History NightmareFuel / StarWarsTheHighRepublic

* In ''Defy the Storm'', Jordanna Sparkburn and Cair San Tekka come across an unusual blight on Arli's moon, which is home to a San Tekka manor. This blight causes any organic matter to slowly calcify on contact, and has nearly consumed the moon. After Cair is unwittingly infected (and has [[LifeOrLimbDecision to have his right hand amputated]]), several characters remark how similar the calcification is to the Nameless's predation on Force users, and Vernestra and Azlin Rell can sense that the Force has been completely drained from Cair's severed hand. Given that the Nihil had blockaded Arli's moon and trapped the San Tekkas there, it is suggested that this blight may be a Nihil bio-weapon designed to emulate the effects of the Nameless against non-Force users, but the fact that ''Azlin Rell'' is familiar with what has been reported suggests this may be something even worse.

The High Republic era may have been a relative golden age for the Republic and Jedi Order, but that doesn't mean there weren't terrors waiting to be discovered.

** The origins of that nursery rhyme? According to Doctor Uttersond, "Shrii-ka-rai" is one of the other names of the Nameless, which translates to "Eater of the Force". Phase II reveals that the nursery rhyme is actually the ramblings of a Jedi -- Azlin Rell -- who was driven irreparably insane by the Nameless compared to other Jedi during the Battle of Dalna. How irreparable? Even when the Nameless aren't clearly around, he's still having hallucinations of his allies as indescribable monsters, he's still getting messages about "the death of the Force", and not even the Jedi's best healers are able to undo the damage before he disappears without a trace from the Grava Monastery. 150 years later, he's not only shown to still be alive (bear in mind that Azlin is a ''human'' and not a naturally LongLived alien species), he's add to embrace the Dark Side of the Force to overcome the Nameless's effects on his mind and he implicitly [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/4/4d/SoS1-Azlin.png/revision/latest?cb=20231006030238 gouged his own eyes out]] to block out the hallucinations.

** The origins of that nursery rhyme? According to Doctor Uttersond, "Shrii-ka-rai" is one of the other names of the Nameless, which translates to "Eater of the Force". Phase II reveals that the nursery rhyme is actually the ramblings of a Jedi -- Azlin Rell -- who was driven irreparably insane by the Nameless compared to other Jedi during the Battle of Dalna. How irreparable? Even when the Nameless aren't clearly around, he's still having hallucinations of his allies as indescribable monsters, he's still getting messages about "the death of the Force", and not even the Jedi's best healers are able to undo the damage before he disappears without a trace from a hospital and is never seen again.

* ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' gives us a few examples of what it's like to be killed by the Nameless from the perspective of Jedi, specifically Regald Coll and Orla Jareni. Before they turn to stone, they go through some horrifying hallucinations where they perceive reality melting around them while being cut off from the Force, leaving nothing behind but fear. After he's captured by Emerick Caphtor and Sian Holt, Doctor Uttersond reveals that it basically feeds on the Force. As life is supposed to become one with the Force when it dies, it is heavily implied the victims are DeaderThanDead if not suffering AFateWorseThanDeath.

** The origins of that nursery rhyme? According to Doctor Uttersond, "Shrii-ka-rai" is one of the other names of the Nameless, which translates to "Eater of the Force".

* Some of the Nameless's victims are [[AndIMustScream consciously aware of what's happening to them]] as they are being calcified, struggle to speak and even watch as parts of their own bodies break off on top of already deprived of a sixth-sense they've known their whole life (or had to suppress if they are a Path cultist that got outed). In short, death by Nameless is [[CruelAndUnusualDeath not a fun way to die]] if you're Force-sensitive.

The High Republic era may have been a relative GoldenAge for the Republic and Jedi Order, but that doesn't mean there weren't terrors waiting to be discovered.

* Phase II would reveal that 150 years before the Great Disaster, the Path of the Open Hand (who are precursors to the Nihil) weaponized the Nameless not just against Jedi, but ''all'' Force users to enforce their religious agenda. As shown in ''Cataclysm'', they were even willing to feed their own cult members to the Leveler for being outed as Force-sensitive, something they have almost no control over.

