[Other] [SW5E] Star Wars: The Old Republic

[krossingkhory]

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Theme and Flavor Space opera, with a large emphasis on exploration and investigation.

The Hook The Republic, the symbol and bastion of democracy in the galaxy, is failing. Darth Malak has taken over the Sith Empire, and his first - and to date the most lethal - act was to destroy the ecumenopolis of Taris. A once-wealthy planet, thriving in business and situated on a major hyperspace transport hub, it now lies in ruin, a fallen wasteland left as a reminder of the power of the Sith and their lust to destroy any who oppose them, especially the Jedi. And as they have shown, the Sith will do anything - ANYTHING - to make the Jedi pay for whatever wrong the Sith feel have been inflicted upon them. The Dark Side of the Force is very powerful, and corrupting, indeed. But the Sith aren't the only enemy of the Republic. The Jedi are at war with themselves, still reeling over the defections of Malak and Revan, and the Republic army they commanded. Revan has been struck down and recaptured, but Malak's escape and eventual overtaking of Taris has left yet another deep scar on the once-proud galactic peacekeepers. The Jedi are lost, directionless, and trying to find any foothold to reclaim not only the galaxy, but their former glory. The citizens of the galaxy are in fear for their very lives, whispers abounding about their own planets next in line for destruction. The Jedi it is said are powerless to stop the Sith Empire; if they can allow Taris to be destroyed, what is stopping Malak from coming after the rest of the civilized worlds? And what will happen to those planets in the Outer Rim, with no real presence by the Republic? The war needs to end; the Sith need to be stopped. But it doesn't seem as if anyone in these times are capable. Or are they?

The Game Yes, it seems that there are those out there who wish to see order restored to the galaxy; to see the Republic and the Jedi order returned to their former glory. And it is you who are those heroes. People from any and every planet, from the Deep Core to the Outer Rim, who wish to see the wars end, the Sith destroyed, and the galaxy brought back to peace. I have a bunch of one-shots from different Star Wars systems, a book filled with notes, and a pile of post-its with illegible chicken scratches that I'm going to try cobbling together into a campaign. None of the material I have is linked together in any way, apart from it all being Star Wars. And that's the beauty of this genre: the galaxy is so large that any story can be told. And that's what I'm going to try and do. Before we get into the gory details of what this is and what I hope to accomplish, let’s set some ground rules. Sort of and introduction to who I am, and what you can expect from me. To start, I’m krossingkhory. My personal pronouns are he, him, they, them, you, that guy, dude, you there…pretty much anything. I’m fairly easy-going, and I try to not let too much bother me. I am somewhat new around here, but don’t let my noobness on the site mislead you; I’ve been gaming since the original D&D cartoon was in first run on Saturday mornings. Yes, I’m old. But I love to game, and with no RL group any longer, well, here I am. I want this game to be a long-term campaign. Heroes start small, take on missions, get bigger, take on bigger missions, rinse-and-repeat. And as I stated above, the only limit to the stories that will get told here will be our collective imagination. The missions you'll get will be dispensed via some overbearing Republic agency, and based on the outcome of those initial missions, more missions will come your way. Or maybe not. We shall see! I like games that move. Even if they are moving glacially, I like it when they move. When players and GM alike work together to keep the story flowing, to keep the action happening, to keep the game moving. Games that don’t move end up dying, and none of us wants to see that. A GM I came across on RPGx said something that I found to be very prescient, and I'm lifting those words and reprinting them here: I'm also a big believer in the importance of momentum in a game. Posts beget posts beget posts. Slow responses beget slow responses beget dead games. I like what he said there, and I am going to lift that for this game here. The more the players post, the more I will post, the more the game will move on. Which is what we all want out of any game that we play, right? Right! I am going to shoot for two posts per week. Whether that ends up being a novella or two sentences, that is the goal for the post rate. I know that things happen, and sometimes you don’t have anything to really add to the current scene. But a simple post like “Herman, with nothing to really add, asks the rest of the group ‘Hey, are we ready to get moving here?’” can go a LONG way. This kind of feeds into… …communicating with one another. Me with you, you with me, you with each other. All of us talking about the game, what is happening, what the options are. The same GM I quoted above mentioned this in his advertisement, and I’m lifting that too. Gee, am I turning into a thief here? Gosh, I hope that’s ok. Anyhow, we all need to talk. Ask questions, make sure I’m paying attention, poke each other to get moving. If we do that, I think we’ll all enjoy this a whole lot more. Now, with all that said, let’s dive into…

