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Vudes, long ago

A green world hangs spinning in space, pristine and perfect at this distance. The stars are fewer this far out in the Galaxy. Clouds curl about the orb, above dense jungles and sparkling seas. A world untouched by pollution.

Suddenly, in a flash, something appears in space above the world. It is an enormous starship, a dreadnought of sorts. It has been damaged in battle, and the lightspeed escape has done it no favors. It is breaking up and it is going to crash. It dives into the atmosphere of Vudes, engulfed in flame as it reenters.

It trails smoke into the atmosphere of the planet and, with an epic explosion, crashes into the jungles, just beside one of the planet's great seas...

-


Welcome to "Heroes of Old," a game from the Retrospection series. These games are meant to provide a fun plot based upon the backgrounds of player characters, while giving players themselves a chance to gain experience- both in points and in practice with the system. This time, Retrospection takes a look at Azarl Kaal, a man who views the Force as simply an exertion of will from a powerful mind.

Before his time staying on Epireus with the other Dark Jedi, Azarl was once a great hero and powerful warrior on a planet that knew nothing of the Republic, or the Jedi. His strange powers would normally have made him an outsider, as so often happens to those discovered with the Force so far from Coruscant.

But in the case of Azarl, he had a mentor...

Vudes

Azarl- you awake from your dream in a sweat. This is getting ridiculous- you have dreamed of a vessel falling from the sky almost every night this week! You do not know what it means or why this dream keeps coming to you. The Shaman has not taught you such talents.

You are currently in bed, laying on your reed-stuffed matress in the wooden homestead that you live in with your mother. It is a warm, balmy night in your village, but you feel cold from head to toe.

Oh hey.

Azarl will rise from his bed, wiping away the sweat from his forehead. He contemplates what he saw and then goes outside of the homestead to take a walk in the night air.

He will make sure his lightsaber is with him.

Your what whosit? Azarl has been outcasted by the warrior community because of either his unwillingness or inability to learn to use melee weapons. You can use a shield just fine, but in a tribe that prides itself on their spearsmanship, you are a sore thumb.

The Kaal Tribe is one of the smallest of the many tribes that live on Vudes. The village in which they live is located around the Rock of Kaal, the holy landmark from which they derive their name. It has long been forgotten by most why it is named such. The Shaman has promised to tell you, but the time has not come yet.

The night is warm and the sky is clear. Stars are few and constellations almost nonexistent; the Vudans don't really look to the stars for answers anyway.

Azarl will look skyward regardless, having kept seeing a ship falling from it the last few nights. Is anyone else about?

Azarl will walk toward the rock.

Only the nightwatchmen, on the lookout for enemy warriors or dangerous animals.

The Rock of Kaal is an enormous rock that juts from the earth at an awkward angle, probably part of some greater mass of stone that has been bared over the centuries. It is underneath the Rock's overhang that the Shaman has built his hut.

He has a fire lit within, and a thick aromatic smoke is drifting from it over the village.

Azarl will go to the Shaman's hut, then, treading quickly through the village.

The Shaman is sitting just inside, deep in meditation beside the fire. He sprinkles some herbs and salts from a bag into the fire, causing it to crackle brightly and emit more aromatic smoke.

"Can you not sleep?" the Shaman asks, not opening his eyes.

"No," Azarl says. "I had the dream again. About the starship falling from the sky in flames. That IS what you called it, right? A starship?"

"Yes," the Shaman says. "That is what it is called."

The Shaman is Salcazar Kaal- for all intensive purposes, he is the leader of the the Kaal tribe. Though he is a frail old man, he leads the highly religious tribe in their rituals, and has managed to keep the warriors under his control.

He has a very strong Will, and is teaching you more about your own and how to use it.

You may need to make some changes now!

"What is their purpose and why do we not have them?" Azarl asks, curiously. "Such a thing seems fantastic and impossible, but if they exist, surely we can make our own."

Your story is not much changed, and we'll carry on in Basic for simplicity.

"What interest would you have in such things?" Salcazar chitters.

Okay.

"I have dreamed about it all week," Azarl says. "I just makes one ponder such things."

Azarl looks up at the stars.

"Where would it have come from?"