* Phase II would reveal that 150 years before the Great Disaster, the Path of the Open Hand (who are precursors to the Nihil) weaponized the Nameless not just against Jedi, but ''all'' Force users to enforce their religious agenda.

** What caused this accident was something absolutely unprecedented even to hyperspace experts: the ''Legacy Run'' somehow collided with another ship while in hyperspace. According to experts such as the San Tekkas, this shouldn't be possible, as starships enter their own private dimension when they enter hyperspace. Apparently, this was caused by a Nihil ship jumping between public hyperspace routes at weird angles.
** The result of the accident is many worlds across the Outer Rim being hit with debris that is moving ''just below'' lightspeed, which is a lot like getting hit by a meteor. This [[ApocalypseHow almost destroys the Hetzal System]]. Until everyone could figure out how bad this was and what caused this, Chancellor Lina Soh had to mandate a hyperspace lockdown across the Outer Rim for damage control.

* The fall of Starlight Beacon is elaborated on from the perspectives of several Jedi aboard the station or trying to evacuate others. Both vertical halves are separated from each other by debris and radiation leaks, and the hangars are completely locked down. And while that's going on, the Nihil agents who sabotaged the station are perfectly willing to die with the station if it means making sure no one gets off and there are [[TentacledTerror Rathtars]] that have been let loose to cause chaos. But those threats are ''nothing'' compared to the [[EldritchAbomination nameless terrors]] that the Nihil have sent there to deal with the Jedi. The encounters with the Nameless are played out like a scifi horror film.

** Aside from reproduction through division, they also apparently reproduce through spores, and those spores can somehow find their ways into the bodies of living beings. Eventually, that spore will start [[BodyHorror growing a into plant inside that being]], before [[ChestBurster bursting]] out of them gruesomely.
** The cherry on top? Despite being heavily attuned to the Dark Side, these creatures were bad enough back in the day that ''the Sith'' were the ones to lock them away on the Amaxine Station. Unfortunately, [[Literature/StarWarsIntoTheDark a few hapless Jedi visiting the station]] didn't realize that the source of the Dark Side there wasn't from the Sith statues ([[NiceJobBreakingItHero which were the seals]]) until it was too late. And once they spread throughout the Outer Rim and started feeding on people (even making it to Starlight Beacon), even the Hutts considered them [[EvilVersusOblivion enough of a threat]] to temporarily form [[EnemyMine an alliance]] with the Jedi. And even through the threat they posed to the galaxy on their own, the Drengir were ultimately a distraction the Jedi couldn't ignore and that the Nihil directly capitalized on (even directly collaborating with the Drengir and planting their seeds at key locations) while they carried out a devastating terrorist attack at the Republic Fair.

* In ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheRisingStorm The Rising Storm]]'', Marchion Ro gets his hands on a living weapon known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Leveler]], a weapon so terrible that Marchion's ancestors kept it locked away. This [[AnimalisticAbomination creature]] is capable of [[MindRape psychically assaulting Jedi]] through the Force, cutting them off from the Force, and at worst, leaving them as [[TakenForGranite brittle, petrified husks]] with a look of terror on their face, as first demonstrated with Loden Greatstorm (seen in the page image, the scene being revisited in the first issue of ''Trail of Shadows''), and those that survive its effects are [[DespairEventHorizon horribly traumatized]]. And [[FromBadToWorse even worse]], ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' reveals that the Leveler isn't the only creature of its kind; the Nihil have a number of them at their disposal, and Marchion knows where to get more if any of them die.
* ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' gives us a few examples of what it's like to be killed by the Nameless from the perspective of Jedi, specifically Regald Coll and Orla Jareni. Before they turn to stone, they go through some horrifying hallucinations where they perceive reality melting around them while being cut off from the Force, leaving nothing behind but fear. After he's captured by Emerick Caphtor and Sian Holt, Doctor Uttersond reveals that it basically feeds on the Force. As life is supposed to become one with the Force when it dies, it is heavily implied the victims are DeaderThanDead if not suffering a fate worse than death.
* In visual medium stories where the Leveler or other Nameless are featured, the hallucinations we see from the Jedi's perspective are all sorts of deranged. In Emerick Caphtor's case, he gets visions of the already-creepy Ongree nursemaid that took care of him and Stellan as babies and turn her into the subject of many a NightmareFace (of note, no Ongree seen in other ''Star Wars'' media, who just have strange face structures at best, has ever been as deliberately terrifying as her) while the "Shrii ka rai" nursery rhyme plays in his head.

but when they find you [[TakenForGranite all you'll be is dust]].]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[TagLine What scares the Jedi?]]]]

