No one needs to be told how vast the Star Wars galaxy has run. Spanning seven movies, multiple TV shows (okay we’d be hard-pressed to classify the Holiday Special as TV too), and some three thousand years worth of lore, Star Wars fandom has quite a bit of material to follow. In addition, many communities have developed sites or situations in which the fans can modify or create canon of their own within the Star Wars Universe. This column will be devoted to spot-lighting those sites which we believe might be of interest to others within the community, as well as providing news and reviews of other aspects of roleplaying (like books and costuming). For the second column, we discuss the never before explored era of Crescendo…

The year is 600 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin), 500 years after the events of the Legacy comics, and a Jedi Civil War has erupted. The strife from The Five Year War, a lengthy struggle between the Mandalorians and the Galactic Alliance, led to deep divisions in the galaxy, as well as the Jedi Order. Those loyal to the Galactic Alliance, believing that all hope lies in the Jedi’s union with the government, now call themselves the Loyalists. The Paladins, on the other hand, fear that such a union would lead to the Order’s downfall, and they now stand apart from ruling fist of the Core, but they do not stand alone. The Wookiees and the Mon Calamari have long stood by the Jedi, and their support of the Paladins is unwavering.

Yet the divisions in the galaxy are more complex than simple black and white. The Mandalorians, still suffering from an extensive defeat after The Five Year War, have been reunited under a new Mandalore, one unafraid to seek outside help. In recent months Mandalore the Sanguine has allied with both the Hutts and the Imperial Empire. The Hutts themselves have been highly active as of late, adopting a new diplomatic policy of expansion and utilizing their new fleets. However there has been little word from the Imperial Empire, and such silence does not speak well for the rest of the galaxy.

Amid this chaos, newly instated Chief of State Sariss has found herself in a very turbulent situation. Although born a Trandoshan, her deep ties to the Wookiees gives her sympathy to the Paladin’s cause, yet her devotion to the GA and their Loyalist protectors means she has no choice but to wage a war she does not want. And on the Rim she knows powerful forces are mustering their strength, but to what ends she does not know. It is in these hands that the fate of the galaxy lies.

So with a war between the Jedi, and vying factions seeing opportunity for their own conquests, the galaxy is ripe with conflict. Crescendo is the dawn of a new era, a place where freedom abounds, and people can explore the wild reaches of their imagination. The future is unwritten. The question is: will you help shape it?

Crescendo (CO) is a part of the Immortal Darkness RPG franchise affiliated with NJOE. Created by NJOE members Zinnos and Mizz, and administered by Mizz and Skuldren. CO is set far in the future, and well beyond the reaches of canon. Like Beckoning Darkness, CO has a relatively small community of members where most have multiple characters under their control, and the site is always looking for new people. With very few restrictions, new members have a wide array of factions to choose from as well as a wealth of new technology and history to delve into. Plot wise, members can opt to join in the main story thread, the Jedi Civil War, or they can opt to participate in the handful of subplots surrounding it including: the revolution in Hutt Space, the secret alliances of the Mandalorians, the mysterious isolation of the Imperials, or the underground war between Black Sun and the Hutt Empire.

Like Beckoning Darkness, participation is no different than a round robin fan fiction with each member posting as their character, contributing to the main story, and the site as a whole. However, unlike Beckoning Darkness and the other Immortal Darkness sites, CO does not have any canon to adhere to. A brief history has been created to fill in the enormous gap, highlighting various wars and key events, as well as several guides to the advancements in technology. Although the wealth of new information may seem daunting at first, it is there only as a resource. New members do not have to be fluent in every detail that has happened, but if they want to explore, the information is there.

If you’re interested in joining Crescendo, please check out the above link. If you have any questions about the site itself, feel free to contact the writer of this column or the admins directly at the following e-mail:

DiscussingDarkness@gmail.com