Teras Kasi Archive

Teras Kasi Artist what are they?

TKA is more than a martial arts. It is a total defensive system. It was designed by a planet of people who no longer trusted the Jedi to police themselves. So in a nutshell TKA was made to defeat a Jedi. Through 100s of years TKAs have honed their skills so that they could defend themselves against Jedi if needed. Some TKA masters have defeated Jedi. Some TKA masters can push the force away from them. Some Jedi are also TKA.

As you can see TKA is a powerful system. It is not that way in SWG. In SWG TKA is a mediocre martial arts system and that is all.

Remember people and devs this game and SW is fiction. So yes a TKA master can beat a guy with a blaster. I mean if a TKA master can defend himself against a Jedi then a guy with a blaster is nothing. TKA in SWG is far from this. Their needs to be a few good reasonable changes to bring TKA up to speed.

The road to TKA master should be hard and difficult. Once you hit TKA master you should have your reward for such a long hard journey. A TKA master should be one of the most powerful combatants in the game. This power should be balance by making it difficult to optain being a TKA master.

Right now we have a weak martial artist profession that seems like it will be easy to reach TKA master. As TKA master you will just be a weak combatant compared to the other master or elite combatants in the game.

I'm not asking to overpower a TKA master. Just make him as good as a combatant as any of the other elite combatants..

Devs fix TKA profession please.

LS1

I've actually directly discussed this with the developers. According to them, there is no EU proof that Teras Kasi was designed to defeat the Jedi. At least, they couldn't find any evidence of it.

Believe me, I wish it was true.

If you can find a direct source where this is said in EU material, let us know. I've looked hard and haven't been able to find any direct proof.

Hi Thunderwulf. I think I remember you from beta.

Here is one example of the true skills of a Teras Kasi master.

Ji, Phow
this man, a native of Bunduki and a member of the Followers of Palawa, was an expert in the martial art of teras kasi. Phow Ji won the tournament in Aslaja, just before the onset of the Clone Wars, defeating the Jedi Knight Joclad Danva in a 47-minute fight.

This from Theforce.net.

Source: HoloNetNews.com, Issues 55 through 59.

That's just one quick thing that I found.

(This darn board won't let me have a smiley icon...grrrr...says HTML not allowed.)

Yea, I remember your you. That article is actually one of the few things that are cannon. I actually have a document with all the info that I could find regarding Teras Kasi, no matter how obscure it is. Most of the info regarding the skills is NOT cannon according to the Devs even though some of the info I found mentions rules as if it were part of an RPG. But here is what I have..Get ready for information overload...


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Jedi Defeated for Teräs Käsi Title

ÄSLAJÄ, BUNDUKI - The Force was not with Jedi Knight Joclad Danva tonight.
In the evening air of the final purple-hued moon of the season, the formerly undefeated Danva was humbled in teräs käsi combat by new Palawa Band champion Phow Ji. Ji ended the exhausting 47-minute bout with a rancor-rising, aryx-slash, nexu-grin combination.
"Joclad's failure is just further proof that this ‘force' is nothing more than a myth perpetuated as an excuse to retain power," said Ji (19-0), the home-planet favorite. "Enlightenment and strength is not the exclusive domain of a recluse tower on Coruscant."
A deferential Danva conceded the contest, but insisted the Force did not fail him. "The art of teräs käsi is about control and mastery of one's self. The Force is the power of all living things," claimed the Jedi. "To go outside of myself and call upon the Force during the Palawa quest would violate the purity of teräs käsi. Phow was superior this day within the confines of the discipline."
Earlier, Danva and Ji defeated quarter final and semi-final opponents with relative ease. Notable combatants included locals Chaq-Quaj Ee (19-3), Beru Slee (76-5), Celjo Mi (22-7), and surprising finishes for off-worlders Lungrolph Isher (Krish 10-12) and Talon Slyter (Draethos 36-19).
In a quarter-final contest, popular Epicanthix fighter Dux Pike suffered a fatal shenbit-bonecrusher blow from Phow Ji. Pike is survived by his wife and infant twin daughters.

