- Location
- Florida
Honestly the Omakes about Darra and Riphath have been some of my favorite in the story and I hope more come out some just as much as I hope Snark posts soon.
May The Invisible Hand Be With You - (Star Wars CK2-Style Quest)
- Thread starter Dr. Snark
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
-
- Tags
- star wars canon what canon tsundere dice ck2 quest actions have consequences all the credits all work and no play makes ciaran a dull girl best sister capitalism ho! despairing qm teetotaller society member gotta catch 'em all insanity looting off the rails sage dice approaching spicy sheev tsundere asajj
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
I've written plenty of Invincible Heroes in my youth. The line between Boring Invincible Hero and Showy Invincible Hero is hard to stay on the right side of. While I like a well-written Cape, they can become Boring Invincible Heroes pretty easily. The character would need to have a lot of STUFF go on in his life for him to become a Cowl or a Byronic Hero.
I settled on Classical Anti-Hero as a means of avoiding the Boring vs Showy problem.
(This may also have been related to my being in a medical professional program where I wasn't confident and some of it leaked through or being recently married and trying to figure out the "being an adult" thing.)
(Omake) Conversations With Dead People Pt. 2 (Canon)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Conversations with Dead People
Part II
Serenno
The Dookus of Serenno were known for their composure, their cool under pressure and their ability to maintain at least some control over the situation at hand. Even before he truly claimed his mantle or gained relations with the rest of the family, Count Dooku had carried on those traditions in the Jedi Order. He was known for being unflappable even in his crèche days, being asked more than once well into adulthood if he had been born at the age of 55. Now, in his eighties, his jaw firmly dislodged and striving to reach the floor, that composure fled him completely.
Qui-Gon Jinn glowed slightly as like a hologram, but at once fainter and more substantial than that. Dooku had no illusions about the reality of the other man's presence—the ever-present impertinent air around his smile could not be replicated in any way, even from a holo image. More than fifteen years had passed since he'd last laid eyes on his former apprentice, yet here he was without a day more of age upon him. It was wildly unfair. "Padawan," Dooku greeted him. "It has been some time."
"It has been some time since you were open to hearing anything I have to say, Master," Qui-Gon replied.
The arch look on his face was as exasperating as ever. Dooku found himself grinding his teeth before he realized what he was doing, the long-forgotten habit rearing its head in the presence of its inspiration. "Not even thirty seconds in my presence and already the reproach begins," he said through teeth firmly gritted as to prevent the reflexive grinding. He'd almost forgotten how easily Qui-Gon could locate his last nerve and proceed to get on it.
The phantom shrugged. "I've been in your presence far longer than that, old friend. Merely sensed the opportunity to present myself in the last few moments."
Had he really. "Had I ever given you the impression that I did not place significant value my privacy or solitude?"
"Perhaps. Had I ever given you the impression that I paid such things any mind when there was a greater need?"
"Your definition of 'greater need' always left much to be desired, Qui-Gon," his master's lecturing tone coming out. "Permission to get a restricted text out of the library, wanting to wander into the undercity, all sufficient reasons, according to you, to intrude on my solitude. So what deserving cause have you found this time, apprentice?"
"You."
"…come again?"
Now came the smile, the one that almost always managed to lessen or soothe the ruffled feathers that Qui-Gon had such a talent at creating.
"This is a dangerous time for you, my Master," Qui-Gon said, "where you stand upon the edge of a vibroblade between your present path and your potential path. Stray but a little and you would fail, to the ruin of all."
Dooku scoffed. "Are you certain you're not a projection of my own mind? If you are, even for me I seem awfully full of myself. I have no illusions about my presence and consequence in this war, and important a figure as I am, I'm certainly not so arrogant as to think my choices will have impacts that far."
"I speak not of your figurehead position in this pointless war," Qui-Gon chastised, "but of your position in the endless war. The ceaseless struggle between change and decay, between order and chaos, between darkness and light. And as to what I am," he walked to Dooku and laid a hand on his former master's shoulder. Or moved to, anyway. A ghostly sensation existed, but it was not the weight of a hand on his shoulder while clearly also not an illusion. "I am no hallucination nor manifestation of your mind."
"What exactly are you, Padawan?" Dooku stared both at and through Qui-Gon's hand. It was disconcerting, even more than the average interaction with Master Jinn could be.
"A specter of my former self, a manifestation of my essence that exists within the Living Force, forevermore."
"Life, everlasting?"
"After a fashion."
"You've managed to come across the ultimate goal of the Sith, Padawan," Dooku mused.
"And yet they can never achieve it," Qui-Gon responded. At his master's curious look, he elaborated. "It comes through the release of self, not the exaltation of self. It comes through compassion, not greed."
"Yet there are Sith specters that live on," Dooku argued.
"They are but echoes of a shout in the dark, an impact crater that leaves an impression but no true representation of itself." Qui-Gon shook his head. "They do not join the Force, they cling to the physical world, and as a result they're cut off from both, forcing madness upon what remains."
"I understand a sane one exists." He was not quite willing to concede the point.
"One. One that had no fear of death nor slavish devotion to Sith ideals. Not exactly the best case for your argument, Master," Qui-Gon smiled frustratingly.
"Well, let that aside for now, Padawan," Dooku said, implicitly admitting defeat in that spar. "You're not my conscience as if I were in some child's story, no 'angel' nor 'demon' upon my shoulder, yet you would have me believe I have supreme importance in the everlasting battle between Jedi and Sith."
"I never said Jedi and Sith, Master."
Dooku offered an impressive glower. "It was all but implied, my erstwhile apprentice."
As it almost always had been, to Qui-Gon the glower was just so much water off a Mon Cal's back. It was deeply irritating. "It was explicitly left out, Master, and I had reason why. They are not the only sides in this war, nor do they neatly correspond to one side or the other. And where you now stand, you are presented with paths that leave you where you are or lead you to a new age."
