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Topic:
New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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Corporate_Jedi
Registered:
Mar '02
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Date Posted:
8/28/07 7:56am
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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Jedi_Matt posted:
Well... The cookie-cutter skills system is really irritating to me. It's either trained or not trained, how does that affect someone like Karrde's employee Ghent, who was probably a low level scoundrel but could do what higher level republic intel ops couldn't.
"but that's where skill focus comes in"
And so the NR operatives trying to crack codes since the days of the Rebellion aren't going to have that too?
Ghent has something of a genius IQ so his base stat mod is likely higher than theirs. In addition as a Heroic character he would have access to Talent trees. A Slicer talent tree would solve the problem nicely, and have it be an Open tree available to all classes since I could see a Soldier, Noble, and Scoundrel all fitting the bill.
SAGA just needs more generic talent trees for professions not covered in the base book. Slicer, Medic/Healer, Politician, Investigator/Tracker etc. Since I think D&D 4.0 is headed this way it might be possible to port trees over from there when it comes.
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Ender_Sai
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Feb '01
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Date Posted:
8/29/07 8:07pm
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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Space combat works really well, especially considering what an abject mess it used to be. My 5th level scout has 6 TIE Fighters, 2 TIE Bombers, 2 TIE/Ints and an astromech (hey, it was trying to hack my systems!) stenciled on his A-Wing as kills.
E_S
-----signature-----
In this truth he knew himself to be.
From sinking sands he stepped into light's embrace.
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dizfactor
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
9/4/07 11:11am
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
- Date Edited:
9/4/07 11:35am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
dizfactor
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Corporate_Jedi posted:
Ghent has something of a genius IQ so his base stat mod is likely higher than theirs. In addition as a Heroic character he would have access to Talent trees. A Slicer talent tree would solve the problem nicely
There is already a Slicer talent tree for Scoundrels. Gimmick + Master Slicer talents, plus high INT modifier, plus Skill Focus (Computer Use) should do the job quite nicely.
Plus, you could buff him up with nonheroic levels. If you were to build him as Nonheroic 7/Scoundrel 3, with a 16 INT, you've got a character who has a rerollable +18 who is basically able to work 3 times as fast on any slicing task as someone without the Gimmick talent. That's pretty much going to smoke 99% of other slicers, and he's still only a CL 5 character.
-----signature-----
"Play is going to be for the 21st century what steam was to the 19th century."
Julian Dibbell
"You gotta love an elite killing force that you can fool by putting on a hat."
Gryph
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Jedi_Master_Luc
Registered:
Jul '06
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Date Posted:
9/7/07 10:42am
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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Question (and if i'm in the wrong thread someone please let me know.)
In the Saga Edition, under the Jedi Class, beneath "Defence Bonuses" it reads - "At 1st level, you gain a +1 class bonus to your Fortitude Defence, Reflex Defence, and Will Defence."
My question is the "At 1st level" part. Does that mean that those bonuses increases as a player increases in level? Or is it just a set +1 Fort, Ref, Will until you pick up a prestige class?
Much appreciated,
Master Luc
-----signature-----
"One Hat to rule them all, One Hat to find them, One Hat to bring them all and in the downpour dry them."
^^^Inscription on the headband of the One Hat of Master K'Kruhk^^^
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Jedi Merkurian
Title: Games: RPG d20 GM
Registered:
May '00
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Date Posted:
9/7/07 11:15am
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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It stays at +1 until you take another class (prestige or no) that supercedes it. For example, a Jedi/Soldier would be Ref +1, Will +1, Fort +2; a Jedi Knight (or Jedi/Soldier/Jedi Knight) would be Ref +2, Fort +2, Will +2.
-----signature-----
Striking down can result in common side effects including fear, anger, aggresion, nausea, dry mouth, hatred, suffering, headaches, IBS, & in some extreme cases has been linked to lava burns
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Kaziel
Registered:
Jul '07
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Date Posted:
9/7/07 11:22am
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
- Date Edited:
9/7/07 11:23am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Kaziel
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I believe (I don't have my book on hand since I'm at work) that at every level they get a +1 modifier to all saves. This is modified by their stat bonus and class-based saves, which is what you're talking about Luc.
Each class, both Heroic and Prestige have class-based saves which further modify their overall saving throws. Said saves do not stack, and you only use the strongest version. For example, let's say you have a Jedi/Soldier. Jedi have +1 to all saves, while a Soldier has (IIRC) +1 to Reflex and +2 to Fort. Therefore this Jedi/Soldier would have a bonus of +2 to Fort and +1 to Reflex and Will.
So to use a total example, a level 2 Jedi/1 Soldier with 12 DEX, 13 CON, and 14 WIS would have total resists of +6 to Fort, +5 to Reflex, and +6 to Will.
Now I will admit I might be wrong about the bonus per level. The only part I remember clearly off the top of my head is that only the strongest bonus from a class-based save takes precedence. It's possible that, excluding the class-based and stat-based save bonuses, at level 1 the total bonus is 0. If that's the case, then my values are just what I listed above, minus one.
One of my minor complaints about this system's saving throws is that the Prestige Classes (PrCs) have very superior saving throws. Even the weakest of the PrCs have +2 as their low saving throw and +4 to their strong point. Some of them even have +3 and +6 as their saving throw bonus. This pretty much means that once you can get to the point where you can upgrade to a PrC, unless you have a strong reason not to yet, you should move up ASAP. About the only good reason not to upgrade is to pick up a certain talent from one of the basic Heroic Classes that's not available on your Prestige Class of choice.
By far my favorite change is the alterations of the Skill System (which I've felt is a annoying point since d20's inception). Having all skills go up universally is a huge boon to players who like to play skill-based characters, like I do. Previously, if you wanted any skills you pretty much needed to play a skill-based class, or you needed to have a buttload and a half of INT. Now I can actually have access to skills without starting out as a super-genius every time.
