Badass Bookworm
The Lands and Features of Tephrike
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
This positive feeling is not shared by any of the three major warring factions who learned of it. The Republican Guard called it dangerous for revealing potential secrets. The Disciples of Vader meanwhile referred to it as 'Hypocritical Jedi propaganda'. Whilst ironically the Dominion of Light called it a 'Product of the Dark Side' and placed it on the restricted works list.
There has been great interest in certain niche circles about this isolated world and its unique Jedi, Sith and anti-Force traditions. The Disciples of Vader particularly have been ridiculed for their farcical reverence of Darth Vader…though one foolish individual who went to join them perished within days, shot as a spy. Others who feel the galactic Sith have become 'too soft' have also journeyed to the Disciples of Vader. Most are quickly disabused of their naïve views, but so far one Sith has been accepted from those arrivals. The rest have not been heard from again. Phylis is entirely unsurprised by this turn of events and takes no responsibility for it – she clearly puts in the book that she does not support anyone visiting the planet!
Several groups of anti-Force users have seen it as further proof that the Force is an evil which must be removed from the hands of leaders. Certain groups, with no proof, have accused Phylis of manufacturing 'smear' campaigns against the Republican Guard to make them seem worse than they are. Phylis would reply that she didn't need to make them seem worse than they are when the truth is bad enough.
Jedi Master Gorgus Din, Phylis' eternal nuisance declared that the Dominion of Light, whilst errant in some matters, did have some good ideas. Phylis sometimes wonders why she bothers….
FORMAT INFORMATION
The paper version is a large and heavy tome, but is made ruggedly so it can survive mistreatment and wear. It features a large detachable version of the map, with one side showing the world, the other showing maps of certain key areas such as Vortanstad, Nexus City and Adlerberg.
The electronic version is the preferred version as it features larger and more detailed maps as well as indexing and in-volume glossary. It also is periodically updated and revised as new information comes in.
Both versions contain the appendix listing certain important persons and events.
CONTENT INFORMATION
Lands and Features is laid out rather conventionally for an atlas.
The Prologue contains information about the work, Phylis' reasons for writing it, and her clear goals for doing so. It also contains a 'History as Tephrike Believes It' section which lays out the fundamental lies which are common belief on the planet, and those unique to certain groups. This section is important as it helps explain much of what happens later in the work.
Section 1 contains a discussion of the landforms, climate and morphology of Tephrike. The large single continent with attendant islands has had a great impact on history and current events in Tephrike. The Republican Guard's southern holdings are by and in the water which suits a group with a large amount of aquatic beings. The Disciples of Vader's eastern holdings are mostly tropical and features a lot of mountains, swamps and dense jungle which has shaped their evolution. Finally the Dominion of Light's northern and eastern holdings are largely more temperate and suitable for larger populations.
Section 2 contains a history of Tephrike from first founding during the days of the Old Republic until the present. It contains as much information as possible on the chaos of the Gulag Virus, the civil wars and break up of the planet into component pieces. It includes all the way up to Elpsis' expedition and the aftermath.
Section 3 covers the Dominion of Light, the Jedi Theocracy which rules about 45% of the planet's land surface. It discusses the origins, course of events and current incarnation of the Dominion. It also contains a list of Grand Masters and a write-up on Mahtara, the Battlemaster and de facto leader of the Dominion. Phylis did contact the Battlemaster for a holo-interview but was turned down. A sociological breakdown of the use of clones and the dystopian methods of control used are also listed.
Section 4 covers the Disciples of Vader, the Sith Imperialist Dictatorship which rules about 35% of the planet's land surface. It again goes into the history and contains a list of Dark Lords of the Sith. The laws and practices of the Sith are also mentioned here, laying out flatly all the lies and hypocrisy.
Section 5 covers the Republican Guard, an alien insurgency seeking to carve out its own state in the south west. Currently the RG controls about 10% of the land surface, but being aquatic they also have underwater bases scattered over the planet. The work discusses the history, especially the recent history of the Guard. There is a special section on the recent Battle of Fortress Purity which features maps and testimony from those involved. A discussion of the anti-Force brainwashing and 'cures' used are also presented.
Section 6 covers the remaining 10% of the planet not held by any major power. This includes the large neutral area around Palmyra's Wail, a massive Force rift caused by arcane weapons centuries before. It also includes areas held by splinter Jedi and Sith groups. It however completely omits the mention of the Light Sith after Phylis conversed with one of their agents and agreed to not mention them.
