Mr. Pig
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OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Si-Dom Ra'Cath is as old as the Cathar themselves. It is believed by some that the Ancient Mane themself pulled together the First Tribes in the First Age, teaching each one the Thirteen First Ways and bade them to wander the planet until they found their homes. As the Cathar people spread throughout their homeworld, they developed their distinct fighting and hunting styles that slowly became the various Kuli-Ras. Some archaeological and oral traditions speak of the Kuli-Ras coming together at some point in history to fight off alien intrusion. To speak of Si-Dom Ra'Cath is, truly, to speak of the history of the Cathar themselves.
More modern history is easier to quantify. It is known that, when Cathar was discovered by the Old Republic at around 7,000 BBY, the Ancient Mane met with the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order at the time. Most legends say that they had embraced as if they were old friends and had always known one another. Most traditions speak well of the Jedi, and work closely with the Order to keep the sector secure. This is the foundation of Cathar's involvement with the Republic, which has always been rather informal because Cathar is not a well developed or united world. Nonetheless, the history of the Republic is filled with stories of Cathar Zersi fighting alongside Jedi and the Republic, many becoming great soldiers and leaders of the Galaxy.
During the Mandalorian Invasion at the start of the Mandalorian Wars, the nuclear bombardment of Cathar obliterated many cities, along with their traditions. Rather than uniting into a single army to resist the occupation, the Grand Masters of the time led their people into hiding and guerilla campaigns, and many fled the planet, scattering the Cathar people into the Galaxy. When the war was over, the rebuilding of Cathar began, along with many traditions. Most of the major Kali-Ras trace their origin to this era. A prophecy that one day, a Zersi would defeat Mandalore, on the Mandalorian homeworld, and bring a permanent peace between the Mandalorians and Cathar. Others believe this prophecy speaks that when Mandalore is defeated, the world will be taken from them in a final revenge for the sundering of Cathar. A few radicals believe that, when this happens, the Zersi will take the position of Mandalore, and Cathar will be united with the Mandalorians.
During the era of the Galactic Empire, Cathar was considered a savage planet with few resources. The Imperial garrison routinely found themselves under attack, and slaver rings were permitted to operate with impunity in an attempt to get the planet under control. As a result, many Zersi joined the Rebel Alliance and were active members of the New Republic, and later the Resistance against the First Order.
In recent years, Cathar has struggled in the era of Chaos to shake foreign occupation, leading many to wonder why Cathar has not finally rallied around the Grandmasters and united into a world government. Many of these hope to form a Cathar military capable of enforcing their sovereignty. The recent Mandalorian occupation has been a light touch by the occupiers, but 3 of the Grandmasters have been taken prisoner by the Mandalorians for their resistance movements, and kept alive to keep the Cathar in line.
In the views of mainstream Cathar Martial Arts, there are 13 Grand Master practitioners, whose skill and knowledge in the ways are such that they may anoint Masters. Without the blessing of one of these 13 Masters, no Cathar may found a Martial Hall. The
- Intent: To expand on Cathar culture and provide a structure for their society, as well as giving Cathar characters a foundation for martial traditions they may wish to pursue.
- Image Credit: None
- Canon: Cathar (Planet) and Cathar (Species)
- Permissions: Open
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- Name: Cathar Martial Arts / Si-Dom Ra'Cath (Lit. Life of the Tooth-Hunt. Ra'Cath is also an antiquated word for 'Battle.') Also known as Si'Ra'Cath for short.
- Classification: Martial Tradition
- Origins: Cathar Species
- Affiliation: The Cathar Species; The Jedi Order
- Symbol: Although many traditions within SiRaCath exist, it is generally accepted that the image of a red Cathar tooth with a hole in the bottom is an image that represents the traditions as a whole.
- Domain: Practitioners of Cathar Martial Arts may be found wherever Cathar cultures may be found.
- Estimated Population: Scattered
- Demographics: Although most Cathar practice martial arts in one way or another, being a tribal warrior culture, there are few who are considered to be true practitioners of the styles, dedicating their lives as true warriors of Cathar.
- Description: The Cathar are a warrior and hunting culture, and, over the ages, many traditions have emerged. Although the Cathar people are tribal and are generally not considered to be a united people, there is a sense of common culture and tradition that has emerged since their ascension into Galactic society, and these traditions have exchanged ideas and techniques over the centuries. This codification has led to a loose formalization of their Martial Arts into a system of dojos and traditions that routinely challenge each other and exchange ideas.
