#as in my version of kotfe

[a-master-procrastinator]

So, I have a headcanon regarding Outlander and Valkorion

Spoiler territory for pretty much the whole game (mostly Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior class stories and all expansions from Shadows of Revan).

How does Outlander (especially non Force user) defeat Valkorion in KotET? This question bothered me (and I'm sure all of you) for quite some time. And frankly, the game doesn't answer it very well. So I did some thinking, searching and theorizing, and found a solution that I will bring in my personal stories. Just thought it would be interesting for others to see as well.

Explanations offered in the game:

Valkorion's power had become weaker at some point (as noted by Arcann in chapter 8 "Taking Flight", and indicated by events on Ziost, since Theron wasn't possessed, and by Valkorion in chapter 9 "Eternal Throne", when he said that he needed Vaylin's power to destroy Outlander's mind);

Arcann and Vaylin helped defeat him;

The holocron was the instrument of Valkorion's defeat (but it's never properly explained how exactly);

The "kneel before the dragon of Zakuul" phrase worked on Valkorion because the Outlander said so.

It doesn't sound too bad, but when I tried to go into details, it didn't make much sense. "My mind, my rules" was really out of nowhere, also kinda goes against the previous experience of Outlander not being able to do anything about Valkorion before that. And Arcann and Vaylin being on your side isn't the key either because even the three of them were still losing, it only changed after the main character said the key phrase. And why the heck does it even work like that? Because they said so? Gee, should've thought about it a few chapters before, no?

Now, what I came up with doesn't really go much different from that, I just made some adjustments to make it flow better (at least for myself). I'll talk through my thoughts in chronological order, so bear with me (I tried to summarize it at the end, so scroll if you want the short version).

Vitiate learned to transfer his spirit as one of the ways to be immortal. It can happen either through a ritual, which is preferable since it's easier, doesn't weaken him, and he doesn't need time to adjust, but it does require consent from a person, or killing the previous host, which does weaken him for some time. The longer he has possessed a host, the greater the loss of power will be upon the transfer. It's not to say that he isn't dangerous, quite the opposite, but perhaps he can't do some 'impossible' things (like consume a planet or shatter a mind) just like that.

He was at his full power before the events on Belsavis and Voss, timeline wise. Remember how easily he possessed the minds of the Jedi on the strike team? Yeah, Jedi Knight broke free, but that's bc they're super strong (and the main character in their storyline).

But because of Baras Vitiate had to be released from the body on Voss by being killed, which made him slightly weaker, just enough for the Hero of Tython to kill him again on Dromund Kaas. That made him lose more power (because he possessed this body for much longer than that Voss), and Vitiate tried to find a new host and regain his power (either by Revan reviving him or consuming all life on Ziost). His attempts were not successful, so he retreated to Zakuul.

That would explain why after being 'killed' yet again on Zakuul (thus losing two of his main hosts) Valkorion wasn't powerful enough to possess the Outlander's mind (regardless of their class). He was in a pretty vulnerable position, so he came up with a plan. We'll get to it. For now, Valkorion understands that if the Outlander dies, he'll be even weaker and probably won't be able to get a new host, so he protects the Outlander while pushing them to use his power.

Every time the Outlander agrees to do so gives Valkorion more control over their body, and even if they never agree, the bond grows stronger as time passes, it's just faster when Outlander uses his power. Eventually it would be just strong enough for Valkorion to use the main character's body without their permission (like in chapter 16). But he's still not powerful enough to break their mind, so he goes to the next part of the plan.

Valkorion manipulated the main character into killing Vaylin (and Arcann, if applicable) because he needed to consume her power to destroy Outlander's mind (which is what happens in chapter 9). But he made a couple mistakes in doing so. First, he underestimated how smart Commander is, and how the bond allowed them to take his form to survive. Second, by consuming Vaylin's spirit, Valkorion gained not just her strength, but also her weakness, which is the conditioning.

But wait, didn't Vaylin free herself from it? Sort of. I saw a suggestion from another player that Vaylin didn't get rid of conditioning itself, but rather the lever that triggers it. It's possible because the process on Nathema didn't exactly according to the plan. And because of that, Valkorion also gained her conditioning after consuming her spirit.

So, what does that mean? What does it do? Well, I think that when the key phrase is said in presence of Vaylin, she temporarily loses her connection to the Force (or it becomes so weak that she can't use it), thus isn't a threat. And the same happens to Valkorion when the main character attempts to use it on him in KotET chapter 9, at least for long enough for the Outlander to kill him. This way the victory isn't dependent on one's power in the Force, and it fits a non Force sensitive Commander as well.

