Tephrike

[Valiens Nantaris]

Classification: Armed Rebel Settlement.
Stability: High due to strict security and population controls.
Demographics: Mostly alien, aren't they?
Security: I'm thinking they've mined most of the approaches so that only a few well guarded pathways exist. Torpedo launchers can help defend those. Perhaps they have a 'gate' which they can close which is a section of rock which can rise and seal the entrances. Apparently sonic weapons work underwater so throw some of those in.
History you pretty much know.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Will incorporate.


1. Any other ideas for points of interest?


2. How would people breathe in an underwater settlement?


3.

Demographics: Mostly alien, aren't they?

Yeah, lot of aquatic aliens. But also a bunch of humans and the usual aliens you see in any SW city.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Those hydrostatic barriers keep the water out. All you'd need is some air purifiers leading to the surface to make sure fresh air is available. Not too hard.

I think you've got good points of interest.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


1. Feel like adding a museum to points of interest. Suggestions for some wildly inaccurate views of history the Republican Guard could have?

2. Need a name for a Gungan rebel leader.

3. What should the title of the Republican Guard's leader be? They view themselves as a movement dedicated to restoring the old Republic...but are a militarised rebel group. They have a political wing, the Popular Front.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Feel like subbing a location mentioned in the planet sub. Ruhewald. This is what the planet sub says:

• Ruhewald: A thick jungle occupied by a schismatic Jedi sect called the Order of the Blessed Way. They are pacifist flower children who reject violence against sentient beings...which does not prevent them from being the planet's biggest drug producers. They believe that they can commune with the Force through use of mushrooms. The forest's name is rather ironic because it is populated by nasty creatures with a healthy appetite, including mosquitoes, giant spiders, fast growing creepers, feral nexu and carnivorous plants. The cultists have tamed some of the beasts. A cynic would say that the beasts enable them to be pacifists because the Mother Jungle does the killing for them. Aside from being adept at animal friendship and concealment, the cultists employ plant surge to ensure the forest remains untainted. They have been known to provide guidance and healing to refugees who find their way to the jungle, but on the whole are isolationist. They refuse to get involved in outside affairs.

I'm thinking that prior to the outbreak of the Gulag Virus, some companies exploited the forest due to its ample supply of timber. Some medical companies also took an interest in the wild life and drugs. Presumably environmentalists protested a lot.


The Order of the Blessed Way are heretics who broke away from the DoL and the Windian Jedi Order after embracing pacifism. They may have tried to negotiate a peace deal between the various factions, but gave up. These days they don't really care about what happens outside of their forest. Here and there they let refugees join them...and put them to work growing plants and drugs. They also sell drugs to various factions. This is where the DoL and the Sith get the pills that keep their subjects/slaves docile. Sometimes they also heal Sith.


Ideas for points of interest and creatures?


[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Hmm, wondering if there might not be a small force nexus there?
Aside from that, thinking some mountains or hills in the jungle might provide caves for the Jedi to live in, and give them even more cover.
Maybe the Jedi have a main 'commune' where they go to barter and where the limited trade with outsiders happens. A single path from the outside leads to it, but it can be rapidly closed off with plant surge if needed.
Probably have a lake or river system flowing through where a lot of the plants and animals grow, possibly even a swampy bayou area.

For animals let's go for nastier versions of what we have in jungles already. Army ants 2 inches long with stings and mandibles enough to hurt even a tough human...and they come in swarms. Also, giant lizard 'dragons' which ambush prey by dropping on them and biting them with venomous jaws.
For plants a big venus mantrap would be appropriate I think. Something which conceals itself like a net trap, waiting for an animal to walk on it, at which time it'll snap shut and suffocate even a human sized creature. Also, something which has hallucinogenic spines to deter predators would also work.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


1. Good ideas! Especially re creatures.

2. Bit uncertain about nexus. Do we need dev? What qualities could it have?

3. Got name suggestions for the points of interest?

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
See whether you can, the Codex might forbid it. If so, we'll just make it a really deep untamed jungle.

Commune - The Grove
River - Blue Horn River
Caves - No name except 'The Cave' because the hippies all know where it is.
Swamp - Eventide Bayou

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Expand on Tephrike.
• ​Image Credit: How to properly source your images
• Canon: N/A
• Links: Tephrike.

