Dawn of the Jedi is a very exciting series from Dark Horse Comics. The team behind
Legacy, John Ostrander and Jan Duursema have taken the completely oposite direction while doing what they do best, exploring a completely fresh area of
Star Wars!! Rather than journey into the future, as they did with the adventures of Cade and crew, which dominated this blog for the entirety of it's run they have instead ventured into the past, over 25,000 years before the original trilogy, delving into the origins of the Jedi Order. The first story arc, 'Force Storm' recently came to a close and I'll be discussing the cool new stuff that came up in the story.
The Je'daii
The Je'daii
were brough to Tython by mysterious craft known as Tho Yor, a mix of speciessettled together on the strange world rich in the force and formed a code, based on balancing the light and dark sides of the force. Tython is a dangerous world for beings without a connection to the force so non-Je'daii began to settle the other worlds in the system, forming their own civilizations, while the Je'daii order remain on Tython and act as peacekeepers for the system as a whole. While they were damaged by the Despot War an uprising led by Queen Hadiya against their order the Je'daii are still strong and bound by their code.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no fear; there is power.
I am the heart of the force.
I am the revealing fire of light.
I am the mystery of darkness
In balance with chaos and harmony,
Immortal in the force.
So a little different from the Jedi we know, who serve only the light - but big events are coming that will change the Je'daii forever.
Je'daii Journeyers
A rank placed somewhere between Padawan and Knight Journeyers have finished training at Padawan Kesh, the Je'daii Academy and now travel across Tython to study under the different masters, focusing on different disciplines and training. While trusted with a measure of independence, these Je'daii are still very much the learners.
Shae Koda
Species: Human
Sex: Female
Occupation: Je'daii Journeyer
Shae Koda is a restless young Journeyer who lost her parents during the Despot War. She is incredibly curious and wants to find out everything she can, accepting nothing on faith. She was training at Anil Kesh the temple of science where she enjoyed exploring new sights and meeting new creatures and experimenting with the force when she had a vision of a dark masked stranger...
Sek'nos Rath
Species: Sith
Sex: Male
Occupation: Je'daii Journeyer
Sek'nos is an adventurous young Je'daii who likes trying out new techniques in the force, in fact the only thing he likes more is the female attention it gets him! He is frequently at Vur Tepe, the forge, trying to develop the ultimate blade but it was at Qigong Kesh, the temple of force skills where he too had a vision of the dark stranger while trying to master force lightning.
Tasha Ryo
Species : Twi'lek
Sex: Female
Occupation: Je'daii Journeyer
Nicknamed 'princess' by some of the other journeyers, Tasha was born into priviledge being part of Clan Ryo a ruling clan on the settled world of Shikaakwa and the daughter of a Jed'aii master. But the war has forced her parents apart with her father now made ruler of his clan and her mother a Temple Master on Tython. She is torn between her parents trying to please them both,. but when she too has a vision she knows it is the force she must follow.
Je'daii Rangers
No longer training Rangers travel the Tython system as peacekeepers and to seek other beings who can hear the force.
Hawk Ryo
Species: Twi'lek
Sex: Male
Occupation: Je'daii Ranger
Uncle to Tasha, he first introduced his older brother to Tasha's mother. He was stationed at Fury's Gate, the outermost planet of the Tython system when a strange ship came past the outpost there. The first ship to enter the system from outside in millenia...
Rori Fen
Species: Human
Sex: Female
Occupation: Je'daii Ranger
Rori Fenn is an experienced Je'daii Ranger well able to handle the dangers of Tython. When she was a joruneyer she was romantically involved with Hawk Ryo, but they decided to call it off as they became rangers, though they both still hold deep affection for each other. She was on Tython at Akar Kesh the temple of balance when the strange ship crashed on Tython and she was sent to investigate.
Jed'aii Masters
Thok Rath
Species: Sith
Sex: Male
Occupation: Je'daii Master
Honoured for his service during the Despot War Thok Rath was an experienced and powerful Je'daii Master. The grandfather of Sek'nos Rath he was looked up to by his grandson for his heroics during the war, inspiring his grandson to seek a place amid the famous Je'daii ranks. He was fond of his grandson and indulged his interests in force techniques.
Je'daii Temple Masters
Ketu
Species: Human
Sex: Male
Occupation: Temple Master of Akar Kesh
Considered the greatest of the Je'daii by many Ketu is the master of the Temple of Balance where the Je'daii study balance between light and dark. He leads the Je'daii council from a communications centre in the temple but also enjoys teaching in the open air sections of the temple where he was teachiong padawans just before the darkness came to Tython.
Quan-Jang
Species: Human
Sex: Male
Occupation: Temple Master of Anil Kesh
Master of the Temple of Science his temple is perched above the Abyss of Ruh a dark place which few have explored and whose darkness has driven many mad. He is responsible for monitoring the dark energies of the abyss and for training Je'daii journeyers force sciences. He was teaching alchemy, the bredding and altering of creatures through the force, to Shae Koda when the darkness arrived.
Miarta Sek
Species: Sith
Sex: Female
Occupation: Temple Master of Qigong Kesh
Formerly trained as a healer Miarta Sek leads the Temple of Force Skills in the silent desert. She faces the difficult task of training the young journeyers in the balanced and wise use of the force. No students are more difficult than her own grandson Sek'nos, who is always challenging himself to try out untested techniques in the force.
Kora Ryo
Species: Twi'lek
Sex: Female
Occupation: Temple Master of Kaleth
Master of the Temple of Knowledge, Master Ryo holds an important position in the Je'daii order which keeps her away from her husband on Shikaakwa. Her temple is a repository of knowledge and monitors all of Tython. When the Je'daii assemble they meet at Kaleth. Kora had the difficult task of coordinating the Je'daii efforts to quell the darkness while knowing her daughter was at it's heart led by the force.
Calleh
Species: Selkath
Sex: Unknown
Occupation: Temple Master of Mahara Kesh
Joint master of the temple of healing with their mate, they were responsible for healing the young journeyeres who went after the dark vision, and also the dark man that they found there.
There were a few other Temple Masters who appeared in a vision, but I'll wait till they come into their own later in the series before writing about them.
Exiled Je'daii
Any Je'daii who strays too far into the darkness, or into the light for that matter, are exiled onto one of Tython's two moons Ashla and Bogan to comtemplate balance and return to the Je'daii in time.
Daegen Lok
Species: Human
Sex: Male
Occupation: Exile
Known as 'the prisoner of Bogan' Lok was exiled after journeying too far into the Abyss of Ruh where he fell into darkness. Many doubt if he will ever be able to return to Tython. He watched the darkness arrive on Tython and the force storm it caused with much interest.
Well that's plenty for now, but as always there's plenty more characters, spaceships and creatures to come but I'll try and wrap all that up in another post soon. For now I'll finish with a list of species that originally migrated to Tython and formed the Je'daii order, with links to Wookiepedia if you're interested.
Talid (known as Dai Bendu)