Joclad Danva was a Jedi Knight of the Old Republic, and one of the best fighters in the Jedi Order. Joclad was a master in the art of teräs käsi, a martial arts popular in the galaxy. Although he was a Jedi Knight, Danva was allowed to participate in the tournaments held for the teräs käsi title, and although Joclad, as a Jedi, mastered the use of the Force as well, refrained from calling upon it during his matches; as he explained to HoloNet Sports reporters, using the Force to help him in his matches would be unfair and negate his mastery of the art. In his career as a teräs käsi fighter, Joclad Danva remained undefeated, until the tournament on the planet of Bunduki. There, in a fourty-seven minute bout, Joclad fought with Phow Ji, a native of Bunduki and a Palawa Band champion. Winning with a rancor-rising, aryx-slash, nexu-grin combination, Phow Ji brought Joclad's perfect career to an end. After the match, Joclad remained modest, and offered congratulations to Ji, while Ji remained bitter over the fact that Danva was a Jedi Knight. Even in defeat, Joclad embodied what it was to be a Jedi Knight.

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Ji, Phow
this man, a native of Bunduki and a member of the Followers of Palawa, was an expert in the martial art of teras kasi. Phow Ji won the tournament in Aslaja, just before the onset of the Clone Wars, defeating the Jedi Knight Joclad Danva in a 47-minute fight.

Pike, Dux
this Epicanthrix fighter was skilled in the martial art of teras kasi, during the last decades of the Old Republic. Unfortunately for his wife and twin daughters, Dux Pike was killed just before the Clone Wars in a tournament on Bunduki. He was defeated by Phow Ji, who used a shenbit stonecrusher blow to eliminate Pike

Pike, Zan
twin sister of Zu Pike, Zan is distinguishable from her sister because she has two green eyes. Like her sister, she is completely amoral but has no criminal record. She is highly skilled in the Bunduki art of teras kasi, and is available to the highest bidder. Prince Xizor secured her services in his hunt for Luke Skywalker. She was twenty-six standard years old at the time. Later, the sisters worked for Spinda Caveel, trying to recover the human replica droid Guri. However, as the stakes for recovering Guri grew, the sisters opted to get out while the getting was good. Later, the sisters worked for Spinda Caveel, trying to recover the human replica droid Guri. However, as the stakes for recovering Guri grew, the sisters opted to get out while the getting was good.

Pike, Zu
twin sister of Zan Pike, Zu is distinguishable from her sister because she has one green eye and one blue eye. Like her sister, she is completely amoral but has no criminal record. She is highly skilled in the Bunduki art of teras kasi, and is available to the highest bidder. Prince Xizor secured her services in his hunt for Luke Skywalker. She was twenty-six standard years old at the time. Later, the sisters worked for Spinda Caveel, trying to recover the human replica droid Guri. However, as the stakes for recovering Guri grew, the sisters opted to get out while the getting was good. Later, the sisters worked for Spinda Caveel, trying to recover the human replica droid Guri. However, as the stakes for recovering Guri grew, the sisters opted to get out while the getting was good

Danva, Joclad
this Jedi Knight was a noted student of the teras Kasi martial artform. Danva was a regular participant in martial arts tournaments, until he was defeated on Bunduki by Phow Ji, just before the onset of the Clone Wars. Shortly afterward, Danva was part of the task force assembled by Mace Windu to travel to Geonosis and confront the Separatists. Danva was one of the handfuls of survivors of the initial stages of the battle, and was captured and led into the execution arena just before the Army of the Republic arrived.

Bunduki
this planet, located in the Pacanth Reach, was conquered by the Epicanthix people

Epicanthix
a near-human race native to the Pacanth Reach, the Epicanthix are genetically very close to standard human stock. Their variances from baseline humans are subtle: all Epicanthix have long, black hair; they are well muscled, and tend to be willowy and graceful; and they are extremely warlike in their ways. Their closeness to baseline humans suggested to many xenoarchaeologists that the Epicanthix were descended from a forgotten civilization effort many millennia before the rise of the New Order. Under the guidance of the warrior-chief Canthar, the Epicanthix moved from an industrial society to space-level technologies in a matter of millennia

Continued...

