House Orvax

**House Orvax** is a prominent Sith family whose ancestry predates the settlement of Dromund Kaas, making them one of the oldest bloodlines in the Sith Empire.

They have a great deal of influence among the upper echelons of Imperial society, and are exorbitantly wealthy. House Orvax also commands a mass of Sith spies, considered to be among the Empire's finest.

## History

> "*Most aren't even part of the Orvax bloodline. Point of fact, the family itself is relatively small. They conjoin their power bases, and the strongest of the lords commands them all.*"
> ― An Imperial officer explains the organization of House Orvax
>
>

### Golden Age of the Sith

The bloodline first rose to power when the ambitious Orvax was named a Lord of the Sith during the reign of Marka Ragnos. He was counted among the most powerful dark sorcerers of the era, and eventually earned a seat on the Sith Council. A man of great vanity, Orvax decreed that his offspring would take his forename as a patronymic.

### Sith exodus

Orvax died years before the defeat of Naga Sadow, but was survived by his three sons. His sudden death forced the eldest of the sons, Halphas, to raise his brothers despite still being in his adolescent years. The three young Sith were among those led by Lord Vitiate in an exodus from the Sith Worlds.

The Sith survivors spent twenty years in exile before reaching the forgotten colony world of Dromund Kaas. Halphas and his brothers witnessed Vitiate declare a new Sith Empire with himself as emperor.

### The Hidden Empire

The family line continued through the millennium that the Empire spent in isolation from the greater galaxy.

By the time of the Jedi Civil War, they had become reputed for producing many of the Empire's finest Sith assassins and infiltrators.

### Great War

Sometime before the Empire revealed itself to the rest of the galaxy and declared war on the Republic, the family had come under the control of Abbadon Orvax. He sired two sons, Astaroth and Nergal, both of whom were born in the early years of the Great War. As they grew older, Nergal began to resent his older brother, knowing Astaroth would inherit their father's title by birthright.

### Cold War

Abbadon continued to lead House Orvax until his death, less than five years after the Treaty of Coruscant was signed. Astaroth immediately succeeded him as patriarch.

Several years later, a vindictive Nergal challenged Astaroth for his position. A Kaggath ensued and ultimately, Nergal bested Astaroth and took his place as patriarch. Seeking to force his brother to face the humiliation he had endured up until the Kaggath, Nergal spared Astaroth so that his older brother would be subservient to him for the rest of his life.

Nergal assimilated the remnants of his brother's power base into his own, and proceeded to set his house on the path to reclaiming the strength it had lost.

## Notable Members

### Orvax

   *Main Article: Orvax*

 Considered the primogenitor of the family, Orvax lived during Marka Ragnos' reign over the Old Empire. He brought his bloodline to glory when he was chosen as one of ten lords to serve on the Sith Council. In his time, he was among the greatest of the alchemists; his mastery over Sith magic nearly rivaled even that of Naga Sadow himself.

After earning a place on Ragnos' council, Orvax decreed that his children and all their subsequent offspring would carry his forename as a patronymic. Although he died before the Great Hyperspace War, he would live on through his progeny in the centuries to come. It was later discovered that Orvax's intent to leave his mark upon the galaxy ran far deeper, however, as he had managed to preserve his spirit despite the expiration of his body.

### Halphas Orvax

Orvax's firstborn son, Halphas was among the Sith who survived the Great Hyperspace War and embarked on the exodus led by Lord Vitiate. He and his siblings were present on Dromund Kaas when Vitiate reconstituted the Empire and declared himself Emperor of the Sith. Halphas is credited with laying the foundation for his family's prominence in the modern Empire.

### Abbadon Orvax

One of the longest-reigning patriarchs of House Orvax, Abbadon lived for nearly a century and headed the family for decades. He took up the mantle at a young age, when his father died suddenly under unknown circumstances. Abbadon marched into battle numerous times during the Great War, most notably fighting alongside Darth Malgus and other Sith Lords during the Sacking of Coruscant. Sometime during the earlier years of the war, he and his wife had two sons, Astaroth and Nergal. He remained in power until the day of his death, during the early years of the Cold War.

### Astaroth Orvax

*Main Article:*

Astaroth is the older of Abbadon's two sons; as such, he was heavily favored by his father. Championed from childhood, he would go on to become a renowned master of lightsaber combat. Although he superseded his brother in terms of physical strength and martial skills, Astaroth was outmatched by Nergal's intellect and craftiness.

Once he grew of age, he joined Abbadon on the front lines of the Great War. By the war's end, he was held in high regard as one of the greatest swordsmen that House Orvax had ever produced. Years later, Abbadon passed away of natural causes. Astaroth succeeded him, but his reign would be short-lived, as an embittered Nergal hatched a plan to steal his brother's position. Overconfident in his own abilities, he smugly accepted Nergal's challenge to a Kaggath. His arrogance proved his undoing, and he was defeated by his brother.

The subsequent humiliation of that failure warped his idealism; Astaroth became convinced that the Imperial doctrine was flawed and self-destructive. As time passed, his views grew more and more extreme. He ultimately came to believe that the galaxy entire could only be brought to true prosperity through "a great suffering," the violent overthrow of its failed governments. His repeated expression of seditionist sentiments quickly drew the Dark Council's ire, leading several of the lords to call for Astaroth' arrest. When confronted, he murdered the Sith who had been dispatched to apprehend him and fled Dromund Kaas. Darth Mortis, head of the Sphere of Laws and Justice, branded Astaroth a traitor as a result.

Astaroth proceeded to engage in numerous acts of terrorism across the galaxy, targeting agents of the Empire and Republic indiscriminately. He was finally felled by the blade of his own son, Skatherin, who sought to cleanse the shame brought upon him by his father's treason.

### Nergal Orvax

*Main Article: Nergal Orvax*

Marginalized from birth, Nergal is the younger of Abaddon's sons. Although the favoritism his brother received during their youth only drove him to work tirelessly to earn the same recognition from his father, his determination eventually turned to jealousy and, as he reached adulthood, devolved into a seething animosity towards Astaroth. Though physically inferior to his older brother, he is of a much greater mind.

When their father passed and Astaroth took up his role, Nergal refused to continue living in his shadow and began plotting to overthrow him. Once he finally declared a Kaggath, Nergal outwitted Astaroth at every turn and even managed to defeat him in their final duel. When the dust settled, he deposed and replaced his brother as head of the family's power structure. The conflict between them was not without cost, however, as Nergal assumed control over a severely weakened House Orvax; it would take him nearly a decade to return it to its former strength.

### Mara Orvax

Mara is the late wife of Nergal. Before her death, the couple had twin sons, Adracin and Vaoron. She also had a daughter, Tazula, amidst an affair with Darth Arctis. Though her connection to House Orvax was solely through her marriage, Mara is remembered due to her apparent promiscuity. Rumors persist that Nergal eventually learned of her unfaithfulness and, overwhelmed with jealosy, arranged his wife's demise.

## Trivia

* Most of the members of House Orvax are named after demons from various mythologies.