Hello all, and welcome! If you haven't yet read the Introduction and Rules, please do that first.
This is a post introducing the Empire's Shadow Game Setting! Empire's Shadow is a text-RPG set in the Star Wars universe, just a few years after the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
I would consider our tone serious; that does not mean your stories have to be dark and gritty all the time, but they should be respectful of the setting, respectful of your fellow writers, and solidly grounded in the context of the universe.
As this is Star Wars, it is only appropriate we begin with a text crawl:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
STAR WARS
EMPIRE'S SHADOW
It is a period of transition in the Galaxy. With the long and bloody Clone Wars finally won, Chancellor Palpatine has declared a New Order, transforming the victorious Galactic Republic into the first GALACTIC EMPIRE. With his newfound power, EMPEROR PALPATINE promises to bring law, order, and security to all corners of the Galaxy.
Not all believe the Emperor will keep to this message of peace. Citizens of the new regime hold their breath, afraid of what the future holds. Rights and liberties have begun to erode. Imperial forces occupy once free worlds. Emboldened, rapacious mercenaries feed off the unprotected frontier planets. Imperial plutocrats grow fat from corruption.
In the shadows, unrest is stirring. Recusants, comprised of surviving Separatists, Republic loyalists, Imperial defectors, and disillusioned citizens begin to work together against their common enemy. But as they draw the first plans of rebellion, the Empire is already moving against them...
The Era
Our game begins in the year 3638 ATC (After Treaty of Coruscant) of the "Galactic Standard Calendar", four years after the end of the Clone Wars and the creation of the Galactic Empire. This is a time of growing hardship for the galaxy. Many citizens of the Republic, weary of conflict and destruction after the Clone Wars, welcomed the creation of the Empire and its mandate of peace and control with open arms. However, these first four formational years have not been easy on the fledgling Empire. The Imperial military-industrial complex swells to match its purpose, asking more and more from its citizens. The Empire has increased the power of corporate conglomerates in the Expanse to meet the demand of raw resources, and the foundry worlds of the Mid Rim struggle to deliver on the overwhelming quotas for new Imperial starships. Yet, despite all the pressure put on her citizens, the Empire continues to fail to protect them. Corporations make wage slaves out of their workers in the Expanse. The Mid Rim is plagued by Separatist splinter groups to this day. Within and without the Empire's borders, crime lords still rule. Many are becoming disillusioned with the new regime. Is the Empire too weak to fulfill its mandate? Or did it never intend to provide for those beyond the Colonies? Only time will tell.
Time and Dates
Dates in Empire's Shadow use the "Galactic Standard Calendar", a widely adopted 360 day calendar in use across the galaxy which is based on the orbits and rotations of Coruscant, its sun, and four moons. Year zero on this calendar marks the Treaty of Coruscant, an ancient document which shaped the Old Republic. While the relevance of the Treaty has long faded, the last three and a half millennia serve as a cohesive epoch, denoted in dates with the ATC or "After Treaty of Coruscant" suffix. This calendar convention has 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 5 weeks a month and 10 months a year. Historically, 1 extra "rest day" follows the end of each month, bringing each month to 36 days long. The months are;
Month 1 - Corusan
Month 2 - Aldera
Month 3 - Chandril
Month 4 - Duro
Month 5 - Coral
Month 6 - Cato
Month 7 - Bouth
Month 8 - Kuwat
Month 9 - Onder
Month 10 - Deva
Traditionally, Star Wars media uses the "Yavin Calendar", with dates denoted by the BBY/ABY Suffix - Before/After the Battle of Yavin. These suffixes are the most common for out-of-character Star Wars discussions, and you will find them used regularly in reference material. However, because the Battle of Yavin takes place in the future for our characters, this date convention has yet to be introduced to the universe, hence the more in-universe appropriate Galactic Standard Calendar with its ATC suffix. However, for your own reference when researching Star Wars materials, the year 3638 ATC is equivalent to the year 15 BBY.
Galactic Map
The galaxy is a big place. Traditionally, it is broken into five key regions; the Core, the Inner Rim, the Expanse, the Mid Rim, and the Outer Rim. Our galaxy has been subdivided further, to provide a better sense of place, and give each region more unique character.
