You're right, it's not terribly clear, but I got the impression the hierarchy was Thanaton -> Skotia -> Zash, but while Zash and Skotia both served Thanaton it's not at all clear if that was just part of the Sith hierarchy or a master/apprentice relationship. But I'd guess Zash was not an apprentice to either Skotia or Thanaton, since they both seem to just butt into her plans randomly because they're higher up the food chain, not because of any special relationship.

Also, both Skotia and Thanaton consider Zash something of a heretic. While apprentices turning against their masters is common in Sith storylines, they rarely reject their master's teachings entirely - the fight comes down to power, not ideology. That would lead me to believe Zash had very different training than Skotia and Thanaton and a different view of what being Sith is all about. She's obviously vain, self-absorbed and indulgent - and none of those are qualities that Skotia or Thanaton can tolerate. If they were her master, they'd probably have struck her down a long, long time ago.

Given what we come to learn about Zash in the Dark Temple, her original master's probably long dead.

You're right, it's not terribly clear, but I got the impression the hierarchy was Thanaton -> Skotia -> Zash, but while Zash and Skotia both served Thanaton it's not at all clear if that was just part of the Sith hierarchy or a master/apprentice relationship. But I'd guess Zash was not an apprentice to either Skotia or Thanaton, since they both seem to just butt into her plans randomly because they're higher up the food chain, not because of any special relationship.

 

Given what we come to learn about Zash in the Dark Temple, her original master's probably long dead.

Her voice didn't sound that old, I guess her true face was mostly caused by dark side corruption rather than aging.

I've asked myself this question before. Why did Zash get Skotia's office after his death? I really should have paid closer attention to the details when I was going through this part of the story, and honestly I've leveled different inqs through it a few times. And when I think back on it I realize I don't understand what the purpose of any of it was, lol.

Skotia had relics or some such to do with the ritual Zash was planning, right? I know that much.

Her voice didn't sound that old, I guess her true face was mostly caused by dark side corruption rather than aging.

Careful now:

Skotia was a rival. not her master. he was a darth that had a grudge against Zash for a reason i cant remember, i know its stated but i cant remember why. he was basically blocking her from being promoted to a Darth so zash needed to take skotia out so she can advance in rank.

Thanaton isn't either of their masters either, but he's a "higher ranked darth" than either of them.

sith ranks are kinda vague actually if you think about it.

Careful now:

 

 

I was trying to be coy without using the spoiler tag - this is the spoiler-free section of Story and Lore. Anyhow, I forget her exact line, but I thought she said, "Look at my true face - apprentice. I'm old and I'm dying." or words to that effect.

 

In any case, a Sith isn't supposed to be driven by vanity of all things - she should've worn her age and dark side corruption with pride. Neither Skotia nor Thanaton would've tolerated that trait in her if they were her master - they barely tolerated her as it was.

Yeah I know that, but I think her body's status was mostly caused by the dark side corruption, because she's still a lord before we killed Skotia, and her voice I mentioned before.

Yeah I know that, but I think her body's status was mostly caused by the dark side corruption, because she's still a lord before we killed Skotia, and her voice I mentioned before.

As for still being a Lord, the game explains that Darth Skotia blocked her advancement. She's also something of a bookish intellectual, vain and indulgent, and none of those qualities probably endeared her to the Dark Council. And honestly, despite your rapid rise through the ranks, being a Lord of the Sith is probably a very high title and the most that many Sith achieve - consider all the quest-giver Lords you meet along the way.

As for the voice, blame the actor for not being convincing. She was reading the script by herself in a studio staring at a soundboard and may not have had any idea what exactly the game was revealing about her character.

Skotia was a rival. not her master. he was a darth that had a grudge against Zash for a reason i cant remember, i know its stated but i cant remember why. he was basically blocking her from being promoted to a Darth so zash needed to take skotia out so she can advance in rank.

 

Thanaton isn't either of their masters either, but he's a "higher ranked darth" than either of them.