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Jedi_Master_Luc
Registered:
Jul '06
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Date Posted:
9/11/07 8:01am
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
- Date Edited:
9/11/07 8:06am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Jedi_Master_Luc
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Jedi Merkurian posted:
It stays at +1 until you take another class (prestige or no) that supercedes it. For example, a Jedi/Soldier would be Ref +1, Will +1, Fort +2; a Jedi Knight (or Jedi/Soldier/Jedi Knight) would be Ref +2, Fort +2, Will +2.
I don't recall it saying anything about 'until you take a second class' but i don't have my book on me, so i will take your word for it for now. But i'm not concerned with cross/classing. I'll explain.
For a combination of factors, i do not allow cross classing in games i GM. There is too much overlap and too many people eyeing eachother's character sheet and making all kinds of last minute tweaks and changes so they can get ONE talent that they wouldn't a) have normally without being in another class, and b) will (with their class) hardly ever use. That an we're all pretty new to the SW RPG so we're taking babysteps. For my games, it's all straight up one class or another.
All that said, i do sometimes play a character while i GM (with a group of four or less because there's ALWAYS more than four or less can handle alone) and sometimes get to just play and have someone else GM. When i do either, i have a Lv.10 Jedi. On my character sheet, do their +1's to will, ref, and fort stay +1's or should they be increased per level. I would HOPE it's not the later, because if they did, i'd have +10's on all my defences and that's just not fair.
So, for a character that is and will only have one class, do the defence bonuses ever increase?
Master Luc
P.S. This multi-classing brings up a question. Do the normal level based upgrades stack when leveling up? For instance, a level two Jedi gets either a talent or feat (i forget which) with their level up. Now if i am also a level two Soldier, does that mean i get two talents or feats?
-----signature-----
"One Hat to rule them all, One Hat to find them, One Hat to bring them all and in the downpour dry them."
^^^Inscription on the headband of the One Hat of Master K'Kruhk^^^
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Corporate_Jedi
Registered:
Mar '02
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Date Posted:
9/11/07 12:45pm
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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1. They do not stack with each level. Defenses are determined by your 10 + Total Heroic Class Levels + Class Mod + Attribute Bonus.
So a Level 10 Jedi with a 14 Dex is 10+10+1+2 for a 23 Reflex Defense.
As an aside I think you might be limiting your players a little too much with the no multiclassing rule, in my opinion. SAGA is designed for just that purpose, one need only look at the signiture characters to see that nearly all of them do so. The diversity of SAGA is one of its strengths. And yes, it does foster some min/maxing, but there are drawbacks to everything.
2. If your character has two levels of soldier and two of scout they should have the following assuming human as race.
Level 1: Level 1 General Feat, Human Feat, Soldier Starting Feats, Soldier Class Talent
Level 2: Soldier Class Bonus Feat
Level 3: Level 3 General Feat, 1 Scout Starting Feat, Scout Class Talent
Level 4: Attribute Bonus, Scout Class Bonus Feet
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Ender_Sai
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Feb '01
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Date Posted:
9/11/07 3:32pm
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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I concur, you really should allow multiclassing. I have a Scout 5 who hit L6 last night and picked up a level of soldier. Given that I'm now the de facto pilot as well as a combat tank, I took Indomitable as a talent and will probably stick with soldier until L8 when I can get Ace Pilot (Scout 5/Soldier 2/Ace Pilot 1 @ L8). Who knows, I may take Officer or Elite Trooper down the track - and that gives me options a single class wouldn't.
E_S
-----signature-----
In this truth he knew himself to be.
From sinking sands he stepped into light's embrace.
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dizfactor
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
9/12/07 2:17pm
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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The entire D20 system as a whole, especially Saga, are built around the presumption of multiclassing. Not allowing, or even discouraging, multiclassing, totally cripples the entire game.
-----signature-----
"Play is going to be for the 21st century what steam was to the 19th century."
Julian Dibbell
"You gotta love an elite killing force that you can fool by putting on a hat."
Gryph
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Jedi_Master_Luc
Registered:
Jul '06
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Date Posted:
9/18/07 9:23am
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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dizfactor posted:
The entire D20 system as a whole, especially Saga, are built around the presumption of multiclassing. Not allowing, or even discouraging, multiclassing, totally cripples the entire game.
I think that's being a bit overly dramatic don't you? I do not feel that it could CRIPPLE the game, just change the dynamics of it. I asked my group about this issue and aside from one player, everyone else LIKES the single classing. It MAKES everyone work as a TEAM. If a computer needs hacked but there's ten Stormtroopers guarding it, the ranged guy takes up ranged position, the melee guy hacks and slashes and the computer guy can do his thing without interruption or worrying about whether his LOW combat skills and HP are going to get him killed in an all-out fight. It DOES limit what each character can do, but i feel that it does so in a good way. It's a bit more straight foreward, it's simpler, and it keeps things balanced. Instead of having a Jedi/Soldier/Scoundrel/Scout (and that's not even taking into account the prestige classes!) makes for a supremely powerful character that takes the challenge out of things. He can shoot, he can melee, he can fly, AND he can use a computer and do mechanics. He's a one-man army. That's fine for consol and PC RPGs where it's ONLY you in a world. But when there are five or more people all taking part in a single adventure, having five or more demi-gods makes for challenging GMing, and uninteresting gameplay.
But to each their own. Thanks for the help!
Master Luc
P.S. The one person in our group who DIDN'T like the single classing was only nay-saying because Tottenham had just been SPANKED by Arsenal, and he was pouting. I haven't seen him since, but i think if i asked him in a more calm and less drunk time, he would say he likes the single classes. But myself and one other are the only players who have ever played a RPG (former D&D-ites) and since i make the come up with their own stats and fill out their own character sheets, they like simple. Maybe once we have a year or so of gameplay under our belts, we might change our minds.
