that's like saying "Oh, it's fine that Mexico is literally at war with criminals in its own borders, it's only in backwater parts of it that they have tanks shooting at each other!"
or "It's FIIIIINE that Hawaii doesn't actually accept the dollar, no, not even the BANKS."
There may have been a mostly canon omake in the last thread where Ciaran decided to ask Dooku to train her by breaking into his office. The fact that said painting would have gone missing around the same time is most assuredly a coincidence.
Yikes. That's way too familiar for comfort. For all our sakes, Dr. Snark, can you please not make Wesker impossibly hard to kill? I understand he's a handy mini-boss you might want to keep around, but I'd really prefer to put him down for good at some point.
(1) Yorvi's Bad Day, (2) Playing Favorites, (3) The Light Plan, (4) Aggressive Negotiations, (5) The Weakest Link, (6) Let's Go Bowling, (7) Boot to the Face Camp, (8) Down, Set, Hutt.
While I'll no doubt produce a ninth, I'd hate for you to accidentally give me an extra plus ten.
Let's add to the pile then, shall we? Been sitting on this for... a while. Seemed like it was time I post it so I'll stop nitpicking. The audio log format works well for me because it lets me ramble, but finding Thrawn's sense of cadence has been tricky. Still don't think I've nailed it yet, especially since his laconic/succinct style works better in dialogue than something long-form like this. Whatever.
---
Excerpts from Mitth'raw'nuruodo's Assessment of Key Members of the Abyss Watchers Organization
Focus: General Grievous
...Except for Lady Ciaran, the member of the Abyss Watchers I find most useful is Qymaen jai Sheelal, better known by his adopted alias: Grievous. For my assessment, I shall start by examining his homeworld: Kalee, and the Kaleesh people.
The history of the Kaleesh is rife with abuse from outsiders. As an example, not long ago the Republic manipulated them to act as their mercenaries against the Bitthævrians. This act is responsible for a stark increase in the technological level of their weaponry. It was a foolish move by the Republic, and reaffirms to me its ineptitude. History consistently shows that societies are better served by gradual and evenly distributed advancement. Giving starships and blasters to a planet that still uses spears will cause long term problems for both the Kaleesh and their neighbors. Problems that the Abyss Watchers are enabling to their benefit.
But more importantly, the Kaleesh been enslaved multiple times. The most notable of these are their subjugation by the long dead Sith Empire, and their struggles against the Yam'rii (known by the epithet "Huk"). I am having trouble finding more detailed records of their people and planet, but this was expected. They are a low-tech species on a planet of little significance...
...Their warrior-culture is well known by now, but the details of it show a civility that defies stereotypical barbarism. I find their religion to be the most interesting. It is not based on omnipotent deities who govern the aspects of the world; instead it is a celebration of their greatest heroes. The majority of their gods are worshiped for being profound warriors, but they also revere the wisest of their rulers and their religious leaders. I have found both Kaleesh Jedi and Kaleesh Sith in their pantheon, and a few members I suspect may not be from Kalee at all. They are a fairly pious people; attacking those on pilgrimages is one of the gravest crimes a Kaleesh can commit, and is surpassed only by defiling graves and other holy sites.
Honor is essential to the Kaleesh. Most of their wars revolve around a tribe's honor. Whether an opponent is "honorable" is the difference between respect and hatred. The Huk show how much of a difference that makes. They treat most of their opponents with dignity as their honor demands, but also because of a general belief in equality. Gender equality on Kalee exceeds that of many other societies in the galaxy...
...The Kaleesh have a strong sense of order. They have a clear set of guidelines for major political decisions, and they obey the outcomes. There is also a coordination among all the tribes with regards to their pantheon. Among many species with this sort of system, there will be disparities. Tribes favor their ancestors, but they don't dispute who has or has not ascended to godhood. The intricacies of their shamans' rituals are a closely guarded secret, but they are clearly coordinated to a sophisticated extent. This is the framework the Kaleesh use when they need to unite their tribes, and it is just as effective.
Furthermore, as the path to godhood is through great deeds, their culture is individualistic. Each Kaleesh seeks to prove themselves worthy. Yet they can still unify, follow orders, and act as a unit. They have both a desire for individual achievement, and an understanding of the values of cooperation. I hypothesize that this is a remnant of a slave mentality, which makes the subjugated cruelly aware of their faults. But if paired with a leader they respect as Greater, they will be unquestioningly obedient and have unbreakable morale. This makes them exceptional soldiers...
...But these are the complexities of their society. At their base they are still a warlike people. Killing is a small crime on Kalee. Their codes of "honor" are not chivalric or benevolent; they are based on their bloody path to godhood. Failing to make the distinction is a deadly mistake. There are no great Kaleesh philosophers, diplomats, or artists. There are some in their pantheon known to be "peacemakers", but these warriors created peace only by forcing the enemy to submission or destruction. The closest thing to a true peacemaker I can find in their history is Abesmi lij Tykan, the first of their gods, who achieved "peace" by inflicting the notion of honor among the tribes, and setting the norms for warfare. And even so, she only was able to bend the tribes to obey her decrees after proving to be an exceptional warlord. While there is no specific number as a threshold, a sizable kill-count is the simplest way to achieve godhood. But they are not picky with how you kill your enemies. Cunning is valued as much as valor, but only if you get the kill. And, of course, war is celebrated on this planet...
...I assumed Grievous' alias referred to his brutality and severity. However, I learned that Grievous is not meant in the sense of "a grievous wound", but instead "to grieve", in reference to a lost loved one. It is sentimental. Some will dismiss this as Grievous simply being a "civilized" anomaly; the same excuse for his strategic acumen - an acumen vastly superior to many leaders of "civilized" species. But this is bigotry, and ignores what the Kaleesh truly are. Grief, compassion, and related feelings are not considered weak. Grievous' soldiers respect him all the same for it, if not moreso. These people have not lost their sense of humanity.
The Ascendancy would call the Kaleesh a tragic species: driven to war by the harshness of their homeworld and the brutality of the Huk. They would declare their sense of fraternity to be base, and their sense of empathy discarded. They would declare Grievous, the quintessential brutal warlord, as the great avatar of this fact. Some Chiss may express pity, but I know far too well that most of the Ascendancy would write off the Kaleesh as nothing but savages and barbarians.
We Chiss have the good fortune of being isolated, and are the masters of our fate. We have never been the victim of other worlds, which is why the Ascendency banned aggression and preventative strikes for two thousand years. We rarely deal with foreigners. And so the Ascendancy can not understand that the Kaleesh do not fight as a desperate, unenlightened, measure, and Grievous is not driven by tragedy. He fights not for vengeance or penance, but for glory. They are a species that lacks agency, and must take it by force. War is not a necessity, it is progress...
...This may give the impression that I have strategic insight into the Kaleesh, but that is not true. I have described an overview of their culture and values, but I cannot find their psychological limits. I can only apply broad axioms. I value the art of a species when finding their weaknesses for reasons I have better described before. Art has a unique richness, but I can draw few useful conclusions from the Kaleesh's works. I do not blame this on a weak artistic output. That would be false, and I have discerned more with less for other species. No, this is a shortcoming of my own. I am not omniscient; and the Kaleesh have stumped me on this front. I am using Grievous to rectify my failure.
Of course, the Kaleesh can still be beaten. Their history speaks to that, as does my record of simulated war games against Grievous. I have a superior tactical and strategic mind, which as always is my greatest asset. Against Grievous, I have used his guerilla foundations against him, though he is not easy to outwit. He easily adjusts to new scenarios. And he is more daring than anyone in the organization - except for Lady Ciaran. His audacity is a great tool. While it is his most obvious vulnerability, he defends it well. He will see through the ruses of lesser commanders, trigger them, and then win anyway, simply because he is more intelligent than they are. Despite his reputation, Grievous is typically underestimated. He learned quickly that I do not.
But against the species as a whole, their largest weakness is a technological gap. Kalee lacks planetary shielding. If necessary, orbital bombardment would do a satisfactory job. Though that would be a waste of Kaleesh lives. It is paramount that any war against the Kaleesh be within their codes of "honor", unless I plan to annihilate them completely. The Kaleesh will accept defeat against a worthy opponent, and defeat is an effective way to convert them from enemy to ally. The species difference is not an obstacle. The Kaleesh already treat me with respect, if not the reverence they give to Grievous and - to an extent - Lady Ciaran...
