- "We are tempted many times by the darkness and for each of us, it tempts us in different ways. For some, the desire for more power will consume them, for others it might be fame or fortune and as a Jedi both of those will come into your life. What you do when those choices come, will not only define you as a Jedi, but as a man."
- — Daer'Gunn talking to Renato Farani
The Beginning[]
Originally Daer'Gunn was just 24601, which was the number on the collar around his neck, given to him by the Imperial group that captured and destroyed his village on Dathomir. Then it was Shaggy, a derogatory reference to his hair made by a Dark Jedi that then picked him out of a line of other survivors. She took him and conditioned him into becoming a killing machine for her own ends. Just two days after she chose him she put a vibroknife in his hand and dumped him into a pit with a Kath Hound. He survived and that was his baptism into a much greater galaxy of pain and blood.
The Dark Jedi's name was Costilla and she continued to push the young man, putting him in situations that would force him to kill in order to survive. In the rare situations where he was not forced to kill and chose to show mercy she would show him the error of his ways by torturing him with the Dark Side until he had no choice but to kill. She never once showed him a kindness, but she did begin his training in the ways of the Force; things like how to track a target, or camouflage himself, or even enhance his own physical prowess - all things that would make him an ever more dangerous predator. From his fourth year to his fourteenth, Costilla trained him and used him, but it was not to last.
Eventually Imperial Intelligence caught wind of Costilla's actions and, when placed in a situation where she had to choose her life or Shaggy's, the Dark Jedi chose her own. For the next couple of years Shaggy was tortured and experimented on at the hands of an Imperial Captain named Ishmael Jorun. Shaggy's eyes were surgically removed and replaced with cybernetic optics that allowed him view the whole visible spectrum from ultra-violet to infra-red. The Imperials continued his physical training, employing him as an enforcer of Imperial edict, particularly exterminations. Not only was he good at what he did, but over time he began to enjoy it. His extended Force training came from the scientists of the Intelligence department that had studied the Jedi training Holos from the Jedi Temple after Palpatine had gutted it.
It was during this time that he crafted a lightsaber that used an Obsidian crystal giving it a purple blade that it almost looked black. The Imperials code-named him "Berserker" and they treated him like an animal. He would be moved to different places in a cage that they would then drop on an enclave, or smuggle him on a ship, where his target or targets were located, and he would do the rest.
Daer'Gunn as Berserker.
His last mission for the Empire came when he was given the assignment to kill an old Caamasi Jedi. He found this Jedi on a space station and attacked. The fight raged from one end of the station to the other. In the end, Shaggy lost the fight but the Caamasi Jedi did not kill him. Instead, the Jedi sacrificed his own life by jumping in the way of blaster fire that was meant to kill Shaggy. The Caamasi showed him something he had never experienced before: love. Turning on his handlers, Shaggy killed the Imperials that were sent to bring him back and disappeared into the Outer Rim territories for two years.
During this time, Shaggy had many different adventures while trying to find his place in the galaxy. He eventually hooked up with some smugglers who saw him as a muscle advantage in case of a fight. The group eventually entered a contest held by a Hutt but once the contest was underway, the three discovered that the Hutt had betrayed and was setting them, as well as the others in the contest, so it could profit from the rigged game. Once the betrayal was brought to light, the three of them broke out of their cells and not only robbed the Hutt blind, they escaped on the Hutt's personal luxury ship. They had placed bombs around the Hutts throne room and set them off as they sped away from the moon. The death of the Hutt left the three with a sizable price on the their heads. When the trio finally reached a safe refuge from the bounty hunters Shaggy had decided it was time to be on his own again and purchased a YT-2400 that he christened Black Flame. He spent his share of the credits they had liberated from the Hutt on upgrades and modification and then made his farewells with his allies and again disappeared into the Outer Rim territories in search of himself and his destiny in the Force.
The Great Love[]
Shaggy's wandering among the stars of the Outer Rim came to a close when he was found by Jedi Master Cameo Naton. Believing he'd found his true path in the Force, he joined the Jedi Master in his journeys that saw them draw together a diverse group of allies in their seemingly unending war with an alien entity known only as GAIT.
