Star Wars: Sith Empire: Difference between revisions
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**Not everything Star Wars is everyone's favorite thing. M-Counts. Gungans. Ewoks apparently..? And ICly Jawas are absolutely disgusting. Don't worry about it and just roll with it. | **Not everything Star Wars is everyone's favorite thing. M-Counts. Gungans. Ewoks apparently..? And ICly Jawas are absolutely disgusting. Don't worry about it and just roll with it. | ||
**The setting is 5000 years before TPM. We're going to be fudging facts, details and tech levels. The GM is aware of this, and shockingly, in on it. We don't need to make this a thing. And we shouldn't. Just relax. Import ships from something else. | **The setting is 5000 years before TPM. We're going to be fudging facts, details and tech levels. The GM is aware of this, and shockingly, in on it. We don't need to make this a thing. And we shouldn't. Just relax. Import ships from something else. | ||
=Groups= | =Groups= | ||
Revision as of 01:58, 1 November 2021
A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...
Setting
'You should hold your phone at an angle and read this as a scrawling text for maximum effect. And play this.
The time is set 4000 years before the events of the Galactic Civil War, before Darth Sidious' Galactic Empire.
After the 4th Sith Empire's rise and fall. The Sith Empire has regrown and rebuilt, Korriban is theirs, but after decades of conflict, both the Empire and Republic have reached a detente, and a Cold War has begun. With both sides licking their wounds and rebuilding, smaller systems within both their borders have started to amass political and economic power. On both sides of the conflict, as well, insurgents have started to form. Some separate and small, others larger and united.
The climate has made clandestine and unorthodox operations more common, even among the supposedly noble Republic, such as the hiring of mercenaries, an increasing reliance on Bounty Hunters and unlicensed trading ships, a.k.a. Smugglers. Hutt space has become a major trading partner with everyone, from illegal private military companies to the upper echelons of the Sith and more shady members of the Republic. The Galaxy in a lot of ways, is dawning on an age of scum and villainy.
All is not bleak, however. The Jedi Council is still active and working hard to retain dignity and justice in the Republic, despite the Republic's more unorthodox practices. If the criminals and cowards are willing to sink to new lows, they reason, then we can fight fire with fire. So far, the Jedi Council hasn't opposed them directly, but tensions are rising, and they will not stray from their purpose. They believe the Force will guide them to the right path.
Drug and Spice trade is unregulated, shifting massive amounts of credits, Imperial, Republic and Hutt. All of this, and the Galaxy's usual perils are still very much active. Space monsters. Native Flora and Fauna. Inhospitable single biome planets. Backwards cultures filled with warriors and slavers, who have no interest or technology to join in with the System-wide powers..
Welcome to the Galaxy of Star Wars.
The Story So Far
What started on Korriban with a group of Sith performing a duty for the Empire, taking down a dangerous Rogue Hutt, in their own Space, turned into a sudden and unexpected battle for survival in the middle of Imperial ships attempting to destroy them, and an unexpected 'Rescue' from a force of many Jedi and Republic soldiers. Instead of being summarily executed, their de facto leader, Sith Lord Darth Keerah surrendered himself to the Jedi, and struck a bargain with the Republic.
"Use them for dangerous missions, risk their lives if you must, but don't execute them, and I'm more than willing to share secrets of those who betrayed us."
Now guarded by Jedi and used for suicidal missions, these Sith have become a black ops team for the Galactic Republic, currently assigned to take on seemingly self-sacrificing insurgents. After retrieving theoretical plans for a Capital Ship scale Cloaking Device, the Republic Battleship Destiny finds itself docked in what could be a central hub for a drug trade, in the Zahrain system.
After the appearance of a Sith Assassin duo and a confrontation with local Jedi, there was a break in at the Shir-Kha's military detention center, the Oubliette. This was unheard of before now, and freed the Sith prisoners. After a tense confrontation, where the Sith showed some restraint, compromises were made and the Sith were allowed a measure of Freedom. However, tensions rising have made the Republic Battleship Destiny and the Republic Flagship Freedom depart from the Zahrain system to relocate to the Planet Jedha, which is actually a Moon.
Rules
This section is just to fill space.
- Don't Be An Asshole: This should be the only rule, and it probably is, really, but it still applies. Just don't be an asshole. If you're being an asshole and people call you out on it, it might be time to stop being an asshole. Unless they're being an asshole.
- If you're having a bad day, we're all here to have a good time, so take that into account and if you're feeling like you're about to break or whatever, take one. Go have a drink of water. Or scotch. Whatever you need to calm yourself and not take it out on people/let them have their fun.
- This is Star Wars. It's really silly. There's going to be jokes. Hold onto your ass.
- Not everything Star Wars is everyone's favorite thing. M-Counts. Gungans. Ewoks apparently..? And ICly Jawas are absolutely disgusting. Don't worry about it and just roll with it.
