Introduction

Welcome to summer, everyone! Well, not officially as far as solstices go, but we've passed the traditional start point now that we're post-Memorial Day. With that it's also time to welcome in not just hotter days in the northern hemisphere, but the buildup to the Great Jedi War as well. Really, Great Jedi War XII should be at the forefront of everyone's mind since we don't know what it all might entail. Just about the only thing we know at this point is that it sure should be fun!

Table of Contents

• Great Jedi War XII
• Clan Survey
• Clan Lore
• Brotherhood News

This month's art feature was created by Gotetho and depicts new designs for the Wraiths and Ravagers of Clan Plagueis.

Great Jedi War XII

It may be hard to believe, but it's been more than two years since our last club-wide vendetta. In Plagueis, we have a good mix of some more experienced veterans along with those that have never witnessed the abject craziness that is a Great Jedi War. Probably the best point of reference would be our tilt at Clan Odan-Urr last year where we found ourselves in a clan vs clan vendetta. A big as that was, the Great Jed War will be bigger, if for no other reason than it will be clan vs clan vs clan vs clan vs clan vs clan vs clan. The clan summit and I had considered running a warm up event this month in the lead up to it, but I ended up deciding against it as I wanted people to conserve their energy for the GJW and not tire themselves out right before the Next Big Thing drops.

Additionally, for those of you that have been keeping track of news posts, Mav has let us know that there is supposedly going be a pre-GJW ACC event that will technically be part of the Great Jedi War itself (accompanied by another elimination tournament during the time of the War itself). I wanted to make sure any of our members that desired to participate in said ACC event weren't worried about trading off time between that and a Plagueis event competition as well. Right now I'd advise people be on the lookout for that ACC event, but also keep your eyes on preparation you can do in order to maximize the return for your work during the War itself. I know that many events (battleplans, run ons, multimedia, etc) often allow for team submissions. Think about who those people are you might want to team up with for those sorts of events. Having a strategy going in instead of having to scramble to create one after the event has started is often the difference between success and failure, and more importantly fun and not. It is always a good idea to be prepared early!

Clan Survey

The Clan Survey opened up last month saw a great response from the Clan, with 18 people answering at least one (or more) of the questions therein. Some of the questions offered up responses that seemed to say that most people were happy with how Plagueis has been offering up content for consumption. 12 of 17 said they enjoyed most of the competitions during The Enemy Below, 15 of 17 said that the time between major events was just right, and 14 of 17 people said that the number of competitions run during those events was the right amount.

On the lore side 8 of 13 respondents specifically mentioned expanding Aliso or our setting in general as the thing they liked the most about our fictional development, by far the largest single response. Interestingly, 12 of 18 respondents said they favored Plagueis doing it's own thing over siding with the Lotus or Grand Master while the other 6 responses were in favor of siding with Pravus. I guess some people are more forgiving than others, and nobody wants to side with the lighties of Odan-Urr and kinda-sorta-lighty Atty in Arcona. I think the message is "We is evul!".

The Clan identity section produced the most interesting and illuminating responses. On the question of allowing Gray path characters (and, as a result, their players) to Clan Plagueis the answer was pretty evenly split. 7 responses indicated some opposition (3 somewhat, 4 very), 5 had no strong opinion either way, and 6 showed some interest (1 somewhat, 5 very) in adding that support. The two part question looking at our House names was very interesting indeed. 8 of 14 total respondents answered that the had no idea the significance of Ajunta Pall or Karness Muur when they arrived. Plagueis as a name is probably more well known, if only for the meme of the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise, but new members are probably not connecting very much with our unit names below that level. Along with that, an overwhelming 13 of 16 responses indicated that they would be open to revisiting our House names with an eye towards incorporating current canon (and, hopefully, more well known) names. I think this will be something that I explore with both the summit and the Dark Council in the future. The biggest issue there is that I want to make sure new members can come into our clan and feel like they are surrounded by things that evoke the sort of Star Wars that they are familiar with. As much as I personally adore the Old Republic canon that has now been relegated to Legends (Selika as a character still thinks Aleema Keto is the best), not everyone that arrives will have that touchstone. So, we'll at least be looking at the possibility of change moving forward.

Clan Lore

The Clan Lore project has been churning along nicely under the auspices of Ronovi and Laren. For the moment, the focus has been on expanding the lore of Aliso City specifically. The co-heads of the project have been hard at work developing history and a description of the overall city itself, but have also focused on a few specific locations within the city. Some of these are based on entries that were submitted during the Aliso Locations competition during The Enemy Below. Before the finished product goes live, I wanted to share a few highlighted locations to show some of the excellent work they've been doing:

D & D Construction Yards

The Duracrete & Durasteel Construction and Infrastructure, Refinement and Assembly Yard, also known as the D & D Construction Yards, is located to the northwest of the Pinnacle. Originally utilized by the Separatists for the purpose of creating duracrete and assembling pieces of durasteel for industrial purposes, its facilities have now been upgraded and remodeled so that both droids and the Subjugated work to manage building materials for Plagueis in order to expand and maintain the infrastructure of Clan-owned buildings and outposts.

The yard is divided into specific structures based on their services. Large metal refinement machines are used to purify durasteel so that it can be ready for building needs. Within the duracrete refinery, materials are sent off to be stored, shipped, or shaped into functional molds. Loaders, transports, and personnel operate from a small cluster of administrative offices, in which construction contracts and bonds with both the Clan and other Alisian organizations are drawn up and processed.