What about the holocron? I explain this as it only binds, commands and releases spirits, as we see with lord Dramath. It's not the key to Valkorion's destruction, but it is still important because it is used to free Vaylin's spirit from Valkorion after her death (and Arcann's, if applicable), which gives Outlander a potential powerful ally.

[Just a little addition that has very little to do with my explanation, but wanted to mention - in the throne room, when Valkorion breaks Outlander's mind, he takes over the body and attacks your companions. They hold off long enough for Commander to put their mind back, and at that moment Valky loses control, and the body is unconscious.]

So, to sum it up:

Valkorion is weaker after being killed on Voss, Dromund Kaas and Zakuul, hence why the Outlander can resist him, regardless of theirconnection to the Force;

the holocron found on Nathema can bind, command and release spirits, which allows Outlander to free Vaylin (and Arcann, if applicable) from Valkorion;

the bond formed between Valkorion and Commander allowed the latter to survive after having their mind destroyed;

Vaylin didn't completely get rid of the conditioning on Nathema because the process didn't go as it should've, it just removed the trigger;

by consuming Vaylin's spirit Valkorion gained both her strength and her weakness - her conditioning, that's why it worked on him, and it temporarily weakened his connection to the Force.

I know this isn't perfect, there are probably plot holes that I haven't noticed or poorly explained, but I like it much more. Why do I even bother with this explanation?

I just love doing mental gymnastics around KotFE-ET, and this particular part was difficult yet entertaining to figure out.

But honestly, probably most important reason is that it works for every class (so even non Force-users are fitting here) because strength in the Force is not the key. Valkorion underestimated how observant and clever Outlander is, and I think it works better for their characters.

[ebitenpura]

had the sudden thought after ruminating on my Nightmare Pilgrim victory from last night, but...good lord, I bet Eight reeks of dead Force-user by now. He's killed so many of the most potent Dark-Siders that it's got to have stained his signature in the Force with an undeniable presence. It might even have changed him unknowingly.

Force-users don't fade quietly when you kill them. They tend to leave a mark even when you exorcise them fully in a way that others can feel-- hence why their kind avoids places where they know many of them have been destroyed. There's a warning. Places and things gain a scent of unnatural death. Mired in enough of their blood, these things may even gain a power of their own, as seen through countless artifacts and dead zones in the galaxy where numerous Force-users died.

Light-Siders have the benefit of being able to purge it from themselves with varying degrees of success. But someone like Eight with no skill in the Force, not an ounce of the power they have, being drenched head-to-toe in an entire lineage of the most prominent Force-users to once walk this side of the stars and then the added connections of Jadus and the Dread Masters...he must be unbearable to those who even look at him. Things like that have happened before. Sacrifice enough Jedi, and you gain the ability to live forever. Eat enough life essence, and you can remove yourself from a physical body entirely. Immerse yourself solely in fear, and you can control fear itself.

Kill an entire bloodline, and you gain the ability to destroy nothing but lineages.

What whispers would one hear from the steel of his blades? What stain cannot be wiped from his soul? What does this weapon look like, now that it has killed Eternity?

[onedismay]

My review of the new(ish) Meirm Cicada mount:

DEVASTATED to find out post-KotFE Khem cannot ride the bike!!

CONSOLED to find out his pre-KotFE version can :)

THRILLED to find out you can go in first-person mode and get screenshots such as this while falling off the balcony you were trying to do a photoshoot on:

equally thrilled and also wheezing on the floor about the fact that his toes are just. there. when you're cruising around

[dingoat]

hi sorry I haven't gotten around to your ask yet I'm working on it, BUT I'm tossing the favorite SWTOR oc question back your way (and also whether they're following canon or doing their own thing).

I'd also love to know if you have any particular bothan headcanons you like a lot.

Hi hi!! Don't worry at all, please take your time with your response! We're all here for fun and interactions, not pressure, right? And thankyou for asking!!!

Now, part one is easy, haha. Ahuska is hands down my number one best favourite SWTOR OC, even if she appears somewhat differently in game than in my imagination. She's my main toon, the only one actually up to speed with game content, the only one with passable gear, lots of fun pets and mounts and outfits, and is currently working on polishing up her Mojo Dojo Copero Dream House.

(I absolutely need to draw her as her proper bothan self in this outfit!)

BUT, where she matters to me even more than that is in her story/RP, and here things diverge... quite a lot, hahaha. Very very originally she was just a toon that I made to PVP alongside my husband with (I actually did think of her as a bothan right from the start), but when I found myself hungry for RP I fleshed her out a little to join a RP guild in game which is where her life really started (particularly owing to @koboldgirl and the exceptional times we've had writing together). The group's premise was a Mandalorian clan rebuilding itself after all the Zakuul business, but despite that vague timeframe her story never really touched on swtor events or canon characters (the toon is an Imperial Agent but she is not REMOTELY an Agent, even as much as I love the IA storyline). Over time I made a bunch of wonderful friends in the swtor community and Ahuska's story has intercepted a few others here and there, and from that perspective keeping the timeline vague/unimportant and away from key canon characters/moments has really helped with being able to have her interact with others without contradicting their own things they have going on. I think engaging with other characters/writers is what motivates me more than anything and I get a tonne of joy in seeing/considering/plotting how they might interact!

