Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Disturbance - Signup Thread

Discussion Thread
Roleplay Thread

I have wanted to roleplay in the Old Republic era of the Star Wars universe for an inordinate amount of time, probably at least since KotOR. So here I am, perhaps against my better judgment. This will by my first RP on this board. Gods I hope I get the formatting right.

I do not intend to direct the story entirely myself. This should be more of a collaborative fan-fiction than a structured RPG, and I will have my own character. That being said, there are some facets of the setting upon which I want to impose (mainly concerning force-users):

• The Force is not governed by “Midi-chlorians;” It’s magic.
• The Force can exist within technology. Cybernetics and heavy armor do not preclude a user's connection to the Force if the character is familiar with their use.

Basically I’m just removing a few obscure limits that I never liked.

This game will be set in the years immediately following the ending of the first Knights Of The Old Republic, around 3955 BBY. However, it follows the Dark Side ending of that game. You need not be familiar with it to play this RP, as it will be somewhat removed from those events, though it may help to set the tone.

“Opening crawl” - a description of the galaxy at large:
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/StygianEmperor/RP/StarWarsRPCrawl-1.jpg

In plain text: ^{Opening Crawl} The galaxy is in turmoil.

Utilizing the Star Forge, Darth Revan’s infinite fleet dealt a crushing blow to the Republic and Jedi Order, and left them in disarray. They would have been completely wiped out if not for Revan’s mysterious disappearance.

As the infinite fleet fragments without strong leadership, aspiring Sith Lords rise to take control. Dozens of warlords now fight pitched battles across the galaxy in what is known as the SITH CIVIL WAR.

Though granted enough of a reprieve to destroy the Star Forge, the war has greatly weakened the Republic and Jedi Order, beginning an arduous process of rebuilding. Placed in precarious positions, the future of any of the factions is uncertain…

The plot hook:
On the frontier of the known galaxy, a colony cut off from Republic space by the Jedi Civil War begins to draw the attention of various individuals from all walks of the galaxy. The planet Klovaan, a sparsely populated world, is the source of a subtle force disturbance.

The Jedi Council, concerned with restructuring, pays it little heed. The Sith, similarly preoccupied, make no coordinated attempts at discovering the source of the anomaly. But members of both have broken off to investigate, and as word gets around, unaffiliated mercenaries and other groups scramble to offer their services or use their skills to find their own fortune.

The capital city of Klovaanis beckons to all as a convenient place to obtain valuable information and gather their strength before heading off.

Character Sheet

You’re only allowed one character (I may lift this restriction if requested), but they may have minions, droids, or pets if it suits them. Restrictions on power level are pretty relaxed, but I want a good variety of positions. Please hyperlink anything obscure from the EU to its corresponding Wookieepedia article, for my own benefit as well as others’.

Keep in mind that I may alter certain aspects of the canon to suit my own tastes.

• Name:
• Gender:
• Age: No children.
• Race: All humanoid races/droids should be fine, though they must be capable of speaking Galactic Standard.
• Title/Occupation: Anything from a moisture farmer to a Jedi Master. Feel free to include past and current affiliations, E.g.: Sith Assassin, former Jedi Sentinel.
• Appearance: Write as much description as you like. I would prefer you don’t link pictures, unless you yourself created the content of the image.
• Equipment: It’s the Old Republic era, so almost any tech in Star Wars goes, just try to use era-specific counterparts if they exist. For example, instead of a TIE Fighter, use a Sith Fighter. Describe your equipment if it’s nonstandard fare. No black/dark lightsabers. Edit: Characters submitted after Jax are not allowed large ships laden with features.
• Abilities/Training: Force powers, weapon proficiencies, combat techniques, subjects of study, etc. Don’t be exhaustive. Try to keep it to three or four skills at which your character is especially talented, or ones that may be out of the ordinary for them. If your character wields a lightsaber, also list their primary form (Shii-Cho, Makashi, etc.).
• Personality/Backstory: As much or little as you want; it should come up naturally through roleplay.

