Hailing from the Core Worlds on the sulfuric planet of Recopia, the Seyugi Dervishes were a dark side coven. This group was established by Karrh, a Force-sensitive leader within the Seyugi culture, several centuries prior to the pivotal Battle of Yavin. The Dervishes harnessed their Force abilities to amplify their hand-to-hand combat skills and to pinpoint the locations of those they sought. For centuries, they operated as paid assassins and instilled fear throughout the Core Worlds. Recognizing the danger posed by the Dervishes, the Jedi Order dedicated decades to dismantling their bases across the Core and Mid Rim regions. By the time of the Clone Wars outbreak in 22 BBY, the Jedi were under the impression that the Dervishes had been eradicated. However, a few hundred surviving members retreated to a concealed stronghold on Recopia, where they entered carbonite hibernation, awaiting a chance to resurface in the galaxy.
Originating from the extinct Seyugi culture of Recopia, a sulfuric planet situated within the Core Worlds, were the Seyugi Dervishes. The Seyugi were a nomadic people who traversed Recopia's atmosphere aboard massive repulsorlift barges. The rest of Recopia's inhabitants considered the Seyugi to be an outlaw culture. Years before the Battle of Yavin, a Force-sensitive Seyugi leader named Karrh gathered warriors exhibiting potential in the Force and began instructing them in covert tactics. Karrh also shared his perspectives on the Force with these acolytes. These warriors became the original Seyugi Dervishes, and they started eliminating threats to the Seyugi people. In time, the Dervishes spread throughout the Core Worlds, establishing bases on most of its planets and a few in the Mid Rim. They offered their services as assassins, though at a steep price. The Dervishes specialized in killing prominent figures such as nobles and heads of corporations. The Sith Lord Darth Bane regarded the Dervishes' combat skills as a form of art and mentioned them in his book, The Rule of Two, sometime after the Ruusan campaign.
Ultimately, the Jedi Order took notice of the Dervishes and resolved to neutralize the threat they posed. The Jedi's campaign against the Seyugi Dervishes spanned decades, during which they successfully dismantled all of the Dervishes' bases in the Mid Rim and the Core Worlds. By the outbreak of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, the Jedi Order believed the Seyugi Dervishes to be extinct. However, a few hundred Dervishes retreated to a secret temple-fortress on Recopia and placed themselves in carbonite hibernation.
The Mallif, religious monks and descendants of the Seyugi people, commandeered HoloNet broadcasts to disseminate their philosophies to the public. While most Mallif were unaware of the Dervishes' survival, a select few knew and cared for the hibernating Dervishes and their hidden base, awaiting the opportune moment to awaken them. Years later, the Dervishes were inadvertently revived by a Mallif monk. One of the Dervishes, Razi Khan, murdered the monk and attempted to reach the island-chain city of Scapio to find someone capable of unlocking the Seyugi vaults beneath the fortress. Khan kidnapped a slicer, but was captured, forcing the Seyugi Dervishes back into hiding.
The Force Adepts who followed the Seyugi Dervish tradition typically disregarded the Jedi Order's teachings on the Force. The Dervishes perceived the Force as a means to control their bodies and refine them into weapons. While the Dervishes utilized the dark side of the Force and engaged in malevolent acts, they did not adhere to many dark side practices. They avoided indiscriminate violence and chaos, driven instead by greed and self-interest, not dominance. They also valued patience, which they frequently employed during their training, and concealed their emotions. Nevertheless, many Dervishes found employment with Dark Jedi. Seyugi Dervishes also propagated rumors about their abilities to inspire fear at the mere mention of their organization.
The Dervishes sought out infants to older younglings displaying Force potential for training in their ways. They trained recruits from this age group to instill fanaticism towards the Seyugi Dervish tradition. Upon locating a potential trainee, the Dervishes kidnapped the child and sent them to one of their numerous bases to commence a lifelong study of the Force tradition and monastic practices. After fifteen years of training, a Seyugi Dervish apprentice was assigned their first mission with a master observing from a distance. Failure resulted in the master erasing any trace of the incident. Upon completing the required training, a Dervish apprentice was free to explore the galaxy, though they continued to receive orders from their masters through the Force and encrypted transmissions.
The Seyugi Dervishes excelled in unarmed combat. They could infiltrate fortified locations and eliminate their targets swiftly and discreetly. Survivors of their attacks described their confusing, whirling movements as a "beautiful dance of death," hence the name "Dervishes." They rarely carried weapons, preferring to use their unarmed skills and the Force to achieve their objectives. They typically carried minimal equipment unless a mission demanded it. The Dervishes donned red attire and white masks not only for concealment but also to exploit the fear these outfits evoked. Dervishes studied the anatomies of various species to identify central nerve clusters and inflict maximum damage. While most Dervishes preferred to operate alone, they occasionally collaborated on particularly dangerous assignments. In rare instances, a Seyugi Dervish hired mercenaries for assistance, including demolition experts and computer slicers. These mercenaries were usually unaware of their employer's true identity and were subsequently killed by the Dervish to maintain secrecy.
Razi Khan was a member of the Seyugi Dervishes. Before the Jedi Order nearly destroyed the cult, several members, including Khan, were frozen in carbonite beneath Mallif Cove on Recopia. Years later, they were accidentally revived by a Mallif Cove monk. Khan murdered the monk and attempted to reach the island-chain city of Scapio to find someone who could unlock the Seyugi vaults beneath the fortress. He kidnapped a slicer, but was captured, forcing the Seyugi Dervishes back into hiding.
The Seyugi Dervishes debuted in the Wizards of the Coast sourcebook Coruscant and the Core Worlds, a Star Wars Roleplaying Game supplement released on January 3, 2003. The book presented the Dervishes as a new prestige class for player characters. The organization also served as the basis for Razi Khan's backstory. The Jedi Academy Training Manual, another Wizards of the Coast sourcebook for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, released on May 19, 2009, further expanded the organization's background. The Training Manual featured them as one of many Force-using organizations where a roleplaying character could train. The Seyugi Dervishes also received an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. The planet Recopia, the Seyugi Dervishes' headquarters, was featured in The Essential Atlas, released on August 18, 2009. They received further mention in the resource guide Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side.