Vur Tepe, also known as the Forge, was one of the nine temples belonging to the Je'daii Order that were situated on the lush planet of Tython. This massive metallic construction, 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.
When the philosophers and scholars originating from across the galaxy initially arrived on Tython, they journeyed from the stars aboard immense pyramidal structures known as the Tho Yor. These nine colossal ships dispersed throughout the planet, landing in various locations and allowing their passengers to establish settlements. The Tho Yor themselves would become the foundational elements of these travelers' new residences and learning institutions.
One such Tho Yor delivered its occupants to the slopes of a live volcano situated along the Tythos Ridge. The Tho Yor remained in the sky, watching over the volcano as the early members of the Je'daii Order erected a sizable temple made of metal and stone on the rim of the active caldera. Serving as a testament to the art of metallurgy, the students at Vur Tepe forged their weapons using the volcano's fires. The temple's base formed an internal dome, capturing the heat from the flowing lava to fuel the forges. This rust-colored ziggurat, supported by four steep walls, was topped with several barrel-shaped chimneys that emitted smoke produced by the Forge's fires.
Within the halls of Vur Tepe, the Je'daii prioritized practical applications, concentrating on how the Force could be used to create or enhance physical objects. The temple maintained a strong collaborative relationship with the neighboring Anil Kesh, the Temple of Science. The temple's technology enabled the early Force-users to infuse their katana with the Force, making the material incredibly strong and exceptionally sharp. The Je'daii Temple Master, the Je'daii responsible for managing the facility and overseeing its operations, instructed students in the intricacies of craftsmanship and promoted new discoveries. In 25,793 BBY, Master Tem Madog, a Cathar, held the position of Temple overseer.
Following the Sacking of Coruscant by the Sith Empire in 3653 BBY, which concluded the Great Galactic War and swayed public opinion of the Galactic Republic against the Jedi Order, they abandoned the ruins of their Temple and returned to their recently rediscovered homeworld. Upon arrival, the Jedi uncovered numerous ruins from the ancient Je'daii, including the temple of Kaleth and Vur Tepe itself. Over the subsequent decade, the Order's Padawans would journey 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 pursued Din's former apprentice, the Dark Jedi Bengel Morr, to the Forge, and faced the Nautolan Morr in a duel. Simultaneously, the Twi'lek Nalen Raloch was exposed to the Fount of Rajivari and became mentally unstable, attempting to destroy the Forge. Raloch was stopped by the young apprentice of Jedi Master Yuon Par.
Although 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 a future source that was yet to be disclosed. Leland Chee clarified on Twitter in 2021 that this was a reference to content that was never released, but was alluded to in Star Wars Tales 23.