It is a galaxy teetering on the brink of civil war, twenty years after the violent close of the last. The Clone Wars, as the series of conflicts were called, was supposed to have only lasted a couple years, planned out in detail by the Dark Lord of the Sith. Yet the most minute of changes, deviations or miscalculations slowly resulted in an event that was beyond even the man who was purported to have been the most powerful of his kind in millennia. A man who lived when he was supposed to have died, an apprentice with doubts that led him to question his own motives, another who would not be swayed and instead stay true to the order that raised him. One after another these small changes that would have otherwise just be footnotes in history would drastically change the outcome of a war that was supposed to have been decided.
Where it truly came undone was with the First Battle of Geonosis. Hundreds of Jedi and entire battalions of clone troopers descended upon the planet to liberate not three hostages set to die at the hands of the Trade Federation, but to rendezvous with Obi-Wan Kenobi and the recently turned Count Dooku. It set the stage of the entire war, as without a clear leader another took control of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. One who did not have the same ideals as its founder, or the desire for true reform in the galaxy. The one who inherited the revolution was one who despised the Republic for everything it stood for. One who had lost everything in a war that, without knowing the truth of the conflict, the Republic interfered with and punished his people dearly. General Grievous, more machine than Kaleesh at this point for the wounds he suffered during the Kalee-Huk war. With his leadership the conflict became far more than what his 'master' intended.
He played his part though, at least initially. Battles were fought in those beginning stages where Sidious planned them, including the First Battle of Coruscant. There Grievous began to understand the Sith lord's intentions and made his own plan. It was one that as the months turned to years, made Palpatine realize that he could no longer crush the 'rebellion' and simply seize control over the Republic to create his empire. More than that, Dooku had turned back to the Jedi and more suspicion than ever was upon him. He had been backed into a corner, a wolf no longer among sheep, but among the hunters. The Republic and CIS bled each other for every system, the Clone Wars ramping up with every passing year and invalidating his plan with each battle. Palpatine had shifted from planning to destroy the Jedi in one fell swoop, to being forced to rely on them until the very end.
Five years into the Clone Wars the plan Grievous had set into motion was finally coming into play. Since realizing Sidious' plan, his true identity and what that meant for the CIS, he had steadily ensured that certain assets remained out of reach from both the Republic and even his own allies. More and more the CIS drew upon the finances of the Banking Clan, the resources of the Trade Federation and Bactoid, as well as every planet under their sway. As the Separatist leaders bickered among themselves as to who was stealing what, Grievous assembled a fleet that would be unrivaled. Thousands of warships sequestered away in old Sith Space and preparing for one final assault. When it finally came, he hit the Republic without mercy. Kuat, Kamino, Balmorra, Ord Mantell and even Corellia came under siege from what they believed to be the entirety of the CIS fleet. Without question the Open Circle Fleet rallied to defend these key worlds, pulling assets away from the defenses of others. And that was when Grievous struck the true blow. In a single night the CIS shattered the defensive fleet of Coruscant, the planetary shield that protected it, and tore the heart of the Republic from its chest.
It became known as "Knightfall" to those who survived, partially for the last stand of the Jedi Knights who held the line against overwhelming odds, only to fail. Under the rain of turbolaser fire from orbit, Cortosis Battle Droids ransacked the capital, relentlessly hunting any who did not perish with the bombings of the Jedi Temple and the Senate Building. It was there that Palpatine himself met his end, an irony of sorts for the Sith Lord who planned out the Clone Wars so carefully, only to fall victim to another's and be buried beneath the glassed ruins of the Republic he tried to control. If things had gone another way, it would have been there that the Republic died to thunderous applause, instead it shattered into a dozen regional governments without the jewel of Coruscant to hold them. Without the clone armies to defend them though, many would fall to Grievous and his new Confederacy. Some would question where the Jedi and their army went, only ever hearing the desperate calls for retreat.
