Sirav Val'dor
Might add in some more personality stuff in a bit, just want this out there so you see my intent.
Look out, thar be text ahead. Dead Rodians for the blood god.
For a Zabrak of Iridonia there could be no better life than travelling through the stars, capturing glory for their great planet. His grandfather lived this way, he saw it with his own eyes. However, unlike his grandfather he was not a Zabrak of Iridonia. He had spent his life in the void between worlds, travelling to and from each job with his elder. Iridonia was a land of from his dreams, they had never returned there after their departure early in his life. He knew of it through the stories. A world that could inspire any man to greatness, forge them into excellence. Despite his grandfather’s reassurances that wherever a Zabrak was born they would contribute to the glory of Iridonia, he at times he cursed the misfortune that had befallen him.
Iridonia or not, his grandfather had trained him to be a strong individual. During their long journeys he would teach him the art of combat. He absorbed the piloting ability of his grandfather readily, constantly watching or attempting to help with the navigation. Naturally, the inner workings of the ship soon became known to him as well. As he came to maturity, he was completing the majority of the maintenance the ship required. He enjoyed this life and loved his grandfather. He never gave thought to the fact that it could end. It occurred to him that he should have.
During what seemed a routine stop on one of the core worlds, his grandfather asked him to retrieve an item from one of the local storage facilities. When he got there all he found were the codes for a local bank account. Confused he tried to return to the ship. Something was wrong. The ship was gone and the area was guarded by Stormtroopers, other Imperial officials moving around, entering information into datapads. Questions and thoughts raced through his mind. This isn’t possible... What would the Empire want with us? Grandfather knew this was going to happen... Why didn’t he trust me?
Depressed and alone, he searched for weeks, trying to find information about his grandfather. Leads would always come to a dead end and eventually he ran out of people willing to even humour him. He survived off the bank account, but he couldn’t do this forever. His views were about to change.
Heading back to his temporary room, he saw two Rodians, petty criminals at best, attempting to run from a squad of Stormtroopers. As they fled the Stormtroopers called out for them to stop. The Rodians ignored this and the Stormtroopers opened fire, cutting them down. Some shots had missed their target, hitting some other sentients in the area. A crowd of angry citizens gathered, but the Stormtroopers were unrepentant. They opened fire on the crowd, killing many of them. He ran, trying to get away from the madness he had just seen.
This Empire. He had given it little thought before but now it was repeatedly the only thing on his mind. They don’t care at all about the Universe or the people in it. They murdered, perhaps even grandfather, without a second thought. It’s... wrong, but resistance... those people... were shot. Is it worth dying for? He thought of his grandfather and all the stories of Iridonia. It was.
He touched his facial tattoos, the same ones his grandfather had. He would fight this Empire. At first he tried it alone, but realising the near meaningless results of his efforts he sought out others. The Rebel Alliance had many people with his feelings, he fit in easily there. He let it take him where it would, enjoying having a purpose. He still often thought about Iridonia. He wondered how much glory he could bring to it if they won... no, not if... when.
it is unprecedented, but i am going back on my word
seven applicants enter
seriously, great concepts all. so great in fact that i am actually taking 5 of them instead of the initial 4. don't let me down!
Jdarksun's sorta-jedi
mightyspacepope's sullustan Lando
Rainfall's princess on the run
Jimninja's totally cool fish man
fading's also totally cool fish man
you're all in.
now for the fiddly bits: i've decided to kick the game into maximum overdrive and i really want you guys to step into the spotlight as the new Heroes of the Rebellion from the get-go, so i'm going to start you fellows at first level. okay that doesn't make sense.
you can take these stats:
16, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12
or
you can try your luck with a 4d6 roll, dropping the lowest 6 times.
i also plan on using the destiny mechanic. if you'd like, i can give each of you a private destiny or you can talk to me about possible destinies that you think would be cool. i'm personally not averse to telling you/discussing where i hope to take the campaign, so feel free to send me a PM if you want to plan your character's story arc around my general idea for the campaign arc.
or we can fly by the seat of our pants too, that's cool.
other things/recommendations:
maximum starting wealth for your class. if you wanna buy something, go ahead. don't worry about buying ship(s), though.
which goes hand in hand with my next recommendation: investing a teensy tiny bit into learning how to function aboard a starship somehow, whether that be in a freighter or a snubfighter, is a good idea, i.e. Vehicular Combat or Heavy Weapons Proficiency or Spacehound.
for our two resident Jedi: you don't have to feel like you have to hide your skills with the Force. Luke Skywalker didn't ask himself 'o god wut if they sees my lightsaber' before he shot up onto that goddamn AT-AT.
and lastly, now that i've picked the group, since i like to steal from people, i'm going to post a little something i stole from the O66 podcast. everyone's answered the third question, but i really want everyone to post up with their character sheet:
What does your character unconditionally love?