(Read more for things getting weird and werewolfy.)

Now, Ahuska also took a deep dive into an AU with @askshivanulegacy that started as a halloween drabble challenge and has somehow become literal years of very intense worldbuilding and fiction and words can't describe how much I love this story, hahaha. It's still very much Ahuska, and very much swtor, it's just... swtor if the Empire managed to perfect a weird-science-sith-alchemy-intelligence-conditioning combo to create a very star-warsy version of werewolves (and were-any-other-critter). The first generation were designed to be secret soldiers/weapons, but the project failed and Ahuska is the sole survivor, going on a wonderful journey of self liberation and learning what truly makes a monster. The second generation (and all subsequent) came from Intel refining the technology and utilising it as an extra toolset for the most elite of elite Cipher agents, which is where almost all the rest of the cast comes from. Naturally there's a lot of divergence from canon here by the very nature of things, but funnily we also lean on a lot more canon swtor story beats, particularly when we look ahead to the KotFE and beyond time period.

I have so much love for every iteration of Ahuska, honestly, and I know I've mentioned it here and there but she really truly did play a huge role in pulling me out of a pretty grim place, not only helping me rediscover a lot of creativity but also helping to restore my trust and faith in people in general. She's led me to people who are now my absolute dearest friends, which in turn has taken me quite literally, physically across this humble planet we live on. I genuinely believe sharing stories is a massive part of what makes us human and I get very sentimental when I consider what a significant place this silly little bothan holds in my heart <3

Now, it's getting late for me, haha, so I will probably visit the second part of your ask in another post, but I love that as a question! >3 Once again ty for sending this and I can't wait to hear about yours!

[sullustangin]

Fic thoughts

Well, we've passed the 4 year mark since "the Captain" was created for "Lady of Emancipation." That was the first appearance of Eva in my SWTOR fic (and my first post on AO3) back in February 2020. In that fic, Bowdaar comes to Odessen after Eva wins Zakuulan fight club and bleeds into a bucket, much to the distress of Theron. It's set between Chapters 9 and 10 of KotFE.

I'm approaching that fic in the timeline, and while a lot of salient elements of Eva and my version of Theron remain, there are some differences. Some of the speech is clunky, and "Eva Corolastor" is not a named character. She's just the Captain, and at the time, I knew she was NOT my Cathar smuggler, Dyominia, who is LS5.

The Captain has no future, in her own mind. She hates slavery. She loves Theron. That's all there was. There's a lot more to Eva now.

There's a part of me that wants to revisit that plotline and revise it, but I don't want to pull a George Lucas and make the old version unavailable. I don' t want to take it down or edit it, because that's not what has been there for 4 years as a gateway to the rest of the series. I'm also sort of like "well, it's not completely out of character or inconsistent, even as Eva is now." Yet it is, plus I was shaking off about 11 years of fan fic writing rust at the time; I'm not 100% happy with it now, in retrospect.

I'm not deleting the old fic, but I'm divided as to how to handle it. If I incorporate the plot into a larger, different story, do I leave the old version within the series as a memorial to what was? Or remove it, and let the readers in the future stumble across it as they may? Or should I leave it as is, flaws and all, and not rewrite it at all?

[kemendin]

I have been wondering about for a few days now. How did Cas acquire the Rakata implants?

So for a bit of background, two of Caspian's core story elements (which I try to work into every version of him, in some way) are:

a) an unhealthy fascination with ancient technology (Wildstar: Eldan, ESO: Dwemer, Secret World: Third Age, etc)

b) getting his left hand massively fucked up in some way (mouthed off to the wrong crime lord, one of my other characters cut it off, woke up in a back alley and it was just gone, you know. Normal things)

Put these together and we end up with - ancient tech prosthetics!

In SWTOR specifically, Cas' ancient tech fascination winds up being the Rakata. Not sure where it starts - possibly on Tatooine with What Czerka Found (TM), possibly earlier, but in whatever free time the galaxy allows him he does a lot of research and studies whatever Rakatan artefacts he can get his hands on. (This is why Belsavis kinda sucks - he'd be having a really great time exploring the vaults if it weren't for all the ancient monstrosities being unleashed by stupid Imperials, not to mention wrestling with his Fortress trauma.)

