Sith holocron
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- "Sith Holocron are technologically identical to the Jedi Holocrons of the Republic, but they possess dark side refinements that make them ultimately superior."
- ―Sorzus Syn[1]
A Sith holocron, bearing the inscription "In umbris potestas est."
ASith holocron was a device used bySith to store information. Typically, they required use of thedark side to activate.
Characteristics[]
The temptation of Sith knowledge corrupted many unwary Jedi.
Sith holocrons were immediately identifiable with respect toJedi holocrons, as they were usually pyramidal in shape, and etched with strange symbols and ancient hieroglyphs. Inscriptions usually lined the bottom of the device, and various dark incantations were found all over the smooth surface. At the holocron's apex rested a black crystal, used to power the holocron's store of information.
The design of the holocron was not the only way to discern its affiliation: Sith holocrons emitted a dark presence, creating tremors inthe Force upon activation. It took a great deal of willpower for aJedi to access the dark devices, and some of the more inexperienced Jedi often felt sickly or fell ill merely laying their gaze upon one.
Internally, however, Sith holocrons worked in much the same way as a Jedi holocron. The black crystal of the Sith holocron was made up of intricate lattices and vertices, capable of storing massive amounts of information, as well as the holocron's Sithgatekeeper. The holocron was able to capture the appearance and cognitive networks of the holocron's owner, and transform this into a three-dimensionalhologram. This gatekeeper acted as a guide through the holocron's store of information, as a search and recovery engine with a more personal touch. These gatekeepers could relate stories from the holocron's archives to events in the life of the one who activated the holocron.
Unlike their Jedi counterparts, Sith holocron gatekeepers did not always restrict access to information that might be too advanced and dangerous for a user, allowing them unlimited access to the particular holocron's entiredark side repository, though this wasn't always the case: Darth Bane was once limited by theHolocron of Heresies, who refused to teach him the technique he sought due to Bane's inability to learn a few techniques that came before it. Ultimately, it all depended upon the holocron's creator, and how much they would choose to share.
Construction[]
- "The process of creating a holocron cannot be rushed."
- ―Belia Darzu[3]
The process by which holocrons were created was a very difficult one. In the days of the oldSith Empire, holocrons were prevalent among the Dark Lords just as Jedi holocrons were amongJedi Masters. Many rare materials had to be gathered, and much meditating on the will of the dark side was necessary to focus the Sith Lord's power. By the time of theGreat Jedi Purge, nearly all records containing information regarding the creation of holocrons was thought to be lost. But in the centuries before, the knowledge was apparently still available, should one happen to find it.Darth Bane was one such individual. Bane had tried unsuccessfully for years to store his own essence within a holocron, but when hisapprentice presented him with the possibility of finding the secrets on Tython, he set out immediately for that world. On the planetTython he acquired the holocron of an ancientDark Lord of the Sith, theShi'ido changeling namedBelia Darzu. Darzu was very knowledgeable in the construction of holocrons, and recorded within the lattices of her own holocron, Darzu explained in depth the required steps one must take to successfully construct the pyramidal Sith holocron.
Crystal matrix[]
A Sith holocron
As theShi'ido form of Belia Darzu explained, the process can take months to finally perfect, though sometimes a holocron could be created within the short span of a few weeks. Each was unique to its creator; one who sought to fashion their own Sith holocron could not use another as the blueprint by which they followed to make their own personal holocron. The inner components were composed of intertwined filaments and strands, forming a crystal matrix that must be fine tuned to prevent device failure. Rare crystal was used in the workings and tunings of the intricate network that would store potentially infinite data. Each holocron matrix had to meet stringent specifications, usually requiring thousands of precise alterations and adjustments on a subatomic level. Only through the power ofthe Force could one ensure that each crystalline strand was properly aligned.
