[SWRPG] Star Wars: The Jensaarai

[Phettberg]

A game of grey force-users in a black and white galaxy
Recruitment closed

In the late stages of the Clone wars an Anzati Jedi named Nikkos Tyris discovered a long-forgotten Holocron in the Jedi Archives. The Holocron, actually a Sith manuscript of the Exar Kun follower Larad Noon, chronicled the ancient history of the Jedi and the Sith from a very different perspective. Though factually correct about a lot of things, it suggested that the Jedi had stolen everything that they knew from the Sith of old before exiling them, putting the blame of all the subsequent wars on the shoulders of this order. The Holocron also contained some techniques thought lost by the Jedi, some too dark to even contemplate and some not inherently corrupted, among the latter the means to craft armour using the lightsaber resistant Cortosis ore.

Nikkos Tyris renounced the Jedi order to found the Jensaarai, a word that in the language of the Sith means "followers of the hidden truth". Secretly retreating to the Suarbi system in the outer rim he started to study the Holocron further, gathering like-minded individuals around him to teach those that wanted to be free from the many restraints of the Jedi order. But Nikkos could not withstand the dark influence that Larad Noon put upon him, and neither did two of his closest followers, even becoming tainted so far as to ally himself with Count Dooku, really Darth Tyranus. Through this evil tie the Jedi order found the Jensaarai again, believing them to be a "Sith Cult" only three people strong. In the fight that ensued Nikkos Tyris and his tainted apprentices were killed and the Holocron destroyed, but the other members hiding nearby overlooked. Coincidentally the corrupting influence of the dark side was ripped out at the root, leaving behind an order of grey force-users without real taint, but one that would have to find its place in a galaxy that was quickly turning much more hostile and dangerous, especially for force-users.

System West End Games Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game Previous knowledge is not required, and in fact it may be difficult to acquire a legal copy of this system. The current license holders for star wars rpg products (Fantasy Flight Games) have produced a reprint of the second edition of the West End Games rules (which is what I'm using, along some old sourcebook borrowed from friends), but other than that and used copies of the original run there are no fully legal versions of the rules available. Please do not link to or talk about bootleg versions in this thread (or via pm, for that matter) as per site rules. However, before West End Games folded some of their staff worked on an open license "generic" version of their D6 rules, which are still being maintained by fans on the openD6project site. It is possible to use that site to get the general idea of conflict resolution, but I intend to run a very rules-light version of the system anyway. I'll provide players with a list of skills and force powers so that a character can be created, and almost anything beyond that will just be resolved with the basic dice mechanic. One might also call it a "story first" game, in that sense. Basically, I want the system to become of small relevance to the players once the game is actually running. "Why not play System X Y or Z then? I know System X Y or Z already," is a fair question in that regard, so let me try to answer that pre-emptively. Firstly, I find that WEG Star Wars gameplay is not hard to grasp once you get going. There's not much to learn coming from any system - you have skills and attributes at a certain amount of dice, and you are trying to roll high. Secondly, I have a large collection of sourcebooks at my disposal, and the system in general has rules for literally any piece of equipment, ship, alien, any force power and a large number of canonical npcs that you might find on Wookieepedia, so it's very easy for me to run, just plucking things ready-made out of the books (and pretty much can't be beaten in terms of universality). There is never the question of "are there rules for xy?" A fully formed concept, likely developed through a bit of wiki browsing, and a creative mind is ultimately all that is required to play.

What is the game about? The players will be part of a (non-canonical) expansionist faction within the Jensaarai, an order of "grey", or middle-ground, force-users. As such recurring themes in adventures will be survival, exploration, the locating and possibly recruiting force users, or the finding and securing of Force knowledge. Since the Jensaarai are what might be called "grey Jedi" this might include Sith lore, though after previous disasters the order has become more careful with dealing with those. Additionally, the game will often deal with helping locals in the outer rim resist the Empire, something that is direly needed because the full-scale rebellion is still years away from forming. A more long term theme is going to be resolving the Jensaarai identity crisis sprung from those factions that are either too isolationist or too careless in their dealing with Sith knowledge, which is likely to turn into full-on civil war if an agreement is not found. So rest assured we'll squeeze in the odd lightsaber duel as well. Even though the characters will start out as apprentices I emphasise player agency, and I try to give opportunity for the characters to influence the plot in major ways. The responsibility will only grow as the students become the masters. If it has not become clear, I am using canonical "legends" lore as a starting off point, but I'll twist it slightly to fit my purposes and to make a fun game, rather than sticking to source material to the letter hoping that the players can somehow fit around the continuity. There will be things that are familiar, and things that are new and exciting.

Flavour/Themes Morality on a razors-edge between the absolutes of black and white.

Post-rate My target speed is 1-2 Gm-updates a week, a relaxed but steady pace to encourage a little more depth. In situations of pure action/combat this might well rise.