...It is not merely his tactical talents, martial prowess, or adaptability that I value most in Grievous. He believes in full measures. If given the means and freedom to do so, he would commit genocide against the Huk and permanently end their threat to his people. It is why he pursued them to their homeworld after evicting them from Kalee, after all. While I prefer the galaxy united and whole, I would not stand in the way of Grievous on this hypothetical crusade. The Huk are parasites, and would threaten the unification of the galaxy. Grievous has shown this commitment to wholly annihilating the enemy against the Black Sun criminal empire as well, and I have no doubt that he will do so against the greater enemy. Such severity may be necessary...
I have found both Kaleesh Jedi and Kaleesh Sith in their pantheon, and a few members I suspect may not be from Kalee at all. They are a fairly pious people; attacking those on pilgrimages is one of the gravest crimes a Kaleesh can commit, and is surpassed only by defiling graves and other holy sites. They are a fairly pious people; attacking those on pilgrimages is one of the gravest crimes a Kaleesh can commit, and is surpassed only by defiling graves and other holy sites.
(1) Yorvi's Bad Day, (2) Playing Favorites, (3) The Light Plan, (4) Aggressive Negotiations, (5) The Weakest Link, (6) Let's Go Bowling, (7) Boot to the Face Camp, (8) Down, Set, Hutt.
While I'll no doubt produce a ninth, I'd hate for you to accidentally give me an extra plus ten.
I'm not going to lie, this is pretty great. It's nice to see Thrawn's analytical side and I love that his conclusion is basically "Don't Fuck With Grievous." Canon, +10.
I'm surprised no one has written an omake featuring Ciaran's limited future sight. (At least that is how I understand the rerolls work: Ciaran seeing a catastrophe in the future and changing her approach to counter it.) Some bad ends, or at least Ciaran trolling people by (yet again) knowing stuff she really shouldn't know seem like prime material for omake.
I'm surprised no one has written an omake featuring Ciaran's limited future sight. (At least that is how I understand the rerolls work: Ciaran seeing a catastrophe in the future and changing her approach to counter it.) Some bad ends, or at least Ciaran trolling people by (yet again) knowing stuff she really shouldn't know seem like prime material for omake.
You have diluted my omake contributions to only half of this turn's total. This cannot be allowed to stand.
Self-Betterment
Between running around the galaxy to ensure Lady Ciaran's latest schemes were a success, scheduling her busy life (making sure to include some time to push her friends into relationships for some reason) and ensuring Lady Ciaran didn't manage to kill herself doing something ridiculous, PR-1 only went offline on rare occasions for monthly maintenance or updates. Maintenance was what he always imagined sleep to be like for organic lifeforms. There was no memory of that time, and he returned to work at full capacity, realizing just how run down he had been only after the fact. The idea of doing it nightly had him dumbfounded however. It eluded his routines why anyone would willingly give up so much of their time. Many even welcomed it by the time they went home to sleep, including Lady Ciaran! Truly odd.
Updates were a wholly different experience, and PR-1 loved every single one. Shutting off and then reactivating better than ever before in some fashion he hadn't even contemplated was exciting. Lady Ciaran's recent work on genemodding was similar, if occasionally more extreme. Lady Ciaran herself had fallen into a coma and awoken with traditional eyesight. PR-1 could only hope to one day find an upgrade that would improve him so dramatically. In the meantime, he had taken to acquiring any modification he could, from enhanced vision suites meant for gas line maintenance droids to identify leaks to the routines of gaming droids that let him solve puzzles in all that spare time he didn't have. PR-1 loved them all and took every chance to improve himself, even if the modification was something he'd never actually use, like the ability to bend his leg the other way without breaking it.
One of his fondest memories was the time Lady Ciaran had outfitted him with combat upgrades. Before, PR-1 had paid little attention to upgrades, but waking up with a blaster in his wrist, a chassis that was lighter and more durable, the mental abilities to assess threat levels, and the power to dodge roll changed him. It was exhilarating, and he had begun looking up modifications to achieve that euphoria again.
Sadly, nothing had come close to that feeling he had gotten from the combat upgrades. Perhaps it was because it was his first true upgrade. Or maybe it was a result of having so many modifications done at once. Either way, that upgrade had been the ideal PR-1 had striven towards for years. When Lady Ciaran informed him that she had acquired a set of Advanced Bartering routines from a colleague, and he would be outfitted with them immediately, PR-1 was intrigued. If any upgrade would be able to match the first, it would be one Lady Ciaran believed that he needed.
