#swtor voss

[necromanticsoul]

Satele Shan's Jedi superiority complex over the Voss Mystics drives me absolutely batshit. The Jedi have issues and aren't perfect.

[catohphm]

Today I wrapped up my SWTOR smuggler Rylan's adventures on Voss! I loved the class story and world story questlines. There were a lot of parts of the storylines that didn't make sense going together. Like Rylan getting in trouble for going into the Nightmare Lands when he had a legitimate reason to be there as part of a Mystic's vision where he would end the threat of the Gormak to the Voss. But all the more material for my headcanon of his adventures on the planet!

Voss at the time of renewed war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire, stood in the middle. It was a neutral planet dealing with its own problems. Vulnerable to outside interlopers, it's neutrality in the middle of the conflict presented opportunities for Sith spies and organized crime to exploit that for their own ends.

The Republic sought Voss as an ally in the war effort, a goal challenging in itself. The local people was very independent and did not interfere in the affairs of outsiders unless they were directly threated or became an issue for their community. The Voss also had their security forces stretched thin trying to hold back a group of technologically adept barbarians called the Gormak, whose attacks have escalated as of late.

Rylan was already flying toward Voss on a mission to dismantle a vile animal and bioweapons trafficking ring belonging to the unyielding crime lord, Rogun the Butcher. The Republic's foreign ministry sought an opportunity to recruit the Mirialan to help advance the Republic's diplomatic goals on Voss, the Voss leadership would consider alignment with the space-faring state power in return for aid in resolving their local troubles.

Coming from Mirial, a planet where the Force played a central part in spiritual life, Rylan was personally vested in working with the Voss and the Republic's diplomatic mission. His original goal of breaking up Rogun's operations became just one of many adventures he would go on during his time on the mysterious world.

Rylan attempted to penetrate the traffickers through a fake purchase deal arranged by a friendly contact in the syndicate that helps sell their abominations to customers. It would be a few days before the deal was to go down, putting other matters in priority.

There were reports of disappearances in the area around the main temple for the training of the Mystics, the main rulers of Voss whose clairvoyance guided their leadership and governance of their people. Rylan learned a Sith Lord was alleged to be behind the vanishments, who were Voss individuals known to have failed the Mystic trials.

Helping to uncover the Sith intelligence plot to corrupt and train the failed Voss as Dark Side warriors, he responded to an emergency distress call from the ruins of an old Jedi settlement under archaeological study. After the Imperial attackers were driven off, the Sith Lord claimed responsibility and revealed his location in a bunker down south. The failed Voss were freed and eventually taken in by the reluctant Jedi, seeking to protect them from further attempts to turn them into Sith.

Rylan undertook the trials himself in preparation for fulfilling a prophecy where he would be instrumental in the Voss achieving victory over the Gormak. The Mystics spoke of a civil war and the need to get the bottom of what was provoking and make difficult decisions to end the fighting, even though it would be costly. The visions of the Mystics were always right, the Mirialan learned, and he wanted to do right by the Voss.

The deal with the animal traffickers went down the day after his trials. Rylan managed to find out their names, but he was forced to escape with Akaavi's help after they attempted to spring a trap and get him in trouble with the Voss. They exposed and forced to go into hiding, Rylan found himself having to literally pose as carbonite cargo to get inside their hideout.

When unfrozen, he was surprised to be greeted by one of the traffickers he confronted earlier, Gormak Zak. A man who lived among the Gormak, Zak turned against the traffickers after finding out they had wronged his tribe by setting foot into the forbidden Nightmare Lands with some of his people.

Following an operation to capture Jokull, the King of the Gormak, Rylan found out in another of the traffickers' hideouts that their operations expanded deep into the Nightmare Lands. Not only that, the Sith were also interested in the beasts, which Rylan thought they looked to train and use against the Republic and Jedi. Such revelations angered him. Rogun not only had crossed the Voss deeply by turning the wildlife into bioweapons, but also for them to end up in the hands of the Sith, such horrors would not go unanswered for.

