Sith Lord Vitiate
NOTE: Major spoilers involved from canon sources.
Quick facts:-
Original Name: Tenebrae
Sith name: Lord Vitiate; Darth Vitiate
Father: Lord Dramath
Apprentices trained: Exal Kressh
Sith Masters: None
Most powerful Sith Lord ever?
The Sith Emperor has mastered the dark side's power to become the most dominating Force-user the galaxy has ever seen. (SWTOR:
Codex Entry)
The Sith Emperor is the most powerful Force-user who has ever existed. Unless this implacable enemy can be defeated, the Jedi Order is doomed. (SWTORE, Page 89)
Pursuit of immortality and unprecedented power:
In his relentless pursuit of immortality, the Emperor explored the most sinister, uncharted depths of the dark side. (SWTORE, Page 161)
Transformation in to an immortal entity (avatar of the dark side):
Tenebrae pursued immortality; to accomplish this task, he adopted the path of Sith Sorcery. His plan more complex: He also sought to create a gigantic/endless supply of energy reserves for himself from which he would siphon energies at his will to transform himself in to an avatar of the dark side.
The Sith Emperor, history's most powerful dark side master, performed a ritual of incredible scope to consume the life energy of every being on his homeworld. (SWTORE, Page 148)
Lord Vitiate takes command of the Sith Empire, now in shambles following the Great Hyperspace War. He executes the Sith Council and consumes the life force of thousands of Sith Lords in a terrifying ritual that extends his life and vastly increases his capacity as a practitioner of the Force. (SWTORE, Page 16)
The ritual lasted ten days. Lord Vitiate orchestrated the sorcery and the planet Mediraas was consumed by the largest dark side nexus the galaxy would ever see. When the ritual ended, Lord Vitiate emerged as the only survivor. The pain, energy, and suffering of every living entity on the planet fueled his power and would prolong his life for centuries. The lifeless planet of Mediraas became a void in the Force and was erased from history. From that moment forward, the world would forever be known as Nathema, birthplace of the one and only Sith Emperor. (SWTORE, Page 161)
“And the Sith Lords were driven by fear. Many thought the Jedi would soon wipe them all out. They were desperate for anything they could use as a weapon against the servants of the light side. Lord Vitiate played upon these fears, convincing those who answered his call to set aside their suspicions of him and of one another to join in a single glorious cause.
Once they arrived on Nathema, they quickly fell under Lord Vitiate’s control. He dominated their minds, crushed their resistance. He turned them into slaves to his will, forcing them to participate in the most complex ritual of Sith sorcery ever attempted. Calling on the dark side, Lord Vitiate devoured them. He fed on their power, absorbing it into himself, utterly obliterating all traces of his victims.
But the ritual was not confined to the doomed Sith Lords. They were but the eye of the storm; the center of a vortex that spread across the entire planet. Every man, woman, and child on Nathema died that day. Every beast, bird, and fish; all the insects and plants; every living being touched by the Force was consumed. When the ritual ended, Nathema was no longer a world. It was a husk sucked dry. Lord Vitiate sacrificed millions, stealing their life force to make himself immortal. Their deaths also made him stronger than any Sith who had come before, and he ceased to be known as Lord Vitiate. On that day, the Emperor was truly born.” (Nyriss to Scourge; SWTOR: Revan)
Tenebrae was not just siphoning energies from all the life forms he destroyed on Mediraas (he prevented these beings from merging with the Force after death) but also from many living individuals serving him in his Empire:
Servants of the Hand share their Master's longevity, living untouched by age for centuries under his command. In return, the Emperor draws on his servant's strength in the Force and body to feed his ever-increasing power, leaving the servants withered and frail. (SWTORE, Page 163)
Tenebrae demonstrated Abeloth like abilities:
The Voice is the mouthpiece through which the Emperor delivers his orders. This possessed being sacrifices all consciousness to become a hollow vessel for the Emperor. Over the centuries, the Emperor has taken many Voices from young children to alien species. When the Voice speaks, it does so with the Emperor's cold, emotionless, and commanding tone. The Voice also wields the Emperor's incredible power and is capable of striking down anyone who displeases him. Those who converse with the Voice are overwhelmed with dread and unshakable obedience. To speak with the Voice is to speak with the Emperor himself.