- Distinctions: Cathar have a variety of morphologies, ranging from nearly indistinct from Humans to leonid forms capable of running at great speed on all four limbs. Being such a diverse species, there are many techniques and traditions requires to accommodate them all, and so there is no common physical alteration that occurs throughout the traditions. Many Martial Halls have various symbols, fur stains, clothes, and other accoutrements to display their associations.
- Force Sensitivity: Standard - Cathar Jedi are more likely to study Martial Arts than most, but there is no causality between being a practitioner and being Force Sensitive.
- Membership: Most Cathar are hunters and study Ra'Cath techniques as part of their tribal traditions. A specific martial tradition is known as a Kuli-Ra ('The Way of the Fang'), which are taught at a Dojo, known as a Lipa. A practitioner is known as a Zersi (Zer meaning 'To Experience', Si meaning 'Life'. Zersi is also a highly formal, antiquital term roughly meaning 'Student' but often has the connotation of living a particular chosen life - a woodworker may be referred to as a Zersi, for example, for their dedication to their art.)
Different traditions have their own hierarchies and standards. Generally, however, a Kuli-Ra tradition has six ranks:- Pledge: A person who wishes to join a Dojo. Often considered the lowest rank, they must show their dedication to learning the traditions of their dojo.
- Initiate: A person who has illustrated their dedication, and has been accepted. They are a junior to the Dojo, and must heed their masters.
- Zersi: A full student of the Dojo, and are accepted as having embraced the lifestyle to learn the arts. They are both students of the Masters, and teachers in their own right to Initiates, as well as providing tests to Pledges.
- Master: A leader of a Dojo that accepts Zersi, and oversees their Dojo's affairs. They are often tribal leaders, patriarchs or matriarchs of local families. Often their students are their children and their spouses.
- High Master: A High Master is considered to be the leader of a tradition, and are usually venerable warriors and cultural leaders within the Cathar. Many hold formal or informal ranks in militias, as well, and are considered to be some of the greatest practitioners.
- Grand Master: True masters of Cathar Martial Arts are the Grand Masters, each of whom has an intimate connection to the arts. They often have mastered several traditions and many forms over their lifetimes. Many Cathar look to them as leaders of their people, although their culture is too disparate for this to be a formal arrangement. Grand Masters fluctuate in number over time, but the traditional number is 13. In order to be a High Master of any respect, a Zersi must receive the blessing of a Grand Master to be considered one. To become a Grand Master, a person must be recognized by at least three other Grand Masters.
- Reputation: Ra'Cath is seen as one of the great unifying principles of Cathar society, given how much the traditions exchange with one another. Given that the forms are restricted to the Cathar people, it is not as widely practiced or recognized in the Galaxy as some forms, such as Echani Martial Arts. Because the Cathar do not have a distinctly united culture, and are tribal in nature, it is difficult for outsiders to navigate the details. Given that Zersi are often tribal defenders against slave raids, they are widely feared by those who do know of them.
- Curios: Zersi often wear war paints or wear trinkets of their particular tradition to instill fear in their enemies and hope in their allies. Images of the Old Republic, the Jedi Order, and the Galactic Alliance are common.
- Philosophy: Although each tradition is different, there are a few common beliefs. Because Kuli-Ra's are often tied to a tribe's identity, dedication to one's tribe and being a protector for the tribe is a foremost value. Preserving and sharing these traditions is important to a Zersi, and many will wander between families and tribes to teach how to fight.
- Outward Views: Many Zersi believe Si-Dom Ra'Cath as being a distinctly Cathar practice, but a more holistic view is that it is simply the Cathar's version of martial traditions that accommodates them and their bodies, and that they must respect other species' traditions the same way they view their own. Generally, a Zersi is a protector of the innocent, an enforcer of law, and one who fights off invaders. Most traditions teach beliefs in the Force in one way or another, usually closely following Jedi traditions. Indeed, many High Masters and traditions have their origins in Cathar Jedi.
- The Arts & Architecture: Si-Dom Ra'Cath traditions are often paired with artistic, musical, and other forms of expression, to the point that some do not make a distinction between dancing and fighting, for example. Many are crafters and artists of considerable skill.
