Know your lore: Brianna (The Last Handmaiden)

Brianna, also known as “The Last Handmaiden,” or simply “Handmaiden,” was a half-Echani fighter, and illegitimate daughter to the famous Echani General Yusanis and Jedi Master Arren Kae, who both fought in the Mandalorian Wars. She later served along with her five half-sisters as a handmaiden to Jedi Master Atris in the period following the Jedi Civil War. During her service to Atris at the Jedi Academy on Telos IV, Brianna met the Jedi Exile, and was subsequently tasked with accompanying her on her mission to seek out the Jedi Masters who survived the First Jedi Purge. As the Exile’s companion, Brianna helped battle against numerous adversaries, including the resurgent Sith. During the journey, Brianna trained the Exile in Echani techniques and eventually received Jedi training from the Exile in return, becoming one of first new members of the Jedi Order after the Purge. In accepting such training, however, she…

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Peace for the Republic?

It’s Friday again and that means it’s time for our weekly fix of Star Wars: The Old Republic content. This week, Master Gnost-Dural voiced by Lance (The Man) Henriksen returns with another HoloNet chronicle video telling of peace, betrayal, and Sith Infiltrators in the Jedi Order. BTC 103 – More than a century before the Sacking of Coruscant, two Jedi scholars embarked on a journey which became one of most inexplicable mysteries of its time. Young Jedi Knight Eison Gynt joined his Master in a mission to investigate the Ancient Sith Temple of Yavin 4. On Yavin, the pair was attacked by the native Massassi and driven into the Tomb of Naga Sadow where a powerful force of darkness emerged. Gynt’s Master returned to Coruscant wounded and half-insane, remorseful that young Eison Gynt had been killed in the chaos. Years later, however, Gynt returned from Yavin on his own and…

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May the schwartz be with you: Star Wars-Inspired Vintage Travel Posters

Thanks to io9, we just discovered artist Justin van Genderen’s minimalist takes on planets and places of the original Star Wars Galaxy. While the vintage graphic design trend is nothing new, and in fact, Zazzle created a series of Star Wars WPA-inspired travel posters last spring, it’s also something that we never tire of. Our inner Stars Wars geek wishes that van Genderen had included Coruscant and Naboo in his series, but he had over 450 fictional planets to choose from. We’ll forgive him this time. Related Posts Do You Want to Play Online Casinos?The User Interface of The Old Republic ExplainedSean Dahlberg Interview GDCStar Wars Galaxy of Heroes: Content Update 9/6/2017 Carrie Fisher Says Trump Has “Coke Sniff”Changes to the Cartel Market — January 13 – 20 2015The Guild Sphere: Jen’JidaiThe Mandalorian is Driving People to Disney+ Streaming Platform

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Species of Starwars: Kel Dor

In one of the first screen shots ever published by Bioware, we se a bad ass looking “Kel Dor” This time in Species of Starwars we will take a closer look on this amazing species. The Kel Dors, sometimes referred to as Kel Dorians, were a species hailing from the technological planet Dorin. They required masks to protect them when in oxygen-rich atmospheres. They were also known for the unique Force-using traditions of the Baran Do Sages. One famous Kel Dor was the Jedi Master Plo Koon, who was a member of a famous Kel Dor Jedi family. Sha Koon, a Jedi Knight, was Plo Koon’s niece. Biology and appearance The Kel Dors were a tall race, typically of the same height and weight as Humans. Their skin ranged in color from peach to a crimson red. Most had dark, black eyes, although some were born with silver irises, a…

