Eye of Balgorath
The Eye of Balgorath
| The Eye of Balgorath | |
| |
| Type | Fabled item |
Smugglers are widely considered disreputable at best, but remain indispensable by virtue of the sheer number of them and their usefulness, possessing a set of skills vital to any that would engage in practices frowned upon by the local government. Stories both good and bad are commonly told about the activities of these men and women, and the Eye of Balgorath stands at the center of one such.
History
A smuggler known by the alias of Stepper fell into debt with a Hutt, the head of a criminal cartel whose name is long since lost to time. When given chances she failed to pay up the debt, however, and it grew and grew in size until, in frustration and anger, the Hutt sent his men to capture her, intending to make her pay for both the insult and the missing money.
Upon arrival, however, the men encountered a blood-splattered Stepper, clutching what appeared to be a large, bulging eye in her hand. However, in reality the 'eye' was a rock she had carved with a chisel, and the 'blood' was merely colored water, diluted with chemicals to have a consistency similar to blood. Undeniably charismatic, she wove a tale about how she had torn the eye out of a rancor's face before slaying it, threatening much the same to the Hutt's men. They fled, carrying the tale to their master.
Time and again was she set upon, but time and again did she use the tale of the rancor and its eye to intimidate those that came after her - until one day a bounty hunter of Mandalorian origin sought her out. Unintimidated, he captured her with ease and brought her before the Hutt, where the ruse was discovered. The Hutt, with much irony, elected to feed Stepper piece by piece to a rancor and he started with her eyes.
The Hutt kept Stepper's 'Eye of Balgorath' as a trophy, eventually selling the now-legendary item on to the black market, where it and the story it carries have since circulated hands many times. Inherently it is without value; it is merely a hand-sized rock stained red in places, carved cunningly with a chisel to imitate an eye - and convincingly enough to fool the unwary, even today.
Owner
The item is currently owned by Belloq Tull. His efforts at studying the Eye suggest that the item may be more than just a simple carved stone, as its previous owners may have believed.
Balgorath the Hutt
| Balgorath the Hutt | |
| |
| Type | Frozen Hutt |
This, frozen in carbonite, is Balgorath the Hutt, the crime lord that the Smuggler Stepper came into conflict with over gambling and smuggling debts, culminating in her death at the hands of a rancor and the birth of the psuedo-legendary 'Eye of Balgorath', thus named after the Hutt himself.
Fate
Upon Stepper's death and consumption, the Hutt christened the eye and furnished his palace with it as a trophy, reminding all that came of his victory over the cunning smuggler. However, Stepper had not been without friends, and among them was her lover, whose name has long since been lost to history. Gathering allies to his name, this unknown mercenary plotted vengeance upon the Hutt for what he had done to Stepper, culminating in a siege of the Hutt's palace that lasted several days.
In the end the Hutt was captured and his Rancor slain. Begging for his life and for mercy, the Hutt was given both - and frozen in carbonite, preserving his life and transforming him into the unknown mercenary's own trophy. Ensuring that there was no thawing mechanism implemented to make certain the Hutt could never again be freed from his shackles, the mercenary - his mission done - proceeded to kill himself in the rancor's chamber, intending to join his beloved smuggler wherever she had gone. While all that remains of them is the smuggler's alias, the tale is nevertheless a popular one among romantics and spacers alike.
Balgorath the Hutt in the meantime was passed to the black market, where he has since changed hands many times. Attempts at thawing him were made time and time again, but each one failed. Out of curiosity, one owner tasked a Jedi acquaintance of his with attempting to determine whether or not the Hutt even lived; the Jedi confirmed that he had died, likely at the time of freezing, as is ever a risk with the process.
Owner
Currently being auction at Caldria.