King Jokull had also been corrupted by the curse of the Nightmare Lands, gaining powers of clairvoyance like those of the Voss Mystics. To find out the source of the madness in those dark woods and stop the exploitation of such corruption by Rogun, Rylan would have to confront things the seasoned smuggler's never seen before.

He undertook a Voss ritual to shield himself from the dark forces that turned less fortunate souls to savagery, and found out a truth he couldn't imagine, even with keeping an open mind.

An expedition deep into the Nightmare Lands revealed that a mysterious being named Sel-Makor was behind the curse that turned most who stepped into it agents of suffering and pain, turned the beauty of the woods into a haunted grove of gnarled wooden spire branches, and made monsters out of the animals who called it home. The lands were his domain, and all the cursed people and monsters were controlled by him and acted on his will.

The being that Sel-Makor used as a host revealed the ghost of a long-deceased figure whose story only made it more complex, the Voss and Gormak were not seperate peoples. Back in the day, they used to be one and united blessed with Mystic powers until fighting over how they should be used broke them apart. Rylan was taken aback by this, but it was the truth, even if the Voss may see it as outright heresy.

He caught up with traffickers in their lab demonstrating the beasts to the Sith. They along with their abominations were both dead after a tough fight. Making the long trek back to the outpost on the border of the Nightmare Lands, the echoes of screams and anguish still kept Rylan on edge until he was out of that cursed place.

In the end, he would reveal the truth of the Voss and Gormak's origins to the Voss' ruling council of Mystics known as The Three. They of course were in denial. Yet they realized that the threat of the Gormak was over if it meant understanding they were also Voss just as much. King Jokull had always been a Mystic, the curse of the Nightmare Lands awakened those powers. The Three chose to maintain their independence but would expand diplomatic ties with the Republic. They'd lean more to the their side and become more protected against incursions by the Empire into their homeworld.

King Jokull as the war chief of the Gormak would stand trial before a tribunal of Voss adjudicators as the main one responsible for sowing death and destruction on Voss through civil war and scheming to expand the influence of the evil plaguing the Nightmare Lands. Rylan provided testimony on the actions of the Sith and the gangs to exploit the people and the local wildlife as tools of war in outside conflicts.

Adjudicator Mirev-Ka: "For levying war among our people, conspiring to condemn our homeworld to the evil of the Nightmare Lands and attempting to corrupt our people and wildlife to seek others' blood, you owe a great debt. You will serve the Voss and as King of the Gormak, you will help end this war."

It was found by the tribunal that Jokull as the ruler leading the Gormaks was accountable for these crimes, they all had occurred under his watch. His sentence would be aiding the Voss in their process of settling the conflict with the Gormak through a winding diplomatic gauntlet to end their perpetual war.

Rylan helped the Voss in service of the Republic because of his experiences growing up as a Mirialan. He believed they should remain an independent people free of the influence of the dark side. Closer ties to the Republic would allow the Voss to be better protected against the Sith conquerors. They also had the prospect of open a potential source of study for the Jedi to expand their knowledge of the Force. The Voss way was one of many different ways of understanding the energy field that brought all life in the galaxy together.

As for Gormak Zak, he had to lay low or also face the tribunal. However, the news of the truth about the Voss and Gormak being once one people divided by struggles for power was a complete shock. He at first denied it. He'd realize eventually that it was really the case. The Gormak he considered family could tie their heritage back to the ancient Voss, like the modern Voss they had fought so long and hard against.

Maybe he'd embrace the truth that there was hope his family could live a better life out of forever trapped in fear and pain. Hopes brought by the acts of Rylan Hesper, who would move on to confront Rogun after his own long war with the crime lord. In the end for the Voss and Gormak, it was the truth that brought them the hopes that finally there would be peace for the planet they called home...

[coruscanti-real-estate]

Finally, another diplomatic assignment, she thought. Maybe this will go over a little easier. She was, of course, soon disappointed.

I adore Gaden-Ko. It's such a good addition to the Consular's story, to help this young aspiring mystic, not just by keeping him safe but also by helping him to cope with the challenge of his pilgrimage and to build his confidence and wisdom.

Speaking of keeping him safe ... oops

Narressia agreed to the healing ritual because she felt that since she had accepted responsibility for Gaden-Ko, it was her duty to protect him in any way necessary. She also figured that it couldn't be much worse than the shielding ritual.