"You're speaking in riddles, Padawan, and I would have you speak plainly," Dooku gritted out.
Qui-Gon's head tilted. "It's not my place to lead you by the nose, old friend. You have to make the choice yourself. But I can dance around the point a little less. Despite the infinite varieties and faces of this war, in this your path is clear. You are in a position to allow the systems you have always critiqued to collapse like a dying star, crushing all within and dooming all in its reach…or take bold action and help guide the change into a bright new body with a long future."
His eyes narrowed. "It's everything you've always wanted, Master Dooku."
"You know nothing of me, Qui-Gon Jinn!" He bellowed as his frustration and anger fueled crackling lightning from his fingertips. The bolts passed through his former Padawan harmlessly, impacting the bookshelf beyond and probably destroying valuable books in the process.
"You will have a significantly harder time wounding me with words or any other weapon, Master," the phantom wryly said, "given my present state."
Was there a way to expel Force ghosts? He hadn't even really heard of such things beyond some Sith phantoms before today, and certainly never such thing as a light-side Force ghost. His considerable mind and substantial recollection were coming up short in this moment and it was becoming inconvenient.
"You said yourself, Master, you are a self-aware man. You see the decay that saturates the galaxy, you know that the present system is both unwilling and unable to respond, and you want to change the galaxy, save it even. And you'd like to be recognised for it. And I don't fault you for that, old friend," Qui-Gon smiled. "Your role should be known, whether it be for good or for doom. But it should not be for doom."
Dooku sighed. "Are you going to try and convince me that the Sith mean 'doom' and the Jedi mean 'good'? Spare me."
"I would never waste your time that way. I would convince you that the path you are on leads to doom, and that the path you are considering leads to good."
"You said yourself you are not a part of nor in my mind, Padawan, so you cannot know what I am considering."
"I've been here and paying attention, though. You said that the 'course correction' imposed by your Sith Master would be better than doing nothing. I don't think you truly believe that, certainly not anymore, if you ever did in the first place."
"I don't have another option, Qui-Gon," Dooku sighed.
"Don't you?" The Force specter arched an eyebrow. "You have allies, even now, that reject the previous order and would resist your Master's plot at the same time. Could you not further align yourself with them?" Even for his former Padawan, the suggestion was astonishing in its impertinence. Apparently seizing on Dooku's pause, Qui-Gon continued, "Perhaps you have as much to learn from her as she has to learn from you. And together, the two of you might forge a new path forward that relies neither on stasis nor destruction."
The Count chewed his tongue, one more terrible habit that he had never fully rid himself of even after the apprentice that caused it had left his side. Finally, he managed simply, "How?"
System MZX32905
The galaxy was a wide and storied place, with more named systems, worlds and settlements than any one person could completely remember. It was rare, then, to encounter a place that did not have a name, let alone a whole system of bodies with no names at all, he mused as he looked out the cockpit to the asteroid field beyond. Yet, here it existed. Utterly unremarkable and forgettable.
A perfect place, Dooku supposed, to hide a secret base. Especially when one was not nearly so self-aggrandizing as other members of one's line.
Welcome Home
He could feel a strange mix of trepidation and excitement, as though an entirely new and undiscovered path stretched out before him. He could easily sense, almost touch the Force energy coming from a large iron asteroid within the belt as he approached, confirming to him that this was his final destination.
His comm crackled as the ship's HUD lit up with as much alarm as a non-sentient machine could muster. "We have you on our screen now. There are exactly twenty-five planetary defensive batteries locked onto your vessel. You will identify yourself and your intentions here immediately. Refusal to do so will result in your obliteration."
"Impressive display," Dooku rumbled, clearly unimpressed. Nevertheless, he complied. "Count Dooku of Serenno, seeking to parlay with the owner."
For a long moment, one that almost caused him concern, there was nothing. Then the HUD stopped panicking and returned to an unencumbered view of the approaching asteroid. The facility he sought was becoming visible as the comm returned, "You are cleared to proceed. You will be met in the hangar bay. Do not deviate from this course."
He didn't dignify that with a response, merely guided his ship down to the hangar bay below. Landing on the deck was not difficult despite the significant number of ships and fighters scattered around – it was clear this hangar had been built and used for much larger craft than any that occupied it now. Taking a deep breath to reassure himself of his purpose, he tapped the ramp release, and began walking down before it had finished descending. At the ramp lowered, his most recent erstwhile apprentice came into view.
Ciaran looked quite shocked at his arrival. Ever the soul of tact, she blurted out, "What're you doing here?"
He briefly considered being up-front with the ominous implications of his most recent interaction with Sidious, but almost as quickly dismissed it for the moment; let ill tidings tell themselves when they be felt, a half-remembered quote came to mind. Instead, an uncertain smile crept across his face. "I've come to work my former pupil on further saber lessons," Dooku intoned, "and to meet with her 'shadow' advisor. I believe he and I have a great deal to talk about."
Part III is forthcoming.
Part II
Serenno
The Dookus of Serenno were known for their composure, their cool under pressure and their ability to maintain at least some control over the situation at hand. Even before he truly claimed his mantle or gained relations with the rest of the family, Count Dooku had carried on those traditions in the Jedi Order. He was known for being unflappable even in his crèche days, being asked more than once well into adulthood if he had been born at the age of 55. Now, in his eighties, his jaw firmly dislodged and striving to reach the floor, that composure fled him completely.
Qui-Gon Jinn glowed slightly as like a hologram, but at once fainter and more substantial than that. Dooku had no illusions about the reality of the other man's presence—the ever-present impertinent air around his smile could not be replicated in any way, even from a holo image. More than fifteen years had passed since he'd last laid eyes on his former apprentice, yet here he was without a day more of age upon him. It was wildly unfair. "Padawan," Dooku greeted him. "It has been some time."