-----signature-----
"One Hat to rule them all, One Hat to find them, One Hat to bring them all and in the downpour dry them."
^^^Inscription on the headband of the One Hat of Master K'Kruhk^^^
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Corporate_Jedi
Registered:
Mar '02
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Date Posted:
9/18/07 11:11am
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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Jedi_Master_Luc posted:
[quote=dizfactor]The entire D20 system as a whole, especially Saga, are built around the presumption of multiclassing. Not allowing, or even discouraging, multiclassing, totally cripples the entire game.
I think that's being a bit overly dramatic don't you? I do not feel that it could CRIPPLE the game, just change the dynamics of it.
But to each their own. Thanks for the help!
quote]
I wouldn't say it cripples the game, that is bit much. But I would counter that the character you cite above could do the things you suggest, just not very well. A jack-of-all-trades is great until they run into a problem which requires a specialist. And given that the character has no more than one talent from each class, has never received a bonus class feat, and will have trouble getting in to a prestige class it seems more of a hinderance.
Now, a Scout 2/Soldier 3 on the other hand is a nice mix. It captures the flavor of an Army Ranger better that Solider 5 by the inclusion of a Scout talent and bonus feat.
I would limit my players in terms of what made sense for the PC. A Scout Trooper should probably be mulitclass like the above. Wheras Mon Mothma is straight noble all the way.
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Forever_Lost
Registered:
Sep '05
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Date Posted:
9/29/07 4:37pm
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
- Date Edited:
9/29/07 4:40pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Forever_Lost
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Hey all.
I'm a player on a Star Wars WEG that has been running for the past two and a half years. It's an awesome game, in which I played a Jedi Padawan turned Knight turned Sith around the time of the Knights of the Old Republic video games. I left the game for a time (after my character was redeemed, I disappeared from the internet for a while before returning to resume play with my character) before turning to play. After the release of the new WotC rulebook, I tried my hand at writing up my character in the new system. In the end, I wrote up three sets of stats for him for three different periods of the game: when he was a Padawan (towards the start of the game), him as a Jedi Knight/General (towards the middle of the game), and him as a fresh Sith (towards the end of my time in the game).
In case anyone's wondering about what Zander's destiny was, it was to Destroy the Sith Lord Darth Primeous -- the original Sith Lord who was exiled to the planet Skrie. Zander fulfilled his destiny not long after his decision to leave the Sith Order, at which time he fought a climatic battle with the Sith Lord in the depths of his own mind.
Let me know what you all think.
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Zander Starfire (Circa the Invasion of Onderon)
CL 6; Medium Human Jedi 6
Destiny 6; Force 8, Strong in the Force; Dark Side 2
Init +11; Senses Perception +10
Languages Basic, Binary, Huttese, Shyriiwook
________________________________________
Defences Ref 20 (flat-footed 17), Fort 19, Will 19; Block, Deflect
HP 68; Threshold 19
________________________________________
Speed 6 squares
Melee lightsaber +9 (2d8+5) or
Melee lightsaber +4/+4 (2d8+5) with Double Attack
Ranged by weapon +9
Base Atk +6; Grp +9
Atk Options Double Attack
Special Actions Redirect Shot
Force Powers Known (Use the Force +15):
Battle Strike, Farseeing, Force Thrust, Mind Trick, Move Object, Negate Energy, Rebuke, Surge
Force Secrets None
Force Techniques None
________________________________________
Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 15
Talents Block, Deflect, Redirect Shot
Feats Double Attack (lightsabers), Force Sensitivity, Force Training (3), Skill Focus (Use the Force), Strong in the Force, Weapon Focus (lightsabers), Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers, simple weapons)
Skills Acrobatics +11, Endurance +10, Initiative +11, Knowledge (tactics) +11, Perception +10, Use the Force +15
Possessions Lightsaber, Jedi Robes, Utility Belt (with Medpac)
Zander Starfire (Circa the middle of the Mandalorian Wars)
CL 12; Medium Human Jedi 7 / Jedi Knight 5
Destiny 8; Force 12, Strong in the Force; Dark Side 6
Init +15; Senses Perception +13
Languages Basic, Binary, Huttese, Shyriiwook
________________________________________
Defences Ref 28 (flat-footed 24), Fort 26, Will 26; Block, Deflect
HP 122; Threshold 26
________________________________________
Speed 6 squares
Melee lightsaber +17 (2d8+10/x3) or
Melee lightsaber +15 (3d8+10/x3) with Rapid Strike or
Melee lightsaber +12/+12 (2d8+10/x3) with Double Attack or
Melee lightsaber +10/+10 (3d8+10/x3) with Double Attack and Rapid Strike
Ranged by weapon +16
Base Atk +12; Grp +16
Atk Options Double Attack, Rapid Strike, Severing Strike
Special Actions Djem So, Redirect Shot
Force Powers Known (Use the Force +19):
Battle Strike, Farseeing, Force Thrust, Mind Trick, Move Object, Negate Energy, Rebuke, Surge
Force Secrets None
Force Techniques Force Point Recovery, Improved Move Light Object
________________________________________
Abilities Str 15, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16
Talents Block, Deflect, Djem So, Greater Weapon Focus (lightsabers), Redirect Shot, Severing Strike, Weapon Specialization (lightsabers)
Feats Double Attack (lightsabers), Force Sensitivity, Force Training (3), Rapid Strike, Skill Focus (Use the Force), Strong in the Force, Triple Crit (lightsabers), Weapon Focus (lightsabers), Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers, simple weapons)