Application I’m going to lay out some rules that will be used for creating characters for this game, as well as what I’d like to see in your application. This may get lengthy, so I am going to contain this in a spoiler so as to not make the opening post of the thread take up an entire shelf of books.   Game System Star Wars 5E. Should be self-explanatory based on the tag for the thread title, but you never know! Let’s be clear about this up front. Allowed Material Any of the books that are produced for the Star Wars 5E system are allowed. Do not confuse this to mean that anything for D&D 5E is allowed; this is Star Wars, not Dungeons & Dragons. Please see the FAQ below for a (somewhat) complete list of stuff that is not allowed for this game. Species Most species are allowed for use in this game. There are some that are banned, however: Abyssin Clawdite Droids Flesh Raider Karkarodon Massassi Rattataki Sith Pureblood Ssi-Ruu I want to specifically bring up the inclusion of Droids on this list. Droids generally belong to someone as opposed to being independent. They are literally seen as beings that are less than or under the thumb of sentient species. To be considered, they would have to belong to another PC, and there are no guarantees as to who gets selected. Therefore, they are simply not allowed. Classes/Subclasses All classes and their archetypes/variants are allowed. Please note, however, that only 1 force-using character will be accepted into the group. This means that there will be 1 Guardian OR 1 Consular OR 1 Sentinel in the group. No more that that as I don't want an entire group of Jedi wandering about the galaxy. Keep that in mind when creating your character as, contrary to what a lot of games do, you WILL be competing for that one spot should you create a force-sensitive character. To go along with this, any Species that are force-sensitive, such as Miraluka or Felucian, count towards the 1 force-sensitive character being accepted into the group. Please select your class appropriately based on this. Starting Level 1st. I know - boo. But the missions are short, and you'll level up quickly. I hope. Attributes The standard array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 will be used. My experiment with rolling in my 5E game didn't go so well. Hit Points Maximum at 1st level. After 1st level, we will use the higher of a dice roll or the average for the class you level up in. Starting Equipment Whatever you are granted from your Background and Class. You are allowed to sell starting equipment for extra credits to purchase other equipment. Please note that only force users are allowed to purchase light weapons. Be advised that, per the rules, you are allowed to take starting equipment from the PHB only. To further this, if you sell starting equipment, you are only allowed to purchase equipment from the PHB. I have confirmed this with the developers of the game; if you dispute this rule, join their Discord server and talk to them. Backgrounds Any from the allowed material. No custom backgrounds, please. The only characters that may select a Background that grants force abilities are those with the Consular, Guardian, or Sentinel class, or those where the Species is force-sensitive. Alignment Alignments will be limited to Light or Balanced. Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic are fine, but you are not allowed to select Dark. Applications Your character application should be contained within its own thread, inside of the Characters folder/topic/subforum. The application must include, at a minimum, the following elements: Name, Race, Class, Subclass A photo or other image showing your character Mechanical Background, to include Traits, Bond, Ideal, Flaw Appearance (yes, in addition to the image) Personality A small Background. At 1st level, you haven't done much, so please don't write a novel describing all the cool galactic stuff you did. A 30-minute role-playing sample. For this exercise, take your character and drop them in any situation you need to in order to give a small sample of your role-playing writing/prowess. No dice are necessary for this! Either a link to a completed character sheet (here or elsewhere), or some fancy in-post character sheet format you like to use. As long as the information is there and easy to spot, it doesn't matter to me which you use! Phase II I might still be a bit new to the site here, but those who know me should be aware that there will be a second part to this application process. The deadline to submit your completed character application will be Friday, November 15, 2024, at ~3 PM PST. At that time, we will move into this second phase, where I will ask everyone who has completed an application to give to me, in secret/private/hidden text, a list of 5 other characters that you think your character would get on fine with in a group setting. Who do you want to go on this crazy adventure with? Is there a character that is so well-written you simply could not imagine this game without them? This secondary phase will last for about a week, or until ~Friday, November 22, 2024. I fully understand that the holidays are coming up, so I ask that you please let me know if you are unable to complete things by this time.