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According to the book, teras kasi is a form of hand-to- hand combat taught in Pacanth Reach, a remote star cluster stuck way out in the Outer Rim Territories. Students of this somewhat mystical martial art practice it for years on the planet Bunduki, where they also study history, philosophy and various assundry tutelage of mysterious hermits called the Followers of Palawa.


History of the Teräs Käsi

The order of the Teräs Käsi is a secret organization born from the belief that near infinite power, regardless of the intention behind it, should not go unregulated. The Teräs Käsi - bluntly, did not trust the Jedi to police themselves.

The Teräs Käsi was founded thousands of years ago, during the last of the great wars between the Light and the Dark. The final decisive battle between the two great forces occurred in the Pacanth Reach, devastating the planet of Palawa itself. The victory was attained, but at momentous cost to the civilian population. The Jedi Council, deeply saddened by the outcome of the events, nevertheless deemed it 'acceptable losses'. The battleground was not one of the Order's choosing, the evil had to be stopped, it was one planet against thousands - there was no choice.

The civilians that survived the battle saw it differently.

The meager handful of survivors relocated to the nearby world of Bunduki. The remaining Palawan concluded that so much force, so much power - in the hands of one people, regardless of how well intentioned and regulated. They vowed never to let happen to others what had happened to them. They began the study of the mind over the body, how to master self from without and within. They forged themselves to be a force capable of dealing with Jedi, should the need arise. It took generations to conceive and implement the plan, but the Teräs Käsi martial arts were born.

Since that time, the order has grown strong. During the heights of the Old Republic, the exact number of Teräs Käsi masters is unknown - but the number was estimated to be from several hundred up to slightly more than a thousand. Of course the number of Teräs Käsi practitioners are considerably less during the reign of Palpatine and his Empire. During the era of the New Republic, the order is growing again, but has yet to fully recover.

About the Teräs Käsi

Although not they quite as all-powerful and versatile as the Jedi arts, the practitioners of Teräs Käsi are formidable in their own ways.

There is one basic fundamental difference between the two schools. Instead of drawing on the Force for power, Teräs Käsi users draw on the power from inside themselves. By using the power from within, they are able to have more control and fewer restraints. Since practitioners of Teräs Käsi draw from what is inside, they become what they are. Unlike the Jedi, since the Force surrounds and penetrates all life - which has good and evil, so there are light and dark sides of the Force.

A master of Teräs Käsi must be able to command their own bodies in addition to learning the external arts. As such they are able to ignore pain, control disease and poisons within themselves, focus on injured areas and accelerating their own healing, and summon great strength to release it in one blow. The Teräs Käsi are also exceptionally attuned to the ebb and flow of the Force - if not actually out and out Jedi material. This attuned nature of the Teräs Käsi not only allows them to be aware of Jedi and Force Users, but also makes them exceptionally resistant to uses of the Force.

Mastery of the teachings of Teräs Käsi also imparts one additional benefit - a long life span. Not immortality - no matter how long you live, how far you run, you can't escape the hand of death forever. However, a master of Teräs Käsi can live several hundred years - and many of the order often do so.

The Teräs Käsi and the Jedi

Operating in secret, even beyond the notice most Jedi (it is unknown if the Jedi Council knew or suspected of the existence of the group) the Teräs Käsi have set up a network of temples and training facilities. These facilities are scattered throughout the galaxy, often hidden in plain site - small monasteries and temples are the order's natural appearance.

With this network, they watch the Jedi. Mostly they are unneeded, but when one steps out of line, the Teräs Käsi are there.

Occasionally there are beings able to cross over between the two groups, masters both versed in the Jedi arts and the ways of Teräs Käsi. These individuals are extremely rare, however. Although it may seem a conflict of interests - the watcher in the very order they watch - but what better place to monitor and observe than from within.

The Teräs Käsi and Palpatine's New Order

Then the purge came. The order, although not targeted by Palpatine, was also caught up in the madness of the destruction of the Jedi Order. However unlike the Jedi, who were in the public eye, the Teräs Käsi managed to avoid the near total extermination the Empire meted out. Unfortunately the very secretive nature of the Teräs Käsi that saved them from extermination left the few survivors adrift and without resources.