The procedure was a blank space as always, only noticeable because he was reactivated later than usual following him maintenance. Prior to the procedure, PR-1 had doubts. The upgrade was simply a set of new routines, rather than routines coupled with physical upgrades as the combat outfitting had been. Those doubts were washed away entirely as he went through the standard calibration tests, with new additions to insure the routines had been installed properly.
It was looking at the world in an entirely new dimension. He had been passable enough with numbers before, but the tests that used to overheat his circuits were now so easy it was laughable that he had ever struggled with them. PR-1 had installed new routines before, but this was comprehensive, widely applicable, and just plain enjoyable.
The upgrade just affirmed PR-1's belief in Lady Ciaran's greatness. Perhaps if he proved this upgrade had improved his performance significantly, she would approve further upgrades. Perhaps he'd visit Borvo and assist with balancing the books for the Abyss Watchers simply for the fun of it. Just then, Lady Ciaran herself entered the maintenance bay.
"How were the upgrades PR-1?" she asked.
"Exemplary. How may I serve you Lady Ciaran?"
AN: A little introspection from our overworked droid bodyguard. Little guy is an adviser and a hero unit, and he doesn't have a single omake dedicated to him as far as I remember. So here he is turning himself into a Swiss army knife of useless talents just for the thrill of having new talents.
TL;DR: PR-1 really wants those upgrades that his Hero action gives him.
You have diluted my omake contributions to only half of this turn's total. This cannot be allowed to stand.
Self-Betterment
Between running around the galaxy to ensure Lady Ciaran's latest schemes were a success, scheduling her busy life (making sure to include some time to push her friends into relationships for some reason) and ensuring Lady Ciaran didn't manage to kill herself doing something ridiculous, PR-1 only went offline on rare occasions for monthly maintenance or updates. Maintenance was what he always imagined sleep to be like for organic lifeforms. There was no memory of that time, and he returned to work at full capacity, realizing just how run down he had been only after the fact. The idea of doing it nightly had him dumbfounded however. It eluded his routines why anyone would willingly give up so much of their time. Many even welcomed it by the time they went home to sleep, including Lady Ciaran! Truly odd.
Updates were a wholly different experience, and PR-1 loved every single one. Shutting off and then reactivating better than ever before in some fashion he hadn't even contemplated was exciting. Lady Ciaran's recent work on genemodding was similar, if occasionally more extreme. Lady Ciaran herself had fallen into a coma and awoken with traditional eyesight. PR-1 could only hope to one day find an upgrade that would improve him so dramatically. In the meantime, he had taken to acquiring any modification he could, from enhanced vision suites meant for gas line maintenance droids to identify leaks to the routines of gaming droids that let him solve puzzles in all that spare time he didn't have. PR-1 loved them all and took every chance to improve himself, even if the modification was something he'd never actually use, like the ability to bend his leg the other way without breaking it.
One of his fondest memories was the time Lady Ciaran had outfitted him with combat upgrades. Before, PR-1 had paid little attention to upgrades, but waking up with a blaster in his wrist, a chassis that was lighter and more durable, the mental abilities to assess threat levels, and the power to dodge roll changed him. It was exhilarating, and he had begun looking up modifications to achieve that euphoria again.
Sadly, nothing had come close to that feeling he had gotten from the combat upgrades. Perhaps it was because it was his first true upgrade. Or maybe it was a result of having so many modifications done at once. Either way, that upgrade had been the ideal PR-1 had striven towards for years. When Lady Ciaran informed him that she had acquired a set of Advanced Bartering routines from a colleague, and he would be outfitted with them immediately, PR-1 was intrigued. If any upgrade would be able to match the first, it would be one Lady Ciaran believed that he needed.
The procedure was a blank space as always, only noticeable because he was reactivated later than usual following him maintenance. Prior to the procedure, PR-1 had doubts. The upgrade was simply a set of new routines, rather than routines coupled with physical upgrades as the combat outfitting had been. Those doubts were washed away entirely as he went through the standard calibration tests, with new additions to insure the routines had been installed properly.
