Following the wide-scale devastation of the Great Galactic Wars, over 3600 years before
the battle of yavin, the Sith Order diminished in power allowing the Jedi and Old Republic
to rule the galaxy.
Over the next 1600 years, the Sith diminished to the point where many believed the threat
eliminated entirely and order extinct, yet the Jedi eventually learned the truth of their
enemy’s survival, revealed to them through the betrayal of a former ally.
Considered a brilliant and powerful Master of the Jedi Order, Phanius was an Umbaran
male whose reputation, though respected, grew controversial as a result of his increasingly
ego-centric philosophies, believing the only certainty in life was the existence of one’s
own consciousness, and thus began to question the reality of everything outside his being.
This led to a selfish ideology where his own ambitions superseded all other considerations.
Though what he taught was clearly in stark contrast to the beliefs of the Jedi, some
were intrigued by the notion that true strength and control came from the acquisition of power.
Yet the Council outright rejected his ideas, leaving Phanius so outraged he abandoned the
order entirely, becoming the earliest known member of the Lost, Jedi Masters who left
over irreconcilable ideological differences.
Beginning a journey to explore his solipsistic philosophy without restraint, he stole a rare
sith holocron from the jedi temple, and studied its contents in secret, turning fully towards
the dark side of the force.
Through his study of the Sith, Phanius broke down the mental barriers limiting his perception
to embrace an entirely self centered philosophy, where his will was everything and nothing
else mattered.
Vowing vengeance against the jedi for rejecting his ideas, he set off in search of the last
remaining Sith clans, scattered throughout the galaxy, uniting them under his rule as
Darth Ruin, master of the New Sith Order and Empire.
Under Darth Ruin, a new Sith Creed was created, summarizing his own personal ideology, in
stating: "There is no passion…there is solely obsession.
There is no knowledge.
There is solely conviction.
There is no purpose.
There is solely will.
There is nothing…
Only me."
Returning to the Old Republic, he initiated the Fourth Great Jedi schism, by contacting
those former colleagues interested in his teachings, and turning them to the dark side.
In possession of a powerful force, and having no qualms about sacrificing large numbers
of his own people, Darth Ruin began the New Sith Wars, raining destruction upon the Jedi
and Old Republic.
Ruling alongside his squire Lord Eradicus, who wore special Dark Armor infused with the
force, Darth Ruin sent wave after wave of his own men at the enemy, sacrificing his
people without care for the prosperity of anyone other than himself.
Recognizing that their loyalty, valor and hardwork amounted to no personal gain, the
Dark Lord’s acolytes conspired to end his reign.
In the end, Darth Ruin was so consumed by his own plans, and dismissive of his underlings,
he failed to see the threat growing around him and was assassinated by his own Sith disciples.
Consolidating power, new leadership quickly emerged and the war continued, as did the
problems of in-fighting and betrayal for the Sith, with leaders assassinated, factions
breaking apart, and internal wars for control of the order.
Similarly the Jedi and Republic were weakened by political in-fighting, with their own factions
struggling for power at the expense of the war effort.
Thus the New Sith wars of Darth Ruin continued on for a thousand years, considered by many
dark lords to be the bloodiest and most wasteful of their conflicts, eventually leading to
the weakening of both orders and collapse of their governments.