What does your character unconditionally hate?
i'm looking for nouns here. a person, a type of person, a place, a particular act... something that really touches a nerve with the character.
if you guys have any concerns/questions/comments let me know. i'll post the IC thread as soon as i have the five character sheets.
I'll toss up a character sheet sometime tonight or tomorrow.
In the meantime, who wants to be a pilot? It seems like my guy or jim's guy might be the best choice. Alternatively, my guy could be co-pilot or system operator. I will answer those questions two the same time I get my sheet together.
I'm rather predisposed towards taking Force Training for Vital Transfer as my (only) feat, which means I can't take Vehicular Combat until L2 at the soonest... which would preclude something to make my +Hit better than BAB+1 as it currently is
I took Piloting, if it turns out to be redundant let me know if there is another skill I can take to be useful in space. [edit - If we don't have an R2 or someone trained in Use Computer, I could take that and Astrogate/Sensors.]
Extended character data + sheet inc tonight or tomorrow at the latest.
By the time of the Galactic Empire, the Order of Shasa held over two hundred adepts, remarked upon as being disproportionately high considering the size of the population. Despite this, they were little defense against the Empire as they subjugated the world.
Oddly enough, many of them managed to elude the Empire for years, until a mysterious stranger contacted them sometime before the Battle of Endor. This heavily cloaked human with a rebreather (Darth Vader) gave them detailed information on the guards and encouragement, and instructed them to strike back against the resort that had been built on Manaan during the Imperial Rule. Two hundred of the Order's finest managed to swim through Ahto's waste disposal system without effort (a feat that would normally have been quite distressing for a Selkath), and took out the guards with incredible speed, driving them into a retreat. But a strange bloodlust overcame the members of the Order, and they tore into the resort guests, slaughtering them all in a shark-like killing frenzy. When the rage wore off, the Order members were shocked, but the strange Jedi with the dark helmet and deep voice told them that their revenge would make them strong, and now they all served The Emperor.
So, canon is sortof... batshit retarded here, imo. I think it's silly that Vader himself was in disguise and trying to corrupt the Order. "Who's that guy with the helmet?" "Oh, he's new." No. "Oh, just noticed him - that's Darth Fucking Vader."
Regarding Shoal's contact with - whoever - I'm not going to assume anything for the identity of this person, other than that he was/is a dark side practitioner of the Force. It could have been anyone, and there is canonical precedent for simple disguises that would have been effective.
History
Shoal was an advanced acolyte in the Order of Shasa - preparing to soon take the rite of passage and claim his fira - when the Empire invaded Manaan. Selkath were driven from their undersea cities and forced to the surface to labor in Ahto City, which the Empire had rebuilt. Families were separated, any who would not be subjugated were killed - standard fare for planets taken by Imperial force.
Shoal's gifts were not in direct combat - without a fira he was not even a full member of the Order. His main duties in the rag-tag resistance were as a courier or (most often) medical in nature - and he was kept busy. The Empire was ready at every turn, poised to bat down every move they made. The resistance weakened day-by-day.
All of this changed, however, when a dark cloaked stranger appeared in the midst of one of the Order's hideouts, offering information. Information about everything - guard patrols, raids on the Order's small bases, prisoner movements... and it all proved true. Slowly the tide turned in favor of the resistance thanks to the intelligence from this strange man - always cloaked in black, masked and voice modulated, only appearing in person and never with forewarning.
Within weeks they depended on him. Even the senior members of the Order made no movements, waiting first for his information, then his advice, and finally, his orders in all but name. None could speak out without losing to logic - without this man, they failed. With him, they were making headway.
It was on one of these fateful visits from the cloaked man that Shoal first met him...
They had been using this basement under an old speeder shop on the fringe of Ahto City for nearly a week, and would need to move soon. Three injured selkath were in his care at the time. Shoal knelt over the unconscious form of one of his brethren - eyes closed and meditating, but could not help but be distracted by the conversation through the arch to the next room.
"You will go quickly, now. They move against the holdout settlement near Hrakert. For each life you take you will save hundreds." When he spoke there was a smoothness to his voice, a command, even through the rasp of the modulator.
"Take many lives."
