Roon was a planet located in the nearly impenetrable Cloak of the Sith. Known for its Roonstones, the planet was constantly sought after by treasure hunters for years.
Location[]
Located in an impenetrable cosmic dust cloud ominously referred to as the Cloak of the Sith, easily navigable routes to Roon had long been lost for decades. Even the most complete accounts, located in the Baobab Archives on Manda, were sketchy at best, and the lockdown of information following the rise of the Galactic Empire seemed to seal Roon's fate as a planet lost to history. This was fine to native Roonians; the planet was largely self-sufficient and plentiful in resources.
Surrounded by a lethal ring of asteroids and meteors, Roon was located in an Outer Rim system of the same name. Other notable planets in the Roon system included the searing rock planet of Kaloo (which was moonless) and the barren rock world Iqoon (which had two moons).
Like nearby Ryloth, Roon only rotated on its axis once every orbit around the sun, rendering one side constantly bright and the other side constantly dark. Unlike Ryloth, however, the lit side of the world was not scorching, nor was the dark side frigid; this phenomenon may be due to cloud cover, or an extensive ozone layer. Whatever the reason, Roon long served as a staging point for spice smugglers coming from Ryloth.
The way to Roon was rediscovered by explorer and treasure-hunter Mungo Baobab. In a move typical of his derring-do, Baobab followed the mysterious annual rainbow comet, a phenomenon that led him successfully through the Cloak of the Sith and near enough so that liberated prisoner Noop Yeldarb could guide him the remainder of the way. This became the Baobab Merchant Fleet-established Manda-Roon Merchant Route, a replacement for the near-suicidal, Twi'lek-charted Death Wind Corridor connected to Ryloth.
History[]
Long ago, the planet was once inhabited by the Taungs, who fled there after their expulsion from Coruscant c. 200,000 BBY. This is inferred by Baobab's discovery of the legendary poem, Dha Werda Verda, which chronicles the ancient Coruscanti battle. Later, the planet became the capital of the New Sith Empire.
Ancestors of Roon's current inhabitants arrived on-planet approximately 1,000 BBY. During the prosperous years of the Old Republic, the world had a small but consistent trade with independent interests, importing necessary technologies and exporting flame jewels, Roon spice, and the occasional Roonstones. Some time between 42 and 32 BBY, Mahwi Lihnn took a bounty on Roon.
Roon remained withdrawn from the New Order until shortly before the Battle of Yavin, when Koong, governor of the Tawntoom province, contacted Admiral Terrinald Screed. Together, the two officials formed a loose and informal alliance to locate the cache of precious Roonstones.
It was after Screed's interest in Roon that the planet finally began to become drawn into galactic affairs once more. A handful of Rebel Alliance groups managed to operate in the system, working with the natives of the Umboo province, a part of the planet known to have long opposed outside authority. It was through great efforts that Governor Koong tried again and again to subjugate this hardy people, but never to any avail. This is largely due to the efforts of Baobab, whose exploits on the world not only led to the discovery of the hidden Roonstone mines, but also to their subsequent destruction at the hands of the governor.
Exodus Divergence[]
Sometime around 1,000 BBY, a Sith Lord named Darth Martal arrived on Roon. He discovered some lost caves not far from the Bantha Graveyard. Settling in the caves, he founded the Sith Covenant.
In 15 ABY, Ilan Garuda visited Roon to obtain a Sith holocron, which helped him learn the sect's ways and become Darth Invisus.
The Sith Covenant remained hidden from the galaxy until 17 ABY, when activities began anew. The Sith gained covert control of the Senate, making Roon the first world to fall under the sway of the Covenant.
Landmarks[]
- Bantha Graveyard - The Bantha Graveyard was the site of countless bantha skeletons. Similar to other planets, the closely-knit family units of the bantha result in unique social behavior. On Roon, aging members of a herd slowly make their way to the site of the graveyard, where they lay down to die amongst the remnants of their ancestors. It was here, among the skeletons, that horrific creatures were rumored to exist, preying upon the dying banthas and any travelers brave - or foolish - enough to set out across the wind-swept plains. Notably, the Bantha Graveyard was not only the resting place of these deceased beasts, but also the site of numerous downed ships, from starfighters to freighters. Scientists have theorized that this has something to do with the interference of Roon's event horizon with navigational systems, and late in the Galactic Civil War, the area above the graveyard was designated a no-fly zone.
- Covenant Citadel - the headquarters of the Sith Covenant, the Covenant Citadel was a series of connected caves which houses the Covenant leaders. Few outside the Sith leadership was aware of its existence. And even if someone should find the Citadel, it was heavily defended against intruders. According to Covenant legend, the lower caves was home to terrifying Sith spawn groomed by the Dark Lord who ruled the Covenant.
- Covenant Academy - a series of interconnected structures, the Academy was believed by the locals to be cursed, since few had ever returned from exploring it, and those that had spoke of red-eyed monsters that killed without touch. In reality, these old structures served as a training area and headquarter for the dark jedi in the service of the Covenant. It was led by the Blackguard Orrus de Sadd.
Wildlife[]
Like its people, the animals of Roon all seemed to be transplanted from other corners of the galaxy. Notable among these introduced species were: