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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Lit Fragments from the Rim: A look at Galaxy Guide 9 w/ Charlemagne19

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Charlemagne19, Dec 6, 2016.

  1. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    fully agree

    This is my problem with WotC's Force traditions.
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2018
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  2. Voltron64

    Voltron64 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 23, 2009
    Westerns, Samurai flicks, WW2 movies, and leftist political metaphors, be fairly acquainted with all that and you can truly love and appreciate Star Wars like you never have before.
     
  3. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    If you don't mind how I'd use them...

    The Flayed Hand are a a group of religious fanatics which exist around a strange kilometers long bio-organic starship that has stopped in the middle of nowhere and is unable to move. Its smaller vessels are a "ship's graveyard" that they bring to conduct their human/alien sacrifices and ritual scarification. Its leaders are an unknown alien race which exist in only a handful of numbers from the original colony ship. They have converted many of the survivors of their piracy, though, and conduct many bizarre rituals.

    The survivors and their priests are aware they would be killed by their fellows if they were ever found due to the "compromises" they've made about their faith but continue to carry out their actions for their violent religion. Jedi or Sith who visit their location find the place a peculiar unnatural absence.

    The biggest joke being that they're actually quite aware of what they're doing but playing the role of comedic lunatic works better for getting people to give up their valuables than not.

    In fact, the organization predates the Republic and dates back to the time when the Duros were their own independent space empire before they became early (but not founding) members of the Republic. It's considered a terrorist organization on Duros itself but has a large number of sympathetic attention with Near-Duros descended from their more authoritarian and Spartan kill or be killed offshoots like the Neimodians. In truth, the Obed'Mar'Xhi are as contemptuous of them even more than their own.

    The group is actually quite small but the Empire used them as the kind of alien supremecist evil threat necessary to justify massive military spending as well as deport huge numbers of Duros from Coruscant, Corulag, and other worlds. Ironically, this actually has resulted in more people joining the organization as well as radicalizing it.

    The Poisoned Knife are noticeably far more meticulous, coordinated, and efficient than the vast majority of pirates out there. They are also a lot more theatrical and fully play onto the somewhat comical stereotypes of space pirates which the GFFA has like on Earth. This is due to the fact the Poisoned Knife is actually a military and technical unit of the Wroonian government. They defected when the Empire took over their planet and have utilized their skills plus a huge number of droids (which they use slicers to reprogram) to carry out their heists.

    What is not known is the Poisoned Knife are Rebel privateers and they actually portray themselves as pirates so the Empire won't be interested in cracking down on them.
    As for their Admiral? Well, she IS very prone to taking liking to people--and recruiting them. Also, seducing.

    The Eclipse Peacock is exactly what it pretends to be and more so because it is also an ancient pirate tradition, specifically dating back to the New Sith Wars. The thousand year old organization has many generations of members and an entire culture built around itself with several pirate colonies spread throughout the Unknown Regions.

    Unfortunately, their secrecy has been recently compromised and they're aware they have been identified by a Grand Admiral on a mission of charting space. They're very-very low on his list of priorities to deal with and on the edge of expanding Imperial territory anyway.

    So they have some very hard choices to make now.

    Princess Leia is in a bit of a spot there because while she's less than happy about someone naming pirates after her mother, she's also a person who remembers the original Alderaanian Admiral as someone better than the person he's become. Denouncing him would also cause severe consequences as JAN was created by Alderaanians who didn't think the Rebellion weny far enough....and there's not enough survivors that driving them into suicidal revenge against the Empire is a valid strategy.
     
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  4. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    I will post some new ideas later but until then, here are some links to the Force based posts in the Fanon thread (where Charle's should post his fanon)

    "Force Traditions, Abilities, and Philosophies
     
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  5. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    It's time to wrap up FRAGMENTS FROM THE RIM as the rest of the book is thankfully loaded with setting details but nothing really of consequence. It's time to think about what sort of book to review next as I'm torn between WANTED BY CRACKEN which is a collection of 40 or so rogues the New Republic has put bounties on and Pirates and Privateers which I've never actually read.