Accepted Characters:

• Uziel Astaroth, a Human Dark Side Marauder
• Sairin Lanarn/Darth Desariah, a half-Sephi Sith Lady
• Isica Vann, a Miralukan former Jedi Investigator
• Jaxon "Jax" Helk, a Human Mandalorian Chieftain
• B-GE3 "Beegee", a Protocol Droid
• Gorlash, a Trandoshan ...Stand-Up Comedian
• Kohyardh Helk, a Zabrak Mandalorian Knight
• Carin Lowan, a Human ex-Sith Assassin

• Name: Uziel Astaroth
• Gender: Male
• Race: Human
• Age: Late 20s.
• Title/Occupation: Dark Side Marauder
• Appearance: Obvious signs of dark side corruption, as well as reconstructive cybernetics mar Uziel’s otherwise handsome face. Veins bulge around his eyes, which themselves have seemingly lost their pupils in an unnatural shade of yellow. His skin is too pale to be healthy, and his medium-length red hair has begun to darken. On either side of his face, the edge of his jaw line is starkly emphasized by metal prosthetics.
  He stands about six and a half feet tall – a body built for strength, rather than agility - and taller still within his heavy powered armor.
• Equipment:
  • Heavy Powered Armor:◊ ^Description The armor resembles bulky AV-1c Combat Armor. On his head, Uziel wears a scavenged Sith Trooper’s◊ helmet, modified for sturdiness and to interface with the rest of the armor. It is capable of nightvision and is outfitted with comms. The full suit is painted charcoal gray, and is worn with a foreboding black hooded robe that fits between the shoulder plates and around the torso.
  • Lightsabers:◊ ^Description Not content with an empty hand in combat, Uziel carries two; one Sith red, and the other a rare shade of orange. Inspired by ancient arming swords, he crafted their hilts to have distinctive cortosis-weave crossguards and ricassos. They can be concealed and drawn from within the plates of his armor.
  • 5C-P1 Maintenance Droid: ^Description This scorpion-like droid is about two feet long and helps with the upkeep of Uziel’s armor. It is timid and rarely seen.
  • Troop Shuttle: ^Description Stolen from a Jedi strike team, the dozen-or-so bunks on this small military transport craft go largely empty. Equipped with a hyperdrive, and piloted entirely by an astromech droid (as its new owner lacks the skills to fly it), Uziel uses it to traverse the galaxy.
  • Miscellaneous Cybernetics: ^Description Not one to remove himself from harm’s way, Uziel has suffered various injuries throughout his life that required cybersurgery to repair. He embraces each machine added to his flesh, as they remind him of glorious battles past – and occasionally enhance his performance for those to come.
• Abilities/Training:
  • Lightsaber Form V: Djem So: ^Description Uziel values strength over maneuverability, utilizing the servomotors within his powered armor towards that end. When dueling an opponent, his strategy is often simply to beat them into submission with his sabers, trusting his adversary’s stamina will fail long before his own. Not to say that he is unskilled, merely that he has great prowess in a form not known for finesse.
  • Fury: ^Description While his external control of the Force leaves something to be desired, Uziel’s mastery over his anger greatly augments his physical abilities while dulling his sense of pain. He does not allow himself to fly into a blind rage, however, and keeps his wits about him and his guard up.
  • Weapon & Armorsmithing: ^Description Uziel has had some practice modifying his sabers and his armor to better suit him, but his skills are modest, and he would not go so far as to call himself a proper smith.
• Personality/Backstory: Taken in by an isolated Sith monastery as a young child, Uziel was largely raised by the dark side. While a poor study of Force manipulation, he quickly took to lightsaber combat and the bolstering power of emotion. Always at odds with his master, he came to his own ideas about the Force through meditation and combat, realizing that the strength he gained through rage was self-destructive without a measure of control. Finding the right balance between the two, he thought, was the key to true power.
  
  While his master’s other pupils gradually left the temple in order to join various marauding Sith warbands in the Sith Civil War - or start their own - events outside Uziel’s control took him from his remote homeworld and cast him across the galaxy. He now acts a mercenary in order to maximize the amount of combat he sees, and his considerable skills are highly sought after.
  
  Rarely without his menacing armor, Uziel brazenly wears the black hooded robes that entail his Sith upbringing wherever he goes. Where some would use deception and guile, he welcomes the trouble his ensemble brings. Any conflict is a potential battle, and he loves nothing more.
  