Section 7 digs in deeper to discuss certain famous, infamous or noteworthy locations on the planet, with a special emphasis on Force nexuses or other such phenomena.
A final epilogue summarises the work and reiterates that her job is to report accurately on matters, and she neither condones or supports anything done by the people on the planet. She concludes with acknowledgements and a list of further contacts.
An appendix condenses the list of various leaders, a timeline, glossary and a 'Tephrike fake history' timeline with the false events believed by various groups marked.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Phylis Alince was not present during the expedition to Tephrike, but she certainly knew about the aftermath. The historian and anthropologist in her was fascinated by the stories she heard of Tephrike…and horrified of course! Therefore, knowing that future contact might well be planned by Firemane or others she decided to investigate and perhaps create a work to assist with this.
Therefore, after almost six months of extensive research and another three months of compilation she was able to release the work. At first released just as a holobook she produced a limited number of printed versions, though these were quite heavy and naturally lacked the indexing found in electronic version.
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a work to show a map I designed of the custom planet of Tephrike, but also give something for my bookworm to do. The IC work contains many more features, cities and locations than is included on the map, and they might be updated as more linked submissions are made.
- Image Credit: Map made by me! Labels with an * are ones which are hidden and thus not in the IC work but are mapped for OOC usage. Temple of the Fallen Grace should be also marked with a * but was not because it was missed. A larger version of the image is available here. The map is intended to be 100km to the hex.
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: @Elpis Kerrigan worked closely with me to create this map.
- Links: Swamp of the Martyred Forsaken , Atoll Base , Red Coral City , Nexus City , Palmyra's Wail , Adlerberg , Fortress Solidarity , Synorostad , Forest of Serenity , Camp Sanctuary Refugee Facility , Field of the Shadowed Fates , Ausrine Redoubt , Vortanstad/City of Harmonious Industry , Hope Falls , Temple of the Fallen Grace , Academy of the Scions of the Vader , Castle Maysaf , Ruhewald , Bastions of the Impenetrable Faith , Tranquillity , Bone Forest & Sentinel's Rest are located on Chios on the map. Camp Progress & the Prosperity Quarter and located in Adlerberg.
- General links: Dominion of Light, Disciples of the Vader, Republican Guard, Tephrike , The Unchained .
- GENERAL INFORMATION
- Media Name: The Lands and Features of Tephrike; A Gazetteer and Atlas of this Troubled World. (Sadly, Phylis has been infected by the curse of the florid names of Tephrike!)
- Format: Normally in holobook format, a limited number of paper copies have been published.
- Distribution: Scattered. Phylis' publishing works are not widely distributed and are very niche. It has been provided free of charge to any emigrants from Tephrike, as well as made available to Firemane along with other notes in case required for a renewed campaign.
- Length: Long. The whole work goes into considerable detail about the landforms, settlements, features and political makeup of Tephrike. Along with attached maps and illustrations it is a considerable work.
- Description: Lands and Features (as it is shortened to) is a combination of atlas, gazetteer, historical work and list of curiosities. Its main goal is the educate those in the galaxy interested in this unique situation, but also provide detailed information to people from Tephrike. Much information on the planet is hidden behind veils of propaganda, mistruth or faulty research and so this might be the most accurate information an exile might find about their own planet!
- SOCIAL INFORMATION
- Author: Phylis Alince, with help from the Unchained, Elpsis Kerrigan and other exiles as well as Firemane satellites and records.
- Publisher: Radiant Light Alkahest Emporium
- Reception: Lands and Features contains the best research done by a non-native of Tephrike in 4 centuries. However, it cannot feature every secret especially as all the factions of the world are at war.
This positive feeling is not shared by any of the three major warring factions who learned of it. The Republican Guard called it dangerous for revealing potential secrets. The Disciples of Vader meanwhile referred to it as 'Hypocritical Jedi propaganda'. Whilst ironically the Dominion of Light called it a 'Product of the Dark Side' and placed it on the restricted works list.
There has been great interest in certain niche circles about this isolated world and its unique Jedi, Sith and anti-Force traditions. The Disciples of Vader particularly have been ridiculed for their farcical reverence of Darth Vader…though one foolish individual who went to join them perished within days, shot as a spy. Others who feel the galactic Sith have become 'too soft' have also journeyed to the Disciples of Vader. Most are quickly disabused of their naïve views, but so far one Sith has been accepted from those arrivals. The rest have not been heard from again. Phylis is entirely unsurprised by this turn of events and takes no responsibility for it – she clearly puts in the book that she does not support anyone visiting the planet!