The Emperor created his first Voice after the legendary Jedi names Revan attempted to assassinate him on Dromund Kaas. Though Revan's plot failed, he approached within striking distance of the Emperor. To guard against further vulnerability, the Emperor created the Voice to deliver his orders while distancing himself from the forces that conspired against him. Centuries later, this very safeguard would save the Emperor once more. (SWTORE, Page 163)
BOSS of millions of Sith Lords:
Tenebrae managed to control countless number of Sith Lords during his life including many dreaded Dark Councilors:
All members of the Empire bow before their sovereign ruler - the Sith Emperor. Enigmatic and supremely powerful, the Emperor directs this domain from the shadows and manipulates the galaxy to carry out his will. (SWTORE, Page 11)
To serve on the Dark Council is to achieve the greatest position of honor, power, and influence in the Empire. Many Sith spend their lives plotting their ascension to the council, but with millions vying for only 12 seats, the competition is cutthroat. The powerful few who join the council often serve for only a few months, their lives cut short by internal power struggles or external enemies who target them for assassination. Once every few centuries, a bold few make the foolish mistake of defying the Emperor's will - a path that inevitably leads to ruin. (SWTORE, Page 172)
For generations, the Emperor would remain withdrawn from society. When he finally appeared, the Emperor spoke only to the Dark Council, reducing the most powerful Sith in the Empire to trembling sycophants in his presence. (SWTORE, Page 157)
Tenebrae feared nobody:
Scourge expected them to search him, or at least instruct him to turn over his weapons. But Yarri and the others simply stood at attention, waiting for him to enter. The fact that they showed no concern over letting an armed Sith Lord speak to the Emperor face-to-face without any kind of preparation was a testament to the Emperor's unfathomable power. (SWTOR: Revan)
Tenebrae was the most feared Sith Lord:
No Sith has generated as much curiosity, frustration, and fear among the Jedi as the Empire's dread ruler. (SWTORE, Page 88)
Unparalleled combat prowess?
Tenebrae conquered an entire planet as a child:-
The child who will come to be known as the Sith Emperor is born. Black-eyed, heartless, and supremely strong in the dark side of the Force, the boy seizes control of his homeworld by the age of 13 and earns the title Lord Vitiate. He amasses an army of Sith followers and turns his back on Imperial politics to hone his skills in the dark side. (SWTORE, Page 16)
How the conquest unfolded?
1. The battle to seize planet Mediraas began at the age of 6:
Tenebrae manifested his incredible Force powers at the age of six. His dark gift marked Tenebrae for a place of power in the Empire - but it also revealed his mother's betrayal. She tearfully confessed to her husband that Tenebrae was born from her infidelity with the Sith ruler of their homeworld. Enraged by this betrayal, Tenebrae's father attacked his unfaithful wife. Awash in his father's fury, Tenebrae awakened the full extent of his power. Tenebrae took his parents' lives as he honed his talent with the dark side of the Force. (SWTORE, Page, 160)
2. By the age of 10, Tenebrae terminated the ruler of Mediraas in single combat:
By the age of ten, Tenebrae was feared across Mediraas as the entire northern continent fell under his sway. Sith Lord Dramathm planetary governor of Mediraasm set out to bring the boy in line. Tenebrae broke Lord Dramath's mind, but not before revealing that he was actually his son. (SWTORE, Page 160)
3. Tenebrae crushed rebellion by the age of 13 and gained absolute control of planet Mediraas:
It took Tenebrae three more years to gain control of the rest of Nathema. Dramath's firstborn son fled rather than face his formidable half brother, but other powerful Sith sought to seize the empty throne. All fell before the dark prodigy, and with each victory he grew more powerful and more ruthless. (SWTOR: Revan)
Tenebrae impressed Marka Ragnos and was recognized as the legitimate ruler of Mediraas:
With all of Mediraas under his power, Tenebrae traveled to Korriban and met Sith Lord Marka Ragnos, ruler of all Sith. Marka Ragnos recognized Tenebrae's incredible power and named the boy Lord Vitiate. (SWTORE, Page 160)
Tenebrae became such an overwhelming Force-user that he could single-handedly defeat legendary adversaries, formidable Jedi Strike Teams and Purge Sith Dark Councils:-
Jedi Strike Team led by Tol Braga easily overwhelmed:
"You stand there because I allow it. Because I do not fear." (Tenebrae to Jedi Strike Team)
With Grand Master Satele Shan's support, Master Braga assembles a strike team of the strongest and most resolute Jedi in the order. Their goal is to pinpoint the Emperor's hidden fortress, capture the Sith leader alive, and turn him to the light side. The Jedi do not realize that they have underestimated the true extent of the Emperor's power. It is an error that will cost them dearly. (SWTORE, Page 89)
The plan to invade the Emperor's fortress succeeds beyond Master Braga's greatest ambitions. However, the Jedi find more than they bargained for when they finally confront the Sith leader in his lair. The Emperor is more than a man - he is the living embodiment of the dark side. Armed with incalculable powers of corruption, the Emperor easily defeats the Knight, Master Braga, and their fellow Jedi, twisting them all to the dark side. (SWTORE, Page 92)
First known Sith Dark Council Purged:
During a violent tempest, Darth Lokess called a secret meeting of her eleven fellow Dark Council members. Under the cover of night, the Dark Council met and heard Darth Lokess describe a brilliant and daring plan to overthrow the Sith Emperor, end his relentless exile, and lead the Empire back to war against the Republic. An army of Sith under the command of Darth Lokess were stationed outside the meeting, ready to slay any Dark Council member who refused. But they all agreed to depose the Emperor.