  Far from being antagonistic, however, Uziel is deeply contemplative when uncontested. His emotions, particularly his anger, are kept well in check when they are not needed, making him stoic and difficult to provoke against his better judgment.

edited 1st May '14 5:49:40 PM by StygianEmperor

Hm... question. Whatever happens to the other Sith Empire? (Major SW:TOR spoiler warning for the link.)

I'm not familiar with the events of SW:TOR, as I have not played it. But there are about 315 years between the end of KotOR 1 (this RP) and the beginning of that game. As far as I know, the other Sith Empire (and the Sith Race) is unknown to the galaxy at large at this time. I'll do a little more research, but for now, whatever happens in SW:TOR shouldn't have much bearing on this game.

But I certainly welcome the help of people that know more about Star Wars than I.

edited 24th Feb '14 7:23:47 PM by StygianEmperor

Very interested. Will try to make a Sith lady.

I might look into signing up on the Light side.

Speaking of, how are you defining Force powers? Are we saying that all commonly-considered Dark powers (by KotOR's list, so Drain, Grip, Lightning and so on) are inherently evil no matter what they're being used for, or is it more a question of intent?

If you haven't played TOR, then my suggestion would just be to go like "that just doesn't exist, and no one knows what really happened to Revan and Malak in the unknown regions". Plus, if you do ever decide to use it, then bam, all of us get to write in-character reactions.

Though finding out it exists is probably something that would thrust the galaxy into war and make everything get really outside the scope of just a few PCs having fun....

But yeah, I am contractually obliged to my rule of thumb is to throw myself full-force at any and all Star Wars RPs, so I'll think someone up soon enough. But what exactly could our motivations be? Not in exact terms, mind you, but generally. I'm assuming a character who would have a reason to either investigate the anomaly, conceal it, or try to figure out a way to use it would be the most obviously applicable type. But you also mention guards, if we make a character who (at the very least, initially) solely wishes to make a quick buck as a smuggler, mercenary, or other similar types, that there would be some reason to stick around for? You mention guarding and such, but would we have to work for another person, or just make up some sort of off-screen noble who is simply paying them to hang out?

Also when you say "The Force is not in any way limited by technology" I'm assuming you're talking about how like, in the game, you couldn't equip heavy armor and still use force powers. However, do you also mean that things like energy shields with the appropriate elemental resistances would be completely ineffective against shielding the person/droid from Force Lightning, Force Stun Droid, and the like? And also, I'd assume we're going off of the KotOR idea that energy shields are basically single(well... five)-use items that fry out?

edited 24th Feb '14 7:46:20 PM by nman

Interested. Will probably try and make a Badass Normal to balance out all the Force users.

I don't know the protocol for addressing specific posters/posts here, but I'll try to address everything.

@ Red Savant: I would love for these types of questions to be explored in-character after we get started, because I would like every aspect of the force to be sort of mysterious and undefined. I guess OOC, ^{Long Answer}  my answer would be that the Dark Side is not "evil," just chaotic. Using powers associated with the Dark Side (like lightning) typically requires letting loose emotions to a degree that would go against the Jedi code. They're also usually very volatile, so they're more likely to go wrong and cause collateral damage (including to yourself). That being said, there's more than one way to skin a cat, and there could very well be a sort of "Light Side Lightning" that the Jedi have yet to discover.

As far as intent, the rare Jedi that knows how to use Sith Lightning would not "go crazy" after using it. But they might be tempted to use it again because of its immediate results and the pent-up emotion they would get to release.

@ Nman: I'm glad you showed up, your "Mercs" RP was the inspiration for this.

I was planning to use your first suggestion myself; "SW:TOR doesn't exist, nobody knows what happened." So I'll go ahead and say that's my answer for Desdendelle's question.

As far as non-Force users' motivations go, I would guess that they would, as you mentioned, probably show up for someone else's behalf. Whether that be someone off-screen with a lot of credits, or just to find a potential client on Klovaan, it's up to you. The character may even just be a scoundrel convinced that even without Force training, they can find the source of this "disturbance" they heard about first, and somehow make a profit off it. I really don't want to limit you in this respect.

Edit: There's also quite a potential for bounty hunting. Chances are many of the PCs will be wanted dead by somebody. At this time, some Sith Lords were paying good credits for the head of any Jedi whatsoever.