Then we get to good times with the Revanites and their experiments with creating the Infinite Army by fusing Rakatan tech with living beings. The results are, naturally, horrific - but Cas can't help wondering if it was dialed back a whole, whole lot, maybe such tech would be viable as helpful implants. In what is not the most objectively good decision he's ever made, he makes sure the research is salvaged as much as it can be, and set aside (with extremely limited access, of course).

Fast forward to KOTFE and the carbonite nap. Like in canon, Cas nearly dies from the carbonite sickness, but it also ends up messing with his left hand in particular, leaving it shaky and weakened - not great for either slicing or holding a lightsaber, two of his best things. He compensates as best he can, and deals with it in his usual way - by gritting his teeth and pushing through it - until he faces Arcann again, and his already vulnerable hand is devastated by Arcann's Force lightning, to the point of being essentially nonfunctional.

The combination of physical and Force-inflicted injury means his hand is difficult to get working properly again, and Cas finally has to concede that something needs to be done. So he goes back to the idea of Rakatan implants, and after a lot of VERY careful research and testing - and many vocal objections from Theron, who thinks this is an awful idea - Cas ends up with some cool implants that allow his hand to function normally again. There might be some other benefits too, haven't decided yet. At some point I'll muse more on the specifics, but for now this is just 'I like it and I do what I want'.

Arts by @yarpell and @yalaki respectively <3 (hi Scourge ;D)

[abysskeeper]

Trick, mistake, secret and skin

This 100% did not start with me thinking Trick was one of the words

Yeah ok, my secret is that I'm always on my bullshit about Trick too. Another readmore because I uh...always always ramble hard about my girl.

skin: How comfortable is your OC in their skin? Do they grapple with anything that lives inside them—a beast, a curse, a failure, a monster? How do they face the smallest, weakest, most horrible version of themself? Are they able to acknowledge it at all?

So, the key to writing Trick in any way, shape, or form is that she is, 99.9% of the time, never comfortable in her own skin and always contending with some type of monster writhing beneath her skin. Is she confident and capable in her abilities? Yes. Willing to lead and make the tough decisions? Yes. Self-assured and secure in who she is? No, never.

Is it a contradiction in a lot of ways? Yes, but the girl's a mess of martyr complexes and insecurities. She almost always, honestly believes she is the most horrible version of herself (a coward and a monster), and though she would only call herself as such in a conversation where it's directly referenced, she never denies the accusation and does all she can with her actions to try and make up for her perceived shortcomings. In reality, the worst version of herself is the girl who gave up for a time (there's usually some point in her history where she went selectively mute and actively tried to kill herself), and in that regard, Trick often pretends that girl actually succeeded. She rarely acknowledges that time existed, ashamed as she is by it, and on the rare chance it does come up...well, the ensuing conversation isn't pretty.

As for the monsters beneath her skin, it varies by verse, but she's usually contending with some type of darkness or beast that's a thinly veiled allegory for her rage, desperation, and trauma (because I'm like that). A few examples, in no particular order:

Pack-verse: In Trick's original universe (a dystopian urban fantasy/sci-fi mashup), she's a wolf shapeshifter who was experimented on as a kid, which ultimately resulted in the line between human and beast blurring within her. Meaning, she has a tendency to go partial-to-full werewolf when deeply upset, among other differences (improved senses, heightened instincts and reflexes, etc). She's terrified of her capabilities and tries to repress herself as much as possible, which only backfires. The whole character arc there is about her coming to terms with who she is and what happened to her, and accepting that that side of her (the rage, the desperation, the trauma) is not actually a bad thing (and is actually more heightened because of her human choices, not the animalistic ones).

SWTOR: I took the Jedi Consular story and ran with it. The effects of the Force plague linger after chapter 1, even after Morrhage is defeated. I figured that lending out your soul to protect fellow Jedi against a Dark plague probably means you don't get everything back properly, even if you did everything right. She doesn't suffer from corruption so much (I actually believe she's not corruptible because she learned the shielding technique), but she's almost constantly, subconsciously using the shielding technique on herself to battle off the bit of Darkness she inherited from those she shielded. Other parts of her are missing altogether. It causes her a lot of chronic pain, but over time she learns to deal with it...until chapter 3 when she secretly starts shielding the Children and accidentally inherits some of the Emperor's power. KOTFE and KOTET are the worst time of her life, and she never knew so much relief as when the Emperor finally died in EOO.