SETTING INFORMATION

• Landmark Name: Ruhewald
• Classification: Forest.
• Location: Tephrike.
• Affiliation: The Order of the Blessed Way, a native cult on Tephrike.
• Size: Medium.
• Population: Insignificant population. No more than 500 sentient inhabitants.
• Demographics: Most of the population of the Ruhewald is nonsentient. The Order of the Blessed Way, a schismatic Jedi cult, lives in the forest. However, even if one takes their non-Jedi servitors into account, their numbers are small. Various alien races such as Duros, Twi'leks and Nautolans are represented among the cult. Most of the beings that dwell in the Ruhewald are wild animals, ranging from nasty insects to huge spiders, giant lizards and bomas.
• Accessibility: The Ruhewald is extremely isolated and its inhabitants intend to keep it that way. For starters, it is a remote, extremely dense forest inhabited primarily by dangerous creatures. This makes travel rather hazardous. Several of the plants are dangerous for a human's health or have debilitating effects on a mind. Many members of the Order of the Blessed Way are skilled in plant surge, which they use to ensure that the forest never changes. It is also useful to block pathways and deter intruders. Though the Order is committed to peace and refuses to take a life, they are very isolationist. They maintain a commune where they trade with outsiders, but it is still difficult to reach.
• Description: Ruhewald: A thick jungle occupied by a schismatic Jedi sect called the Order of the Blessed Way. They are pacifist flower children who reject violence against sentient beings...which does not prevent them from being the planet's biggest drug producers. They believe that they can commune with the Force through use of mushrooms. The forest's name is rather ironic because it is populated by nasty creatures with a healthy appetite, including mosquitoes, giant spiders, fast growing creepers, feral nexu and carnivorous plants. The cultists have tamed some of the beasts. A cynic would say that the beasts enable them to be pacifists because the Mother Jungle does the killing for them. Aside from being adept at animal friendship and concealment, the cultists employ plant surge to ensure the forest remains untainted. They have been known to provide guidance and healing to refugees who find their way to the jungle, but on the whole are isolationist. They refuse to get involved in outside affairs.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• The Grove: The main commune of the Order of the Blessed Way. Here the Jedi go to barter. Limited trade happens with the outside world. Psilocybin mushrooms are often sold to outsiders. The Order has a position of neutrality in Tephrike's never-ending civil war and does not discriminate between members of the various factions. Peace is enforced by the simple fact that they can always turn the Mother Jungle against troublemakers.
• The Cave: A highly secret location known only to full members of the Order of the Blessed Way. Located in a mountainous region of the Jungle. Refers to a system of cave that gives the Jedi a home to live in and gives them cover. New initiates in the Order do not have access. They must prove themselves worthy first - and then find the cave. The masters of the order use illusions to conceal it from outside detection. Cave paintings remind inhabitants of the true history of the Jedi order. Among other things, one will learn that the original lightsabres were never lethal. They were only made lethal by the Sith, because a true Jedi would never take a life. One might note that lightsabres are extremely rare on Tephrike. Moreover, the Force and the Jedi sustain life. All these rumours about Jedi forbidding attachment are lies spread by the Sith. Luke Skywalker was a great champion of the light who defeated the Sith through love and compassion. Vader was not his father, but was moved by him to turn on the Dark Emperor and destroy him. Sadly, Vader perished, for evil destroys evil. His redemption was his sacrifice. In the words of the order's founder: "All one must do is endure evil until evil consumes itself. It is the way of the Force. To strike at it merely continues the cycle of darkness, for one who takes the life of another sentient being is stepping onto the very path they wished to avoid." The visitor will also learn that Rey converted Kylo Ren to the light. Naturally the two became a couple and had many children together.
• Blue Horn River: A river flowing through the jungle. Here many of the plants and animals grow. Fishing can get dangerous because the native creatures include piranhas.
• Greed's Folly: Not the original name, but the one the cultists gave this place. In actual fact this used to be an outpost of Interplan, a company that tried to exploit the Ruhewald for commercial purposes. By the time the cultists settled in the forest, the base had been abandoned. The corporate employees were left stranded by the Gulag Virus. Having lost contact with their employer, some took their chances in the jungle and tried to escape to civilisation. But the jungle undid them. These days the outpost has been reclaimed by the forest. Young Blessed Way initiates visit this place to be taught about the sins of pride and greed.
• Eventide Bayou: A swamp bayou, many crocodiles. For a while, it was the base of a group of rebellious slaves who had managed to escape the grip of the Disciples of the Vader. They petitioned the Order of the Blessed Way for protection, but were refused, for the order did not wish to get involved in outside quarrels, as the slaves would have brought trouble with the Sith. The slaves set up shop in the bayou. For a while the Jedi tolerated them. The rebels sustained themselves through the trade with mushrooms and launched a few raids against Sith prison camps to liberate slaves. Sith retaliated by dropping bombs on the jungle. Today, the base is deserted. No one knows for sure what happened to the rebels. The Order of the Blessed Way remains cryptic about their fate, simply saying that the sword will prove to be the undoing of those who live by it.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION


On first sight, the Ruhewald is a paradise. An enclave of tranquility and harmony on a war-torn planet. Unspoilt by pollution, industrialisation and warfare. The forest's flora and fauna is bountiful - and dangerous. Many dangers await the careless traveller who ventures into the Ruhewald. Army ants two inches long with stings and mandibles strong enough to hurt even a tough human. They happen to come in swarms. Giant lizards which ambush prey by dropping on them from the trees and biting them with large, venomous jaws. Big venus mantraps are among the plants of the forest. Concealing themselves in a net trap, they wait for the prey to walk in, then snap shut and suffocate even a human sized creature.


Piranha-like fish also exist, and can be dangerous for careless swimmers. In the sky, predatory, bird-like creatures vie with one another, some mammal, others reptilian. Most of these creatures live in the mountains, where they are safe from attack. Tephrike has insects and crawly creatures in abundance, including rather dangerous mosquitoes, which can act as vectors for many disease-causing viruses and parasites. Parasites of all sorts abound. Plants are naturally a huge part of any jungle and the remaining tropics of Tephrike are no different. Furthermore, there is an ostensibly harmless looking leaf covered in fine hairs. These hairs are a defence mechanism, and if they contact exposed skin they inject a mind altering substance which causes irrational fear and flight. Many animal species are resistant against it, but the effect is quite unnerving on humans. Unsurprisingly, various parties have tried to weaponise the substance in question, seeing its potential.


The intrepid explorer should also beware the mushrooms that are particularly common in the Ruhewald, for they tend to possess psychedelic proprties and can have interesting effects on his psyche, causing vivid hallucinations. Moreover, there are fast growing creeper creatures and metal-eating fungus with a taste for blasters and their delicate circuits. One can also find huge spiders, feral nexu and other creatures.


Despite all these hazards, the Ruhewald is not devoid of sentient life. For a schismatic Jedi sect, the Order of the Blessed Way, has lived in the forest for about a century. Before the outbreak of the Gulag Virus, the Ruhewald was exploited by foreign corporations. Some were attracted by its ample supply of timber, others took an interest in the local wildlife and psychelic mushrooms. A company called Interplan Incorporated set up an outpost. Tephrike's corporate laws were rather lax and the planetary government wanted to attract foreign investment.


Interplan's activities were a cause of controversy, as environmentalist groups protested against what they perceived to be the despoiling of an ' untainted virgin paradise'. In one instance, radical environmentalists tried to storm the Interplan outpost and release creatures that had been kept there for research or to be taken offworld. This caused a number of deaths and injuries on both sides. Tephrike's parliament and courts were still dealing with the fallout when the terrorist Zero released the Gulag Virus on Csilla. It did not take long for the pandemic to reach Tephrike, which rendered all debates irrelevant as the natives became preoccupied with not dying.


The Ruhewald might have been forgotten, were it for the fact that a sect of Jedi rebelled against the stern orthodoxy imposed by the Dominion of Light. This régime had been created by Tephrike's surviving Jedi as a response to the fact that the planet was spiralling into chaos, poverty and warlordism. Though well-intentioned at first, they were corrupted by absolute power and created an extremely repressive, totalitarian theocracy. A group of Padawans and young Knights decided to protest against this régime. They did not mind the Forcer supremacism that was the foundation of the Dominion, but they believed the Windian Jedi Order had turned against true Jedi principles, for they had embraced pacifist principles. They also rebelled against the prohibition on sexual activity, for such carnal acts are considered sinful in the Dominion, which is why every good citizen must submit to mandatory sperm/egg harvesting and subsequent sterilisation.


