor society, the Baran Do faded in relative obscurity. Mainstream Kel Dor society considers the Baran Do to be little more than wizards and prophets, but the sages themselves continue to proudly teach their old ways to students and apprentices. The Baran Do, almost completely forgotten by most Kel Dor, no longer have the influence they once did and, as a result, managed to go almost unnoticed by the Sith's Jedi hunting squads.

Baran Do Philosophy

The Baran Do philosophy revolves around quieting the mind and listening to the environment. It was this quiet, meditative outlook that led them easily into the study of the Force as a sensory aid. The Baran Do learn to shut out the noise and clutter of the world around them and instead listen to the guidance of the Force; when at peace, the Baran Do sages are at their strongest. They listen, they watch, and they learn. The ways of the Baran Do are sometimes confused with inaction, but in truth a sage consults the Force on almost all matters, taking action once he is sure of his path.

Force Tradition A long-held superstition among the Kel Dor people is that men and women born with silver irises are exceptionally strong in the Force. The Baran Do sages believe this to be true and recruity those with silver irises fervently. However, Kel Dor who believe in the old ways often bring their children to the Baran Do for training as well, and the sages rarely turn away anyone willing to learn. The Baran Do sages train apprentices for several years before they become full-fledged members of the order, but once they do, they are granted access to any knowledge the Baran Do possess. Modern Baran Do usually concern themselves with protecting their people however they can, occasionally acting as foretellers and diviners for those who come to them seeking answers. Some members of the organization travel the stars seeking knowledge that can be brought back to the Baran Do, while others take a more active role and react to threats they have perceived through the Force, even if it means leaving their homeworld for years at a time.

Training

Baran Do training focuses on meditative practices as well as the interpretation of sensations and visions. Many aspects of the training involve some for of sensory deprivation; an apprentice might be placed in a room with absolutely no light for hours or days at a time, or in a soundproof chamber, or any number of other ways to silence one sense to highlight others.

Other training methods involve sensory overload, such as placing a trainee in a crowded room and forcing him to listen to a sage speaking on the other side of the room. The training regiment is neither rigorous nor physically taxing, but encourages introspection and thoughtfulness at all times.

Baran Do sages are not quick to act unless extremely pressed for time or reacting to some immediate threat; during their training, they are taught to let their perceptions flow naturally, and as such they train at a very natural pace rather than rushing to complete their training.

Force Powers

The Baran Do sages possess some rather useful powers as a result of their years as servants to the people. Many of them are able to predict weather patterns and even alter them given enough time and effort. Others, especially those who take a more active role in the conflicts of the Kel Dor, develop a highly attuned danger sense that allows them to act as defenders of the peace with uncanny speed.

The Baran Do are also often seen as prophets, and rightly so, thanks to their ability to accept visions from the Force and translate them into premonitions of future events. The Baran Do have perfected the arts of mystics and seer and adapted them for life on the world of Dorin, and are still some of the most reliable foretellers in the known galaxy.

Baran Do Sage Prestige Class

To become a Baran Do sage, one must be able to empty one's mind completely, to listen without disturbing the mental silence. The greatest members of the Baran Do can see across the entire galaxy, far into the past and through multiple futures. They are almost never caught unaware, and they provide an excellent early warning system when disaster approaches. Those who wish to know the path that is right for them seek them out, and when a great danger looms on the horizon they are often the first to act and help decide which action will save the most lives. While rare since the planet's integration into the Galactic Republic, the Baran Do sages still maintain a presence in the galaxy even if it is only a small one.