The Ark of Ryloth
The Ark of Rylothh
| Ark of Ryloth | |
| |
| Type | Fabled item |
The Ark of Ryloth, known also as the Twi’lek Ark, is a sacred chest plated with pure aurodium. On the lid of the Ark, surrounded by aurodium crowning, sit a pair of solid aurodium Twi’lek seraphim.
Two aurodium-plated poles, strung through a pair of rings on each side, allow the Ark to be carried by a team of bearers. Some ancient legends suggest that the bearers must be barefoot when carrying the Ark, but there is no modern confirmation of this.
History
It is not known when or why the Ark was created. Some believed it to have been a divine object from Twi’lek mythology, a legendary but non-real focus of old tales. Throughout history, other religions and sects have claimed it as their own. One theory suggests that the Ark allows sapient beings to commune with the Force. Much like its origins, its contents remain a mystery. Tales of unworthy individuals who tried to open the Ark suffering a particularly unpleasant death persist to this day. Some believe that it is an object that is not meant to be disturbed, and is to be feared like some haunted relic.
The Ark was lost for thousands of years, until Ryloth was occupied during the Clone Wars. At that time, a Separatist archaeological expedition discovered it in the Chamber of the Sacred Light, a secret subterranean temple located deep beneath the Jixuan Desert in Ryloth’s southern hemisphere. The location was guarded by a particularly fierce nest of lyleks and thousands of poisonous serpents, which explains why it had been lost to recorded history.
The Separatists took the Ark to Tanis Station, a clandestine deep-space facility used for storing war materiel. Almost forty years later, after a tip-off from a Separatist veteran, a special expedition was mounted to recover the Ark. The adventurers arrived at Tanis Station to find that the entire crew had vanished, leading some on the expedition to claim that the Ark itself destroyed the unworthy.
Owner
Currently, the Ark is in the possession of noted Force artifact collector Belloq Tull, and is displayed aboard his Sabaoth Destroyer The Missouri. A special honor guard of Tusken Raiders are entrusted with its safety. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to get close to the Ark.
It's been noted by select visitors that the Tuskens entrusted with the Ark's care are routinely seen without footwear.