It remains a mystery how the Emperor learned of his council's treachery. He allowed their plan to play out, but when they gathered to confront the Emperor, his punishment was swift and devastating. Eleven members of the Dark Council died in a sudden flash on the steps of the Citadel. The last member Darth Lokess, disappeared forever, though for some centuries some claimed her screams could be heard from the bowels of the Citadel.
A new council was immediately appointed to replace the traitors. The Emperor had made his point: his will was absolute, and none would oppose him. And though this was not the last time the council would defy the Emperor, his lesson would humble the Empire and its Sith leaders for centuries to come. (SWTORE, Page 156)
Second known Sith Dark Council Purged:
"It wasn't just Nyriss who was attacked. The Emperor killed them all."
"The files you showed me listed five current members of the Dark Council plotting against him," Meetra said, looking to clarify. "Are you saying the Emperor's Guard wiped out all five in the space of a single day?"
"I said he killed them all," Scourge replied. "All twelve members of the Dark Council—even those who weren't part of the conspiracy. He wanted to send a message no one would ever forget."
"How is that possible?" Revan asked. "He attacked a dozen of the most powerful Sith Lords in their seats of power simultaneously? How many troops does he have?"
"The Imperial Guard were only unleashed on Nyriss and two others. The Emperor must have assumed they were the ones least likely to answer his summons. The other nine were called together in the hours before the attack to meet with the Emperor at his citadel. None of them left alive." (SWTOR: Revan)
The mighty and legendary Revan humbled:
As they drew closer to the throne room, Revan's thoughts drifted back to his last confrontation with the Emperor. In all his battles, he had never faced an enemy with that kind of power. The dark side had radiated from him in palpable waves, his physical shell barely able to contain the crackling energy. (SWTOR: Revan)
Revan is determined to keep the galaxy safe for his child. Scourge, Meetra, and Revan enter the Emperor's citadel and challenge the supreme ruler. The Emperor’s power is too much for Revan. Recognizing that the Emperor is undefeatable, Scourge kills Meetra and betrays Revan. (Star Wars: The Essential Reader's Companion)
Tenebrae's offensive powers were incredibly lethal:
A dozen bolts of purple lightning arced from the Emperor toward him. Revan tried to draw them in and contain them, but the Emperor was infinitely more powerful than Darth Nyriss had ever been. Revan's body was engulfed in agony as the electricity coursed through his body. His skin began to boil and blister, the flesh of his face melting and sticking to the superheated metal of his mask as the Emperor poured more and more power into him. Through the haze of indescribable pain, he saw T3-M4 rushing in to help him. The droid let loose with his flamethrower, bathing the Emperor in fire. At the last instant the Emperor cocooned himself in the Force to save himself from being incinerated, breaking his focus on Revan. The Jedi collapsed to the ground, burned but still alive, the hilt of his extinguished lightsaber lying on the floor less than a meter beyond his grasp. Almost too weak to move, Revan managed to raise his head just in time to see the Emperor turn on the brave little astromech. A tremor rippled through the air as the Emperor unleashed the full power of the Force against the defenseless droid. T3 never stood a chance. The little droid exploded into a million pieces, internal circuits and external casing obliterated in a single instant. (SWTOR: Revan)
Revan's command of the Force was incredible by all accounts (he utterly destroyed a very powerful Dark Councilor in single combat to save his allies earlier; Scourge and Meetra) and he stood no chance against the might of Tenebrae; who would have utterly destroyed him, if T3-M4 had not interfered on time.