The Jensaarai I am adding or changing a lot of detail about this unique group of force-users that are both so similar and yet so different to the Jedi, so while you could just hop over to Wookiepedia and browse their history I would recommend at least glancing at some of the following fields to avoid surprises. Some decisions are specifically so the campaign has lots of opposition and somewhere to go storywise (see the note at the end), while the rest is mostly geared towards filling in the gaps of information and to get away from a portrayal that ultimately made them inferior to the Jedi. Not that I'm suggesting they are inherently better, but I want them at the very least on equal footing - no consolation price for force-users. A brief history   The Founder - a curious mind corrupted Non canonical dateBefore 26 BBY - Nikkos Tyris finds a Sith Holocron belonging to the Exar Kun follower Larad Noon, which he studies. The revelations cause him to retreat to the Suarbi system in the Outer Rim and to form the Jensaarai soon after. He sets up a school on the Planet Susevfi. Before 20 BBY - With the gifting of another Sith Holocron, this one of the Anzati Jedi Volfe Karkko, Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus secures Nikko Tyris' allegiance during the clone wars. The torch is passed on 20 BBY - Having become aware of "Sith cultists" connected to Darth Tyranus the Jedi order sends three of their members, Nejaa Halcyon, Ylenic It'kla, and a Jedi known only as "Desertwind" from the scent memory of It'kla, to apprehend Nikkos Tyris on Suarbi. Nikkos battles the Jedi with two of his closest apprentices, killing Halcyon but ultimately perishing alongside his students. When Nikkos Tyris and his apprentices are slain the Holocron is also destroyed. This releases a torrent of dark side energy which collapses the halls of the Jensaarai, This is non canonical. Some sources state that all but four died, but I've increased that number for this game to something more like a dozen.killing a few of the apprentices within, but leaving most alive. Of those present many were clearly able to finally see the taint on Nikkos while remaining hidden themselves using their unique Jensaarai force powers. Believing that all the "Sith Cultists" are dispatched the Jedi leave. With all of those that had been tainted by the Holocron dead the torch of leadership passes on to the wife of Nikkos Tyris closest apprentice, Non canonical nameRasa Anim. She becomes Saarai-kaar, leader of the Jensaarai. Rebuilding and a schism 20-19 BBY - While the clone wars continue, the Jensaarai rebuild their halls and return to training. 19 BBY - The clone wars ends in the wider galaxy, but lingers in the outer rim as separatists retreat to the western reaches and other areas of space nearby. 19 BBY - As the Jedi order is vanquished there are a few Jensaarai that are almost pleased, still sticking to their old prejudices, but the majority mourn the brutal undoing of a large group of people. Among the most enthusiastic about having the Jedi killed is the Saarai-kaar's son, who against all advice and orders leaves to offer his services in finding Jedi to Darth Vader personally. The Sith Lord, sensing only the good in the boy, cuts him down where he stands, adding to the grief of the Jensaarai. 19 BBY - Non-canonicalA small number of the Jedi left after the execution of Order 66 find themselves enticed by force visions to come to Susevfi. They bring news of the targeted attempts at assassination and of the brutality of the imperial machine in general. Some subsequently join the Jensaarai, bolstering numbers and bringing expertise, while most leave again to go into hiding individually. 19 BBY - Caamas, the home planet of the Caamasi species is destroyed by the empire. A sizeable group of ex-pats made their way to the Jensaarai homeplanet of Susevfi, telling of the devastation of their old home. 19-17 BBY - A small number of Jedi Hunters and the odd Inquisitor are dispatched by Emperor Palpatine to destroy the Jensaarai. Some individual Jensaarai are killed, non-canonicalall while being away from Susevfi, but the agents make the same mistake that the Jedi Order had made years earlier: Believing the Jensaarai to be much smaller than they are they consider their mission complete, even though almost all remain alive. The home planet is not discovered. 17 BBY - The empire launches both the "Five Reaches Operation" and the "Western Reaches Operation" to drive out the remnants of the Confederacy of Independent Systems from the Outer Rim not far from the Jensaarai. These wars and the general expansion of Imperial power worry the Jensaarai tremendously and make them even more protective of the local communities. 15 BBY - Not canonicalThree Factions or schools of thought form at the first Great Jensaarai Synode to determine how the new political developments must be met - the Jensaarai, Followers (of Hidden Truth), the Dwomutsaarai, Summoners (of Truth) and the Jenwai Midwan, lit. Seen Power (also, "Emissaries" of Power); see NPCs for a brief description of their ideas. The next Synode is set to be held eight standard years from then, at 8 BBY. The Dwomutsaarai, even though they have officially founded their own order, are also invited. It's now 13 BBY - Note that this is around eight years before the earliest forms of interplanetary organised resistance (i.e. independent rebel cells) and eleven years before the Alliance to Restore the Republic is founded. Current Key NPCs (and general numbers of the order)   Jensaarai The largest and "mainstream" sect of the Order, arguing for a largely isolationist agenda Rasa Anim, female Human - Saarai-kaar (Keeper of Truth) of the majority of Jensaarai (the "followers of the hidden truth"), Form V (Shien), Lightsaber - Bronze Blade, "Human"-Styled Cortosis Armour; had been a Susevfi local and one of the first independent people to join the order, along with her late husband. (A serious and brooding woman.) Bourtai Vekku, male Anzati - Defender, Form II (Makashi), Curved-hilt Lightsaber - Green Blade, Fleft-wauf-Styled Cortosis Armour; former Jedi "Associate" (a hard and somewhat scary man of few words, but with exceptional mastery of his blade and the force. Supposedly some two hundred years old.) Sheysos-ka, female Barabel - Defender, Form III (Soresu), Crossguard Lightsaber - White Blade, Durgolosk-Styled Cortosis Armour; former Jedi Knight (a usually stern woman with a shrewd sense of humour, a fierce combatant and master survivalist, a good friend and original recruiter of Gorga.) Ner Th'gan, male Bith - Defender, Form VI (Niman), Lightsaber - Red Blade, Gorg-Styled Cortosis Armour; previously independent force-adept (A former career musician and expert in expressive applications of the force.) 4 more defenders (Herglic, Rodian, Human & Bothan) and around 15 apprentices Jenwai Midwan A school of thought seeking to conserve the order through non-isolationist means - including active recruitment, extending the Jensaarai protection to offworlders, establishing a loose diplomatic network and finding Sith artefacts and holocrons for safekeeping and careful study. Remains a part of the Jensaarai proper, acknowledging their Saarai-kaar and following her guidance. In common usage simply called a "Jensaarai" like any other, or sometimes "Emissary". Gorga, male Houk - Defender, de factor leader of the "Emissaries" (Jenwai Midwan), Form V (Shien), Great Lightsaber - Silver Blade, Bantha-Styled Armour; former mercenary that joined the order ten years ago after having been coincidentally discovered to be very strong in the force (a rough and ready Houk that is still battling issues with his temper, but is generally sociable enough. Almost the physically strongest Jensaarai in existence, if not particularly refined in his use of saber and the force.) Diaboye Bede, female Chadra-Fan - Defender, Form IV (Ataru), Short Lightsaber - Red Blade, Peko-Peko-Styled Cortosis Armour; former Jedi, arrived after surviving order 66 (a cheerful and friendly sorts. A very agile and athletic fighter, who apparently was best friends with Ugyer Xotl at some point before.) Ivik Po'Machi, male Caamasi - Defender, Form VI (Niman), Sabercane - Orange Blade, Slyyyg-Styled Cortosis Armour; previously independent force adept that came to Susevfi with the wave of Caamasi refugees (a soft-spoken but no-nonsense type man scarred by the loss of his home planet. His own past has made him terribly torn between wanting to remain hidden for fear of extermination and needing to help the galaxy at large, the latter of which generally wins out) Spereia Stropia, female Ayrou - Defender "Ajak-Kaar", Keeper of Doctrine/Lore for the Jensaarai, Form III (Soresu) - now Jar'Kai, Double-bladed lightsaber (interlocking handles, one shoto) - Yellow Blades, Aryx-Styled Cortosis Armour; former Jedi Knight (a chatty and inquisitive woman with a lust for knowledge.) 4 more apprentices Dwomutsaarai An independent splinter sect that does not believe in Nikkos Tyris' fall to the dark side in the face of all evidence to the contrary, advocates making use of Sith holocrons aggressively and has in fact left the Suarbi system to seek them out. Has established its own leadership, and considers itself a new order. Aks Teem, female Gran - Saarai-Hyal (Seeker, lit. Craver, of Truth") head of the Summoners(Dwomutsaarai) at quasi Saarai-kaar level, originally trained in Form VII (Juyo), Lightwhip - Purple Blade, Tayan Falcon-Styled Armour; previously independent force-adept Ugyer Xotl, male Ugnaught - Defender, Form IV (Ataru), Short Lightsaber - Blue Blade, Zymod-Styled Armour; former Jedi, arrived after surviving Order 66 Sialea Dahii, female human - Defender, Form II (Makashi), Lightsaber - Yellow Blade, Nexu-Styled Armour; previously force-adept, recruited by Gorga on one of his journeys Three more apprentices ~35 Members counting both sects (excluding the players) Jensaarai Structure and Philosophy   Structure: The Jensaarai employ a relatively flat hierarchy, one using only three ranks (from bottom to top): Apprentice, also called "Tyro" in the Sith Language Defender, also called "Taral" in the Sith Language Saarai-kaar Apprenticeship generally ends when Jensaarai is given leave to construct his Cortosis Armour, upon which he reaches the rank of Defender. There was no intermediary step between apprentice and master, what would be the knights in the jedi order, meaning defenders were both teachers and made up the bulk of the membership. However, some defenders distinguished themselves in other ways, namely by being part of a special task force, like the "Ring Defenders", that act as a planetary defence force, or the "Shield Defenders", personal aides and bodyguards to the Saarai-kaar. The Jenwai Midwan could be counted among the Task Forces. It has not yet been established when and how the title of Saarai-kaar is to be passed on to another member. Commonly it is understood to be a title for life, but this has yet to be formalised. Non canonical summary and extrapolation by myselfPhilosophy - Jiaasjen, Integrating the light: One of the major themes in Larad Noons writing contained in the Sith holocron Nikkos Tyris had found was that of "Jiaasjen - integrating the shadow". Its main idea was that dark side techniques could be integrated into the light side, however Larad Noon had been a twisted mind when he spun his own writings from this principle. The result was a loftily phrased text that succeeded at enticing but ultimately led to the dark side when properly understood - whether Larad Noon had intended this to happen or whether he simply failed at finding the proper way of Jiaasjen is unclear. Fact is that he created an intellectual trap, though one that the less experienced apprentices luckily were impervious to at the time. They simply did not understand the execution, even if they grasped the idea. When the Holocron was destroyed they had only their incomplete memories that had shielded them from the worst of the Sith teaching while they retained some of the practical aspects that could be grasped: the entirely taint-free techniques of forging with Cortosis ore - the methods of forging sith blades still eluded those with an uncorrupted mind and were ultimately lost to the Jensaarai - methods to masks one's presence in the force almost entirely and even a specialised use of telekinesis called ballistakinesis, in which a user might turn the smallest of objects into a lethal projectile. These were tools that had nothing inherently evil about them, but a Jedi would have never been able to learn them with their rigid, teetotaling ways that prohibited any contact with outside ideas if they had any proximity to the Sith. Or so the Jensaarai saw it. Really those that preceded Nikkos Tyris were saved only by the hubris of the Sith Larad Noon, who could not share knowledge in anything but the most esoteric and obscure ways as a means to shield them from the "intellectually and spiritually inferior". Be that as it may, out of ignorance or confidence the Jensaarai considered "complete abstinence" the easy way out. They flipped the integrative philosophy towards the light, driving the shadow out with the brightness until only the benign remained as theirs. It was to become an ever-continuing process, an internal and external struggle to remain right and pure. It was a method that inherently acknowledged that even they had darkness inside them that would never go away. As had the Jedi, in their opinion, and they considered them naive extremist for believing in absolutes. But the Jensaarai did not discard Jedi teachings either, having learnt from them discipline and honour, but they combined it with the aggression of the Sith, one cauterised and turned to steel through their inner force, never coming close to the dark side. In fact they would continue to counter all dark influence with their lived "brightness" that burned, so different from the light of the Jedi that hid itself away in fear of being blackened by the dark. Whether this would remain successful forever remained to be seen, but then again how many Sith throughout the ages had been Jedi first? Equipment and Abilities   Lightsabers - a different relationship: Nikko Tyris brought with him his preferred method of Lightsaber combat, the Shien technique. While he taught this technique to some of the order he remained entirely open to all other common lightsaber forms, and even encouraged the development of new ones for use with non-standard lightsaber models. In fact, mostly due to the fact that the Cortosis armour started to become the defining feature of a Jensaarai Guardian the Apprentices were led to build their own weapons earlier than the Jedi, and wit. The "outcome", meaning the shape of the weapon and the form of lightsaber combat, was not as fixed. It was a personal affair where the journey was the destination, a ways to train the character before the armour was constructed, something considered a more permanent testament to the breeding of a Jensaarai. A great many types of weapon were adopted by various members over the years, which included the following: Lightwhip Short Lightsaber (also treated as S. Lightsabers mechanically are Sabercanes and Lightsaber Shotos) Lightsaber (also treated as Lightsaber mechanically are Curved-hilt lightsabers Great Lightsaber, aka "Lightclub" (also treated as G. Lightsaber mechanically are Lightsaber Pikes) Dual-phase lightsaber Double Bladed Lightsaber (also treated as D.B. Lightsabers are Crossguard Lightsabers, Guard Shotos/Lightsaber Tonfas and Long-Handle Lightsabers) The colour of a Jensaarai lightsaber Synth-crystals are not uncommon, since the hidden nature of the Jensaarai made roaming the galaxy looking for a natural crystal risky. These produce a blade with a hue of red, orange or yellow, but as compared to Sith-forged swords the Jensaarai did not infuse them with dark side energy. It meant that they were equal in strength to sabres forged by Jedi, unlike the weapons of the Sith, who could sometimes be marginally stronger. The number of Jensaarai that went to greater lengths in acquiring a natural crystal was small, given that among them the ritual surrounding the construction of a blade was deemphasised. The lightsaber remained a symbol of status and an indispensable tool, but their approach to building one was more pragmatic and individual. Few Jensaarai dared to venture to known lightsaber crystal deposits (like Ilum or Dantooine) to collect a new stone for themselves, though some had joined the order already owning a blade or a crystal. Some were guided to as of yet unknown deposits through force visions or stumbled upon them accidentally, but those instances were even rarer. However, those members with a natural crystal as part of their blade still favoured colours other than green or blue, those hues being closely associated with the Jedi order, which at the earliest times in the Jensaarai's existence the order was not on good terms with. White, silver, brown/bronze or purple were popular if the colours could be sourced. Jensaarai Cortosis Armour Cortosis ore is a usually brittle metal that is hard to work using conventional means, but was notably able to sometimes short lightsaber blades, making them unusable for a minute or so. However, the Jensaarai had acquired an old Sith technique (requiring no dark side energy) to shape it into a weave that could be fashioned into armours. The crafting of this armour developed into a highly important ritual to mark the progress of a Jensaarai knight, an artistic and spiritual task. The armour, including a helmet that was generally mostly closed but may or may not included a mask, was usually styled in the manner of an animal that the wearer identified with or that somehow personified what their desires and goals were within the Jensaarai community. This was not always a highly aggressive animal, but more often than not something that either struck from hiding or something that only defended itself when threatened, both things suggesting hidden strength. Either way, what form the armour took usually told something of the wearer beyond aesthetic preferences. Usually the Jensaarai wore grey cloaks over their armour. The Saarai-Kaar's Cortosis armour was the exception to the rule, being in a plain style and fashioned with a mask that depicted the actual wearers face. Jensaarai Rek’dul Martial Arts Rek'dul was a style of martial arts that Nikkos Tyris developed to compliment his preferred lightsaber style of Shien, incorporating Sith battle techniques and Old Republic Jedi manoeuvres he had learned. There exist mechanical rules for this style, and while it provides boni to parrying while wielding a lightsaber it is an expression of the brawling skill. Lightsaber Styles All conventional forms of Lightsaber combat developed in the Jedi Order are practised by the Jensaarai, even the somewhat infamous seventh form. Tràkata, a type of feint using the ability of a lightsaber to be quickly turned off and on, is also sometimes used. Additionally, forms that rely on exotic types of lightsabers (double lightsabers, lightwhipes, lightsaber pikes) are also being trained and developed by some individuals. Note that while one can find rules for lightsaber styles I don't require them. It's perfectly fine for a player to pick a form for narrative effect without any mechanical changes/requirements. Ballistakinesis As previously described this was a special application of telekinesis, supercharging very small objects to offensive effect. In the vein of keeping things simple I will likely just make this an expression of the telekinesis power, rather than its own separate ability. Note that I will do away with the rule that using telekinesis offensively always incurs a dark side point. A character would, however, receive one if they used ballistakinesis/telekinesis against an unarmed innocent with intent to hurt or kill, but they would not when trying to knock them out or when using it in a fight against an armed opponent trying to kill them in turn. Powers of Stealth The Jensaarai are known for their Sith derived technique of hiding their presence in the force, which every member of the order learns as soon as they enter training. In fact, inability to master this technique would likely mean expulsion. As such they gain +2D to control when opposing sensory powers like life detection or life sense, and count as non-sensitive individuals for the former. The Jensaarai Home   Quence Sector: The Quence sector is a fairly unimportant bit of space located in the outer rim between the Rimma Trade Route and the Corellian Run. If not for the fact that the Separatists retreated in this general direction after the clone wars there would be little contributing to the history of the area, at least on a galactic scale.   Susevfi Planet: Susevfi is a moon located in the Suarbi system, orbiting the local gas giant of Suarbi 7. It's a terrestrial world dominated mostly by plains and savannahs, with few large scale woods and multiple oceans. In fact its capital Yumfla was a major seaport of the planet. At the time of play it's nearly unaffiliated with the Empire, seemingly by sheer merit of being so unimportant. The major immigrated Species to the Planet are: Humans, Caamasi, Anzati, Rodian The Jensaarai have rebuilt their compound on some fertile land between a loose forest and a grassy hill, an assortment of buildings that from afar looks more like a tiny village of homesteaders having banded together. There is a mess hall, a library, a few utilitarian halls for the apprentices to share, a few more private quarters for the guardians and some buildings for agrarian industry and martial training.

Desired number of Players 3-6 1 or 2 in re-recruitment

The setup The Jenwai Midwan faction has made several minor expeditions to neighbouring systems, but up until now have been mostly focused on establishing a network of connections on the home planet for fear of exposing the order through blunt and open action elsewhere. Recently they have come into possession of a ship after helping bust a local criminal organisation - an HT-2200 Medium Freighter the criminals had called the "Grey Tortoise". Since this makes them much more independent in their travels now, with even the potential to leave hyperlanes and lay low should they ever pick up any "heat", Gorga, the nominal leader of the Jenwai Midwan, believes that with this they are finally ready to set out on a slightly longer venture. He plans to follow up on a rumour he had heard about a dark influence on a planet a few sectors over. On the way there he wants to make frequent stops to increase their chances of encountering force-sensitives, in addition to picking up more intel on the happenings in the wider galaxy. I might possibly start the game with a flashback to the apprentices helping to liberate the "Grey Tortoise", just as a means to get everybody familiar with how one rolls for skills attributes and attacks in the system, but it would only be a rather short scene.

Types of Characters See this post - looking for non-sensitive or untrained characters atm.   Force Sensitive: This game assumes that the majority of characters, if not all, are fully-fledged members of the Jensaarai, albeit at the rank of apprentice. Among sensitive characters there is some leeway how and when they joined, however. Since the order is only thirteen years old at the start of the game there would be some that had previously been Jedi, following Nikkos Tyris into his self imposed exile as youths. A smaller amount of Jensaarai may have originally been independent adepts that were accidentally discovered or maybe drawn towards the order through force visions. They may have stumbled upon the order while fleeing from the cruel and dangerous Empire, like so many Caamasi did, or possibly they were some of the Jedi that came to the Jensaarai after Order 66. As such the age range for a Jensaarai apprentice can vary greatly - the order is organised in a similar way to the Jedi in the sense that they ideally like to start training users from a very young age, but in reality that is not how it always transpires. However, since all of the above means we can have characters that have trained with the Jensaarai for over 13/7 years (Previously Jedi/other force-sensitive) I do not want characters that are extremely young. Anything from maturity (i.e. 18 for a human) or above is fine. If it is not obvious all PCs will also be adherents of the Jenwai Midwan school of thought so they can join their defenders in a call to action (see above as to what one should expect starting out the game). Importantly - even though all Jensaarai characters will be apprentices they will start with a lightsaber already built (of their own design and style, see above), but they have not yet constructed their Cortosis Armour. This will be a major honour and test of their capabilities, marking their transition to Defender, which should happen after around three or four threads/chapters into the game. Non force-sensitive PCs: With all that being said about Jensaarai characters, there is also space for non-sensitive PCs. The Jensaarai are protective of the natives on Susevfi, even if they mostly remained in hiding as an order. In fact, this would (in the canon progression of events) later lead to them being pressed into service of a local Moff (an unlawful one, but that's a whole other story) to shield the population from harm. As such it is safe to assume that they had some non-sensitive people connected to them or actively in their service - as informers, guards, farmworkers, doctors, pilots, advisors or for other tasks. Even a droid would be a serviceable character concept. The only thing that is important with a character like this is that they absolutely have to have a stake in the Jensaarai that is nearly as great as that of the members. An easy example of such a bond would be a Wookiee that has a life debt to a senior Jensaarai, but it does not necessarily have to be that dramatic. Just note: Characters that feel like they wouldn't really have a reason to stick around under the direst circumstances will not be considered. Morality: It might go without saying, but the campaign calls for ultimately good people that want to do the right thing, help others and seek understanding of the force (if they are sensitive). The difference might be that there is less judgement levelled at people having emotions (Fear leads to ... and so on) or engaging with Sith knowledge. People still remain very vigilant so as not to cross a line, but they don't see emotion as much of an instant slippery slope and see dealing with Sith lore as a danger they must face for the betterment of their order. Ultimately slipping to the dark side still works much like with Jedi, so playing a Jensaarai is not a carte blanche to play a sort of "Sith-light" type character. A bit more flawed is encouraged, but murderhobos would soon become dark side NPCs. Dark Side Force powers are also off the table as they are, however there may be some that are ripe for the Jensaarai to develop a "sanitised" version of, for example, Force Wind or Doppelganger, in addition to other lost lore that the characters might find along the way.