"It could have come from anywhere," Salcazar says. "It is irrelevant."

"If I am dreaming of such things, then it is hardly irrelevant," Azarl claims. "It is not normally something I am prone to doing."

"No, I have not taught you such," Salcazar says simply. He has not opened his eyes yet. You can sense his Will strongly, though you cannot read it. You never could.

"When will you?" Azarl asks. "So far, much of what I have learned about my own Will is exerting it against my surroundings or using it to push myself beyond my normal limits."

"When your time comes," Salcazar says.

The Shaman is often cryptic with you like this.

Azarl is annoyed by this, but decides to join the Shaman in meditation.

"What do you see, then, when you dream?" Azarl asks.

Salcazar smirks, and opens his multitude of eyes.

"What good would it be for me to tell you what I have Willed?" Salcazar says.

"I am only curious," Azarl says. "Besides, what harm would it do?"

"My Will is my own," Salcazar says, a little more sourly. "As your Will is your own, too. What your Will determines to show you is important to only yourself."

Azarl understands the logic but is still not pleased.

"So there is no way you can help me determine my vision?" Azarl asks.

Salcazar laughs.

"I could," Salcazar says, "but how would that strengthen you? You would not benefit from me just telling you what it means. You must figure it out yourself."

Azarl chitters to himself, annoyed.

"Fine," Azarl says. Azarl is normally quite stoic and untalkative, but he is aggravated by this dream.

Does Azarl know of his world's previous contact with the Sith yet?

He does. The Sith enslaved Vudes a very long time ago and dragged them out in the greater Galaxy. You know that Vudes is far away from most of where the fighting took place; many Vudans died lightyears from home once the Sith abducted them. None ever returned.

Wow, that must have been a lot of Vudans...

Were there any that were ever strong in Will, like Azarl?

It happens occasionally throughout your planet's history.

So the Sith never came back for more Vudans after they enslaved many of them? How long did the Sith occupation last?

(I guess these could all be answered in my background but that would be meta-gaming)

History is a little fuzzy on exact dates and the comings and goings of the Sith. It happened a few times.

Okay. But history would mark how the Sith arrived on Vudes, right? We would know what starships are in concept, even if it's not something we're familiar with.

How familiar are the other Vudans with all this? Is it common knowledge?

Legends aside, you are aware that the Sith arrived by ship from other worlds.

So then it is likely that the ship that Azarl sees in his dreams is one of those that the Sith used. But maybe it crashed somewhere on Vudes.

You can only assume. You have no idea where it would have crashed.

Does the Kaal tribe have any written records that Azarl can research to try determining such things?

Of course! The Kaal are very meticulous about their oral tradition but do keep physical records of important events on scrolls.

The Shaman holds both the oral and written traditions.

Azarl will ask the Shaman if he can look at those records, or ask if the Shaman can tell him about that time.

Salcazar just laughs at you.

"How is that any different from me just telling you what your vision means?"

"Fine," Azarl says. "I will just look at the records then. You don't have to tell me anything. I can draw my own conclusions from what I read."

"Am I supposed to allow you to do this?"

"What I am supposed to do if you don't?" Azarl asks. He is becoming more irritated.

"Find your own way," says Salcazar. "Mine are not the only records on Vudes..."

"What do you mean?" Azarl asks, unsure of the Shaman's intent.

Salcazar just grins... however the Vudans do such a thing.

"I must retire for the evening," Salcazar says. "I suggest you do the same, pupil."

Azarl will just watch him go and be gloomy, sitting outside the Shaman's hut in the dark of night.

Are the other tribes of Vudes like ours? With a shaman and all?

They are similarly organized, yes. Yours is a particularly religious group, having a powerful shaman as your figurehead. Others do not, preferring to follow some brutish warrior-king or a politically-savvy thinker.

But they would have someone that keeps records for the tribes like my shaman does? Maybe?

Or I could try stealing them from my shaman.

You can only assume. You've not met many beyond the tribe of Kaal aside from the odd traveler. The clans keep to themselves.

You could.

How far away are the other clans? What is the nearest?

The clans are spread out all over the planet. The closest is the Nurk Clan, on the shores of your landmass. The Kaals are situated on the open plains.