Additional Information More information? Like, how much stuff do I have to say in this ad? A lot, apparently. Accepted Players: 4-6 players. Posting Rate: 2 per week. Starting Level: 1, and we will be using the milestone system. That is, I’ll simply tell you when you level up. Setting: The Old Republic.

Frequently Asked Questions Q: Should I apply to this game? A: If you’ve made it this far and you answer “No”, I question your sanity. Q: Will there be AI used in this game? A: I will use as little AI as I possibly can. I am big on using images, and I will pull maps and images off the internet where they are needed. And to be fair, I will only use images and maps that are either free to use OR that I have paid for. Artists have to eat, too. Q: Will you be balancing the party with skills/abilities/classes? A: Nope. While class/skill/ability does play a small part in my selections, I won’t intentionally say “We need x, y, z...,” and so on. If we end up with 5 Scouts, so be it. Q: Can I apply if I'm new? A: I’m semi- new to the site, and I’m running this mess. So if you’re new, all I can say is “The water’s fine, so why don’t you join us?”. Q: Will we have access to more setting information? A: In the Star Wars universe, there are Canon and Legends references. This game will use a blend of these two ideologies/sections of information, but I will lean heavily into Legends over Canon. Please keep that in mind when looking up information related to people, planets, and events. There is a zoomable map available that, for some planets, you can click on them and get additional information. That map is located at https://otherlife.davidcanavese.com/galaxymap2/. To play upon the information provided in the game overview, Taris is located in sector N7 on that map, along the green hyperspace route in the Outer Rim. The information for Taris can be gleaned by clicking on its dot; further, more detailed information can be gleaned by clicking on the Legends logo in the upper right corner of the pop-up box on the map. Q: Do the characters all know each other at the start of the game? A: Yes. The opening of the game will see the characters already together and knowing each other. You do not need to have history with the other characters, but you will at least know each other. Q: What is the current year or time period in the game? A: 3956 BBY. We are nearing the end of the Jedi Civil War, and about to get into the Dark Wars. Malak has overthrown Revan and has laid waste to Taris, but the battle of Rakata Prime has not yet happened. Q: Do force-using races such as Felucians and Miraluka count towards the limit on the number of force-using characters that will be selected for the group? A: Yes. The limit is specific to the group as a whole, not just on Classes. If this limit on force-using races was not applied, it would open the door to more force users than I wish to have in the game.

Player	Character	Species	Class	Complete?	Phase 2?	Post Link
SilverDaDrolf	Xigbar Colnosa	Zabrak	Sentinel	Yes		https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...23#post9931723
Dylan Scott	Laar San-Rym	Kaleesh	Scout	Yes		https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...19#post9932019
Blackdragon0	Saro Jin	Cathar	Guardian	Yes		https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...06#post9932206
DragonigemaArma	Rylan Thane	Human	Sentinel	Yes		https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...88#post9932488
Roxxdude	Jal Vik	Human	Engineer	Yes		https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...82#post9933082
Revlar	Jahzul Darkruby	Zeltron	Fighter	Yes		https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...32#post9933132
Lazer	Daizra Lah	Echani	Monk	Yes		https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...55#post9933355
The Rat Queen	Jayma Quin	Human	Scholar	Yes		https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...64#post9933364

[SilverDaDrolf]

Name: Xigbar Colnosa
Race: Zabrak
Class: Sentinel
Subclass: None yet
Language: Zabraki

Background: Survivor
Traits: Very calm and humble yet is very dense with when it comes to consequences
Ideals: Living to protect those that are afraid of defending themselves
Bonds: None at the moment party wise but his Master
Flaws: Doesn't really think of the outcome but thinks of the moment at hand

Personality: He's one to listen to a conversation and give his response when necessary to do so and often tries his best to help someone with a task

Background: As a survivor of a battle, Xigbar was thrown into the mix of a small skirmish that left him hurt during training but was able to persevere yet was left with a minor scar after the fact.