Rituals of Invocation[]
Once the crystal matrix inside the holocron was successfully constructed, the creator could then focus on the outer designs of their holocron. Ancient Sith symbols were etched onto the device, and then imbued with dark side power in what were known as theRituals of Invocation. This ceremony was paramount in maintaining the matrix's stability after it was infused with dark side energy. Again, the symbols must be unique to the individual, and simply copying the glyphs from another holocron will only result in failure. The device will fall in on itself into a pile of crystal-dust. These spells were incredibly painstaking, both mentally and physically. But should this be performed before the Rite of Commencement, the power trapped within the symbols will fade, and the network will degrade to the point of being unable to sustain the crystal matrix.
Rite of Commencement[]
- "You must invoke the Rite of Commencement."
- ―Belia Darzu[3]
Three of Atris's Sith holocrons.
To trap one's essence within the capstone, they must invoke theRite of Commencement. Due to its complexity, only the most powerfulSith Masters were capable of performing the elaborate ritual. When the Sith Lord's cognizance was successfully trapped within, a wealth of dark side knowledge and lore could be stored within the almost limitless lattices and networks of the holocron. The cognitive network then served as the teaching element, and also stabilized the interweavings of the holocron. Without the network in place, the device would disintegrate within days.
Capstone[]
- "The capstone is the key to the process."
- ―Belia Darzu[3]
All Sith holocrons hadcapstones, wherein the creator must capture their own cognitive essence before the fine-tuning stages. This prevented the cognitive network from degrading, and only then could one truly begin to create their own holocron. The capstone was a black crystal, housed within the center of the device. It was a vital part of a Sith holocron's construction. It served the dual purpose of both an energy source for the device as well as a "home" of sorts for thegatekeeper, or the cognitive essence of the holocron's creator.
History[]
- "Locked within its recesses, accessible only to a Dark Lord of the Sith, are the forgotten histories and lore, dating back a hundred thousand years or more."
- ―Odan-Urr to Nomi Sunrider[2]
The Dark Holocron discovered by Odan-Urr
Sith holocrons originated from secrets shared with the Sith KingAdas byRakatan soldiers trying to gain the trust of the Sith ruler. Adas made aholocron based on Rakatan design and presumably the art of holocron making originated among the ancient Sith from this.
The pull and allure of the Sith holocron was strong, which the Jedi HistorianAtris discovered as she collected holocrons that slowly turned her to the dark side. As of3996 BBY, only one known Sith holocron existed, having been captured byOdan-Urr during theGreat Hyperspace War; half a century later, Atris kept scores of them in theTelosian Jedi Academy. The holocron captured by Odan-Urr was said to contain information dating back to around100,000 BBY.
By1000 BBY it was said that the art of making Sith holocrons had been lost several millennia past. That, plus the Jedi active hunting of any source of Sith teachings, had rendered the artifacts extremely rare.
Most of the Sith holocrons were created long before theClone Wars, and as of theBattle of Geonosis, theJedi Archives onCoruscant contained most of the only surviving Sith holocrons inthe galaxy. These devices were locked away to all but the most senior Jedi—in fact, most of the Jedi in theTemple did not even know Sith holocrons resided in the building. The holocrons were kept in case the Jedi would ever face the threat of the Sith again, whereuponJedi Masters could consult the holocrons for ideas on how to defeat theDark Lords. However, the Sith holocrons were not as safe as the Archives Director believed: Jedi studentLorian Nod was able to steal a Sith holocron from the Archives, though the theft ended in the recovery of the holocron and Nod's expulsion from the Jedi Order.CountDooku stole at least one Sith holocron from the Jedi Temple during theCoruscant Insurrection. The remaining Sith holocrons in the Temple at the end of the Clone Wars were forgeries according to Darth Sidious, but Sidious had his apprenticeDarth Vader recover them nonetheless.
Sith holocrons appeared to contain sentient spirits.
Several ancient Sith holocrons were kept byDarth Plagueis and were presumably inherited by Darth Sidious. Another Sith holocron was created byDarth Andeddu, an ancient Sith Lord. This holocron was recovered during a competition betweenQuinlan Vos andTol Skorr for Count Dooku during the Clone Wars, while Quinlan was allied with Dooku. It contained much dark side knowledge as well as a redlightsaber crystal embedded in its core, used to power Darth Andeddu's own Sith lightsaber. The holocron itself was kept by Tyranus while the red crystal was used in Quinlan Vos's lightsaber for a brief time.