BG3: My new project and current brainrot. Trick's issues are a little different here, as she's dealing with divinity instead of darkness (her backstory fic I'm working on is literally subtitled "You've Been Touched by Something Holy"). Instead of dealing with darkness, she's dealing with the fact she's literally been touched by the God of Death and bares the scars (both physical and emotional. I'm using this as an excuse to finally make this a valid design and not just metaphorical) that set her apart from her peers. It's still very much a metaphor for her rage and grief, but has a new and exciting flavor that I'm still working out all the kinks of.

secret: What's one secret your OC never wants anyone to know about them?

Again, depends on verse, but Trick always has at least one, world shattering secret she's keeping to herself. Generally, no matter in what iteration, there are deaths in her past she doesn't want anyone knowing about. The numbers and her exact involvement often vary, but she always feels a sense of guilt for people she either directly or indirectly killed through her actions and/or inactions. Otherwise:

Pack-verse: Her primary secret she wishes no one knew is, exactly, the number of people she's been responsible for killing as an agent of the government. However, that isn't a secret she can hide, as most people know and/or remember her committing those crimes. Instead, the secret she's trying most to hide is the aforementioned experimentation and ensuing consequences. She doesn't want anyone to know just how monstrous she really is, and how utterly disgusted she constantly feels about herself.

SWTOR: She tries to take the fact she was born an Imperial slave to the grave, but it does come out eventually to the Republic or Alliance. Instead, the one thing she will take to the grave is what happened to her as a result of the shielding technique. She'll never speak a word about the non-corruption corruption (thus, she'll never ask for help) because she fears how people will view her or treat her if they ever knew. The only exception is Cipher Nine, sometimes, but that man can and will both take a secret to the grave and never once consider betraying her trust.

BG3: The fact she died and was resurrected by a God. It's kind of hard to avoid in full, given the golden scarring is a dead giveaway of something divine happening to her, but she doesn't easily share the full story. And having died and being resurrected stands in direct contrast to being a cleric (and unrealized Chosen) of Kelemvor, nevermind the fact it was Kelemvor who asked her to live and resurrected her in the first place. It's complicated.

mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on?

Trusting Torren, in every verse. The worst mistake she ever made is trusting her...ex? Abuser? Mirror image and narrative foil? All of the above?

Regardless, Torren is always her worst mistake. She tried so hard to fix him, but he was one of those people who couldn't be helped, and did nothing but manipulate and use her further because of her goodwill. People got hurt and died because of it, no matter the verse. She got hurt (usually assaulted), no matter the verse. Torren is always the worst mistake, no matter what, and the only reason she ever trusted him was because she was young and naive and just wanted to help.

Usually Trick rectifies it by, eventually, killing him. It's the only way she feels like she can rectify everything he's done (to her and to others), and it is her burden to bare alone (though sometimes Tav insists on doing the honors). Even after he's dead though, it takes a long time for her to move on from everything that happened. When she has Tav, he usually helps facilitate her moving on quicker, but she can get there on her own with enough time away from the situation and a metric fuckton of painful self-reflection.

[consularmain]

4, 13, 17 for Minerva?

ty for the ask!

4. Where would you recruit them from? Pre KOTFE: Tython. You would have to go into the Jedi Temple and find a training room where she would be teaching a group of Padawans. Post KOTFE: The Force Enclave on Odessen. She would be meditating alone where Sana-Rae usually stands.

13. What gifts do they Love? Like? What would they say when you gave them a gift? Minerva likes Republic memorabilia, cultural artifacts, and weapon gifts. She loves luxury and courting gifts. Her dialogue for liked gifts would be: "This is lovely!" "Jedi do not need gifts. But... thank you." "Intriguing." Her dialogue for loved gifts would be: "Oh, how thoughtful!" "My friend, you shouldn't have."

17. What letter’s would they send post vanillia class story/SOR/KOTFE? This got looooong sorry I just loved writing these. I included both romanced and non-romanced versions :) I'll be posting these on ao3 for easier reading.

Post Class #1 non-romanced

Sender: Jedi Battlemaster Minerva Subject: The Emperor

He is gone. It almost doesn’t feel real. I have lived in fear of him for what feels like a whole lifetime, but it has truly only been a few months. 

I feel as though I can finally breathe again. The path to healing for myself and everyone touched by his darkness will not be simple, but I am determined to make amends for the things I have done. 

Thank you for standing by me, even through the worst of it. If you ever have need of me, I will be there. 

Minerva

Post Class #1 romanced

Sender: Jedi Battlemaster Minerva Subject: The Emperor

He is gone. It almost doesn’t feel real. I have lived in fear of him for what feels like a whole lifetime, but it has truly only been a few months.

I know I have been… distant lately and for that, I apologize. It was never my intention to hurt you by pushing you away – I only wanted to protect you, even from myself. 

I will never comprehend how you could continue to love me after everything he – I did. I do not remember much of my time under his control, but I know you had to watch me do… unspeakable things. I hurt the people that love me the most. I hurt you. 

