Jal'cuzza

The lava-filled planet known as **Jal'cuzza** is among the newest additions to the territory of the Midnight Order. In spite of the apparent disastrous conditions on the world's surface, it has been able to produce and sustain the Jal people, a race of battle-hardened aliens not unlike the Mandalorians. The inhabitants themselves are extremely competent fighters and have technology capable of interplanetary flight, but up until recently, the Jal people have been forced to abide on their planet. This was due to a powerful manifestation of the Force on the planet calling itself the Avatar of Balance, a being that used its godlike abilities to prevent any Jals from leaving the planet. Because of an intervention from the Midnight Order, the Avatar was convinced to allow the warrior race of aliens to leave the planets. Since banishing the Jals, no sentient life has traveled to or from the volcanic planet.

## Description

Albeit once believed to house a vibrant world full of vegetation and mountain ranges, the current environment of Jal'cuzza is characterized almost completely by volcanic activity. Lava is prominent throughout the entirety of the planet in the forms of magma-filled trenches and lava flowing in the way that a waterfall would. Hardened rock makes up the landscape of the planet and is among the only ground that can be walked on by sentient and non-sentient life. For generations, the Jals have conformed and adapted to surviving in this barren environment, hunting the scarce populations of animals that have also been able to continue living despite these conditions. Some exceptional forms of trees and plant life are also apparent on the planet's surface, another resource that the Jals make the most of in an attempt to keep their society alive. Isolated sets of mountain ranges do also subsequently exist on the world and have laid the foundations for the technologies within the Jal culture, including weaponry, armor, and primitive starships. Volcanoes also have a natural presence on Jal'cuzza, with their consistent eruptions providing new challenges for the inhabitants on the world to endure.

## Locations

### Jal Sanctuary

As a large population of hunters and combative people, the Jals lived in camps spread across the surface of the planet, but a single massive encampment served as the closest thing these people have to a city. Containing erected walls and numerous sets of tents, this location contained the most inhabitants and was the largest gathering site on the planet. Although appearing to be a mostly open cantonment, the area was ordained with large walls and patterns that held a certain air of cultural architecture. Several statues were ordained throughout the camp that depicted the Avatar of Balance, the Force entity that the Jals viewed as a god of wrath. In addition, the sanctuary was one of the only places on the entire planet that housed vessels capable of space travel. These starships were small, the largest being no bigger than a military shuttle, and they lacked the innovation and advancement of the modern Galaxy's technology. As a last point of note, the chieftain of the Jal people lived in a protected tent within the encampment, broadcasting his messages and decrees to the rest of the planet from the location.

### Sea of Lava

The so-called "Sea of Lava" was a name given to a cliff overlooking what could be described as its namesake. From an outsider's point of view, this location would appear entirely insignificant, as there are a multitude of other similar areas with identical characteristics. The one trait that makes the Sea of Lava special is that it is a well-known summoning place for the Avatar of Balance. Viewed as violent and vengeful deity, the Avatar of Balance appears to have the ability to manifest at any point on the planet at will. However, for an ancient reason, the entity seems to be drawn to this particular cliff side above a lava river. Millennia in the past, before the planet became destroyed, a Force ritual was performed at this exact point on the planet. Albeit the ritual ultimately failing, it ultimately ended up with the creation of the Avatar as it is now. Nowadays, those who were both brave and foolish enough to seek out a confrontation with the Avatar would come to this sacred place and confront it. Few people did ever approach the Sea of Lava, and those who did would typically disappear and never be seen again.

## History

The history and origins of the planet have almost been fully lost in time, but a handful of myths and stories containing the truth have been passed down through the generations of Jals. Thousands of years a go, when Jal'cuzza was still full of life, a group of aspiring Force-users attempted a dark ritual to siphon of life essence of the world. But the sorcerers were flawed and their ritual was imperfect, causing them to be destroyed by their own ambition. However, at the moment of their deaths, their collective consciousnesses was consumed by the Force essence of the world, personifying it into a sentient presence. Over time, other sentient life sprung up on the world in the form of the Jal people, and the presence, now calling itself the Avatar of Balance, appeared to these people as a god. Existence proceeded until the Jals splintered into two ideologies: one of war and glory, and one of pacifism and peace. Several generations passed but it wasn't long until the warmongering Jals became bloodthirsty. In a violent campaign, they spread across the world, overtaking territory and slaughtering the pacifists, until their peacekeeping brethren were extinct.

Having witnessed these dark deeds, the Avatar of Balance sought to penalize the warmongering Jals for their actions. Among the first of its punishments was changing the environment of the world, as the paradise planet that the Jals inhabited quickly changed into an abomination, a world overrun by lava and magma. Many Jals died at the beginning of this event, but those who survived became determined to keep their race alive, and did all they could to pull through. They began viewing the Avatar as a god of wrath, a curse that would keep themselves chained and struggling. When the Jals were finally able to construct starships capable of leaving the planet and the Avatar, they attempted to depart, but the vengeful entity used its power to keep them bound to Jal'cuzza. Only generations later would the Midnight Order arrive on the planet and confront the Avatar. Upon meeting it, the deity sought to restore a corrupted vision of balance, claiming the Jals must convert to pacifism or be exterminated. But the entity was impressed by a counter-proposal from Darth Vi'kirr'naam, who offered his own imprisonment for the Jals' freedom. After much consideration, the Avatar agreed, binding the Sith Lord to the planet and banishing the Jals to Acheron.