Unsurprisingly, they were persecuted by the Jedi Inquisitors, who accused them of having fallen to the Dark Side. Some of the heretics were 'cured' - a polite euphemism for brainwashed - others executed, but the rest were banished into the wilderness. Somehow they did not die out. The survivors attributed their fate to the will of the Force. They were joined by a few heretical Sith who had likewise grown disenchanted with the warmongering and savagery of the Vaderites.


Their path led them to the Ruhewald. Concluding that the Force had favoured them, they created a new order, the Order of the Blessed Way. Here, surrounded by nature, they would find refuge from the wars that had torn Tephrike apart. At first, the order was less isolationist. Several of its members wanted to make an effort to heal and rebuild Tephrike. While they abhorred violence, some of them advocated setting up an underground train of sorts to help refugees escape the grip of the Jedi or Sith. A few even wanted to go further.


However, these views were soon shut down. A charismatic Jedi called Leznik Carruum took control. His radical pacifist views caused some to leave, but the rest adopted his doctrine. The Order of the Blessed Way would forsake violence and pursue a policy of isolation. Violence would only beget violence, and so they would endure evil until it destroyed itself. For their duty was to the Force. Around this time the cultists began to use mushrooms to commune with the Force. A cynic might say that they could be afford to be pacifist because the jungle did the killing for them. They developed an aptitude for Force abilities such as animal friendship, healing, illusions and plant surge. The cultists also did away with 'archaic, reactionary' institutions such as a Jedi Council. Instead the leader of the order would be directly elected by a conclave. Some egalitarian radicals wanted to give Padawans a vote, but even they were forced to withdraw this notion after realising how impractical such an experiment in direct democracy would be. The order allowed some non-Force-using refugees to join them, but they do not get a vote because they are 'crude matter, not luminous beings'. They tend to do menial jobs 'beings of elevated consciousness' cannot be bothered with. Force-sensitive children of non-Force-users are taken in and trained by the order. Unlike the Windians, the Blessed Way Jedi breed. Indeed, they encourage their followers to pursue carnal activities, following the credi 'make love, not war'.


The policy of isolation would be relaxed over time, as the cultists discovered that there were things they needed the jungle could not produce. Thus they set up a small trading outpost where they could barter with outsiders. As it turned out, psychedelics were something all of Tephrike's main factions, especially the Dominion of Light and the Vaderites, took an interest in. It happened to be useful to keep their subjects docile. Wild animals and Force imbued items were also of interest. However, they remained deeply suspicious of outsiders, often using their powers to drive them away. When an ambitious Sith master tried to gain merit among the Vaderites by conquering the forest, believing the cultists to be an easy target, he was soon disabused of this notion. Wild beasts and carnivorous plants devoured many of his men. Others were misled by illusions and ended up wandering aimlessly, chasing sirens until they lost their minds or collapsed from exhaustion.


Under one particularly proactive Master, a Twi'lek called Elav, the Order of the Blessed Way tried to mediate in Tephrike's civil war. This move was controversial because it contradicted the teachings of Leznik Carruum. However, the peace conference ended poorly. The Republican Guard, a secularist faction dedicated to overthrowing the tyranny of Force-users, refused to attend in the first place, as that would give legitimacy to its adversaries. Elav was exiled by his fellows for 'disrupting the balance of the Force'. This is a common punishment for those whose thoughts and deeds contradict the majority opinion, as the cultists refuse to take lives or imprison anyone. Recently, a new group of radical freethinkers has come into conflict with the old guard, espousing greater openness. As is so often the case, the rebels of yesterday are now the conservatives who oppose change and accuse those who advocate it of deviation.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"], [member="Nima Tann"], [member="Laira Darkhold"]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Expand on a location mentioned in the Tephrike planet sub. Also create another death trap on my bizarro planet. This nexus is not meant to give anyone powerups. Rather it's supposed to be a fun challenge for explorers and expand on Tephrike's blood-soaked history.
• ​Image Credit: Here.
• Canon: N/A.
• Links: Tephrike, Mahtara, Republican Guard, Disciples of the Vader.