 

sith ranks are kinda vague actually if you think about it.

Not really vague. Thanathon is a Dark Council member, the Sith Hierachy goes something like this:

Darth in the Dark Council > Darth > Lord > Overseer (?) > Apprentice > Acolyte

Not really vague. Thanathon is a Dark Council member, the Sith Hierachy goes something like this:

Darth in the Dark Council > Darth > Lord > Overseer (?) > Apprentice > Acolyte

actually, thanaton isn't on the dark council till act 3. before that he's just a super high ranking darth.

Yeah, he became a council member during the time of we went to Belsavis to get that machine.

Yeah, he became a council member during the time of we went to Belsavis to get that machine.

Ah ok, didn't know that. I only know him from the SW story ending, in which he is on the Dark Council

Ah ok, didn't know that. I only know him from the SW story ending, in which he is on the Dark Council

Funny thing, bring along a level 50 Inquisitor who has finished their class quests, and Thanaton doesn't seem to be in the room.

It may have just been me, but my Inq friend definitely spawned in a council chair, and ol' Thany was nowhere to be found.

Not really vague. Thanathon is a Dark Council member, the Sith Hierachy goes something like this:

Darth in the Dark Council > Darth > Lord > Overseer (?) > Apprentice > Acolyte

Sort of... but 'apprentice' isn't a hierarchical rank in the simple sense; it's entirely possible to be an apprentice and a Darth at the same time. If nothing else, it's an indication as to whether a Sith still thinks they can learn something from their master, and whether or not they've killed their master yet.

sith ranks are kinda vague actually if you think about it.

I guess it seems vague because there's a lot going on that we don't see. Status in the Sith seems to be all about influence and the size of one's powerbase. Darths aren't more powerful because they're Darths; they're Darths because they're more powerful, and the title is just a way of honouring all that hard work and cunning and showing that whoever can build a powerbase that big and have so much power and influence deserves to be held up as an example.

Isn't the hierarchy like:

Emperor > Wrath/Voice > Dark Council > Darth > Lord > Overseer > Apprentice > Acolyte?

Regardless Zash's advancement was blocked by Skotia, and however old she may have seemed this could have nothing to do with her rank. It's possible she may have been a body snatcher for thousands of years, as you know from her story that she can switch bodies with an ancient Sith ritual, and her rank in the story is only determined by the body of the victim she inhabited.

What idea I'm trying to portray here is that it appears Zash has uncovered the similar secrets that the Emperor employs to make the Voice, an entity who's goal is to carry the word of the big boss man but has no real thought process or decision making that moulds him into an individual, and rather than enslaving the body to carry out her will she instead transfers her essence and becomes the body, and the life, of the person she is imitating.

If we consider this concept then who knows who Zash's original master was, it may have even been the Emporer considering the rituals she performs are archaic.

Regardless Zash's advancement was blocked by Skotia, and however old she may have seemed this could have nothing to do with her rank. It's possible she may have been a body snatcher for thousands of years, as you know from her story that she can switch bodies with an ancient Sith ritual, and her rank in the story is only determined by the body of the victim she inhabited.

 

What idea I'm trying to portray here is that it appears Zash has uncovered the similar secrets that the Emperor employs to make the Voice, an entity who's goal is to carry the word of the big boss man but has no real thought process or decision making that moulds him into an individual, and rather than enslaving the body to carry out her will she instead transfers her essence and becomes the body, and the life, of the person she is imitating.

 

If we consider this concept then who knows who Zash's original master was, it may have even been the Emporer considering the rituals she performs are archaic.

.....It is pretty clear that the SI is the first person that Zash has tried this ritual on. To perform the ritual requires a tomb in the Dark Temple that has previously been undisturbed since heaven knows when and four or five relics which were scattered accross the galaxy . Unless you are going to try and claim that these relics are the freaking dragonballs from Dragonball GT and scatter whenever they are used, there is really no way that she has ever used the ritual before.