Baran Do

Thousands of years before the Kel Dors joined the Galactic Republic, they developed their own Force tradition—the Baran Do, practitioners of which were called Sages. Since their inception, the Baran Do acted as advisors and seers to the leaders of Kel Dor society. Initially, the Sages used the Force to amplify their natural senses, allowing them to detect dangerous weather phenomena in advance, saving the lives of countless Kel Dors by warning of impending natural disasters. However, as the Baran Do began to spend more time meditating on the nature of the Force, they found they could see into the future, and they became all the more valuable to Kel Dor society by preventing wars and stopping catastrophes long in advance. This led to many Sages taking government positions and acting in a more official role.

This all changed with the coming of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi. In the past, Kel Dor families sent Force-sensitive children to learn from, and train with the Baran Do Sages, but in joining the Republic, the children were exposed to the Jedi who took them, as was their custom, to be trained as Jedi. The Jedi's training regimen and more thorough understanding of the Force eclipsed those of the Baran Do, and so the Sages fell into obscurity as their power dwindled, until they were gradually forgotten by the rest of the galaxy. Even on Dorin, the Kel Dor homeworld, the Sages disappeared from public view and those rare Kel Dor aware of their existence considered them nothing more than eccentric wizards.

By 3640 BBY, during the Cold War, a conspiracy to conceal a long-dead cult within the Baran Do was discovered, and the cult was revealed to have been a sect who worshiped the long-dead Sith Lord Darth Sion. The cultists left offerings to the deceased Sion in a Baran Do monastery and the offerings bequeathed to the Sith Lord were recovered by an individual.

The Sages' obscurity was to prove their saving grace, as the Sages, who had apparently disappeared from the galaxy long ago, were unaffected by the Great Jedi Purge to wipe out Force-sensitive beings across the galaxy.

The Baran Do Sages, though relatively few in number and forgotten about, still survived due to their recruitment of Force-sensitive Kel Dor, or traditional families sending their children to learn from the Sages. After the formation of the New Jedi Order, the Baran Do contacted Luke Skywalker's new group hoping to work with them in the future. Jacen Solo visited their temple in search of Force techniques unique to the Order and left with the knowledge of the ayna-seff. Shortly after the fall of Darth Caedus, Luke and Ben Skywalker visited the Baran Do on a mission to retrace his footsteps before his transition to the dark side. While there, they discovered that the Baran Do's fear of a second purge had lead them to build a secret underground bunker that would house Masters of their Order who had essentially faked their own deaths. Never to return to the world of the living, these Masters were to stay underground in the event that the Baran Do above were destroyed. They would then be able to teach new Force sensitive Kel Dor from their safehouse. The Skywalkers' found out about this underground "world of the dead" and, after staying with them for a short time, were able to convince many of the Baran Do there to revolt against their leader and return to the surface.

Baran Do philosophy and methodology centered on finding inner peace and calm, and growing closer to the Force by heeding it. The Sages counseled against rash action, and spent a great deal of time in meditation, contemplating the mysteries of the Force. Many confused the Sages' emphasis on meditation and contemplation for apathy or a reluctance to act, but in actuality they were merely waiting for the precise, perfect moment to act, as dictated by the Force.

The Baran Do did not consider themselves to be a "militant" order, unlike, according to them, the Jedi. They did not construct and wield lightsabers, nor were they required to train in combat. They did however have the option of learning certain martial arts, though the only weapon they commonly trained in was a simple wooden staff. Those who did train, however, were also skilled Force users in combat. They were powerful telekinetics, able to summon strong whirlwinds. They were also proficient in a white lightning technique, possibly a variation of Electric Judgment.

Although many potential recruits were taken away to become Jedi, some returned and became members of the Order nevertheless. Plo Koon, a member of the Jedi Council who descended from a long lineage of Jedi and Baran Do alike, became a member of the order at some point.

Positions in the organization included the senior combat instructor and the Master of the Order.

For an unknown reason, the Sages seen in Hero's Guide wear breath masks and goggles, despite still being on Dorin.

In Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, the player has the possibility to wear a Baran Do robe, giving boosts to their persuasive and Force skills.

• Power of the Jedi Sourcebook
• Ultimate Alien Anthology
• Hero's Guide
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords: Prima Official Game Guide
• The New Essential Guide to Alien Species
• Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition Core Rulebook
• Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• Jedi Academy Training Manual
• The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force
• The Essential Guide to Warfare
• The Essential Reader's Companion
• Star Wars: Force and Destiny Core Rulebook