It was looking at the world in an entirely new dimension. He had been passable enough with numbers before, but the tests that used to overheat his circuits were now so easy it was laughable that he had ever struggled with them. PR-1 had installed new routines before, but this was comprehensive, widely applicable, and just plain enjoyable.
The upgrade just affirmed PR-1's belief in Lady Ciaran's greatness. Perhaps if he proved this upgrade had improved his performance significantly, she would approve further upgrades. Perhaps he'd visit Borvo and assist with balancing the books for the Abyss Watchers simply for the fun of it. Just then, Lady Ciaran herself entered the maintenance bay.
"How were the upgrades PR-1?" she asked.
"Exemplary. How may I serve you Lady Ciaran?"
AN: A little introspection from our overworked droid bodyguard. Little guy is an adviser and a hero unit, and he doesn't have a single omake dedicated to him as far as I remember. So here he is turning himself into a Swiss army knife of useless talents just for the thrill of having new talents.
TL;DR: PR-1 really wants those upgrades that his Hero action gives him.
It is not fun for any GM to write something with such high rolls far too often. It would look like a bad fanfiction with a Mary Sue protagonist. It is hard to keep viewers interested if there was no actual challenge to test the characters.
It is not fun for any GM to write something with such high rolls far too often. It would look like a bad fanfiction with a Mary Sue protagonist. It is hard to keep viewers interested if there was no actual challenge to test the characters.
So should I spend mine the next turn? Because I was going to hold off till the following turn due to the sheer volume of bonuses going down. Try not to break the game too much.
that's like saying "Oh, it's fine that Mexico is literally at war with criminals in its own borders, it's only in backwater parts of it that they have tanks shooting at each other!"
or "It's FIIIIINE that Hawaii doesn't actually accept the dollar, no, not even the BANKS."
By no means am I saying it's fine. At no point did I even hint that. But there's a massive difference between the two. It sucks for Hawaii and Mexico, but it's still not as bad and Europe and the Americas openly practicing slavery and the ocean being overrun by pirates.
So should I spend mine the next turn? Because I was going to hold off till the following turn due to the sheer volume of bonuses going down. Try not to break the game too much.
I just remembered something very important. Has Darman Skirata met his future wife and made his future child?
Because if he did. I sure that Jango would do Kal a favor right? I just want Darman and his girlfriend to appear in this quest. That would be fun.
I just remembered something very important. Has Darman Skirata met his future wife and made his future child?
Because if he did. I sure that Jango would do Kal a favor right? I just want Darman and his girlfriend to appear in this quest. That would be fun.
I know that's a thing and I plan on doing more things with Delta and Omega Squads because of the chips, but any more details would be spoilers. Just trust me when I say I have plans for that.
The last item on my to-do list, is to update the Galaxy map with the results of this turn, and to provide an index of all the sectors (and notable systems) currently affiliated with our Council of Neutral Systems.
[X] CNS Recruitment: There are a number of systems nearby that don't particularly lean one way or the other in the war; maybe you could persuade them to join the CNS instead? Chance of Success: 80% Reward: Selected planet and nearby systems join the CNS
-[X] Dathomir: Ventress' homeworld and a isolated planet at that; your efforts would be more focused on the systems around it.
Rolled: 98 + 10 = 108 (Over 100 Success)
Not only did Satine end up pulling overtime in this region, but you had an unexpected detour on the way to Vectivus' Home. (To be continued in The Journey Home)
Per the map of 'Neutral Space' I posted earlier, the 'nearby systems' of Dathomir include a number of major hyperlanes and trade worlds. Given our overwhelming success, I wasn't sure if our 'Reward' would be to have our borders expand to the galactic NE (Celanon and Ord Cestus are right next door) or more broadly to the galactic W (as far as Borgo Prime).
On the other hand, the Agamar and Shaum Hii systems (a bit further away, in Separatist space) are widely considered 'backwater' planets, and joined the CIS mostly due to our influence after we 'channeled funding' to their Planetary Defense Force fleets.
On the (third?) hand, Dr. Snark did connect the Dathomir result with our visit to Darth Vectivus' mansion on Bimmiel. In that direction, there's apparently a fairly sizable 'Ciutric Hegemony' that holds sway over much of that hyperlane and nearby trade worlds. That one might be better left as a future target for recruitment, as it's a fairly solid bloc and would effectively cut Separatist Space in half....