Roleplay segment: Hearing the sounds of nature fill his ears, Xigbar would be meditating on a hill near a tree which was soon interrupted by the loud mechanical roars of bike soaring past to immediately stop before the rustle of many footsteps entered his ear to his right. Opening his eyes, he saw a band of thugs willing to cause trouble, yet he contained his composure to see if he could gather information on what they wanted. As they got closer, their intentions were clear, to rob him before he could do anything, however he was able to escape yet not before taking a blaster bolt to the foot which had him seek urgent care. After the ordeal with the bandits, Xigbar had begun training with his master to better predict the situation for next time when and if it ever happens again.

(not the best with story telling but did my best, this took a bit to think of on the fly since I usually RP moments like this in actual sessions)

character sheet in pdf with the post

[krossingkhory]

@SilverDaDrolf
Unfortunately, the SW5E character generator isn't fully functional; I've confirmed this with the developers on Discord. At a minimum, you are missing 1 language (Zabraki). I therefore have to ask you to go through your character and make sure that everything is correct. This might mean you have to build the character by hand without the benefit of the character generator.

[RossN]

Posting interest! Thinking about a Twi'lek Operative, though I'll have to take another look at the SW5E rules - it's been a long time since I tried building a character there.

[Howling Winds of]

Also posting interest! Maybe a Droid character? We shall see but droid is what popped into my head at first.

EDIT: After some very surface-level research...I might make something else...we shall see!

Application - WIP Name, Race, Class, Subclass A photo or other image showing your character Mechanical Background, to include Traits, Bond, Ideal, Flaw Appearance (yes, in addition to the image) Personality A small Background. At 1st level, you haven't done much, so please don't write a novel describing all the cool galactic stuff you did. A 30-minute role-playing sample. For this exercise, take your character and drop them in any situation you need to in order to give a small sample of your role-playing writing/prowess. No dice are necessary for this! Either a link to a completed character sheet (here or elsewhere), or some fancy in-post character sheet format you like to use. As long as the information is there and easy to spot, it doesn't matter to me which you use!

[krossingkhory]

Originally Posted by BlackDragon0

Is this 5e?
It's the only SW I got.

No, it isn't. Lucky for you SW5E is free and on the internet. SW5E.com.

Originally Posted by Howling Winds of

Also posting interest! Maybe a Droid character? We shall see but droid is what popped into my head at first.

EDIT: After some very surface-level research...I might make something else...we shall see!

Droids aren't allowed as a species. The character creation rules call this out specifically.

[Dylan Scott]