    Please cast your vote now!

    Leisure Activities

    Basically, this is a chapter of flavor text to make your Star Wars games feel more authentic. A large part of it is listing drinks you can order in cantinas and what they're called.

    * Lum
    * Renan Irongut
    * Elshandruu Pica Thundercloud
    * Pink Lizard Thunderbolt
    * Starshine Surprise
    * Tatooine Sunburn
    * Skannbult Likker
    * Daranu
    * The Reactor Core
    * The Meltdown
    * Corellian Whisky
    * Savareen Brandy
    * Cassandran Choholl

    LUM is the most important creation here because it is about halfway between rum and beer. It's the most common leisure drink in the galaxy and sometimes you order to get drunk on or as a casual spacer's drink versus something fancy or harder. It comes in pitchers and is something that the Empire taxes heavily and is smuggled throughout the galaxy as well because it's a cheap but lucrative as well as omnipresent beverage.



    We also get a drinking game and stamina rolls which seem like they should be practiced at frat parties as much as bars.

    The Starship Surprise is a drink which is a bet for most humans to drink because it's actually capable of knocking you out in many places. The Tattooine Sunburn is a SUPER STRONG drink which will kill you as it's a Starship Surprise double. Presumably it's a drink you should avoid unless you're a wookiee.

    Culroon Minstrel

    A luxury liner which is primarily for elderly Core Worlders and the superrich. The place has an incredibly placid and relaxed atmosphere with a somewhat geriatric staff. Recently, Zardra's fight with Dharus has resulted in a serious disruption in the kind of customers coming here as rich young Imperials now come to investigate that has caused much of the original staff to quit. It is now a place that buzzes with activity from beginning to end.

    O.S.S Telira

    Osman Shrier's Starship isn't really the kind of "luxury liner" you would want to experience unless you're solidly in the Disneyland Pam-Am flight middle class. It's a Corellian Corvette and basically serves the equivalent of the buffet and a friendly staff. It's captain is an eccentric lunatic and it's well under the Empire's radar on the trips to Eshandru Pica.

    The Veil of Skynara

    A luxury space yacht through the Skine Sector that has proven to be a complete failure because of extensive rebel activity in the area and the company's stupid response to it. Basically, they got themselves a massive Imperial escort for its trips--which only increases the nervousness of passengers.

    It also has a priceless sculpture onboard it, begging to be stolen by PCs.

    Vohai Unirail

    The Star Wars equivalent of the Orient Express that is a luxury super-rail across the rings of the planet Vohai (and provides on of their own). It is an incredible luxury experience and view which both the Empire and Rebellion both use for drop offs. SO FAR, it has a perfect safety record.
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2018
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  6. Sarge

    Sarge Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 1998
    My vote is P&P. Yarrr.

    Before we leave GG9, we're going to talk about the music, right? I loved that part.
     
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  7. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    Musical Groups

    I found this to be a strange place to end FFTR but it's weird enough to be memorable even years later. Like @Sarge, I found this to be oft-kilter but something interesting that could be useful in RPGs while also isn't something you readily associate with Star Wars. I shouldn't be surprised, though, since Star Wars DOES have no less than two musical groups in its ranks.

    Note: Compnor has two classifications for music after accepted.

    1. Scarlet: Basically a really scathing review by COMPNOR which deems a worth worthless or offensive. Notably, this has a manifestation of the Streissand Effect as a scarlet rating is basically massive free publicity for any band which COMPNOR decides to bother commenting on.
    2. Banned: Which is a 500 credit fine and confiscation of the material

    The Emperor's New Clothes

    [​IMG]

    The Emperor's New Clothes is a massively pro-Imperial band that COMPNOR originally gave rave reviews to. However, they have since toned down their enthusiasm as while the band uses Imperial imagery and jinogistic patriotic songs amid their rock personas--their fandom includes not only COMPNOR kids and Core Worlders but also people who are massively ANTI-Imperial.