"It has been some time since you were open to hearing anything I have to say, Master," Qui-Gon replied.
The arch look on his face was as exasperating as ever. Dooku found himself grinding his teeth before he realized what he was doing, the long-forgotten habit rearing its head in the presence of its inspiration. "Not even thirty seconds in my presence and already the reproach begins," he said through teeth firmly gritted as to prevent the reflexive grinding. He'd almost forgotten how easily Qui-Gon could locate his last nerve and proceed to get on it.
The phantom shrugged. "I've been in your presence far longer than that, old friend. Merely sensed the opportunity to present myself in the last few moments."
Had he really. "Had I ever given you the impression that I did not place significant value my privacy or solitude?"
"Perhaps. Had I ever given you the impression that I paid such things any mind when there was a greater need?"
"Your definition of 'greater need' always left much to be desired, Qui-Gon," his master's lecturing tone coming out. "Permission to get a restricted text out of the library, wanting to wander into the undercity, all sufficient reasons, according to you, to intrude on my solitude. So what deserving cause have you found this time, apprentice?"
"You."
"…come again?"
Now came the smile, the one that almost always managed to lessen or soothe the ruffled feathers that Qui-Gon had such a talent at creating.
"This is a dangerous time for you, my Master," Qui-Gon said, "where you stand upon the edge of a vibroblade between your present path and your potential path. Stray but a little and you would fail, to the ruin of all."
Dooku scoffed. "Are you certain you're not a projection of my own mind? If you are, even for me I seem awfully full of myself. I have no illusions about my presence and consequence in this war, and important a figure as I am, I'm certainly not so arrogant as to think my choices will have impacts that far."
"I speak not of your figurehead position in this pointless war," Qui-Gon chastised, "but of your position in the endless war. The ceaseless struggle between change and decay, between order and chaos, between darkness and light. And as to what I am," he walked to Dooku and laid a hand on his former master's shoulder. Or moved to, anyway. A ghostly sensation existed, but it was not the weight of a hand on his shoulder while clearly also not an illusion. "I am no hallucination nor manifestation of your mind."
"What exactly are you, Padawan?" Dooku stared both at and through Qui-Gon's hand. It was disconcerting, even more than the average interaction with Master Jinn could be.
"A specter of my former self, a manifestation of my essence that exists within the Living Force, forevermore."
"Life, everlasting?"
"After a fashion."
"You've managed to come across the ultimate goal of the Sith, Padawan," Dooku mused.
"And yet they can never achieve it," Qui-Gon responded. At his master's curious look, he elaborated. "It comes through the release of self, not the exaltation of self. It comes through compassion, not greed."
"Yet there are Sith specters that live on," Dooku argued.
"They are but echoes of a shout in the dark, an impact crater that leaves an impression but no true representation of itself." Qui-Gon shook his head. "They do not join the Force, they cling to the physical world, and as a result they're cut off from both, forcing madness upon what remains."
"I understand a sane one exists." He was not quite willing to concede the point.
"One. One that had no fear of death nor slavish devotion to Sith ideals. Not exactly the best case for your argument, Master," Qui-Gon smiled frustratingly.
"Well, let that aside for now, Padawan," Dooku said, implicitly admitting defeat in that spar. "You're not my conscience as if I were in some child's story, no 'angel' nor 'demon' upon my shoulder, yet you would have me believe I have supreme importance in the everlasting battle between Jedi and Sith."
"I never said Jedi and Sith, Master."
Dooku offered an impressive glower. "It was all but implied, my erstwhile apprentice."
As it almost always had been, to Qui-Gon the glower was just so much water off a Mon Cal's back. It was deeply irritating. "It was explicitly left out, Master, and I had reason why. They are not the only sides in this war, nor do they neatly correspond to one side or the other. And where you now stand, you are presented with paths that leave you where you are or lead you to a new age."
"You're speaking in riddles, Padawan, and I would have you speak plainly," Dooku gritted out.
Qui-Gon's head tilted. "It's not my place to lead you by the nose, old friend. You have to make the choice yourself. But I can dance around the point a little less. Despite the infinite varieties and faces of this war, in this your path is clear. You are in a position to allow the systems you have always critiqued to collapse like a dying star, crushing all within and dooming all in its reach…or take bold action and help guide the change into a bright new body with a long future."
His eyes narrowed. "It's everything you've always wanted, Master Dooku."
"You know nothing of me, Qui-Gon Jinn!" He bellowed as his frustration and anger fueled crackling lightning from his fingertips. The bolts passed through his former Padawan harmlessly, impacting the bookshelf beyond and probably destroying valuable books in the process.
"You will have a significantly harder time wounding me with words or any other weapon, Master," the phantom wryly said, "given my present state."
Was there a way to expel Force ghosts? He hadn't even really heard of such things beyond some Sith phantoms before today, and certainly never such thing as a light-side Force ghost. His considerable mind and substantial recollection were coming up short in this moment and it was becoming inconvenient.
"You said yourself, Master, you are a self-aware man. You see the decay that saturates the galaxy, you know that the present system is both unwilling and unable to respond, and you want to change the galaxy, save it even. And you'd like to be recognised for it. And I don't fault you for that, old friend," Qui-Gon smiled. "Your role should be known, whether it be for good or for doom. But it should not be for doom."
Dooku sighed. "Are you going to try and convince me that the Sith mean 'doom' and the Jedi mean 'good'? Spare me."
"I would never waste your time that way. I would convince you that the path you are on leads to doom, and that the path you are considering leads to good."
"You said yourself you are not a part of nor in my mind, Padawan, so you cannot know what I am considering."
"I've been here and paying attention, though. You said that the 'course correction' imposed by your Sith Master would be better than doing nothing. I don't think you truly believe that, certainly not anymore, if you ever did in the first place."
