Holocron

A holocron, short for holographic chronicle, was an organic crystal-lattice device which stored phenomenal quantities of data guarded by the device's gatekeeper. Holocrons were used to hold information on force techniques and instruction manuals by force users beginning with the Sith, the Sith Order, and later the Jedi of the Jedi Order some three thousand years later.

Description
Most holocrons were shaped like polyhedra; Jedi holocrons were typically cubical, while Sith holocrons usually took the form of a pyramid, but other geometric shapes also existed. The Telos Holocron represents an atypical shape. Normally a holocron could be held in one's hand.

The existence of the first Sith holocron predates that of a Jedi holocron by at least three thousand years. The technology to create the pyramidal holocrons common to the Sith was something gifted to the ancient Sith King Adas by Rakata warriors trying to gain his trust. He accepted their technology and made a holocron, but he saw through their ploy and rebelled against them.

The holocron employed patterns of organic crystals and hologram technology to capture the appearance and cognitive networks of the holocron's owner, and transform this into a three-dimensional hologram. This gatekeeper acted as a guide through the holocron's store of information, as a search and recovery engine with a more personal touch. These gatekeepers could relate stories from the holocron's archives to events in the life of the one who activated the holocron. Jedi gatekeepers could sense the ability and level of a Jedi, and offer or restrict information accordingly — so that Padawans were not shown information too advanced and dangerous for their basic stage. Sith holocrons usually had the same restrictive mechanism like Jedi holocrons, but the gatekeeper could corrupt the unaware listener. A great many holocrons were stored in the Jedi Archives on Coruscant, kept in a specific Holocron Chamber within the Jedi Temple. In addition to holding the holocrons created by Jedi in the field, the Archives also held the details on creating holocrons and directions on accessing them.

The technology to make them was nearly lost after the Great Jedi Purge when the Archives were raided by Darth Sidious. Surviving holocrons contained information including Jedi techniques, blueprints of ancient starships, and historical information about the universe; as a result, they were quite valuable. Usually, only Force-sensitive users could access a holocron, while data holocrons did not require Force sensitivity to access. This suggests that holocrons were partially powered by the Force. Once opened, Force-insensitive users could communicate with the gatekeeper as well as Force-sensitive users. It is known that Bastila Shan's father made a holocron, which he used as a journal.

Some holocrons were activated by taking them apart with the Force and then inserting a special crystal that made the holocron readable. The Crystal was usually hidden away for safe-keeping by the founder of the holocron, but there have been instances in which a certain Jedi or Sith has protected the crystal at all times by keeping it on their person.

Specific Holocrons
Some of the known holocrons were:
 * The Telos Holocron - A Sith holocron with a great deal of data on the Dark side of the Force and the Sith Order.
 * The Great Holocron - A Jedi holocron containing a wealth of information collected by the Jedi Order, both Light and Dark side in nature.
 * The Verkaik Family Holocron - Constructed by Jedi Master Owen Verkaik during the Clone Wars and following the Great Jedi Purge.
 * The Vaako Holocron - A Sith holocron constructed prior to the reorganization of the Sith into the Rule of Two.

RPG D6 Stats
Model: Holocron

Type: Holographic Data Storage/Interface

Scale: Character

Skill: Holocron Construction (to construct)

Cost: Not Available for Sale

Availability: 4, R or X

Difficulty: Varies; Dependent on creator’s preference

Game Notes: Every Holocron was or could be constructed differently by the individual creators. By the creator’s choice, limits on access and information dissemination could be set. As the holocron was created out of organic crystal material, it could be imbued with the Force presence of it’s creator or contributors to the database. The holocron could, if constructed to, sense if a person was Force-sensitive, if they were of Light or Dark alignment, and the degree of training in the Force they had gained prior to using the holocron.

A holocron could possess information on Force Powers, Lightsaber Construction/Repair techniques, Lightsaber Combat Forms, history and lore on cultures and groups, and information on specific individuals. The gatekeeper of the holocron was the disseminating interface and could take on a approximate facsimile of the creator or a contributor.