I thought I was protecting you by pushing you away, by ignoring my feelings for you. But when I faced Vitiate in the Dark Temple, I wasn’t thinking of my duty as a Jedi or Scourge’s prophecy – I thought only of you. 

I once believed my love for you would only bring ruin to us both. But it’s the opposite. You give me strength. You give me focus. You give me a future worth fighting for. 

I have never been more glad to be wrong. 

Yours, Hanan

Post Class #2 romanced

Sender: Jedi Battlemaster Minerva Subject: Us

I never imagined I would one day be a wife but… here we are. 

It’s strange – a few years ago, I would have condemned any Jedi who gave in to such “weakness”. But I’ve never felt so complete, so strong. I have denied myself such joys for long enough. I want to know what it is to live. With you. I’m just sorry it took me so long to realize that. 

It may take me time to settle into marital bliss. Even longer to accept you won’t disappear. Please be patient with me. 

I love you. I hope you know that, even if I don’t say it enough. 

Your wife, Hanan

Post Class #3 romanced

Sender: Jedi Battlemaster Minerva Subject: Our Future

I have been meditating on the future lately. This war will not end anytime soon and I know it’s dangerous to make promises but if the galaxy is ever at peace in our lifetime… I want to leave everything behind and just be with you. 

I don’t care what the Council will think. You mean more to me than any Code, any rule, any vow. 

We have a future together, you and I. If that means falling in battle or living until we are old and gray, then I will gladly walk with you. 

All my love, Hanan

Shadow of Revan

Sender: Jedi Battlemaster Minerva Subject: Vitiate

I thought we were finally free. 

I was wrong. 

I do not care what I have to do, how far I will have to go – I will not rest until he is dead. 

I won’t stop until we are safe from him.

KotFE

Sender: Commander Minerva Subject: I still love you

Five years and you haven’t changed. I’m glad. 

You have always been my rock, the one thing keeping me grounded when I start to lose myself. I fear what would have become of me if we hadn’t found each other again. When Lana rescued me from carbonite and told me how much time had passed, I feared the worst. I couldn’t feel you. There was just… a constant ache reminding me I was missing my other half. 

I worried that after so many years, you might have… forgotten what we meant to each other. 

But you came back to me. And no Emperor or Eternal Empire will take you away from me. 

That I can promise you. 

Your loving wife, Hanan

[bardic-tales]

"The clones that Adaki uses on Dromund Kaas as Jadus are clones of Cynthia. He created them when she was separated from him the first time."

I'm curious, what was Cynthia's reactions upon seeing them the first time?

Hi! Hope your day is going well. And thanks for the ask. I always look forward to your SWTOR questions, as they tend to make me think. lol

That's one of the messed-up things in their relationship. Cynthia is rightfully disgusted about them. He first created them during the years spanning their first separation: when she was forcibly extracted from his home by Imperial Intelligence and the Dark Council, when he was rising as Darth Jadus.

When she first met them, he had them garbed in crimson robes and helmets obscuring their appearance from her. She only knew that they were feminine.

She often shows her fiery spirit with Adaki, knowing that she can bring her concerns to him. When she realizes that they are her, she tells him to get rid of them. He does -- showcasing his morally ambiguous nature -- but he spares one of them. I lost her name during the data glitch where I lost most of my work.

This clone accompanies Ellese and Gor'en to Zakuul when they go rescue Adaki during the events of KOTFE. Gor'en even asks Elle if she thinks that his father might have sought comfort in them during the years where Adaki was separated from Cynthia and how she even feels about them, as Elle is the twin sister of Cyn. Then, Gor'en makes quips that is his fantasy to be with multiple versions of Elle as Justin (my husband) and I were trying to keep the smuggler's personality intact with the RP.

Cloning and the Sith dagger play a large role in their love story, as it is how Adaki and Cynthia eventually reach immortality. He will not live without Cynthia.

[knamil]

The comics class I'm auditing is doing a comic of Little Red Riding Hood (the very old public domain version I think it's Grimm, but not sure). The class assignment for the week is to come up with 3 genres and the instructor is going to pick the genre and then the students have to tell the story in about 12 pages. (They also have to do full character turnarounds for each genre for each character. That is so fucking intense. I'd fail this class if I was actually taking it an not just observing. There is no pass/fail for the class. I'd still fail.)

So, I don't want to do that. Not interested in Little Red Riding Hood, but I have to come up with a story if I'm going to make my own comic to follow along.

Do you see where this is heading?

As I was digging through past fanfics and fanarts I found an AU story I wrote in 2014 or so based around the cut dialogue that had been datamined from the original swtor launch.