"I don't have another option, Qui-Gon," Dooku sighed.
"Don't you?" The Force specter arched an eyebrow. "You have allies, even now, that reject the previous order and would resist your Master's plot at the same time. Could you not further align yourself with them?" Even for his former Padawan, the suggestion was astonishing in its impertinence. Apparently seizing on Dooku's pause, Qui-Gon continued, "Perhaps you have as much to learn from her as she has to learn from you. And together, the two of you might forge a new path forward that relies neither on stasis nor destruction."
The Count chewed his tongue, one more terrible habit that he had never fully rid himself of even after the apprentice that caused it had left his side. Finally, he managed simply, "How?"
System MZX32905
The galaxy was a wide and storied place, with more named systems, worlds and settlements than any one person could completely remember. It was rare, then, to encounter a place that did not have a name, let alone a whole system of bodies with no names at all, he mused as he looked out the cockpit to the asteroid field beyond. Yet, here it existed. Utterly unremarkable and forgettable.
A perfect place, Dooku supposed, to hide a secret base. Especially when one was not nearly so self-aggrandizing as other members of one's line.
Welcome Home
He could feel a strange mix of trepidation and excitement, as though an entirely new and undiscovered path stretched out before him. He could easily sense, almost touch the Force energy coming from a large iron asteroid within the belt as he approached, confirming to him that this was his final destination.
His comm crackled as the ship's HUD lit up with as much alarm as a non-sentient machine could muster. "We have you on our screen now. There are exactly twenty-five planetary defensive batteries locked onto your vessel. You will identify yourself and your intentions here immediately. Refusal to do so will result in your obliteration."
"Impressive display," Dooku rumbled, clearly unimpressed. Nevertheless, he complied. "Count Dooku of Serenno, seeking to parlay with the owner."
For a long moment, one that almost caused him concern, there was nothing. Then the HUD stopped panicking and returned to an unencumbered view of the approaching asteroid. The facility he sought was becoming visible as the comm returned, "You are cleared to proceed. You will be met in the hangar bay. Do not deviate from this course."
He didn't dignify that with a response, merely guided his ship down to the hangar bay below. Landing on the deck was not difficult despite the significant number of ships and fighters scattered around – it was clear this hangar had been built and used for much larger craft than any that occupied it now. Taking a deep breath to reassure himself of his purpose, he tapped the ramp release, and began walking down before it had finished descending. At the ramp lowered, his most recent erstwhile apprentice came into view.
Ciaran looked quite shocked at his arrival. Ever the soul of tact, she blurted out, "What're you doing here?"
He briefly considered being up-front with the ominous implications of his most recent interaction with Sidious, but almost as quickly dismissed it for the moment; let ill tidings tell themselves when they be felt, a half-remembered quote came to mind. Instead, an uncertain smile crept across his face. "I've come to work my former pupil on further saber lessons," Dooku intoned, "and to meet with her 'shadow' advisor. I believe he and I have a great deal to talk about."
Part III is forthcoming.
Added a small bit here to the start of the last paragraph, to tie it more directly to the Turn 30 prologue, and to semi-sneakily slip some Shakespeare into canon.
Also, can I point out that I wrote the rest of this in 2019, and called Qui-Gon being a bit of a smug asshole "I've been waiting for you to get on my level" Force ghost even then?
Also, can I point out that I wrote the rest of this in 2019, and called Qui-Gon being a bit of a smug asshole "I've been waiting for you to get on my level" Force ghost even then?
Last edited:
(Omake) Report on the Foundry's Mental Effects (Canon)
Battleship_Fusou
(The Itty-Bitty Pretty Battleship Kitty)
- Location
- Surigao Strait
Oooo nice omake there Marlowe, now let me share one of my own. It's not the one I wanted to write but it's an omake nevertheless and one in-line with most of my previous ones.
While my studies and practice focus mostly upon the direct understanding of sentient minds, this is not the first time I have been called upon to study something outside of that relatively narrow purview. Most often though, this has been limited to the mentality behind organizations and political parties.
In this case, I have studied and attempted to understand the mental influence that The Foundry has upon sentients that board it. As I am not a Force user, nor even the slightest bit sensitive to the Force, I have been forced to rely on the observations of others to determine if the Force is in some way influencing them to my frustration. Not being able to directly acquire data points myself has unfortunately rendered me unable to completely rule out that some form of Force influence that is completely undetectable to the Force-sensitives of the Abyss Watchers is at work. I do not, however, believe the Force to be the primary influence in this situation if it even is one in the first place.
No, I rather pin the blame for this reaction in those upon the station on the physical design of the station itself.
It is well known and understood in medical circles how the environment can have effects upon the mental state of sentient beings. From the slight but simple alterations in the alignment of objects to inaudible waves of infrasound, it is possible to induce thoughts of paranoia and hysteria in individuals as well as outright hallucinations. It is my belief that the desire to use The Foundry is caused by way of similar methods, only ones that have been refined far beyond the current understanding of our medical sciences.
While studying the potential sources and effects of whatever infrasound is present aboard the station exceeds my purview, understanding the effects that the mere design of the station has upon sentient beings does not. To this end, I asked for and received permission to share a carefully curated selection of images of The Foundry with some of my associates under the strictest of confidences.
Among these associates were an architectural historian, a behavioral scientist, an art historian, and a plethora of other degrees from the most prestigious colleges and universities and institutes in the galaxy. In accordance with standard policies, I do understand that these associates will remain under observation for some time to ensure that knowledge of those images does not leak.
With that said, what my colleagues reported back to me as their own observations and beliefs about the structure of the Foundry has only served to confirm my own suspicions about the installation.
This conclusion is that the desire to use the Foundry is something directly inherent in the physical structure of the Foundry.