Maybe they know what happened. Are they friendly to the Kaal clan?

None of the clans are what you would call friendly. Each prefers to stay out of the others' doings, unless they are one of the more aggressive clans. The Kaals and Nurks are not, and generally do not communicate.

What are the Nurks known for? How much does Azarl know about each of the clans? How many are there?

(I never really determined any of this so I am assuming you've come up with stuff)

There are many clans and even more sub-clans. You do not know the exact amount. The Shaman has taught you of the local clans mostly.

The Nurks are one of the few seafaring clans. Most Vudans abhor the world's seas, being large insects and preferring to stay on dry land. While your incredible constitution makes it very hard to drown you, none of you are great swimmers. Except, again, some of the Nurks.

How far of a journey is it to get there?

It will take you roughly a week if you travel by foot.

Does Azarl have to walk?

There are creatures in the fields that the Vudans use as mounts. It would be a matter of getting one under control.

That sounds like something Azarl can do. If not he will just walk. We don't have any domesticated mounts or whatever?

The Kaal clan keeps to itself. What does it need mounts for? They do not go anywhere.

It will be Survival to bring an animal under your control.

I do not actually have that. Can I try rolling off a stat? I'm assuming Presence can kind of help.

In this instance, it is a very specific skill to be able to cow animals to your will. You don't even have the faintest idea how to begin.

Is there anyone that could help him in his village? Otherwise Azarl is walking I guess.

There are some in the village who know how to work these beasts. Sometimes they are used for labor by farmers, and other times for mounts by the village protectors.

Who does Azarl trust more? If he doesn't trust either he will try to sense which is the better option.

The Shaman Salcazar insisted once that you trust no-one. Not even him.

"It will be the death of you if you do," Salcazar said.

-

The harvesters are just a collection of common folk from your clan. They do as the Shaman suggests and spend their days gathering food for everyone. Most Kaals are farmers, actually.

The soldiers, on the other hand, have a strained relationship with the Shaman. Protector Zalmar Kaal is their commander and they begrudgingly have obeyed not to attack any neighboring clans, per the Shaman's orders.

Then Azarl will talk to a farmer that might be able to help him tame a mount. He just wants to be sure that the farmer won't talk to anyone about the conversation or the help he gave me.

Can I guarantee that? Maybe Intimidation or talk him into keeping mum?

There are no guarantees that anyone will stay quiet on what you ask of them.

That's irritating. Well he doesn't need to tell them exactly what he is doing. He will enlist a farmer to get him a mount and then head off to the meet the other clan, so he can find out what he can about the starship he saw.

Okay! One of the farmers you come across is more than happy to help the Shaman's student! He sets you up with one of those creatures- something like a bison with leathery skin.

Azarl will mount the leathery beast of burden with the farmer's help. He will bring a spear and a shield just in case he encounters trouble along the way (since you mentioned those were the weapons of the Kaal clan).

He will also pack any other supplies he needs, like food and water to get him to the Nurks.

You can have these things packed and with you when you mount up, and with a slap from the farmer, the beast sets off from the Rock of Kaal toward the coast.

You do not encounter anyone or anything on your way there. The hills are barren around the Rock, once you are past the farmlands. You stop to feed the beast occasionally and have a few mishaps getting it to go again.

Eventually, you notice the fresh salty scent in the air and come upon a rise that overlooks the coast. The village of Clan Nurk is situated at the mouth of a small marshy bay. Their farms are smaller by comparison; they fish for meals, an option your clan does not have.

Azarl finds no point in waiting around on the hill. He spurs his beast on down to the village, looking for signs of Vudans and keeping his senses about him, willing the world is reveal itself to him.

You make your approach. You collect a few curious glances from some Vudan farmers in their fields near the village. When you make the final approach, following the unpaved trail that connects the Rock of Kaal to the Bay of Nurk, a few guards come out to block your path.

The Nurks use tridents instead of spears. They fish with them more often than they fight.

Azarl will greet them and see what they want.

They want to know what business you have in the Bay, and what clan you are from.

Azarl happily tells them that he is a Kaal and he's looking to speak with their religious leaders.

"I study with the Shaman under the Rock," Azarl says cooly.

They shift uncomfortably.

