The individual known only as the Shroud was a Human male who operated as a legendary freelance spy in the years preceding the Galactic War that pitted the Galactic Republic against the reconstituted Sith Empire. Following an extensive career marked by events like the Great Czerka Datacrash, he disappeared from public view and was largely considered a myth by the year 3638 BBY, at which point the Hutt Cartel contacted him. Sometime around the Eternal Empire's rise to power, the Shroud met his end at the hands of Z0-0M, who then impersonated him.
The organization that the Shroud established by the year 3638 BBY was truly remarkable. He utilized a variety of battle droids with diverse designs, along with numerous trusted lieutenants from various species. The Shroud and his team strategically placed listening posts on every significant battlefield of the Galactic War, spanning from locations such as Balmorra and Taris to Corellia and Hoth. These listening devices enabled the Shroud to eavesdrop on all communications within the area, including those of both the Empire and the Republic, and were typically installed in locations that were exceedingly difficult to access, ensuring that they could not be easily disabled if discovered. In addition to these listening posts, the Shroud deployed MCR-99 reconnaissance droids to every planet he deemed important, including heavily guarded worlds like Tython and Korriban. Beyond his primary base of operations on Nar Shaddaa, the Shroud stationed his lieutenants at several concealed bases, distributed from major capital worlds like Dromund Kaas and Coruscant to the supposedly clandestine prison planet of Belsavis. The entrances to these bases were well-hidden, and their internal systems incorporated multiple layers of deadly defenses, designed with redundancy in mind. It was rumored that he had a contract with a small-scale droid manufacturer, who appeared to be producing robotic duplicates of him on a large scale. This factory was later the subject of an investigation.
The Hutts hired the Shroud to spy on both the Republic and the Empire in the period leading up to their invasion of the planet Makeb, but the Shroud quickly identified vulnerabilities in both governments that would allow him to strike at their capitals by directly launching dreadnaughts into Coruscant and Dromund Kaas. Utilizing his considerable financial resources, the Shroud acquired both a Harrower-class dreadnought and a Valor-class cruiser, and he planted hyperspace beacons within Kaas City and Galactic City.
One of the Shroud's lieutenants, Evie Bo, was appalled by the Shroud's scheme and defected to the Empire, taking with her several of the Shroud's custom-designed EV2 discreet reconnaissance macrobinoculars. News of Bo's betrayal also enabled the Republic Strategic Information Service's Agent Deena Riss to uncover fragments of the Shroud's intentions and obtain another set of the specialized macrobinoculars. Riss, representing the Republic, and Darth Mortis, representing the Empire, enlisted their best agents to locate the Shroud's lieutenants and thwart his plans.
Initially, when the Shroud discovered intruders in one of his secret bases, he was remarkably unimpressed, even encouraging them to continue their pursuit, confident that it would be futile. However, as Republic and Imperial operatives uncovered more of the Shroud's listening posts and bases, he became increasingly irritated by their actions, eventually resorting to direct taunts via holocomm. Ultimately, the Shroud was tracked to his largest and most heavily defended base, situated on Nar Shaddaa. In his personally designed control room, the Shroud made his final stand, employing holographic duplicates at one point during the battle to confuse his adversaries. Ultimately, the Shroud was defeated, and the attacks on Coruscant and Dromund Kaas were prevented. Believing in their success, the Shroud's pursuers left his body on the floor and departed his lair to meet with their respective mission controls. However, the Shroud evaded certain death by substituting one of his duplicates in his place at the last moment. He made a mocking holocall to Deena Riss and inflicted punishment upon the defector Evie Bo. The Shroud interrupted her conversation with Darth Mortis and uttered a single word - "asunder" - which activated the neural scrambler secretly implanted in Evie's brain. While she remained physically unharmed, all of her memories and personality were erased, leaving her a blank slate for the Empire to exploit and preventing her from divulging any further of the Shroud's secrets. Despite the failure of his plans, the Shroud continued to oversee his extensive spy network throughout the galaxy.
Later, the Shroud became intrigued by the clandestine meeting between Republic Colonel Rian Darok and Darth Arkous of the Dark Council, sanctioned by the Order of Shasa. Recognizing that the Order adhered to the doctrines of the late Revan, he began to notice unusual incidents involving his field agents, such as Asset R-27, who was intercepted by an Imperial stealth craft deep within Republic territory. Suspecting that the Order of Revan was emerging from obscurity, the Shroud instructed his agents to gather information about the Order.
In the years following the Eternal Empire's conquest of the galaxy, the Shroud deployed his MCR-X reconnaissance droids to monitor the massive Star Fortresses positioned above key worlds to suppress rebellion. When the Outlander was in the process of attacking one of these Star Fortresses, they identified one of these droids using their macrobinoculars, which contained a coded message from the Shroud expressing his pleasure at the Outlander's return and stating that he would be watching.
The Shroud appears as a character in the 2011 Star Wars: The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel video game expansion, specifically in the Makeb missions.
For players aligned with the Republic, upon completing the Shroud missions, the Shroud will appear to the player(s) via holodroid and use a shock collar to immobilize Deena Riss. He reveals that his double possessed information it was not supposed to have and demands that the player(s) erase it from Riss' console in exchange for her life, warning that he will be monitoring their actions. If the player(s) choose the light side option and return the data, the Shroud keeps his promise and releases Deena. Conversely, if the player(s) choose the dark side option and upload the data to SIS servers, the Shroud kills Deena and becomes enraged. Regardless of the choice, the Shroud vows to return as he self-destructs his holodroid.
During the bonus chapter in Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire, titled the Shroud of Memory, it is revealed that the Shroud was murdered and replaced by his droid Z0-0M, although the exact timing of the replacement remains unknown. Z0-0M then proceeded to have others undergo facial reconstruction to resemble and impersonate The Shroud for her, while she manipulated them from afar to minimize risk to herself.