Their shared journey soon found them on the planet of Dathomir where the group of friends encountered a young witch named Danni. This first meeting went well in the finest of heroic traditions as Danni attempted to crush Shaggy with a sizable boulder, only to be thwarted by a display of Shaggy's Force-enhanced strength. Danni, having been raised in the matriarchal society of Dathomir where men were treated no better than slaves most times, found herself fascinated by this man who had done what no other woman, let alone man, had by defeating her in battle. She tracked the party back to their ship and, when they departed, stowed away where she was later discovered by Shaggy. There she confessed her interest, an interest that he returned, sparking the fires of love between them. Fires that, for those gifted with the Force, could be dangerous.
Danni as Araya.
The two new lovers continued on their journey until the menace of GAIT once again reared her ugly head, capturing Danni and setting about recreating her, the result was a new personality that called itself Araya. As Shaggy and his companions attempted free her from GAIT's control Shaggy, gripped by his intense love, killed a man attempting to gun Araya down. In doing so he allowed the darkness in his own heart to re-awaken his long buried bloodlust. He turned on his allies and sided with his love and, for a time, the two of them traveled the galaxy inside of GAIT. He acted as her bodyguard and shared in the murder and killing of an unknown number of innocents.
Light in the Darkness[]
During this time Shaggy made a discovery deep within the bowels of GAIT: the bodies of two Jedi that had both died attempting to destroy the ship. The spirits of the two Jedi began to speak to him, reminding him of who he truly was and in doing so calmed the beast within him. They then passed onto him their own knowledge of GAIT and their own mission of destroying her existence. Then one of the Jedi also passed on its lightsaber. Shaggy left his original saber there within GAIT and took up the gifted blade (a blade which he would continue to use throughout his life, in keeping with the ancient Jedi Tradition of Concordance of Fealty). The silver blade would forever mark his departure from the darkness of his past.
It was not long after this that his former traveling companions, led by Cameo Naton, finally located GAIT and, with their help, he was able to rescue his beloved Araya from GAIT's evil. Although it cost some of his allies their lives, GAIT appeared to be vanquished from the galaxy. The great evil thusly defeated, Shaggy and his allies once again parted ways, but not before Master Naton married Shaggy and his love, once again going by Danni, on Cecil's Moon.
The following years were ones of both pain and joy as the newly married couple spent the next several years moving from planet to planet, never being able to find respite from their shadow. Shaggy's former Imperial keeper, Ishmael, had developed an obsession with finding Shaggy and once again bringing the "Berserker" under his control. Ishmael's preoccupation with Shaggy was so great that it destroyed his career with the Empire. However, amid the constant fear and threat of harm from Ishmael and his followers, a new life was born and with it hope sprang as Shaggy's wife gave birth to a son that they named Alexander.
The Great Loss[]
Daer'Gunn on an Outer Rim planet.
Shortly after the birth of their son the new family was captured by Ishmael and his fanatics, for even though the man had lost all connection with reality he was still brilliant. Using Shaggy's family as leverage, Ishmael forced Shaggy to submit himself to unimaginable torments to ensure his family's safety. His prize in hand, Ishmael returned to his personal space station.
Through the weeks that followed, in the time they were allowed to be together, Shaggy and Danni planned their escape. The Force Bond between them allowed a nearly telepathic channel of communication through which to plan. Finally the time came to act and they were nearly free when the plan fell apart. In the ensuing battle Ishmael, who had been expecting some kind of escape attempt, captured Alexander. The two parents fought their way stoically through Ishmael's hordes until they finally reached their child. His tiny empire now in ruins, Ishmael, in a last act of revenge, killed their child before their eyes. An enraged Danni tapped into the Dark Side of the Force and used it to eviscerate the man, forcibly separating his spine from the rest of his body. As Alexander died, Danni held her murdered child, the darkness in her heart burning a Nightsister mark - a permanent reminder of her revenge.
By the time they returned to Dathomir to bury their son, Danni had decided to return to using her other name, Araya. Over the following months, as the couple grieved for their lost son, they decided to try and escape their former lives by disappearing to an Outer Rim colony to live out the rest of their days as farmers. They both continued in their studies of the Force during this period, but refrained from involving themselves in the local politics. It was during this time that Shaggy nearly perfected his lightsaber technique. He also had the cybernetic eyes he'd had forced on him by the Empire so long ago replaced with a pair that functioned more like natural eyes.