AToydarian namedZippa tried to sellLorn Pavan a cubical holocron in 32.5 BBY that Pavan suspected was a Sith holocron, but as the deal fell through, this was never confirmed as a Sith holocron.
While on a training mission onRagoon VI withAnakin Skywalker,Obi-Wan Kenobi found a Sith holocron dropped byGranta Omega. It was first mentioned by a bounty hunter who immediately killed himself afterwards. When Kenobi found the holocron, he activated it, and after seeing several seconds of extreme suffering and destruction, he shut it off. When he mentioned it to his Padawan, Skywalker immediately became nauseous and started sweating from the potency of the dark side. Kenobi later handed the holocron over to Yoda at the Jedi Temple.
In18 BBY Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, gazed at a Sith holocron in the same hospital in which he had surgery after his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was overseen by ex-JediFerus Olin, who felt waves of nausea after glimpsing the holocron.
In1 ABY aspacer discovered aSith holocron among ancient ruins on the volcanic world ofMustafar, which was once the home of many Jedi and the site of a large battle between Jedi and Sith.[4]
Sometime between1 BBY and0 BBYJabba the Hutt found a holocron. It is unknown how he obtained it, but it is rumored that he gave up half his criminal empire to get it, and sell it to theGalactic Empire for twice his profit. Unfortunately the transaction never occurred becauseTyber Zann interfered and took the Holocron from Jabba with the help of his lieutenant,Urai Fen. After Zann was captured and put to work in theKessel Prisons, the holocron was hidden away.
The Sith holocron image ofDarth Andeddu appears before Darth Tyranus.
After escaping, Zann was able to learn (from Fen) that the holocron was in fact of Sith creation, and contained information that was only accessible to a wielder of the Dark Side. Zann and Fen traveled to Dathomir and liberated several Nightsister prison camps in order to secure the services of the Nightsister Silri. After Silri informed him that the holocron contained "useless information", Zann later decided to plant a tracking device in the holocron and let it be "stolen" by the bounty hunter Bossk so he could locate the Emperor's personal archives on Coruscant. While Zann and Fen conducted a raid on the archives, Silri, charged with guarding their escape transport, slipped into the archives and stole the holocron. The trio were barely able to escape the archive's defenses and the Dark Side Adepts that guarded the location.
After a battle over Kuat, which was staged between the Zann Consortium and Rebel Alliance against the Empire, and a double-cross by Zann against the Alliance, Zann captured the Emperor's new flagship -the Eclipse- that was still under construction. While gloating over his victory, Silri, who had accompanied Zann and Fenn into battle, used the holocron and the Eclipse's computers to locate an army of Sith soldiers frozen in carbonite within a secret vault.
Lumiya,Dark Lady of the Sith managed to obtain Adas's Sith holocron.
In130 ABY, Sith LordDarth Krayt possessed not only the holocrons of previous Sith Lords Bane, Nihilus, and Andeddu,[5] but was also known to have recordedhis own. In this holocron he recorded entries relating how he caused the fall of theGalactic Alliance and restored theEmpire as the dominant galactic power.[6] Prior to the formation of the New Sith Order, Krayt, in his previous persona of A'Sharad Hett, discovered theholocron ofXoXaan, one of thefirst Sith Lords.[7]
Behind the scenes[]
Although not seen in the film, during production ofAttack of the Clones, the film's propmakers made three holocrons for itsVisual Dictionary: a Jedi holocron, a Sith holocron, and theGreat Holocron.
One Sith holocron was known to contain the phrase "In umbris potestas est". It is aLatin phrase meaning "In the shadows, there is power".
Sith and Jedi holocrons were present in the video game version ofStar Wars: The Force Unleashed. Jedi holocrons granted the player experience bonuses and unlockable lightsaber crystals and alternate costumes, while Sith holocrons were merely power-ups, granting the player temporary invincibility, limitless Force energy, or a similar bonus.
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