Minor Force Cult Writing Contest 2026

[Resentine]

Welcome to the 2026 Star Wars Month Writing Contest! Here you are challenged to come up with a minor force sect, separate from the Jedi or Sith - a group of Force-sensitives that interact with that power in a different way. For an in-universe example, think of the Witches of Dathomir.
Rules:
- Submissions to be made as reply to this thread.
- Submissions close on the 31st of May 2026.
- You should include a name for the sect, what makes them separate, and give details on a notable member (see below for helpful questions)
- You can include pictures if you want, but nothing AI-generated!

Helpful Questions:

Spoiler

What is the sect's name?

What is the sect's philosophy?

How does the sect interact with the force?

How was the sect formed?

How does the sect look/how are they equipped?

How does the sect behave/what do they do?

How restricted is recruitment to the sect? (one species? Trials?)

What would an archetypal member of the sect be like?

How did the sect interact with the Jedi Council, the Clone War and the Empire? (Or, more likely, how did the sect fall?

[Tethys 13]

The Chorus of Catharsis
Also known as: The Coruscant Chorus, the Circhorus, the Coruscant Celestial Circus, the Thanium Travelling Troupe

The Chorus of Catharsis was a group of force-sensitives brought together by former Jedi Shaltina Murmle 87 years before the Battle of Yavin. Murmle, a Cathar, became disillusioned with the Jedi order's rejection of emotion (especially negative emotion) after the tragic loss of her brother and Jedi senior, Sharnan Murmle, and had a profound experience at a festival in the outer rim. She began travelling, experiencing life across the galaxy, before arriving on Coruscant already with a small following.
The Chorus was founded on the importance of joy and sorrow for the catharsis they can bring, viewing the experience and acceptance of both as essential for a full understanding of the Force. It began as a spiritual retreat, before growing into a place of music, dance, theatre, and the controlled use of recreational narcotics, that also welcomed the celebratory or the bereaved to come and share their tales. This came to an end in 74 BBY when the Jedi Order launched the last of several investigations into the Chorus, after a padawan who had fled the temple the year before and resided with the Chorus for several months was arrested for seditious activity and determined to have fallen to the Dark Side. The Order had long held worry and disdain for the Chorus, and this incident was all the justification they needed to declare the Chorus a dangerous organisation that led Force-users down the wrong path. Murmle was arrested and imprisoned, along with a number of her followers, but many more managed to escape.
Under the leadership of Bastebian Golgron, one of Murmle's senior disciples, these escapees sought a way to continue their leader's legacy while hiding from the authorities, and so founded the Coruscant Celestial Circus. They continued to train and practice Force techniques under the guise of circus magic, enjoying and extolling joy and sorrow from a new base in the Coruscant slums. Over the years, several members left in small groups to establish other troupes on other worlds, and so when Coruscant ceased to be safe in 33 BBY in the security crackdown following the assassination attempt on Supreme Chancellor Valorum, leading the Jedi order to discover the Circus and their origins, the Thanium Travelling Troupe under Ringmaster Hwip Hwoppen became the most well-established home of the sect, as Jedi Knights began uncovering and forcibly disbanding many of the groups in the central sectors, some by force.
When the Separatist crisis began in 24 BBY, the Thanium Travelling Troupe and a number of other Chorus sub-sects fleeing Republic censure were invited to shelter in the Separatist systems. This proved to be a trap. Though only a couple of people in the galaxy were aware, the pressure to drive the remnants of the Chorus out into the stars had been encouraged by Palpatine, driving them into the waiting arms of the Sith Lord. When they arrived at their sanctuaries, they were captured and imprisoned, before being brought to a Separatist facility under Count Dooku and the Inter-Galactic Banking Clan. There, they met their grim fate - forced into arenas with the soon-to-be General Grievous, his fresh cybernetics steadily fine-tuned from the information gathered from these battles. Only a few escaped this fate, and it is fair to say that the Chorus no longer exists.

The force techniques practiced by the Chorus were primarily empathic and physical, enabling superhuman feats of athletics and acrobatics, along with a deep understanding of emotion and psychology. They utilised both liberally in their performances, from death-defying leaps of faith that drew gasps and cheers to death-displaying acting that left audiences weeping. When driven to combat, this granted them preternatural senses and reflexes even beyond that of most Jedi, along with superhuman strength and resilience, with the mightiest being able to resist brief contact with a lightsaber on their bare skin. Only a few of their number carried lightsabers, beginning with those who joined the Chorus from the Jedi Order, though journeys were undertaken to provide newcomers with the tool. Tiny, easily-hidden lightdaggers or lightclaws were most common.

Bruzh Merryman
Bruzh Merryman was a Seylott, and thus force-sensitive, who joined the Chorus fairly early into its existence after discovering it on his travels. A being of great mirth, hence his moniker, his laughter could be heard across the spires, projected from a massive barrel chest at the core of his two-metre tall and almost as broad grey frame. When the Chorus was raided, he came to the defence of the younger members, duelling two Jedi Knights with his mighty lightaxes, before tackling a third from the spire. He was presumed dead, but recovered through meditation and eventually found his way to the Coruscant Celestial Circus, where he took on a cover identity of a carnival strongman. When the Circus fell, he fought once again, but was defeated and captured by Mace Windu. However, some escaped Circus members found and freed him, before making their way off-world to join the Thanium Travelling Troupe. When the Clone War started, Bruzh managed to fight his way out of the Separatist trap laid for him, though he was unable to save his companions. He wandered for a while as a lone vagrant, before joining up with an ecclectic group making their way in the early Galactic Empire, and he met his end at the hands of Darth Vader while buying his new companions time to escape.

