Scars of War

“Kid, I’ve flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff, but I’ve never seen anything to make me believe there’s some all-powerful force controlling everything. There’s no mystical energy field that controls my destiny.”
   –Han Solo

Together, Edge of the Empire™, Age of Rebellion™, and Force and Destiny™ open up the vast reaches of the whole Star Wars™ galaxy for your exploration. You can play a Trandoshan Bounty Hunter pursuing criminals through the seedy underworld of Nar Shaddaa, an Ithorian Saboteur working in the Rebellion, or a Togruta Force sensitive seeking to learn more about her extraordinary powers. All three of the characters may even be adventuring together, traveling from the lavish cities of Core Worlds to the uninhabited expanses of the Outer Rim. 

Chronicles of the Gatekeeper is the upcoming first book-length adventure for the Force and Destiny roleplaying system. It takes PCs on a journey across the galaxy to recover the priceless artifacts of Suljo Warde, a Jedi who possessed an unprecedented Force power. While Chronicles of the Gatekeeper was written chiefly with Force and Destiny in mind, it was also designed to be completely playable by roleplaying groups involved in Edge of the Empire and Age of Rebellion campaigns. Today’s preview looks at what Chronicles of the Gatekeeper offers players and Game Masters of those two games.

A Grim and Gritty Adventure

Your Edge of the Empire group may already contain one or two Force sensitive characters who would be eager to learn more about Suljo Warde’s legacy and the Force power he developed. Or, you could use this adventure to bring the Force into a campaign for the first time and even enable a PC to become a Force user. A party with mostly material concerns might take up Warde’s trail in order to get their hands on the priceless kyber crystals he left behind, worth more than enough on the black market to clear an Obligation, or simply make the group filthy rich.

Opportunities to explore the galaxy’s seedy underside abound in Chronicles of the Gatekeeper. Chief among them is the chance to visit the crime-ridden city of Jorra on Cato Neimoidia, once a major seat of power for the Trade Federation. Now, Jorra is officially governed by a man loyal to the Empire, Duke Irbian, and practically governed by the Whitescar Syndicate. If you want to unearth Suljo’s Warde’s kyber crystals and find the truth about what happened to him, you’ll have to deal with the upper echelons of this powerful mafia. 

The city of Jorra is physically divided in twain by a massive bridge. Above the bridge are residences, skyscrapers, and spires. The portion below the bridge has been deemed uninhabitable and off-limits, but amid the deteriorating buildings and ruins from the Clone Wars, criminals and outcasts find refuge. These outcasts include a gang of displaced and dissatisfied youth known as the Crimson Kreehawks. Loyal to the Whitescar Syndicate, the Kreehawks engage in everything from extortion to spice dealing—and spice usage has become rampant in Jorra since the Clone Wars. But Jorra's ventral region is more than a sanctuary for the down-and-out. It contains some of the planet’s darkest secrets, which you can only uncover by venturing below the bridge. 

Race Against the Empire

A Smuggler or Bounty Hunter may seek Warde’s legacy for personal profit, a Soldier or Spy in the Rebellion might be more focused on keeping the holocron out of Imperial hands. Not only does it detail a unique and mighty Force power, but military secrets dating back to the Clone Wars that the Rebellion might be able to use against the Empire. In addition, the trail that the holocron leads you down culminates in the discovery of a massive, unfathomable secret that the Empire has fought hard to keep hidden.

As with Edge of the Empire, a Game Master running Age of Rebellion can use Chronicles of the Gatekeeper to introduce the theme of the Force, enable a character to discover that they are Force sensitive, or allow an already Force sensitive character to have some time in the spotlight. But even as you wade into the mysteries of the Force, you are never far from the harsh realities of the Galactic Civil War. The forested Outer Rim planet of Arbooine, detailed more in our first preview, has recently been infested with Imperial forces who believe that a Rebel base is hidden somewhere among the villages and old-growth trees. Even without the growing Imperial presence, political tensions are rampant on Arbooine and the prisons are overflowing with dissidents. The arrival of the PCs on this sparsely settled planet is likely to garner some unwelcome Imperial attention. 

In Jorra, where the wounds left by the Clone Wars are still so fresh, Duke Irbian enforces ever more harsh labor conditions in factories manufacturing airspeeders, droids, and starships for the Empire. Streets and board rooms alike are filled with Imperial spies, seeking to curry favor with the Duke and those he serves. Cato Neimoidia may be of particular interest to Age of Rebellion players and Game Masters for another reason: in the new sourcebook for Diplomats, Desperate Allies, Neimoidans become a playable species for the first time. A Game Master can use the material on Jorra and Cato Neimoidia to easily introduce a Neimoidian PC or to shape diplomatic missions for that character in Jorra beyond the adventure of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper.

Take Hold of The Future

The Star Wars galaxy is changing. The scars of the Clone Wars are not healing, and crime syndicates are taking advantage of vulnerable communities. Priceless Jedi artifacts and dark Imperial secrets are coming to the surface. The Galactic Civil War has spread far beyond the Core Worlds and the Empire is tightening its grip on planets it long neglected. Chronicles of the Gatekeeper lets you hold mysteries of the past and visions of the future right in the palm of your hands. It offers you the chance to play a key role in these dramatic changes. 

The adventure is soon to begin. Pre-order Chronicles of the Gatekeeper from your local retailer today!