Application Name: Laar San-Rym Species: Kaleesh Gender: Male Age: 24 Class/level: Scout/1 Background: Nomad Personality trait: I live for the thrill of the Hunt Bond: I am the last of my tribe, and it is up to me to ensure their names enter legend Ideal: Might. The strongest are meant to rule Flaw: Don't expect me to save those who can't save themselves. It is nature's way that the strong thrive and the weak perish. Appearance: Standing at 5' 10, Laar is tall for a Kaleesh with the wiry muscled physique common to the race of warriors and hunters. His skin is the traditional blood red common of his people with long Black hair, often tied back into braids and golden eyes with slitted pupils, and the facial tusks of his race. his face and body carry the scars of many conflicts but like all the Kaleesh people he follows the tradition of covering his face when not with his tribe/Crew, although since his banishment by his tribe he has abandoned the traditional Mumuu skull mask in favour of a more technological mask representative of his new hunting style, to any who aren't crew he can often be mistaken for a droid himself Personality: Like all hunters, Laar is a silent, stoic individual, much more comfortable in the company of animals and droids than other people, who he barely tolerates as most don't have the same focus on the hunt and strength as he does. Not the most socially capable individual, If you are part of his crew he will trust you and become much friendlier, although not much more talkative but he is fiercely loyal to his friends Background: To the Kaleesh, war and hunting is almost a religion. they believe that warriors who perform extraordinary deeds become gods after their death. so the hunt and war is a noble pursuit that all Kaleesh embrace and excel at. and it is this reputation as hunters and warriors which brought the galactic republic to Kalee. The Kaleesh however were not willing to join up, tribal in nature the prospect of becoming one of the nameless faceless masses of soldiers in someone else's army was against their independent natures and they turned the Republic down. Despite their suppose benevolent rule however, The Republic was like many rulers and did not like being told no. especially by some nomadic tribal savages from a backwards wild space desert world and they sent their existing armies to Kalee to take what they wanted, conscripting hundreds and slaughters thousands. the majority of Laar's clan being among them, only a dozen hunters and warriors of his clan were spared during the conscription but over the years in the Republic's army all these men and women passed away until only Laar remained. the sole survivor of the Rym Tribe Laar was one of the hunters conscripted and forced to join the Galactic Republic. although at first little more than a slave, he soon showed his skill as a hunter and proved to be adept at using the empires technology to enhance his already considerable hunting skills. soon being assigned to a commando unit as their scout along with his newly formed pack of "hounds", although this was a misnomer as the droids Laar created were more feline in nature, taking inspiration from the Vornskr. Laar had found his place amongst his family of Hounds but these was soon to end badly, leaving Laar the sole survivor once more, only this time abandoned by the Galactic Republic and cast out, in a finale display of Mercy by his former employers (Using the term loosely to describe his enslaver's). As the sole surviving member of his tribe and knowing her would be cast aside from his people for his new style of hunting with technology Laar was set to wandering the galaxy on his own, looking for a new family, or the means to recreate his own pack of Hounds once more. Roleplay Sample:The night was alive with loud sounds and flashes of fireworks and lasers, the music blaring loudly over camp as the youths revelled and celebrated the hunt. It was a necessary event Laar know that much but he was in two minds as to whether here and now was the right time, so close to their kills and captures lair, still so far from the safety of the enclosing walls of their more permanent encampment. But he wasn't being paid anywhere close to enough to offer his advice, not to this uneducated rabble of "hunters". He used the term very loosely as his eyes continued scanning the crowd and the surrounding jungle canopy, taking in the form of the Chiss youths as they danced and sang out their great deeds on the hunt. He had long since given up trying to educate them and now just lead them to their kills and keep an eye on those too inept to fire their blasters accurately at their prey, silently taking down those they missed and staying quiet when they claimed their kill. Tonight was their last in the jungle and thankfully once he was paid it was be Laar's last with the group on this planet and he could move on, he would have enough saved to cover his passage offworld to somewhere else, somewhere worthy of his own prowess in the hunt. He had accepted a drink from one of the group but declined to dance, taking his place at the edges of the camp as usual to let the flock dance the night away and had removed his helmet to drink and relax, just one more night and he could be free to pursue his own hunt again, perhaps he could try hunting down a Krayt dragon on Tattooine he thought as he sipped his drink. As the liquid slid down his throat, his nostrils flared and he took in an aroma. One both new and unique, and strangely familiar. Taking a second to eliminate the drink as the source, Laar cast the bottle aside and drew his rifle from his shoulder as he looked around, his Yellow predatory eyes flaring as he scanned the surrounds for its source. He knew the scent of a pheromonal marker, meant to alert the captured Erkush that its father had come to free them and to prepare. It was a silent and deadly warning system undetectable by many races, hunter or non hunter alike. Laar San-Rym was not one of those unprepared for the silent signal however, he was Kaleesh and possessed a keen sense of smell. It was one of the many reasons he and his race had survived as long as they had, a fate unshared by the Chiss and his friends as Laar raced through the camp to find his host even as the savage Erkush broke into the encampment seeking to free its progeny, the fireworks still flared in the air and music blared as the beast howled into the night and the brave hunters screams and fled, and died when they passed too close to the creature. As Laar drew closer, he raised his rifle and drew a bead on the creature as it reared onto its hind quarters to strike down at another of the party goers, this one the Chiss host himself he noticed with ideal curiosity, For the briefest second he paused and thought how much simpler life would be if he didn't take the shot until after he was struck down, but alas that wasn't his way and he fired his rifle as the creature reached its peak and started its downward stroke, super heated air sizzling as the beam flashed forward towards its prey...