Applications DISCLAIMER: Read all of the below mindful of the fact that it was written for Jensaarai characters, so ignore what does not apply to non-sensitive PCs. As a late-starter, your heritage can be from anywhere around the galaxy, you just need a reason to be in the vicinity of Darkknell. VVVV Old instructions start here VVVV Now, if you've made it this far you might want to know how to make an application for this game. Please read the following spoilertagged section all the way through if you want to do so:   How do I apply? I do not need a specific template for applications, but make sure to include: Name Species Gender Age Homeworld General Background Physical description and personality. Force and Order specific background (Answering questions such as): Were they a Jedi or an independent force user? How are they otherwise (as a non-sensitive) tied to the Jensaarai? How much do they believe in the cause of the Emissaries? How did they feel about the corruption of the founder of the order? What are their strengths in the Force (sensory, offensive, defensive, internal, external)? Who is their Master? See above for information on the more important Defenders currently active among the Jensaarai. It may be easy to arrange most close contacts of a character to be within the Jenwai Midwan, but this is not required. In fact, having some conflicting loyalties is always good roleplay, assuming we know where the character's loyalties will ultimately fall. A few more Defenders than those mentioned exist in some of the "sects", so if truly none of them appeal we can create a new one. Under some circumstances a character might have more than one master during the course of their training, for example if the original one has joined the newly formed Dwomutsaarai, upon which the character would have had to take a new master from among the other two factions. Pictures? I'm not too fussed about applicants including a picture, and in fact with a setting this huge it might actually hold you back from going down the path less travelled. There are a minuscule amount of pictures of Jensaarai, to start, let alone a Jensaarai of each of the hundred+ races that one could pick from for a character. It's only marginally better when one considers just using a picture of a Jedi as a placeholder for a Jensaarai before they have built their armour. However, as the Jensaarai are less dogmatic about lightsabers you may end up wanting to play a female Bothan Jensaarai using a lightwhip, just as an example, and good luck finding a picture that checks more than two of these boxes. The bottom line is that if you go in with a need to have a picture that depicts your character fully you will be locked into what has been done a lot before, more or less only pictures of canonical or fanmade Jedi, and it still won't ever be accurate. That's chaining your creativity to what somebody has thought of already. So just using text is fine by me, but as a middle ground I might recommend using reference pictures alongside the description. For example, one might use one picture just so one can better imagine the species you want to play in a general sense, but without particular care whether it actually depicts the character specifically, plus a picture of your preferred lightsaber style, possibly later on a picture of an animal you want to style your armour after and so on and so forth. Rp sample? An Rp-sample would be appreciated but is not strictly required. If you do supply one ideally it would be an instance where the morals of the character were tested in some minor way, even as little as a bit of rage during a strenuous bit of training, or the character interacting with their master or fellow apprentices. But anything goes as long as it illustrates what your writing style might be and that you can engage with ideas as well as action, i.e. internal and external problems. Concise and to the point is probably best here, you don't have to prove that you could write a novel. NPCs? As stated above there are a fair few blank spaces left in the Jensaarai so that the players do not necessarily feel constricted when choosing their master or describing their backgrounds. However I would be lying if I said I wouldn't appreciate people engaging with what is presented here, as that signals a wider ability to running with what I put in front of you during the game instead of perpetual shadowboxing, but there might be story reasons you would want to create an NPC during character generation. As far as NPCs outside of the Jensaarai are concerned - those are of course more or less fair game. When it comes to NPCs and integrating your character into the Jensaarai organisation, some suggestions for questions to ask your characters: My master is ... I like/admire ... I dislike/am a rival of ... I agree/disagree about philosophy/morality with ... I want to know more about ... Sheet? Even if you happen to have a WEG book at home I don't need one for the application. In fact, it might be good to do them together after selection has been made so I only have to run through it all once. As such I will disclose any chargen stipulations later on, though they are unlikely to diverge from RAW very much. If they do they'll either be cuts to rules that are not needed or things that only tilt things in your favour rather than the opposite. Anyway, just focus on the narrative for now, please. Please also read this note on Species: The Jensaarai are sort of a fringe organisation, so I think it would be an appropriate time to get away from the most obvious species and lean into the huge variety of the setting to emphasise this angle. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but we've all seen a Miraluka, Zabrak or Twi'lek force user in a game, let alone a human one. There are very good reasons why they are so popular, and I will not disregard applications that feature the most popular races at all (in fact I like a fair few of them a lot myself), but I would suggest to at least consider some more exotic (or rather, unlikely-) aliens. For example, the whole order was formed by an Anzati, a species that are often considered "plain evil" because of their vampiric dietary requirements, which in and of itself can be a nice catalyst in terms of personal story. There are other aliens that have similar prejudices levelled at them, like the Devaronians because of their "devil-like" looks, or the Defel "bogeymen" for the fact that they can disappear from sight, among many others. Then there are those that seem physically unlikely to become a force user of this variety, like the huge Herglic, Amani and Whiphids or the tiny Mrlissi, Ranat and Drall. There are aliens that have disagreeable temperaments or unique philosophies. What would an Abyssin or an Arkanian Jensaarai look like, on species who are usually violent and mean and another generally supremely arrogant, even if there are canonical Jedi among the both of them? What about a Tunroth, a species that usually refuses to use any weaponry other than their ritual ones? Or using something more well known, how would a Rodian marry his own hunting obsessed clan-based culture with the grey path of the Jensaarai? Just a few examples which I've yet to use with any NPCs. Either way, I have compiled a list of pre-approved alien species, which one can use with Wookiepedia to get an overview of the option out there. Stick to the Legends pages though, as that's what I'm working with myself. The selection is based on how common a species is in the galaxy, on whether they produce force-users and on how well I could see them fit into the game overall, which is independent from the fact whether they would have made a good Jedi or not. As I said I would welcome most odd combinations. It's not an exhaustive list, however. I left out some aliens that look almost exactly like humans (which is not the case for all near-humans), and those that are so niche they are barely mentioned in any type of media. If you want to play something that exotic I may possibly allow it if it ticks the other boxes, so feel free to ask.   Abyssin Adarian Adnerem Advozse Aleena Amanin Anomid Anx Anzat Aqualish Arcona Arkanian Ayrou Balosar Barabel Baragwin Besalisk Bith Blood Carver Bothan Caamasi Caarite Cathar Cerean Chadra-Fan Chagrian Chevin Clawdite Cragmoloid Defel Devaronian Draethos Drall Dug Duros Eirrauc Elomin Em’liy Falleen Filordus Fluggrian Frozian Gamorrean Gand Givin Gossam Gotal Gran Herglic Houk Human and variants Iktotchi Ishi Tib Ithorian Jenet Kel Dor Khil Kilmaulsi Klatooinian Koorivar Krevaaki Kubaz Lannik Lutrillian Miraluka Mon Calamari Morseerian Mrlssi M’shinn Murachaun Muun Nautolan Nazzar Neimodian Nikto Nimbanel Nosaurian Ortolan Pantoran Pau’an Phindian Pho Ph’eahian Phuii Quarren Quermian Ranat Riileb Rodian Rybet Ryn Sakiyan Sanyassan Saurin Saurton Shawda Ubb Shistavanen Skrilling Sluissi Snivvian Squalris Sullustan Svivreni Temolak Thisspian Togruta Toong Trandoshan Tunroth Twi'Lek Tynnan Ubese Ugnaught Umbaran Veknoid Verpine Vulptereen Vurk Vuvrian Weequay Whiphid Wookiee Wroonian Vor Xexto Yarkora Yinchorri Yuzzem Zabrak ZeHethbra Zeltron Almost all of these have standard attributes in the West End games star wars system. I did not specifically point out those that have higher starting attributes to not draw the eye there, but there are some in there that I will allow. There are also a handful that have fewer attribute dice than normal, though these generally have other abilities that make up for it. The sole exception I could find are the Advozse, which have fewer dice for seemingly no reason. I consider that a sort of typo, and for this game they are considered to get the normal 12D.

Application deadline No deadline for re-recruitment. I will set a preliminary deadline to submit an application at two weeks from now (25.04.2021 24:00 GMT - as a reference this would be 19:00 EST). If I have fewer than ~five applications by then I may extend that deadline by another week, but i will not do the opposite (bringing it forward) under any circumstance.

