Vur Tepe

title: Vur Tepe

Vur Tepe, also known as the Forge, was among the nine temples belonging to the Je'daii Order that were situated on the lush planet of Tython. This massive metal structure, the temple of Vur Tepe, was built at the edge of an active volcano along the Tythos Ridge. As a center for learning, students were taught the ways of the Force through the practices of metallurgy and the creation of tools and weaponry. Following the destructive Force Wars that devastated Tython, the Je'daii abandoned both the temple and the planet for thousands of years.

History

When the philosophers and scholars from across the galaxy initially arrived on Tython, they descended from the cosmos aboard enormous pyramidal structures known as the Tho Yor. These nine colossal ships dispersed across the planet, each landing in a distinct location, and released their passengers to inhabit the world. The Tho Yor themselves would then serve as the very cornerstones for the new homes and learning centers of these travelers.

One such Tho Yor delivered its inhabitants to the slopes of an active volcano situated along the Tythos Ridge. The Tho Yor remained suspended in the sky, observing the volcano as the early members of the Je'daii Order constructed a large temple of metal and stone on the rim of the active caldera. As a testament to the craft of metallurgy, the students of Vur Tepe would forge their weapons using the volcano's fires; the temple's base formed an internal dome that utilized the heat from the flowing lava to power the forges. The temple itself, a rust-colored ziggurat positioned on four steep support walls, was topped with several barrel-shaped smokestacks that emitted smoke produced by the Forge's fires.

Within the halls of Vur Tepe, the Je'daii concentrated on practical applications, emphasizing how the Force could be used to create or enhance physical objects. The temple maintained a positive working relationship with the neighboring Anil Kesh, the Temple of Science. The technology within the temple allowed the early Force-users to imbue their katana with the Force, making the material exceptionally strong and incredibly sharp. The Je'daii Temple Master, the Je'daii who acted as the facility's caretaker and managed its operations, instructed students in the finer aspects of craftsmanship and fostered new discoveries. In 25,793 BBY, Tem Madog, a Cathar, served as the Temple's supervisor.

Rediscovery

Following the Sacking of Coruscant by the Sith Empire in 3653 BBY, which brought an end to the Great Galactic War and swayed public opinion of the Galactic Republic against the Jedi Order, they abandoned the remains of their Temple and journeyed back to their recently rediscovered homeworld. There, the Jedi came across numerous ruins of the ancient Je'daii, including the temple of Kaleth, as well as Vur Tepe itself. In the decade that followed, the Order's Padawans would venture to the remaining forges to craft their lightsabers as a final initiation before attaining the rank of Jedi Knight.

During the Flesh Raider uprising around 3643 BBY, the apprentice of Jedi Master Orgus Din tracked down Din's former apprentice, the Dark Jedi Bengel Morr, to the Forge, where he confronted the Nautolan Morr in a duel. Around the same period, the Twi'lek Nalen Raloch was exposed to the Fount of Rajivari and became deranged, attempting to obliterate the Forge. Raloch was stopped by the young apprentice of Jedi Master Yuon Par.

Behind the scenes

Even though the Jedi Forge was initially revealed in The New Essential Chronology, author Daniel Wallace mentioned in 2005 that the concept had already been developed for an unreleased future source. Leland Chee clarified this in 2021 on Twitter, stating it was a reference to content that was never published, but alluded to in Star Wars Tales 23.