- Lifestyle: Most Zersi live with their tribes or in their Dojos, living as their people do. However, those Zersi who seek to become masters will often undergo Takrych, or The Wandering, visiting other Dojos and becoming Pledges and learning a variety of traditions, before returning home and demonstrating what they have learned.
- Laws: A common law is that a Zersi must not use their knowledge for personal gain, or against those who are not warriors and have not committed a crime. A criminal who has surrendered should not be struck, for example. In sparring, one must not do more damage than is necessary to win. The power must be used responsibly. Practitioners are often enforcers of tribal law, overseeing penance work, exiling offenders, or capturing suspects.
- Customs & Traditions: Si-Dom Ra'Cath is as diverse as the Cathar themselves. However, many of the traditions, such as the loose hierarchies and reverence for the 13 Grandmasters are accepted among most practices.
- Education & Training: Education of a pledge is handled by their tribe and the Lipa they join. The Lipa will reinforce practical skills such as local navigation, history, and tribal practices. As such, many Lipa double as formal schools for the communities they serve, or are directly associated with education institutions. All Lipa teach their students their form, or forms, of martial arts.
- Diet: An emphasis is often put on Zersi learning to live with the land they find themselves, and so local cuisine is usually emphasized.
- Communication: Many traditions have their own secret languages or alphabets. A form of dance-fighting is slowly being formed as a means of communication between Kuli-Ras, though it has yet to be formalized or codified.
- Adapted for the Cathar: Although generally considered humanoid in form, Cathar are actually a very diverse species with many kinds of bodies. Over the millennia, the Cathar have put a great emphasis on their martial arts, and so those who do practice Si-Dom Ra'Cath take to it with ease, becoming capable warriors.
- Woven into Life: Cathar Martial Arts are a cornerstone aspect of their culture, and is often intimately interwoven into how they live their lives. For some, there is no distinction between martial arts and every other aspect of their lives. Any Zersi will find themselves at home wherever their art is practiced.
- Ferocious: The Cathar are a passionate people who put a great deal of value on their capabilities as warriors and hunters. Their martial arts reflect this, and are renowned for their speed and devastating strikes, regardless of the form.
- Extremely Difficult for Aliens: Si-Dom Ra'Cath are martial arts developed for Cathar bodies, which are highly diverse. As a result, aliens rarely have the physiology to put the methods into practice, and those that can usually do so ineffectually, or at considerable risk to their bodies.
- Highly Specialized: Because the Cathar have so many subspecies, their martial art traditions reflect this. Many Lipa focus on a particular lifestyle in a particular part of their planet, and so an all-encompassing education in the forms may take longer than other, less codified forms.
- Expectations of Duty: Learning Si-Dom Ra'Cath comes with commitments that many may be unwilling to bind themselves to, often to a specific tribe. Divorcing oneself from those obligations may cause estrangement.
Si-Dom Ra'Cath is as old as the Cathar themselves. It is believed by some that the Ancient Mane themself pulled together the First Tribes in the First Age, teaching each one the Thirteen First Ways and bade them to wander the planet until they found their homes. As the Cathar people spread throughout their homeworld, they developed their distinct fighting and hunting styles that slowly became the various Kuli-Ras. Some archaeological and oral traditions speak of the Kuli-Ras coming together at some point in history to fight off alien intrusion. To speak of Si-Dom Ra'Cath is, truly, to speak of the history of the Cathar themselves.
More modern history is easier to quantify. It is known that, when Cathar was discovered by the Old Republic at around 7,000 BBY, the Ancient Mane met with the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order at the time. Most legends say that they had embraced as if they were old friends and had always known one another. Most traditions speak well of the Jedi, and work closely with the Order to keep the sector secure. This is the foundation of Cathar's involvement with the Republic, which has always been rather informal because Cathar is not a well developed or united world. Nonetheless, the history of the Republic is filled with stories of Cathar Zersi fighting alongside Jedi and the Republic, many becoming great soldiers and leaders of the Galaxy.