I haven't played the latest swtor stuff. I played through kotfe/kotet and barely remember it (and since my favorite companion had not returned for a storyline that should have included him I'm still kind of meh about Valkorian in general. Like I have opinions, but I don't even remember enough about it to know if they're valid or I'm just salty) I know Scourge and Kira returned and I did all that content to see the new romances and get a little snippet about what happened with them, but it was too short for me to want to write about it.

ANYWAY, about that AU fic that I never posted. From all appearances I had played around with making it into a comic, but never even got into the scripting stage. I think maybe that's why I never posted the text anywhere?

I didn't actually remember the fic when I read it, I only know I had planned a comic because I have an empty scrivner file with the fic name and the word comic at the end.

The story itself is 6,000 words long which is SUPER short for me so I can see that I was trying to reign it in to make it doable within what remains of my lifetime.

(Sad side note: I usually abandoned comics projects because I estimated the time it would take to make them and came out with several years. I would have finished at least 3 full fanfic comics by now if I had just stuck with it so yeah. Time: it passes. I need to stop giving up on everything.)

SO yeah. Making a comic about Remi and Scourge. Completely AU. Nothing that happens after the main JK story happens at all. No makeb/revan/ziost/kotfe/kotet/etc. because the story was written before any of those things even happened.

My recent Scourge drawing was a panel test. :D

We do this, not because it was easy, but because we thought it would be easy.

That's the first act. Did I mention the text is only 6000 words? Clocking in at 22 pages the first act is the shortest text wise (1600 words). So... heh heh ehhhhh. Wish me luck?

[witching-by-the-willow]

Hey bestie!!Hello fellow anon!Ily both sm rn cause for some unknown reason I’ve been extra obsessed with kotw and can’t stop thinking about it.Literally.I’m reading every single goodreads review cause it’s the closest thing to discussing it.

Anyways sooo…Pride’s definitely the problem lol. Was Vittoria the only one Pride supposedly cheated on her with?This is not only miscommunication lmao.Wasn’t he kissing Vittoria and you can’t tell me he had no feeling at all for her.That’s cheating. That being said I wanted to discuss some things I noticed like I got the feeling Lucia didn’t leave only because of the whole Vittoria thing.That seemed like the final push and isn’t she happy and well rn?Why tf would they send her to hell’s version of Italy and not the actual Italy tho…

Also, I could swear it was said that Pride’s wife and her sisters’s hearts were torn from their chests.That’s why we all thought of them being the twins.So why the inconsistency?I’m pretty sure Kerri just changed her mind or forgot mentioning that.

Alsooo…I could also swear Claudia lost her mind in the first book.How come she’s fine and well outta nowhere?Not that I’m unhappy about it.I love her.She’s a sweetheart.I love both her and Vittoria way more than Pride,but strangely I kinda like him too,not sure why.And the irony of them being besties while everyone was trying to keep them apart isn’t lost on me.

Vittoria’s definitely unhinged and aggressive but she’s so interesting imo.I loved reading about her in kotw and that didn’t change in kotf.Can’t wait to read more about her.She brings the flavor…

Ahh wouldn’t be all love more of our collective baby Sloth

Can I just say, I love how some of you are having conversations through my askbox as anons? Like, this is so wholesome and fun to see 😂❤️

Lmao I also read every Goodreads review and listened to all podcasts I could find about this book while waiting for KOTC and after that KOTF, so I relate hard with you. 💀💀

And okay, coming to this. Not a surprise to anyone, it once again is a man who is that problem. 💀💀

Pride definitely fucked up big time, and I do definitely think he and Vittoria do have some unresolved feelings for each other, which is what makes this triangle a hot mess, I suppose? Like, the only thing that could make this even more unhinged, is if Vittoria and Lucia/Claudia also end up attracted to each other ajfhajbfjangnang (okay but listen, they were friends as "mortals". They did dates and everything. Is it really such a stretch to thing Claudia and Vittoria kissed at some point? Is it? Hmm? 👀)

"hell's version of Italy and not actual Italy" is sending me kahfjajgkabgja I would be so sour if I was Lucia lol. Though I think it's keep her protected with the shadow/star witches (I think that's what they're called?), and also because the Shifting Isles are never stagnant, I believe there was something about how they exist in multiple intersections of time and space simultaneously? so I think it would be way harder to find someone in there than in the real, mortal-world Italy.

Okay, I don't remember this well, so correct me if I'm wrong. But I think the part about pride's wife and her sister having their hearts torn was in the Wrath POV bonus chapter? And that was, I believe, one of the initial crafts that Kerri Maniscalco was writing. So there are lots of things in those chapters that don't match with the book we got. I think they're meant more as some fun add-ons to read, rather than missing parts of the books we got.