Skills Acrobatics +15, Endurance +13, Initiative +15, Knowledge (tactics) +14, Perception +13, Use the Force +19
Possessions Lightsaber (self-built), Jedi Robes, Utility Belt (with Medpac)
Darth Praesolus (Circa the end of the Mandalorian Wars)
CL 13; Medium Human Jedi 7 / Jedi Knight 5 / Sith Apprentice 1
Destiny 6; Force 12, Strong in the Force; Dark Side 14
Init +15; Senses Perception +13
Languages Basic, Binary, Huttese, Shyriiwook
________________________________________
Defences Ref 29 (flat-footed 25), Fort 27, Will 27; Block, Deflect
HP 131; Threshold 27
________________________________________
Speed 6 squares
Melee lightsaber +18 (2d8+12/x3) or
Melee lightsaber +16 (3d8+12/x3) with Rapid Strike or
Melee lightsaber +13/+13 (2d8+12/x3) with Double Attack or
Melee lightsaber +11/+11 (3d8+12/x3) with Double Attack and Rapid Strike
Ranged by weapon +17
Base Atk +13; Grp +17
Atk Options Double Attack, Rapid Strike, Severing Strike
Special Actions Djem So, Redirect Shot
Force Powers Known (Use the Force +19):
Battle Strike, Farseeing, Force Thrust, Mind Trick, Move Object, Negate Energy, Rebuke, Surge
Force Secrets None
Force Techniques Force Point Recovery, Improved Move Light Object
________________________________________
Abilities Str 15, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16
Talents Block, Deflect, Djem So, Greater Weapon Focus (lightsabers), Greater Weapon Specialization (lightsabers), Redirect Shot, Severing Strike, Weapon Specialization (lightsabers)
Feats Double Attack (lightsabers), Force Sensitivity, Force Training (3), Rapid Strike, Skill Focus (Use the Force), Strong in the Force, Triple Crit (lightsabers), Weapon Focus (lightsabers), Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers, simple weapons)
Skills Acrobatics +15, Endurance +13, Initiative +15, Knowledge (tactics) +14, Perception +13, Use the Force +19
Possessions Lightsaber (self-built), Sith Robes, Utility Belt (with Medpac)
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JasperMereel_
Registered:
Sep '06
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Date Posted:
10/3/07 3:36pm
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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Not too bad Forever. Not too bad at all.
-----signature-----
Jasper Mereel-Yea, you know him, the coolest Mandalorian this side of the outer rim territories
Don't Move Jedi
Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death
Laugh It Up Fuzball
Commander Cody, execute Order 66
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Forever_Lost
Registered:
Sep '05
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Date Posted:
10/12/07 5:38pm
Subject:
RE: New Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook Coming!
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Thanks man.  I've managed to take back control of Zander on the original game board. After his fight with Darth Primeous, he settled on a planet with his wife Skyler and his daughter Caelyn; with the return of his Jedi Master (Revan, now a Sith Lord), Zander's been forced to return to the frontline.
To give you an idea of what Zander's like, below is an excert from the game:
Darth Praesolus (Circa the end of the Mandalorian Wars)
CL 13; Medium Human Jedi 7 / Jedi Knight 5 / Sith Apprentice 1
Destiny 6; Force 12, Strong in the Force; Dark Side 14
Init +15; Senses Perception +13
Languages Basic, Binary, Huttese, Shyriiwook
________________________________________
Defences Ref 29 (flat-footed 25), Fort 27, Will 27; Block, Deflect
HP 131; Threshold 27
________________________________________
Speed 6 squares
Melee lightsaber +18 (2d8+12/x3) or
Melee lightsaber +16 (3d8+12/x3) with Rapid Strike or
Melee lightsaber +13/+13 (2d8+12/x3) with Double Attack or
Melee lightsaber +11/+11 (3d8+12/x3) with Double Attack and Rapid Strike
Ranged by weapon +17
Base Atk +13; Grp +17
Atk Options Double Attack, Rapid Strike, Severing Strike
Special Actions Djem So, Redirect Shot
Force Powers Known (Use the Force +19):
Battle Strike, Farseeing, Force Thrust, Mind Trick, Move Object, Negate Energy, Rebuke, Surge
Force Secrets None
Force Techniques Force Point Recovery, Improved Move Light Object
________________________________________
Abilities Str 15, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16
Talents Block, Deflect, Djem So, Greater Weapon Focus (lightsabers), Greater Weapon Specialization (lightsabers), Redirect Shot, Severing Strike, Weapon Specialization (lightsabers)
Feats Double Attack (lightsabers), Force Sensitivity, Force Training (3), Rapid Strike, Skill Focus (Use the Force), Strong in the Force, Triple Crit (lightsabers), Weapon Focus (lightsabers), Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers, simple weapons)
Skills Acrobatics +15, Endurance +13, Initiative +15, Knowledge (tactics) +14, Perception +13, Use the Force +19
Possessions Lightsaber (self-built), Sith Robes, Utility Belt (with Medpac)
Blood.
There was so much of it. It drained off of the shimmering floor tiles. Like a malicious coat, it rested snugly over the floor, laying waste to any attempt to see beyond it to the previously immaculate metallic plates. The thin trail of light that filtered in through the doorway leading off south granted the crimson sea a crisp glow, as though tiny sprites were dancing about beneath the surface of the liquid.
Zander's eyes were wide, the light held therein choked with panic, alarm and shock. His small hands, covered with a thick layer of grime and oil, was now speckled with flecks of red; now and then, a droplet would trail off of the tip of his finger, and drop to the floor with an unnaturally loud splash. The boy's hair, formerly so thick and lustrous -- despite the demanding lifestyle of a slave -- was now twisted and frayed, dangling in awkward directions and clawing away at his temple in a vain attempt to get away.