As for the Force not being limited by technology... basically I just screwed up the wording trying to get the concept across concisely. Here's what I wanted to get around: In some Star Wars RPGs, cybernetics limit the amount of "Force" you have because... Balance? Science Destroys Magic is the trope associated with this idea, and I. Hate. That. Trope. That being said, cybernetics and heavy armor might indeed limit a few aspects of the Force, up until the user has familiarized themselves with their new parts, or wearing heavy armor. Energy shields can absolutely block the appropriate Force powers.

I will rewrite that rule posthaste.

@ Fantasy Liver: I was worried nobody would, to be honest. Thank you.

edited 25th Feb '14 11:11:21 PM by StygianEmperor

• Name: Sairin Lanarn, Darth Desariah
• Gender: Female
• Age: 49
• Race: Near-Human, Half Sephi
• Title/Occupation: Sith Lady, former Jedi Padawan
• Appearance: Sairin is a near human woman, her Sephi blood making her young despite the count of her age in human years. From her race comes her tall yet slender build, long ears and delicate looking, long fingers. Her skin was originally a pink tone which hinted to her Sephi ancestry, however, her contact with the Dark Side has made the tone more pale with the years. A beautiful and somewhat vain woman, she takes good care of her appearance and actively works so that the use of the Dark Side does not destroy her looks. Her long hair reaches down to her waist and is of a light shade of blond. Her sharp eyes are as dark as they come, with the iris near indistinguishable from the pupil.
• Equipment:
  • Starwind-Class Pleasure Yacht, The Swallow's Nest: A spacious, armed pleasure yacht which Sairin has made her mobile lair and where she has squandered most of her earnings. As befitting a Sith practicer and mercenary like her, she has modified the vessel with increased security.
  • A LUX-3 landspeeder and two Speeder Bikes on the cargo hold of the Swallow's Nest.
  • A female fully grown tusk cat of a smaller breed which she can ride named Cleir and a male Kath-Hound named Rix as pets.
  • A crew of eleven aides, all female with the exception of a single male Herglic. Notable among them are the named Herglic kept as pure muscle and intimidation factor, an Echani warrior, Twilek pilot and Sarah, a young human slave Sairin keeps as her closest aide. A Sethi, Diane, a Zeltron, a Togruta and a Selonian.
  • An extensive virtual library housed within the yacht which Sairin means to constantly expand.
  • A rather basic armory of common blaster pistols and rifles, enough to arm her entire staff. Additionally, some melee weapons for use in sparring with her echani bodyguard.
  • One Astromech droid, five common maintenance droids for the ship, and two servant droids.
  • One lightsaber and a shoto, both with an elegant, thin hilt and purple in color both blades.
  • A good amount of credits, not a fortune as her yacht would indicate... but then again, most people don't actually LIVE in their pleasure yachts. Enough for her to live well and handle her affairs for some time.
• Abilities/Training:
  • Trained in Niman, the moderation form of lightsaber combat.
  • A scholar who has dedicated a good amount of her free time learning lore, history and science of the Galaxy.
  • Skilled in the common Force Powers, Telekinesis and Force Lightning. One aspect she is particularly good at is mind trick and other mind influencing powers which she usually employs on her crew and to give her an edge in negotiations and interactions with the weak willed.
  • Finally, Sairin is an agile woman who has not neglected her body in her pursuit of knowledge. While not very strong, she is quick and has good reflexes and actively uses the force to allow her to move more fluidly, jump higher and such.
• Personality/Backstory: Sairin Lanarn spent her early years as a Jedi apprentice on the Enclave, bright, cheerful and dedicated. With a promising future ahead of her, she got assigned to a Jedi Knight as a Padawan during the war... and not a year after that met ultimate tragedy. Her Master brought down in the war and her trapped in newly Sith controlled space, her beliefs were tried to the limit and in true misery and pain she broke down. Casting aside thoughts of selflessness and sacrifice, she embraced the teachings of pure hedonism and passion as for the first time she relished in her own self and her desires. She served the Sith and its warm machine directly for a few years, but eventually, those very teachings drove her away from the war of conquest, serving increasingly treacherous and power hungry men and women hellbent on the conquest of the galaxy. For the past decade and a few more years, Sairin has drifted around the galaxy, expanding her fortune with mercenary work, trade deals, manipulation and subterfuge that her power in the Force enable her to accomplish. She cares not for unlimited power, striving instead for the perfection of her self and the sating of her own desires as Mistress of her own fate. What she craves, she pursues with single minded attention and does all she can to accomplish or obtain. On the other side, she's not as cruel as other Sith... indeed, things that please her she's quite prone to spoil and tend nicely to. In the last years, she has stopped to directly appear as a Sith when traveling to new places, instead relishing in the luxury of her acquisitions to appear as a wandering scholar of good means, spoiled royalty of a distant planet or some other appearance that allows her to cause a better impression on the locals as she sets about her objectives. Feeling the subtle disturbance in the Force coming from Klovaan and the possibilities for money, fortune and power that might be found within, she set the Swallow's Nest on course for the distant planet.