The destruction of the Teräs Käsi may not have complete, but it was crippling. Only a handful of Masters survived - more than the Jedi order, but not by many. The Teräs Käsi have survived adversity before - have had to deal with persecution and extermination before. As a precaution against the destruction of the order, the Teräs Käsi was segmented into cells, much like a guerrilla war might be fought. Eventually, one or two branches of the order would survive.

During this period, the most notable of the Teräs Käsi masters came to the spotlight - Arden Lynn. As one of the last remaining masters of Teräs Käsi, Arden was cornered by Vader and offered a chance at survival - provided that she assassinated key members of the Rebel Alliance. The plot failed, and presumably Arden Lynn was executed by Palpatine for her failure - although this is conjecture, since no records of her, her execution, or her current status existed when Coruscant was taken by the New Republic. Owing to the resourcefulness of the master turned mercenary, she very well may have successfully eluded the Empire after her failure.

The Teräs Käsi in the New Republic

Thanks to Arden Lynn's attempt on his life, Luke Skywalker is fully aware of the existence of the Teräs Käsi order. He may not know all of the details, but he has put together enough to know that the Teräs Käsi could be invaluable on rebuilding the Jedi Knights. Their perspective on the original order of Jedi Knights, plus their unique insight to the ways of the Force could be very useful indeed. As such, Master Skywalker is actively seeking the order and it's members.

The Teräs Käsi, however are not eager for this contact. They realize that the Anakin/Vader paradigm had finally done more than tip the balance of power between light and dark. It had freed the Jedi Knights of the protocol, rituals and methods that had suffocated them and slowly rendered the order less and less effective. To impart the old knowledge and old ways upon the new order would be to unnecessarily shackle them. They must learn their own way - right or wrong.


Teräs Käsi Martial Arts
Brawling - Teräs Käsi Martial Arts is an extremely rare specialization, and operates in a different manner than other standard specializations available to most characters. A character learning the skill must study full-time under a master of Teräs Käsi for six months to acquire the first pip in the specialization. After that, improving the Teräs Käsi Martial Arts skill costs Character Points equal to the number before the "D". Much like how a Jedi learns the Force, the cost to is doubled if the character does not have a teacher.

The training time for a character learning the Teräs Käsi skill is one day for every Character Point spent. The training time may be reduced by one day for each extra Character Point spent.


To use Teräs Käsi in combat, the character may do nothing else in the round other than performing the Teräs Käsi attacks - the character may not even parry or dodge. Before making the attack, the player splits the brawling Teräs Käsi skill dice into two groups: attack dice and damage bonus dice

The character rolls to attack using only the attack dice. If the character succeeds in the attack, add the damage bonus dice to the character's Strength roll when determining damage. Characters may not allocate more than half of their brawling - Teräs Käsi dice to their damage bonus dice.




Teräs Käsi Mysticism
Different from the Teräs Käsi Martial Arts skill, Teräs Käsi Mysticism is what governs the more mystical Teräs Käsi abilities..

Blind Fighting:
Practitioners of Teräs Käsi have learned to use all of their senses in combat, and are thus at a great advantage in dark environments. With a successful role they can fight without penalty even when completely blinded.

Contort/Escape:
This ability is similar to the Jedi power of the same name. Contort/Escape allows one to work there way free of bindings by twisting their bodies in often-unnatural ways. Often it is necessary to dislocate joints, or commit otherwise painful acts to escape bonds.

Concentration:
This ability is an extension of the Teräs Käsi Meditation ability. However, instead of focusing on the internal center of the practitioner, this use focuses on one external action as an extension of themselves. If the difficulty is made, the Teräs Käsi may add +2D to any one DEX or STR action (although appropriate actions outside of these two attributes may be left up to GM discretion). This roll may be the only action the character takes that round.

Control Disease / Detoxify Poison / Accelerate Healing:
The Teräs Käsi masters can exhibit an incredible, near-total control of their own bodies. As such they can detoxify or eject poisons, control infection, attack the diseased parts of the body, and minimize damage from injuries. However, to do any of these requires at least an hour of undisturbed meditation.

