Moraband

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"Careful we must be. Deserted this planet was, long ago, after many wars."

―Yoda^[4]

Moraband, known in antiquity as Korriban, was an Outer Rim planet that was home to the ancient Sith Order. The desolate and mountainous world was abandoned after many ancient wars. The Valley of the Dark Lords on the planet's surface was the final resting place of Darth Bane, the Sith Lord who created the Rule of Two. During the Clone Wars, Yoda ventured to the abandoned world as part of his journey to discover the secrets of eternal consciousness.

Description[]

"Known long ago as Korriban, this ancient homeworld of the Sith was abandoned after countless wars transformed it into an infertile wasteland."

―Darth Sidious, The Secrets of the Sith^[7]

Moraband-Sacrifice — The desolate Moraband landscape

A world of mountains and red sands, Moraband was abandoned after widespread devastation during numerous wars.^[4] Located on the surface was the Valley of the Dark Lords,^[5] a wasteland filled with the tombs of ancient Dark Lords of the Sith such as Darth Bane, among others.^[4]

History[]

Early history[]

"They are the Despoilers of Worlds, and have Laid to Waste once Fertile Habitats such as Korriban, Ziost, Ixigul, Asog, and Others."

―Kli the Elder, Rammahgon^[8]

Valley of the Dark Lords TCW — Sith temples and monuments were constructed on Korriban during the time of the ancient Sith.

Around 5000 BBY,^[9] a rogue member of the Jedi Order founded the Sith, a group of dark side users^[10] who shared their name with a red-skinned species.^[11] After they were defeated and forced to flee from known space,^[10] the Sith went on a long and arduous search across the galaxy for a new homeworld, until they reached a star system inhabited by worshippers of the dark side, who greeted them as demigods and made them their rulers. Although they also settled on other planets in the system, such as Ziost, the Sith chose the planet then known as Korriban, later to be renamed Moraband, to erect their mausoleums, making it their true spiritual sanctuary and the epicenter of their dark powers.^[2] As mentioned by the Jedi writer Kli the Elder in the Rammahgon, the planet once had a fertile habitat, much like Ixigul (or Exegol), Ziost, and Asog, though the worlds fell to the dominion of the Sith^[8] and Korriban was left an abandoned wasteland after their many wars. Despite this, its existence was never forgotten by the Sith.^[4]

The planet became a sacred place of ceremonial rituals for the Sith. The burial ceremony of a Dark Lord of the Sith would be accompanied by hundreds of Sith warriors carrying the body of the fallen master. The corpse was stored in the tomb along with precious objects, and an escort of slaves accompanied the deceased on his journey to the spirit realm. The Sith then left the planet until the next burial.^[2] Darth Bane, who created the Rule of Two a millennium before the rise of the Galactic Empire, was the last Dark Lord to be buried at Moraband's Valley of the Dark Lords.^[12]

Clone Wars[]

"Master Yoda has come to Moraband, although why, I do not know. We shall, however, use the strong bond that once existed between you and your master to allow us to see things that we otherwise could not."

―Darth Sidious, to Darth Tyranus^[4]

YodasJediFighter-SWZ79 — Yoda arrives on Moraband in his custom Jedi starfighter.

During the Clone Wars, Yoda was sent to Moraband by the Force Priestesses as part of his journey to discover the secrets of eternal consciousness. Once there, he encountered a number of Sith spirits, including that of Darth Bane himself. As he ventured further into the Valley of the Dark Lords, he encountered visions created by Darth Sidious, the reigning Dark Lord of the Sith who attempted to corrupt Yoda to help win the Clone Wars. The plan failed, and Yoda left Moraband behind.^[4]

Imperial Era and beyond[]

"Although the world itself may be dead, the spirits of the fallen Sith entombed in the Valley of the Dark Lords live on eternally. As my power grows, I have heard the whispers of my predecessors calling to me from Moraband, offering me their dark secrets. When the time comes, I shall answer."

―Darth Sidious, The Secrets of the Sith^[7]

Before and after the Proclamation of the New Order, Sidious traveled to the planet to learn from the spirits of the Dark Lords of the Sith.^[2] During one of his first visits to Moraband, Sidious discovered and stole a huge Sith holocron, which he later stored in his secret lair in the Grand Republic Medical Facility.^[13] During his other visits to Moraband, Sidious experienced visions of Sith Masters battling Sith apprentices.^[14] Some time after the end of the Galactic Civil War, Luke Skywalker traveled to Moraband to investigate about the Force.^[15]

SidiousReturns-TROS — Darth Sidious believed he had heard his predecessors calling to him from Moraband.

During the First Order-Resistance War, Sidious mentioned Moraband while chronicling Sith history in his book, The Secrets of the Sith. He stated that he had heard his predecessors calling to him from Moraband on Exegol in the Unknown Regions, offering him their dark secrets. Once the Sith Eternal's fleet, the Final Order, reclaimed Moraband, Sidious planned to answer.^[7] Shortly afterward, however, Sidious was destroyed along with the Sith fleet in the Battle of Exegol.^[16]

Locations[]

Main article: Valley of the Dark Lords

The Valley of the Dark Lords was an area of Moraband that contained numerous monuments serving as crypts for deceased Dark Lords of the Sith. The largest monument in the valley housed the tomb of Darth Bane, the founder of the Rule of Two.^[4]

Sith temples[]

Main articles: Sith temple (Sword of Khashyun) and Sith temple (Valley of the Dark Lords)

SithTempleMoraband-Sacrifice — Sith temple entrance

The Sith temple was the largest monument in the Valley of the Dark Lords, a corridor of ancient monuments that serve as crypts for the Dark Lords of the Sith. It contained the tomb of Darth Bane, the Sith Lord who founded the Rule of Two, and a massive execution chamber that the ancient Sith used to sacrifice Jedi prisoners.^[5] Another Sith temple on Moraband was one that housed the Sword of Khashyun. The temple had many booby traps, giant sentries, and Sith hounds that protected the temple and the sword.^[6]

Behind the scenes[]

Korriban Valley TOR — Concept art of Korriban for *Star Wars: The Old Republic*

Moraband originated in the Star Wars Legends continuity, where it was first mentioned, albeit indirectly, in the first issue of the comic miniseries Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Dark Lords of the Sith, which was written by Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson, and published by Dark Horse Comics^[17] on October 1, 1994.^[18] It subsequently debuted in the following issue, which was written by Veitch and Anderson, illustrated by Chris Gossett, and published by Dark Horse^[19] on November 1 of the same year.^[20] The planet was initially known as "Korriban," a name coined by Anderson.^[21]

In the current Star Wars canon continuity, the planet Moraband was first mentioned in "Destiny," an episode in the sixth season of the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and made its first appearance in the following episode, "Sacrifice." During the development of the episode the pre-established name "Korriban" was used for the planet. However, Star Wars creator George Lucas preferred the name "Moraband" and as such the planet was renamed to reflect his wishes.^[22] The name "Korriban" was later reintroduced into canon as an ancient name for Moraband in "Gaze of Stone," a short story written by George Mann and published in the 2019 short story collection Myths & Fables.^[23]