    This reminds me a bit of the Ramones and their irritating Neo-Nazi fandom which emerged after California Uber Alles (leading to "Nazi punks **** off") except in reverse. Basically, the conceit is the Emperor's New Clothes may be doing all of their Imperial fanboyism ironically. They have songs like "Totally Patriotic" which COMPNOR takes at face value but probably shouldn't since "Totally" is an assurance that undermines the statement. They also have another album called "Artistic Integrity" which is about how the Empire lets people play whatever music they want and everyone should just be happy with that freedom. Yeah, I'm starting to really like these guys. However, the best use for them is they give a reason to have Metallica's Imperial March as canon.



    Red Shift Limit

    Speaking of Metallica, Red Shift Limit is their not-so-subtle equivalent in the universe. They are a deeply anti-Imperial band that has nothing but Scarlet and Band tracks. However, despite appearances, it's also a corporate band which regularly changes its musicians while keeping a house style. They have a very public feud with the Emperor's New Clothes but it is depicted as something that feels more artificial than heartfelt. They did their own version of TOTALLY PATRIOTIC that took the hidden subtextual irony and made it, well, text. They do have some actual willingness to go after the man as they've done parodies of Boba Fett, Darth Vader, the Emperor himself, and...Moff Balfour.

    Boba Fett and the Assassin Droids

    Basically an ultra-violent lyric band which dresses up as Boba Fett and a bunch of Assassin Droids. There's a debate whether Boba Fett will murder them or not for co-opting his image. They've only done singles and weirdly are popular among aliens despite there being no explicable reason. Two of their songs are banned but the others aren't Scarlet and have enjoyed mainstream success.

    Starburst

    A bubblegum pop group from the Core Worlds which is in an oddball position as they've been mostly left alone by Compnor because they were Core Worlders and there's a lot more freedom there than in the Outer Rim. However, since they've moved further out to broaden their appeal, they've run into a lot more nastier Imperials and censorship.

    This has, ironically, dramatically increased their popularity with their first Scarlet album. Their frustration and confusion has leaked into their songwriting so that while each individual song (and COMPNOR listens to millions every day) isn't particularly bad, when played together they create a horrifying indictment of the galaxy's current state. When COMPNOR notices this, Starburst is going to be in a LOT of trouble.

    Annadale Fayde

    A Ho'Din balladeer who basically is like Enya, combining modern music with ancient mythological themes and alien artistry. COMPNOR doesn't really care about her but generally marks her music as Scarlet rather than banned just because she's an alien. She's also an enormous diva who has gone through numerous bands. All of them are forced to play in the shadows while she does her songs.

    Deeply Religious

    The Black Sabbath to Red Shift Limit's Metallica, they are the hardcore "real deal" among banned musicians in the galaxy. Deeply Religious is a much older band than Red Shift Limit and dates back to the Old Republic where they had galactic level success. They are completely and utterly banned by COMPNOR with possession of any of their work a criminal offensive. Their contempt for the Empire is amazing and much much better articulated than RSL.

    They are still producing from secret locations and their takedown of The Emperor's New Clothes was amazing.

    THE END OF FRAGMENTS FROM THE RIM!
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2018
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  8. Voltron64

    Voltron64 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 23, 2009
    My vote is for Wanted by Cracken.
     
  9. Voltron64

    Voltron64 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 23, 2009
    And Charles, about the music groups?

    I think there should absolutely be a super sugary J-Pop Idol Singer-style group in there. If only the lulz.
     
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  10. Daneira

    Daneira Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 30, 2016
    I think it’s hilarious that that Totally Patriotic album is literally a CD case. They didn’t try making it spacey or futurey at all.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  11. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Regarding music so is my fanon idea that most harder styles of Music in SW grow out of jizz (space-jazz) without rock-Music first having evolved, so "Heavy Metal" music in GFFA has a jazz beat instead of a rock beat

    @Ewok Poet had them as pronk (space-punk) band:

    Fully agree :)
     
  12. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    That is awesome!