Danger Sense:
Danger sense allows a Teräs Käsi to be in tune and alert to their surroundings. Unlike the Jedi ability, the Teräs Käsi Danger Sense is always up, and is may be rolled as a reaction prior to any attacks. Should this roll be successful, the Teräs Käsi detects the attack the round before.

Detect Weakness:
The Teräs Käsi have made a study of the bodies' weaknesses. This allows them to zero in on sensitive areas, and exploit them.

Detect Force User:
The Teräs Käsi have also developed the skill of noting the subtle differences that differentiate a Force user from others. By applying this skill it is often possible to tell, just by looking, whether an individual is a user of the Force, and their approximate power level. The more advanced the target, the more clearly the signs show. These can be just physical looks, as well as how they move. A good deal of this ability, however, is just an unidentifiable instinct. A skilled Teräs Käsi can sometimes even detect which path the Force User Follows.

Hibernation Trance:
Building on the meditation skill, hibernation trance goes one step further. The character is no longer aware of their surroundings. They become so relaxed, that their body becomes almost catatonic- only an intensive scrutiny will detect any life signs. In this state the body uses far less air, and requires far less food and water. It is possible to go over a week before truly requiring water. Unlike simple meditation, one in a hibernation trance is completely oblivious to what is going on around them. Unless they take an actual wound it is unlikely they will wake up, even then it will take several minutes before full awareness is achieved. When one goes into the trance they decide how long they will stay under

Ignore Pain:
Teräs Käsi users must be able to master their own bodies, and as such they have learned to set aside their pain and keep fighting. This ability basically combines the Jedi powers remain conscious and reduce pain. The primary difference is that the Jedi no longer feel the pain, the Teräs Käsi still feels it, they are just able to ignore it and keep going. If successfully used the martial artist may keep fighting without penalty and they will not pass out, but keep in mind the wounds are still present, so further damage can be devastating.

Injure/Kill:
This Teräs Käsi ability relies on the knowledge of pressure points, using these vital areas in attacks, holds and strikes that break bones and otherwise disrupt the body.


Longevity:


Meditate:
Meditation is a skill taught to all Teräs Käsi students. Before they can advance into the more complex arts they must be able to enter a calm state, no matter what the circumstances. One in a meditative trance gains the benefits of sleep, without loosing complete track of the surrounding world

Primal Strength:
Teräs Käsi practitioners have learned how to tap into the hysterical strength within the body. This can give them a tremendous boost of power, but can also do great damage if over used. To use Primal Strength, one is pulling energy from their bodies' reserves, and if completely drained the practitioner will be extremely weak, and may pass out. There is also a small chance that constant use could be too much of a shock for the heart, and induce a heart attack.

Resist The Force:
This is one of the most difficult of the Teräs Käsi powers. It is rarely used, but when needed, can be extremely handy. The Masters of Teräs Käsi have managed to come up with a way to actually push the Force from themselves, effectively rendering themselves invisible, and untouchable, to the Force. This can be useful in eluding detection or evading attacks. Extremely powerful Teräs Käsi can also push the Force from those in contact with them, but only a master would normally attempt this.

Sense Force Use:
Teräs Käsi sometimes find themselves opposed to Jedi or other Force users. Their self-imposed duty, the hunting down of dangerous Force Users, has caused them to develop some affinity with the workings of the Force. Thus, though they are not able to use it themselves, they have learned to detect its use.