- The setting is 5000 years before TPM. We're going to be fudging facts, details and tech levels. The GM is aware of this, and shockingly, in on it. We don't need to make this a thing. And we shouldn't. Just relax. Import ships from something else.
Groups
The various factions within the narrative of the story, with overarching alliances and more freebooting types included.
Galactic Republic
The Galactic Republic, also known as the Grand Republic or simply as the Republic, was a democratic union comprising thousands of star systems spread across the galaxy. Old Republic was a term affixed to the pre-modern Republic that existed until 1032 BBY, and the modern Republic that was supplanted by the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY. In addition, the term High Republic denoted the era in which the Republic reached the zenith of its power from 300 BBY to 82 BBY. The Republic was founded many millennia before the Battle of Yavin, approximately 25,000 BBY, around the same time as the Jedi Order. The Galactic Senate governed the Republic under the Galactic Constitution, and comprised thousands of senators representing the Republic's member worlds. The Supreme Chancellor was the title of the Republic head of state, elected from ranks of the Senate to lead the government on Coruscant. An ecumenopolis or city-covered planet, referred to as Galactic City, Coruscant was the capital of the Republic and therefore the seat of the Senate.
The Republic governed the galaxy from the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim Territories, uniting various sentient species, human and alien alike, under one banner. As its power grew, the Republic fought many wars against various opponents such as Mandalorians, the Zygerrian Slave Empire, the Nihil and several Sith Empires. The Jedi Order, a religious group of Force-sensitives dedicated to the light side of the Force, was sworn to the service of the Senate, and as such the Jedi Knights were hailed as the guardians of peace and justice within the Republic. After centuries of conflict, culminating in the fall of the Old Republic, the last war between the ancient Jedi and Sith concluded with the restoration and rise of the modern Galactic Republic, ushering in the Republic Era which was an age of peace that lasted for a thousand years. The Republic's history was officially reset, and the ages before this event were merged into a collective whole known as the Old Republic-era.
Sith Empire
The Sith Empire was the name given to a series of empires of the Sith that existed long before the Galactic Empire. The Sith Empires at various moments once controlled most of the galaxy, and often fought against the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order in a series of wars and battles, including the Great Hyperspace War, the Sith Wars, the Great Scourge of Malachor, the crusade of Krath, and other conflicts, until the last Sith Empire collapsed.
The Sith Empire was composed of multiple Sith empires that existed long before the Galactic Civil War. At one point according to the Qel-Droma Epics following its inception, a Sith Empire invaded the Deep Core planet of Empress Teta, with Sith forces being led by the Sith Lord Naga Sadow. The invasion led to Empress Teta to ally herself with the Jedi Order, which were mortal enemies of the Sith. The conflict resulted in the Great Hyperspace War, and the Jedi and Empress Teta supposedly managed to drive back Sadow's forces, resulting in their defeat and forcing the Sith to scatter throughout the galaxy. In another moment according to the Qel-Droma Epics, Naga Sadow decimated the Jedi world of Ossus when he triggered the stars in the Cron Cluster, resulting in the Cron Supernova which left Ossus scarred and barren.
In another instance, a Sith Empire maintained a presence on the Sith world of Malachor. A Sith Temple was situated on the surface, which contained a superweapon that was created by Darth Tanis. Eventually the Jedi Order invaded the planet in what became known as the Great Scourge of Malachor, as during the battle between the Jedi and the Sith Empire's thousands of Sith led by a Sith witch, the superweapon activated and petrified the surface, killing all of the combatants.
At another point, the Sith eventually controlled the majority of the galaxy, and as such, gemstones were freely traded, although this caused a flooding of the market and the value of gemstones dropped until bans and limits were put in place. Additionally, Sith empires were built by slave labor. Serenno was a particular planet under the rule of a Sith Empire according to legend, until it was overthrown by a victorious charge led by one of the earliest members of House Serenno. Also at another time, a Sith Empire participated in the Sith Wars against the Galactic Republic and the Chiss Ascendancy.
Others
Smugglers
A smuggler was an individual who dealt with the secret exchanged shipment of goods to evade restrictions or tax fees. The items shipped were often considered contraband, and highly illegal. Smugglers would sort all kinds of illegal merchandise into forbidden areas, breaking any law that stood in their way regardless of who made it. They would then sell their cargo on the black market, deliver it to a client, or use it themselves.
Bounty Hunters
Bounty hunters were individuals who could be hired to capture or kill a designated target. The target would have a price or bounty on their heads that would be collected by the bounty hunter upon successful capture or proof of death. Bounty hunters would sometimes team together as part of a larger mission or to handle dangerous targets.