Work conditions within the Refinement and Assembly Yard are harsh but tolerable. Subjugates who work within the refinery and among the machinery seldom receive breaks, but the labor is not as backbreaking as expected, and the presence of droids to assist them is welcomed. Only the Willing, however, are lucky enough to hold down desk jobs and bear the responsibility of supervising both the financial and logistical aspects of the facilities.

The Sand Pit

Contrary to popular belief, the Sand Pit is not, in fact, filled with sand. It was established on the northwestern outskirts of Aliso City and serves as a fighting ring for both members of the Willing and Clan Plagueis. The Sand Pit, or simply the Pit, is the colloquial name for an arena that is notorious for brutal, and sometimes gladiatorial, combat.

Originally excavated by the Separatists for unknown purposes, the site was abandoned during the Clone Wars and rediscovered by Plagueis. The Plagueis ruling council held no interest in further updating or adding to the pit, but many members of the Willing were enthusiastic about turning the space into an arena or amphitheater. This proposal was accepted, provided that the structure be somewhat small in nature and not particularly eye-catching. Constructing the Pit also allowed the Clan to purge the ranks of the slave population when needed, sending Ravagers and Wraiths who had outlived their usefulness to be killed in combat. Ultimately, individuals within the lower echelon of the Ascendant Clan developed an outlet outside of their duties to relax, drink, watch some sparring matches, or even participate in the combat themselves.

Though the hollow of the Pit itself is approximately two meters, the surrounding stands measure twelve meters in height - equivalent to the height of a two-story building - and the area itself is covered and seemingly nondescript from a distance. Installed within the galleries are numerous durasteel benches that have been shabbily pieced together with recycled material from the D & D Construction Yards. The only intriguing element of the otherwise plain-looking space is the murals of Krayt dragons painted along the walls of the stands. A single concession booth provides spectators with food choices such as Bantha shish kebabs, Berbersian crab salad, and fried crispics. The same booth also offers a selection of beverages, both alcoholic and not, that includes Corellian spiced ale, lum, and the Pit’s staple cocktail: The Sandy Sith, which consists of Kowakian rum, Lyme’s rose juice, and a splash of Corellian nectar. It is said that if a fighter can pound three Sandy Siths in one sitting, then they can get a free ticket out of fighting their opponent.

Entertainment within the Pit ranges from one-on-one combat to team clashes to free-for-all sudden death brawls. In between sentient matches, spectators can enjoy fights in which headless battle droids are given blunt weapons and expected to wail on one another for entertainment value. While there is no official gambling element within the establishment, many members of the Willing will bet on the outcome of certain matches. Rumor has it that certain members of Plagueis itself also frequent the Sand Pit, either participating in the bouts or sitting back with food and drink and enjoying the violent display.

Landsdown Docks

While Clan Plagueis maintains its own spaceport, Aliso City is also host to the Landsdown Docks, which are situated on the easternmost flank of the city and furthest away from The Pinacle. While the docks mostly cater to transient merchants and traveling businessmen, it is also common to see Aliso residents utilize them for their personal ships and freighters.

Designed after similar ports found in the Outer Rim, the Landsdown Docks are wide and flat, with the exception of multiple rows of divots built into the duracrete and durasteel in order to accommodate ships of multiple classes. Once a pilot has landed their vehicle, they are able to easily access public transportation leading away from the port. Repair droids are also available for rent, capable of refueling ships and offering other maintenance needs. Tools may also be requested from a small scrap and parts shop located on the southern edge of the docks, though the purchase of said tools is not always cheap.

The Landsdown Docks are divided into three separate bay types spread haphazardly across the area of the spaceport. While the smallest bays mostly houses fighters and smaller vessels, the mid sized bays can support a wider range, including ‘’’Firespray’’’-class ships, LAAT gunships, and large scale transports. Only a few of the largest bay types have been constructed, capable of hosting much larger freighters. A crew of live personnel are on standby if any droids must be activated for appropriate tasks, as well as a small medical team, just in case ship maintenance and repairs happen to go awry.

Located in the free space between the various bays are a wide array of shops, inns, and small cafés, generally accommodating to travelers who do not intend to stay on Aliso for long. The Landsdown Café brews a particularly strong cup of caf, and the Shipyard Stop serves foodstuffs such as pepper pretzels and Nerf nuggets. Many of the establishments are relatively small and humble, but they do the job of sating the hunger and other needs of pilots and merchants alike. Beyond these fixed locations, there are many small stalls operated by merchants of all types, vending both wares and food to the spacers that frequent the port.

Brotherhood News

Position Applications

• Praetor to the Voice - Applications due June 9th.

General News

• FIST Report #9 - The one where Galaxy of Heroes waves goodbye.
• MAA Report #5 - The one with no more ties.
• Regent Report #11 - The one with all the teasing.
• Herald Report #22 - The one with jetpacks.
• Combat Master Report #8 - The one where you need to update your sheets.
• Voice Report #7 - The where everything is new.
• Headmaster's Report #12 - The one with three new courses.

In Closing

There is only one thing that should be at the forefront of your mind: "YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER." Just kidding. Zahn jokes aside, keep your eyes peeled for more Great Jedi War info as it appears. Make the news page your friend!

Adapt, Ascend, Avail