The Old Republic: The Setting

The GALACTIC REPUBLIC has found itself on the losing side of a war with the dreaded SITH EMPIRE. Star systems that were loyal allies for millennia have suddenly turned on their erstwhile benefactors and hosted the Sith invasion force. Worlds previously thought to be eternal havens of safety and peace were razed during the war, sowing only pain and strife in their wake. Coruscant and Alderaan serve as the latest victims in the Sith war before the Treaty of Coruscant was signed, a treaty declaring the Sith as victors in the war and ceding several key strategic systems to the Sith.

All over the galaxy, Republic forces withdrew from battlefields, leaving systems to quickly be swallowed up by the seemingly unstoppable might of the Sith. The Jedi Order returned to Coruscant to find their temple in ruins, and hurriedly departed into isolation on the ancient, newly rediscovered world of Tython, where the Force’s true potential was first discovered by scholars and sages 32,000 years before.

The Republic had been losing the war for years, and squabbling senators have only hastened the crisis by withdrawing critical support needed for the war effort, often because of tough strategic decisions that left their systems vulnerable. The Sith had anticipated this, and engaged in numerous strategies to demoralize and divide the Republic against itself. If individual military commanders and Jedi had not taken matters into their own hands, all might surely have been lost in the early days of the war.

The dark council drives the Sith Empire’s will, taking a more active role than the millennia-old Emperor, who delegates behind a perfect shroud of mystery and anonymity. Darth Malgus serves as the main striking hand of the Empire, fighting personally in several prominent battles.

On the Republic’s side, Supreme Chancellor Melashi, a Mon Calamari, has pledged to uphold the peace treaty with the Sith at all costs, but critics say she is naïve and will be unable to anticipate when the Sith will resume their invasion. In truth, no one really doubts that the Sith will not be satisfied until the entire galaxy is under their rule, but few have any good idea as to when to go on the offensive and continue the tireless task of defeating the Sith. The Jedi believe that the Force will guide them to the right answer, while the Republic attempts to gather intelligence and engage in a cold war of subterfuge and consolidation to regain the upper hand…

The primary location and setting of this chat, assumed to be the default, is Aldera, Alderaan. Alderaan is currently independent, having recently broken away from the Republic, and is now mired in a bloody civil war over this decision. Republic agents have rushed to back House Organa, while the Sith have thrown their support behind House Thul. Both struggle for the support of one of the major founding planets of the Republic, whose age-old tranquility and reputation for upholding knowledge, peace, and justice has been shattered by the war.

The Mangy Nerf is a small cantina, nightclub, and restaurant on the outskirts of Aldera, overlooking a great cliff. Alderaanian architecture is famous for building settlements right into the sides of cliff faces and mountains, and Aldera is no exception. The mountainous terrain is in fact a giant island in the center of Lake Aldera, and the lake is also surrounded by a vast mountain range. The owner is a voluptuous Mirialan noblewoman named Lana Ziv, a refugee from the Sith raids on her home planet of Mirial, scraping by with the money from her sold assets, as well as from miscellaneous trading and HoloNet business ventures.

When the Sith attacked Alderaan, much was burned to the ground in the city of Aldera, including Lana’s home. She decided to squat in an abandoned nightclub, and used the facility as a home base for the rescue and support of refugees. After the Sith were driven out, she fixed the place up, gave it a new name, and has continued to manage it through Aldera’s restoration. She technically does not have legal rights to the facility, but as of yet no officials have questioned her efforts or presence in the newly renovated place. Aldera has faced many troubles since its independence, and Ziv is considered a bulwark of the community in these trying times. Ziv’s only real rules are that you leave the war outside and not make a mess of things inside. She has managed to collect a few nasty surprises for anyone attempting to threaten the establishment.

The nightclub features a full bar, dance stage, and vidscreens.

The dining area is an open balcony looking out upon the great Aldera Lake and the surrounding mountains.