TheGame Room section of our forum board has been arrange to match these regions. You can find a basic description of each subregion at the header of their respective category. This subregional map has the following divisions;
The Core:
The Core
The Inner Rim:
Inner Rim
The Expanse:
North Expanse South Expanse
Mid Rim:
Borderlands The Slice South Midrim Western Reaches
Outer Rim:
New Territories Corporate Sector Umbral Zone Hutt Space Trailing Sectors
Wild Space:
Wild Space
Unknown Regions:
Unknown Regions
Reference Material
A primer for the world of Empire's Shadow can be found farther below in this post, but you may also use, and are encouraged to use, reference material like Wookiepedia to help inspire you, or to find details on things in the Star Wars universe. However, please remember that Wookiepedia has ALL the information on the locations, people, and factions of the Star Wars universe. There are thousands of years of history assembled from the content of dozens of books, movies, and shows available for you on Wookiepedia. This is a blessing and a curse - there is so much to draw from, but it is also easy to be confused or overwhelmed. Remember: you do not need to know all of these details. Just take what you need. Ultimately, it is more important and interesting to have your character develop their own relationship with and interpretation of who they are, where they live, and where they come from, than to have them understand EXACTLY how the universe around them functions.
Another resource we have adopted is Henry Bernberg's Interactive Galaxy Map. This tool is great for exploring the Star Wars galaxy visually, and makes finding locations for your stories a breeze. Locations on Henry's map include links back to Wookiepedia, expediting the research process. For the purposes of Empire's Shadow, we generally except Henry's map to be a true representation of the Star Wars galaxy, but as with any map, it is only an interpretation - feel free to draw your own conclusions based on the lore.
Note - Henry's map has been updated, and this introduced some minor changes. For the purposes of our internal canon, disregard this updated map's "Regions (new)" layer and instead stick with the original "Regions" to avoid confusion/contradictions.
Finally, Empire's Shadow has its own repository of lore, both located here and in the Thing Explainer. The Thing Explainer exists to delve deeper into pieces of lore unique to our own version of Star Wars, or to better explain contradictory topics from Star Wars Canon. If there is a lore subject you'd like a Thing Explainer entry on, please contact Geo (me!).
As with all reference material, Wookiepedia and Henry's Map are just starting points for Empire's Shadow lore. As will be discussed in the following section, Empire's Shadow is not quite the same universe as regular Star Wars - the lore in this post, the Thing Explainer, character backstories and in-character posts are what guide our own version of canon. Please read the following sections, look through the existing character backstories inApplications and read the stories taking place in theGame Room before starting to pen your own characters. Please feel free to ask the community or GMs questions about the world we have created together.
Canonicity
Star Wars canon is a fickle thing, subject to frequent changes and contradictions. To improve narrative consistency, our creative freedom, and the overall writing experience, Empire's Shadow functions off its own internal canon, called "Empire's Shadow Canon" (ESC), that is unique from Star Wars Canon (SWC) or Star Wars Legends (SWL). These rules define what makes something ESC. Nothing is ever set in stone here. If you ever take issue with these rules, or something that has been entered into the ESC, simply message a GM and we can work it out.
Rules for Empire's Shadow Canon (ESC):
1) It is assumed all events prior to the end of the Clone Wars (19 BBY/3634 ATC) happened as described in SWC unless otherwise specified, or superseded by ESC lore.
2) Lore descriptions and events detailed in this Game Setting post supersede SWC and are part of ESC.
3) Lore descriptions in the Thing Explainer are ESC and supersede SWC.
4) Backstory details in an approved character's application can supersede SWC from before 19 BBY/3634 ATC.Game Room character posts may also overturn established SWC from before 19 BBY/3634 ATC, but please workshop these changes with a GM. GMs reserve the right to interject if a change is too drastic.
5) Events between 19 BBY/3634 ATC and 15 BBY/3638 ATC (the 4 years after the Clone Wars, and 4 years before the start date of Empire's Shadow), may have happened as in SWC, but the backstory for an approved character application, or any in-characterGame Room post, automatically supersedes.
6) Events after 15 BBY/3638 ATC are unwritten, and guided by in-characterGame Room posts. You do not have to worry about writing your posts in a way that preserve the future SWC timeline. The only timeline after 15 BBY/3638 ATC is the Empire's Shadow timeline.
7) Any backstory detail listed in an approved Character Application that doesn't contradict SWC, is automatically part of ESC, regardless of era/importance.