A New Start[]
Their self imposed exile lasted until they received a call from a old friend. Master Naton asked Shaggy to take over as Headmaster of the new Jedi Praxeum that had been set up on Onderon after the fall of Coruscant. Shaggy agreed and the two traveled back out of seclusion and into the main flow of the galaxy again where he received the official title of Jedi Master upon coming to the academy. Shaggy and Araya flew to the Praxeum in his newly renamed ship, the White Flame.
Shaggy made a point to bring together all the Jedi that could be found to Midpoint Station for a uniting of the order. During this time he was added to the Jedi Council under Master Naton's appointment. Shaggy accepted the honor and for the next several months helped in the fight against a new enemy that was approaching from the Unknown Regions. Unfortunately, this time did not last long. During the conflict with the galactic invader, the Force called Master Naton and several others on the council to depart on a special mission. Shaggy was appointed as the new Grand Master of the Jedi Order.
This was not something that Shaggy was prepared to do. His mind was filled with doubt and uncertainty. Above all this, the Force gave him a vision of an epic battle that happened almost 800 years earlier on Dathomir. Visions were not a common thing to Shaggy, so he and Araya immediately left for Dathomir to investigate. During his time on the planet, Shaggy was told that the Force had chosen him to be the successor of a great warrior and leader, Daer'Gunn. Daer'Gunn was the last male leader to reign on the planet of Dathomir and he was also called the Beast Rider. Shaggy had to undergo trials in order to fully receive the heritage of the Beast Rider.
During these trials, Shaggy had to survive on his own without a lightsaber, he could not be given food or water, and he had to live completely off of the land. He made a long journey to a dormant volcano. Upon his arrival to the volcano, he was lead down into the heart of the mountain and there faced an old Nightsister, sworn to kill whoever entered her lair. The Nightsister turned out to be the one that was sent to make sure that no one ever awoke the beast that lived in the cavern. The only one who would be able to awaken the beast would be the true heir to the legacy the Daer'Gunn left.
Jiao, the Great Beast.
Shaggy was beaten and bloodied from his fight with the Nightsister. She called upon large insects that cut into his flesh and injected poison into him. He was on his last bit of strength when he saw another vision of Daer'Gunn that instructed him to attempt to awaken the Great Beast. Only then would he fully have the strength to overcome the Nightsister's attacks. Shaggy gathered all the breath in him and let out a Force amplified primal scream, although nothing seemed to happen. The Nightsister moved in for the kill when Shaggy was finally answered by a massive blast of sound that shook the entire mountain. The beast saved Shaggy's life and killed the Nightsister. The two of them flew back to Araya's clan and there Shaggy went through the Ceremony of Change.
The ceremony had been performed many times in the past on Dathomir, and was one of great importance. When a warrior had gone through the trials, they would return to the village and would undergo a name change. It signified that the old person had been left in the wilderness and a new one had returned. When Shaggy emerged from the ceremony, he had his wounds bandaged, a tattoo on his upper right arm, and a new name. He would now and forever be called the Daer'Gunn.
Following the transformative ceremony, he reestablished his calling as Grand Master of the Jedi and fully accepted his place in the Force - no longer afraid of what the future might hold for him.
The Nexus at Nexus Station[]
Daer'Gunn was persuaded to come to Nexus Station by fellow council member Kalja Sairu Leidias in order to finally set up a peace treaty between the Jedi and the Empire. During his time on the station, Daer'Gunn had some of his past revealed to him by Jade Croft, Empress of the Loris Empire. During his meetings with her, his own calling came into question and with a probing of the Force; he began to see things in a different light. He returned to the negotiation tables with the Empire; eventually finding a common ground with the Imperial emissaries and a peace treaty was established.
After Nexus[]
After the treaty was signed, Daer'Gunn made one last visit to Empress Croft. He asked for any and all records that she had on his past. She gave them to Daer'Gunn as a small gesture of an uneasy friendship. Accepting this gift with all the gratitude that he could, Daer'Gunn set out to the planet Dathomir once again, this time on a personal sabbatical. While he was planetside, he came under the teachings of Dan'Ae, the leader of Araya's Grey Mountain clan. She brought into his life a more basic understanding of the way that they manipulated the Force, which helped Daer'Gunn gain a greater control on the telekinesis weakness that he had, allowing him to move heavier and more objects around with ease.