During the Mandalorian Invasion at the start of the Mandalorian Wars, the nuclear bombardment of Cathar obliterated many cities, along with their traditions. Rather than uniting into a single army to resist the occupation, the Grand Masters of the time led their people into hiding and guerilla campaigns, and many fled the planet, scattering the Cathar people into the Galaxy. When the war was over, the rebuilding of Cathar began, along with many traditions. Most of the major Kali-Ras trace their origin to this era. A prophecy that one day, a Zersi would defeat Mandalore, on the Mandalorian homeworld, and bring a permanent peace between the Mandalorians and Cathar. Others believe this prophecy speaks that when Mandalore is defeated, the world will be taken from them in a final revenge for the sundering of Cathar. A few radicals believe that, when this happens, the Zersi will take the position of Mandalore, and Cathar will be united with the Mandalorians.
During the era of the Galactic Empire, Cathar was considered a savage planet with few resources. The Imperial garrison routinely found themselves under attack, and slaver rings were permitted to operate with impunity in an attempt to get the planet under control. As a result, many Zersi joined the Rebel Alliance and were active members of the New Republic, and later the Resistance against the First Order.
In recent years, Cathar has struggled in the era of Chaos to shake foreign occupation, leading many to wonder why Cathar has not finally rallied around the Grandmasters and united into a world government. Many of these hope to form a Cathar military capable of enforcing their sovereignty. The recent Mandalorian occupation has been a light touch by the occupiers, but 3 of the Grandmasters have been taken prisoner by the Mandalorians for their resistance movements, and kept alive to keep the Cathar in line.
In the views of mainstream Cathar Martial Arts, there are 13 Grand Master practitioners, whose skill and knowledge in the ways are such that they may anoint Masters. Without the blessing of one of these 13 Masters, no Cathar may found a Martial Hall. The
- The Ancient Mane is the oldest Grandmaster, and is believed by some to be the first, predating modern Cathar culture and even the Jedi Order. If it were not for the fact that he is still active, operating a Martial Hall of his own and wandering the planet to teach, he would be considered a myth. He denies being this old, although he is clearly quite ancient.
- The Half Tail is an old woman who has spent her life defending Cathar, and has been the matriarch of her tribe for decades. Each of her 22 children are considered Masters in their own right.
- The Star is a galactic pop sensation, traveling the Galaxy and putting on shows that regularly sell out, regardless of the venue's size. She is one of the most visible of the Grandmasters on the Galactic stage, and her status is a popular trivia question.
- The Blooded Fang is one of the three Captive Grandmasters, held by the Mandalorians for organizing a resistance movement. Having lost all of her teeth, she has replaced them with durasteel.
- The Serene is a Jedi Master in the New Jedi Order, and is rarely on Cathar, though she makes time for her students. Most Cathar Jedi who wish to learn the Arts learn from her.
- The Lightning Claw is one of the three Captive Grandmasters. The Lightning Claw is the only Grandmaster who pairs his technique with technology, and specializes in using electricity and EMP to counter technology.
- The Wet One lives on a lake, and spends a great deal of time meditating in water. He is one of the few non-Force Sensitive people in the Galaxy who has mastered any Lightsaber forms, although he considers it to be a novelty.
- The Wanderer is an old Jedi Master, believed to be more than a century old. He mostly wanders around the Jedi Temple on Coruscant muttering to himself and giving surprise lessons in the Force, and is largely believed to be senile. Those who challenge him to duels routinely find that this is not the case.
- The Challenger is the third of the three Captive Grandmasters. A famed Holonet gladiator, he has also starred in a series of Holofilms about his real life exploits. Unlike his companions, he traveled to Mandalore to challenge Mandalore himself for Cathar's independence, although he was captured before he had the chance.
- The Baroness is a crime lord who maintains the only Great Martial Hall off Cathar itself on Nar Shadaa. She is a gangster who clawed her way out of indentured servitude and became known as a hitcat before becoming the leader of her own Gottra.
- The Black is a vigilante who hunts down criminals that have escaped justice from within their own tribe, or have broken their oaths.
- The Valiant is a fallen folk hero who turned out to be a Sith Acolyte plotting to take over Cathar. Believed to have been killed by the Black, the Serene, and the Wet One, he has recently been discovered living as a hermit on Cathar, only making contact with his fellow Grandmasters on occasion.
- The Eager is a now-adult prodigy who has taken to documenting and cataloguing as much history of the Martial Halls as she can in an attempt to codify their beliefs.
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