The Pike Sisters

Appearances
Star Wars Adventure Journal

Affiliations

Special Distinctions
This deadly and beautiful duo are prime examples of the kind of operatives Xizor hires--well-trained, among the best in their field, and with no ties whatsoever to Black Sun.
The Epicanthix twins Zan and Zu Pike are professional fighters in the remote Pacanth Reach, a small cluster of stars in the Outer Rim Territories. The two are just now emerging on the galactic combat scene, fighting opponents in hidden arenas and high-class pleasure halls where such illegal sport can be properly concealed. The two are shrewd as well as combat-wise, and they act as their own booking agent--they don't trust anyone who doesn't have the credits to win them over, and they certainly don't trust middlemen interested in shares of their profits.
The sisters are masters of the Bunduki martial art called teräs käsi, or "steel hands". When they were young, their mother sent them to Bunduki--a world in the Pacanth Reach conquered by the Epicanthix- for an education with the learned Followers of Palawa, a secretive group of hermits highly revered there. While the twins learned much about the history, great literature and philosophies of the Pacanth Reach, they also learned physical discipline and the art of combat without weapons. The Pike twins mastered these martial arts and quickly rose through the ranks of teräs käsi students, receiving many honors from their teachers. Instead of using this martial discipline for the better good of society, the Pike sisters set out to use their talents for personal profit.
The women are just as beautiful as they are deadly. They dress in the form-fitting tunics of their Palawa teachers, which allows them freedom of movement, and they have the lithe yet powerful bodies typical of Epicanthix. The sisters generally wear their black hair in braids, occasionally augmented with small blades tied into the tips (which can be used to lethal effect in combat). Their eyes betray no emotion, just cold precision. To the Pike sisters, it is a point of pride not to carry weapons--for the deadly pair's skills are more than sufficient to defeat any foe.

The fact is that there is plenty enough info out there that has Jedi and Teras Kasi hand in hand. I don't think Teras Kasi would be so closely tied with Jedi if it were just a 'run of the mill' martial arts. I wish the devs would see the light.

It seems to me that this issue will not be resolved for months. I don't think the devs have fixing TKA as a priority.

There are players who will be a TK master in a month's play time (so it seems). It should not have been that easy. Being a TK master should of been a 'right of passage'. TK masters should then of been an elite (but not over balanced) combatant.

Finding that last TK master to teach you how to be a TK master should be more like a good quest or journey in life. I don't think it will be that way. It seems to be on a simple tread mill system.

I don't know where your XP'ing, but wherever it is tell me. Cause all the places I've heard of make it so we won't see a TKA Master for a year.

We have get 120,00....

Then 170,000 3 times + alot of combat exp that comes just as slow as regular.

Then what.. 240,000 3 times + combat exp.

Some 400,000 3 times + combat exp.

You see where I'm going. Unless they fix the proffession and the exp now, it will be a while before we see ANY Mastered Elite proffessions outside of the crafting circle.

Thanks thunderwulf, I've been doing everything I can to find out as much about the TKA as possible to apply to my character for RP'ing purposes...the information you provided is invaluable.

I think everyone in the game wants to be a formidable character, but I don't think that we'll truly know how effective this class is until someone has risen to Teras Kasi Master in the non-beta enviroment. Perhaps new skills, abillities, and whatnot will be available in time.

(IC) Until then we have to "assume" that some of the Teras Kasi techniques have been lost, and perhaps accept that we may never rise to our former glory.

Peace and Prosperity

D'Shan Kaen - Teras Kasi Artist

The road to TK master should of been a way of life for your character. With a good reward at the end.

I'm not racing to TK master. I'm talking about a few others who say they are already in the TKA tree (it's only been a week). I may have exagerated when I said 1 month but 2 months I could see it happening. Hopefully I am wrong. Hopefully the devs slowed things down enough for game release.

I do hope that finding a TK master to train you at the best of the TK tree is like a journey or quest. We shall see. Also I hope when we make TK master that it is not a dissapointment.

I really appreciated that read, Wulf, great stuff. It just reaffirms the post I made the other day which was a repost from the beta board about how our TKA in now way reflects the Star Wars design of the Teras Kasi Artist. What we have is a glorified bar-room brawler.

I wonder if Darth Maul was a Teras Kasi Artist as well as a Dark Jedi. It certainly looked like it and Ray Park is an expert martial artist. Knowing the casting has to be a big deal with the character's status I would think Darth Maul could have been a TKA.

You Want Proof that the Teras Kasi Artists should be more powerful, It should only take a second to realize,

... The Teras Kasi Were Hunted and Purged when the Empire took power, Exactly as the Jedi Were.

That should give you some idea that if The Empire The All powerful Imperial Regimes wanted to Purge the Teras Kasi Artists then they must have been Frikkin Dangerous and very very powerful.