Look To Windward:

You know I live by the feather and die by the sword.

The Breakdown:

Welcome to the Weight of the World, the second in a series of long-form campaigns, focused on the various subfactions that make up the Clan. The goal of this campaign, much like the one before it, is to expand the depth of our assets and drive our narrative directions by exploring and expanding upon them, delving into their place within our current lore, and affirming Odan-Urr's current place in the Dark Brotherhood, now that we're no longer just the Rebels and Jedi on the run, fighting for our survival. Throughout this campaign, we will use and expand upon select assets of The Clan, alongside a heavy fictional focus to show off all that you can do with them.

The Campaign will be approximately one year long and run in phases, with different goals and metrics determining how well the Combined Forces of Clan Odan-Urr fare while responding to a diplomatic, military, and humanitarian crisis on the ground. The Campaigns are designed from the ground up to focus on these three assets for a few different reasons, primarily, it leans into the different aspects which people tend to play toward with their characters. (Intrigue? Diplomacy; Lightsaber Duels? Military; Rebels diverting Stolen Goods to the People? Humanitarian Crisis; Political Tension? Diplomacy; Ship Combat? Military; Providing Aid to a Drought-Stricken Village or Blockaded Planet? Humanitarian Crisis) Breaking things up in this manner also allows members to take a periodic break from aspects of the campaign to prevent burnout. Sometimes, you can only take so much of a heavier topic in repetition before it overwhelms you. Giving you the chance to branch between the individual narratives is an attempt to break away from the narrative burnout.

The Fiction:

What should have been a question of inter-system politics, handling the rights of asylum seekers, and war criminals grew into something far worse: Becoming a civil war as tensions ran high between the neighboring systems of Kiast α and Kiast β in the wake of a political assassination and the occupation of the Burmessian Capitol's Space Port by the Vatali Prince's splinter faction of the O.U.S.C. At home, the Empire faced conflict within, as calls to censure Prince Vosen's actions mounted, and a populist party rose, as well as a recent terrorist attack on the Vatali Central Intelligence by unknown forces brought expanded scrutiny and martial lockdown, with the tensions apparent between the Crown and the Jedi in the wake of the attack.

Notably, in this period, the Jedi distanced themselves from the Empress. Efforts to remove the Praxeum from Kiast α began, as a suitable location as well as a Force Nexus were found on Solyiat, which prompted the Jedi to begin construction on Windreth. A curious patron of the Jedi in their endeavor emerged, the Heir Apparent to the Vatali Throne, Crown Princess Anaya Anasaye. Long a ward of the Jedi Temple, she had made overtures about her mother's reactions to the Burmessian Incident and backed the Jedi's independence.

In these early days, there were several calls to action. Stories of the common man among the rising conflict and those who were swayed by the call to arms of the charismatic few who sought to shape Kiast's future.

The Competition:

Choose one of the following two narratives:

• [God of the Gaps] Royal Spymaster Zakfein has begun a crusade against Clan Odan-Urr at large; the man's ambitions and goals for establishing a chokehold against the outsiders are unknown, but his animosity is unmistakable. Who is the Royal Spymaster, what are his grand plans, and what measures has he taken to pin the bombing of the Vatali Central Intelligence Center on the Clan, particularly on Jon Silvon and his compatriots? Deliver a compelling narration of the days following the Spymaster after the bombing, exploring his internal struggle against COU, his relationship (positive or negative) with the Empress, and giving him a solid ambition.

• [So It Goes] Following the assassination of their Prime Minister, the young, no-nonsense, Lieutenant-Commander aboard The Sunrider, Prince Vosen Anasaye's actions have led to a formal declaration of war between the Burmessian Republic and the Vatali Empire, with the fractious elements of the First, Fourth, and Sixth Fleets retreating from Burmessia's orbit as their warships mobilized. The Prince's actions were censured by the Empress, as well as the Vatali Conclave, but now they mobilize the rest of the O.U.S.C. to defend their assets throughout Kiast. Meanwhile, the reaction from the citizenry is mixed. After the events on Quermia and the continued harassment of the Vauzem remnants, many feel the Burmessian government abetted criminals knowingly and chose this war, while others feel the weight of taxes and the strain placed over the years of conflict. Does your character gear up to join the oncoming war efforts, or do they take to the streets in rebellion and protest? Give us the rundown on your character's reaction to the declaration of war and where they stand as protests and mobilization orders begin.

Grading:

• Submissions will be graded according to the Fiction Rubric 3.0
• Submissions must be in one of the following static file types: .pdf, .txt, or .docx, or submitted using the submission box on the Brotherhood website.
• If you feel your entry has excessively heavy themes or may push the PG-13 barrier, please make sure to hide your entry by unchecking the “Allow people to view your submission after the competition has been judged” box.
• Submissions should contain at least 500 words.
• Participation supports your pledge in the Weight of the World Campaign.