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How stuff works: Hyperspace

 The blue tunnel of hyperspace travel. Hyperspace is the alternate state of existence used by starships to achieve faster-than-light travel. It was a phenomenon not completely understood by scientists; it was alternately described as a parallel universe, an extra dimension of space, an alternate mode of physical existence, or simply the universe as viewed traveling faster than the speed of light. To hyperspace was also a verb in Basic, as in phrases like “You are required to hyperspace back to the fleet when you complete the mission.” Technical background Normally, baryonic matter obeys physical principles of relativity: they increase exponentially in mass as they approach the speed of light, requiring more and more energy to approach it, and thus always remain below this threshold. Tachyonic matter, on the other hand, existed solely above the speed of light, and could not pass below said threshold. Hyperdrive technology allowed sentients to break…

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Secret Mists of Voss

Today BioWare unveils another planet for Star Wars: The Old Republic, and I think that it’s probably the most intriguing planet to date: Voss. If you’ve never heard that name then it’s because it’s a wholly new planet . Here’s the official news: We’re thrilled to announce not only the next planet to be featured in Star Wars: The Old Republic™ but also a planet never-before-seen in the Star Wars™ mythos: Voss. An alien species resides on the mysterious world of Voss and is said to have an incredible aptitude for the Force. These Voss Mystics – rumored to be enigmatic healers as well as seers – struggle to protect their utopian society from annihilation. Discover the secrets of Voss as you are forced time and again to choose between maintaining the appearance of neutrality so important to your leaders or striking against your enemies while you have the chance….

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Playable Species of SW:TOR – Humans

We know as which classes we will fight, but we only know very little about possible species. While some might still grief over the 2011 release, we went ahead and collected information on BioWare’s future MMO. Screenshots, artworks and videos showed several species, which we will have to face in the game. We made it our business to categorize these enemies for you. First off is humans. Humans were the galaxy’s most numerous and politically dominant sentient species with millions of major and minor colonies galaxywide. Believed to have originated on the galactic capital of Coruscant, they could be found anywhere, engaged in many different pursuits: spacers, mercenaries, smugglers, merchants, soldiers, assassins, farmers, crime lords, laborers, slaves, slavers, and many others, including Jedi. Since Humans were the most common sentient species, they were often considered to be a standard or average to which the biology, psychology, and culture of other…

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SWTOR in PC Gamer UK Magazine

When I dropped by the supermarket this weekend I noticed that one of the magazines had a familiar Sith Warrior  on the cover. And indeed, what I found was PC Gamer UK’s April 2010 issue, which they’ve labeled “The MMO issue”. And indeed it is, with articles looking at WoW: Cataclysm, a number of future MMOs, rating a number of current MMOs against each other, a free trial for EvE Online on the cover DVD and a number of other articles. But the main article of interest is a six-page article, titled “Tour de Force” looking at Star Wars: The Old Republic. Not that there’s much of any new information in it. Considering when the magazine was published it can’t even cover the presentation given last week during GDC. Though it’s still a nice read. I won’t include scans of the article because I’m sure they’d not be happy with…

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New SWTOR Planet! Belsavis

Hey guys… Today they just announced a new planet that will appear in Star Wars: The Old republic! This planet is going to be awesome.. As you will read below, this planet is where many Sith Lords, Mandalorians, and creations of Sith alchemy were sent to be imprisoned during the Great War. The Imperial forces will give it their all to free them but the Republic is going to do THEIR best to keep the evil forces contained.. Read on! Republic knowledge of Belsavis predates the Great Hyperspace War, but for centuries, the planet warranted little attention. With the exception of some unusual volcanic activity, the planet was deemed, in all ways, unremarkable. Belsavis was added to the star charts then summarily dismissed as nothing more than another curiosity of the Outer Rim. Fifty years ago, while investigating the planet’s tropical rifts that seemed to defy the ice shelves in…

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Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Taris

Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Taris

Taris was an urban planet in the Outer Rim Territories. The term Tarisian was used to describe people and products from the planet. The planet’s ecumenopolis quickly developed over a century of prosperity, and as a result the planet suffered from massive overpopulation. Once a galactic nexus, Taris’ importance declined with the introduction of improved trade routes, and the planet rapidly fell into decay. The remainder of the planet’s history was wrought with civil disorder and social unrest. As it turned to industry as a means of compensation for its economic troubles, its oceans became polluted, eliminating the planet’s main food source. Famine spread among the lower classes while the rich hoarded what few supplies remained. The resulting strife led to the Tarisian Civil War, the start of lasting prejudices between the Humanocentric Tarisian nobles and the largely alien underclass. The city became segmented, and the lower classes were banned…

