Funeral of Marka Ragnos

In 5000 BBY, the death of Dark Lord Marka Ragnos, a half-breed, marked the end of the Golden Age of the legendary Sith Empire. Following the customs of the Sith people, Ragnos was to be buried on Korriban, specifically within the Shyrack caves located in the Valley of the Dark Lords, a burial ground designated for those of the valley. A special tomb was prepared to house Ragnos' remains, along with the numerous treasures he had accumulated during his reign as Dark Lord of the Sith Empire. Ragnos' subjects gathered on Korriban to offer their final respects to a Dark Lord whose death ended over a century of undisputed rule.

Twenty Sith Lords were chosen to conduct the burial ceremony; among them was Lord Simus, who, over a century prior, had lost his chance to become Dark Lord of the Sith in a duel with Marka Ragnos. A group of hooded and robed Sith carried a richly adorned sarcophagus containing Ragnos' body through the Valley of the Dark Lords, led by Lord Ludo Kressh. Kressh also carried the Dark Lord's Sith victory helmet, which, according to Sith tradition, Ragnos was required to wear during his battles in the afterlife. The procession also included Massassi warriors and Grotthu slaves, each bearing weapons, banners, and a wealth of treasure to fill Marka Ragnos' tomb.

Upon reaching the tomb's base, Kressh placed Ragnos' victory helmet on the coffin. He then ascended the tomb's stairway, followed by twenty-three hooded Sith, and began delivering Ragnos' eulogy at the top. All twenty Sith Lords formed a perfect circle around the sarcophagus, with Kressh at the head and Simus directly opposite him. Kressh spoke of the Sith Empire's greatness under Ragnos' rule as slaves, directed by Massassi warriors, carried the Dark Lord's riches into the tomb. These slaves, whose lives held little value to the Sith Lords, were chosen to remain with Ragnos as a final sacrifice; the tomb was then sealed, leaving them to starve.

The ceremony faced an interruption when Naga Sadow, a magician and Kressh's adversary, arrived late, seeking a place among his Sith Lord peers. Kressh reacted with animosity, criticizing Sadow as a heretic whose radical ideas threatened the stability the Sith Empire had achieved under Ragnos. Sadow's assertion that the Sith Empire had become stagnant during its Golden Age angered Kressh. Sadow's claim that his ancient Jedi heritage entitled him to the position of Dark Lord further irritated Kressh. When Sadow denounced Kressh as a "backwards thinker" incapable of leading the Sith as Ragnos' successor, Kressh prepared for battle.

At Marka Ragnos' tomb, the two Sith Lords drew their swords and engaged in combat for the vacant title. Spectators watched as Sadow and Kressh dueled, neither willing to yield until the other fell. The conflict ended with the unexpected appearance of Marka Ragnos' ghost. His spirit recounted the Sith Empire's glory during his reign before cautioning Kressh and Sadow to carefully consider their actions, as the future of the Sith Empire depended on their decisions. Ragnos' ghost then vanished, leaving Kressh and Sadow to contemplate his words.

The sudden manifestation of Marka Ragnos' spirit was also experienced as a Force vision by Jedi Knight Odan-Urr in the distant Koros star system. Odan-Urr's premonition led him to believe he was being warned about the Sith Empire's reemergence into Galactic Republic space. He shared this news with Koros' monarch, Empress Teta, who accompanied him to Coruscant to urge the Galactic Senate to prepare the Republic for a potential attack. However, the assembly dismissed their claims as the ramblings of a novice Jedi and his warrior Empress, who returned to Koros to prepare for war should Odan-Urr's vision come true.