SETTING INFORMATION

• Nexus Name: Palmyra's Wail.
• Nexus Alignment: Dark.
• Location: Tephrike.
• Affiliation: The Republican Guard maintains a garrison to keep people away from the nexus, but does not fully control it. Their goal is to quarantine, not harness it.
• Size: Large
• Strength: Strong
• Accessibility: Strictly speaking the nexus is easy to find, as it is located in Tephrike's former capital. The natives consider it to be a cursed place and do their best to stay away. The Jedi-led Dominion of Light maintained a military outpost to keep watch on the nexus and prevent others from abusing it. However, attrition rates were high since many soldiers went insane. Later it was taken over by the Republican Guard. The Guard makes use of Force Dead soldiers, who are immune to the mental effects. However, the outpost is underfunded, poorly equipped and they lack the numbers to fully prevent access. To compensate for this, they have laid traps such as land mines and shoot trespassers on sight. It is pertinent to note that Palmyra is contaminated by radiation. Moreover, the weather also represents a hazard, as it is characterised by torrential rainfalls and tempestuous storms. These hazards ensure that only the extremely brave or foolish would try to visit the nexus.
• Description: Many centuries ago, Palmyra was Tephrike's capital. However, the Gulag Virus caused the planet to spiral into chaos. The city became a battleground when the local Jedi, frustrated with the corruption and inefficiency of the government, staged a coup. Later the Disciples of the Vader, a fanatical Sith cult founded by a traitorous Jedi Knight, tried to conquer the planet. Palmyra became a war zone once more. Both Jedi and Sith employed weapons of mass destruction along with Force magics. Driven to desperation by the Sith onslaught after the latter performed a ritual to summon a dark side storm and raise the dead, Jedi Master Mahtara dropped a Force nuke on the city. This ended the battle in the Jedi's favour, but the effect was cataclysmic. The preternatural contamination and staggering death toll created a Force nexus within the ruins of the city. It has been abandoned since then. Today, Palmyra's Wail is considered cursed; a fountain of horrors that is best avoided. Those who visit the nexus in search of treasures or who attempt to claim its power will face manifold hazards.