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While we wait for The Old Republic: Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure

Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure is a 1984 made-for-TV film set in the Star Wars galaxy. The film focuses on the struggles of the Towani family, who have been stranded on the forest moon of Endor after crashing their starcruiser. Specifically, it deals with the quest of Mace and Cindel Towani—who are brother and sister—in locating their parents, who have been kidnapped by a monster known as the Gorax. The film is set sometime between the fifth and sixth episodes of the Star Wars saga. It is the first of two spin-off films of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The film’s success led to a sequel, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, and a spin-off animated series which also focuses on the Ewoks. The film debuted with the title The Ewok Adventure as a holiday television special, airing on ABC on November 25, 1984. For its TV…

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Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Dromund Kaas

Dromund Kaas was the third planet in the Dromund system, a colony then the capital of the Old Sith Empire and later the lasting base of the Prophets of the Dark Side, whose Dark Force Temple contained such power in the the dark side of the Force that most weapons, excluding lightsabers, malfunctioned on the planet’s surface. The site of a major battle during the New Sith Wars under Kaan’s Brotherhood of Darkness, for millennia the planet’s location was known only to a few, very select Sith Lords, falling almost completely out of the public eye. Description Dromund Kaas was located within the boundaries of Sith space, and the only planet in the entire Dromund system to support life. A wet, marshy world, the majority of the planet was either ocean or swamp, making it difficult for any pilots attempting to land to find a stable location to bring their…

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Star Wars The Dark Redemption

The Dark Redemption is a 1999 Australian fan film which was made using the studio grounds of Foxtel in Sydney. This follows the story of how the plans for the Death Star were sent to Princess Leia’s ship the Tantive IV as well as Han Solo’s escape from Kessel which results in a bounty being put on his head by Jabba the Hutt. The film came under attack by Lucasfilm due to the fact that the story is constructed within the Star Wars canon. Plot Two days before Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Rebel Alliance agent Mara Jade is imprisoned on Kessel. Unbeknownst to all, Mara holds the Death Star plans given to her by Kyle Katarn. Upon being rescued by Zev Senesca and Klaus Vanderon, she forwards the plans to Princess Leia’s ship. At the same time, Boba Fett makes a deal with Lt. Pol Treidum…

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Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Coruscant

The Galactic Center of Coruscant (pronounced /’kʊɹəsɑnt/), originally called Notron, also known as Imperial Center or the Queen of the Core, was the political hub of the galaxy for millennia. It was generally agreed that Coruscant was, during most of Galactic history, the most politically important world in the galaxy. At various times, it was the capital of the Galactic Republic, the Galactic Empire, the New Republic, briefly the Empire Reborn, the New Republic again, the Yuuzhan Vong Empire occupation, the Galactic Alliance, the Fel Empire and Darth Krayt’s Galactic Empire. These governments, that all controlled Coruscant, controlled the galaxy in the process. A large number of the galaxy’s trade routes—including the Perlemian Trade Route, the Corellian Run, the Metellos Trade Route, the Koros Trunk Line, and the Leisure Corridor—went through Coruscant, making it one of the richest worlds in the galaxy. Tellingly, the planet’s hyperspace coordinates were (0,0,0), and…

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Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Tatooine