While he was within the grounds of the clan, he was to assume to role of any male in the village. He would awaken early and begin his allotted chores. Many times not finishing till after sunset, he would work until the job was finish. He found a simple satisfaction at the manual labor, it allowed him to clear his head and to concentrate on his teachings and finding what the Force had in store for him when he returned to his position. During one of his flights on Jiao, the Force revealed that his time as Grand Master was coming to a completion. He accepted this new role and he felt as though many of the weights that had been plaguing him were now lifted.
He said good bye to his hosts and returned to Onderon. Once there he reunited with his great love and made the formal announcement about his stepping down as the lead of the council on all Jedi and ally channels
The War of Darkness[]
Daer'Gunn has since become very active in the War of Darkness. He has helped to broker a treaty with Brotherhood of the Force and has also been on the front lines of the battle that have come from the different confrontations between the two opposing sides. He has stood and faced a new threat under Sivter's evil rule. They are called the Schrai. Daer'Gunn stood face to face with one of the most feared beasts of the Schrai, the berserker drone. Daer'Gunn ended up using the creature's own weapon to defeat it after long a draining battle. Daer'Gunn did not have time to rest however; there was a fight still raging around him.
He continued towards the Temple of Necroa on Yavin only to feel the presence of fellow Jedi, Master Faye Ward suddenly pulse and then begin to fly towards him. She had been force thrown off the top of a temple towards the ground below by Sivter. In an act of either sure brilliance or udder stupidity, he has yet to decide which, he, along with help from two of his Mandalorian escorts, moved to intercept the fallen master. Daer'Gunn hooked two grappling hooks to his body and was taken through the battle filled air to try and save Master Faye from death. Once they were at a certain altitude, Daer'Gunn released the hooks and in mid air, caught Faye's unconscious body. He then used every last bit of Force energy in his body to bring about his Force Protection.
He covered up the much smaller Jedi and as they slammed into a crumbling structure, the Force Protection kept the two from being killed. Because of the weariness of Daer'Gunn due to the battle before hand, both were still hurt, but both still survived. Since then, Daer'Gunn has gone from Onderon to Mandalore doing what he can to help preserve the Order and to keep justice as the center piece of Jedi philosophy. He is currently answering a call to arms by his friend Adam Sage. If there is going to be a large fight and Daer'Gunn will be on the front lines, as where he usually is.
Finding a Lost friend[]
Daer'Gunn had spent many days and nights on the battle fields. He had finally had enough time to get back to Onderon and to his wife. He was ripped from his sleep by a strange feeling and a drawing out to the planet Naboo. He kissed his wife on the cheek and grabbed his unpacked bag. Calling to the hanger, the White Flame was made ready and it was already lifting off as he walked into the hanger. He jumped onto the ramp and off he was again. His flight to Naboo was spent in meditation where he saw signs of children playing and then a dark shadow over taking them. The children would scream in fright but then embrace the shadow. He then heard the sounds of a females voice. Small, weak, and struggling to call out for the children. Daer'Gunn knew the voice but could not remember from where.
He made it to the planet and was immediately brought before the Queen. On his way to see her however, he ran into a scene of a man trying to hurt two children, the same children from his vision. This situation changed before he could move when the old child, Callie, began to fight back using the Force. She began to Force choke the man trying to hurt her little brother. The darkside was building and Daer'Gunn knew he had to defuse the situation and fast. He moved in a separated the three and took charge of the children right as the rest of palace security got to the scene. The man was removed and Daer'Gunn found out that the children belonged to his long time friend Tabetha Sunstar. He did end up finding out that she had been missing for some time now but he was allowed to share a very special moment with both Callista Sunstar and Judrin Sunstar, her children.
He reached out with the Force and when he physically touched the children, he shared with them all of his memories of their mother. He did this to build trust and also to give them hope that their mother was still alive. He then went and talked to the Queen, expressing his feelings of helping find Tabetha and also training the children. When the children were properly trained, they could better find their mother because of their Force connection to her. However, something has now come into the light that has changed everything Daer'Gunn thought that he knew.