Unparalleled telepathic capabilities?
It is believed that mind tricks work on weak minds! Wrong! Tenebrae have broken (mentally dominated) many powerful individuals:
Lord Dramath (first known prominent victim)
Lord Dramath intended to judge the child’s power to determine if he was worthy of serving the Sith Lord, or if he should simply be executed. But Tenebrae had no intention of serving—or of dying. When they met face-to-face, Tenebrae proved the stronger. Only ten years old, he stripped his father of his power and his mind. (SWTOR: Revan)
Revan and Malak (Iconic Jedi heroes turned in to puppets)
Over 300 years ago, the great Jedi heroes Revan and Malak stumbled upon long-hidden Sith Empire's capital of Dromund Kaas, and its ruler - a mysterious, almost godlike avatar of the dark side. They argued briefly over whether to alert the Republic and Jedi Council, but Revan was already too consumed by arrogance and anger to consider the possibility of defeat. By the time Revan and Malak approached the Emperor in his throne room, they were already at the precipice of the dark side. It took only a fraction of the Emperor's loathsome power to complete their fall. The Jedi succumbed utterly to the Sith leader's domination and returned to the Republic to spark a new conflict: the Jedi Civil War. (SWTORE, Page 89)
Tenebrae could break even the strongest Jedi:
The Sith Emperor has mastered the dark side's power to become the most dominating Force-user the galaxy has ever seen. His corrupting influence is so complete that none can stand in his presence without succumbing to fear, anger and hatred. The Emperor can wither and ruin even the strongest Jedi's connection to the light side.
Jedi Master Tol Braga's strike team was not the first group to succumb to the Sith leader's oppressive influence. Hundreds of years ago, the Jedi Revan and Malak discovered Dromund Kaas and confronted the Emperor. They fell to the dark side and returned to Republic space as Sith Lords. Since then, dozens more Jedi have followed the same path into evil. (SWTOR:
Codex Entry)
Many Jedi succumbed to Tenebrae's telepathic powers:
The Jedi dispatched scouts and spies to learn as much as they could about this new enemy and its enigmatic leader. However, the Sith Emperor was a master of subterfuge and misdirection, continually thwarting all efforts to uncover his dark secrets.
Most Jedi who ventured into Imperial space vanished without a trace, but a few managed to send back disturbing messages to their Masters. These fragmented communiques showed the Emperor's Jedi pursuers descending into fear, madness, and evil when faced with his power. It quickly became clear the Sith Emperor was more then a brilliant military strategist and cunning political leader. He was a living embodiment of the dark side of the Force who delighted in destroying the minds and spirits of those Jedi who came too close to him. (SWTORE, Page 88)
Tenebrae's telepathic capabilities had galactic reach:
Tenebrae simultaneously controlled large number of individuals across the span of the galaxy with his telepathic abilities. These pawns ranged from soldiers to powerful Jedi:
By drawing on his incredible dark powers, the Emperor imprinted his consciousness onto unwitting pawns who would serve as vessels for carrying out his will. Through the eyes and ears of these "children," he would uncover threats in both the Empire and Republic while they were still nothing but whispers. And should the need arise, the Emperor could seize control of his children and instruct them to crush any plot that dared defy his will. (SWTORE, Page 161)
For the rest of their lives, these unwitting pawns would serve as the eyes and ears of the Emperor. And should he desire their action, the Emperor could reach out and control them to enact his will. Thus the Children of the Emperor were born.
