The significant city known as the City of Kastays existed on the planet Aaris III, situated within the Kathol sector of the Outer Rim Territories. This occurred several millennia years before the events of the Galactic Civil War. Populated by the native Aaris, the city housed the Place of Kastays and was of a size that necessitated a dedicated city guard. The city became the destination for the Plaque of Victory—a sentient, non-living entity whose objective was to eradicate all surrounding life by manipulating the emotions of others—after its initial discovery, many millennia before the Galactic Civil War. Under the Plaque's sway, the City of Kastays was consumed by violence and chaos, ultimately falling into disrepair and ruin following the downfall of the Aaris civilization.
Eventually, nature reclaimed the ruins of the city, which later became home to the primitive descendants of the Aaris. In 8 ABY, the Imperial science team MS-133 conducted an archaeological dig at the site of these ruins.
Located on the planet Aaris III within the Kathol sector of the Outer Rim Territories, the City of Kastays was a prominent urban center thousands of years before the Galactic Civil War. The native Aaris species constructed the city, utilizing metal in the construction of its buildings. A central governmental complex served as both a seat of power and an educational institution, containing a substantial repository of knowledge. The scholar Kastays utilized a tower within this building for his personal use. The city also included a gushaz, a place of religious significance in Aaris culture. Several companies of guards were stationed to maintain order within the city.
The City of Kastays was established on Aaris III long before the Galactic Civil War. One evening, a comet blazed across the sky; a few days later, a legion from a remote outpost entered the city bearing an artifact they referred to as the Plaque of Victory. This object was placed within the city's gushaz. However, six days later, the city was overwhelmed by acts of violence. Initially, these were simple increases in violent crime resulting in the death of the victim, but the incidents escalated until street gangs engaged in bloody conflicts throughout the city, and even units of the city guard clashed with one another. The only consistent factor was that all involved claimed to be guardians of the Plaque of Victory and asserted that it had communicated with them.
Unbeknownst to the city's inhabitants, the Plaque was a sentient, non-biological entity that thrived on the emotions and life force of those it encountered. Its primary goal was to annihilate life by manipulating feelings, driving individuals to act in paranoid and murderous ways. As the violence intensified, a faction that had access to the Plaque removed it from the gushaz and entrusted it to Kastays, who housed it in his tower. Their hope was that by placing it high above the city, its influence would be diminished. This plan failed, and the city descended into anarchy. Kastays secured the Plaque by setting traps throughout his tower and began to document the last days of the Aaris civilization.
The city crumbled and was overtaken by the jungle. The Aaris' primitive descendants inhabited the lower levels of the city's ruins, creating intricate warrens by tunneling through the collapsed metal structures. Many millennia later, in 8 ABY, the summit of Kastays' tower was discovered by members of the Imperial science team MS-133, who were conducting an archaeological excavation on the planet. During their exploration, the team members identified Kastays' name while interpreting bas-relief pictographs within his tower. Because the Imperial scientists were unaware of the city's original name, they named it after Kastays, the only individual Aaris they had identified. Their dig uncovered the Plaque of Victory, and the artifact once again attempted to exert its influence to destroy the surrounding life, leading to the near-total destruction of MS-133.
The Aaris, the native species of the planet, were the city's inhabitants. Kastays, a scholar who worked from the governmental building within the city, was one such resident. In the final days of the Aaris, Kastays concealed the Plaque of Victory within a floor safe in his chamber, hoping to negate its influence over the populace.
The City of Kastays was first featured in the RPG adventure titled Artifact of Aaris, which was part of The DarkStryder Campaign, released by West End Games in 1995.
The name "City of Kastays" was given to the city by members of the Imperial research team MS-133 in 8 ABY, in honor of the Aaris scholar Kastays, whose name they discovered while translating ancient pictographs. The Aaris' original name for the city remains unknown.