P.S.: Why the Jensaarai and why mess with the (legends) canon?   The Jensaarai were always a small group but they were not part of the great Jedi purge. In fact they were twice overlooked when somebody tried to destroy them, once by the Jedi and once by Emperor Palpatine. Coincidentally the Jedi eradicated the dark side taint in the Jensaarai with only a minimal shrinkage in numbers. So you have a reasonably intact group of force users existing during the Empire that has a troubled connection to both the Jedi and the Sith, so that's a good catalyst for action. You still have to remain secretive, as a surviving Jedi would, but there is some organisation in the back of it all, for better or for worse. Their "middle path" type philosophy is also interesting to me as it forces the hard questions on the players even more so than being a Jedi. When it comes down to it the Jensaarai are fundamentally good, but they are not dogmatic or rigid about it. This can be a strength but opens them up to dark side corruption occasionally, which as far as I'm concerned is not a bad thing story-wise, in fact to be tested as a person might more or less be the essence of story-driving conflict, so the more often it happens the better. Note however: The end goal of staying on the light is not to eventually become Jedi. The Jensaarai persist until after the Empire falls and continue to teach their way of the force, even though they work much more closely with the Jedi in the Legacy era. Nor is it alright to slip in a "Sith-light" character that takes moral relativism to the extreme. Why I then went beyond a little and changed the canonical situation further, fracturing the Jensaarai internally, has the following reasons: I wanted to open up the game to more force-using opposition. There is a common problem playing Jedi in the Clone-Wars or Rebellion era, namely that there's a relatively limited amount of people that are force sensitive, use lightsabers and are not totally out of a freshly minted character's league. The rule of two is nominally in effect for the Sith, but no PC is going to beat Darth Sidious or Vader any time soon anyway, nor the secret apprentices of Vader or Palpatine. There is the Inquisition, of course, which is something that most GMs fall back on, but the high profile names in there are usually wrapped up in stories that one would not want to pull them away from (like Inquisitor Jerec and Kyle Katarn in the Dark Forces storyline). So sometimes it can feel difficult to include enough action of that calibre. However, I set it up in such a way that the Jensaarai might fight the Inquisition (or very rarely the actual Sith) and other "Jedi Hunters", other Jensaarai due to their internal splintering (with the Seekers especially being in danger of corruption), and even hidden Jedi that believe them to be Sith. On top of that they are actively investigating history, even Sith history, so might deal with the lingering effects of some dark lord or other often. I believe all of this will make it easier to have more force versus force action overall.

[Phettberg]

Reserved for Q & A, Applicants List (re-recruitment)

Player	Character	Species	Type	Status
Hotshot lasgun	Zebulon Cochrane	Human	Mercenary	Withdrawn
Talissen70	Navas T’rig	Devaronian	Pilot	Complete
DraconigenaArma	Gil Dangir	Human	~Smuggler	Complete

 

Player	Character	Species	Master	Lightweapon	Status
Begon Ugo	Syrbo Rasa	Cathar	Diaboye Bede	Guard Shoto	Done
Impaleddearan	X	X	X	X	Withdrawn
Howling Winds of	TBA	Twi'Lek	TBA	TBA	WIP
GeneT	Gand	Gand	Spereia Stropia	Two Shoto	Done
NightDreamer09	Rinas Var’adrid	Balosar	Bourtai Vekku	Lightsaber pike	Done
Tahril	Isena Kinro	Echani	Spereia Stropia	Guard Shoto	Done
PalladiaMors	Sks'chk Kch'sk-Skcha	Harch	Diaboye Bede	Double-bladed lightsaber	Done
Silent Rain	PK8-08	PK-Series Worker Droid	N/A	N/A	Done
Draidden	Thaz Vuls	Quarren	N/A	N/A	Done
Homestarbaby	Fria	Arkanian	A.T./Gorga	Lightwhip	Done
Acathala	Miamar Draedi	Trianii	TBA	TBA	Done
TheRatQueen	Triz Bat Sheva	Zabrak	Sheysos-ka	Double-bladed lightsaber, split	Done
abc123	Izokh Hyssk	Trandoshan	Ivik Po'Machi	Double-bladed lightsaber	Done

[Begon Ugo]

This sounds great! A deep dive star wars game is just what I need in my life. I am not familiar with the system but I am a quick learner. I will get to work on an application... time to crack open my star wars encyclopedias!

WIP Name Syrbo Rasa Species:Cathar Gender:Male Age:25 Homeworld:Cathar General Background: The story of the Cathar is the story of genoicide. All but wiped out by a Mandalorian invasion, the genetic memory of the massacre burns deeply in the Cathar people… none more so than in Syrbo. The Battle of Cathar, as the massacre came to be known, had led to the few desperate survivors being forced to flee from their homeworld. Now almost 4,000 years later, Syrbo’s clan had only recently repatriated to Cathar. It was during this return to his ancestral homeland that Syrbo began to feel the first stirrings of the force within him. It had first manifested as a longing to return to the tree cities of his people and by the time the Cathar had stepped foot on his home planet, the young warrior had begun to experiment with the connection he now felt, not just with Cathar, but with the force that permeates all. Syrbo knew of the force… there had been Cathar Jedi… Sylvar. Her exploits were told over communal fires and it was to her shrine, built high in a secluded city-tree that Syrbo had traveled as he meditated on the path before him. Sylvar had been a Jedi… but that was a path that Syrbo could not travel down. Just as the Mandalorians had tried to exterminate his people… the Jedi were not without blood on their hands as well. He had heard the stories... drunken tales of Jedi persecution of heretics...the grey. Syrbo had much to learn but in one thing he was firm… never trust those who were sure in their own righteousness. His fledgling immersion into the force continued, the Cathar keen to find a way to harness the energy but fearing the outcome if he did not find a mentor to teach him. Sylvar had almost succumbed to the dark side… Syrbo had no illusions that he could not suffer the same temptations. In the tales, he had learned that the Jedi inquisitors had been brought to Susevfi… that is where he needed to travel. Physical description and personality. Cyrbo carries himself with a quiet confidence, his slight, athletic build belying his martial ability. He moves with a fluidness of motion, always aware of his surroundings and his physical positioning in space. Cyrbo’s mane is short and a clear indication of his relative youth, though he does carry a significant scar that runs down his fur covered face in three angry rivulets. The scars are a reminder of Cyrbo’s participation in a ritualistic blood hunt against the Kiltik that ravage Cathar. Cyrbo had acted rashly, rushing forward to deal the killing blow to a hive queen. The blow landed true, but not before the dying giant beetle-like creature almost killed him in return. A valuable lesson was learned that day, and Cyrbo now endeavors to keep his tempestuous emotions under control. Force and Order specific background: Master: Diaboye Bede Form: IV Ataru Lightsaber: Guard Shoto Cyrbo's arrival on Susevfi was not welcomed. Arriving unexpectedly... uninvited... and asking too many questions of a sensitive nature, the Cathar was tersely directed to leave... for his own good. Cyrbo, seething on the inside, did as he was told... but he did not return home. Instead he retreated to the plains and savannas where he stayed, honing his hunting skills and waiting... patiently waiting. The force had brought him to Susevfi and he would stay. His discipline was noted by Master Diaboye and his stubborn refusal and dedication led to him being accepted as an apprentice to the rodent like Chadra- Fan. The pair make for an odd pair, but Bede has diligently worked on harnessing Cyrbo's innate aggressiveness... sharpening it to be akin to a fine spear point and not a dull hammer.

[Phettberg]

Nice to see some early interest, Welcome Begon!

As I say in the ad there is very little to learn up front with this system (not to say there aren't advanced rules, but they can be easily omitted or left to me).

You get a certain amount of standard dice (i.e. d6s) to spend on attributes/force skills and normal skills respectively (lists to pick from will be provided), and whenever you want to do anything you pick an appropriate attribute or skill and roll that number of dice. You add up the rolls and compare it to a target number, wanting to roll high. The only thing more complicated than that is that one dice is the "wild dice" which may tell you of a possible critical failure (1) or success (6). If you get the six you reroll the wild dice as often as it takes to not show a six anymore, adding it all up. On the player side that's more or less it, beyond knowing what the individual force powers you have access to do.

Obviously I'm familiar with it all, but I still think even a total beginner can take a fleshed-out character concept and turn it into a sheet in under an hour. You might want to tinker more than that of course, but that would be the bare amount of time spent on mechanics.

Also Cathar - very exciting! If I remember correctly they can have a bit of a temper.

[Impaleddearan]

Withdraw

[Howling Winds of]

oh wow, this looks really awesome! I have had an itch to play a SW game for a while now, but either none were running, or, they just didn't pique my interest. This game, though, this looks really fun! Plus, a focus on story (and not so much dice rolls) seems just like the kind of game I need in my life.