This is to say that the design of the Foundry encourages the psychological desire to use it. Every line, every corner, every walkway, paint color, odor and lightbulb was put in place in specific positions at specific color frequencies and directions to encourage the desire to use the Foundry. The most basic comparison I could make to help understand this is how simply standing upon the edge of a high location will bring about the same brief urge in nearly all individuals; The urge to jump.
While these responses are drastically different, they are close enough to be understandable parallels. The difference here is that where an individual can see, comprehend, and subsequently dismiss the urge to jump, the Foundry is dozens of orders of magnitude more subtle than the simple edge of a cliff, and is subsequently so much more insidious. In truth, it was Raith Seinar who provided me with the most succinct and comprehensible explanation after I received clearance to explain a bare bit more about the source of those images.
"Ruundal, in truth I had already suspected it beforehand, but the confirmation that those sections of hallway and the like belong to some sort of war machine that Ciarann's group located does not surprise me. What does surprise me, however, is that Thrawn did not pick up on this first as I feel this sort of analysis was more in his wheelhouse than my own given his deep interest in art and design.
That said though, with the larger sample of images and the few holographic blueprints I was provided I now believe I understand how this desire to compulsively use this ship or installation works. The sharp and aggressive lines in corners used so frequently in the construction of this object encourage more aggressive thought patterns, as do the darker interior colors and the color spectrum of the lights. The consequences of which should need no explanation.
The more subtle curves and shadows serve to help direct the mind to follow its current train of thought. This is not necessarily insidious on its own, but becomes much more so when paired with my next observation.
The few examples I was shown of the interface panels are clean and elegant in their simplicity. If I were to physically access them, I have no doubt that system behind them would be almost painfully straightforward and quick to understand in its simplicity. In other words, it is designed to make the user think about just how easy it would be to actually use the systems.
Now when you take these three notes into account, you clearly see that you have a physical design that is meant to encourage darker, more aggressive, and quite possibly more violent thoughts. You have a design that encourages you to think of it as simple, easy to use and easy to understand, and thus easy to master. And finally, you have subtle design elements that encourage the being in charge of this ship or installation to follow their thoughts about said ship or installation to their inevitable conclusion:
That it would be so very simple to use it against the targets of their ire.
Elements of these aesthetics can be seen in almost every design of warship, battle station, and defensive installation ever built from the distant past to the current present and likely into the far distant future.
The Sith designs of the long past Great Galactic War and the still more ancient Sith vessels of the Jedi Civil War were superb examples of the first observation I made of encouraging aggressive thoughts, though this was mostly limited to the fighter craft fielded in the latter case such as the Mark VI Supremacy.In the former example, it is difficult to find a design of vessel that doesn't exhibit crisp lines and aggressively sharp angles. Indeed, to a one nearly all of the Sith small craft of that era -and indeed some of their larger vessels like the Harrower-class dreadnought- feature forward facing wings shaped all too similarly to the claws or talons one would find on an apex predator or a predatory avian. These design elements all served to encourage pilots to be more aggressive and to view their opponents as prey rather than opponents or enemies.
The Old Republic's Centurion-class battlecruisers of the Mandalorian Wars serve as a lesser display of this design school on the outside, but their interiors were much more aggressively designed if what little information about them is any indication.
The Interdictor-class cruisers that saw use under the banners of Revan and Malak in the Jedi Civil War serve to exemplify my second conclusion. Their sharp angles are few and far between, but the long, smooth curves of their hulls encourage both the viewer and the user to imagine something akin to an apex ocean predator... And from there it encourages them to think of just what said predator would do if roused to action. In a way, this serves as both an enhancer of aggression and a deterrent. It boosts the effects of the sharp design elements to encourage aggression while also encouraging potential opponents to imagine what would happen if that aggression were directed their way.
Now, on the subject of ease of use and simplistic design elements, the Sith fighters of the Jedi Civil War are an outstanding example. The few (sometimes partially) preserved examples all demonstrate a clean, utilitarian design philosophy that encourages any user to think that they can use and master the fighter craft. And indeed this is often the case to my understanding given the fact that records state how raw recruits sometimes had less than eight hours of training before being deployed into live combat to surprisingly good results. Their casualty rates were still quite high, but that can be fire attributed to the fact that these fighters lacked any form of shielding rather than poor usage by the pilots.
So as I hope I've made clear, these design elements are not uncommon in the construction of military assets. What is uncommon is the incorporation is all three of them. Even more uncommon is the exclusion of any sort of a diluting aspect that would be caused the personal stylistic preferences of the builders of this object.
And finally, it is entirely unheard of -at least in my experience- for these three elements to be so flawlessly incorporated into one another and optimized to such a ludicrous extent that they produce such a noticeable and inexorable desire in those present.
In short, whatever Ciaran has found, it is nothing less than a weapon, and a weapon designed to encourage its owner to use it. It is fascinating but also deeply disturbing in my opinion Ruundal, and given that this... thing was found and explored by Ciaran... Well, I can only hope that she has recognized its true nature -something which I am encouraged to believe thanks to your contact- and that she keeps the hell away from it.
Dare say, I even hope she destroys it if such a thing is possible, but I've known Ciaran long enough to discount such a possibility. Much more likely in my opinion, is that she has stashed it somewhere far, far away from prying eyes and is saving it for a rainy day. A day which I dare say I hope never comes. This design philosophy does not need the backing of someone with Ciaran's resources.
That said, if you have any more issues like this, please let me know. This was a delightful if deeply unsettling way to spend a decent bit of otherwise boring time."
So while still quite verbose in his explanation, Raith's analysis of the Foundry agrees with my own beliefs and the observations of thirteen other individuals of various educational bents while stating such in a much more concise manner than any of my more academic colleagues.
In short, it is the very physical nature of the Foundry to inspire those aboard to use it and given the orevelance of self repairing systems and Rakatan engineering, I cannot say whether or not a mere redesign of the interior would have any effect on this. In fact, I somehow doubt that there would be any difference for some reason I can only call gut instinct.