Several groups of anti-Force users have seen it as further proof that the Force is an evil which must be removed from the hands of leaders. Certain groups, with no proof, have accused Phylis of manufacturing 'smear' campaigns against the Republican Guard to make them seem worse than they are. Phylis would reply that she didn't need to make them seem worse than they are when the truth is bad enough.
Jedi Master Gorgus Din, Phylis' eternal nuisance declared that the Dominion of Light, whilst errant in some matters, did have some good ideas. Phylis sometimes wonders why she bothers….
FORMAT INFORMATION
The paper version is a large and heavy tome, but is made ruggedly so it can survive mistreatment and wear. It features a large detachable version of the map, with one side showing the world, the other showing maps of certain key areas such as Vortanstad, Nexus City and Adlerberg.
The electronic version is the preferred version as it features larger and more detailed maps as well as indexing and in-volume glossary. It also is periodically updated and revised as new information comes in.
Both versions contain the appendix listing certain important persons and events.
CONTENT INFORMATION
Lands and Features is laid out rather conventionally for an atlas.
The Prologue contains information about the work, Phylis' reasons for writing it, and her clear goals for doing so. It also contains a 'History as Tephrike Believes It' section which lays out the fundamental lies which are common belief on the planet, and those unique to certain groups. This section is important as it helps explain much of what happens later in the work.
Section 1 contains a discussion of the landforms, climate and morphology of Tephrike. The large single continent with attendant islands has had a great impact on history and current events in Tephrike. The Republican Guard's southern holdings are by and in the water which suits a group with a large amount of aquatic beings. The Disciples of Vader's eastern holdings are mostly tropical and features a lot of mountains, swamps and dense jungle which has shaped their evolution. Finally the Dominion of Light's northern and eastern holdings are largely more temperate and suitable for larger populations.
Section 2 contains a history of Tephrike from first founding during the days of the Old Republic until the present. It contains as much information as possible on the chaos of the Gulag Virus, the civil wars and break up of the planet into component pieces. It includes all the way up to Elpsis' expedition and the aftermath.
Section 3 covers the Dominion of Light, the Jedi Theocracy which rules about 45% of the planet's land surface. It discusses the origins, course of events and current incarnation of the Dominion. It also contains a list of Grand Masters and a write-up on Mahtara, the Battlemaster and de facto leader of the Dominion. Phylis did contact the Battlemaster for a holo-interview but was turned down. A sociological breakdown of the use of clones and the dystopian methods of control used are also listed.
Section 4 covers the Disciples of Vader, the Sith Imperialist Dictatorship which rules about 35% of the planet's land surface. It again goes into the history and contains a list of Dark Lords of the Sith. The laws and practices of the Sith are also mentioned here, laying out flatly all the lies and hypocrisy.
Section 5 covers the Republican Guard, an alien insurgency seeking to carve out its own state in the south west. Currently the RG controls about 10% of the land surface, but being aquatic they also have underwater bases scattered over the planet. The work discusses the history, especially the recent history of the Guard. There is a special section on the recent Battle of Fortress Purity which features maps and testimony from those involved. A discussion of the anti-Force brainwashing and 'cures' used are also presented.
Section 6 covers the remaining 10% of the planet not held by any major power. This includes the large neutral area around Palmyra's Wail, a massive Force rift caused by arcane weapons centuries before. It also includes areas held by splinter Jedi and Sith groups. It however completely omits the mention of the Light Sith after Phylis conversed with one of their agents and agreed to not mention them.
Section 7 digs in deeper to discuss certain famous, infamous or noteworthy locations on the planet, with a special emphasis on Force nexuses or other such phenomena.
A final epilogue summarises the work and reiterates that her job is to report accurately on matters, and she neither condones or supports anything done by the people on the planet. She concludes with acknowledgements and a list of further contacts.
An appendix condenses the list of various leaders, a timeline, glossary and a 'Tephrike fake history' timeline with the false events believed by various groups marked.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Phylis Alince was not present during the expedition to Tephrike, but she certainly knew about the aftermath. The historian and anthropologist in her was fascinated by the stories she heard of Tephrike…and horrified of course! Therefore, knowing that future contact might well be planned by Firemane or others she decided to investigate and perhaps create a work to assist with this.
Therefore, after almost six months of extensive research and another three months of compilation she was able to release the work. At first released just as a holobook she produced a limited number of printed versions, though these were quite heavy and naturally lacked the indexing found in electronic version.
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