edited 18th Mar '14 10:03:17 PM by daltar

@ Daltar: I'm intimidated by your character sheet. I think Sairin will fill a role I was looking for quite nicely, just don't give your minions too much importance. Add a few more links to Wookiepedia if you can, for everyone's convenience. Also, I think you spelled "Yacht" incorrectly a few times. Good deal.

Other than that, I approve your space half-elf.

Edit: Do you mind if I call her a "Sith Lady," in the sense of nobility, for the purposes of an occupation?

edited 25th Feb '14 12:22:07 AM by StygianEmperor

I won't finish before I go to sleep, but I'm working on the signup for a Mando merc of some sort, if anyone wants to be like, buddies or something just PM me and maybe we can work it out.

Thank you very much! Fixed the spelling and added a few more links to Wookiepedia on the terms that I missed. I'll try to be careful with her aides while keeping them more handy than anything else. Also, I do approve of Sith Lady and I think I'll adopt it myself on her sheet.

Though to be curious, what role was that? Or would you rather tell on a PM?

edited 25th Feb '14 12:22:50 AM by daltar

I just wanted an apex-type Dark Side character to join, especially a scholarly one. I thought that might make for a fun dynamic.

I see, I see... well, glad to fill that role! Hope she provides the wanted dynamic while being fun about it for all.

Here's my signup. Let me know if anything seems off or needs addressing, okay?