Tatooine (pronounced tætu’in) was a desert world in a binary star system in the Arkanis sector of the Outer Rim Territories. It was inhabited by poor locals who mostly farmed moisture for a living. Other activities included used equipment retailing and scrap dealing. The planet was on the 5709-DC Shipping Lane, a spur of the Triellus Trade Route, which itself connected to the Sisar Run. The planet was not far from the Corellian Run. It had its own navigation system. However, it would still play a role in galactic events, serving as the home of Anakin Skywalker. It was here that Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn recognized Anakin’s potential to become a Jedi and where he introduced him to Obi-Wan Kenobi, his future master and mentor. Tatooine was also the home of Anakin’s son, Luke, where he lived until his early adulthood. The planet built up a very bad reputation, often…

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While we wait for The Old Republic: Star Wars: Forced Alliance

Set 50 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, Forced Alliance is an alternate take of the Star Wars Universe. As the New Republic tries to rebuild, new threats arise and for 3 students of different beliefs it has become a dangerous place to be. Only through trust and fragile friendship can the 3 young Jedi hope to survive and discover if there is more to the Force than what they’ve been taught. This project is a television spec teaser. Written by Randolph Bookman Related Posts SPECIAL VALENTINE’S WEEKEND DEAL (US ONLY): 15% off New‪ ‎SWTOR‬ 5500 Cartel Coin CodesFacebook Image Of The Week #11Star Wars: The old Republic: Game Update 7.2 Content is now on PTS!Star Wars Battlefront 2 is Free on Prime Gaming: Don’t Miss Out! StarWars.com forums closing downFacebook Image of The Week #16Why dating a gamer is a good idea?An Alternate Kiss: Exploring the…

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Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Alderaan

Alderaan was a Core Founder of the Galactic Republic in 25,053 BBY and one of the anchor-points for early hyperspace exploration. Alderaan was headquarters of Alderaan Royal Engineers, an early Republic shipwright. Alderaanian colonists settled Nim Drovis. During the Mandalorian Wars, the planet was threatened with invasion by the forces of Cassus Fett, but the entire invasion force was prematurely decimated, due to misuse of an ancient Sith artifact. During the peak of the Great Galactic War, the planet’s peace and tranquility was shattered by a full-scale Sith Empire. The Sith quickly overwhelmed the local defense forces and took the entire royal family hostage. In response, a Republic and Jedi taskforce launched a swift counter-offensive against the Sith; recapturing the planet and inflicting a heavy defeat on the Sith. As a consequence of the Sith invasion, the Alderaanian leadership adopted a hardline militarist stance towards the Sith Empire in the…

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Developer Blog: The Imperial Agent

Since the BioWare Team is still on their well deserved holiday we did not get a large update this Friday. Still, everyone who is interested in the Imperial Agent may be quite pleased with the Developer Blog on this class. Senior Writer Alexander Freed explains the general concept behind the Agent before he delves into the specifics of this class. This unusual class doesn’t fit into an archetype of the Star Wars movies, so why did the developers choose the Imperial Agent then? Answers are given in the developer blog. We’re also promised some concrete information, but is actually appeared to have been censored. Instead of real character names we get some XX only: It all starts on Hutta, where XXX XXXXXX is trying to XXXX the XXXXXXXXXX of XXXXXX the Hutt. After XXX XXXXX XXXXXXX, the Imperial Agent XX XXXX XX XXXXXXXXXXX X XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX on behalf of Darth…

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While we wait for The Old Republic: Troops

Troops is a mockumentary film by Kevin Rubio, which made its debut on the Internet in 1997. The film is a parody of COPS, set in the Star Wars universe. In the film, Imperial stormtroopers from the infamous Black Sheep Squadron patrolling the Dune Sea on the planet Tatooine run into some very familiar characters while being filmed for the hit Imperial TV show Troops. The film jump-started the modern fan film movement, as it was one of the first short films to bring fan films into the digital age, taking advantage of internet distribution and affordable production and special effects equipment, as well as fans with movie-quality costumes. Rubio finished the film while working at the Fox Kids Network, and was able to use well-known voice talent in his cast, including Jess Harnell, Cam Clarke, and announcer Bill Farmer. The film has proven incredibly popular with Star Wars fans,…