With Gaden-Ko well again, we continue the pilgrimage.

The Voss' design is so cool, I love how tall they are. It's been a while since I've been on Voss with a male character but I hope that there's also a visible height difference. It adds to their ethereal and other-worldly feel, imo.

Nice that Narressia got the chance to be a teacher both to Gaden-Ko and Nadia. This whole experience definitely strengthened her confidence in her own abilities as a mentor.

Gaden-Ko finished his journey and we got a very ominous warning from his grandfather.

I'm happy to have him along, I'm just worried that the ship is getting a little crowded :D

I did not see that coming!

Even more ominousness.

[valenteal]

According to the Wookieepedia page on the planet Voss it and the Voss Mystics were still around when the Galactic Empire was formed… the Mystics were exiled to the Nightmare Lands and no longer had political power but they still existed…

This means that if someone were to search the Jedi archives using keywords like oh let’s say future visions and healing the Voss would likely come up as a result.

So my fix-it AU for RotS goes like this: after Yoda gives exactly zero advice about how to save Padmé, Anakin holes himself up in the archives looking for any viable solutions to his problems (conveniently missing any interactions with the Chancellor because his wife is dying and that takes priority over some Opera). Eventually, after days of searching he finds old reports dating back to the Galactic War that describe a planet ruled by Force Mystics who were capable of accurately predicting the future and of incredible feats of Healing using the Force. The planet has become a mining world since the wars and the Mystics have lost their absolute social and political power, but they still existed!

In a manic state of panic and exuberance that he’d found a possible answer to his problem, he rushes Padmé to Voss (she tries half heartedly to stop him but his panic is so real and she trusts his precognition after seeing it in action multiple times, and also she has work to do and hopefully a child to raise and she can’t do that if she’s dead). Arriving there, Padmé gets a hotel room and convinces Anakin to go see the Mystics the next day since he hasn’t slept or rested at all the past few days.

In the time between his last night of sleep (almost four days ago) and this point where he’s sleeping in a hotel in Voss-Ka, the future has changed so drastically that his warning nightmares are gone, replaced by the revelation that Padmé is carrying two healthy babies!

He still visits the Voss Mystics as his career as a Jedi is coming to an end and he’d like to continue using the Force in a way that could be helpful while still living peacefully with his family. They teach him how to hone his precognition and some simple healing rituals (the Voss Mystics attitudes have changed dramatically with their status. They are no longer stuck up pricks who believe themselves to be basically gods. They’re happy to share their knowledge and traditions with someone who appreciates them).

And… that’s all I’ve got! No fuckin clue how shit with Palps and the Jedi and the Clones and the War would play out without them… maybe it happens more or less the same and they end up leaders of the rebellion, maybe Palps gets his ass beat without Anakin there, maybe he tries to postpone the end of the war till Anakin’s visions show is back, who knows! The important part is Anakin’s spiral is directed towards something actually helpful and the twins are born safe and healthy with both their parents alive and happy!

[le-veilleur]

I like Voss very much. imo this is one of the better written parts of the story. but also very funny at times.

like, I've always thought the Inquisitor fucked Rylee, and now it is confirmed.

while this is Ergast's masquerade, I presume he's taking his info directly from SI's memories (he's in his head, after all), and thus would not pick Rylee as his torture device if that situationship didn't happen.

also, how to tell it's ghosts messing with SI's mind and not the real people/visions of real people? they will put a regular office chair in the middle of an ancient alien temple

not even a SW Palpatine-throne-type chair, just. you know. I have one like that at work.

Hadrik is a cutie, though. I don't regret Force persuading the Voss officer to get him off planet at all.

this scene needed to have Ivorick's head in Hadrik's lap, but eh, my imagination is good enough

[kemendin]

Some contemplative Cas and Scourge from the archives, fully intended to edit these when I took them and... didn't, whoops, so remedying that now.

[rainofaugustsith]

TFW the planet you're on completely matches your aesthetic lightsaber choices.

[atomic-lola]

Voss (Imperial territory)