• Name: Isica Vann
• Gender: Female
• Age: 28
• Race: Miralukan
• Title/Occupation: Former Jedi investigator (Sentinel), now a detective
• Appearance: A tall and somewhat severe-looking woman with blonde hair pulled into a tight braided bun, Isica is more or less the visual (near-)human equivalent of a greyhound. With a regal nose, high cheekbones and a long, thin build, she gives off a sense of restrained motion, moving with precise, controlled, and economical movements. She tends toward the same subdued sensibility in her clothing, preferring dark blues, browns and greys. She usually wears the standard tunic, sometimes with an over-robe for traveling or protecting against inclement weather. She wears a veil across her face of the same color as her tunic, and usually wears a hood as well; her bangs are kept long to fall over the veil.
• Equipment:
  • Pursuit: Isica’s personal courier, the Pursuit, is from the Delaya design lineage. The ship itself is about forty meters long, and is smoother and less visually intimidating than the Delaya-class, though it maintains the distinctive long, slanted wings. The Pursuit is outfitted as her home, and contains most of her worldly possessions. The unused crew quarters have been converted into rooms with other uses, including cells for transporting prisoners, a training room for both combat and Force meditation, a workbench and workshop, and an information archive where she keeps track of the cases she’s solved or is working on.
  • Lightsabers: Isica uses dual curved lightsabers, both of which use yellow power crystals. The hilts are functionally designed and lack ornamentation aside from the finger guards, which are laced with cortosis-weave to actually prove effective against lightsaber- or vibroblade-wielding opponents.
  • Blaster: Isica also carries a standard blaster pistol, having trained with it to be able to defend herself even while not using her lightsabers.
  • Personal Shield Generator: Isica uses a personal shield generator attached to her belt.
• Abilities/Training:
  • Jar’Kai Ataru: Isica specializes in Form IV lightsaber combat, modified into the Jar’Kai form to accommodate her dual lightsabers. Having trained first in Makashi dueling style before she branched out, her style of Ataru is tempered slightly by Makashi’s emphasis on precise strikes and control. She can switch between Makashi and Ataru (and therefore single- or double-bladed combat) to match her opponent.
  • Improved Force Sense: Being Miralukan does not limit Isica’s skills or abilities as a detective; rather, her Force sensitivity has proven to be a boon in this field. Objects which have been strongly touched by the Force – particularly those held by Dark Force users, or used in crimes of passion that strongly resonate with anger, terror, jealousy or hatred – are more visible to her Force Sense, and in the cases where the influence on those items is recent, she can sometimes get a sense of the holder’s emotions from the lingering Dark Force.
  • Force Powers: Isica is skilled in the common Force powers, particularly in Push, which she utilizes in tightly controlled and powerful bursts to overwhelm or surprise her opponents or to augment her movements even beyond Ataru’s standards.
• Personality/Backstory:
  • Born to a pair of civil servants on Alpheridies, Isica was discovered to have a greater than average Force affinity at a very young age. Under the guidance of a Jedi recruiter, she traveled to Dantooine to study at the Jedi Enclave there. A firm believer in the pursuit of justice and truth, Isica made a bit of a name for herself even as a young girl as an investigator, even if the “crimes” she was studying were as simple as a cookie or a lunch being misplaced, and as she progressed in her studies she continued to focus on developing her sense of justice, as well as Force powers that would help her in its pursuit. As she grew older, however, she lost much of her sense of childishness, choosing to focus instead on self-control both physically and mentally. She began to work as a representative of the Enclave, helping her Master as a mediator and conflict resolver; her Master handled the actual negotiations and mediations, while Isica focused solely on finding evidence and uncovering the hard facts of the cases. Until her promotion to Jedi Knight and her assignment to the Investigators, she enjoyed a reputation in the local towns and outlying settlements as somewhat stiff, but undeniably fair.
  • After her promotion, she was granted a personal courier ship, the Pursuit, and she served as an Investigator for a time, taking undercover postings in corrupt corporations, undercity gangs, and spice-smuggling operations. She was undercover during the Mandalorian Wars and was unable to join the Revanchists in their mission, though the Mandalorians’ bloody aggression offended her; when Revan and Malak returned from the Unknown Regions as Dark Lords of the Sith, she knew how lucky she had been to escape. The humiliation of being forced to flee both the onslaught of Revan’s invasion fleet and, later, the infinite fleet of the Star Forge burned within her, and she began to travel as a sort of mercenary detective on frontier and colony worlds, offering her services of the pursuit of truth to anyone who needed them. Despite her pain at losing so many treasured friends in the Mandalorian Wars and Revan’s subsequent betrayals, she has kept her path true by relying on learned techniques of control and stillness meditation. Her desire for revenge on the Dark Jedi is based solely in retribution for those slain, or so she tells herself. Even so, her work and her isolation has left her with doubts about the black-and-white view of the Force the Council espouses, and she has avoided checking in with any Councils beyond brief updates for fear that her doubts mark her as a heretic, or worse, the very thing she hates so much.

edited 27th Feb '14 3:28:05 PM by RedSavant

The description of Isica's combat style is way better than my guy's (who's practically a professional duelist). I think I'm going to have to make some changes to my own sheet.

Did she officially leave the Jedi Order to become a private detective, or is she just not keeping in contact since the war?

Other than that, and my contempt for the term youngling, the character looks good. Accepted. Now let's not all dual wield at once, guys.

So I assume using a saberstaff is still kosher?

Please do. I'm also a fan of the lesser known lightsabers, like the spear, the gauntlet (punch-dagger), and the long-handle Nodachi-like sabers.

edited 25th Feb '14 6:40:16 PM by StygianEmperor

I was definitely thinking of using one of the long-handled designs (Darth Nihl, gimme that thing), but I thought it might be a little too special-snowflakey... though I figure dual-wielding isn't much better on that scale.

As far as I've figured, she's officially gone rogue (or perhaps something closer to deep cover); she more or less knows that her grudge against Dark Jedi would be considered non-kosher by any Conclave she joined back up with, so she's pretty much avoiding having to consider that fact by sticking to herself. If she was on a planet near the tide of the Mandalorian Wars, she might even be considered MIA, officially, though I don't know how that would work if the people looking for her can feel her presence in the Force.