"What do you want with our shaman?" they ask.

"I seek knowledge that mine own will not divulge," Azarl says. "I was hoping he could help me find something."

"We'll need to check with him," says one.

"Are you armed?" asks another.

Azarl will reveal his spear and shield, thinking it pointless to hide them from Vudans he has no desire to kill.

"For my own protection," Azarl says. "I am only here to learn. Maybe you can take me to the Shaman and he can decide for himself? I know my Shaman would want you to do that, if someone came to see him."

The warriors talk among themselves before deciding that they can take you to the Shaman. You will be disarmed before you can see him.

If Azarl can keep his shield, he will, but he happily surrenders his spear. He is not much good with it, anyway.

(Does Azarl have all his powers currently?)

(Yes.)

They will let Azarl keep his shield and take the spear.

They escort you through the Nurk village, which is not a great deal unlike yours aside from the fresh sea air and the stench of the fish markets. The Nurks have slightly bluer exoskeletons than the Kaals, and appear to have added stones and shells from the ocean to themselves for decoration.

Your escorts wield tridents and nets- the hallmark of the Nurk warrior class.

The Shaman of the Nurks is located in a small hut overlooking the sea from a cliff. He comes out when you approach, and looks grim.

"Hello, Azarl Kaal," he says when you approach. "What brings you to my shore?"

Azarl will offer a deep bow or something equivalent for the Vudans, out of respect. He suspects that one day he will become the Shaman for the Kaals, and that this being may be his equivalent.

"I come seeking your knowledge, wise one," Azarl says. "I have had dreams that I hope you can help me interpret. My own Shaman is not so willing to help."

"Why will Salcazar not assist you?" asks the Shaman, whose name you recall is Elgas. "He is your mentor, is he not? I do not know how I can assist you, I don't have your talents."

"He believes that I should seek knowledge from other sources if I want my answers," Azarl says. "Maybe you can still help me."

"How can I be of service?" asks Elgas.

Azarl will share the vision that he had while meditating, to see if Elgas knows anything about something falling from the sky.

"I would like to hear what you know," Azarl says. "Or if you know where this thing might have fallen. My teacher would not say if he knew anything."

"Hmmmm," Elgas says, thinking. "Let's go over my records..."

Elgas has a collection of documents and scrolls in his tent. The majority are very old, but some Elgas has produced himself. Many are part of a narrative that covers Nurkish history.

"You may find what you're looking for in here," Elgas says.

What will it take for Azarl to find what he's looking for?

I am open to ideas to help narrow your search.

Azarl is obviously looking for old files. Does he have them categorized or organized?

I could also try sensing for it.

Making a Force roll is an option, and narrowing things down to an Observation roll for older scrolls helps too. Anything else you want to try?

It is chronologically categorized, he says.

Okay so I limit it to a certain time period... whenever the Sith were here, I'd say. So Observation for older pieces, Savoir-Faire for the correct time period (which I get a bonus in because it is my home), then the Force to will this piece of knowledge into showing itself.

Go for it.

Between those three things, you are able to narrow things down to a group of older documents. Your instincts are not clear on which scroll is best, but your knowledge of the time period is surprisingly decent.

You eventually find what you are looking for. One of Eglas' scrolls from the end of the Sith occupation of Vudes.

You read that the Dark Ones were never driven from Vudes; the Vudans were powerless against their godly powers and divine fire-spitting weapons. Angels came to try helping fighting the Dark Ones, but never succeeded.

The Dark Ones, whom you know to be the Sith, just left one day, taking their flying vessels back into the sky and disappearing, one by one.

Except for one vessel that returned, decades later, and slammed into the coastline. This is further north than the Nurkish territory, but the shaman of the time could see the vessel when it came down, saw the fireball it became, and felt the earthquake it created.

You know where it crashed, then. The territory of the Vran, a warrior-minded Vudan clan.

And how friendly are the Vran with the Kaals? Could Azarl go investigate the wreckage without a problem from them?

They do not like strangers crossing their borders.

Good thing I have Intrusion (not)

Does Azarl feel he has an alternative here? How does he feel about the ship?

Intuition is not your strong point; indeed, you are surprised that you even had this dream. All you know is that you saw the events unfold as if you lived in the time.

