Kariphos

"Finally...death's cold embrace...I come now, dear Calina..."

- Kariphos's final words Kariphos was a   of the the  during the. As a young adult, he began his training at the  on, where he engaged in a romantic relationship with a fellow  named Calina. Their love led to the birth of Alahn, who was soon thereafter taken by the as Calina was executed and Kariphos was severely punished.

In 3,646 BBY, Kariphos was assigned to be the teacher of his own son, who was oblivious of Kariphos's paternal status. Two years passed before the Dark Council ordered Alahn to terminate Kariphos; during their confrontation, Kariphos explained to Alahn the truth about his past, as the boy had been lied to by the Council. Despite this, Alahn slew Kariphos and returned to the Dark Council to achieve the title of.

A love forbidden
Kariphos arrived at the on  as a young adult to begin his  training. At some point he met Calina, another at the academy, and the two of them soon fell in love. Their relationship was initially prohibited by their masters, who stated that it would hinder in their training. In spite of this, they continued to meet in secret, and Calina ended up conceiving a child. By the time their son, Alahn, was born, they could no longer keep their secret as the found out. They took the infant to train him as a Sith, and slaughtered Calina in Kariphos's presence. He himself was inflicted scars over his face to forever remind him of his failure and weakness.

Although embittered, Kariphos adopted a compassionate personality, and began focusing on personal ideals rather than growing as a Sith. At some point he changed the course of his training to become an, so that he may better focus on meditation and reflection.

A test of will
In 3,646 BBY, the Dark Council assigned Alahn as Kariphos's apprentice. As Alahn was already immensely powerful, Kariphos was far weaker than his student, making him an unsuitable master. However he realized his true purpose was to test his son's will. Alahn developed an intense hatred for his mentor, and was eventually ordered by the Dark Council to terminate him. When Alahn confronted his master, Kariphos attempted to plea with him by revealing the truth about his past. Despite this revelation, Alahn engaged Kariphos in a duel, during which the older man utilized basic  to hold back his apprentice. Having never been adept at lightsaber combat, Kariphos resorted to widening the gap between himself and Alahn, allowing him to unleash attacks.

Kariphos nearly managed to kill Alahn with his lightning until the latter used the to strengthen himself and impale Kariphos through the heart. Once he regained consciousness from blacking out, Alahn went to confront a now-mortally wounded Kariphos one final time. Kariphos warned Alahn of the dangers the Dark Council would pose before dying while reaching for his son's cheek.

Legacy
The death of Kariphos allowed Alahn to rise to the title of, and adopt a new identity as "Inflictus." In the wake of his father's death, Inflictus constantly reflected on his past, using it as an anchor to strengthen his resolve.

Personality and traits
Kariphos possessed ideals that were considered highly unorthodox to the Sith. Whereas the average Sith was generally sinister and relentless, Kariphos bore a much more compassionate personality, believing there was better value in focusing on personal ideals rather than growing in physical strength. Because of this, Kariphos was looked down upon by most Sith and as such he was considered weak, despite his notable adeptness at the utilization of Force lightning. His weakness became a primary factor in his eventual death at the hands of his own son, Alahn.

Skills and abilities
When Kariphos first arrived on Korriban to begin his Sith training, he did not pursue a particular path. However following the death of his beloved, Kariphos decided to follow an inquisitorial path in the pursuit of knowledge. He compensated for his weakness in lightsaber combat by practicing the usage of Force lightning, which he became extremely adept at. His Force powers were not usually taken into account when other Sith viewed him as weak, due to his lack of strength both physically and with a lightsaber.

Beyond combat, Kariphos was gifted with the ability to find inner tranquility through the Force. Struggling through adversity following Calina's death allowed him to strengthen himself mentally, and better understand his place in both the Empire and the galaxy.

Appearances

 * Herald of Chaos