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Planets of TOR: Korriban

Korriban, originally known as Pesegam during the reign of Xim, was the sole planet in the Horuset system, located across the galaxy from Koros Major. It was the original homeworld of the Sith species and a sacred planet for the Sith Order, housing the tombs for many ancient and powerful Dark Lords of the Sith, and containing tremendous dark side power. After the Hundred Year Darkness, the remaining Dark Jedi interbred with the Sith species and ruled the Sith using their Force powers. After the Great Hyperspace War, Korriban was abandoned and became a barren world. It was the site of two Sith Academies, and became the headquarters of the One Sith. It was close to Bosthirda and was located on the Nache Bhelfia and Kamat Krote hyperspace lanes. History Infinite Empire This remote, forbidding planet was the original homeworld of the Sith species. The Rakata invaded Korriban in an…

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While we wait for The Old Republic: Duality

Duality is one of the most popular Star Wars fan films ever made. It was quite an acheivement in it’s time, and is still regarded as a model of achievement for the quality of the CG work in the film. The film was filmed entirely against a blue screen at Alamo films. Duality was made as a follow-up project to Duel, and has even sired a parody call Two-ness. The story is basically this: two Sith apprentices are set against each other as a final test to determine which one will serve at their master’s side. And so it is that Darth Oz watches as Darth Blight and Lord Rive battle to the death….. The script was first written by Mark Thomas, with Dave Macomber devising the fight. Filming took place at Alamo Studios in Santa Barbara, California in September of 2000. A teaser trailer was released in November 2000,…

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The Sands of Tatooine + Threat of Peace, Issue #22

In another big news in what seems to be end endless series of them it seems that BioWare Austin have decided to include the most boring and over-used planet in the entire Star Wars setting in the MMO as well, namely Tatooine. And the planet they promised to unveil today happens to be that one. Great. They also have a comic, which I must admit having lost all interest in as well (in my opinion it’s drawn badly and the story doesn’t seem to go anywhere). Anyway, here’s the official news: The twenty-second issue of Threat of Peace™ takes us to the long-abandoned Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, where Lieutenant Tavus meets the true culprit behind the efforts to undermine the peace treaty. It seems Master Dar’Nala survived her Imperial captivity after all, and everything that’s happened since has been all part of her plan. Despite his doubts, Lieutenant Tavus agrees…

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Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic – Balmorra

Balmorra was a factory world that was located within the Nevoota system, situated in the Colonies region at the border of the Core Worlds. Wide plains surrounded the planet’s capital, Bin Prime. Balmorran metal parasites feasted on metals in the urban areas of Balmorra. During the settlement of Balmorra, while the Republic was still in its infancy, Balmorra quickly established itself as a haven for renouned weapon and battle droid manufacturers. While determined to remain independent of the Republic, they became strong alllies supplying the Republic and the greater galaxy with advanced droids and weapons. Republic era During the Great Galactic War the Sith Empire resolved to seize Balmorra due to their military manufacturing plants and strategic location close to the Core Worlds. The Republic immediately sent soldiers to prevent that from happening. As the Great Galactic War continued and the Sith Empire’s control continued to spread, the strained republic…

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GameSpot Sith Inquisitor Hands-On

Though they already posted an earlier article talking about the press conference (where the Jedi Consular and Sith Inquisitor were unveiled) GameSpot has posted another hands-on article. Here’s an excerpt: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, game developer BioWare, a studio founded by two medical doctors on the foundations of nerdy swords-and-sorcery role-playing, made the jump to deep space with Knights of the Old Republic, a Star Wars-themed role-playing game that told a story that predated the events of the motion pictures by several centuries. Some years later, the developer is now working on a massively multiplayer online game in the same universe–a game that will let you play as a Boba Fett-like bounty hunter, a Han Solo-like smuggler, or a Mace Windu-like Jedi Knight…among others. We recently had a chance to get a bit more insight on the game from its developers, and we also…

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