A whimper escaped Zander's trembling lips, but beyond that he made no noise. He couldn't: his body refused to obey his commands, and his voice was no longer alive. In his mind, a parade of thoughts and emotions raced, each one battling for attention; at the forefront of these thoughts was a vivid image, a replay of the scene which, moments previous, had been enacted with untold clarity. Only this time, inside Zander's head, the details seemed all the more extreme, like each motion, each scream, were being ascended beyond the realms of the believable; deamons, surely, had taken possession of his mind, and were trying to drive him mad with the detail.
And it was working. The youth's shaking became uncontrollable, and his legs began to buckle beneath his frail, bruised body. He tumbled backwards, his half-hearted attempt to catch himself destroyed by the slick coat of blood that licked at his heel. The back of his head struck the ground hard; pain barely registering, Zander nevertheless let forth a yell, one that was formed through the breeding of panic, pain and distress. Gathering himself, the young boy tried to scramble backwards, his eyes once again finding purchase upon the object that lay a few meters away from him -- the object that had formed the basis of his disbelief and terror.
The Hutt was still smouldering, the hole in its massive forehead broken inwards. Those two large eyes, cat-like in design, were held open in perpetual alarm and amazement; one might wonder whether the Hutt had had time to register the white-hot bolt of energy cutting through his leathery flesh before his brain was evaporated. The young slave didn't know, and at the time, his focus was hardly on figuring out the answer: he needed to get out of there. He had killed a Hutt; he was going to die.
The ultimate sin, the voice whispered, its tone a mixture of terror, amusement and intrigue. If you're found, they will kill you. No, they're torture you first, and then lock you away for years and years; they won't let you die until you've been broken entirely. Remember what happened to the last slave who Vogo had before you? Zander trembled: he could remember. The previous slave had been a young girl, who had been strung out on the side of Vogo's palace, supported only by rusted chains, before she finally died of starvation. Her crime? She had failed to get to an auction in time to place the Hutt's bid on a decorative piece before it was bought by a Rodian merchant. If that had been her fate, then what would be that of Zander, who had committed the most unthinkable, most devious and criminal offence known to the inhabitants of Nar Shaddaa?
The boy's terror echoed to new heights, and the youth failed to exert control over his body before he released his fluid into the depths of torn trousers. He didn't notice: all his could register was the sound of approaching footsteps launched into his mind from the southern passageway. Someone was coming. Someone had heard the blaster shot. His instincts kicking in, Zander threw himself forwards, his hands struggling to find purchase upon the ground through the slick coating of red; inch by inch he dragged himself towards the far wall, his fuel the terror in his heart. After a moment he reached the broken form of Vogo's Nikto bodyguard; he crawled up and over it, his small hands reaching shakily for the grating that led into the fortress's inner walls. Encased in the darkness, the body sobbed to himself, his body shaking, his mind working frantically to surge his limbs into moving. Slowly, very slowly, Zander pulled himself away from the bloodbath, and drew himself into the shadows, where the only one who could catch him was the blackness of his own mental enemies. But the further that Zander went, the more likely it seemed that he would evade pursuit: there came no sound of guards or the readying of a blaster. If he could keep moving, keep his composure, then he might just make it out alive.
But the blood would remain. Forever it would rest upon his palms, searing its way into his skin and marking his very soul.
________________________________________
Praesolus jerked upwards sharply, his body screaming out in silent assault. The Sith Lord opened his eyes, trying to find himself in the overwhelming darkness that seemed to have slithered over him -- but he couldn't find himself. The shadows did not recede to light; the darkness, if it did anything, only seemed to grow more dense, and Praesolus felt a deep desire to pull himself back, to lash out and cut a hole through the darkness. Maybe, if he cut deep enough, he would bring forth a light, a guide. But no matter how hard tried, he couldn't force his arms into motion. He felt weightless, as though he no longer possessed a body.
"There you are. He said you might be here."
Praesolus tried to turn; he found he could not. "Where is here? Who are you?"
"You're awfully quiet. Is anything wrong?" This voice, unlike the previous one, sounded familiar to Praesolus, and the Sith Lord found himself thrashing about, trying in vain to find the source of the voice.
"Kolanda? Is that you?" The young Sith's voice sounded oddly quiet against the silence that suffocated the atmosphere.
"Maybe he wants to be alone."
"Who are you?" Praesolus demanded.
"I don't know... He wouldn't have sent us here if He wanted to be alone." There was a pause, and then the second voice -- that of Kolanda, Praesolus thought -- replied, saying, "Maybe he's broken."
"Broken?"
The third voice snickered, and the formerly strange tone came into possession of a strange, boyish quality. "Then fix him then. I thought you could fix anything..."
"Sounds like a challenge."
"Do you think He knows that He's faulty?"
"Who in Hoth are you!?" Praesolus thundered. He felt his voice waver as his worry began to build. Unable to move, and shrouded in blackness, he felt alone and vulnerable. He gave it a moment, hoping that there would come a reply; none came. The Sith felt his resolve slipping rapidly. "Hello? Please... someone... Speak to me."
"He's not moved at all. He hasn't said a word. Do you think we should come back later?"
"But... I can hear you..."
"I don't know... I've got things to do."
"I'm busy too."
"Please..."
"Well, I can hardly fix him alone!"
"Why not get Skyler to help? She can fix anything, even better than you can, or so they say."
Instantly, Praesolus's mind began jerking involuntarily. He tried to turn, using every ounce of strength of will he possessed to motive a manoeuvre, but nothing came from him by a quiet, dying sentences: "...Skyler?"
"No. She's broken too."
The thrashing, the pain: they both increased. As though he had fallen into liquid magma, Praesolus felt his body bubble with white-hot pain. He wanted to scream -- oh, how he wanted to scream -- but his mind wouldn't let him. These people, whoever they were, knew something about Skyler; they had to tell him what they knew. "Skyler? Please, tell me what's happened. How do you know her?" The Sith Lord waited, but the silence continued, and with the lengthening muteness grew Praesolus's terror and frustration. He tried to call out, to let the words form, but as his mouth opened, the only sound that came was a scream -- it erupted outwards with all the force of a hurricane, propelling Praesolus into the depths of a darkness that he could not escape.