    Remember, without the Holonet, you had to buy these things physical. PERFECT FOR SMUGGLERS!
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
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  13. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    Adventure Ideas

    1. The Emperor's New Clothes is actually not being ironic, except for the fact that it's writer and frontman IS and the others are just in it for the money for the most part. Jaims Asteroidfield (an Imperialization of his Quelli name Jamiesoodo Hetfeidlaronos) is horrified by the New Order and has been against it his entire life. It's just you actually need a brain to figure out what he's really saying and the New Order is all about blind unquestioned obedience.

    Jaims wants to make a big splash that helps the galaxy by communicating the death of the Emperor to trillions of sapients galaxy wise (his initial plan to do it with a tribute to the man was shot down) with a pirate broadcast. This, of course, is in the few months when Imperials have said the Emperor is just recovering.
    Unfortunately, one of the Emperor's New Clothes is dead and has been replaced by a COMPNOR operative. He actually hopes to murder Jaims and replace him since before his recruitment, he was in a ENC cover band. The PCs have the mission of impersonating roadies and helping Jaims pull off his coup as his girlfriend is actually a Rebel operative.

    If the PCs succeed, the Emperor's New Clothes is fully prepared to become, "The Emperor's Dead (and I don't care)" because most of the band is all about the credits.

    2. Starburst's membership is about to be arrested and executed by the ISB. Notably, this is ONE agent of the ISB who has decided to make his career by going after celebrities. The PCs get a heads up by the Rebellion who are iffy about the whole thing. Rescuing a bunch of sugary Deborah Gibson and Paula types isn't exactly the biggest job they ever have but is more moral than most. Said ISB agent (who may be Kirtan Loor) is willing dramatically overstep his authority is the subject, though.
    The band is likely to also split upon exposure to just how cruel and evil the Empire is.

    3. Crying Dawn Singer and Annabale Fayde used to be close friends, so the famous avian singer is desirous of helping Annabale when the latter contacts them about transporting a credit chip of 200,000,000,000 donated by her fans for "freedom of the galaxy." This is actually a trap as Annabale Fayde turns out to be the least pleasant Ho'Din in the galaxy. Her charity fund for the preservation of galactic environmental sites turns out to have been for funding her singing career this entire time. The Empire found out and were bemused more than anything so they're blackmailing her in hopes of getting at the Rebellion.
    Annabale has a promise of not only this being covered up but the Empire making her next five albums scarlet.

    4. Boba Fett hires the PCs (via an intermediary) in what is the strangest thing they're likely to handle but he wants to confirm that the band Boba Fett and the Assassin Droids are who he thinks they are: which is to say all members of Clan Fett led by one of the last Jango Fett clones who ran away from the Empire. Joba Fett is an enormous Boba Fett fanboy and that is the only reason the real reason Boba hasn't killed him yet. Unfortunately, some Death Watch members are ready to wipe this last part of the Fett legacy out.

    Alternatively the lead "man" could be his teenage daughter.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
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  14. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Do this count as droidface?

    Why use modern datatapes when you can have a cool and retro datadisk
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
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  15. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    [​IMG]
     
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  16. Voltron64

    Voltron64 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 23, 2009
    I assumed the reason Boba Fett never laid a hand on the band was because he was too grimly amused by the whole thing to be at all offended.
     
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  17. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    Alternatively:

    1. Boba Fett doens't listen to pronk.

    2. Boba DOES listen to pronk.
     
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  18. Voltron64

    Voltron64 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 23, 2009
    All that's needed for them and/or other bands is a somewhat sleazy manager/producer who happens to be a Toydarian version of this.



    (Maybe NSFW due to language.)
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
  19. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    In any case, I'm inclined to do Pirates and Privateers AND Wanted by Cracken as the former is great but doesn't have that many articles.
     