Now with my own observations made alongside Raith's summation and rather stringent recommendations for what should be the fate of the Foundry, I hope that this report proves useful to Lady Ciaran and her council.
Final Report on the Mental Influence of Rakatan Artifact Known as 'The Foundry' on the Mind
By Doctor Ruundal Kool
By Doctor Ruundal Kool
While my studies and practice focus mostly upon the direct understanding of sentient minds, this is not the first time I have been called upon to study something outside of that relatively narrow purview. Most often though, this has been limited to the mentality behind organizations and political parties.
In this case, I have studied and attempted to understand the mental influence that The Foundry has upon sentients that board it. As I am not a Force user, nor even the slightest bit sensitive to the Force, I have been forced to rely on the observations of others to determine if the Force is in some way influencing them to my frustration. Not being able to directly acquire data points myself has unfortunately rendered me unable to completely rule out that some form of Force influence that is completely undetectable to the Force-sensitives of the Abyss Watchers is at work. I do not, however, believe the Force to be the primary influence in this situation if it even is one in the first place.
No, I rather pin the blame for this reaction in those upon the station on the physical design of the station itself.
It is well known and understood in medical circles how the environment can have effects upon the mental state of sentient beings. From the slight but simple alterations in the alignment of objects to inaudible waves of infrasound, it is possible to induce thoughts of paranoia and hysteria in individuals as well as outright hallucinations. It is my belief that the desire to use The Foundry is caused by way of similar methods, only ones that have been refined far beyond the current understanding of our medical sciences.
While studying the potential sources and effects of whatever infrasound is present aboard the station exceeds my purview, understanding the effects that the mere design of the station has upon sentient beings does not. To this end, I asked for and received permission to share a carefully curated selection of images of The Foundry with some of my associates under the strictest of confidences.
Among these associates were an architectural historian, a behavioral scientist, an art historian, and a plethora of other degrees from the most prestigious colleges and universities and institutes in the galaxy. In accordance with standard policies, I do understand that these associates will remain under observation for some time to ensure that knowledge of those images does not leak.
With that said, what my colleagues reported back to me as their own observations and beliefs about the structure of the Foundry has only served to confirm my own suspicions about the installation.
This conclusion is that the desire to use the Foundry is something directly inherent in the physical structure of the Foundry.
This is to say that the design of the Foundry encourages the psychological desire to use it. Every line, every corner, every walkway, paint color, odor and lightbulb was put in place in specific positions at specific color frequencies and directions to encourage the desire to use the Foundry. The most basic comparison I could make to help understand this is how simply standing upon the edge of a high location will bring about the same brief urge in nearly all individuals; The urge to jump.
While these responses are drastically different, they are close enough to be understandable parallels. The difference here is that where an individual can see, comprehend, and subsequently dismiss the urge to jump, the Foundry is dozens of orders of magnitude more subtle than the simple edge of a cliff, and is subsequently so much more insidious. In truth, it was Raith Seinar who provided me with the most succinct and comprehensible explanation after I received clearance to explain a bare bit more about the source of those images.
"Ruundal, in truth I had already suspected it beforehand, but the confirmation that those sections of hallway and the like belong to some sort of war machine that Ciarann's group located does not surprise me. What does surprise me, however, is that Thrawn did not pick up on this first as I feel this sort of analysis was more in his wheelhouse than my own given his deep interest in art and design.
That said though, with the larger sample of images and the few holographic blueprints I was provided I now believe I understand how this desire to compulsively use this ship or installation works. The sharp and aggressive lines in corners used so frequently in the construction of this object encourage more aggressive thought patterns, as do the darker interior colors and the color spectrum of the lights. The consequences of which should need no explanation.
The more subtle curves and shadows serve to help direct the mind to follow its current train of thought. This is not necessarily insidious on its own, but becomes much more so when paired with my next observation.
The few examples I was shown of the interface panels are clean and elegant in their simplicity. If I were to physically access them, I have no doubt that system behind them would be almost painfully straightforward and quick to understand in its simplicity. In other words, it is designed to make the user think about just how easy it would be to actually use the systems.
Now when you take these three notes into account, you clearly see that you have a physical design that is meant to encourage darker, more aggressive, and quite possibly more violent thoughts. You have a design that encourages you to think of it as simple, easy to use and easy to understand, and thus easy to master. And finally, you have subtle design elements that encourage the being in charge of this ship or installation to follow their thoughts about said ship or installation to their inevitable conclusion:
That it would be so very simple to use it against the targets of their ire.
Elements of these aesthetics can be seen in almost every design of warship, battle station, and defensive installation ever built from the distant past to the current present and likely into the far distant future.
The Sith designs of the long past Great Galactic War and the still more ancient Sith vessels of the Jedi Civil War were superb examples of the first observation I made of encouraging aggressive thoughts, though this was mostly limited to the fighter craft fielded in the latter case such as the Mark VI Supremacy.In the former example, it is difficult to find a design of vessel that doesn't exhibit crisp lines and aggressively sharp angles. Indeed, to a one nearly all of the Sith small craft of that era -and indeed some of their larger vessels like the Harrower-class dreadnought- feature forward facing wings shaped all too similarly to the claws or talons one would find on an apex predator or a predatory avian. These design elements all served to encourage pilots to be more aggressive and to view their opponents as prey rather than opponents or enemies.
The Old Republic's Centurion-class battlecruisers of the Mandalorian Wars serve as a lesser display of this design school on the outside, but their interiors were much more aggressively designed if what little information about them is any indication.
