The legend of Lord Nyax was a part of the mythology of Corellia. A scary bedtime story was told to Corellian children that Lord Nyax came to steal young boys and girls from their beds. Later in history, the folk tale of Lord Nyax was merged with Darth Vader's covert missions to kidnap Force-sensitive younglings, and spread from Corellia over the wider galactic community.
Throughout history, other beings had their identity assimilated to that of the evil spirit. At the time of the Galactic Civil War, a Corellian sect known as the Cult of Lord Nyax carried out horrendous acts of terrorism against the local population in the name of their deity. During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, the Dark Side Adept Irek Ismaren assumed the identity of Lord Nyax after hearing it in the minds of those he tortured.
In times that were considered ancient by 27 ABY, the evil spirit known as Lord Nyax was referred to by Corellian parents to frighten children into compliant behavior. Adults typically used phrases such as "If you keep on being a bad boy, Lord Nyax will come for you." He was described either as a monstrous pale ghost or as a man shrouded in a dark cloak, with sickly yellow eyes, a hooked nose, sharp teeth, and long nails. The latter depiction shared many similarities with the appearance of the Galactic Emperor Palpatine. and, more generally speaking, with the cosmetic effects of dark side corruption.
Nyax cultists were ready to pay any price in service of their leader.
Shortly after the Clone Wars, the Lord Nyax story became associated with Darth Vader, who also appeared, seemingly at random, to steal and kill Force-sensitive children in the dead of night before they could grow to become Jedi and a threat to the New Order. Following this assimilation, the Lord Nyax legend spread from Corellia all over the galaxy during the early years of the New Order.
At the time of the Galactic Civil War, several Corellian organizations honored Lord Nyax as their elected deity. By 1 ABY, a group called the Cult of Lord Nyax had formed, that worshiped Nyax. The cultists donned dark cloaks and caused a number of terrorist attacks in his name. Their leader himself took up the name Lord Nyax, but was eventually killed by a spacer. The Followers of Nyax, another organization, also adored the evil ghost and promoted radical anti-Jediism. When Darth Vader traveled to Corellia to hunt down remaining Jedi, the Followers saw him as the reincarnation of their god.
Irek Ismaren as "Lord Nyax"
In 27 ABY, the mentally-damaged Dark Jedi-in-training Irek Ismaren assumed the name Lord Nyax, after reading it in the minds of his frightened victims. He understood this as a recognition of his status, as "Nyax" sounded unique, and "Lord" meant that he was more important than everything else. Under this new identity, Ismaren brought terror to the citizens of Coruscant, capital world of the New Republic, after it fell to the control of the Yuuzhan Vong, a species of extra-galactic invaders. The fake Nyax was apparently crushed to death by a combination of rocks and boulders from the Jedi Temple ruins, though later reports hinted that he may in fact have survived.
Lord Nyax was first mentioned in The New Jedi Order: Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand, a 2002 novel written by Aaron Allston. In November 2003, the Cult of Lord Nyax appeared in the first expansion of the Star Wars-themed MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies. As Lord Nyax was a mythological character, he did not appear in Galaxies. Nonetheless, the cult did have an imposter who went by the name Lord Nyax.
As a menacing figure towards children, Lord Nyax shares many similarities with the real-life legend of the bogeyman, a type of make-believe figure that is sometimes used by parents to frighten their offspring into swift obedience.
- The Official Star Wars Fact File57
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Jedi Academy Training Manual