Work In Progress Dantari Ceremonial Lightsaber

[Ova Ziss]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a different style of lightsaber designed by the Dantari (the inhabitants of the Dantooine System) for Diarchy Acolytes in the liberated Dantooine Enclave.
• Image Source: ToastMan85 on DeviantArt
• Canon Link: Katana (Blade - Star Wars Lore - Non Lightsaber Variety)
• Permissions: Semi-original lore: see sources below.
• Primary Sources:
  Lightsaber
  Katana (Blade - Star Wars Lore - Non Lightsaber Variety)
  Rahm Kota's Lightsaber
  Kylo Ren's Crossguard Lightsaber
  Beskar aka Mandalorian Steel (Hilt Material)

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Dantooine Enclave (United Trade Authority)
• Affiliation: Diarchy
• Market Status: Closed Market
• Model: Single blade; double blade; twin blades - second sword underhanded in offhand.
• Modularity: Yes, except the hilt. The hilt cannot be taken apart or reconstructed because it is one solid mass of beskar. The lightsaber parts would need to be taken completely apart and then reconstructed into the desired new hilt, which could take some time.
• Production: Limited. Dantari Acolytes in the Dantooine Enclave are profoundly isolationist. They will give Dantari Blades only to those who have earned them. It should also be noted that just because someone is a part of the major faction that administrates the Dantooine Enclave does not mean that they automatically own the Ceremonial Blades.
• Material: Kyber Crystals [Blade]; Beskar Mandalorian Steel [Hilt and Cross-guards]; Any Jedi or Sith focus crystal.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Lightsaber
• Size: Average
• Weight: Average

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Beskar Cross-Guard:
• Beskar Hilt:

STRENGTHS

• Strong, Sweeping Strikes:
• Precision Design:
• Push Away with Two Hands: The hilt can be used non-violently to push opponents away or bruise them. The kyber crystals are strong: the force user can also channel their force powers through the Dantari Blade into one strong force push, which is capable of pushing the opponent 5ft away from the Sabertana if the attack is unresisted.
• Cross Guard Disarming Sweeps: The cross-guard is made of beskar and it is strongly resistant to lightsaber blades. If you catch an opponent's lightsaber hilt / weapon with the cross-guard, it is possible to fling the weapon away from the attacker, or at least require them to go prone to pick it up.
• Medium Defense: The Dantari Blade excels at medium defense
• Deflection of Blaster and Bowcaster Rounds: The large hilt and thick blade make the Dantari Blade a popular choice for Form V practitioners.

WEAKNESSES

• Close Up Defense:
• Disarming Blows: The opponent can also use the duellist's own cross-guard against them by trying to disarm them.
• Use of Force Powers in Off-Hand: Since the Dantari Ceremonial Blade typically requires a two-handed strong-pose, there is limited ability by the duellist to use their active force powers such as push or lightning in their off-hand. However, they can still use passive powers such as dashing or mental distractions.
• Still has a Notorious Reputation: The Sabertana was once owned by a serial-killing force user who went by "Darth Nyax" (who, despite being called Darth, was never a Sith or a member of the Galactic Empire). Light side force users, and even those on the dark side, look at Sabertana users as somewhat uncivilized -or even untrustworthy. Most of the galaxy does not know that Nyax repented his "evil ways" in the eye of the Sith, and spent the rest of his days killing Jedi as a nondescript stormtrooper conscript.

DESCRIPTION

The Dantari Ceremonial Lightsaber, sometimes called the "Sabertana" by untrained force users, is favored by practitioners of lightsaber Form II Makashi and lightsaber Form V Shien. The "katana", a sword with a curved design, was once used by a dangerous cult and its serial-killing Sith Lord, whom some of its followers on Corellia called "Darth Nyax". When Nyax finally passed away, the Sabertana became a taboo weapon that was once associated with evil. The Sabertana was reclaimed by the Jedi when the Dantooine Enclave was owned by the Galactic Alliance, and the use of the Sabertana on Dantooine may have been an inspiration for several subsequent attacks by the New Imperial Order.

The Sabertana is one of the only lightsaber designs agreed on by both Jedi and Sith. Naturally, the Sabertana was adopted by the Diarchy for exactly these reasons.

The beskar cross-guard allows the duellist to not only defend themselves from attacks, but also to use it offensively: you can attempt to sweep the opponent's lightsaber away, giving the duellist a precious opening. The balanced and modular design makes the Sabertana a forgiving weapon that can be easy to master with sufficient focus, training, and daily discipline. The balance of the weapon allows it to spin easily on its axis, and practitioners are encouraged to use two hands aka the "strong pose" to maintain maximum control and flow. The duellist must use circular, full, strong, deliberate, sweeping strikes. The underside of the weapon is patterned with a fabric grip so that it can be held under-handed.