Operating within the Anoat sector of the Outer Rim Territories was the clandestine criminal organization known as the Kouhun. Their namesake was derived from the poisonous creature of the same species. Their membership consisted of assassins, blackmailers, kidnappers, and masters of political manipulation. The Kouhun claimed responsibility for the assassinations of numerous prominent figures within the Anoat sector, notably including the spouse of Governor Ubrik Adelhard. By the time the Iron Blockade was in effect, the Kouhun were under the command of the elusive Deathstick, daughter to the Nightsister Shelish. Driven by the unifying influence of a young scoundrel, the Kouhun entered into an improbable alliance with the Noble Court and the Ivax Syndicate, ultimately sparking the Uprising.
The Kouhun sometimes committed murder against capable individuals solely to demonstrate their capabilities. They professed that killing was enjoyable, but also emphasized that they were not mere butchers, and that their craft demanded restraint. They also didn't always uphold assassination contracts with their clients, occasionally choosing to show mercy and spare a target, instead opting to ransom the victim, claiming that their death would not serve the Kouhun's grander designs. They would also, on occasion, enlist and train those seeking someone's demise, enabling them to carry out the act themselves.
During the Iron Blockade, The Smuggler questioned Deathstick about the Kouhun's true desires, to which she responded that they, like everyone else, sought fulfillment, which she defined as the act of killing and dying, emphasizing their paramount importance and the need to execute both with extravagance.
Nightsister Shelish asserted that the Kouhun, along with their leader Deathstick, served her own hidden agendas.
According to Loathe during the Iron Blockade, the Kouhun order was not ancient and had existed for less than a century, despite the common misconception that they were an older order.
Rather than sporting tattoos or brands, the Kouhun proudly displayed the scars, marks, and scabs resulting from their injuries.
Following the Smuggler's initiation ritual to become a member of the Kouhun, Deathstick revealed that Governor Ubrik Adelhard had long sought to eradicate their shadowy organization, and that the Kouhun were aware of the broader galactic events, leading her to believe that they would become targets for Commander Bragh's purges should they reveal themselves. This reasoning, combined with Deathstick's interest in the Smuggler, led her and the Kouhun to join the Uprising during the Iron Blockade, despite their distrust of the Ivax Syndicate and the Noble Court.
To become a member of the Kouhun, one had to be prepared to embrace the Kouhun's philosophy and survive the initiation ritual within the ruins of Necropolis on Mataou. This ritual involved a series of perilous tasks imbued with philosophical undertones, beginning with the consumption of a highly toxic substance known as the Waters of Truth. The toxic nature of this substance was concealed from the initiate until after consumption, forcing them to endure its effects throughout the entire initiation.
The first challenge was the Test of Meat, where the initiate had to demonstrate strength, ferocity, and cunning, among other qualities, to prove their superiority over animals, overcome various dangerous guardian beasts, learn about the Kouhun's past victims through holograms scattered throughout the Necropolis, and ultimately learn and emulate the toxicity of Ro hypas, metaphorically "branding it on heart, becoming the venom itself".
The second challenge of the initiation was the Test of Steel, designed to demonstrate the initiate's intelligence by destroying and surpassing droids programmed to mimic various potential targets, thus bringing the initiate one step closer to being able to kill a real person. During the Test of Steel, the initiate also learned about the Kouhun's future victims from holograms scattered throughout the Necropolis, and was instructed on choosing targets with care, but without pity, and that the Kouhun's goals were less important than their methods.
The third and final challenge was the Test of Spirit, which ultimately required the initiate to assassinate an assigned target.
As part of the Test of Spirit, The Smuggler was tasked with killing another initiate who had failed their trials and betrayed the Kouhun by showing no restraint in their art.
Those who successfully completed all tests would receive an antidote to the poison ingested from the Waters of Truth, deemed worthy in the eyes of the Kouhun, and considered suitable vessels for their teachings.