8) When a SWL detail doesn't outright contradict the SWC or any established ESC, it can be accepted without question as a part of ESC. If the difference between a SWL or SWC detail is inconsequential, chose the one you prefer, and that will remain part of ESC.
9) Older additions to ESC supersede later additions to ESC. Functionally, our canon is "first come, first served"; later characters, stories, narratives etc. need to work within the bounds laid out by earlier characters, stories, etc. Please read the existing stories in theGame Room, and reach out to GMs or the community to better understand and work within the existing ESC.
10) Retcons in your work have consequences. Please communicate and work with the community before implementing any retcon in your stories, and use them only as a LAST RESORT, as pulling on the wrong thread might not just unravel your story, but the stories others built upon yours.
The Galaxy and You
So, how does your character fit into the bigger picture? The fastest way to ground your narrative is to start with your characters relationship with the powers that be. Are they a law abiding citizen? A criminal? Just a simple man making his way in the universe? The answers to these questions can help you choose a likely species, where they call home, the faction they live in or serve, and how they might react when encountering people from other backgrounds.
This map is a rough representation of the political landscape of the world of Empire's Shadow at the very start of our story, month two of the year 3638 ATC. Do not get too tied up on the exact borders - the edge of a territory comprised of unconnected star systems across three dimensional space is not as concrete as a border here on Earth. Instead, use this as a reference for what factions you might encounter as you get deeper into one territory versus another. Lets break down the major players. These descriptions represent the factions as they were in the month Aldera, 3638 ATC; if in the game's future they change in a major way, a reply will be posted to this thread updating the state of the galaxy.
The Galactic Empire
From the Core to the Mid Rim the Empire rules, and it is one of the widest spanning and most powerful entities the galaxy has ever seen. It is estimated that nearly 60% of the galaxy's sentients live as denizens or citizens of the Galactic Empire, a truly staggering feat. While on paper the Empire has only existed for four years, the vast majority of its territory, institutions, and politics are holdovers of the millennia-spanning Galactic Republic from which it spawned. The Empire is ruled from the planet of Coruscant by the combined power of the newly christened Emperor Palpatine and the reformed Imperial Senate, both of whom secured their total power after they restructured the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire at the end of the Clone Wars.
The Empire employs a massive military force, but also an equally imposing army of bureaucrats to keep its population in line. While the Empire contains a humbling number of diverse species, over the years the vast majority of the Empire's leadership has become more and more dominated by humans - the result of rising xenophobia after the Clone Wars which saw many alien member species of the Republic defect to the Separatists cause. A stalwart autocratic power, the Empire's popular mandate is to implement their ideals of order and security galaxy wide, so that its citizenry may never be ravaged by war again. Proponents of the Empire call this the cost of peace; but those beyond its borders view it as a thinly veiled threat.
While the venerated Clone Army is still revered as saviors by Imperial citizens, the Clones dwindling numbers after a near-decade of war are no longer enough to keep the ever-growing Empire safe. As such citizens who volunteer for military service are given great favor by the Empire, and conscription fills any gaps that remain. Whether the Empire can rise to meet its goals has yet to be seen; these formational years have been rocked by conflict and crisis - but the Imperials are nothing if not persistent. The Empire is a fitting faction to serve for characters who believe law and order are paramount above all else, as well as the politically savvy, and the power hungry; and it is also simply the home to many characters who may be apathetic or apposed to the Empire's rule.
The Separatist Holdouts
One of the more notorious factions in the galaxy are the Separatist Holdouts, former members of the once powerful Confederacy of Independent Systems that fought for independence from, and subsequently lost to, the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. The CIS was primarily comprised of alien species from the Mid and Outer Rim, unhappy with the Republic's growing human centric policies and the hoarding of wealth in the Core Worlds. The Separatist movement was infamous for its large corporate backing that helped it quickly construct impressive fleets of warships and disposable droid armies, which the CIS unleashed upon the Galaxy. The faction's reliance on droids would ultimately be its downfall, as mass deployment of the uncaring war machines with little oversight by sentient commanders resulted in undo suffering and abuse of the worlds they occupied, rapidly turning public opinion against them.