[Dragonian Alliance]

Name: Oracles of the Eternal Wayfare
Other Names: The Wandering University, The Wayfarers
Out of Universe Inspirations: Witch Hat Atelier, Mass Effect Quarians, Kingkiller’s Adem, Hermaeus Mora
Philosophy: The Wayfarers do not focus on the Light or Dark side aspects of the Force; rather they focus on the Force as a whole, with multiple aspects akin to a rainbow. To them, focusing on a single aspect rather than the entirety of the spectrum is folly. As such they tend to view things with a holistic approach with a special interest in pursuing right action, self determination, and inner morality. They tend to be fairly egalitarian, pragmatic, and meritocratic in mindset, though a reclusive and compassionate nature has always been central to the mindset of a typical Wayfarer, even more so in the Time of the Empire. However, they will often seek to intervene for the Greater Good, nudging things behind the scene with well placed advisors, diplomacy, or covert strikes.
Uniform: The Wayfarers typically wear robes and cloaks with wide brimmed pointed hats. The colors are traditionally very bright, earthy patterns though are often found in a myriad of patterns often to denote something important to the Wayfarer, such as their philosophy, history, duties, or heritage. The designs of the cloaks and robes pay special attention to the addition of folds, layers, and textures to make the most out of a limited material. The actual pattern and design itself is often unique, though shared between Masters and their Apprentices.
Traditions: The Wayfarers exist as a nomadic fleet that safeguards their Order, People, and Knowledge. Ever on the move they often seek to divert or avoid threats, rather than direct engagement. The ships are divided into four fleets: Patrol, Supply, Security, and Academy. The Patrol Fleet focuses on navigation, scouting, and espionage to chart the safest path and identify threats before they appear with a side objective of obtaining knowledge or leads for the Academy. The Supply fleet focuses on the acquisition and processing of all materials required for the Wayfarers to function and the logistics to make sure every Wayfarer has what they need. The Security Fleet focuses on internal and external security, judicial resolution, and sustained combat. The Academy Fleet focuses on the acquisition, teaching, and storing of all knowledge and is the spiritual heart of the Wayfarers.
Each ship has an elected council of Wayfarers which elects a Captain with final say on all matters, but can be voted out at any time. Each Fleet is led by a Magister chosen by vote from among the Captains. Wayfarers begin as Students receiving general education until they are deemed old enough to have a Master. Once a student has a Master they are known as Apprentices. There is currently no upper limit on the number of Apprentices who may be taught by a singular Master, but each Apprentice must be approved by the Master’s Captain or Magister. Apprentices may graduate to become Wayfarers in a coming of age ceremony known as the Wayfare. They must leave the Wayfarers in a coming of age ceremony, to experience the wonders and cultures of the galaxy, and one day return to offer a boon to their Master and the Order. Of course there are many schools of thought on what kind of boon to present upon return. If the boon is accepted, the Apprentice is now a Wayfarer, may design their uniform in any way they see fit, and may ask any Captain for a duty aboard their ship. Individuals may choose to stay in the University with special permission. Travel between ships is freely permitted and specialized classes and apprenticeships may be sought by any Wayfarer after their graduation.
The Academy is the largest of the four fleets followed closely by the dispersed Patrol Fleet. While the Force is taught to all Fleets the Academy is the center of its study. Thus it is important to know the three broad schools of thought at the Academy: School of the Past, School of the Present, and School of the Future. The School of the Past broadly focuses on the origin of things, with adepts able to use Psychometry and masters able to Flow Walk to experience visions of the past first hand. The School of the Present focuses on the here and now, with adepts able to mildly bend space to various results, and masters able to Fold Space completely to allow for instantaneous travel. The School of the Future focuses on deciphering their visions and determining the best path to take for the University as a whole.
Recruitment: The Fleet is comprised primarily of Miraluka, but has sizable groups of Humans, Killik, and Selkath. Though any are technically allowed to join, the nomadic nature of the Wayfarers makes new students, not born into the University, rare. Rarer still is the patience of an outsider to sit through a formal apprenticeship, so classes may be attended by any visitor for a negotiated price. Outsiders are so rare in fact that they are often seen as having been guided by the Force itself to find them.
Origin: The Fleet began in 3952 BBY with the destruction of Katarr by Darth Nihilus. A debate then tore at the heart of Alpheridies, the Miralukan homeworld. With the complete destruction of their only colony a sizable portion of the population were terrified of their imminent destruction should Darth Nihilus return. Members of the Luka Sene, the Force Tradition incorporated into all aspects of Miralukan Society, left with a handful of ships to form a nomadic fleet to preserve the culture of their people. Over the years, the Wayfarers have evolved into a self-sufficient, wandering University ever hungry for the preservation of knowledge in all its forms.
Relationships: The Wayfarers have formal relationships with the Luka Sene and the Aing-Tii Monks, viewing both as long standing allies. The Jedi have long viewed the existence of the University as a myth with very few Knights having found them, with the Wayfarers themselves being largely indifferent to the Knights of the Jedi Order, largely due to the Order's habit of falling into complacency throughout history. The Wayfarers, though tolerant of the Dark Side, view the Sith with hostility, viewing them as a corruption of the Force. In the Time of the Empire, the Wayfarers have become more reclusive than normal, with many believing them little more than sailor stories. In truth the various ships have coalesced more than usual, hiding and traveling between select systems to remain forever one step ahead of the Galactic Empire.