[SilverDaDrolf]

Khory I fixed the sheet

[Dylan Scott]

Character completed as far as i know. let me know if anything else is needed. Thanks

[krossingkhory]

Originally Posted by Dylan Scott

Character completed as far as i know. let me know if anything else is needed. Thanks

Your character sheet isn't finished. At a minimum, you have 1 language to select AND you have to select the musical instrument.

[Dylan Scott]

My Mistake on the Instrument, missed that part i'll update it shortly.

As for the language i was leaving that blank for now to be chosen if needed depending on who is in the group if thats ok? say a Wookie or something similar and we need a translator, if not i would update it in phase 2 if i was chosen?

[krossingkhory]

Originally Posted by Dylan Scott

My Mistake on the Instrument, missed that part i'll update it shortly.

As for the language i was leaving that blank for now to be chosen if needed depending on who is in the group if thats ok? say a Wookie or something similar and we need a translator, if not i would update it in phase 2 if i was chosen?

You can't be considered with an incomplete application. Everything has to be filled out/selected.

[Roxxdude]

1. Jal Vik, Human, Engineer, Armormech (eventually)
2. Included at the bottom

3. Mandalorian (Weapon Expert)
Trait: I keep a small trophy on me to remind me of a past victory
Ideal: I live by my clans ways, and will continue to do so
Bond: Honor is everything to me
Flaw: I'll stick to my traditions no matter what, even at the cost of others

4. What people see of Jal is his armour, as it would never come off in public. He bears the traditional colours of blue and gold as is custom for the Vik clan, and his weaponry holds the same colours too. His left shoulder is currently bare as he is awaiting his first major kill to signify him as a full adult member of his clan, but the small scratches on his armour speak of someone who's at least a skilled warrior

5. Jal is quiet, but not because he's a grim and edgy loner type. Instead he's just more than happy to let people talk while he works on his latest project for his armour or his combat abilities. He's very firm in his ways, not wishing to deviate from his clan at all, but that hasn't stifled his inventive skills and improvisational talents. Always a man with a plan, and one that won't sacrifice his allies if possible, he's got a hidden heart of gold and most importantly a sound mind

6. *Jal watched his prey with patience. He'd been searching through the jungle like terrain for the young rogue Varactyl that had been terrorising the farmers for some time, ripping through their crops and livestock alike. His fingers were the only thing moving, adjusting his Wristlauncher flamethrower as he worked out a way for it to orbit the fire around him, his mind kept busy as his natural instincts took over. Time passed unnoticed as he watched the entrance to the farm, knowing this was the entrance it always took and that he was well hidden from it. Finally, after many moments the Varactyl decided now was the time to make a move. Its mistake. He dropped down on it from above and in one clean motion cleaved its head from its body*

*He gathered up the corpse and returned to the farmer with a nod, who seemed more than happy to pay him for his work now that the beast was dealt with*

"Thank you kind sir, you've done a lot for us. Now we can get back to our livelyhoods"

*Jal nodded, not really wanting to speak but he did hold out his hand for the payment, just a little awkwardly*

"A yes, one second"

*The farmer handed him over the collective funds him and the other farmers nearby put together, to which Jal nods again his time in appreciation and leaves, taking with him a broken part of the beak with him as a trophy of his kill*


https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...411&height=411

[Lazer]

I can’t pass up the opportunity to apply for a Star Wars game so I’ll have a think about characters and post something soon.