The members of the Order made ready and the call to action was sent among the resistance network. The warriors entered the lift to embark and the cloaked man ascended a rickety old back stair the way he had come.
Shoal still knelt, unable to focus on his task, and surveyed the paltry three lives tasked to him. For an instant, he felt anger boil over - at the Empire, at the Order, at his status, at the stranger, at himself. At just that moment, the cloaked man froze on the stairway. Slowly, his head turned and locked onto the kneeling selkath, dark glass goggles glinting beneath his hood. Slowly, he turned and descended the steps, approaching Shoal. Though he had no idea why, Shoal was suddenly very aware that they were all but alone. The focus, the presence of this man were intense.
"You... choose not to engage your oppressors?" the voice queried lightly, conversationally, and the roar in Shoal's head seemed to subside - he could speak. "You do not carry the weapon of your tribe."
"The fira. I have not passed the test - not earned the right. I was close but... since the occupation..."
"I see." The man didn't seem to be listening, but he cocked his head to the side as he regarded Shoal. "There is, perhaps, a way you can be of use to us, though... another way which you could prove yourself... to be of worth. Unless of course you'd be more comfortable doing the task of a droid-"
"Anything." Shoal felt his heart pound as the man spoke his very mind, and practically spat the word. "I'd do anything."
He could almost hear the smile as the man spoke again. "Good..."
******Months Later******
"This is The Krayt Runner with supplies from the surface, requesting permission to land."
A computerized voice responded, "[Landing Authorized, Dock zero-two]"
Shoal's heart pounded as he brought the small freighter around to the port side of the luxury cruiser before him, orbiting Manaan. He tried to focus on the words and teachings imparted to him in the months past... "I can teach you things... things those of your Order could not or will not..." "Channel your fear, your anger... they are your ally and your weapon in battle. Only when you can do this will you be free of your weakness..." The axioms went on. The small comlink receiver in Shoal's ear was silent, but he knew he was being observed.
***Minutes Later***
"Stop. The door on your left, enter." Shoal obeyed, leaving the small cart in the access corridor with the hum of passing droids.
"It's locked."
There was no response from the comlink, but a sudden burst of ion energy erupted - centered on The Runner - and washed over the cruiser's systems. Shoal could here muffled cries of dismay from some of the large halls as the lights went out and the music warbled, but quickly the backup systems came online. Emergency lighting flickered to life, illuminating the ship's interior with pale red. A voice came over the intercom, speaking assurances of safety to the passengers in a myriad of languages.
"Try it now."
Shoal stepped into the personal gallery of Vorma the Hutt. The room was large and full of valuables - jewels cased in glass, tapestries from across the galaxy, a huge collection of liquers and sealed cannisters of spice, hides and taxidermed creatures from who knows where, oddities and trinkets of a thousand kinds. What drew Shoal forward was a newer addition to Vorma's collection - a pair of crossed fira hanging on the wall amidst a weapons display.
"You are not here for those. Below them - take it."
Shoal lifted the lightsaber from it's stand with both hands. The hilt was long - longer than the similar weapon he had been shown - but otherwise seemed familiar.
"This is what I was sent for?"
As usual, his question was met with an order. "Proceed through the door in the back of the room."
The door stuck for a moment but slid open. The chamber before him was larger and more opulent than the trophy room he had just left, if less adorned. The room had one occupant, a massive slug-like creature perched atop a repulsorsled, eating from a massive spread before him.
Vorma looked up from his meal, narrowing his eyes at the intruder.
"Ooohhhh.... Ki chuba da naga, ki buda? Ji koza yako, me hampi! Ki buda?"
"Kill him, my apprentice."
Shoal recoiled. The Hutts were known to frequent the Imperial resort on Manaan where many Selkath were enslaved, but he had no intention of slaughtering this defenseless... thing. I'm not an assassin. On queue:
"Do it."
Shoal closed his eyes, fighting the intense, roaring pressure building in his head. He was sure in that moment that if the man on the other end of the comlink were present, he would have no choice but obey. However, he wasn't present. Other than the Hutt he was alone. The decision was his to make.
"No." The comlink clattered to the floor.
At some point during these moments, Vorma (who was no fool) noticed the lightsaber in Shoal's grasp and became very still. As Shoal relaxed though, Vorma sat up and seemed to get some idea that he was no longer in danger. He let out a hearty laugh and resumed eating, not taking his eyes off the interloper.
"Ho ho ho.... Chuba tari hay, ne scuma te."