The Interdictor-class cruisers that saw use under the banners of Revan and Malak in the Jedi Civil War serve to exemplify my second conclusion. Their sharp angles are few and far between, but the long, smooth curves of their hulls encourage both the viewer and the user to imagine something akin to an apex ocean predator... And from there it encourages them to think of just what said predator would do if roused to action. In a way, this serves as both an enhancer of aggression and a deterrent. It boosts the effects of the sharp design elements to encourage aggression while also encouraging potential opponents to imagine what would happen if that aggression were directed their way.
Now, on the subject of ease of use and simplistic design elements, the Sith fighters of the Jedi Civil War are an outstanding example. The few (sometimes partially) preserved examples all demonstrate a clean, utilitarian design philosophy that encourages any user to think that they can use and master the fighter craft. And indeed this is often the case to my understanding given the fact that records state how raw recruits sometimes had less than eight hours of training before being deployed into live combat to surprisingly good results. Their casualty rates were still quite high, but that can be fire attributed to the fact that these fighters lacked any form of shielding rather than poor usage by the pilots.
So as I hope I've made clear, these design elements are not uncommon in the construction of military assets. What is uncommon is the incorporation is all three of them. Even more uncommon is the exclusion of any sort of a diluting aspect that would be caused the personal stylistic preferences of the builders of this object.
And finally, it is entirely unheard of -at least in my experience- for these three elements to be so flawlessly incorporated into one another and optimized to such a ludicrous extent that they produce such a noticeable and inexorable desire in those present.
In short, whatever Ciaran has found, it is nothing less than a weapon, and a weapon designed to encourage its owner to use it. It is fascinating but also deeply disturbing in my opinion Ruundal, and given that this... thing was found and explored by Ciaran... Well, I can only hope that she has recognized its true nature -something which I am encouraged to believe thanks to your contact- and that she keeps the hell away from it.
Dare say, I even hope she destroys it if such a thing is possible, but I've known Ciaran long enough to discount such a possibility. Much more likely in my opinion, is that she has stashed it somewhere far, far away from prying eyes and is saving it for a rainy day. A day which I dare say I hope never comes. This design philosophy does not need the backing of someone with Ciaran's resources.
That said, if you have any more issues like this, please let me know. This was a delightful if deeply unsettling way to spend a decent bit of otherwise boring time."
So while still quite verbose in his explanation, Raith's analysis of the Foundry agrees with my own beliefs and the observations of thirteen other individuals of various educational bents while stating such in a much more concise manner than any of my more academic colleagues.
In short, it is the very physical nature of the Foundry to inspire those aboard to use it and given the orevelance of self repairing systems and Rakatan engineering, I cannot say whether or not a mere redesign of the interior would have any effect on this. In fact, I somehow doubt that there would be any difference for some reason I can only call gut instinct.
Now with my own observations made alongside Raith's summation and rather stringent recommendations for what should be the fate of the Foundry, I hope that this report proves useful to Lady Ciaran and her council.
Last edited:
Habstab
HabStab
- Location
- Richmond, MO
Why hello there everyone. Long time since I've actually said anything in this thread. Well... That's because I started a few quests over on SB. And, one of my players on my SW quest pointed something out. Just told/showed @Publicola what it was, and he quickly found this particular thing:
... Hey, @Dr. Snark, does this means our new Massassi can get some buddies of his own?
But, in all seriousness, I love the fact this was a thing in Legends. It was just... So freaking weird/interesting.
... Hey, @Dr. Snark, does this means our new Massassi can get some buddies of his own?
But, in all seriousness, I love the fact this was a thing in Legends. It was just... So freaking weird/interesting.
@Habstab pointed out something that I hadn't noticed, about the 'Sorcerers of Tund' Force sect.
Namely, the Sorcerers are descended from the Massassi and the Kissai, two offshoots of the Sith species who famously built the temples of Yavin IV. The galaxy now believes the Massassi to be extinct. Thanks to my galaxy survey, we know that there's a surviving Massassi warrior in one of the Temples on Yavin, and in a different temple there's a dimensional prison with several hundred Massassi children. But I didn't realize that there was an entire planet of Massassi somewhere in the galaxy. (Tund has a population of 18 million, 7% of whom are Sith offshoots... that's 1.26 million Massassi still living).
What's more, as the above quote (from here) shows, the Jedi knew about them. They had encountered the 'Sorcerers' some time after the New Sith Wars; they dismissed them as a dark-side cult; and then apparently forgot that the Sorcerers even existed!
Why is this important? Well, for one, the Massassi are naturally attuned to the Force. It's not a matter of chance; a Massassi is born with an instinctual understanding of how to touch the Force. It doesn't mean they're god-tier like Anakin Skywalker, but Force sensitivity is ludicrously rare for the rest of the galaxy (remember: there are 10,000 Jedi for the whole galaxy!) but commonplace for the Massassi.
Another item of interest: the Massassi are naturally attuned to the dark side of the Force. However, this particular group of Massassi left Korriban and Ziost and Yavin and came to Tund specifically because they disagreed with the Sith ideology of power and hatred. So, they're dark-side Force wielders, who emphatically reject the Sith teachings. Sounds like they'd be perfect for us.
Long story short: I want.
@Dr. Snark, can we recruit them?
Namely, the Sorcerers are descended from the Massassi and the Kissai, two offshoots of the Sith species who famously built the temples of Yavin IV. The galaxy now believes the Massassi to be extinct. Thanks to my galaxy survey, we know that there's a surviving Massassi warrior in one of the Temples on Yavin, and in a different temple there's a dimensional prison with several hundred Massassi children. But I didn't realize that there was an entire planet of Massassi somewhere in the galaxy. (Tund has a population of 18 million, 7% of whom are Sith offshoots... that's 1.26 million Massassi still living).
What's more, as the above quote (from here) shows, the Jedi knew about them. They had encountered the 'Sorcerers' some time after the New Sith Wars; they dismissed them as a dark-side cult; and then apparently forgot that the Sorcerers even existed!
