Zor'en Vendrack
From SW:TOR-RP-Wiki
 Jedi Master Zor'en Vendrack
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| Personal information: | |
| Character Name: | Zor'en Vendrack |
| Age: | 38 Standard Years |
| Gender: | Male |
| Species: | Human |
| Weight: | 71 kg./158 lbs. |
| Height: |
1.80 meters/5'11" |
| Skin tone: | Slightly tanned |
| Eye Color: | Hazel |
| Hair Color: | Sandy blond/light brown |
| Birthplace: | Aargau |
| Character Information: | |
| Title: | Jedi Master |
| Alignment: | Jedi Order/Galactic Republic |
| Guild: | The Regal Order: Dv. Omega |
| Religion/Philosophy: | N/A |
| Occupation: | Jedi Master |
| Relative(s): | Mother, Navira Vod'ab (legally, she gave Zor'en the name of his "father," or so she said, although this could have been of her own fabrication); father unknown |
| Known Master(s): | Ni'aan Ven |
| Current Student(s): | Usay Toran, Dehrsin Vall |
| Former Student(s): | Kai'ali Anesu |
| Residency: | Coruscant |
| Character Specialization: | Instructor |
| Weapon of Choice: | Lightsaber (orange blade) |
| Lightsaber Styles: | Mastered: Soresu [Form III], Ataru [Form IV] |
| Allies: | Jedi Order, Galactic Republic |
| Ship: | N/A |
| Player Information: | |
| Created by: | Quind |
"It isn't what is done to us, but it is how we react that defines who we are." -- Jedi Master Zor'en Vendrack
Contents |
Appearance
With sandy-hued hair cropped close to his head and his clean-shaven face (well, with the exception of some stubble at times), Zor'en's style isn't much different than the average Padawan. Typically, he is seen garbed in a khaki-colored robes and a light chestnut-hued cloak. His complexion is slightly tanned at best, and his build is lean and somewhat athletic. The bracers on his forearms have been smithed with a thin layer of Cortosis alloy weave for further protection (probably to prevent defensive wounds in certain situations), although these constitute the only actual pieces of armor that he wears, as he finds any other additions to be too restrictive.
Character Quirks:
- Is left-handed.
- In spite of his blindness, he can still write in Aurebesh, although he requires the aid of a straight-edged ruler--and even with this aid his penmanship could hardly be considered perfection, to put it mildly.
- Has basic knowledge of the following spoken languages: Huttese, Shyriiwook (of course, he can only comprehend this one rather than speak it), Aargauese (his knowledge of this language is fairly rudimentary), and Bothese.
- Has a particular aversion to Juma Juice for a reason he has yet to explain.
- In spite of being raised on Coruscant, he speaks with a Corellian accent, although this is occasionally further accentuated by both diction and a manner of pronunciation that closely resemble the dialect of the indigenous beings of his home world, Aargau.
Personality/Background
Born to an unwed mother in one of the seediest sections of (what was locally known as the "seventh level" or the "Undercity") on the world known as Aargau, a planet situated within the Zug System, it's a miracle that Zor'en was even discovered by the Jedi, and probably wouldn't have been if a Nikto Jedi Knight by the name of Ni'aan Ven hadn't already been conducting an investigation in the area for an assignment, as there were no Jedi Watchmen present in the vicinity at that time. Zor'en, who was just two standard years old at the time, inadvertently demonstrated his Force sensitivity to the Jedi Knight when he led him through one of the Undercity's maze-like, labyrinthine corridors with an uncanny adroitness that even an adult who had been a denizen of the area his entire lifetime would have been proud of. When Ni'aan questioned the boy regarding his keen navigational abilities, the child responded in a flat voice that was disturbingly precocious for a youth who should barely be able to converse--let alone find his way through the mazes of the Undercity--speaking in his native Aarguaese, "The voice inside of me guides my hand."
Zor'en was subsequently trained in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and led a rather typical existence there for a time, as most of the initiates did. Fortunately for him, the same Jedi Master who had initially discovered him was also the one who later chose Zor'en to be his Padawan learner.
Due to the fact Zor'en comports himself in a very austere manner--in addition to his almost unnerving reticence in most situations--most individuals find him to be either just plain annoying or somewhat intimidating (most Jedi who know him would agree with the former). While there is something a bit "off" about him, most people don't even realize that the Jedi is, in fact, blind as, like many Jedi, he manages to use the Force to aid himself in terms of mobility, although on occasion, if one examines his movements closely enough, perhaps his blindness isn't that difficult to notice.
Zor'en's Master used to say that Zor'en had simply been "born old," and, to an extent, it seemed that way sometimes. Ironically, however, this didn't mean that he was an easy student--his maverick personality has garnered the ire of the Council on more than one occasion, resulting in his completion of the Jedi Trials and subsequent knighthood being delayed until the age of twenty-five standard years. At best, some describe Zor'en as being rather "stubborn"; at worst, he's seen as being dour and petulant.