Shoal turned to leave the way he had come, but suddenly froze as he Vorma sucked a morsel into his mouth. The platters surrounding the Hutt held a variety of foods brought up from Manaan, but Shoal realized with horror there was a common theme - Selkath. Vorma was eating Selkath.
There was a snap-hiss, and the lightsaber in Shoal's hand came to life.
******************
Shoal stole a ship from hangar and fled the system, moving from planet to planet. Time passed, and he was able to contemplate the events in orbit over Manaan. Shoal decided that if the only hope to free his homeworld from the Empire and deliver the Order of Shasa from the grip of the mysterious dark agent was the rebellion, and that he must seek it out. Simultaneously, Shoal felt the need to sort his own troubled path with the Force. Unable to expect to find a living mentor, he instead sought out relics of the jedi and other Force using traditions of the past, with little success. It was while conducting one such search that Shoal was reported by an imperial loyalist. Timely assistance from a group of rebels averted Shoal's arrest, and gave him an in to the rebellion where he has served ever since.
Time Line?
Shoal left Manaan 6mo BBY and joined the rebels 6mo ABY. Assuming we're keeping the movie canon time line close up to the current point, this means he's been with the rebels for 2.5y so far by the battle on Hoth.
Other Stuff
While he hates the empire as much as any rebel, Shoal absolutely despises Hutts and holds a strong racial bias against them. It wouldn't be a far cry for him to transfer some of that grudge to anyone taking advantage of those oppressed by the empire or any opportunities imperial tyranny affords.
Shoal is very fearful of the mysterious person who seems to be taking control of the Order of Shasa.
Shoal loves his homeworld of Manaan, and wants nothing more than to see it and his people restored - the Order in particular, as they were more or less his family.
He is naturally loyal. Coupled with his hopes, this has made him bond strongly to the ideals of the rebellion and the friends he has made there.
I was thinking I would take either Heavy Weapons Proficiency or Computer Use... I still haven't really decided what this guy even does beyond shots fings.
Here's what I have so far for Kal. I'm torn between taking Knack and Spacehound. Assuming we get a ship with two turrets, it seems like I might be the best choice for a gunner besides Azeb, seeing as how I don't think anyone else will be able to take HWP or Spacehound.
no one has taken me up on my offer to discuss destinies and stuff
shame on you all
now you're all going to get destinies picked by me which means at times i'm going to get to level arbitrary bonuses and penalties on you and wave my hand and say 'it's your destiny maaaaan'
I feel like a douche. I totally thought we were waiting on the IC thread to pop up.
Kal unconditionally loves turning a profit. He likes business, he likes gambling, he likes any situation where he can come out ahead.
He loved his store, before it got taken from him and his accounts got frozen.
In some disturbing way, he has great respect/affection/love (but not in a romantic sense) for Jessa. He sees her as exceedingly idealistic, but not really in a bad way. He wants to keep her safe and alive because he thinks the galaxy needs people like her.
Kal HATES the Empire, but he hates it at an organizational level. He probably doesn't see individual stormtroopers as targets of vengeance, but he hates the system.
I think it'd be cool if Kal had some sort of rival, or someone that he holds a grudge against, ala Lando and Han over the Falcon.
Destiny, I'm thinking Rescue also, but I could also go for Discovery. Details to be PMed.
a Rescue based destiny works very well with what i have in mind for the large arc of the campaign. if you're planning to follow along at home and/or don't at all like spoilers, don't read this:
the spark of this idea is essentially a story that is the same, but seen from a different angle. i tend to adopt the view in the Star Wars universe that canon is mutable as far as RPG stories go, but i rather like the idea that the galaxy is an ordered galaxy and the Force is a relatively benevolent guiding hand.
so my idea for this story is that the beginning and end points will be largely the same: the campaign will begin with the Battle of Hoth and end with the Emperor's death at Endor. however, i think i've made it plainly clear that not only are the heroes probably not going to be the same in the films, some of them might be very different. i'm very interested in exploring a 'what-if' scenario that essentially spans Episodes V and VI and everything in between, but with everything skewed a bit.
if it's not really transparent by the teaser or whatever you want to call it,
in addition to the default bad guys of the Empire, Vader and Palpatine, the main villain i really want to pit the group against is Skywalker himself.
i think rescue or redemption as a destiny is pretty much spot on, if you're willing to engage in that.
if you didn't read the spoilers, the tl;dr is rescue or redemption is pretty spot on.
Oh yeah sorry, I put my love and hate in my character sheet and then forgot to say anything.
