Originally posted by ZiggystardustHere we go.
Explain the logic here?
Malachor's a tricky subject because there's still no general consensus on how Force Wounds or all that stuff works even a decade after the game was released, mainly because the concepts introduced in the game were never featured or referenced again in other lore. To my personal understanding and research, both Malachor and the Star Forge seem to release powers similar to that of Force Drain. When a being is in its presence (either Malachor or the Star Forge), the dark side energies located within the place or planet is so dense, plentiful, and corrupt that your mind and body is completely overwhelmed (unless your Revan or Malak, who are powerful enough with the Force and mind that they can resist and rather use the immense energies to their own advantage). The difference seems to rest in the fact that when overwhelmed with the Star Forge, the dark side energies would consume you in a fashion similar to the Force Drain that I would expect Darth Traya or the like to wield (i.e. to the point of death), whereas on Malachor you are reduced to a mindless but living walking husk wound in the Force. What Revan would do is he would basically capture Jedi across the Jedi, take them to Malachor, and then use the planet's energies to twist them to his cause. He would then send them back out as Sith Assassins with their only job to find more Jedi and continue the process.
So, I'd like to re-state (is that a thing?) my original statements regarding Darth Nihilus and Malachor. I don't recall what you're referencing but it seems I presented myself poorly there regardless. The Star Forge works like the active drain where they are drained of all life and killed, similar to what Darth Nihilus would consciously use on an individual or a planet or what Darth Traya used on the Jedi Council. Malachor seems to be a reflection of simply Darth Nihilus' presence with its corrupting nature and slow, torturous death via involuntary draining (hence why their are statements that people die simply by being in his presence - he unknowingly and constantly radiates the same degree of dark side energies that Malachor does which consumes those around him to fuel his own personal power and hunger). I believe that's why when Visas Marr looked under Darth Nihilus' mask, she saw Malachor. Anyway, here's some quotes on what I'm basing all of this off of:
"The reason for this soon becomes clear as Revan is almost devoured by primal Sith forces on the world's surface. Revan's will allows him to feed on (and not be consumed by) the power of the dark side."
―Star Wars: Chronicles of the Old Republic
"There is a place in the galaxy where the dark side of the Force runs strong. It is something of the Sith, but it was fueled by war. It corrupts all that walks on its surface—drowns them in the power of the dark side. It corrupts all life, and it feeds on death."
―Kreia (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)
"Jedi Master Kreia, Revan's old mentor, is still haunted by guilt, wondering whether it was her teaching that resulted in Revan's fall to the dark side, and begins to search for him. Sensing his last location, she travels to Malachor V, but is unable to shield her emotions, and is completely consumed by the dark side of the Force. She is lost to the Jedi, spending the next several years on Malachor V, learning its secrets, and eventually becoming The master of the Sith academy there. Guided by Kreia's influence, Sith assassins once again begin to emerge silently from Malachor V and strike at isolated Jedi across the Republic, capturing some Jedi to turn to the dark side, and slaying those that resist. Taken to the dark side world of Malachor V to be fed to the planet's dark energies, these Jedi husks create even more assassins and DARK JEDI, feeding the planet's hunger."
―Star Wars: Chronicles of the Old Republic
Actually, looking through some more quotes, I'd like to re-re state what I said. Everything about Malachor holds, but it seems with the Star Forge there are two different instances where you would be drained and different effects happen. One is simply being in its presence or being on the ship, where the Rakata noted that it would corrupt those who use it so that it can generate greater and greater amounts of negative energy to fuel itself. The Builders thought they were strong enough to control this effect, but they were wrong. They became victims of their own creation, and eventually their hatred turned them against each other." This seems to be strikingly similar to Malachor V and what it does, just not as harsh (as in, Malachor seems to have more corrupt energies in this regard, and thus you'll have a harder time on Malachor than you would on the Star Forge). But then obviously the Star Forge can also be used to create matter and the like. This is where that if you try to create matter from the dark side energies taken from the planet, it will kill you similarly to Darth Traya's drain. I'm not exactly sure if there's some room on the Star Forge where you sit down in mediate or it's simply establishing a mental link with the core dark side energies of the station itself.
"In your terminology, the Star Forge is a tool of the dark side. It corrupts those who use it so that it can generate greater and greater amounts of negative energy to fuel itself. The Builders thought they were strong enough to control this effect, but they were wrong. They became victims of their own creation, and eventually their hatred turned them against each other. Civil war destroyed the Infinite Empire - a lesson to remember. Only one who is immensely strong in mind can harness the power of the Star Forge without suffering a similar fate."
―Ancient Rakata Computer (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)
"There is no one left with the power to control the Forge, though many have tried. I have watched them be devoured, their life drained from them as they attempt to tap into its power."
―Bastila Shan (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords)
On one last note because I forgot to mention this and didn't fully like how I closed the shiz in my third attempts above, the Star Forge's complete killing drain or whatever you want to kill it is obviously only done if you open yourself to its energies (with simple exposure, like the Dark Jedi on the Star Forge, your power will be increased a lot but you'll also be slowly losing your sanity and, in the long run, your connection to the Force once you leave the place), since you need to do that to create the fleets or whatever you want to build with it. The mass flow of dark side energies will be so great you'll simply be destroyed. Revan opened himself to the Star Forge and due to his immense power and will he wasn't destroyed, but he limited his exposure to the place and used the Star Forge at only 100% efficiency. When Darth Malak tells Revan on the Star Forge how he was weak and didn't understand its true power, it's because Darth Malak fully embraced the Star Forge, allowed it to transform him (hence the Star Forge nexus amp jaz), and pumped the Star Forge to 300% production. It's really a testament to Darth Malak's willpower (and arrogance given if he kept it up for a duration I muse he would have eventually been consumed, as would practically have everyone if even Revan realized it was a threat and tried to stay away from it as much as possible). With Darth Nihilus and a battle, he'll just unleash that degree of corruptible and severing Force energy at his opponent at will, hence why everyone is always like "Darth Nihilus one-shots via drain." It's a ridiculously OP power (especially due to the fact he's mastered it to the point where he does it on entire worlds) and only the strongest in power and mind can hope to resist it.
*ofph* there, done. 😛