Darth Martal

The Sith Lord known as Darth Martal was the founder of the Sith Covenant around 1.000 BBY.

History
Born on Roon, the human called Jorik Matal was selected and trained as a Sith. He progressed rapidly through the ranks and was named Sith Lord sometime around 1,030 BBY, taking the name Martal.

He fought in the Third Sith Civil War, fighting as part of the forces of the warlord Kopecz, and when Kaan formed the Brotherhood of Darkness, Martal joined alongside his leader.

Contrary to popular belief, Darth Bane was not the only Sith Lord to survive the last battle of Ruusan. By the will of the Force, Martal survived as well. He fled to his homeworld of Roon. There, he took on the mantle as Dark Lord of the Sith under the name Darth Martal, and founded the Sith Covenant.

Unlike Bane, Martal had no interest in overthrowing the Republic. In his view, it was better to control the galaxy behind the scenes than to take overt control as Palpatine eventually did. Instead, Martal based his organization on stealth backed by unlimited power.

Martal, knowledgeable in the use of Sith alchemy and Sith magic, passed on these arts to his apprentices. He finally died of natural causes sometime around 870 BBY, naming his first apprentice Dark Lord.

According to legend, however, the spirit of Darth Martal still haunts the Citadel on Roon to this day, advising his successors when necessary. Whether the spirit is tied to his holocron - located in a secret room in the center of the Citadel - or to the Citadel itself is unknown.