I actually have some edits to request, myself - one, to remove 'youngling' (because now that you mention it...), and two, to give her a personal shield unit, as suggested by Nman, to help blend in as not-a-Jedi. If that seems overpowered (because it mostly addresses the weaknesses of her favored saber styles), I can go without just fine.

That all sounds fine. It's not as if a personal shield is some unbreakable defense... and besides, my guy's practically wearing the Star Wars-equivalent of Space Marine armor.

As far as uncommon weapons go, I'm pretty bored of the single-regular-lightsaber style and welcome the other varieties (although that tonfa one doesn't make much sense). I honestly wouldn't stop anyone from trolling in with a lightsaber and a cortosis-weave heater shield at this point, if only to make their fighting style something I haven't seen ad nauseam.

edited 25th Feb '14 11:53:00 PM by StygianEmperor

What about Rancorbane?

• Name: Jaxon "Jax" Helk
• Gender: Male
• Age: 47
• Race: Human
  • Culture: While it's not a race, I should add he's a Mandalorian.
• Title/Occupation: Alor Helk (Chieftain of Clan Helk) or for clerical purposes, "The Mandalorian"
• Appearance: Much like a certain Mandalorian who shall not be named, his exact apperance is irrelevant as he almost never takes off his armor, which looks like the armor in this image◊. There are a few lines scorched in it at various points from where lightsabers grazed it or blasters and vibroblades impacted against it, which have been expertly mended, but an armorer taking a close look would be able to tell that there were repairs made. Likewise, a large lightsaber mark by the heart, and a blast cannon scorch to the chest, have been similarly mended.
• Equipment:
  • Personal
    • Beskar'gam: A well-worn set of gold-colored beskar Neo-Crusader Armor that's been constantly repaired and maintained for at least a decade. Has jump servos in the leg joints to allow unassisted leaps of nearly two meters in height, and several meters in distance. Has a (jump pack much like this one, but military-spec, and crushgaunts. It should be noted that he's not good at stealth, and as such his suit has had the built-in stealth generator removed. There's a Comlink and datapad built into the helmet for telecommunication purposes, but he doesn't have anybody in his contact list (yet!). The left armband has a standard Mandalorian Power Shield on it, which can take roughly 2-4 hits when activated before temporarily shorting out. It can only be used like that five times, and then has to be repaired and recharged.
    • He doesn't go for the walking arsenal look, carrying nothing more than a single Mandalorian assault rifle for offense, a vibroknife for those pesky boxes with mesh tape, and a trio of thermal detonators for getting-the-hell-awayfense. Though, only one of the grenades is actually functional, with the other two being duds. (Turns out that in the world of used thermal detonators, there's really only two types, and the type that work tend to be blown to oblivion)
    • A fusioncutter, good for quick patch jobs, or those times where you want to reappropriate something that's bolted to the ground.
  • Shereshoy: The flagship of the Helk fleet, and personal vessel of the clan chieftain (and technically the only ship, but don't let that detail get you down). It's a light freighter, of similar specifications to the Class 720. Its limited weaponry and bulky frame might not mark it as a fierce warship, but it certainly has the spirit of one. And the airlock door of one - it's stored in the cargo bay with the rest of the scrap.
    • There's a quartet of salvaged and patched-up astromech droids used to man and maintain the ship, and one freight droid that can lift heavy things.
    • Enough cans of baked denta beans to keep a dozen men fed (but unhappy) for a year, and there's enough excess mineral and nutrient rich water in the cooling systems that can be siphoned and/or filtered for just as long.
    • The Clan Helk Armory: Contains all of the of armor and weapons of the clan, with years of prestige and honor in every kilogram of durasteel.... Or at least that's the plan. Right now it's mostly just the previously-owned weapons and tech he's scavenged over the years, and shoved into the 'workshop' he has in the cargo hold. While it's well-stocked by civilian standards, it's mostly the basics, and lacks most of the high-end wares a mercenary crew might have. Quick-and-dirty summary is that there's three each of pistols, heavy pistols, rifles, carbines, sniper rifles, shotguns, holdout pistols, sonic pistols, blaster cannons, vibroswords, vibroknives, vibroblades, vibroknucklers and Sith energy shields. There's five sets of mostly-complete armor similar to his in a transparisteel display case, though they lack the modifications - one silver, one crimson, and three blue, which he hopes to one day give to new members of his clan. One of the blue sets is missing most of the chest, and one of the arms, having been used for repairs.