Then Azarl should probably go there.

How quickly will they know I've crossed into their lands? The Nurks didn't know I was here til I walked up to their village.

You haven't been up to Vran-land, so you don't know.

I guess we'll play it by ear. Or whatever Azarl has for listening. Some membrane or something weird probably.

Azarl will ask Elgas if he has any words of wisdom for him, either about the Vrans or what he thinks the dream means.

"Do not do this thing," Elgas says. "The Vrans will not welcome you or your search for this fabled vessel. It is a relic of dark days. It is hidden with reason."

"So you think it exists?" Azarl asks.

"I don't know what I think," Elgas says. "I just know it is a folly to pursue it. Real or not, all this can bring is trouble."

"Then trouble is my aim," Azarl says. "This has been revealed to me by a vision. It would be the greater folly to ignore it!"

Azarl will set out, collecting his spear and shield again from the guards that took them. He is going to go on foot; he does not want to try calming the beast of burden he took in, and he wants to try being secretive about his entry into the territory of the Vran. A lumbering beast won't help.

Do the Nurks have any supplies they can lend him?

They can give you some extra food for your journey out to the Vran. Otherwise, no. They do return your shield and spear to you. Neither feel totally comfortable in your hands, lacking proper training. But if Elgas is correct, you might need them.

Elgas will see you off with one final warning.

"The Vran are skilled warriors," says Elgas. "I know the Kaals are as well, but they are not chained by faith in an old religion.

"They will not be merciful."

"I won't give them a reason to make that call," Azarl retorts before heading off. "They won't stop me."

Azarl will leave the Nurk village and set out for the Vranlands. What's the terrain like? He wants to stay mainly unseen on his way there.

The terrain is mainly open grasslands with high grass. The Vrans also have coastal access with rocky cliffs.

Rocky cliffs sound like they have more potential to be stealthy. Azarl will go that way, taking the coast up into Vranland.

As mentioned, the cliffs from the Nurk villages up into the Vran territory bulge up from ocean as rocky walls, speckled with miniature caverns and hand holds. The beach below is fairly minimal, and disappears with high tide.

Picking your way hand-over-hand would take eons, so the beach is your only option. You will have to scale the cliff once you are ready to ascend (as there are few other ways up). It will be based on Strength rolls.

However, you will be hard to spot unless the Vran decide to join you on the beach. The chances of that are low, and you feel good about your decision in that regard. However, the waves lapping on the beach cause unease... the tide is already climbing at this time of day, and you know from stories that terrible things live in the seas.

How long can Azarl go until the beach is gone? And can he swim?

Yes, it is Strength to swim. Your Superior Constitution actually makes it hard to drown you, though you aren't amphibious by any means.

So I'm probably not feeling bad about drowning...

Can Azarl touch the water and see how his senses respond?

You touch the water...

Ahhh!

It's cold!

But not dangerous in itself. The unease continues.

Azarl will stop wasting time splashing in the waves and start moving along the coastline. He is careful to make sure nobody sees him from the cliffs above.

You move along the coast, your clawed insect feet leaving their prints in the sand, shortly thereafter washed away by the creeping waves. The tide steadily rises.

You make an Observation check to cast a wary eye at the top of the cliffs. From what you can tell, no-one has spied you on the beach.

After a long trek, you come to a point where the cliff has collapsed into the ocean. Several enormous boulders block the way on.

Azarl regards the boulders distastefully as they hinder his advance.

Could Azarl climb over them or swim around them? Or move them?

All are possibilities.

If you were to climb over the boulders, it would be Strength rolls to see how quickly you scale them, and Intrusion to do so without making yourself obvious.

If you were to swim around them, it would be Strength rolls to see how quickly you can swim.

As for moving them... how do you propose to do that?

Does my Superior Constitution play into any of that at all?

And Azarl could try to 'will' those rocks out of his way with the Force.

Not in this case. It would if you started to drown.

If you were to Will them out of your way, it would require an expenditure with Super Lift. These rocks are enormous.

How many points would it take? Maybe I could just roll some of the larger ones away rather than move everything.

It would be 2 points to move the rocks. It will be a large display of power on your part.