NEXUS EFFECTS

• Those who approach the nexus experience extremely vivid hallucinations. These become more powerful the closer one gets to its epicentre. The effect is often amplified if the person in question is Force-Sensitive. The nexus is deceptive, playing tricks on the mind of the visitor and tormenting them with illusionary horrors. Indeed, as the visitor gets closer, they will often experience flashes of Palmyra's last moments and get a taste of what its inhabitants suffered in those terrible days. Their perception of their surroundings is warped. They may behold Palmyra's last moments, see the chaos and the bloodshed. Or there might be naught but silence and corpses upon corpses wherever they look. Perhaps with their own body being added to the pile. The past and the present merge, until they have difficulty distinguishing between the two. Mirages show the past, but blow into mist and ash when reached. Those who persist on their course are exposed to what amounts to an extremely powerful form of Force Insanity.
• Tying in with the above, the nexus actively tests Force-Users, threatening to break them. Lightsider finds their convictions and morals tested in a place where noble ideals went horribly astray. Darksiders fare no better, for they face the meaningless of their drive to power. Those who try to straddle the line between both sides will be called out for their middle-of-the-road tendencies and what the nexus considers to be their refusal to make a stand. Each category will experience hallucinations and illusions that tests them. The nexus will also draw from their own experiences, forcing them to confront what they fear or revile. In doing so, it seeks to strip away lies, convenient rationalisations, delusions of superiority and righteousness. The nexus is deceptive, beguiling visitors with visions of power and glory - or conversely tempting them with the hope that they can set things right and purify it or save damned souls.
• The ghosts of the dead are still trapped inside the nexus, unable to move on into the Netherworld. Some are helpful and warn visitors of dangers, others plead for release or attempt to manipulate newcomers. Their long imprisonment has taken a toll on their sanity.
• Palmyra was destroyed by a preternatural nuke. As a result, the land is tainted. In addition to the mental torment, visitors are at risk of being physically warped by the preternatural radiation unless they wear hazmaz suits or something that grants equivalent protection. Long-term exposure is still very ill-advised. The warping can include nasty physical disfigurements such as hair loss, burns, teeth falling out, blindness and sloughing of the skin from the bones as one gets closer to the epicentre of the nexus. There is also a risk of the radiation inducing cancer and cellular degradation.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Jedi Temple: The ruins of Palmyra's Jedi Temple. During the battle of Palmyra, Jedi and Sith clashed here. To this day, they continue to fight. Visitors perceive mirages of the seemingly eternal battle and may find themselves trapped in a mental maze. Apparitions of Younglings, forced to fight a war they were pressed into as child soldiers, beg for help. The nexus will actively try to manipulate the visitor's perception of reality. In so doing, it messes with their memories. If the visitor has companions, it may try to make them turn on each other. Those who stay too long may lose themselves in the experiences of the past Jedi and Sith and become trapped.
• Oasis Residential Tower: An old residential complex. On first sight, it appears to be a literal oasis in a ruined wasteland. From afar, a visitor sees people going about their daily lives. Indeed, they seem to engage the visitor in dialogue, beckoning him or her close. One hears children laugh and play. However, when one gets closer, one finds that there are nothing but skeletons. Sometimes one's own is added to the pile. Visitors may also see what happened when the area was torn apart during the battle and the nuclear strike, seeing it from the perspective of the civilians who lived and perished here.
• Liberty Square: On first sight, the square appears normal and relatively undamaged. But as one approaches, one feels an overwhelming despair and sees the horrible reality. Radiation levels are extremely high. Those who approach will be exposed to an extremely powerful surge of Force Insanity. This is the epicentre of the nexus, so it is easy to fall into craters or an enormous pit created by the blast. Here the hallucinations are at their strongest. They torment visitors, confronting them with their own choices and the horrors that were wrought here. Indeed, the visions try to compel the visitor to fall into the pit.
• Government House: In the old days, this was the seat of Tephrike's federal government and residence of the Prime Minister. It was stormed by the Jedi during their coup, then became a battleground. It has whispering voices from across time. One may see Guy Aybel, last Prime Minister of Tephrike, pacing around restlessly, denouncing those who toppled him in increasingly incoherent rants.
• Parliament Building: Long before the Jedi took power or the city was nuked, Palmyra was the site of bloodletting. Unarmed demonstrators were massacred by government soldiers as they marched to Parliament to present a petition to the legislature. Younglings were among the casualties. This was a catalyst for the Jedi coup. Visitors may see the massacre unfold before their eyes. In Parliament itself, they may see Jedi Lord Zaras Dant denounce the politicians as corrupt and put an end to their sitting.
• River Lethe: The river has been contaminated by radioactive waste. Due to the influence of the nexus, those who drink from it will not just get sick, but also experience forgetfulness. Moreover, visitors see bodies floating in the water.
• Fort Vigilance: A small outpost maintained by the Republican Guard, at the edge of the quarantine zone. Vigilance has a small garrison composed of Force Dead soldiers, most of them Yuuzhan Vong. It has barracks, a bunker and some turrets. The outpost has a small memorial for those who perished in Palmyra's annihilation. Its construction was one of the last orders of Mahtara before she retired. The Republican Guard has maintained it.
• Peaceful Springs Municipal Park: The park looks vibrant, alive and healthy. In actuality, it is a devastated wasteland. Nothing grows here or lives anymore. Those who see past the illusion will just see death and realise it is as peaceful as a graveyard.

SECURITY
Low

• The Republican Guard outpost has some basic turrets, flak cannons and a small contingent of troops. However, their garrison is undermanned and would be unable to withstand a large assault force. These assets are located at the edge of the zone.
• The Guard has also laid land mines at specific points to make it more difficult for visitors to access the nexus.
• It is pertinent to note that it is a big city. Thus even these meagre defences will be spread out thin. In the end, the greatest threat to visitors comes from radiation, freak weather patterns and the nexus itself, but not from security systems or soldiers.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

In the old days Palmyra was the capital of the Tephriki Federation. In that time Tephrike was a somewhat unstable, democratic federation. Then the Gulag Virus broke out, causing the Galaxy to fall into a new Dark Age. Cut off from the rest of the Galaxy, Tephrike was ravaged by the plague and civil war. The federal government proved unable to solve the crisis, divided as it was between riven factions. Warlords and criminal gangs contested it. Many people succumbed to disease, malnourishment or the bloodletting in the streets.


Desperate to restore order, Tephrike's Jedi Knights launched a coup with the backing of elements of the military. Palmyra fell under their control. However, fierce fighting persisted between the Jedi junta and government loyalists. Palmyra became a war zone. What was supposed to be a temporary dictatorship evolved into a totalitarian theocracy, the Dominion of Light. However, as terrible as the bloodletting was, it paled in comparison for what was to come.


