Temple of Exar Kun

"*Some Sith believe their power comes through their brute strength. I see a different way. Through knowledge, I gained power. Power over the Massassi, my slaves. The ones who built these temples.*"
―Exar Kun[src]
The **Temple of Exar Kun** was a Sith temple located in the middle of the Lake of Kun, a shallow lake on the moon Yavin 4. It was constructed of obsidian by the Massassi slaves of the Sith Lord Exar Kun, and made up of multiple pyramidal structures with a large statue of Kun at the center. The temple within contained multiple rooms and hidden passageways.

## Description

### Exterior

The temple was built directly in the center of a lake, named the Lake of Kun, in the midst of Yavin 4's jungles. It was surrounded by a valley known as the Vale of the Massassi. It was only accessible via a series of stepping stones in the shallow water, designed to make those seeking to enter the temple face downwards to watch their step. The temple was located a day's walk from the Massassi Site, where Exar Kun's Massassi slaves constructed other temples.

From the outside, the temple was a series of tall, pyramidal obsidian structures, with the temple's main entrance accessible in a spot between the two tallest spires. Just above that entrance was the Statue of Exar Kun, an obsidian statue of Exar Kun which portrayed him with his head down, holding a weapon facing the ground.

### Interior layout

The first room as one entered the temple was a large atrium, an open room lined with red and black banners and carpets, emblazoned with Exar Kun's personal symbol. The walls were lined with ur-Kittât writings and dormant Sith runes, which possessed no power source to light them as in other temples such as the Sith shrine on Coruscant.

The atrium possessed a hidden passageway behind rock which led to a library, lit by torches on the walls. This room was filled with various artifacts of importance to both Exar Kun and Darth Rivan, who had visited the temple at some point. Namely, the room possessed the lightsaber belonging to Exar Kun, the Dagger of Mortis, Rivan's holocron, a mural of the Family, a piece of the Codex of Tython, the Kun insignia key, and various books, including *The Mortis Chronicles, Part I*.

Attached to the atrium through a large door was Exar Kun's throne room. The Throne of Exar Kun was atop a series of steps, with lit obsidian braziers on either side, and spikes of obsidian hanging from the ceiling. The walls were empty except for red banners. In the right armrest of the throne, a keyhole existed for the purpose of Kun's insignia key, which opened a stairway leading down to one of the many Massassi crypts on Yavin 4: large rooms containing Massassi locked in stasis fields. The stairway leading down was lined with obsidian torches with purple fire, and the room itself contained 126 Massassi chambers.

## History

### Construction

The temple was constructed during Exar Kun's reign as the leader of the Sith between 3,997 and 3,996 BEF; the temple was estimated to be constructed in 3,997 BEF. It was constructed by his Massassi slaves, who also constructed the temples of the Massassi Site. It was the seat of his power during his short reign, and was the site of his death in 3,996 BEF. Prior to his death, he had his Massassi entombed in the Massassi crypts across the planet, including under the temple. The temple remained untouched for over four millennia.

### Tano's first visit

"*So you found a Jedi temple, then?*"
"*No... not exactly.*"
―Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano, upon her return[src]
The Alliance of Galactic Restoration had set up their bases in the Massassi Site on Yavin 4 prior to 3 AEF, although none had ever visited the temple until 4 AEF. In 4 AEF, Exar Kun's spirit appeared to Tano in her meditation near the Great Temple, and she was led to the temple alongside her convor Morai, who perched at a distance upon her arrival. Tano was accosted by Kun's spirit again in the temple, who sought to take control of her, but her will resisted him and he allowed her access to his library-vault.

Tano took most of the artifacts from the vault, and dismantled Exar Kun's lightsaber to combine it with her own beskar lightsabers. From the vault she left nothing behind, including things she did not consider useful to herself. When she left, her convor had moved to perch upon the statue of Kun. The temple would be visited by members of the Alliance in the time afterwards, although all of them were turned away by the cold radiating from the structure. The explorer Dr'uun Unnh was one such visitor, turned away by what he perceived as the temple's creepiness.

### Tano's second visit

"*You have freed us? There are no temples to be made? No men to fight for?*"
"*No temples but your own, and no men but yourselves.*"
―A Massassi and Ahsoka Tano[src]
In 5 AEF, around one standard year after Tano's first visit, she would visit again with the insignia key after learning of its purpose as a key, bringing a hovercart in the process. This time, she explored the throne room and found the passageway to the Massassi crypt, where she awoke all of the imprisoned Massassi, including Kalgrath, Atrach, and Sahrumr. She allowed them freedom, an opportunity they took to construct a village in the Vale of the Massassi, an area surrounding the temple, called Khannarût.

## Appearances

* *Soul Searching* Ahsoka I — *Voices*
* *The Explorer's Guide to Yavin 4*
* *Burning Galaxies* I — *The First Signs of Storm*
* *Burning Galaxies* II — *Family Matters* (Mentioned only)

## Sources

* *The Skywalker Saga Supplement*
* *Expanding the Unexpanded*

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 *Expanding the Unexpanded*
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 *Soul Searching* Ahsoka I — *Voices*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Burning Galaxies* II — *Family Matters*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 *Burning Galaxies* I — *The First Signs of Storm*
5. ↑ *Burning Galaxies* I — *The First Signs of Storm* note 2, "temple's power source": "In the Sith shrine on Coruscant, the power source was the crystal the Daughter destroyed"
6. ↑ *Soul Searching* Obi-Wan II — *Dawn*
7. ↑ *The Explorer's Guide to Yavin 4*