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  20. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Some ideas (I have not given them any list of what Force technique they know but if people are interested I could post them):

    The Ïa-Gao Advisors: Originating as advisors to the ruling class of Megor-IV, the Ïa-Gao was trained from young age in both worldly, philosophical and spiritual matters to be able to give the best advices. As Megor-IV's influence grow and its rulers become trade-nobles of the Grima subsector so did also the Ïa-Gao's influence grow and sadly power corrupted. From their noble and well-meaning begging's they become more and more self-serving and their ones simple lifestyle become one of indulgence and decadence. No longer advicing just the nobles from Megor-IV but also nearly all governments and oligarchs in the Grima subsector, the Ïa-Gao was able to indulge in their every whim. They no longer used their knowledge of the Force (even if they did not call it that) to help or give the best advice but to increase their own power.

    Blinded by drugs and liqueur and their own hubris they did not see the signs. The people they were supposed to serve turned against them and called on help from the Republic and the Jedi. The cleanup was more of a great reformation then a bloody revolution (even if two Advisors was lynched, the lynchers was later tried), the Ïa-Gaos was stripped of all their power, most of their properties was confiscated and many of them was thrown in jail. This happened over a hundred years ago.

    The Ïa-Gao Advisors who was able to escape now found themselves without their powerbase, only a small portion of their riches, a price on their name and unable to give up their need for the good life. But they still had their knowledge, their cunning and there ambition. To continue the lifestyle they had gone used to they begun to offer their knowledge of politics, economics, and the mystical to anybody who was willing to pay, they themselves did not care who they worked for or what atrocities they did.

    There also exist a small group of Ïa-Gao Advisors who tries to return to the old ways of nobility and well-meaning for the people they serve. Those Advisors usually try to find some planet or group that they think would have good use of their advices and don’t know of their corrupt and decadent history.

    -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

    Star-Shugenja: Originally an Duros Force tradition that go back to pre-Republic time, those priest-pilots and -navigators can be found among any space culture, even if they are most represented among the duros.

    Star-Shugenja worship the Space gods and pay respect to the Force, they are trained pilots and navigators and use the Force for space and hyperspace navigation and to help in their role as religious leaders.

    -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

    Frogbone: an mystical and semi-secret guild-tradition operating interstellar for those who work with mounts. Using the Force and their own great knowledge to be able to turn the wildest or unruliest of animals into perfect draft or riding animals. They are able to order the animals they have trained with simple sounds and gestures where others would need their whole bodies and can even turn other’s animals against them.

    They get their name from that they, supposedly, get their powers by making pacts with spirits in rituals involving them killing a frog and wearing it’s largest bone on a string around their neck.
     
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  21. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    This...this whole fustercluck...I LUVVIT.
     
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  22. jSarek

    jSarek VIP star 4 VIP

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2005
    Best part of the whole book. I came for GG9 because of all the "This power is described in Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim" footnotes in Force user statblocks in other books; but the bands are what stay with me the most.

    I actually had a player who created a character who was a former member of Red Shift Limit. Given the constantly rotating band roster and anti-Imperial leanings of the band, it's a decent background for Rebel characters who have a musical bent.

    It's a sound slug, which I find to be a quaintly interesting early-1990s speculation on what the future of music distribution might be like. Basically, every album is sold in its own mini hard drive, with enough space for an artist's entire catalog, along with holovids, reviews, interviews, lyrics, remixes and more, all playable on "conventional computers, datapads, holovid machines and audio stacks." But not all slugs have the extra materials, meaning they have enough space for a consumer's entire collection. The owner can expand their collection by buying a single track for one to three credits, or a compilation (e.g. one of the listed albums in the book that hasn't been banned) for six to ten credits, which the shop can then download onto the slug in a matter of seconds.
     
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  23. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    Random bit of trivia: Ed Erdelac did a article for STAR WARS: INSIDER called SLUGTHROWERS: A LOOK AT POPULAR MUSIC IN THE STAR WARS GALAXY about music in the Star Wars galaxy which incorporated information about this article.

    Sadly, it's no longer on the Star Wars blog at Star Wars.com/

    The funny part is that he'd been a long time Facebook friend and we'd reviewed each other's books.
     
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  24. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
  25. jSarek

    jSarek VIP star 4 VIP

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2005
    So sure are you? ;-)

    He's @Caledre in these parts, and even has his own discussion thread (albeit locked down in cold storage).
     
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