And then, as his senses died, pain was all he knew.
________________________________________
Praesolus's scream was whole, breaking outwards from its bounds, ricocheting off of the walls and rebounding upon the Sith himself. But the man didn't notice: his eyes were sealed shut, his teeth clenching together tightly as a wave of pain shook him. He rocked from side to side, sending the sheet of his bunk flailing away from him; unsure of his balance, Praesolus leaned too far to one side and tumbled in that direction, falling out of his bed out onto the floor. His knees struck the ground first, and then his palms, pulsing with rocking sensations, as his skin rippled. Muscles flexed and contracted beneath the surface of his tunic, writhing in a strange, thrashing, uneven dance.
Fingers, cutting into palms, spasmed, as, in the depths of Praesolus's conscious, a voice screamed. It was a single word that was voiced, but it was said with such volume that it broke Praesolus's own pain-ridden vocal into nothing. "ZANDER!" His name, his former name, was fuelled with desperation and despair, and each syllable was belted forth with a painful wince. And the moment that it was finished, when the last trace of pain had disappeared, it started up again, this time with more power and force; Praesolus collapsed onto his front, his head reeling, his mind fearing that his skull might be splitting into two.
And then, suddenly, his eyes shot open, a strange mist encasing his formerly brown pupils. The room, as it was, disappeared, and in the place of his desolate personal quarters rose a large building. It was old in design, and was grander in scale than any other building in the entire city -- the Palace. It rose up high over its neighbouring spires, and shadowed the city's centre with a foreboding sense of dread. Praesolus could recall wondering, for a moment, at least, what kind of artefacts or knowledge lay within those walls, for it had always been a place that Primeous had forbidden him from entering, at least for the time being. But now, as it rose upwards in Praesolus's mind, he couldn't help but wonder...
The screaming rose again, cutting off Praesolus's line of thought. The blackness that had originally threatened to suffocate the Sith Lord intensified slightly, and through it came an image. It shifted slightly, and yet despite the shadows cast across it, Praesolus could make out the events clearly: he could see a table, lined with sharp instruments, all jutting upwards, all stained with a crimson liquid that was fresh, at least Praesolus assumed it was by the way it glistened; beyond the table, resting a wrinkled hand upon a long, rusted lever, was a Skrie, garbed in a set of resplendent robes that marked him as a High Priest of Primeous -- the most highly regarded rank awarded to the servants of the Sith.
And there was Skyler. She dangled, suspended over the murderous table, her hair hanging lifeless around her face, hiding her from view. But despite his blindness, Praesolus could feel her pain, for it rippled through him, too; he yanked back his head, and let forth a bestial howl. But it was not a howl of pain; it was a howl of murderous, unfathomable rage. The image of the Skrie -- of the smile on his face -- scolded Praesolus deeply, just as the eternal cries of the Sith Lord's beloved did. Combined, the two forces overloaded Praesolus's senses, and -- before he knew what he was doing -- he was being thrown backwards, his form pulled from the vision that he had been so unceremoniously thrusted into.
The room returned, and with it came the dull greys and the moulded cast of shadows; were it not for the images in the young Sith's mind, that would be all that he saw. But with Skyler's pained cries came a visage of red, of murderous crimson, a dye curtained over Praesolus's sight. His hands, completely unfeeling over the pain that wracked the Sith's other limbs, leapt outwards, and from the small hollow in the wall sang his lightsaber, which slapped down into his palm with a snarl. Praesolus's cloak -- which had been left on prior to his collapse into the dream realm -- fluttered angrily as its master marched towards the exit, throwing the door open vengefully. Beyond the metal seal stood two Skrie, both of which span around quickly, surprise registering too late on their faces as they opened their mouths to speak. Praesolus, in a single swipe, sent their heads tumbling off in diverse directions, his arcing slice bringing him forwards with such anger and force that the momentum carried him forwards fast enough for him to reach the other exit before the two guards bodies had hit the floor. The darkness, that familiar depth of bleakness, lay beyond, and waited for its young charge with open arms.
This time, Praesolus approached with an open mind, one free of fear or doubt. This time, he wouldn't fight the darkness -- he would become it.
________________________________________
Anger.
Pure. Hot. White. Burning through the endless sea of uncertainty. It grants one focus, and through that focus one can achieve a power greater than anyone else could ever hope to garner.
Use your anger, and bring the retribution of the Sith upon your enemies.
________________________________________
Another body dropped and, together with its fellows, congregated upon the floor in an untidy heap. Blood, dried and congealing, splattered across the ground, and limbs of both kinds came to rest with wet, resounding thuds.
The Skrie came in drones, each one amassing with his fellows, his leathery hands gripping the handle of a wooden, make-shift spear, or rusted sword. By twos they charged, and sometimes in more, each man trying to use the movements of his companion to flank the Sith Lord. Their actions, though daring, lacked any real conviction of hope -- the Skrie knew, even before they had entered the arena, that they were about to give up their lives, and suffer a painful death.
The azure blade was dazzling, rocketing towards a specific point in the air before it vanished, only to appear elsewhere, flamed with an equal degree of force and power as its previous movement. And with each slash came a movement that echoed through the legs, carrying the young Lord through the lengthy, forlorn hallways with a certain degree of terrifying grace. Nothing halted his progress: those who tried to do so were cut down during a strike, or as they readied a crossbow bolt. A single Skrie, the scout and front-runner of his unit, rounded the corner as Praesolus moved on by; seizing the opportunity, the Skrie let forth a wooden bolt at the exposed back of his Dark Lord. Praesolus, without warning, span around, and brought his palm to bear; the bolt came to a sudden halt and, without warning, splintered into a few dozen pieces, as the Force crushed it beneath its heel.