* In ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheRisingStorm The Rising Storm]]'', Marchion Ro gets his hands on a living weapon known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Leveler]], a weapon so terrible that Marchion's ancestors kept it locked away. This [[EldritchAbomination creature]] is capable of [[MindRape psychically assaulting Jedi]] through the Force, cutting them off from the Force, and at worst, leaving them as [[TakenForGranite brittle, petrified husks]] with a look of terror on their face, as first demonstrated with Loden Greatstorm (seen in the page image, the scene being revisited in the first issue of ''Trail of Shadows''), and those that survive its effects are [[DespairEventHorizon horribly traumatized]]. And [[FromBadToWorse even worse]], ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' reveals that the Leveler isn't the only creature of its kind; the Nihil have a number of them at their disposal, and Marchion knows where to get more if any of them die.

* As terrifying as the hallucinations that the Jedi experience can get, what the Nameless are revealed to actually look like [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/2/28/TheNamelessRevealedKinda.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20220210014635 isn't any better]], being desiccated, twitching long-limbed abominations with claws, many sharp teeth, octopus eyes and mouth tentacles.

* In ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheRisingStorm The Rising Storm]]'', Marchion Ro gets his hands on a living weapon known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Leveler]], a weapon so terrible that Marchion's ancestors kept it locked away. This [[EldritchAbomination creature]] is capable of [[MindRape psychically assaulting Jedi]] through the Force, cutting them off from the Force, and at worst, leaving them as [[TakenForGranite brittle, petrified husks]], as first demonstrated with Loden Greatstorm, and those that survive its effects are [[DespairEventHorizon horribly traumatized]]. And [[FromBadToWorse even worse]], ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' reveals that the Leveler isn't the only creature of its kind, the Nihil have a number of them at their disposal, and Marchion knows where to get more if any of them die.
* ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' gives us a few examples of what it's like to be killed by the Nameless from the perspective of Jedi, specifically Regald Coll and Orla Jareni. Before they turn to stone, they go through some horrifying hallucinations where they perceive reality melting around them while being cut off from the Force, leaving nothing behind but fear. After he's captured by Emerick Caphtor and Sian Holt, Doctor Uttersond reveals that it basically feeds on the Force. As life is supposed to become one with the Force it dies, this is heavily implied to be AFateWorseThanDeath or the victims are DeaderThanDead.

[[folder:The Great Disaster]]

* ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' gives us a few examples of what it's like to be killed by the Nameless from the perspective of Jedi, specifically Regald Coll and Orla Jareni. Before they turn to stone, they go through some horrifying hallucinations where they perceive reality melting around them while being cut off from the Force, leaving nothing behind but fear. As life is supposed to become one with the Force it dies, this is treated as AFateWorseThanDeath.

* As terrifying as the hallucinations that the Jedi experience can get, what the Nameless are revealed to actually look like [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/2/28/TheNamelessRevealedKinda.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20220210014635 isn't any better]], being desiccated, long-limbed abominations with claws, many sharp teeth, octopus eyes and mouth tentacles.

* In ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheRisingStorm The Rising Storm]]'', Marchion Ro gets his hands on a living weapon known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Leveler]], a weapon so terrible that Marchion's ancestors kept it locked away. This [[AnimalisticAbomination creature]] is capable of [[MindRape psychically assaulting Jedi]] through the Force, cutting them off from the Force, and at worst, leaving them as [[TakenForGranite brittle, petrified husks]], as first demonstrated with Loden Greatstorm, and those that survive its effects are [[DespairEventHorizon horribly traumatized]]. And [[FromBadToWorse even worse]], ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' reveals that the Leveler isn't the only creature of its kind, the Nihil have a number of them at their disposal, and Marchion knows where to get more if any of them die.