Azeb, more than anything, loves art. His mother was an artist, and he grew up around it. He sees art as a struggle to understand one's self and others', and as a source of inspiration in troubled times. He often 'water-sculpts' in his spare time, and he is growing better at it despite his lack of formal training.
Azeb unconditionally hates injustice. From his teenage years--where he heard again and again the real, the imagined, and the downright paranoid slights against the Quarren people from his companion--to his adulthood and his joining of the Rebellion, it has been ingrained in him to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves. He will never let an injustice remain unchallenged.
Also I'm down for whatever Destiny is thrown my way, but it sounds like (if it exists?) Protection might be a good one for Azeb.
fuck guys, i promised a threat yesterday but i have a bit of an ear infection so between doing job stuff and trying to shake off the bug i haven't had time to sit down and write
soon i promise! thanks for being patient and never give up on your dreams
Man that's sweet. This site has a billion trainwrecks but some great shit too.
e~ i'll stop after this i swear
I had posted a sampling of the horrible and amazing but the images aren't coming through, so I'll just link one hilarious one and an amazing Xwing and AT-AT combo ;o
i am really sorry for the delay guys, i've been jumping through hoops (drug test, background check, fingerprinting, ffff) for the new job. good news is all that shit is done and i start on monday! thread will be up tonight.
okay, the IC thread is up. it's a little sparse, but i sort of wanted to open up with something from the films and give you guys some time to roleplay a wee bit before we jumped into the action.
Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Arcanis. Your sad devotion to this new job has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels' hidden fort... >gak!<
So I'm a little bit confused about who's out at the probe droid and who's inside the base. I'm going to go with the idea that Kal is inside the base (with our young Falleen princess) unless anyone objects.
yeah shit's been hectic. real life stuff regarding family and job have made the forums pretty much bottom of the priority list, so this is getting closed before it really even began. sorry dudes
Posts
we understand don't we guys
:P
is anyone else planning on throwing a concept into the pool?
Might add in some more personality stuff in a bit, just want this out there so you see my intent.
Look out, thar be text ahead. Dead Rodians for the blood god.
Iridonia or not, his grandfather had trained him to be a strong individual. During their long journeys he would teach him the art of combat. He absorbed the piloting ability of his grandfather readily, constantly watching or attempting to help with the navigation. Naturally, the inner workings of the ship soon became known to him as well. As he came to maturity, he was completing the majority of the maintenance the ship required. He enjoyed this life and loved his grandfather. He never gave thought to the fact that it could end. It occurred to him that he should have.
During what seemed a routine stop on one of the core worlds, his grandfather asked him to retrieve an item from one of the local storage facilities. When he got there all he found were the codes for a local bank account. Confused he tried to return to the ship. Something was wrong. The ship was gone and the area was guarded by Stormtroopers, other Imperial officials moving around, entering information into datapads. Questions and thoughts raced through his mind. This isn’t possible... What would the Empire want with us? Grandfather knew this was going to happen... Why didn’t he trust me?
Depressed and alone, he searched for weeks, trying to find information about his grandfather. Leads would always come to a dead end and eventually he ran out of people willing to even humour him. He survived off the bank account, but he couldn’t do this forever. His views were about to change.
Heading back to his temporary room, he saw two Rodians, petty criminals at best, attempting to run from a squad of Stormtroopers. As they fled the Stormtroopers called out for them to stop. The Rodians ignored this and the Stormtroopers opened fire, cutting them down. Some shots had missed their target, hitting some other sentients in the area. A crowd of angry citizens gathered, but the Stormtroopers were unrepentant. They opened fire on the crowd, killing many of them. He ran, trying to get away from the madness he had just seen.
This Empire. He had given it little thought before but now it was repeatedly the only thing on his mind. They don’t care at all about the Universe or the people in it. They murdered, perhaps even grandfather, without a second thought. It’s... wrong, but resistance... those people... were shot. Is it worth dying for? He thought of his grandfather and all the stories of Iridonia. It was.
He touched his facial tattoos, the same ones his grandfather had. He would fight this Empire. At first he tried it alone, but realising the near meaningless results of his efforts he sought out others. The Rebel Alliance had many people with his feelings, he fit in easily there. He let it take him where it would, enjoying having a purpose. He still often thought about Iridonia. He wondered how much glory he could bring to it if they won... no, not if... when.
seven applicants enter
seriously, great concepts all. so great in fact that i am actually taking 5 of them instead of the initial 4. don't let me down!
