Abattoir (location)

The Abattoir was the name for a swath of jungle and ancient structures deep in the surface forests of. The Brotherhood of Shadows used the Abattoir to test potential members; the Abattoir was divided into levels, and successful passage of deeper levels brought greater prestige in the Brotherhood's ranks, although a candidate only had to reach the second level to be admitted.

Structure
The Abattoir was directly accessible from the Temple of Shadows; a door from the Temple opened on the rift valley that led into the first level. Each level ended with a path back to the Temple for Anzati abandoning their efforts and settling for the accomplishment they had achieved; in this way, the Abattoir technically had seven additional back doors into the Temple.

First Level
The first level of the Abattoir was kilometer upon kilometer of jungle and swamp. It was densely populated by dangerous predators and mutated herbivores, all of whom were pushed beyond their natural danger by the dark side of the Force. The first level was designed to test combat skills and physical toughness, as well as tactical planning of when to fight and when to withdraw. Much of the first level was shrouded in mist, reducing visibility and forcing reactive rather than strategic decisions.

Second Level
The second level was a cloud forest haunted by, as well as other predators. Because the overwhelming majority of applicants to the Brotherhood could not reliably defeat even a single feral in straight combat, let alone the packs in which ferals often hunted, the second level tested stealth and evasion skills, as well as the ability to use terrain to one's advantage.

Third Level
The third level was accessible from a single door at the deepest part of the second, and consisted of only a single room of approximately seventy kilometers' diameter. The walls, ceiling, and floor were gray sandstone tiled with exactly the same pattern, which created an almost-immediately-disorienting vertigo effect when looked upon; those inside the third level often could not tell where they were going until they bumped into walls. A single tile on the floor had the tile pattern reversed; the third level was designed to test attention to minute details.

No external threats existed in the third level, but many Anzati inside went insane and killed themselves.

Fourth Level
Locating the key tile on the third level triggered a concealed staircase to the fourth, which was a kilometer-long obstacle course filled with lethal obstacles. It allowed standing only on thin beams and wobbly rocks, over an apparently-bottomless chasm. The fourth level tested agility, dexterity, and precision of movement while maintaining speed.

Fifth Level
The fifth level opened on the hub of a dozen caverns which went down kilometers into the crust of Anzat. Upon entry, a candidate was swarmed by a group of bat-like reptiles, but bitten by only a single one. Each reptile had a key around its neck, but only the offending reptile's key would open the door to the sixth level. The fifth was designed to test tracking and hunting skills, but on rare occasions Force-sensitives (such as Darth Alecto) managed to kill their targets before the targets could leave the main room.

Sixth Level
The sixth level was a single cave which naturally emitted a hallucinogenic gas. Those who breathed the gas, although not permanently harmed, were subjected to disorienting visions and experiences which defied the laws of physics and nature, although many subjects were so intoxicated that they barely noticed the oddity. Without sufficient focus, candidates could wander in a drugged state until they died, so the sixth level tested strength of will.

Seventh Level
The seventh and final level, also called the Heart of the Abattoir, was a. It did not open itself to every candidate who passed the sixth level, nor did it deign to test every candidate allowed to descend. Those "worthy" of being tested were subjected to s, often of their greatest fears or unresolved psychological issues. Those who survived this test without going insane were subjected to the final "test"—a vision of the dark side itself.

Those found worthy by the Heart of the Abattoir had a secret door back into the deep recesses of the Temple of Shadows.

Passing the Abattoir
To prevent over-strategizing, a candidate for the Brotherhood was given only a single opportunity to face the Abattoir; therefore, many candidates pressed themselves too hard trying to establish a good position and died for their trouble. A being who passed all seven levels and was "chosen" by the Heart of the Abattoir would rule the Brotherhood.

Aliens in the Abattoir
The Brotherhood regularly released non-Anzati into the Abattoir, either to keep the ferals fed or to provide additional tests for prospects. The first non-Anzat intentionally allowed into the Abattoir as a candidate for the Brotherhood was the Darth Alecto in 1,387 BBY. Alecto passed through the Heart of the Abattoir and assumed mastery of the Brotherhood.

Appearances

 * Abattoir