Star Wars
The Knights of the Old Republic
Forged by Fire
The Knights of the Old Republic
Forged by Fire
The Galaxy Now:
A Golden Peace
A Golden Peace
Exar Kun has fallen, and the Sith have dispersed back to the shadows. The Republic stood still on this platform of victory. Where does the galaxy go from here? Peace and order has a chance to thrive in the new age with the Sith having been defeated. The Jedi have reached a peak of power, a golden age for their order. Their strength and their numbers have never been greater. The Republic recovers and stability and democracy has a chance to build.
The Jedi Masters have seen an opportunity to train their padawans in a time without war. Order and serenity are the words of the era. Meditation, saber practice, and controlled education on Dantooine and Coruscant prepare the coming Masters to further establish a long lasting peace for the galaxy. Students with a yearning for knowledge remind the order of Exar Kun, and certain Masters watches those students with suspicion. Only criminal syndicates, smugglers, and usual political issues are the major problems of the age.
A time of growing things and harmonious friendships, undisturbed by the dark.
But…
A Darkness Lurks Beyond The Horizon
Out on the Outer Rims, a darkness has swept itself over the Mandalorian Clans. The old Mandalorian crusaders have been transformed into a new order by Mandalore the Ultimate. A being of power, a man who can lead with fierce determination. No Mandalore before him has wielded such strength, and the men follow him for the darkness has promised the ultimate gift. A war of absolute glory with the Republic. Neutral planets are quietly being pillaged and burned. Mandalorians build their numbers and their economic strength. Amidst the peace, the fires will soon reach Republic space. It is inevitable.
War is coming, and what will the men and women who hear the call do when the fires begin to burn around them?
Premise
The galaxy is at peace, and there is a stillness of the time. War veterans remember the hardships of the Exar Kun war and the numerous Jedis turned to the darkness, and the heartfelt betrayals. But, now, there is peace. Jedi train and hang out with their friends at the temples much like students at a local training academy. Republic veterans relax and hope to live out the rest of their days with no more conflict. Young recruits are bright eyed and eager to live up to the legacy of those before them.
But, the Mandalorian threat unseen on the outer rim will prevent such a peace from lasting. A darkness behind the Neo-Crusaders unknown casts it shadow upon all the things to come. War waits again, and this time the years of fire and death will reign for a seemingly endless time.
We, the Republic, shall fight this threat. Soldiers tasting the most vicious combat they’ve ever seen, untested and green. Jedi so used to living without conflict will be thrown into the heart of it. We will not have the fortune to be molded by the gentle fingers of serenity, no. Instead, we shall be forged by the cruel sting of flame.
Not everyone will make it out, and those that survive shall remember it forever. We will be a generation torn, a lost generation where paradise is a fallen concept. We will make friends, we will make enemies, we will fight with each other and learn with each other. We will love, and we will trust… and betray with hate.
How shall we decide our fates? I look forward to seeing the outcome.
Small note: I shall control a female Revan for story-telling purposes, and other NPCs as we go along. I welcome other NPCs so long as we don’t get too thrown off our course. I will try to operate in a mostly GM-sort of fashion. No news on whether I’ll take on a co-GM, but I will consider it.
Keep in mind, people will die in this unless they are canon characters who live past the wars. OCs will live too, just don’t get too attached. I promise, however, that I don’t intend for premature deaths unless it’s warranted.
Understanding the Mandalorians
The Code of Honor
The Code of Honor
Codes of Honor with the Mandalorians originated with the Canons of Honor.
The Canons of Honor were composed of no fewer than four simple facets of life: Strength, Honor, Loyalty, and Death. To a Mandalorian, strength was equated with life. The strong had the right to rule and conquer the weak. If an opponent fought back then they were not seen as weak, even if they could not defeat the Mandalorians; the act of defending oneself instead of capitulation was seen as giving one both spiritual strength and honor.
To the Mandalorian, honor was very important. Honor was gained by fighting, no matter the odds or situation. Once battle was engaged, victory brought honor. And while defeat was not desirable, even fighting and losing gave honor to the defeated for at least they acted and fought. It was considered more honorable to die fighting than to survive though dishonorable means.
Equally important to honor was loyalty to one's clan. A Mandalorian was required to fight not only for his Mand'alor, but also for his aliit. If one's actions did not bring honor to his clan, then they held no place for being a member of that clan, or a Mandalorian, and became what Mandalorians called dar'manda.
Death was another important part of the code. Everyone dies. But what mattered to the Mandalorian Warrior was how a person dies. Did they pass on with Strength and Honor, or some other way?
▪ Strength is life, for the strong have the right to rule.
▪ Honor is life, for with no honor one may as well be dead.
▪ Loyalty is life, for without one's clan one has no purpose.
▪ Death is life, one should die as they have lived.
Another majorly important aspect of Mandalorian life is the Resol’nare.
The Resol'nare, or Six Actions when translated from Mando'a into Galactic Basic Standard, were the central tenets of Mandalorian life. They consisted of wearing armor, speaking the language, defending oneself and family, raising your children as Mandalorians, contributing to the clan's welfare, and when called upon by the Mand'alor, rallying to their cause.