A strange man named Lucien has come into the picture, not only with information about Tabetha, but also with information about Daer'Gunn himself. It has been revealed to Daer'Gunn that he was born on Dathomir and that the prophecy about him becoming the Daer'Gunn was not just from Dathomir, but it was also recorded in an ancient Holocron. Lucien has also revealed the name of his original tormentor Callista as Sayka Doon and that she was still alive.
Lightsaber Techniques[]
Saber Blade: Silver
Form I: Shii-Cho (Mastered)
Form V: Shien / Djem So (Mastered) Daer'Gunn was only taught one part of it from his former master and came into the knowledge of the second part. Thanks in large part to Danolie Notorious.
Form VII: Juyo / Vaapad (Mastered) While he was on Dathomir, he gathered all the teaching he could on Form VII from the archives and has begun to put them into practice in his own styles. He prefers to stay quiet and keeps himself focused on the target a head. This discipline has brought about the art of Forum VII to his attention.
Daer'Gunn's style is very aggressive and his natural power and intensity is translated into his strikes. Even though he no longer follows the dark Jedi training for the lightsaber, many of its influences can still be seen in his style. He does not seek to just survive any duel, he always seeks to win. With the Sith gaining more power in the galaxy, just to survive is the wrong stance to take during a duel that could decide the fate of hundreds or thousands.
Even though the Force is the primary weapon of a Jedi, the lightsaber has become the extension of that weapon. Daer'Gunn is not the best lightsaber master like Tulsar Leidias but Daer'Gunn's personal philosophy is to only stay with a couple of forms and master those. He is hoping to teach this style of incorporating hand to hand combat plus lightsaber with Force powers to his students. His former student Renato Farani has become very adept to this style.
Daer'Gunn's Battle Armor and Fighting Styles[]
Daer'Gunn wearing his armor.
his armor was originally given to him by his Imperial wardens. His gauntlets are made with a special mineral called Cortosis ore. This Cortosis ore was turned into cortosis weave and placed in layers on his gauntlets that cover Daer'Gunn's arms from the back of his fist to his elbow. Also they cover his legs from his knees to his feet. The red body armor is based off of an old Echani armor. This was to give Daer'Gunn plenty of movement but would also be good body armor. It is red because it is also the same type of armor the Royal Guardsmen used when guarding Palatine.
Also he has studied the art of the Echani unarmed combat. While his armor is based off of theirs, he was given the proper training to be able to move in the armor and to fight in the most effective way while being unarmed.
More recently, since his trip to Dathomir, he has begun to introduce more of the Force powers into his arsenal. Besides the obvious physical boosts the Force gives him, he has started to incorporate his newly found telekinesis and more of the Dathomir Witch fighting styles into his fighting.
The Daer'Gunn Symbol[]
Daer'Gunns Symbol
This was used by the last beast rider Daer'Gunn and now that Shaggy has taken on, not only his name but his legacy as leader, it has become his symbol as well.
Force Powers[]
Force Leap/Jump - Uses the Force to augment the user's natural leaping ability. Force users adept in this can perform incredible vertical/horizontal leaps with impunity
Telekinesis An ability that most Jedi had. With it, they could lift objects according to their concentration and move them, hovering the items in any direction. Until recently, this was one of Dar'Gunn's weakest skills. Since his time on Dathomir, he has learned to control the power more and being around the witches has increased his capacity to move objects.
Burst of Speed - Makes the user able to maintain sprinting speeds>
Force Camouflage - Allows the user to blend in with his/her surroundings. not as affective as Force Cloak
Enhance Ability - The Force boosts the user's abilities, empowering his or her strength, dexterity, and endurance
Breath Control - Skilled users of this power are said to be able to hold their breath for hours, even days.
Force Aura - This power temporarily strengthens a Jedi's defense and ability to resist most forms of attack, be they physical, energy, or Force related, lessening the damage if any.
Protection - A power generally only achieved by high-ranking Jedi masters, Force protection will make the bearer invulnerable to a wide range of physical weapons, energy weapons, and Force powers. Daer'Gunn can do this to a very limited extent and it drains him considerably.