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- "Prepare yourself all you like. You're already dead."
- — Raii Meriaz
Raii Meriaz is a fearsome warrior and assassin with few equals. She's faced off against some of the most skilled combatants in the galaxy and either managed to kill them, fight them to a standstill, or survive against them. She was the only known apprentice to Sivter, but also learned many of her most deadly skills under the tutelage of other Dark Lords such as Vok Ruvege and Arksis Nan. During her time in the Cult of Shadow she formed a deadly group of Dark Side assassins known as the Teroch’dha. The Teroch'dha would be the only division of the cult to remain mostly intact after the rest of the organization collapsed following the end of the War of Darkness.
Raii remained completely loyal to Sivter during her time as his apprentice. She willingly allowed her mind to remain open to him so he could easily read her thoughts whenever he wished. At first this was just a precaution on Sivter's part in case she every considered betraying him, but it eventually grew to the point where Raii ended up being one of the few beings that Sivter considered to be worthy of his trust. One of her primary duties was to act as his bodyguard, but Sivter would also send Raii to take care of highly sensitive tasks that he wouldn't dare assign to most other beings.
After Sivter was killed on Arcanix, the only person he trusted to carry on his plans was Raii. Her actions after the War of Darkness have been mostly shrouded in mystery, but it appears as though she has little interest in reviving the Cult of Shadow or trying to start a new War of Darkness. This is actually true to Sivter's last orders to her, although only a handful of beings know what Sivter's final orders to her actually were.
Raii originally hails from the planet Roon and actually has strong ties to the ancient Taung in her blood. The traits of her warrior ancestors are readily apparent as Raii is a gifted warrior in any discipline she chooses to study. Her power in the Force was initially limited, but highly focused. She used it to augment her senses and reflexes to put her on par with the fastest and most agile opponents. After the fall of the Cult of Shadow, she used her time in hiding to expand her skills and grow her power, making her even more dangerous than she was before.
Raii specializes in bladed combat but instead of lightsabers, she prefers to use alchemically treated weapons that are capable of withstanding a lightsaber or a blaster bolt. Although her swords aren’t as powerful as a lightsaber, she sees the traditional Jedi weapons as disasters waiting to happen. Any malfunction in the lightsaber and the user is suddenly without their most potent weapon. In her opinion, a well-crafted blade has a much lower chance of failing than even the best lightsaber; the less moving parts, the less that can go wrong.
Raii’s armor is laced with cortosis, but contrary to belief her weapons are not, instead they use the ancient alchemical secrets of the Sith. Her pride in her abilities demands that she bests whoever dares to oppose her without any tricks. It's one of many ways she constantly makes sure that her skills are always as sharp and honed as possible.
History[]
- "You’ll cross my blades before you ever cross Sivter."
- — Raii Meriaz
Raii as Sivter's apprentice.
Sivter discovered Raii during his journey to locate members for his soon-to-be-formed Inner Circle. At the time she was an orphan living alone on Roon, but even lacking any formal training she was still a formidable warrior in her own right, having somehow tapped into a fraction of her power in the Force on her own to enhance her abilities. Sivter sensed great potential in the young woman but also felt she lacked the right traits that would be required to serve as a member of his Inner Circle.
Nevertheless, he decreed that Raii would make an excellent addition to his cult. When he finally confronted her, Raii refused to leave unless Sivter could defeat her first. To her credit, Raii put up a good fight, but she was no match for Sivter’s power in the Dark Side. Humbled by her defeat, Raii agreed to follow Sivter.
On Arcanix, Raii subjected herself to a rigorous training regimen in the hopes of one day impressing Sivter. No task was too difficult or too brutal for Raii to undertake. More than once she was nearly killed during her training, but she would not rest until she could easily overcome all obstacles in front of her.
All of her hard work eventually paid off as Sivter soon took a personal interest in Raii’s training. He began grooming her to be his bodyguard, instructing his best combat instructors and weapons masters to perfect her skills while he himself taught her the art of stealth. When he felt she was finally ready, Sivter told Raii of her new duties and the conditions that went along with it. Pleased that she could serve so close to Sivter, Raii pledged eternal service to him; body and soul. Soon after, Sivter had Kishkumen personally craft new armor and weapons for Raii to seal the deal.
Now it is rare to see Raii away from Sivter’s side. Only during her training sessions or when Sivter requires solace for meditation or research is she ever absent. Even then Raii is always nearby, ready to spring into action should her master ever require her services.