Application Name Aazek'fesi Species Twi'Lek Gender Female Age 30 Homeworld Ryloth General Background I am a Twi'lek. My people are peaceful. We are not violent and search for peace, diplomatic solutions... while this old saying might apply to some Twi'lek, Aazek found it utterly useless. Sure, in times o peace, perhaps it provide true. But her life was anything but peaceful. When she had moments to reflect on all that had happened to her prior to joining the Jenarassai, one questions continually haunted her. What is supposed when pacifism meets a violent reckoning? Are the violent supposed to show respect for an unbreakable will in the face of torture and worse?. Beginning life on Ryloth as a dancer; which became her passion after learning many of the traditional dances as a child. Physical description and personality. Force and Order specific background

[GeneT]

To Earn a Name Name: Gand. As is fitting for one who has been exiled. Species: Gand. Gender: Gand. Age: 16 Home-world: None. Previously Gand, but this Gand was undeserving of a place or name. Gand lost both the first and last as zie was a failed contributor to zis species, a failed Findsmen, but mainly as one touched. General Background: Having become a mystic findsmen, Gand is later exiled from zis home-world and the rest of zis species when zie becomes touched by the force. Zie wanders without name or purpose, zis true path broken, surviving as a bounty hunter until found and eventually repurposed by the Jensaarai. Zie has yet to earn a name, but no longer believes ziself touched. Zie is both mystic findsmen and grey adept Jensaarai. Zie is Gand and zis true path recovered. One day zie will name ziself when zie has earned it. But that day is yet come regardless of zis Jensaarai nature, training, and ability. Zie may see the galaxy differently now, may understand things differently, but a name is yet something zie feels zie must still earn. Physical Description and Personality: Short. stocky, and fleshy in appearance, Gand have three fingers on each hand, and zir faces are lumpy and unsettling. Gand have large, multifaceted eyes that betray little feeling. All Gand encountered off-world use a special breathing apparatus that fits snugly into zir facial anatomy. Zir multifaceted eyes sparkle in a myriad of blues, although at times those colors shift for reasons and emotions unknown.   In Gand society, individuals must earn many things. First, they must earn a name. To do so, the must contribute to the greater society in some meaningful and needed way. They also must earn the right to pro-create. This does not happen for most Gand and such is bestowed on only a small subset of useful, productive, and quality individuals. Given such, individual Gands do not assume male or female ideology until the time the honor to pro-create is received. Males becoming the Life Giver. And females becoming the Life Creator. Common pronouns he/she/his/hers are like earning names. One is not consider male/Life Giver or female/Life Creator unless that honor has been earned. This is just like all Gands referring to zir-selves in the third person, 'this Gand', until a name is earned. To do otherwise is unthinkable. Hence the use of generic pronouns : he/she=zie, his/her=zis, their=zir, and so forth. This is a Gand convention. It is unlikely outsiders could really tell a male or female Gand apart, especially non-productive ones. Nor would unconventional pronouns be known or used by any outside Gand given the species isolationism. Force and Order Specifics: Force Manifestation : Per Gand species isolationist philosophy, zie is touched by an outside Force. Zie is a natural occurring independent. As far as zie knows, zie is the only of zis kind, but zis knowledge is limited and Gand hierarchy is secretive of such occurrences and other cases of exile. Emissary Ideology : The Gand believes in the non-isolationist ideology of Jenwai Midwan. Zie lives it. Without it, Zie has no path, no life. Zie believes in the search of other force touched individuals, the pursuit of knowledge, and protecting others. Jensaarai History : As far as the 'corruption' of the founder, zie is somewhat indifferent. Good and evil is a complicated idea that zis species do not inherently see as individual although zis exile may make a different case. The Gand thinks that each has a choice and zie has come to believe in becoming Jensaarai that there is a balance within that must be found between the darkness and lightness of one's life. That both live within and only thru balance can one prevent being consumed by either the dark or the light. Zis thoughts on the matter, although, are just beginning. Force Ideas : It is likely the Gand will veer towards Sense and Alter although there are some control features that seem to fit. If an initial power is granted, the Gand would prefer Life Detection. With that in mind and zis urge to earn zis name, a second power would likely add to that and be Life Sense. Alternatively, the Gand could decide upon Telekinesis and Kinetic Combat combo. Master : Spereia Stropia Lightsaber : The Gand preferentially wield two Shotos, one in each hand, often employing a combination of Tràkata and the enigmatic Findsman combat style.   The sparing arena was a small training space, an elongated sunken oval field of beaten rocky ground encircled by five or six rings of stone benches, each ring raised slightly above the one preceding it. Defender and apprentice used the space in a multitude of ways not just for the teaching of forms and fighting but also movements and more mundane education. The arena was sometimes occupied by pairs or Defender groups, Defender and apprentice(s), and sometimes by cohorts, Defenders or apprentices. One could learn much even by just sitting along the stone benches. Such was common as the arena was an open space and any, even if uninvited, were free to simply watch whatever teachings were occurring within. In this moment, a lightsaber challenge was just about to begin. Such testing was common as apprentices learned from each other in this way throughout their training. It was useful to test one's skill against another, one's forms and style against another's forms and style; one's thinking, and breathing, and being against another. Not all challenges were confrontation. Some were cooperations and others combinations. Generally during such tests, whether martial or not, one or more of the principle Jenwai Midwan Defenders were present. On this day, all three - Gorga, Spereia Stropia, Ivik Po'Machi - were in attendance. Ivik Po'Machi was instructor and stood at one end of the arena while Gorga and Spereia Stropia watched from one of the entrances to the training space set above and behind the highest ring of stone benches. Below them, standing apart yet facing, two apprentices, a young female Twi'leck and some sort of strange insectiod species waited. "Does one have more favor then the other," Spereia Stropia asked. "Aayla Gida has all but one of the apprentices' bets," Gorga said. "One bet against her," Spereia Stropia smirked. "She has most of their eyes. As a twi'leck often does. And she is good by Ivik's words." "And the Gand?" Gorga shrugged and turned to look at Spereia and the Ayrou nodded before their attention was drawn to the floor below. Even amongst the Defenders, the Gand was odd. Most species were of some sort of mammalian or reptilian ancestor. But the Gand was insectoid. And despite the broad expanse of the galaxy and the number and differences of sentient species splattered thru the stars, there is still difficulty in understanding something so innately different. It was almost as if the Gand was a force sensitive Geonosian drone. It's glittering multifaceted eyes too complicated to fathom and too dis-similar to trust. At a 'Begin' from Ivik Po'Machi, the sparring commenced. True to form, Aayla Gida was beautiful to watch. Her figure flowed across the floor of the arena. She danced while her double bladed practice sword arced and fell in rapid intervals. It wasn't a true lightsaber, yet the twin blade's soft gold light sparkled in the dimness of the arena and her sparing shield made her body glimmer. Despite the twi'leck's skill, the Gand gave no ground. Standing in its start position, it calmly wielded a dark-light practice shoto in each hand, deflecting strike after strike after strike yet taking no offensive options. Perhaps it had no time to think of such as Aayla Gida circled it during her onslaught, a rhythmic mesmerizing orbit of attacks that captured all eyes. Then, curiously, the Gand took one step sideways into Aayla's orbit deactivating both shotos as the twi'leck's twin bladed weapon snaked out. But the Gand was now far too close for such a spirited strike, it's step so mundane and benign that the quickness of it was lost on all but a few. It did not re-ignite its practice swords as one who understood Tràkata would expect, but instead punched the twi'leck in the chest with a chitinous fist - a Findsmen's Striking Mist combined with Piercing Touch. Aayla Gida was propelled off her feet, her practice sword careening from her grasp, and her sparing shield sputtering out of existence. Sitting upright, Aayla looked down at her chest and the sparking shield controller that had been destroyed by the Gand's punch. The Gand offered the twi'leck a three fingered hand to help her stand. "This Gand is sorry for your loss," zie said. The tone of zis' transliterator an oddly soft mid-tone metallic sound, like the whiring of a Nightfalcon's repulsor lift servos during hover. "No point," Aayla said loudly ignoring it's hand and finding the Gand's faceted eyes. "By the rules, no point. You did not win by the blade." "That is not specified," the Gand returned. "But it is what is agreed," the Twi'leck countered knowing that the Gand had still penetrated her sparing shield, something a practice sword could not do, and crushed the shield's controller with only its fist. The Gand cocked its head slightly. The angle of it off but no less humorous if in another circumstance. A small bit of purple hue rimmed the outer edges of its blue faceted eyes and a moment of silence intervened. Twi'leck regarding the Gand and vice versa. "This Gand concedes," the Gand said abruptly and then turned away from Aayla Gida and left the arena floor. She sat bewildered until standing and brushing dirt from her legs as Ivik Po'Machi moved to her side. "What was said apprentice?" "It conceded Master." "The Gand conceded," Ivik repeated to his apprentice. "Yes Master," Aayla said with a sigh. "It did not win by the tenants." "The Gand," Ivik said evenly, making a point before making another. "Which tenants say you will die fairly?" Aayla Gida looked at her Master but stayed quiet. She was slow to learn some things but not others. Above her and the other apprentices, Gorga and Spereia Stropia were quiet until Gorga turned to leave. "Unexpected," Gorga said. "Perhaps by most," Spereia Stropia countered smiling. "Is the Gand bonded?" Gorga stopped and looked at the other Defender before responding. "No." "Is that why you asked me to attend?" "Perhaps," Gorga said and it was his turn to smile. Spereia Stropia snorted at that but there was little else for her to do. The Gand needed a master. All the apprentices needed masters. And there were only soo many to go around.   ***************** The Gand followed his Master, Spereia Stropia. The Ayrou walked far faster than most would think leisurely and the Gand concentrated on keeping up. "Master," the Gand said. "What lesson is it we are approaching?" Spereia Stropia did not answer. This was how she was sometimes when the lesson was more important. Not that all her lessons were not important, but the Gand found his Master's temperament was different when the subject directly relate to learning how not to die. Not all Masters temperaments were dependent on the content of the lesson. Some were always dour and some always relaxed, maybe even jovial, or so it seemed to the Gand. And given he had been a Findsman, vis sensitivity to another's feeling was already tuned before his Force nature developed. The two, Master and apprentice, came to a small door along a narrow hall. Spereia Stropia entered first. The Gand followed. Inside where Ivik Po'Machi and his apprentice, the Twi'leck Aayla Gida. "Is it set," Spereia asked. Ivik noded. The two Masters did not look at their apprentices as they left, but it was obvious the Gand and the Twi'leck were to stay. At the door, Spereia Stropia turned, looked each apprentice in the eye, and then tossed them a trio of lightsabers. Two short shotos as favored by the Gand and a double-bladed saber as favored by Aayla Gida. "Only one of you can leave this room," Spereia said. "Only one." Then the Ayrou Master, the past Jedi, closed the door leaving the Gand and Aayla Gida to determine each other's fate. The two had been rivals for some time. And although one could counter that the Gand did not seem to spoil for a defeat or look for a reprisal against the Twi'leck as she did the Gand, they would be wrong and simply did not understand a species like the Gand nor how to read zir body language. It had been months since the Gand's arrival and zie had changed much since that time. Zie had found place and meaning. Yet lacked other things; friends, a cohort, inclusion. The Twi'leck and the Gand did not immediately spring for their weapons. They could tell that the weapons were not practice sabers but the real thing. To pick them up and contest was to risk life. The words of Spereia Stropia echoed inside them, tamping down the friction and desire to overcome the other. To finally win in a martial way. To be better than the other with light in their hands. Aayla Gida was un-characteristically quiet and unlike usual it was the Gand whom broke the silence. The question was odd and unexpected. It took some time for Aayla to answer. "Who gave you your name," the Gand asked. Zis voice a metallic rumble from his vocoder. Aayla wrinkled her nose. Something she did when she was uncertain and her eyes trailed from the handle of the lightsaber at her feet to the Gand's face. It was a lumpy ugly thing, she thought. It looked soft like a lump of wet bread but she knew first hand how hard the Gand's head really was. She had hit it, once, during a martial trial of hands. Her elation at success that time was dampened by broken fingers. "Why do you ask," Aayla responded taking a small step forward. "Do any name ziself," the Gand said using his odd pronouns. She had no idea if it was male or female. She thought of him as male, though, because it made some things easier. Aayla shrugged. "Some change their names later from the ones they get when born." Another half step forward. "All are named at birth," the Gand asked. Most could not fathom the Gand's emotions, if he indeed had any, but Aayla had spent more time striving against him then any other. She studied him in ways they did not. How else to overcome him in any test. And the uncertainty that she could see in his shoulders and hands was almost enough to give her pause. No other apprentice could have seen it but her. And the Gand never asked questions of any but his Master. "Yes," Aayla said, the toe of her right foot making contact with the hilt of her lightsaber. In a moment the Twi'leck would not forget during her lifetime, the Gand looked down at his feet. Aayla Gida figured the Gand would go for his shotos but she had already positioned herself far closer to her weapon then the Gand to his. In a movement that was simply effortless grace, Aayla Gida flicked her lightsaber up into her hands with one foot and lunged forward as she activated its dual blades. She closed the distance between herself and the Gand in a leap raising her weapon high over her head. The light seemed to fade from the room. Black upon the edges. Aayla became grey as did everything else except the Gand. He remained bright as he looked up and waited for her strike to descend, his shotos left untouched upon the floor. And in that moment, Aayla Gida felt doubt and fear and anger. It welled up inside her and came crashing at her seams. She grit her teeth against it as her arms and hands brought her bright blade down upon the Gand. He did not move. His eyes were so bright, so blue. Waiting. And then it was over. Aayla Gida stood toe to toe with the Gand and they simply shared space. Her eyes on his. His eyes on hers. She quivered from the effort to still her need to kill him. "Why," she asked quietly. Her saber arm shaking. The darkness inside her clamoring. "Because you are the best of us. Because you have a name," the Gand said. "And I do not." They were such simple words from something she could not understand. This being in front of her that she had truly never seen before today. And in that moment, when she opened herself to it, to the Gand, to him, she corrected, the darkness left and the color returned to the world. "Tell me," Aayla said while extinguishing her blade. "What does it take for a Gand to be named?" And so he told her. That and many things of the Gand. Of his life as one un-named. As a Findsman. Of shame, loss, and exile. Of loneliness. Spereia Stropia and Ivik Po'Machi waited outside the room. They waited for a long time. There was a moment when they felt the darkness inside Aayla Gida rise and it took strength for them to remain outside the door. But both knew this wasn't their moment, if they had judged correctly. So neither was surprised when the Gand and Aayla Gida opened the door together. Only one of them left that room as required by the Gand's Master. The other one had changed and what they had been was left behind. *****************   Prelim Ideas only. In considering skills for Gand, I thought about his background as a Findsmen then his exile and scrounging for life as a bounty hunter until found by the Jensaarai and picked skills that I felt were in line with that development and aim to survive. It is likely his skill set will change as his choices are broadened in his future. Dexterity 3D Lightsaber 2D Blaster 1D Knowledge 2D Mechanical 1D Perception 2D Bargain 1D Investigate 1D Sneak 1D Strength 3D Brawl 1D Technical 1D