Shortly after Marka Ragnos' funeral, hyperspace-traveling siblings Gav Daragon and Jori Daragon from the Koros system stumbled upon Korriban. They landed their ship, Starbreaker 12, in the Valley of the Dark Lords near Ragnos' tomb, expecting a friendly reception, but were met with hostility and taken into custody by the Sith. Opinions differed among the Sith regarding their arrival; Ludo Kressh believed they were Republic scouts signaling an invasion fleet, while Naga Sadow saw the potential for the Sith Empire to expand its influence into the Daragons' region of space. Through manipulating both the Daragons and his fellow Sith, Naga Sadow ultimately achieved his goal of succeeding Marka Ragnos instead of Ludo Kressh.

As the new Dark Lord of the Sith, Sadow further schemed, tricking Jori Daragon into leading him to her home system of Koros, where he led the Sith Empire in the Great Hyperspace War against the Galactic Republic. However, Marka Ragnos' warning that choosing the wrong battles would lead to his people's downfall came true; betrayals against Naga Sadow by both Gav Daragon and Sith factions loyal to Ludo Kressh resulted in the Dark Lord's defeat by the Republic and the subsequent destruction of the Sith Empire.

After the Great Hyperspace War, Jedi Master and scholar Odan-Urr recorded details of his vision of Marka Ragnos' funeral within the Tedryn Holocron. Nearly five thousand years later, another Jedi Master and historian, Tionne Solusar, discovered that ancient Sith hieroglyphs on Korriban depicted the events surrounding the Dark Lord's death. She noted that Marka Ragnos was the earliest known Sith to exhibit the ability to appear as a Force ghost.

Many considered Ludo Kressh a powerful Sith Lord, and he remained loyal to Marka Ragnos throughout his life, continuing to revere him even after his death. Kressh served as the master of ceremonies for Ragnos' funeral, a position coveted by other Sith Lords. Kressh hoped his high regard for Marka Ragnos would be noticed, leading to his selection as Ragnos' successor. He believed the Sith Empire could maintain the glory Ragnos had achieved and that expansion was unnecessary. Naga Sadow, Kressh's rival, considered this "backwards thinking," believing conquering new worlds was vital. Their differences led to a duel that awakened Ragnos' spirit, and Kressh cowered as Ragnos urged him to join Sadow in strengthening the Sith Empire.

Marka Ragnos, a half-breed of immense physical and Force strength, defeated rival Sith Lord Simus to become Jen'ari, or Dark Lord. His reign became known as the Sith's Golden Age, marking the peak of his achievements. Under his leadership, the Sith Empire conquered numerous star systems and experienced unprecedented splendor. Although his death marked the end of the Golden Age, the grandeur of his dynasty surpassed that of his lifetime. His death created a power vacuum, leading Ludo Kressh and Naga Sadow to battle for the position of Dark Lord of the Sith at his funeral. Only after Ragnos briefly returned as a Force ghost did they end their quarrel. His warning to choose their battles wisely to avoid destroying the Sith Empire was his final communication before his spirit departed.

Naga Sadow was a sorcerer whose arcane experiments into the dark side of the Force led many to view him with contempt. Despite having followers, Ludo Kressh was a vocal critic, denouncing Sadow's progressive nature as a threat to the Sith Empire's stability and unworthiness to fill Ragnos' vacancy. Sadow, however, believed his Jedi heritage entitled him to the Dark Lord title. Arriving late to Ragnos' funeral, he was not welcomed by Kressh but took his place among the Sith Lords. Sadow saw Ragnos' death as an opportunity to pursue his aspirations of becoming Dark Lord and revitalizing the Sith Empire. These views were opposed by Ludo Kressh, who engaged Sadow in combat at the Dark Lord's tomb.

Marka Ragnos' funeral debuted in the second issue of Tales of the Jedi's Golden Age of the Sith story arc, titled Funeral for a Dark Lord. Written by Kevin J. Anderson and drawn by Dario Carrasco, Jr., the funeral marked the first appearance of the Old Sith Empire and Ludo Kressh in the Star Wars universe. Carrasco recounted in an interview that Lucasfilm rejected his initial coffin design for resembling an Egyptian sarcophagus too closely, but approved a modified design.