Tradition dictated that anyone who wished to be considered Mandalorian were to abide by these guidelines and live these actions daily. Mandalorians whom did not follow the Resol'nare were considered to be dar'manda—someone who was ignorant of their Mandalorian heritage and bereft of their Mandalorian soul. The status of dar'manda was widely feared within Mandalorian society due to the belief it meant they were soulless and had no place in the Manda, the Mandalorian afterlife.
Before and during the Mandalorian Wars, any and all non-Mandalorians were considered dar'manda and soulless from birth, until they joined the Mandalorians and lived by the Resol'nare. Groups of captured individuals would often be forcibly inducted into Mandalorian culture, and made to swear by the Resol'nare with or without their consent under the threat of death.
Young Mandalorian children were taught a rhyme to help them learn the tenets of the Resol'nare, and their parents would explain the cultural significance of each tenet as they grew.
In Mando’a
Ba’jur bal beskar’gam,
Ara’nov, alit,
Mando’a bal
Mand’alor—
An vencuyan mhi.
In Basic
Education and armor,
Self-defense, our tribe,
Our language and our
Leader—
All help us survive.
The Neo-Crusaders
The Neo-Crusader movement arose during the veterans of the Great Sith War discontent about how the Crusaders performed in the war: excellent at pillaging and destroying Republic installations, they were not nearly as efficient at exploiting their conquests. With the Crusader ethic focused on fighting the next battle, the Great Sith War provided the Mandalorians with little time to exploit their gains: huge industrial complexes conquered remained idle rather than rearming the Mando'ade, and millions of potential recruits who might have been brought into the movement were not.
Ascribing this flaw to the lack of order arising from their nomadic lifestyle, a small group of enthusiasts calling themselves Neo-Crusaders took residence on the planet Mandalore. They adopted a rudimentary chain of command and division of labor, not found in the traditional culture. Many Mandalorians found this bizarre, but some took interest in the Neo-Crusaders. When the Mandalorians again began to raid nonaligned worlds, the Neo-Crusaders won their share of battles due to their discipline.
Sensing an opportunity, Mandalore the Ultimate and his closest assistant Cassus Fett decided to encourage the movement. Cassus refined the former cult's organizational strategies for use on a larger scale. The Mandalorians who tested the Republic in the early skirmishes found that they had a distinct advantage with Neo-Crusaders as their vanguard. By the time the wider Mandalorian Wars with the Republic finally broke out, Neo-Crusaders were present in every unit, boosting morale and spreading the new ideals and discipline.
When the Mandalorians took Republic worlds, they immediately located potential recruits. Shipped to training centers, the new recruits were taught by Neo-Crusaders to become the Neo-Crusaders. Traditional Mandalorians were encouraged to adopt the system as well, although some were distressed by the changes. The Mandalorians of the past were voluntarily committed to the cause, but Neo-Crusaders increasingly included warriors of poor quality who joined to escape occupation or to simply gain their share in the pillaging.
Mandalore The Ultimate
Mandalore the Ultimate, or Te Ani'la Mand'alor in Mando'a, led the Mandalorians during the Mandalorian Wars. One of the last Taung to claim the Mandalore title, and known to some as the Great Shadow Father, he regrouped the Mandalorian forces into the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders and slowly began to conquer fringe worlds that had been left defenseless in the wake of the Great Sith War. Mandalore took full advantage of the Galactic Republic's halfhearted efforts to oppose his aggression and personally led his forces as they invaded Republic territory.
Character Sheet
Rules
A.K.A.
APATHY IS DEATH
A.K.A.
APATHY IS DEATH
We’re not children (some of us anyway, I really have no idea). So, I don’t think I need to weigh everyone down too much with this section.
Goes without saying that any adult scenes fade to black or go to PM. Romance is accepted, and encouraged, but make sure it feels real. Don’t be afraid to write though, throw things out there. Don’t try to force any romances, they can poison the experience. Let things flow naturally, the unexpected interactions are quite nice; believe me.
Be nice if we have a fair deal of OOC chatter. I love building a fun back and forth with you all. Throwing ideas out, getting chemistry and all that. Feel free to make jokes on anything, I’m not offended. I’m rather friendly.
I expect you all to push yourselves to the limits of your writing and then break them. Multi paragraph posts. I am not a grammar Nazi, so long as you’re making an effort for in-depth characters and are truly contributing to the story-line I am more keen on being forgiving. Feel free to have me re-read your posts before you post them, I can help with grammar and spelling mistakes.
Limit drama in the OOC, if that’s cool with everyone. Shouldn’t be too hard, yeah?
Read all the posts. Pay attention to them and do not ignore something that someone has written.
Also, read up on some lore and races. Don’t overdo it, I still plan this to be mostly our own spin of the Mandalorian Wars and onward.
That’s all, I believe. Oh, HAVE FUN! Peace, love, and hugs y’all.