In the aftermath of such a traumatic event though, others did stand tall among the wreckage. After a valiant stand against the odds, those remnants who were unable to rejoin the main fleets settled where they had fought so hard to keep free. Corellia became a new beacon of hope in the galaxy, declaring itself the true inheritor of the Republic and standing firm against the Confederacy. With the Green Jedi lords to govern them, they would secure much of the galaxy south of the core, claiming the ruins of Kuat and working to rebuild the rings after the traitorous attack that destroyed them. Yet many hold doubts towards the Corellians, noting how they denied the Republic in Exile when they were still on the run from the Confederacy, and worse yet how many of the worlds that have joined with them, did so without a choice. Regardless of how noble their intentions, the severity of their crimes or the accusations against them though, much of the southern galaxy flourishes under their control.
To the north others contest the Corellians, foremost among them the nascent Galactic Empire. Much like their rivals, they too arose from the remnants of defenders who had nowhere else to go. With the CIS swallowing up former Republic territory across the entire Outer Rim, the Eighth Fleet under the authority of admiral Jira Renkar quickly moved to secure as much space as they could around Ord Mantell. Unlike the other successor states though, they did not have the luxury of a strong industrial base, a dedicated people, or even a cause they could believe in. For the remaining military of the Republic in that sector, cut off from any hope of reinforcements and with the CIS surrounding and assaulting them at every opportunity, their only choice was to abandon their ideals. An empire was founded in the smoldering embers of the Clone Wars, admiral turned Emperor clenching a fist of iron around those few systems he could keep from the separatists. Violence and tyranny is their language, for while all others have come to accept the new status of the galaxy in their own way… For the Empire the Clone Wars never ended.
And then there is Mandalore. It was there that the Republic in Exile found themselves unlikely allies in the form of Duchess Satine and the new Mand'alor. Already the two had been working on securing the future of their people, of both the more pacifist Mandalorians and those who wished to carry on their warrior culture, and so when the Jedi and the Republic came seeking their aid, they gave it freely. That moment joined ancient enemies together, two sides who had fought each other almost since the founding of the Republic, having nearly ruined the other many times over the millennia. Jedi and Mandalorians united, all past grievances set aside in order to secure the future of both of their peoples. It was on that foundation that the legitimate Republic government "officially" relocated to Keldabe City, "elected" Satine as chancellor and ceded military powers to the Mand'alor. Since that moment their standing in the galaxy depends greatly upon from whose lips it is said, with the Corellians decrying them as little more than a band of looters and mercenaries with stolen Republic hardware. Certainly their assault on Kuat that left it little more than ruins lends credence to such, and with the Jedi assisting freely through the new Jedi Enclaves, it's harder than ever for the GRM to play public relations.
Yet, while the Corellians sabotage their image at every turn, historians call their rise the "Third Great Crusade" and warn of the impending invasion… Many look to them as the true inheritors of the Republic. Under the mythosaur skull banner, all are equal and all have the same chance to earn their place. To be Mandalorian is a choice, one that every world in their republic has made, and all have so far benefitted from their protection and lended their arms towards securing their space. No matter whether they be Miraluka, Twi'lek, Kaminoan, Devaronian or just a regular human, all are considered to be Mandalorian under their Mand'alor and afforded the same rights whether they fight for their republic or work for it.
But while the Republics fight and vie for supremacy against each other, they ignore the threat surrounding them. The Confederacy still lives, though it is has bled key worlds and founders over the last twenty years. Muunilist broke free in order to join into the Corporate Sector Authority. Dozens of sectors have been lost to the steady advance of the Empire. Most of their core world sectors were found to be too rebellious to keep direct control, instead handed over to the puppet-Republic under Alsakan. More and more the Confederacy burns under the rule of Grievous, who still sees it as his duty to dismantle the Republic completely, but struggles to maintain control over his own systems, much less those under occupation. Even Kalee is no longer his to command, as the Empire seized it years ago. It is a rebellion that has stagnated long past achieving their goal, without the sense to lay down their arms. More than that though, with the general meeting any resistance with force, crushing any who dare to rise up against him, it is inspiring more and more to treat with their republic kin. And they can taste the blood in the water.
So it is that after twenty years, though the galaxy has changed much since the close of the Clone Wars, it is once again teetering on the brink of civil war...