Cade Seward, one of the Jedi Knights tasked with suppressing rebels, succumbed to the Dark Side. Visions and fever dreams convinced him that he was the Sword of Vader, chosen to eclipse the light. Gathering followers, he mustered a Sith army and marched against the Dominion. At first, the Dominion did not take the oathbreaker seriously as a threat. They regarded him as a mere bandit. But it soon turned out that the newly christened Darth Menace was a genuine danger to the Dominion. Supporters of the Dominion were massacred en masse to be raised as zombies or turned into Sithspawn abominations. He also did not shy away from using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. The Dominion was driven to radicalise even further. All aspects of life were subordinated to a total war policy.


Jedi General Mahtara, the future Battlemaster of the Dominion, was one of the Jedi commanders who faced Menace in the field at the ruins of Palmyra. She received her promotion to Master in the field after holding off a Sith attack. However, the battle was going ill. Both the Dominion and the Sith troops fought fiercely. Humanitarian conventions had been abandoned in the favour of what was considered efficient. City districts were shelled with artillery, IEDs and poison gas were utilised. Dominion troops were forced to fal back after the Sith performed a dark ritual to create a huge Deadly Field. Defectors claimed that Menace had gone mad and was using sacrifices to power a ritual that would open a tear in reality, allowing him to open a gateway to the depths of Chaos. It is no longer possible to verify these rumours. Either way, the Dominion had been driven to the brink and was desperate. Thus Mahtara was authorised to unleash a terrible weapon Dominion scientists had built in secret. In essence, it amounted to a Force nuke.


Troubled by the use of this weapon, yet desperate, Mahtara insisted on accompanying the bomber crew that would drop the weapon upon Palmyra. It was not possible to evacuate all Dominion troops and Jedi in time, as they were still locked in combat with the Sith legions. Lacking conventional stealth systems, the bomber was concealed by illusions. However, a Sith mentalist managed to see past the concealment and the bomber came under fire. Insisting on completing the mission, Mahtara gave the order to drop the bomb. The weapon did not just cause devastation and kill its targets, it consumed their souls. Those who were caught in the blast radius could not pass on into the Force. Palmyra ceased to exist. But the Sith crusade came to an end. Menace's forces retreated, going on the so called Arduous March. He was eventually slain by one of his lieutenants. The Vaderites regrouped at Castle Maysaf, but their bid to conquer Tephrike had failed.


On paper, it was a victory for the Dominion. However, the loss of life among Dominion followers, Sith and civilians had been staggering. Palmyra had not just been destroyed, it had been irrevocably tainted. Feeling immense guilt about her actions, Mahtara put down her lightsabre and resigned from active service. Eventually the Dominion's descent into madness and zealotry would force her to return to the forefront.


It soon dawned upon Dominion leaders that the weapon had been even more devastating than they could have anticipated. The huge explosion of Force energy, the huge loss of life and the fact that Jedi and Sith had been throwing around Force power throughout the battle had spawned a dark nexus. When the Dominion dispatched search parties to look for survivors, they came back twisted, or not at all. Entire units were lost. The radiation caused physical deformities, while the psychic energies caused visitors to lose their mind. Grandmaster Norn Astur declared Palmyra to be a forbidden zone, ordering the creation of the Shield of Light outpost. The radiation forced the Dominion to set up the bast at the very edge of the quarantine zone. Attempts were also made to erect a containment wall to prevent the spread of radiation. However, this effort soon foundered due to lack of tech and funds and so the wall remained flawed.


The Dominion tried to purify the nexus, devoting several Jedi Masters to the task, but many lacked true purity in the Light. Moreover, the nexus was too strong to be altered. Some Jedi found themselves trapped, reliving the battle until they were unable to separate truth from illusion. Thus the Dominion had to settle for quarantine, especially in the face of Vaderite attempts to claim the nexus. Successive Sith Lords contested the nexus, for the dark cult considered it holy ground. The psychic energies and the radiation probably hurt both groups just as much - or even more - as the actual fighting between them. Darth Impaler once rid himself of a troublesome rival by ordering him to take the province the nexus was in with a woefully under-equipped force, knowing that his enemy would be unable to resist the temptation of claiming Palmyra's Wail. Darth Blitz was convinced he could harness the power of the nexus. Impaler used his agents to plant the seeds of the idea into his head. However, though a bloodthirsty tyrant, Impaler actually understood the nexus better than his overly ambitious subordinate. Blitz never received the promised troops and met his end. The gambit worked, but also contributed to Impaler's downfall, for the Sith Lord also carried out a purge to rid himself of enemies real and imagined. His underlings, fearful that they might be marched to the gallows next, conspired against him.