Why is this important? Well, for one, the Massassi are naturally attuned to the Force. It's not a matter of chance; a Massassi is born with an instinctual understanding of how to touch the Force. It doesn't mean they're god-tier like Anakin Skywalker, but Force sensitivity is ludicrously rare for the rest of the galaxy (remember: there are 10,000 Jedi for the whole galaxy!) but commonplace for the Massassi.
Another item of interest: the Massassi are naturally attuned to the dark side of the Force. However, this particular group of Massassi left Korriban and Ziost and Yavin and came to Tund specifically because they disagreed with the Sith ideology of power and hatred. So, they're dark-side Force wielders, who emphatically reject the Sith teachings. Sounds like they'd be perfect for us.
Long story short: I want.
@Dr. Snark, can we recruit them?
- Location
- Australia
How is Anakin god-tier? I've got the impression that he's supposed to be from what I've been told, but what I've been shown is someone on the level of a Jedi Master, maybe better than an average one but not to an overwhelming degree. Sidious and Yoda seemed a bunch more powerful.
Nicholas Brooks
Redeemer and Destroyer
- Location
- United States
His raw power is immense and he's arguably the greatest Form V user in history aside from maybe Luke. If he had trained more and had greater discipline, he would have been strong enough to kill Palpatine by the time his kids were born.
- Location
- Too Deep in the Midnight Sea
This charade has gone on for too long! I propose we officially appoint Publicola Chief Librarian of the Star Wars Archives! Who's with me?Why hello there everyone. Long time since I've actually said anything in this thread. Well... That's because I started a few quests over on SB. And, one of my players on my SW quest pointed something out. Just told/showed @Publicola what it was, and he quickly found this particular thing:
... Hey, @Dr. Snark, does this means our new Massassi can get some buddies of his own?
But, in all seriousness, I love the fact this was a thing in Legends. It was just... So freaking weird/interesting.
EFW3
This is Walter Wireless signing off!
- Location
- Charleston
Why does he need sanity, he has tea
- Location
- At the Edge of Insanity
provides tea
Stares at his tea
Don't tempt me. I've had an idea for about a month. Not for this quest, but still.
Just no idea how to structure mechanics and plot. Again.
- Location
- yorkshire
I find the alerts a game of roulette
Yeah, I honestly prefer the old one.
- Location
- nowhere
ditto the new interface sucks and hurts the eyes
- Location
- Tromso, Norway.
Would be nicer if it filtered by recently active threads, one of the ones listed in mine right now is "In All Living Things - A Clone Shall Lead Them (Star Wars)", which hasn't been posted in since december 2016.
- Location
- United States
Finally, I caught up! This quest is amazing and I look foward to more @Dr. Snark !
Also I think Ciaran has to meet a certain Jedi that exists during this time
Also I think Ciaran has to meet a certain Jedi that exists during this time
You're not the only one catching up to this thread. In the last two days I've gotten 30+ likes and reactions from @kfrar; I'm glad he's enjoying the quest so much! I hope both of you will join us when the next turn starts, to decide what actions we'll take.
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Thank you for reminding me Almas academy exists. I think a certain character might find it his next adventure, or even have it recommended to him.
He got Knighted for what amounts to political reasons and still doesn't feel like one. That sounds like omake material.
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
...given that we're in 19 BBY, after their current Mistress of Lightsabers loses an arm but before (because I said so) she dies (in OTL anyway; a new and better arm might change that), I even have Riphath's entry almost tailor-made. Sounds like fun.
EDIT: Side note. If we want to do something ABOUT Almas getting ganked, we're running a little short on time. Considering they're an experimental Jedi Academy with a more school-like approach that takes adults who seek them and don't have a stick up their butts, it might be worth doing.
Last edited:
Unrelated to anything going on in the thread at the moment, but I was inspired by @kfrar to re-read the thread, and stumbled on this from one of my 'Briefing the Boss' omakes:
We promised to make Revan's name famous after HK-47 helped us recover the Foundry. We recovered the Foundry, and now we have the Stewardship option to create a holovid dramatizing the life of Revan (coincidentally opening up all kinds of doors to explore the planets where Revan once walked). If we want to keep HK-47 on-hand for the final climactic battle against Palpatine, we should definitely take care of that holovid before the final turn. Frankly, I'd prefer to take care of it next turn, though I'm not sure if that's possible given the 1000 separate Stewardship actions we need to take in the immediate future.
Also, unrelated: the Foundry's automated droid-production would probably be too drastic and too destabilizing to use within the Republic, but unlimited battledroids would be perfect fodder for dealing with the Lovecraftian horror lurking in the Unknown Regions. We should make sure to 'move the Foundry' into Neutral Space that we control, if not next turn then shortly thereafter, so we can start using it against Mnngal-Mnngal.
- Location
- United States
I thought when we gave that ship with the planet killer gun to the Chiss Dr.Snark implied that they were going to use it on that planet that is Mnngal-Mnngal's body.
And other planets that Mnngal-Mnngal has a presence on, if I'm remembering correctly.
Yeah, that's the problem with Mnngal-Mnngal: it's difficult/impossible to say that it's totally eradicated, because while there is a planet it has completely taken over, it's also colonized a number of other worlds, and has attempted to spread to even more. The Chiss have been fighting it for a while, and before them it's strongly implied by the EU that the Celestials created the hyperspace disturbance to block off the Unknown Regions specifically to keep Mnngal-Mnngal at bay. Giving the planet-killer to the Chiss was a huge help for their ongoing war, but it won't be enough to end the war. I mean, the Celestials were powerful enough to transport entire planets through hyperspace (Corellia system), to rearrange black holes on a galactic scale (the Maw), to build superweapons unimaginably more powerful than anything available to the present-day Republic... but their solution to Mnngal-Mnngal was to merely try to quarantine the thing. A single planet-killing superweapon certainly won't be enough to end the war on its own.