As a child learning the ways of the Force in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Zor'en met an outgoing, affable Togruta girl around his age by the name of Naasha Vryl, and the two younglings hit it off instantly since Naasha was one of the few beings who managed to get Zor'en to divulge his thoughts and, on occasion, actually open up to her.
Shortly after his elevation to the status of Jedi Knight, Zor'en took a Padawan learner--an eleven-year-old human girl by the name of Kai'ali Anesu, who certainly tried every ounce of what little patience the young Knight had. Although, as the next several years passed, Zor'en came to view the girl as he would a daughter or younger sister.
In addition, Naasha took on her own Padawan learner not long after--a female human child by the name of Lixis T'ell, and Zor'en and Naasha found that they and their Padawans were often assigned the same mission by the Council, ostensibly because they functioned very well as a team. Consequentially, Lixis and Kai'ali grew close as sisters would, and Zor'en found that Lixis possessed the same ardor for learning to hone and master her skill with a lightsaber, so he sparred with her almost as much as his own Padawan.
Unfortunately, when she was just fourteen standard years of age, Kai'ali was ripped away from her master during a particularly bloody battle with the Sith Empire on the world of Utapau--it was in this battle that Zor'en was blinded when he happened to find himself on the fringe edge of the radius of a concussion grenade's explosion. It was a wonder he survived at all, most agreed, even for a Jedi Knight.
Zor'en, however, didn't see it as such, and, convinced that his Padawan was still alive--after convalescing for some time--he set out in search of her against the orders of the Jedi Council, almost resulting in his expulsion from the Jedi Order before all was said and done. Out of a desire to still remain within the Order, Zor'en at last deferred to the wishes of the Council and withdrew into the seclusion of the Temple, only venturing out due to necessity (such as an assignment), until--nearly a decade later--the Jedi Council at last strongly suggested that Zor'en take another apprentice, Usay Toran, as they thought that Zor'en had been demurring to the idea of instructing another student for far too long. In spite of his initial reservations, Zor'en agreed to train the boy; in addition, he has also been assigned a temporary Padawan (a Mirialan named Dehrsin Vall) for evaluation in order to determine whether the young man is eligible to be elevated to the status of Jedi Knight. (Dehrsin's former master was struck down in battle, and due to the innumerable casualties resulting from the incredibly pestilent war with the Sith Empire, there is a distinct shortage of available instructors for the Padawan.)
For his first assignment with his new apprentice, Zor'en has been tasked with investigating nearby "rumors" detailing the possible existence of a Sith holocron that, ostensibly, has not escaped the notice of the Empire. Upon confirming or refuting its existence, his instructions are to report back to the Council immediately.
Powers and Abilities
While he predominantly focused on Form IV (Ataru) as his lightsaber combat form of choice prior to his accident, Zor'en found that his level of proficiency dropped drastically following the event, which resulted in the permanent loss of his ocular vision, and so he reluctantly switched to Form III (Soresu), as it was a more defensive-oriented stance that required less footwork, which was far more conducive to his current state when taking his physical handicap into account, although he would never admit to this fact. He has also incorporated techniques from the form known as Shien (Form V), because of Soresu's inherent lack of offensive capabilities. Shien was developed by practitioners of Soresu who felt that the defensively-oriented form would unnecessarily extend one's time engaged in battle by forcing its practitioners to wait for an opportunity to attack.
Nevertheless, from a young age the Jedi are taught to see using the Force, as they realize that one's eyes can deceive their user, although the concept has taken on a new meaning entirely for the human--for channeling the Force for this purpose temporarily is nothing like being completely dependent on the ability every waking, breathing moment of your life, which is too physically consuming for Zor'en to manage, and so he channels the Force in this manner only when necessary.
Nevertheless, after nearly a decade of adjusting to his current state, Zor'en is quite used to his lack of physical vision--he's adopted the mantra that he can "see far more" now than the scope of his physical eyesight would have ever permitted. However, like most of the topics involving anything remotely related to himself, Zor'en is quite irascible whenever the subject of his "eyesight" is broached.
Lightsaber
Zor'en originally wielded a single-bladed lightsaber that contained an Adegan crystal from the frozen world of Illum. The energy blade of this weapon pulsated in an intense shade of lime green. However, after his involvement in a particularly pernicious battle on the world of Utapau with the Sith Empire, Zor'en's lightsaber was destroyed when the Jedi nearly lost his life (see below).
After rehabilitating for some time (although his ocular vision was permanently lost to him), Zor'en vowed to make a lightsaber that was nearly indestructible, although some of his peers deemed his concerns as being mere paranoia resulting from his experience on the battlefield.