The hallway, beyond the turn, split into two pathways, both of which rounded off in a circular formation, before coming to a meeting point on the far side. The walls, decorated only by a few burning torches, were bare, but the lithe shadows that illuminated them made it appear otherwise. It was down this pathway that Praesolus danced, his blade flashing in a living figure-eight, cutting down any and all of the Skrie warriors who erupted forth from any of the doorways that were dotted on either side of the Sith Lord’s path. Each one attempted to strike him down, or hold him up, but in both attempts they failed – their blows never landed, and their screams never ceased. Together, they created an endless chorus of blood-curdling cries – cries that sent a wave of pleasure down Praesolus’s spine.
They deserved this fate. For helping Primeous, for trying to stop Darth Praesolus from getting to the woman he loved, they were inviting this destruction upon themselves. And he, their benefactor and champion, would deliver them the good for which they so obviously longed. With a snap-hiss and a scream, their world was brought to an abrupt end, and their pain was silenced forever.
As he marched – his booted heel crunching upon the ground, the liquid remains of the Skrie attached stubbornly to his heel – Praesolus allowed himself a brief moment to forgo his wholehearted fixation upon those around him, and instead sent his thoughts ahead, to the place where Skyler lay, beaten, broken, and dying. The sensations that he saw there fuelled him on, re-vitalising his drive and his desire; he cut down another Skrie as it moved past him, not even giving it a chance to recognise the presence of the Dark Lord.
The last corner came and went, and Praesolus found himself standing in a small, semi-circle chamber, which was lit entirely by two torches. Beneath the flickering fire-light stood, ready and waiting, twenty-four Skrie warriors, some of which Praesolus recognised as his own, hand-chosen men. They eyed him cautiously, a hint of pro-dominant fear in their eyes; Praesolus glared back at them, his eyes surging into the depths of a sickly crimson colour, as his anger and hatred fuelled him with the passion he needed to do what he must.
The Force slithered into the hall, and the two torches lost their lives; the Skrie were cast into complete darkness. The only reprieve from the endless abyss of black, they realised, was the glow that came from the burning blue bar; the very bar that was dancing towards them through the gloom. There was a shout, a yell of command, and then they, like all the others before them, gave way to scream upon scream of tortured failure.
The azure light danced the Dance of Death, until the Skrie opposition lay in ruin at the heel of the Dark Lord of the Sith. The cloaked figure gave the collection of corpses and silent glance before he started past them, moving into the last box room that would take him into the torture chamber, and into the presence of Skyler.
Within the small room, standing not too far away from the door through which he had just come, Praesolus saw two Skrie warriors standing before a single, electronic door, their focus placed entirely upon the barrier that held them away from the room beyond. At first glance, they appeared to be half-way through their attempt to beat the door down manually; when one of them noticed Praesolus, he reached out for his companion’s shoulder, to turn him around; by the time his arm had began to move, Praesolus had sent forth a surge of energy, that caught both beings across the throat, sending them head first into the door with a loud, clumsy thud. They both grunted, and then crumpled to the floor, no longer moving.
Without further warning, the door that the Skrie had been trying to knock down buckled, and then flew inwards, ripped off of its hinges through pure force. The echo of its weight smacking into the opposite wall could be heard in both chambers, and Praesolus listened to it as he moved into the doorway. His lightsaber humming impatiently at his side, Praesolus allowed his yellow-red eyes to scan the entirety of the room in one, slow, assessive stare.
But when his gaze fell upon Skyler, the colour drained away instantly, and once more his expression became what it should have been: the eyes bred a deep brown; the skin gained a tint of red, where the blood was once more able to run beneath his skin; his muscles relaxed slightly, shifting his expression from one of pure malevolent anger to deep, unsettling concern. For a moment the young man hung there, as though unsure what to do; then, his legs parted, and he began striding towards her, his steps urgent and excited. His eagerness, however, was met with opposition: about half-way between his destination and his beginnings, Praesolus was forced to halt, as the bright blade of a lightsaber shot towards his throat.
"No further." For a moment, it took Praesolus a time to understand what it was that was being said to him, let alone who it was that was speaking the words. He looked around with difficulty, his eyes attaching to the face of the young Jedi who now stood in his way.
And the longer he looked, the more his rage began to renew. The azure lightsaber that sat in his palm sang hungrily for the youth’s blood, and for the longest time Praesolus longed to fulfil its request: what right did this Jedi have to try and hold Praesolus back from Skyler? Whatever their age, the Jedi seemed only to want to hold Praesolus at bay, to separate him and Skyler for all time. It was because they were afraid, Praesolus realised: they knew how powerful he would become with Skyler with him, being his motivation and his light. Together, they would know no limits, and never again would Praesolus have to lose sleep over the never-ending fear that Skyler might never be free of some unknown enemy.
Well, no longer. As a former Jedi himself, Praesolus had hoped that a confrontation with his former Order might be avoided, but now it looked like they couldn’t help but interfere. Even this far out into space, they somehow tracked him down, and were again trying to keep him from what he treasured the most. The anger at this rippled beneath the flesh of the young Sith, and subconsciously he began calling to himself the beginning ripples of the dark, morphing them into a fist over the young man’s heart…
"Turos!"
The trance ended, and in an instant Praesolus’s hatred and dark-side energy subsided. He swung his gaze back around to Skyler, as she looked upon Praesolus with a stare that the young Sith could not recognise. Was it fear? Was it resentment? Was it confusion? He could not tell; whatever was her reasoning for it, she could do little to inform him further of her feelings: her voice was broken and barely audible, and her body lay broken upon the table. It was enough to make one weep, and for the longest time Praesolus was certain that the pain in his chest would make him do just that; no tears came, but the pain etched its way across the Sith’s expression.