    • A shitload of scrap metal and parts. Like, half-a-dozen metric tons of metal. It's mostly in the form of crushed-up cubes of former landspeeders and airspeeders. He lives alone and has a lot of spare room, alright?
    • Clan Helk Treasury: Jaxon has access to the entirety of the clan's coffers. Which... isn't very much. Most of the clan's assets right now are scrap metal invested elsewhere. Still, there's at least enough to pay for docking fees and fuel refills for several months of light travel.
• Abilities/Training:
  • Mandalorian Training: Jax can use pretty much any weapon decently enough, but he's best suited with a blaster rifle.
  • Repair: Especially armor and weapons, but with a focus on armor.
  • Decent slicing skills: He's not an expert and can't hack into secure systems, but he has enough of a knack with computer/droid programming that he can get the things he owns, or has access to, to do what has to be done. This mainly is limited to being able to fix up a derelict droid and make it functional again.
• Personality/Backstory: A veteran of the Mandalorian Wars, Jax was assumed dead in one of the last battles. After waking up and recovering, he found he no longer had any clanmates, no longer had a chieftain, no longer had a clan, and most of his people had gotten smashed right into the surface of Malachor V. However, he knew there had to be a reason he had been left alive. He was still there, so as long as he lived he could keep the clan alive as well. He set out to live a life governed not by the war he had fought, but once again by the Six Actions. Though given the current state of affairs, there's really only two he can stick to right now.
  As the newest chieftain (as well as the only living member) of Clan Helk, he hopes to one day rebuild the glory of his clan, and make the galaxy once again respect his name. Plus, with the loss of Mandalore's mask, if he were to succeed well enough, he hopes to use his strength to convince the scattered clans to follow his banner. Maybe not him, maybe not any of his sons for a dozen generations, but he'll make sure that someday, it's Clan Helk that fields the next Mandalore. It's certainly better than just giving up like so many other clans have done, those who deny their way of life to go digging under rocks like a peasant, all in search of the Mask. To achieve his goals, he needs power, people, and property. If something could net him a large amount of credits or a better ship, he's all for it. Having politically powerful allies would be a tremendous boon towards the revival of his clan. And he's on the lookout for either recruits or wives so that he can add to his clan's numbers. Klovaan seems like a place where powerful people might flock to, powerful people he can convince to join his clan. Especially those strong in the Force or experienced in warfare. Likewise, given the rarity of ancient artifacts, and their tendency to collect near areas like that, if he were to walk off with a priceless object or two and make a few million credits, he wouldn't complain.
  And maybe buy a landspeeder. Chicks dig landspeeders.
  Jax respects strength, and those who show it get his respect. He holds tremendous respect for the Jedi, as under Revan they were the ones who were ultimately able to match the strength of the Mandalorians. The same for the Sith who, under Revan, were able to bring the Republic to their knees, and thus by the transitive property must be strong as well. If someone especially strong in the Force (Isica, for example) were to read him, he would not be exclusively light or dark, instead projecting anger, honor, passion, purpose, fear, and self-sacrifice to various degrees, leaving an impression of being somewhere in the middle.

edited 25th Feb '14 7:06:06 PM by nman

Cool, although I'm going to impose a restriction on big ships with lots of features for characters submitted after Jax. Someone should just take a taxi to get here, or at the very least bunk in one of these ships. There seems to be plenty of room.

Also, Rancorbane is terrible. There is indeed a limit to my desire for variety.

Approved. Are we waiting on two more?

Seems that way. I do have some ideas for a second character but even if allowed I think I'll start with just my Sith for now.

Ha, shit, I thought we needed to have ships, and then made a character that incorporated one

Though like, if someone making a new character needs to have bummed a ride to the planet or something I'm game, could probably work something out.

My intention was pretty much to give Isica the ability to get from place to place and ply her trade as a mysterious badass detective; I did my best to pare down the Delaya to a more skiff-ish size.