Star Wars: After Knightfall
As you might have guessed from the block of text above and the title, this is a Star Wars RP but not in the normal vein of things. While we are rooted in the Galactic Civil War era, where traditionally the Rebel Alliance fights tooth and nail against the Galactic Empire, before the RP even begins we have taken a departure. Instead of the classic story of good versus evil, of the underdog rising to defeat the goliath or the many different stories told across Legends of the era, a question was asked a while back, and this RP is the answer. What if the CIS had won the Clone Wars? What if Dooku had chosen to listen to Obi-wan? What if all of Palpatine's well-laid plans fell apart due to simple chance and probability?
Here in "After Knightfall" we no longer have a Republic just like Canon/Legends. The key difference though, is that the CIS under General Grievous sacked Coruscant in the second battle for the world, breaking the Republic up into a number of successor states that all vie against each other for the title of true inheritor, all the while contending with the Separatists. Corellia, Ord Mantell, Alsakan and Mandalore all head up their own independent nations, each with their own Jedi Order and their own ideals. We have a Galactic Empire in the north which rules through iron-fisted tyranny and continues to fight against the CIS, but ruled by an Emperor despondent from the means in which he has to employ to keep fighting the war and doing his best to help his people. The Corellians hold up themselves as paragons of justice and truth, all the while forcing planets to join their Hegemony and instigating against their rivals constantly seeking out some weakness. And the Alsakani are little better than a puppet state, controlled by an ailing one at best.
Where you come in though, is not on the grand galactic stage, but as one of many who has come of age during the interim period. You were there when the Republic fell. When the Jedi Order was shattered. When the CIS became the very thing it was fighting against. You were also there to witness the rise of Mand'alor the Paladin, a champion of the people. The restoration of Alderaan as an independent power. To see a new era of innovation and progress come in the wake of such sorrow and destruction.
The galaxy is at a point the Grand Council of Jedi call a "Shatterpoint", a point where a single choice can decide the future. A similar one years ago decided the fate of the galaxy now, where a single man surviving avoided the death of the order and the creation of what we see today. Only the few can determine what will come to pass, but for now they must gather. They must come together and take that first step…
Guidelines
With the foreword and the introduction out of the way, I would like to take a quick moment to set some expectations for the RP and let people know how I do things. First and foremost, I'm really not one for hard and fast rules. I don't like deadlines, and I don't like posting requirements. My primary goal in running an RP is the story and to see that everyone is having a good time with it. Because of that I'm pretty flexible and do my best to work with people so long as they communicate with me, and will always encourage such from all my players. My two Co-GMs understand that as well, and while they may be a little more firm on things than me and work a little differently, we all are in agreement about the end goal. But with all that said, I do have some guidelines that I would really appreciate people look to for as long as they are part of the RP.
- Primarily let's touch upon the status of the RP as 18+. I have done this for good reason, as our setting will have us dealing with some things that normally is a bit more niche with Star Wars. Violence, death, drug-use and some sensual tones may be present at many points through the RP, as our focus will be in the Outer Rim at times, and others on the diplomatic circles between nations where we might get our GoT on. This is of course not an excuse or permission to sprinkle explitives all over your posts, or to get especially graphic, but moreso as a warning. I will be watching posts to make sure that things don't get too excessive as there are more firm rules to abide by on Guild, but I have the hope that most of you who have come this far down the post will be mature enough to understand this and show restraint. That said, if the concept of mild sensuality, drug-use, violence or anything else of the post PG nature might be offensive to you, then I would kindly ask that you keep that in mind if you choose to apply anyways.
- Respect and communication. While I personally don't mind a little bit shown my way as the GM, I moreso ask this for your fellow players. We are all building a shared story with our characters, who I hope will be interacting with each other plentifully. To that end, keep your fellow players in mind when posting and planning posts or arcs. Communicate with them if ever there is the possibility of their character being affected by something you have planned.
- Post Requirements. I hate them. No really, I dislike the idea of saying that someone has to post x number of times in a certain period or they're out, and especially despise having to stick to that myself. In my experience, nothing drains the creativity more assuredly than deadlines. As such there isn't one for submitting a character to the RP, and I won't demand of anyone that they keep to a posting schedule. All I ask is that when interacting with other characters, that you not only be respectful as asked above, but also be mindful of your own times of posting.