Jdarksun's sorta-jedi
mightyspacepope's sullustan Lando
Rainfall's princess on the run
Jimninja's totally cool fish man
fading's also totally cool fish man
you're all in.
now for the fiddly bits: i've decided to kick the game into maximum overdrive and i really want you guys to step into the spotlight as the new Heroes of the Rebellion from the get-go, so i'm going to start you fellows at first level. okay that doesn't make sense.
you can take these stats:
16, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12
or
you can try your luck with a 4d6 roll, dropping the lowest 6 times.
i also plan on using the destiny mechanic. if you'd like, i can give each of you a private destiny or you can talk to me about possible destinies that you think would be cool. i'm personally not averse to telling you/discussing where i hope to take the campaign, so feel free to send me a PM if you want to plan your character's story arc around my general idea for the campaign arc.
or we can fly by the seat of our pants too, that's cool.
other things/recommendations:
maximum starting wealth for your class. if you wanna buy something, go ahead. don't worry about buying ship(s), though.
which goes hand in hand with my next recommendation: investing a teensy tiny bit into learning how to function aboard a starship somehow, whether that be in a freighter or a snubfighter, is a good idea, i.e. Vehicular Combat or Heavy Weapons Proficiency or Spacehound.
for our two resident Jedi: you don't have to feel like you have to hide your skills with the Force. Luke Skywalker didn't ask himself 'o god wut if they sees my lightsaber' before he shot up onto that goddamn AT-AT.
and lastly, now that i've picked the group, since i like to steal from people, i'm going to post a little something i stole from the O66 podcast. everyone's answered the third question, but i really want everyone to post up with their character sheet:
What does your character unconditionally love?
What does your character unconditionally hate?
i'm looking for nouns here. a person, a type of person, a place, a particular act... something that really touches a nerve with the character.
if you guys have any concerns/questions/comments let me know. i'll post the IC thread as soon as i have the five character sheets.
Let us swim together, Jim.
In the meantime, who wants to be a pilot? It seems like my guy or jim's guy might be the best choice. Alternatively, my guy could be co-pilot or system operator. I will answer those questions two the same time I get my sheet together.
I took Piloting, if it turns out to be redundant let me know if there is another skill I can take to be useful in space. [edit - If we don't have an R2 or someone trained in Use Computer, I could take that and Astrogate/Sensors.]
Extended character data + sheet inc tonight or tomorrow at the latest.
So, canon is sortof... batshit retarded here, imo. I think it's silly that Vader himself was in disguise and trying to corrupt the Order. "Who's that guy with the helmet?" "Oh, he's new."
No. "Oh, just noticed him - that's Darth Fucking Vader."
Regarding Shoal's contact with - whoever - I'm not going to assume anything for the identity of this person, other than that he was/is a dark side practitioner of the Force. It could have been anyone, and there is canonical precedent for simple disguises that would have been effective.
History
Shoal's gifts were not in direct combat - without a fira he was not even a full member of the Order. His main duties in the rag-tag resistance were as a courier or (most often) medical in nature - and he was kept busy. The Empire was ready at every turn, poised to bat down every move they made. The resistance weakened day-by-day.
All of this changed, however, when a dark cloaked stranger appeared in the midst of one of the Order's hideouts, offering information. Information about everything - guard patrols, raids on the Order's small bases, prisoner movements... and it all proved true. Slowly the tide turned in favor of the resistance thanks to the intelligence from this strange man - always cloaked in black, masked and voice modulated, only appearing in person and never with forewarning.
Within weeks they depended on him. Even the senior members of the Order made no movements, waiting first for his information, then his advice, and finally, his orders in all but name. None could speak out without losing to logic - without this man, they failed. With him, they were making headway.
It was on one of these fateful visits from the cloaked man that Shoal first met him...
They had been using this basement under an old speeder shop on the fringe of Ahto City for nearly a week, and would need to move soon. Three injured selkath were in his care at the time. Shoal knelt over the unconscious form of one of his brethren - eyes closed and meditating, but could not help but be distracted by the conversation through the arch to the next room.
"You will go quickly, now. They move against the holdout settlement near Hrakert. For each life you take you will save hundreds." When he spoke there was a smoothness to his voice, a command, even through the rasp of the modulator.
"Take many lives."
The members of the Order made ready and the call to action was sent among the resistance network. The warriors entered the lift to embark and the cloaked man ascended a rickety old back stair the way he had come.