Nevertheless, the headstrong Jedi was undaunted, and after many months of research and preparation, Zor'en at last settled upon his primary crystal of choice (his focusing crystals would be of another variety) for his new weapon: the jenraux crystal, whose properties included the enhancement of the width of a lightsaber's plasma energy blade, thus allowing its wielder to intercept blaster bolts more easily, which was perfect for the Jedi considering that he had now become a practitioner of Form III (Soresu), a far more defensive form of lightsaber combat that heavily relied upon the Jedi's ability to deflect blaster fire.
The Loss of Kai'ali
The blazing, crimson sun hung ominously low in the sky as the first portent of twilight swept across the horizon like an eraser attempting to blot out the many atrocities that had been committed on the blood-drenched grounds of the arid, craggy world known as Utapau.
The desperate cry of Kai'ali, Zor'en's Padawan, rang in the Jedi's ears, and although he couldn't see her through the blinding, thick, black smoke that was a byproduct of the string of explosions sounding off around him, he could feel her through the unwavering Force-bond that the master and apprentice had shared--she wasn't far.
The deafening sound of blasters and lightsabers drew a distinct dichotomy between the beings present in both sides of this battle: the soldiers of the Sith Empire and the Republic and their more religious, Force-wielding constituents--the Jedi Knights and the Sith Lords, mortal enemies seeming to be locked into an eternal conflict.
Zor'en knew that attachment was not an acceptable feeling for a Jedi, yet that didn't change the fact that he cared for his apprentice as if she were his own child; it was his job to protect her as her Jedi Master and caretaker.
He desperately stumbled through the battlefield, trying to avoid engaging in any form of combat while scanning the horizon for his apprentice amongst the detritus and the corpses that were littering the ground. With the aid of the Force, he managed to pinpoint her location. Again, he heard her cry out in desperation, but this time it was not a cry of pain nor a plea for help: "Run, Master Zor'en!" the Padawan had begged him through the Force as the distance between them was closing; he was maybe ten meters away by this point, by his approximation.
Zor'en could now see Kai'ali's tiny, almost delicate form through the flaming vehicle chassis littering the area and the thick haze blanketing the atmosphere, her feet planted firmly on the ground, hands tightly grasping her lightsaber hilt as she resolutely wielded it in a defensive stance, her face set in determination as she fearlessly met her attackers--two light-saber wielding Sith who were obviously far more trained than the human Padawan was--she didn't stand a chance without assistance, Zor'en knew.
Kai'ali's behavior was akin to what was expected from a Jedi Knight and not a child of just fourteen standard years of age. In spite of his despair, he was proud of her.
Then, all at once, something Zor'en never expected to see transpired before his very eyes--the Sith managed to disable the girl's weapon, knocking her onto her back, hard. She looked stunned for a moment, unable to move.
This was it for the girl if Zor'en didn't reach her in time. He saw her eyes widen in terror as she stared up at her attackers, when one of the two dark-robed figures suddenly hauled the child to her feet, grasping her by the arms.
Just hold on, Zor'en silently begged the girl as he utilized the Force to somersault over a burning pile of debris, steadily closing the gap between them. Upon landing, he saw his apprentice's expression contort into a look of horror as she gazed upon her mentor--the Sith were dragging her away from the battle, Zor'en realized, but for what purpose? It made little sense--
His thoughts were interrupted by the horrific cry of Kai'ali calling his name repeatedly. He wanted to keep moving, but he felt his grip on his weapon loosen as a searing, numbing pain overcame his entire body. He felt his knees buckle as he sank to the ground, a deluge of darkness overtaking him...
When he awoke, only the same cold darkness that had originally encapsulated him him was greeting his physical senses now--in addition to various types of pain occurring at different intensities throughout his entire body. Ostensibly, he had been the victim of a concussion grenade--his focus on his Padawan's well-being had clouded his vision, thus distracting him as the explosive landed several meters from where he stood. He was told that he had lost his ocular vision in the process--and his Padawan.
The Rank of Jedi Master
"I have asked him several times; however, he always changes the subject." -- Naasha Vryl in regards to questioning Zor'en on the issue of whether or not he took the Trials a second time.
Typically, the Council only bestowed the rank of Jedi Master upon those whose Padawans had ascended to the rank of Jedi Knight. However, in light of Zor'en's great effort to save his student, at last Zor'en was granted the rank of Jedi Master five years after losing her in the fiery slaughter that transpired on the planet of Utapau.
While the Council reasoned that Zor'en's more recent accomplishments (particularly in reference to his solo assignments, which were usually of a diplomatic nature), when combined with his years serving as Kai'ali's instructor, made him eligible for the promotion, Zor'en informed Naasha that he felt as if he was not worthy of the status after failing to see Kai'ali's training through to its completion. There are rumors that he may have undertaken the Trials a second time, although this allegation has yet to have been substantiated in any capacity.
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