The Jedi remained blind to the Emperor's children due to the presence of the First Son, the being who was first imprinted with the Emperor's power. While the First Son lived, the Emperor's secret army remained hidden and undetectable beneath the Republic's nose. By the time of the Great War, hundreds of the Emperor's Children were embedded within the Republic. Devoted Jedi, loyal soldiers and influential politicians all unknowingly served as the Emperor's spies and, when the Emperor willed it, acted to tear down the Republic they held so dear. (SWTORE, Page 163)
The Sith Emperor seeks to shape all things to his will. His Children, individuals infused with part of his being, have been scattered throughout the Republic, knowingly–or unknowingly–manipulating events to the Emperor's advantage over the years. Above them all is the First Son of the Emperor, a master strategist placed within the Jedi Council itself. Cloaked in the identity of Master Syo Bakarn, the First Son has been hiding the Children from the Jedi for decades, playing a long game with the Republic. His actions suggest a man possessing remarkable patience, ruthlessness and power. However, as Sophia Farash claimed, Master Syo has been unaware of the First Son’s existence–suggesting he and the First Son are two separate personas. (SWTOR:
Codex Entry)
Immunity to side effects of heavy dark side practices:
The incredible powers of the dark side come at a devastating cost. Masters of the dark arts quickly find their bodies ravaged by the dark side, their physical strength sapped as their grasp on the Force grows. (SWTORE, Page 148)
Heavy involvement in dark side practices can also prematurely accelerate aging in Force-users and reduce them to a mere shadow of their former-selves during their lives. Even powerful Sith Lords like Darth Bane suffered such deterioration:
There was another potential explanation, of course—yet it was the most troubling of all. It was possible Zannah had noticed his deteriorating physical abilities and had simply decided to wait. In five years his body would be a ruined husk, and she could dispatch him with virtually no risk. (Star Wars: Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil)
However, Tenebrae possessed such power that he was immune to resultant deterioration from being heavily involved in dark side practices for long period. He remained at the top of the food chain of dark side practitioners for over 1300 years without issues and possessed the capability to last forever and change history.
The pain, energy, and suffering of every living entity on the planet fueled his power and would prolong his life for centuries. (SWTORE, Page 161)
Planned transformation in to omnipotent godly entity (ultimate objective):
The Sith Empire's exile dragged on for centuries. While the military, navy, and Sith grew strong, the Emperor amassed unfathomable power and plotted a vengeful war against the Republic. (SWTORE, Page 157)
Aided by his powerful, secretive, and far-reaching power base, the Emperor pulls strings across the galaxy to carry out his master stroke - the details of which only the Emperor knows. Should he succeed in his plans, the Emperor will conquer death itself and become the most powerful being in all of galactic history. (SWTORE, Page 161)
Lord Scourge's reveals the Emperor's true goal for the war: to complete a Sith ritual that will grant him unlimited power and immortality by eradicating all life in the galaxy. (SWTORE, Page 93)
Planetary-scale destructive abilities?
Tenebrae, after his first transformation, possibly acquired the capability to devastate an entire planet with his Force abilities, should he desire.
“Nathema was just the beginning,” Scourge agreed. “He will destroy world after world, his power and madness growing in concert until he alone is left, Emperor over an empty and lifeless galaxy.”
Meetra stared at the two in horror.
“You’ve been to Nathema,” Scourge said. “You felt the Void. You know what the Emperor is capable of.”
“She understands,” Revan said, reading her expression more accurately than Scourge. “That’s not it.”
“He’s quarantined Dromund Kaas,” Meetra said, trying to lead them to the same conclusion. “What if he’s preparing to do the same thing here that he did on Nathema?”
Scourge hadn’t considered that possibility, and it chilled him to his core.
“Is that possible?” he asked. “Nyriss told me the ritual on Nathema took days, if not weeks. And the Emperor had to trick hundreds of other powerful Sith into working with him so he could draw on their power.”
“He’s stronger now,” Revan said. “But even if it’s possible, I don’t think he’ll go that far. At least not yet. He is too patient, too careful. Dromund Kaas is the heart of his Empire and the seat of his power. He has too many valuable resources here to throw it all away. (SWTOR: Revan)
Revan is absolutely correct:
Lord Vitiate takes command of the Sith Empire, now in shambles following the Great Hyperspace War. He executes the Sith Council and consumes the life force of thousands of Sith Lords in a terrifying ritual that extends his life and vastly increases his capacity as a practitioner of the Force. (SWTORE, Page 16)
Sources:
Star Wars: The Old Republic (game codex entries) -> SWTOR: Codex Entry
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan (novel) -> SWTOR: Revan
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Encyclopedia -> SWTOR
E
Star Wars: The Essential Reader’s Companion -> SWTERC
Star Wars: Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil (novel)