The end of the Clone Wars saw the disbanding of the CIS Parliament, sacking of the capital world of Raxus, harsh reparations against member species, and the mass shutdown of their battle-droid armies; forcing remaining Separatist leaders to pivot from a unified command structure into small underground cells, and from open warfare to guerilla tactics. Despite their defeat at the hands of the Republic, the creation of the Empire sparked a chaotic transition period across the galaxy that presented an opportunity for the Separatists, who quickly re-organized and rallied to attempt to dispose of the unpopular Imperial forces occupying the Western Reaches. The Separatists experienced early successes, but a long yet effective counter-offensive conducted by the Empire has slowly but surely crushed the small rebellion, leaving the surviving members of this faction desperate and scattered. The Separatist Holdout faction is a fitting home for characters who are disenfranchised, rebellious, and anti-establishment.
The Hutt Clans
Beyond the Mid Rim many factions are known to exist, the most influential of which is certainly the Hutt Clans, who occupy a region of the Outer Rim known as Hutt Space. Ruled from the planet Nal Hutta by the expansionist and enterprising Hutt species - slug-like sentients that can live thousands of years - the Hutt Clans can trace their lineage back to long before the formation of the Republic. While the Hutts have always been in charge, they have long relied on a number of client species - be they coerced, paid off, or enslaved - to do their legwork. Despite their storied and impressive past, the Hutt Clans have become only a shadow of their former glory: they have lost much of their territory over the millennia, and have become mired in greed and corruption. The source of the Hutt's power today is no longer their military prowess, but their economic and criminal enterprises - in particular, a multitude of cartels and syndicates that service the galaxy at large. The Hutt Clans project such economic strength that a large sphere of influence has developed around their territory, where otherwise neutral planets respect the Hutts as a mediating authority. Despite their blatant disregard for galactic law, the Hutts continue to find insidious ways to make themselves indispensable to the powers that be, and serve a myriad of niches within the galactic economy, always managing to stay relevant in an ever changing universe. Affiliation with this faction is perfect for criminals, smugglers, and those with a debt to pay.
The League of Free Planets
The League of Free Planets is a loose assemblage of independent worlds and star systems in the Outer Rim which have signed pacts of mutual defense and trade between themselves. The League can trace its lineage back to the Council of Neutral Systems, a faction that had garnered public support in the region early in the Clone Wars under an agenda of non-involvement. An emerging power on the galactic stage, the denizens of the Free Planets rally to its frontier culture and homesteader's spirit, though the faction's weak centralized administrative structure has lead many to question the League's ability to effectively mount a defense of its territory. Decisions facing the League are arbitrated by the Free Planets Security Council (FPSC), a delegation of member-worlds. The FPSC consists of eleven members; five of whom are permanent, and six of whom rotate biennially.
The worlds in this region of space have a reputation for being sparsely populated and underdeveloped agrarian bread baskets - an image not helped by the choice of Dantooine as their capital - but several economic, industrial and military powerhouses stand among them, including the planets Mandalore, Muunilist, Telos IV, Botajef, and Mon Calamari. When the League of Free Planets ratified their first treaty in 3634 ATC, the Imperial Senate - focused on restructuring, tired of war, and fearful of revolts in their own territory - decided to both appease and cordon off the new power by establishing the Imperial Demilitarized Zone - a strip of space that neither faction could patrol or station warships in. However, the Imperials fears were ultimately unfounded: widespread revolts never came. The Empire's attention was ultimately drawn away by Separatist insurgency in the Western Reaches, but they came to greatly resent the security and legitimacy they had offered the fledgling Free Planets government. Today the Empire does little to conceal its distain and ultimate desire to subjugate the region, and has already begun to rally public support for a future occupation of the League through widespread propaganda campaigns.
It is all but certain that the mettle of the League of Free Planets will soon be tested, but what has yet to be seen is if this fledgling power can rise to meet the challenge, or if they will fade into history as quickly as they have appeared. The League is an excellent faction for idealists, opportunists, and isolationists, but also adventurers, rogues, and those who want to remain off the Empire's radar.
The Corporate Sector Authority
The last major faction of note is the Corporate Sector Authority. Once an unscrupulous free trade zone for Republic businesses located far from the Core world's prying eyes, the Empire permanently handed over administration of this region of space to a corporate conglomerate lobby a year after the conclusion of the Clone Wars. The CSA wasted no time acting on its new found power, and today is recognized as an independent entity by the galaxy at large with its own charter, functioning government, and security forces. Many theorize the Empire handed over this region to prevent the Free Planets from acquiring it, perhaps in hope of establishing an Imperial-friendly enclave within their borders - but the CSA has maintained excellent relations with both factions. The region is home to countless ruthless capitalist industries, sporting little to no morals and business practices so questionable that even the Empire would prefer they remain far beyond its borders. Many galactic corporations are headquartered within the CSA, while others merely export their more unsavory business there. This faction is ideal for dastardly anarcho-capitalists, amoral aristocrats, and corrupt politicians.