Azarl probably should hold on to those points. So he will try to swim around the rocks since he does not have Intrusion.

Can he sense anyone at the top of the cliffs?

Force roll says... with five successes, you definitely sense a presence at the top of the cliffs.

Into the ocean it is then.

Your decision made, you wade into the water. The boulders can shield you from the view of anyone up on the cliffs. The water is cold and dampens whatever clothing you're wearing (if the Vudans wear clothes).

You need to accumulate 20 successes, on Strength rolls alone, to get around the rocks.

Azarl starts off into the water, wading until it is too deep to wade and kicking off and swimming when he can.

You roll... a single success! Not very impressive. You start pushing out into the water gingerly when a wave pushes you back as it rolls up onto the beach.

You still feel uneasy about being in the water.

Can Azarl sense anything around him? If he has to stop and sense at the expense of moving he won't do that. Just keep swimming.

You get zero successes this time. You can't really say that you're a fantastic swimmer...

The unease increases.

Azarl just keeps swimming, trying to get some momentum and fight the water.

This time, three successes. You make some progress and push through the waves.

Something brushes against your leg in the water.

Azarl keeps swimming! Particularly frantic now because he does not want to be eaten.

Can you list my progress with your updates? I'm at 4 now but I have a feeling I might lose track with whatever is going to happen next.

Two succeses now, you tread water as quickly as you can muster.

That something brushes up against you again, and this time a stretch of slimy scales breaks the water's surface next to you. It is circling around you, whatever it is.

Azarl wants to get as far as he can before it tries to eat him. Keep swimming.

I'm at 6 now.

One success this time...

The water froths and from it emerges a huge mouth full of teeth. You don't get much of a look at the thing those teeth belong to before it tries to chomp you in half.

It doesn't quite get you, only rolling a single success. The monster slams into you for 5 damage (after reducing your Armor), dragging you underwater for a moment...

---

Azarl (C4): 1(1A)/5 (8F) - 7


??: 0

Ahh!

Azarl tries to keep swimming, if he can get away without getting bitten for fleeing.

If not, he tries to kick whatever this is in the face.

It has a base damage of 6?

It would get a reflexive attack on you for fleeing... so attacking it is the option you go with. You lash out with a foot and hit it for 2 damage.

It makes another pass to try devouring you, this time rolling 3 successes for 7 damage.

(Dodge & Weave does not function while you are in the water)

---

Azarl (C4): 1(1A)/12 (8F) - 7


??: 2

Can I use Force attacks while in the water?

If not, Azarl is going to try swimming away.

If so, Azarl will try to Grip the damn thing.

Nothing stops you from using your Will here, Azarl. You reach out with your mind and clutch something vital in the sea monster, causing it to shriek. Three successes puts it in a Grip and does 5 damage.

It flails about in the water but does not break your hold.

---

Azarl (C4): 1(1A)/12 (7F) - 7


??: 7 (Gripped)

Azarl keeps squeezing the life out of the thing, unrelenting in his attempt to kill it so he can move on.

The creature thrashes the water, trying to slap you away from it as chokes... and it rolls three successes, matching your Force roll. It breaks free as you get slapped under the water.

---

Azarl (C4): 1(1A)/12 (7F) - 7


??: 7

Azarl is going to make for the shore. He can't fight this thing in the water. He gets above the surface and treads water even if this thing gets an attack on him.

Are you going to try swimming around the boulders that blocked your path, or are you going to the boulders and climb up on them?

I'm going to try swimming around it still. I'm going to risk the reflex attack.

You try to swim away... one success is not really enough to put some distance between yourself and the sea monster. It launches no reflex attack as it was recovering from your strangulating, but it catches up to you and tries to munch on you again.

You take 5 damage.

---

Azarl (C4): 1(1A)/17 (7F) - 8


??: 7

Azarl is going to make for the rock then. He can't just keep taking damage like this.

You take the reflex attack this time as you struggle back to the boulders. The creature isn't rolling very well; you take 5 damage.

You roll one success trying to reach the shore. One more and you're there!

The creature makes another attempt to devour you and deals 6 more damage.

---

Azarl (C4): 1(1A)/29 (7F) - 8


??: 7