Shoal still knelt, unable to focus on his task, and surveyed the paltry three lives tasked to him. For an instant, he felt anger boil over - at the Empire, at the Order, at his status, at the stranger, at himself. At just that moment, the cloaked man froze on the stairway. Slowly, his head turned and locked onto the kneeling selkath, dark glass goggles glinting beneath his hood. Slowly, he turned and descended the steps, approaching Shoal. Though he had no idea why, Shoal was suddenly very aware that they were all but alone. The focus, the presence of this man were intense.
"You... choose not to engage your oppressors?" the voice queried lightly, conversationally, and the roar in Shoal's head seemed to subside - he could speak. "You do not carry the weapon of your tribe."
"The fira. I have not passed the test - not earned the right. I was close but... since the occupation..."
"I see." The man didn't seem to be listening, but he cocked his head to the side as he regarded Shoal. "There is, perhaps, a way you can be of use to us, though... another way which you could prove yourself... to be of worth. Unless of course you'd be more comfortable doing the task of a droid-"
"Anything." Shoal felt his heart pound as the man spoke his very mind, and practically spat the word. "I'd do anything."
He could almost hear the smile as the man spoke again. "Good..."
"This is The Krayt Runner with supplies from the surface, requesting permission to land."
A computerized voice responded, "[Landing Authorized, Dock zero-two]"
Shoal's heart pounded as he brought the small freighter around to the port side of the luxury cruiser before him, orbiting Manaan. He tried to focus on the words and teachings imparted to him in the months past... "I can teach you things... things those of your Order could not or will not..." "Channel your fear, your anger... they are your ally and your weapon in battle. Only when you can do this will you be free of your weakness..." The axioms went on. The small comlink receiver in Shoal's ear was silent, but he knew he was being observed.
"Stop. The door on your left, enter." Shoal obeyed, leaving the small cart in the access corridor with the hum of passing droids.
"It's locked."
There was no response from the comlink, but a sudden burst of ion energy erupted - centered on The Runner - and washed over the cruiser's systems. Shoal could here muffled cries of dismay from some of the large halls as the lights went out and the music warbled, but quickly the backup systems came online. Emergency lighting flickered to life, illuminating the ship's interior with pale red. A voice came over the intercom, speaking assurances of safety to the passengers in a myriad of languages.
"Try it now."
Shoal stepped into the personal gallery of Vorma the Hutt. The room was large and full of valuables - jewels cased in glass, tapestries from across the galaxy, a huge collection of liquers and sealed cannisters of spice, hides and taxidermed creatures from who knows where, oddities and trinkets of a thousand kinds. What drew Shoal forward was a newer addition to Vorma's collection - a pair of crossed fira hanging on the wall amidst a weapons display.
"You are not here for those. Below them - take it."
Shoal lifted the lightsaber from it's stand with both hands. The hilt was long - longer than the similar weapon he had been shown - but otherwise seemed familiar.
"This is what I was sent for?"
As usual, his question was met with an order. "Proceed through the door in the back of the room."
The door stuck for a moment but slid open. The chamber before him was larger and more opulent than the trophy room he had just left, if less adorned. The room had one occupant, a massive slug-like creature perched atop a repulsorsled, eating from a massive spread before him.
Vorma looked up from his meal, narrowing his eyes at the intruder.
"Ooohhhh.... Ki chuba da naga, ki buda? Ji koza yako, me hampi! Ki buda?"
"Kill him, my apprentice."
Shoal recoiled. The Hutts were known to frequent the Imperial resort on Manaan where many Selkath were enslaved, but he had no intention of slaughtering this defenseless... thing. I'm not an assassin. On queue:
"Do it."
Shoal closed his eyes, fighting the intense, roaring pressure building in his head. He was sure in that moment that if the man on the other end of the comlink were present, he would have no choice but obey. However, he wasn't present. Other than the Hutt he was alone. The decision was his to make.
"No." The comlink clattered to the floor.
At some point during these moments, Vorma (who was no fool) noticed the lightsaber in Shoal's grasp and became very still. As Shoal relaxed though, Vorma sat up and seemed to get some idea that he was no longer in danger. He let out a hearty laugh and resumed eating, not taking his eyes off the interloper.
"Ho ho ho.... Chuba tari hay, ne scuma te."
Shoal turned to leave the way he had come, but suddenly froze as he Vorma sucked a morsel into his mouth. The platters surrounding the Hutt held a variety of foods brought up from Manaan, but Shoal realized with horror there was a common theme - Selkath. Vorma was eating Selkath.
There was a snap-hiss, and the lightsaber in Shoal's hand came to life.