[DraconigenaArma]

Rylan Thane, Human, Sentinel, (probably) Path of Tenacity Calling
Background: Jedi
Personality: I am tolerant of those who don't support the Jedi.
Bond: Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost.
Ideal: Everything I do is for the common people.
Flaw: I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely.

 

Rylan has the lean, muscular, and athletic body of a young man who has spent the majority of his life in physical training. He is a physical embodiment of readiness for action and enough brute strength to make agility and hardiness dangerous. Dark brown is his hair, the color of nutmeg, and he cut off his braid prematurely during his self-imposed exile, but he also kept it. It is disheveled now, with strands loose. He is unwilling to take it apart in an attempt to rebraid it, so instead he wears it bound around his left wrist as a bracelet. The hair he still has is long and poorly kempt, the unruly hairstyle an intentional thumb at formality. Though soft with compassion, his green eyes can flash with sharpness when the situation calls for attention. Some of the youth has been carved out of his face, replaced by lines and sharp features earned early. He wears the sash and belt in traditional tan and brown, as well as the brown boots, from his old uniform but the rest of his attire is more contemporary in blues and greens. His original cloak has long since been lost, but he bought an all weather cloak with hood in an olive drab color which looks as much like one as he could get without asking the order for new equipment. The blade of his lightsaber is a golden orange.

 

Rylan has a hard-coded sense of the right thing and a tenacity to pursue what he feels is his intuition and the force confirming he is on the right path. Never driving him to recklessness, Rylan’s willfulness to follow his intuition often manifested as disagreement and sometimes rashness. He has a fierce loyalty to the people of the Republic, who regardless of his place in the Jedi Order, he will defend and support to his last breath and with every resource at his disposal. The turbulence of the last few years has done little to mute or erode that idealism, but it has instilled a cautious vigilance, and for the firsts time has called him to question whether instinct alone and faith in interpreting the signs of the force are enough to find the right path. He is humbled by the realization that even those who follow the light can be led astray by unchecked conviction. Nonetheless, he is no less independent and strong willed as he ever has been, but far more accommodating of companions and council, allowing for a newfound wariness of motivations. He is less forgiving of mistakes than he was before, especially in himself, and still struggles with revisiting situations and running circular critiques of himself and others while he meditates.

 

Born 3977 BBY, Rylan’s parents turned him over to the Jedi Order at less than a year old, fairly early even by human lifespan standards. Rylan trained with enthusiasm, but struggled with a strong will and idealism. When it came time for Masters to consider who their padawans were during observations of training and Gatherings, most could tell Rylan was going to be a handful. He was passed over again, and again, until he languished as an Initiate past his thirteenth birtday. Mandalore the Ultimate was just pushing his incursions against Republic space. A bothan Master, Kelras Dorrin, was certain the writing was on the wall and the Jedi would be active participants in the defense of the Republic. A firebrand with a heart of gold like Rylan was just the kind of young pup Master Kelras wanted at his heels in a war. Every notorious personality trait a bothan normally channels into espionage and intrigue, from driven pro-activity, to idealism, to patriotism for the republic, Master Kelras instead displayed in brazen and overt action – an unconventional Jedi for an unconventional padawan. Rylan’s apprentiship was as much about becoming a Jedi as it was preparing to be a mobile, cunning, strike force on the front lines against the Mandalorians.

Over the years, the Jedi continued to hold inaction. Master Kelras, and his apprentice with him, followed what they were both highly convinced was the correct thing for the galaxy: they aligned with the opposition in the Civil War. They considered it their duty as Jedi, as protectors and peacekeepers, to not just advocate for the citizens of the Republic, but to take up arms at their side. Never close to Revan or Malak themselves, when their followers grew increasingly ruthless and the cloak of darkness began to shadow the hearts of their peers, they realized too late they had chosen the wrong side. 3957 BBY Master Kelras fell, in large part making sure Rylan was able to escape with his life. Tyrel was shaken to the core. Not only had his prior companions turned fallen Jedi and turned on them, but the mourning for his master was unbearable. Still young, confused by the politics which swirled around him, his faith in the Order shattered, unable to focus through the grief, the disillusioned Rylan fled into self-imposed exile. He isolated himself in a vain attempt to gain a grip on what was a complex reality for such an inexperienced young man.