For reference (and/or if @Dr. Snark is looking for inspiration...) here's the information I've gathered on sectors & systems around Dathomir, that we might gain this turn. I'll post the full catalog of CNS sectors in a separate post, and update it (with a map) once you post 'The Journey Home' interlude.
Thesme sector
- Feriae Junction: major tradeworld along Hydian Way, site of Hutt banking/money laundering operation, Grand Terminal spaceport
- Thesme: childhood home of Silya Shessaun (senator & friend of Padme), sector capital and major industrial center
- Ventrux: childhood home of Jenna Zan Arbor (mad scientist), headquarters of Arbor Industries (science/medical research, esp. on Force abilities)
D'Astan sector
- Axxila: ecumenopolis (described as 'inside out'), headquarters of Axxila Anti-Piracy Fleet
- Celanon: homeworld of Nalroni race, major agri-world/tradeworld along Hydian Way, 'diplomatic section' and 'trade constorium' districts
- Isen: isolated gas giant (three asteroid belts), moon Isen IV is headquarters of Void Demons pirate gang
- Nez Peron: sector capital and major agri-world controlled by farming collectives
- Ord Cestus: homeworld of X'Ting race, headquarters of Clandes Industrial and Cestus Cybernetics/Techno Union (produces JK-13 'Jedi Killer' droids)
- Serenno: childhood home of Count Dooku, site of Dooku's Palace, The Spike prison (built to hold Jedi)
- Valahari: headquarters of Valahari Shipworks (starfighter manufacture, produces 'Tempest Zero'), Harko Station (production facility & starport)
Quelii sector
- Cathar: homeworld of Cathar race, steppe world with thriving city-trees
- Dathomir: homeworld of Dathomiri race and Rancor species, center of 'Witches' and 'Nightsister' Force sects, site of 'Star Temple', Aurilia village
- Koratas: fourth moon of Dathomir, rich in neutronium, lomnite, and zersium (metals used for durasteel), mining facilities later converted for Imperial use
- Halmad: trade world (export 'Halmad Prime'), refugee settlement for 'Free Axxilans', Vahaba asteroid belt mined by Tonheld Mining Corp.
- Vinsoth: homeworld of Chevin and Chev races, slave-based & mostly nomadic society, starship production , thriving black market
Corosi sector
Sprizen sector
- Abafar: rich in Rhydonium (rare but volatile fuel for starships), desert world
- Esooma: homeworld of Esoomian race (massively strong humanoids, useful as hired muscle)
Ciutric sector
- Ciutric IV: capital of Ciutric Hegemony, childhood home of Sate Pestage (Palpatine's senior advisor), site of Darth Bane's personal estate
- Corvis Minor: member of Ciutric Hegemony, rich in 'exotic xenobiologicals' sold as luxury goods
- Liinade III: member of Ciutric Hegemony, agriworld with light industry (produces comlinks),
- New Holgha: site of the 'Five Holy Cities'
- Trif: site of 'World Below' (legendary underground city discovered ~3500 years ago during Galactic War)
Nijune sector
- Aar: homeworld of Aar'aa race (mercenaries often employed by Hutts)
Tragan Cluster sector
- Shaum Hii: homeworld of Kian'thar race (empaths) and Bentail & Derlac species, oceanic pastoralists, formerly affiliated with Black Sun
Lahara sector
- Agamar: thriving agriworld & tradeworld between Celanon Spur and Braxant Run hyperlanes, site of pre-Republic ruins of underwater civilization
- Oorn Tchis: rich in [unobtanium] (rare ore used to produce guidance systems)
Oricho sector
- Borgo Prime: asteroid spaceport along Braxant Run hyperlane, originally mining colony, now a major trade world & financial center
- Polus: homeworld of Pyn'fani race, ice world rich in carbonite (carbon alloy, used for tibanna gas refining), developed carbon-freezing process
Noonian sector
- Ord Sigatt: rich in carvanium (alloy used for durasteel), mining facilities run by 'Denon-Ardru Mutual' mining corporation
- Storinal: resort world famous for tourism, site of Scohar Xenohealth Institute (medical research center)
Weneen sector
- Barpine: industrial world, orbital Barpine Shipyards, ground-side prison facility later converted for Imperial use
- G'wenee: tradeworld along Braxant Run, thriving black market