** In visual medium stories where the Leveler or other Nameless are featured, the hallucinations we see from the Jedi's perspective are all sorts of deranged. In Emerick Caphtor's case, he gets visions of the already-creepy Ongree nursemaid that took care of him and Stellan as babies and turn her into the subject of many a NightmareFace (of note, no Ongree seen in other ''Star Wars'' media, who just have strange face structures at best, has ever been as deliberately terrifying as her) while the "Shrii ka rai" nursery rhyme plays in his head.

[[folder:The Great Leveler]]

* ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' gives us a few examples of what it's like to be killed by the Leveler from the perspective of Jedi, specifically Regald Coll and Orla Jareni. Before they turn to stone, they go through some horrifying hallucinations where they perceive reality melting around them while being cut off from the Force, leaving nothing behind but fear. As life is supposed to become one with the Force it dies, this is treated as AFateWorseThanDeath.

* In ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheRisingStorm The Rising Storm]]'', Marchion Ro gets his hands on a living weapon known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Leveler]], a weapon so terrible that Marchion's ancestors kept it locked away. This [[AnimalisticAbomination creature]] is capable of [[MindRape psychically assaulting Jedi]] through the Force, cutting them off from the Force, and at worst, leaving them as [[TakenForGranite brittle, petrified husks]], as first demonstrated with Loden Greatstorm, and those that survive its effects are [[DespairEventHorizon horribly traumatized]]. And even worse, ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' reveals that the Leveler isn't the only creature of its kind, and [[FromBadToWorse the Nihil have an army of them at their disposal]].

* In ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheRisingStorm The Rising Storm]]'', Marchion Ro gets his hands on a living weapon known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Leveler]], a weapon so terrible that Marchion's ancestors kept it locked away. This [[AnimalisticAbomination creature]] is capable of [[MindRape psychically assaulting Jedi]] through the Force, cutting them off from the Force, and at worst, leaving them as [[TakenForGranite brittle, petrified husks]], as first shown with Loden Greatstorm, and those that survive its effects are [[DespairEventHorizon horribly traumatized]]. And even worse, ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' reveals that the Leveler isn't the only creature of its kind, and [[FromBadToWorse the Nihil have an army of them at their disposal]].

[[caption-width-right:350:[[TagLine What scares the Jedi?]]

[[caption-width-right:350:What scares the Jedi?]]

* In ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheRisingStorm The Rising Storm]]'', Marchion Ro gets his hands on a living weapon known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Leveler]], a weapon so terrible that Marchion's ancestors kept it locked away. This creature is capable of [[MindRape psychically assaulting Jedi]] through the Force, and at worst, leaving them as [[TakenForGranite brittle, petrified husks]], as first shown with Loden Greatstorm. And even worse, ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' reveals that the Leveler isn't the only creature of its kind, and the Nihil have an army of them at their disposal. Remember that tagline "What scares the Jedi?" This is the answer.

* In ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheRisingStorm The Rising Storm]]'', Marchion Ro gets his hands on a living weapon known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Leveler]], a weapon so terrible that Marchion's ancestors kept it locked away. This creature is capable of [[MindRape psychically assaulting Jedi]] through the Force, and at worst, leaving them as [[TakenForGranite brittle, petrified husks]], as shown with Loden Greatstorm. And even worse, ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheFallenStar The Fallen Star]]'' reveals that the Leveler isn't the only creature of its kind, and the Nihil have an army of them at their disposal. Remember that tagline "What scares the Jedi?" This is the answer.

* In ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheRisingStorm The Rising Storm]]'', Marchion Ro gets his hands on a living weapon known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Leveler]], a weapon so terrible that Marchion's ancestors kept it locked away. This creature is capable of [[MindRape psychically assaulting Jedi]] through the Force, and at worst, leaving them as [[TakenForGranite brittle, petrified husks]], as shown with Loden Greatstorm. This is one of the only things that can make the Jedi afraid.