[Phettberg]

Looking great everybody! I plan on giving out some individual thoughts and feedback, but I'll wait until applications have progressed a little so I can do them two or three at a time.

I'm happy players are taking me up on the path less travelled, but if you are sitting on the sidelines wondering if I'll look less favourably on your human/very popular race character don't be alarmed - just like an exotic species does not automatically make an interesting character a very common species doesn't make a character immediately boring. There's a lot more to it than that, so the more the merrier!

Long time no see GeneT!

Originally Posted by Howling Winds of

Plus, a focus on story (and not so much dice rolls) seems just like the kind of game I need in my life.

Happy to oblige. Not that we won't roll dice every now and then, but I don't want to get bogged down in the super complicated stuff. The most technical bit for any character will be selecting force powers, but beyond that we'll keep it super basic when it comes to the rules so we can focus on the roleplaying.

[NightDreamer09]

Interesting this is, say I must.

Too many interesting species I see, hard the choice is.

Tempted to draft an application I am, yes.

Drafting I am... hoping in a clichè not to fall. Update I will.

[Phettberg]

Originally Posted by NightDreamer09

Tempted to draft an application I am, yes.

Looking forward to it, I am.

On the plus side, you've got four species fewer now that other people have already snatched some away... so that makes it a lot easier, right?

[NightDreamer09]

Originally Posted by Phettberg

Looking forward to it, I am.

On the plus side, you've got four species fewer now that other people have already snatched some away... so that makes it a lot easier, right?

It did help xD I started with like 15 different races that could be interested than started cutting them down till I had a limited set; at this point I tried a few "core ideas" but only one resonated and sent me on a writing spree. The result of such a writing spree is below... sorry if it's a bit long to read <.<

It's still a wip, I have to refine:

• physical description
• Personality
• Weapon of choice
• Force powers
• Master
• rp sample

I'll update the list above as I work on it.

I updated the Force specific powers and weapon of choice.
The latter took a bit of thinking: I had classic saber, classic + shoto, double guard shoto, double blade saber, pike. I honestly wanted something different than the classic lightsaber, however given the character I didn't see her as a very athletic character like one needed to make the most out of double blades and double guard shotos; thus I ended up with the pike, the color is still in thinking, for now I put yellow. The force focus followed a similar thinking: she is not a very aggressive character but she can build upon her subsonic perception thus the focus on "intelligence gathering" than on pure "hitting power".

The picture is the picture I found in the "The New Essential Guide to Alien Species" which is practically the only canon female Balosar; not perfect but gives the general idea.

I do really really really hope it's not a cliche, like, do say so if you think it is please ^^'' And feedback is appreciated.