Other Powers
Beyond the large factions, the Outer Rim is also home to many independent or loosely aligned worlds, which may have planetary or system governments. Many worlds still are splintered into their own separate nations, and some planets are entirely ungoverned and lawless. The Unknown Regions, while almost impossible to transverse, is rumored to be filled with undiscovered alien factions. It's a big galaxy out there. Despite their seemingly small scope, these are all viable factions to be a part of - a character who is the struggling leader of a small, independent planet or a disparate nation would make for a great story.
Freelancers
Of course, plenty of people are truly freelance in the galaxy, working for no faction and and having no loyalty - be they simple denizens of the Empire, explorers, or the criminally minded. The Outer Rim and Wildspace are home to many of these lone wanderers, but in practice they can be found anywhere in the galaxy. If a character rejects all factions, ask yourself why - that is a noteworthy relationship in of itself to build off. Regardless of where they live or hail from, remember that these wayward characters can never truly escape the galaxy at large - the bigger factions will always find a way to encroach on their space and meddle in their affairs. You can keep these characters engaged and tied to our greater narrative by how they run away from it.
Rebels, Freedom Fighters, and Resistance Movements
It should be noted that in the year 3638 ATC, the Rebel Alliance has not yet come into existence, nor has any other unified/galaxy-spanning anti-Empire movement. The Empire is still popular on most worlds within its borders, and in the rare instances where open rebellion does occur, Imperial loyalists quickly rally to stamp it out. Some factions - like the Separatist Holdouts or the Free Planets - might be a good home for characters with rebellious, anti-Imperial sentiments, but these factions have different goals and ideals than the Rebel Alliance. At this point in time, only small and fledgling cells of true, continued resistance against the Empire exist, be they freedom fighters, terrorists, or both, and they perform only small acts of open defiance to try to wear down their foe and grow their own power. Feel free to create a character who is a member of a resistance cell of your own - just remember that these movements are still very underground, and might only have a few members who are united in a cause of rebellion with a smaller scope than toppling the entire galactic government. Those who walk the path of resistance often come from many different extremes, but whether they are scrappy idealists trying tear the fascists down, or jaded terrorists with personal vendettas against the powers that be, they must be willing to lay down their lives - and likely the lives of unwitting innocent civilians - to achieve their goals. And who knows - given time and success, your character and their cell might just grow into something greater.
In Conclusion
To summarize, the world of Empire's Shadow in 15 BBY/3638 ATC is subtlety yet inherently different than SWC in 15 BBY. One intentional and holistic change to the timeline in ESC is that the Empire has been slower to respond to Separatist holdouts in the Western Reaches of the Galaxy, and has yet to try to take the Outer Rim. This gives all our characters more room to have become familiar with the Empire, and act accordingly for or against it. This also adds functionally 4 years to the end of the Clone Wars, solidifying the feeling of "a decade of war" Star Wars Canon implies, but does not deliver on for the Era. We have also better outlined the expanse of the Republic's, and as a result, the Empire's historic territory to the Mid Rim, relegating far-flung Outer Rim systems previously shown as having Republic senators and member status to non-members of either faction, who might have simply had ambassadors to the Republic instead, better defining the derision between the Republic/Empire and these territories. Finally, we have introduced the Free Planets, a faction of our own creation that will serve as barrier to the Empire's expansion. These changes weaken the Empire's position in the galaxy, allowing the future to perhaps change even more drastically than it could otherwise. Only time will tell.
As mentioned previously, other events of the last 4 years of galactic history following the Clone Wars (3634 to 3638 ATC, aka 19 BBY to 15 BBY) are indeterminant in our timeline, to give players more space to make their own stories. This doesn't mean canon events in this period didn't happen, just that you get to chose if and how when writing. Player backstories and story posts will determine our version of the canon events for these last 4 years, so please read the developing story to stay informed!
Nothing about the future of the Star Wars after 15 BBY is certain in our game - it is ours to determine. As time progresses and new events unfold, the GMs will advance the year and post new updates on the galactic situation where appropriate.
Thanks for reading - now, get out there and write!