- Don't be a dick. Really, don't do it. If you do it, I'll have to do it, and I promise you I can be an even bigger one. I prefer to be nice and have a good time, but if you decide not to be nice and to keep other people from having a good time, then I will ruin your time in this RP. jk, I'll just ban you from the thread and have your character trip out an airlock.
Character Creation
No sliders, but there are plenty of options. Seriously, I don't quite like the idea of restricting people to this or that, saying that one thing is completely not allowed under any circumstance or whatever justification other GMs like to use. I've found that on occasion people can surprise me with a character that at first glance should have never been approved, but after a bit of one on one, can be a strong presence in the RP. With a setting as diverse as SW Legends and the AU we have created, there are so many possibilities to build off of, so many backgrounds for characters and ways to make something truly unique. To that end, before we get to the character sheet proper and I let you all go to await what wondrous possibilities you provide me with, I do have a few things I would like to comment on regarding characters.
- The Factions. As you may have noticed the galaxy is not quite the same as it is in 5ABY normally. There are multiple Republics, each claiming themselves to be the true one despite the Republic-In-Exile sitting on Mandalore wondering what the actual fuck. I'm not going to go out and say that you can or cannot play a character from one faction or the other, but please do keep in mind that these factions are not all on good terms with one another, and some are outright hostile if not in open conflict with others. A key point here is the Corellian Hegemony and Mandalorian Republic. Neither has any love for the other, and despite frequent diplomatic overtures, their relations are close to the US and Soviet Union during the Cold War. The Alsakani Republic are a much friendlier bunch, but are widely regarded as a paper tiger, as opposed to the actual tiger that is the Galactic Empire/Renkar Imperium to their north. The more attention you pay to factional differences and the more thought that is put into a character regarding those, the more likely I am to enjoy the CS and as such be more forgiving with it, so do keep that in mind.
- Jedi, Force Sensitives, and Force Sites. As an important note, just like the Republic there are multiple different Jedi Orders each with their own ethics, their own codes and of course their own objectives. Some like the Jedi Enclaves of Mandalore are close enough to the old order that there's not much to really consider. Others like the Argent Council have strayed quite far from what the Jedi Order was, to be something else new entirely. I advocate strongly to ask questions on these independent orders, their allegiances and what they specialize in. On another note, something I am firm on is the visitation of certain places in the galaxy. Please do not have your character have visited Korriban, Ziost, Dromund Kaas or any other place within Sith Space. Firstly these places are steeped in dark side energies, and that has an effect on Jedi with only some of the strongest of wills able to resist the corrupting effects without assistance. Secondly, there really is no reason for most to have gone there, and those who have wouldn't have come back anyways.
- Faces/Appearances. As you will note when looking over the CS, there is both a place for a picture and one for a detailed appearance. I would like both done, and encourage everyone to take that as an opportunity to go into greater detail about their characters. More important here, is the subject of pictures used in general. I've become rather partial to face-claims, and especially the use of gifs and such to show how my characters express themselves a little more… Viscerally. This is by no means a requirement for anyone, and I won't refuse a character on the basis of their CS using a particular art style. Just… Keep it presentable. You know what I mean.
- Characters in general. All that said, I would like to say that a well-structured and detailed sheet will always go over better than one that is essentially a somewhat expanded concept. The character sheet below is one adapted from another RP that I happened to like because not only is it innately structured better than something I could do on my own, but provides many places of opportunity for the player to add detail to their character. Just don't get too involved in creating a character that you may not be as enthused to play as the character once it's done. As someone who has done that before, I would hate to see someone put a lot of effort into a well-written character only to dislike it and not want to RP as it.
Finally, the character sheet. You are free to post WiPs in the OOC, and I even encourage it so that we can all work together on things and help to ensure everyone gets as close to the type of character they want to play as possible. Just please do not post your character in the characters tab until approved. You may request a specific member of the RP staff to review your sheet in particular if you like by mentioning them with the posting of your CS. We will also be implementing an appeals process in the discord, where if you feel a decision made on your character is unfair or doesn't necessarily hold up with prior decisions, you can invoke either a GM appeal or appeal to the accepted players. Do note however, that any character that is denied through such a process is denied with prejudice.