The young Jedi, Turos was his name, deactivated his lightsaber after the look he received from Skyler; he said something – though what it was Praesolus did not hear – and then started towards the exit of the room. As the pain of what Praesolus saw looking upon Skyler began to heighten, he granted himself a momentary reprieve by looking away from her; he turned instead to watch Turos leave, after which he used the Force to lift the broken door away from his temporary setting on the room’s far side, and set it back into its original place.
And then the Sith Lord breathed in deeply, albeit quietly, and prepared himself.
For all his powers, for all his training and his anger and his realisations, Praesolus was still nothing when it came to the woman sat before him. When he turned to look upon her, as he had longed to do for so long, he was overcome with a barrage of emotions so strong, he would swear that his body would be ripped apart by their volume. The first thing that he felt, standing there, was unbelievable joy – joy at finally being able to see her, be able to touch her and hold her and touch her, as he had longed to do for what seemed like a millennia; then he would notice her condition, her bruising and her bleeding, and his joy would turn ice cold. Hatred, terror, disbelief and loathing would sweep over his subconscious, threatening to overcome him, and send him into a fit of rage so powerful that even the Force itself would not be able to subdue him.
And then there was the fear.
It was no secret in Praesolus’s mind that walking down the path he had would make him an enemy of the Republic, of the people that he once served. This he knew, and had been willing to accept… but he had never been able to hold Skyler’s view. Would she hate him for becoming this? Would she be able to forgive him, be able to understand that he had no choice? And what if she didn’t? What if she loathed him as much as he loathed himself? What if he were to reach out and touch her now – as he so longed to do – and she swatted him away, her eyes burning with fury?
Then Praesolus would brake, just as easily as if he had taken a lightsaber to the heart.
For the sake of his sanity, Praesolus tried to distract himself from his terror, by taking a closer look at Skyler – since his departure from the Stargazer, all he had had to remember her by was the Hero documentary, and the images that orbited his dreams… or, at least, used to. But she was here now, much to his standing disbelief. Was this real? Was she truly there, standing before him? If he touched her, would she respond, or smile back at him knowingly, just as he realised that he was dreaming?
Instantly, his face fell. He could not touch her. He wanted to more than he had ever wanted anything in his life, but the fear intensified within him at the very thought of it. Everywhere he looked at her, there lay evidence of her abuse – bruises, blood, cuts and the like. Every one that he spotted sent a spasm of anger and sadness washing over him, until his form began to shake involuntarily. If he touched her, he might break her, or cause her harm. He couldn’t hurt her, not even to see if she was really there. And besides, the very thought that she might refuse his touch was too much to bear.
No, he couldn’t touch her. The decision ripped his heart into three, but he stood by it none-the-less. Instead, he tried to summon the words that he longed to say. He wanted to open his mouth, and say anything, if only to provoke her into singing her beautiful words back at him. But no words would come; his mouth would fall open, and his tongue would ready itself to form the words, but no sound would come.
And then, suddenly, there was movement: Skyler, despite her broken form and exhaustion, began lifting herself away from the bed where she lay, and began struggling forwards, upon steps that were far from steady and wrecked with pain. Praesolus watched, completely amazed and startled, unable to move forwards and help her, despite his desire to. All he could do was watch, his eyes unblinking, his mouth held closed to suppress the whimper of pure sadness and terror that he knew was welling up inside of him. When she was standing only a short distance away, she slowly raised her hand, and brought it shivering towards his cheek. Instantly, he became dead still, as though culled by anticipation and dominated by a completely paralysed body. Her hand came to a stop an inch away from his cheek, where it hovered for what seemed like an eternity.
When she touched him, her cold, smooth skin brushing his cheek, her was tackled with an overpowering need for her, as well as a surge of relief and satisfaction so strong that his head began to spin. He kept his eyes trained upon Skyler intently, noting – to his worry – how she had begun to shiver more profusely. Then, her beautiful, perfect lips parted, and through them came two words, words that were choked more than spoken: “You’re here....”
The support that Skyler had managed to summon unto herself died away with her words, and her damaged legs buckled beneath her, causing her to fall forwards. Despite his fear and self-loathing, Praesolus found himself a slave to his need and better drives, and rushed forwards to meet her. His lightsaber slipped from between his fingers, and clattered to the floor loudly as the blade burnt out; his arms spread, and his knees dipped, putting him low enough to get to her descending level. Midway down, Praesolus caught Skyler beneath the arms, and, despite her condition, clutched her to him desperately: his desire and relief consumed him, and her closed his eyes, claiming her as his own as he sealed off his world. It was only them now, just as it should have been.
”Skyler, I…” The words died on his lips. What could he say? He didn’t know, no more than he could force himself to relinquish his hold on her. Very slowly, he let his knees bend, and he gently lowered Skyler to the ground, where he held her to his chest, cradling her like a child.
”I’m so sorry.”
There, he had said it. The real thing that he had needed to say. She was hurt now, nearing death, because Praesolus had, yet again, proven himself inadequate. Would she have been this way if he had been stronger? Would she be so close to demise if Praesolus had destroyed Primeous, and his legion of brainwashed Skrie? No. She would be at his side on some far off planet, living in peace, away from wars, battle, blood and pain. They would have been free.
But no, she had come to harm, despite his wishes. He hadn’t been strong enough then, and maybe, now that he had turned on Primeous, he would never be strong enough. That was always the case: Praesolus had always let his weakness overcome him, and whenever it had someone had suffered. His parents, Kolanda, Rorwooken, Roland… they had all paid the price for his inability. But not Skyler: he wouldn’t let her be taken from him.
The realisation that Skyler was there finally set in, and Praesolus found his body shaking with relief stricken, silent tears. He bowed his head, and turned himself in towards her, holding her as tightly as he dared to given her condition.
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