By the time the Netherworld Event began, the Shield of Light outpost was in a bad shape. As part of their Hundred Days Offensive, the Republican Guard assaulted it. In contrast to the Dominion and the Vaderites, the Guard was composed of Non-Force-Users who considered the Force to be a curse. Fearful that the Jedi or Sith might utilise the nexus to bring forth horrors, they targeted it. Lacking Force-Users, the Guard was obviously unable to even make the attempt to cleanse or contain it. Moreover, their soldiers suffered from the negative effects of the nexus, causing many to get lost, lose their mind or suffer physical deformities. Thus the Guard contended itself with manning the outpost with Vong and other Force Dead soldiers and researchers. The Shield of Light was renamed Fort Vigilance.


The grand offensive against the Dominion failed and the Guard was driven back, but it stubbornly clung to the outpost, even after it became difficult to reinforce the garrison and supply it with provisons. So great was the fear that Force-Users might be drawn to the nexus and inevitably be corrupted by its power and tempted to unleash evil upon the world. Freak weather patterns made it difficult to resupply the garrison, though they also impeded Dominion or Vaderite attempts to overrun it.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Medium size, I think.
Low security; mention some land mines and RG security troops.
Points of interest, maybe mention the ruins of a few old buildings like the ancient Jedi Temple, government house and a big square.

"The Vaderites regrouped at Castle Maysaf, but their bid to conquert Tephrike had failed."

conquer

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


1. I am uncertain re security. Strictly speaking it's not that difficult to get there. The RG garrison is small and underfunded, like the Night's Watch. But the place itself is super dangerous - freak weather patterns, psychic mind frakking, radiation.


2.

Re points of interest, any specific ideas for how to flesh them out?

And connect them to the various effects of the nexus.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Some image suggestions:

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/29389c4b-71ae-4d7c-af48-52928eb68520/d393w28-2f108180-6fe4-4dec-a22e-f6e31b060cc7.png/v1/fill/w_900,h_507,q_80,strp/destroyed_city_by_danielquigley_d393w28-fullview.jpg
http://best-sci-fi-books.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Post-Apocalyptic_Cityscape_600.jpg
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fateoftheworld/images/7/7e/Ruined_city_w.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110329021946
https://fun-other.ambient-mixer.com/images_template/3/7/b/37b41e27e6ae184851c90c2e6c14ed3a_full.jpg

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

I think security only covers things preventing you getting there. Therefore low seems appropriate because there ARE some security, but very little.

Points of interest:

• Show mirages of the battle at the Jedi Temple especially. The Jedi and Sith fighting for all eternity.
• The square appears normal and undamaged but as one approaches they feel an overwhelming despair and they see the reality. This may even be the epicentre so it's easy to fall into the crater or a pit caused by the blast.
• Government house or palace perhaps has whispering voices from across the time.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Images look very cool. Particularly the first two.


1. I am uncertain re security. Strictly speaking it's not that difficult to get there. The RG garrison is small and underfunded, like the Night's Watch. But the place itself is super dangerous - freak weather patterns, psychic mind frakking, radiation.


2.

Re points of interest, any specific ideas for how to flesh them out?

And connect them to the various effects of the nexus.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


1. I feel like saying the nexus is Large because the template makes it sound like Medium is just like a lake or one big building.


2. It occurs to me that prior to the Jedi coup, there was a Bloody Sunday type incident in the city. 'Cossacks' opened fire on protesters when they tried to present their petition to Parliament. A young Mahtara and a bunch of Paddies/Younglings were among the victims. Incorporate this somehow?


Speaking of Parliament, the first Jedi Lord later gave a Cromwell esque speech after the coup, sending the legislators packing after denouncing them as corrupt.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Yes, see the massacre, that's good.

Hmm, the scales are pretty wildly inclusive. Large covers something massive like a planet or Valley of the Jedi. Either is fine, but medium sounds more reasonable.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Ideas for how to further flesh out Tephrike?

Be it through NPC, Unit, Lore or Location subs.

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Nothing comes immediately to mind. Will consider.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Have you done an elite 'Republican Guard' unit for the Dominion? Like the blue guards from the prequels?