Shoal stole a ship from hangar and fled the system, moving from planet to planet. Time passed, and he was able to contemplate the events in orbit over Manaan. Shoal decided that if the only hope to free his homeworld from the Empire and deliver the Order of Shasa from the grip of the mysterious dark agent was the rebellion, and that he must seek it out. Simultaneously, Shoal felt the need to sort his own troubled path with the Force. Unable to expect to find a living mentor, he instead sought out relics of the jedi and other Force using traditions of the past, with little success. It was while conducting one such search that Shoal was reported by an imperial loyalist. Timely assistance from a group of rebels averted Shoal's arrest, and gave him an in to the rebellion where he has served ever since.
Time Line?
Other Stuff
Shoal is very fearful of the mysterious person who seems to be taking control of the Order of Shasa.
Shoal loves his homeworld of Manaan, and wants nothing more than to see it and his people restored - the Order in particular, as they were more or less his family.
He is naturally loyal. Coupled with his hopes, this has made him bond strongly to the ideals of the rebellion and the friends he has made there.
May the currents flow with you.
I was thinking I would take either Heavy Weapons Proficiency or Computer Use... I still haven't really decided what this guy even does beyond shots fings.
e: aaargh scoundrels can't use rifles
e2: okay I decided that he shoots things real good. Sheet: Azeb Menomon.
I took Computer Use... I'm also very perceptive.
Here's what I have so far for Kal. I'm torn between taking Knack and Spacehound. Assuming we get a ship with two turrets, it seems like I might be the best choice for a gunner besides Azeb, seeing as how I don't think anyone else will be able to take HWP or Spacehound.
Whee!
If you'd like the BAB I would be willing to switch it up a little and take a spacey Spacehound spacer scoundrel
no one has taken me up on my offer to discuss destinies and stuff
shame on you all
now you're all going to get destinies picked by me which means at times i'm going to get to level arbitrary bonuses and penalties on you and wave my hand and say 'it's your destiny maaaaan'
anyways, thread tomorrow.
Kal unconditionally loves turning a profit. He likes business, he likes gambling, he likes any situation where he can come out ahead.
He loved his store, before it got taken from him and his accounts got frozen.
In some disturbing way, he has great respect/affection/love (but not in a romantic sense) for Jessa. He sees her as exceedingly idealistic, but not really in a bad way. He wants to keep her safe and alive because he thinks the galaxy needs people like her.
Kal HATES the Empire, but he hates it at an organizational level. He probably doesn't see individual stormtroopers as targets of vengeance, but he hates the system.
I think it'd be cool if Kal had some sort of rival, or someone that he holds a grudge against, ala Lando and Han over the Falcon.
Destiny, I'm thinking Rescue also, but I could also go for Discovery. Details to be PMed.
so my idea for this story is that the beginning and end points will be largely the same: the campaign will begin with the Battle of Hoth and end with the Emperor's death at Endor. however, i think i've made it plainly clear that not only are the heroes probably not going to be the same in the films, some of them might be very different. i'm very interested in exploring a 'what-if' scenario that essentially spans Episodes V and VI and everything in between, but with everything skewed a bit.
if it's not really transparent by the teaser or whatever you want to call it,
i think rescue or redemption as a destiny is pretty much spot on, if you're willing to engage in that.
if you didn't read the spoilers, the tl;dr is rescue or redemption is pretty spot on.
Azeb, more than anything, loves art. His mother was an artist, and he grew up around it. He sees art as a struggle to understand one's self and others', and as a source of inspiration in troubled times. He often 'water-sculpts' in his spare time, and he is growing better at it despite his lack of formal training.
Azeb unconditionally hates injustice. From his teenage years--where he heard again and again the real, the imagined, and the downright paranoid slights against the Quarren people from his companion--to his adulthood and his joining of the Rebellion, it has been ingrained in him to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves. He will never let an injustice remain unchallenged.
Also I'm down for whatever Destiny is thrown my way, but it sounds like (if it exists?) Protection might be a good one for Azeb.
soon i promise! thanks for being patient and never give up on your dreams
Man that's sweet. This site has a billion trainwrecks but some great shit too.
e~ i'll stop after this i swear
What's your new job?
Those parkas are just so unstylish.
actually i guess it doesn't particularly matter who was where, i just figured azeb would be the type of guy to go out and shoot the droid
e~ Did you edit the OP to place us at some point? I totally missed that that was me/us if not. ::facepalm::
what day is it
yeah shit's been hectic. real life stuff regarding family and job have made the forums pretty much bottom of the priority list, so this is getting closed before it really even began. sorry dudes