Kirasha

Kirasha was a female Human follower of the Wyrd, a coven of Force witches active on the planet Cularin during the waning years of the Galactic Republic. Around 20 BBY, Kirasha was assigned by the Wyrd to discover the cause of a drain in the Force strength of the Tarasin leader Dariana, an enemy of the witches. While conducting her investigation, Kirasha received a vision of a shelter for Force-sensitive individuals concealed beneath the Spirit Tree, the largest of Cularin's ch'hala trees. After coming to from her vision, Kirasha was confronted by the Jedi Master Darrus Jeht. The Jedi spared Kirasha's life and she accepted an offer to accompany him to the hiding place beneath the Spirit Tree.

Biography

Kirasha was Force-sensitive Human female who lived on the planet Cularin during the last years of the Galactic Republic. At one time she considered the jungles of Cularin to be her home, but at a young age Kirasha lost her family and came to live at a foster residence in the city Hedrett. Kirasha was teased by the other children in the home and at some point she murdered her foster family. Afterward, she left to become an adept of the Wyrd, a coven of Tarasin dark side-wielding Force witches active on Cularin.^[1]

Years after the murder of Kirasha's foster family,^[1] in around 20 BBY,^[2] the leader of the Wyrd sensed a sudden weakening in the Force strength of the followers Dariana, the matriarch of the Tarasin Hiironi irstat and an enemy of the Wyrd. Kirasha was selected by the Wyrd leader to investigate the cause of the drain in Dariana's power, in hope that this knowledge could be used to bring about Dariana's demise.^[1]

For four days, Kirasha searched holy sites of the Hiironi and the other Tarasin tribes in the jungles of Cularin for any clues. However, she found all the places she visited to be either abandoned or barely used and was unable to learn anything useful. Kirasha was brought close to despair by her failure, but eventually she sighted some fresh tracks near to a remote Hiironi irstat ceremony circle. Amid a downpour of rain, she meditated to learn more about what had caused the tracks. Deep in contemplation, she had a vision of a trail leading through the jungle to the Spirit Tree, the largest of Cularin's ch'hala trees, where dozens of Force-sensitive individuals were hidden in a concealed chamber.^[1]

While Kirasha meditated, the Jedi Master Darrus Jeht came across her. Recognizing her as a member of the Wyrd, Jeht planned to kill her, but found himself unable to go through with the deed and Kirasha came to from her vision to notice Jeht standing over her. She wept and begged him to take her life, so as to end the pain that she felt for causing the deaths of her foster family. Jeht sensed her troubles and that she had been drawn closer to the light side of the Force than at any time in her life previously. He spared her and offered to take her to the cavern that she had sensed and give her a place there. She accepted and walked with Jeht through the jungle to the hiding place, casting out the ways of the Wyrd from her mind as she went.^[1]

Personality and traits

Steadfast in her support of the Wyrd, Kirasha considered the witches to be the strongest people in jungles of Cularin because they had cast aside the old traditions of the Tarasin and took from those who were weak. She also perceived that the Wyrd had grown in power, despite having have suffered multiple setbacks and accepted this as proof of witches' right to dominance on Cularin. Kirasha also thought that with age weakening the elderly Dariana and an on-going war over-stretching the Jedi, the Wyrd's other main rival group, the witch coven would eventually gain control of the Cularin system and the galaxy.^[1]

Kirasha was independent and felt resentment if she became beholden to anyone or anything. She felt honored that the leader of the Wyrd had chosen her to investigate the weakening in the strength of Dariana's followers and was determined not to return in defeat. She also hoped that the mission would provide her with an opportunity to kill Dariana and to end the threat that she posed to the Wyrd once and for all.^[1]

Though she did not feel remorse in the immediate aftermath of murdering her foster family, Kirasha was deeply troubled by their deaths and for years afterward felt self-loathing and regret for her transgression. She disliked meditation as the silent introspection brought back memories of her role in the death of her foster family. When she meditated while on the mission to identify the reduction in strength of the followers of Dariana, Kirasha's memories of the event resurfaced, leaving her feeling so wretched and uncertain that she begged Darrus Jeht to kill her.^[1]

Kirasha had a tattoo on her neck. During her mission to investigate the reduction in strength of the followers of Dariana, she wore a tight leather hunting suit.^[1]

Powers and abilities

Kirasha was a skilled tracker. She could use the Force and her powers increased in strength during her time with the Wyrd. She was familiar with the use of meditation to bring about Force visions.^[1]

Behind the scenes

Kirasha was created by August and Cynthia Hahn and appeared in "Reprieves", a short story published on Wizards.com on January 13, 2005 as a tie-in to RPGA's Living Force roleplaying campaign. Kirasha's redemption by Darrus Jeht served to illustrate a new game mechanic in the Living Force campaign whereby player characters who had received role-playing penalties for previous unethical actions were absolved of those handicaps.^[1]

The short story is unclear about the identity of the Wyrd leader who dispatched Kirasha on her mission to search for the cause of the weakening in the strength of Dariana.^[1] Other sources identify the witch Liriana^[3] and an unnamed First Witch of the Wyrd as the leaders of the coven^[4] and it was unclear which of these individuals gave Kirasha her orders.^[1]

Appearances

• Reprieves on Wizards.com (backup link) (original site is defunct) (First mentioned)

Notes and references