Rinas Var'adrid Rinas Var'adrid Name: Rinas Var’adrid Species: Balosar Gender: Female Age: 20   Balosar age according to Wookiepedia are Child: 1-12, Young adult: 13-15, Adult: 16-39, [...] Timeline: 21 BBY - Rinas Var’adrid was born 18 BBY - 15 years old: she leave Balosar 2 years out hopping from station to station 16 BBY - 17 years old: a Jeensari found her 3 years training with the Jensaari 13 BBY - 20 year old: now Homeworld: Balosar Physical description: Rinas is a Balosar woman standing at the great height of 1.63, an average height for a Balosar. Her eyes are a blue grey tone. If it wasn’t for the antennapalps sprouting from the top of her head, Rinas could quite look like a human, just a sick and gaunt one: her skin was pale and her body looked haggard and frail. Her coarse hairs had a bluish color without much shine and were usually kept them into a ponytail. In the 3 years with the Jeensari, away from the poisons of her homeworld and of her addicition, she had lost some of her sick and gaunt look, gaining more color in her skin and hairs and weight. She still looks kind of frail but she now has more strength. The antennapalps are retractable appendages that allow her to listen into the subsonic range thus letting her detect surges of emotions; her species had used such ability as a forewarn from impending danger. Another trait shared with her brethren is the resistance to toxins and most poisons. She has a metal nose ring on the right nostril and a chin stud. Personality: A homeworld full of poison and desperation could not foster beings full of positiveness. Rinas was no exception and, for the first part of her life, she quite filled the stereotype of the Balosar people: gloomy and depressed, cynical and sarcastic with a dark view of the future. However, her personality has started changing after she joined the Jeensari: she has regained some positiveness toward the galaxy at large and the future itself. The depression had been receding some as are her cynicism and sarcasm. She is not yet fully free of them and it is an ongoing fight, she still has bouts of depression where she loose will and her thoughts turns darker and often self-deprecating. Background: Rinas Var’adrid was born on the heavily polluted word of Balosar, a planet that didn’t foster positiveness and a good outlook of the world or the future. From an early age, she had visions… or very real dreams or nightmares, like she thought for most of her early life. The general attitude of society and the poor living conditions didn’t help the young Balosar as the visions started to become stronger and more frequent. She couldn’t explain them nor control them, they just happened: some times she saw herself, some time she saw others, some time she saw worlds she didn’t even know the name of, some times she saw people she couldn’t name or place. In a world dominated by a drug production and addiction, Rinas soon found out how the Death Sticks, produced deep into the overly polluted planet, helped her keep the visions at bay. They would shut them off, make them less vivid as the world took on a brighter, less glum, tone; it wasn’t for long, but it was enough to feel slightly more “normal”. One try lead to a second and, as many of her brethren, she slowly slide down into the spiralling darkness of addiction. If the death sticks shut off the visions, they would come back even harder and this “return” pushed her into getting more and more. She was immune to the lethal effect of the death sticks, the shortening of life that cuts other’s addicted life shorter at each usage, but it didn’t protect her from the world around. Her addiction led her to a near death experience, one she woke up from with the feeling that, if she didn’t do something, she won’t see the raise of another week, not to say another year. There wasn’t much for her on her poisoned homeworld, but the galaxy was a wide place, would it be somewhere a possibility for her to change? Off world she headed, with a baggage of ghosts and visions weighting on her gaunt looking shoulders. She had no hopes or dreams; she just hoped to be able to outrun the ghost lying just outside her vision, in that dark corners, corners that would be less dark if she took one more sip of a death stick. However, outrunning an addiction as a lone soul in a storming see-like galaxy is a near impossible task and, for as many hops she did, the addiction kept up with her as did the ghosts and the visions, coming back again and again. Despair started settling in heavy, afar from her homeworld, alone in unknown places, she started despairing there was no way out of the sick circus she felt she was endlessly dancing in. This was when a follower of the Jeensari current found her. Nobody would have given a gaut, sickly looking Balosar in a descending spiral, a chance: too old for the Jedi if they ever found her, not powerful enough for the Sith if they too ever found her. Instead, the Jeensari adept did. But why he did? She had asked herself that question many times in the oncoming years but she never had a complete answer. She often believed it was out of pity more than for her Force sensitivity with which she struggled to come to terms with. Question aside, the Jeensari follower tried to help the sick Balosar: they spoke of the Force, this mystique power that gave her the visions but at the same time, powers she didn’t know she had, about the light that could help her heal herself and free her from the shackles of her past. She had nothing to lose, she was already lost and something deep into her core resonated with the talks of the Jeensari. She took the rope she had been thrown and let the Jeensari follower push her toward the Jeensari homeworld of Susevfi. Reaching the Jeensari didn’t mean she was saved and happy; if she had been saved from the wider galaxy, she wasn’t yet safe from her own ghost and chains. If the journey had been painful till now, it wasn’t going to be any easier onward as she started the hard path of making peace with her visions and latent powers and more importantly, the path of rejecting the addiction and the death sticks that were sitting at its centre, like a spider in its web. It had been a journey which hadn’t ended yet; through small steps, she developed from a sickly, gaunt looking, on the verge of destruction Balosar with a doomed view of the world, to a less sickly looking woman looking to a less grim future as she strived to get better and help the others get better. If she had such powers, why she couldn’t use them to try help others from falling into the same spiral of total darkness she did? It was kind of natural for her to align with Jenwai Midwan in an attempt to spread the word of what was saving her. Force specific background: Her chosen weapon is a lightsaber staff: a lighsaber with a long hilt that doubles as a walking stick. She first started using it when she was still too weak to dive into weapons and styles that required strength such as double bladed lightsabers but then she got used to the additional reach and she kept it, refining it. Through her life she had noticed how people would underestimate her just by her look. A sickly looking Balosar… what it could do? As in her early stages of her training she still looked quite gaunt, she noticed how the walking stick would only strengthen the image of a sick woman and she decided to work with it: now the walking stick wasn’t a walking stick anymore but it worked as a weapon, both with and without the white yellowish energy blade coming out one of the ends. Her lightsaber takes the shape of a staff, a bit shorter than her, of grey metal with two thirds of the length covered in leather for a better grip. Her fighting style is still in development but at core it’s a more defensive style where Rinas use the increased reach to keep an opponent at bay and soften the brunt of the attacks’ force. In regard to the Force itself, she prefers once again a more defensive approach, trying to use her powers to sense the situation and build a “virtual image” of it before acting, instead of jumping headlong into the fight and using the Force to fight right away. In this, she is helped by the antennapalps with their ability to listen to the subsonic range, adding one more layer of data to what the Force and the standard senses can give her. The Master and Her The relationship with her Master hadn’t been the simplest, if so could be said. When she first arrived on Susevfi, she really had little ideas of how things would work: she came there to save herself, without any knowledge but what that follower of the Jeensari she met told her. Her addiction to death sticks was a problem not everybody knew how to deal with but it was too important, too big into her life, not to be addressed. The choice was made for Bourtain Vekku to take on the role of her Master as he knew about compulsions, about the nightmares derived from it and about the discipline needed to fend said compulsions off. He was the one that could relate the most with her addiction. The start was rough: his very testy approach to teaching gave her plenty of problems. He often pushed her further, past whatever limit she had reached till then; she knew he could understand her, but at the same time, she sometimes felt like he didn’t want to, as if he rather had her alone fight her own demons than lending the help she knew he could provide. She felt like he didn’t care enough for her. While not the most vocal on her personal problems, there had been moments where she had screamed at him and even, a time or two, things had flown around, more in reaction than with purpose. Not to mention, she had quite some sleepless nights fearing that her now Master would come and drink her brain out of her nostrils! Anzati weren’t the most friendly race that walked the galaxy at large and they had a reputation for being a dangerous one. She knew death sticks would kill her sooner or later, but being “sipped alive” wasn’t on the top of her “how to die” list nonetheless. It wasn’t an idyllic relationship but, at the same time, on the long run, it gave her sometimes she might not have gotten if he had helped her a lot more: a trust into her abilities, a trust into the fact that she could do more than take death sticks until the end of her time. If he had her painfully fail many times, at the same time, when she succeeded, she knew she had done it, for real. RP Sample:   She rolled in the simple bed and pushed her face in the pillow. It had been a bad day and it wasn’t like the night was going any better: she was feeling the pull, the need for one more fix. She was starting to get clean, but still there were days all her being, each and every fibre screamed for one more death stick. That had been one of those days. But in the small Jeensari enclave it wasn’t like she could head to a dark alley and find a dealer. First and foremost there were no drug dealers as there were no drugs, like at all, second everybody kind of knew everybody else, third they kept an eye on her as everybody kind of knew of her problems and fourth… fourth she had to sneak to the city if she wanted a fix which was in itself a problem. She rolled again and started at the simple ceiling. She had sneaked to the city for a fix before. A few times she did alright, some others she got… scolded… that didn’t cover how much her Master, and somewhat the other Defenders too for that matter, looked hard at her… and spoke to her… He wasn’t that soft normally… he didn’t get any softer when she did things like that…! It had hurt… even if he didn’t physically hit her, the need coupled with his words and stare had made bad days into even worse days. She sighed. She couldn’t sneak out. She had to resist. He always spoke that there was no trying, she had to do it, learn it right there, and things like that. And most often than not she wondered if he was trying to help her or what else. She breathed as she let her perception extend, she couldn’t feel much activity that deep into the night. She could try to sneak out, get to the speeder, speed away, get a fix and then be back before everybody woke up... And she almost got to the door ready to run… She couldn’t sneak out. She didn’t have the force to endure another, additional, scolding… She sighed. She would endure another writhing sleepless night and try to pull through… He would scold at her nonetheless she bet…

[Phettberg]

Thanks Nightdreamer, looks great! I think Balosar should work out quite well.

Seeing that we've got five people interested I will circle back to give concrete thoughts quickly, say on or around Wednesday, but we've got plenty of time to tinker away at stuff.

As for the Force Powers, at this point you don't know the specific powers you could pick anyway, so I just want to get a general idea of what the character's focus might end up being to help me create a diverse group - physical prowess, swordfighting alone, defence, sensory things etc. Doesn't have to be extremely detailed.

[Marshmallow]

Good luck with your game Phett! You already know what I'm like with SW, so I'll be passing this game up, but everyone is signing up for a great GM here!

[Silk]

I'll second that! Phettberg is a great DM and if I had the time to do so I'd also be making up a character

But since I don't have the time, I'll just join my good luck with Marshmellow's on you having a good turnout Phett

[PalladiaMors]

They aren't on the species list, but how would you feel about a harch?