A bounty hunter was an individual who could be hired to capture, hunt or eliminate a designated target if such target had a price or bounty on their heads that could be collected by the bounty hunter, either capturing or killing the target, depending on their clients' wishes. For the right price, most bounty hunters had no morals and did everything for the money. Aside from the highest bidder, bounty hunters were only loyal to themselves.
Some bounty hunters acted like mercenaries and were hired to do jobs other than tracking down bounties. Hutts often kept these mercenary hunters on retainer so as to have more experienced and capable bodyguards protecting them.
Mercenaries
A mercenary (merc for short), sometimes also called soldier of fortune, hired gun, or free lance, was a soldier who fought or worked in other ways (mostly in those involving violence) for any faction in exchange for a desirable amount of money. Sometimes, the word mercenary was used as a derogatory term for someone who valued credits over other things, such as ideals or kinship.
Fixers
Fixers were individuals who were hired to unravel difficult situations. Like the gang arbitrators, they displayed diplomatic skills, but they were also capable of using aggression if necessary.
Industrialists
The Galaxy works on business, and business is good. Many people have their own corporations, operating almost as their own financial and private entities, with a voice to the Senate or the Empire, due to their services and goods.
Antagonists
Those who stand in opposition of any of the established powers. While the obvious enemy of the Galactic Republic is the Sith Empire, the fact is that they are locked in a cold war. Others, however, have more self-serving, potentially dangerous interests, and no intention to find peace, or play by any set of rules. Criminals, pirates, terrorists, weapons dealers, and the like, who are in the business of war-for-profit, or massacres for a cause. These are the ruthless, treacherous and detestable scum and villainy we were warned about.
Crime Syndicates
There's profit in misery. Not everyone has the right skills to make a good, clean living. And the simple fact is that in a Galaxy this large, with concerns of the bigger guys always being more political and military minded, an industry of crime has arisen, with just as many 'Corps' taking their piece of the pie. Smuggling groups, Spice traders, racketeering, illegal gambling, and the day to day life of leg-breaking is alive and well in the Galaxy. From the way-of-life this is in Hutt Space to the profits available on Imperial and Galactic worlds not surveyed by the powers that be, Crime Syndicates are numerous and profitable, working with and against each other at the drop of a hat.
Employing smugglers and mercenaries and bounty hunters, the Criminals who quietly run their corner of the Galaxy can make a big impact in the life on any planet under their control, especially since they tend to operate with a looser, live and let live mentality than conquerors like the Empire or politicians like the Republic. However, to both Jedi and Sith affiliates, the existence of criminals is ALWAYS bad news. After all, they ARE the law.
Pirates
Hyperlane highjackers, spaceway scallywags and merciless marauders, Space Pirates are a very real thing in this Galaxy. Ruthless and profit-or-survival driven, Pirates attack other ships, steal their cargo, and leave their crews stranded in space, often with no hope of being found until much later. And that's the merciful ones. Most just kill or kidnap them. Various pirate groups have been active, at all times, often profiteering from battle-worn ships, but mostly attacking transports and passenger ships, to rob them of their cargo and riches.
Rumors exist of some sort of pirate alliance, or a pirate oasis, where many crews meet and work together, trade stories, and operate as a unified front, but most Republic Intelligence says this is very unlikely, as the nature of Pirates as outlaws and marauders makes the idea of trusting any of them for any non-self serving reason to be unwise. The best way to survive a pirate attack, they say, is to do as they ask, give them your riches, and plead to keep your hyperdrive. If it works, it means this pirate crew does not want the attention given to murderers over simple pillagers, but it's a gamble at best, as many pirates revel in their higher bounties.
Terrorists
Freedom Fighters. Rebels. The Resistance. Traitors. Defectors. Zealots. Dreamers. There are as many names for them as there are reasons for them to exist or join up, but the fact is, the term used by both the Republic and Empire for these groups is the same: Terrorists. Whatever their goal is, these are fringe groups without the military might to declare open war on either of the great Galactic powers, and yet operate under their umbrella. Many rebel against them, for whatever reasons. Ideology, hatred, revenge, or indoctrination. The reality is that these groups tend to adopt a very 'the ends justify the means' mentality, considering their opponent dwarfs their power, and their goals often start simply as destabilization before moving on to unrealistic hopes like overthrowing them.
Whatever their purpose is, destruction and death follow them. Desperate methods, the willingness to take out innocent bystanders.. sometimes even the GOAL being to do so, just to cause a level of harm to their hated enemy, terrorists are feared and dangerous, and must often be pacified. There has historically been more advents of terrorists in the Galactic Republic than in the Sith Empire, mostly due to the Republic's willingness to let a System self-govern long enough for them to organize. Whenever these groups form under the Empire, they are usually crushed instantly under the might of the Sith, or become a full blown insurrection against them, such as the Mandalorians. Whatever the case, these are a threat to Galactic Peace.