The fall of Taris brought him out of seclusion. He returned to the Order, not groveling, not defiant, but confident in his choices and with a tempered resolve, if somewhat jaded outlook on the future. He brought to the table a willingness to live a life without returning to the fold if required. He was met with skepticism by the Order, as much for his comfort with leaving the Order as his former side in the civil war. The Order wanted to see more remorse and greater faith than he felt; Rylan wanted more answers and certainty than they could provide. They met in the middle, and he was offered a second chance as a Sentinel, tasked with balancing justice and mercy under the direction of the Republic and the Council. It is intended as a path back to the Jedi, with the expectation he would reconnect with the Jedi teachings while a suitable master was found to accept him and resume his apprenticeship.

 

Rylan follows the familiar steps, now somewhat foreign, to a meditation chamber he had used before. It was more than time that made him feel like a stranger in these halls, it was the weight of the wedge between the man walking them now, and the child who grew up in them. Closing the door he slips onto the round, backless cushion with a practiced spin, closing his eyes and taking a deep, cleansing breath. The irony was, the instruction to go sit and think abut it was precisely the mentality which had caused the divide between Jedi like him, who wanted to take action, and the council. Of course there was bureaucracy to contend with, the council had to talk, and there was no better place for Rylan to wait… but it still irks him. Perhaps that is why he needs more practice controlling his emotion. He had hoped, though he did not dream, that coming back to the temple would provide him a sense of stability, he has been so aimless, so lost since Kelras died. I miss you. he weeps inside his own head.
“I am with you.” Rylan almost falls off his cushion with a start, his eyes snapping open, searching the empty room with ragged, hopeful breaths. The room is empty, and with a sigh Rylan resumes his posture. The moment he is calm again, he can feel Kelras there, as if he were standing behind him. A sensation with physical touch, and Rylan struggles to keep his eyes closed, expecting to see the furry bothan paw on his shoulder if he would just glance.
“Master?” He says out loud, hopeful.
“I am with you.” He hears the voice say again, and now, without the distraction of startle, he can feel the waves of warms, reassurance, and consolation in the words.
“I can’t do this without you.” He confesses to the empty room.
“Your not alone.” the voice tells him, and he feels something stir in the empty spots left behind by grief, not filling the hole but soothing the wound somewhat. In the moment he realizes he is beyond words, and he spends a long silent moment of communication through feelings, his apprehension about rejoining the Jedi without feeling out the waters competing with his eagerness to get back to doing good works for the people of the Republic. Acknowledging the guilty truth that he has an itch for adventure and conflict which could turn wrong if not honed and directed appropriately. He never felt destined for the council, but leaving the order felt sometimes like it showed Kelras was a failure. His concerns were tempered, soothes, confirmed, validated, or adjusted in a flurry of thought and inarticulate feeling, like his thoughts and emotions were being molded as clay by Kelras’s hands. In th emoment when he realized he could no longer feel his master’s presence in that physical, proximal way he also realized being on the outskirts, working at the fringes, had always been his role in the Order, and he could still fulfill his purpose even during his atonement and internal reconstruction.
A new presence approaches in his mind, even before he can hear the footsteps. He opens his eyes to see Master Dorak standing in the doorway. “We’ve come to a decision.” he tells Rylan.
Opening his eyes Rylan holds in a smile as he meets Dorak’s eyes. “So have I.”

 

Soft spot for Star Wars games. I know it’s risky applying as the force user, because as it seems so far, so is almost everyone else… but on the heels of the civil war? It’s just too good to pass up. I have to take the opportunity for there to be some tangible history between Rylan and some of their sith adversaries, not just nameless foes. The sense of wanting to hold out for redemption instead of just feast on their XP points… Anyway, this looks like it’ll be a really good game. Episodic is a really good way to run SW games. Excited to be in the running.