And about Claudia losing her mind..... I'm pretty sure that was one of the witches, right? Like, even with Sofia Santorini, it was Nonna Maria who made her go mad, rather than her actually going insane. So they probably did something similar to Claudia ti get her away from scrying (because then she'd start remembering), and then fixed her, because well. You can't fuck up you boss' daughter like that permanently when she entrusted you to care for her. 💀💀💀

YES, them being besties even when they were always meant to be apart? Look what happens when there's no man to be fighting over. 🤌🤌

Oh yeah, Vittoria is interesting to read about, yes. But my gripe with her character is more like.... she's not exactly morally gray for most of her arc. She keeps switching between being absolutely diabolical, to being shown as an all-in-all good person. And that's more of a writing inconsistency. Like, I like the unhingedness, but I would really appreciate if we can decide what role her character is going to have in the story, you know? Because right now it seems like she is being swinged to play whatever part suits the point the story of the other characters is at, as opposed to having her own role and arc. So perhaps with more development, I'd appreciate her character more.

And oh yes, Sloth's time to shine when???

[a-master-procrastinator]

Which of your SWTOR Companions are NOT with the Alliance?

I was inspired by this post by @swtorpadawan.

It's a good question, and it got me thinking (slowly, as always). For now, I've come up with fates of companions in Lette Legacy (Jett as the Outlander), and will work on others later.

Warning - Mentions of established character deaths below. And lots of spoilers for KotFE and everything after it.

In my headcanon the events of KotFE and onwards are different from in-game version, which impacts the fate of some companions. The most relevant differences are the fates of class characters (Bounty Hunter, Jedi Consular, Smuggler and Agent are in the Alliance; Jedi Knight, Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor and Trooper are not with the Alliance for different reasons) and the fact that the Alliance does not participate in the renewed war between the Republic and Sith Empire, choosing to stay neutral.

Also, the state of companions changes with time, so this is for the time around the events of 7.0 in SWTOR.

Jedi Knight crew:

Fideltin Rusk - continues his military service in the Republic.

Doc - after Ossus stays to help the Jedi in the renewed war.

Jedi Consular crew:

Zenith - continues anti-Imperial activities.

Tharan Cedrax - survives the Imperial attack on Meridian Complex and continues to work for the Republic.

Nadia Grell - after Ossus stays with the Jedi.

Trooper crew:

Elara Dorne - continues her military service in the Republic as a part of the Havoc Squad, takes Jorgan's place as second in command after he joined the Alliance.

M1-4X - stays with the Republic as part of the Havoc Squad.

Tanno Vik - does whatever he was doing in chapter 6.

Sith Warrior crew:

Malavai Quinn - stays with the Empire as one of Acina's officers.

Major Pierce - continues his military service in the Empire.

Jaesa Wilsaam - disappears after Emperor's Wrath's death, current whereabouts unknown.

Broonmark - killed while trying to assassinate a Wookiee senator on Alderaan.

Vette - killed by Vaylin on Odessen.

Sith Inquisitor crew:

Khem Val, Andronikos Revel, Talos Drellik and Xalek - all stay in the Sith Empire and work for Darth Nox.

Ashara Zavros - killed by apprentices of Darth Nox.

Bounty Hunter crew:

Skadge - just does his thing, if nobody shot him yet. (I don't even count him as companion, but since he is a companion in the game, I guess I had to add him). Jett never met him again after dropping him somewhere shortly after Belsavis.

Imperial Agent crew:

Vector Hyllus - continues his duties as Dawn Herald.

SCORPIO - merged with Iokath.

Kaliyo - dropped out of the Alliance after Vaylin is dealt with. I just don't think she would stick for much of what comes next.

So 22 out of 40 companions from class stories are not with the Alliance (obviously Kaliyo, SCORPIO and Vette were a part of the Alliance).

Honorable mention: Raina Temple - officially is not with the Alliance, but working with them to maintain communication between the Alliance and the Chiss Ascendancy.

[raven-of-domain-kwaad]

Wanted to say thanks very much for this, it's really kind of you!

Was wondering if I could ask for a pose like this with KOTFE/ET Lana Beniko as the blue figure on the left, my Jedi Knight OC in the center and my version of Loyat on the right?

Lana Beniko

Ryscha (Jedi Knight)

Loyat

Thanks so much again, you are awesome!

Free art (limited, sfw)

Hey guys. If you would like me to draw anything for you, just reblog this with references of your OC, a background, and an action. I can draw more than one person, up to maybe 5 or six.

Just keep these SFW for now. I'll try to take up as many as I can, till I have to stop.

Thanks

[chaos-enchanted]

The Twin Conquerors

Arcann and Thexan- Knights Of The Old Republic

[jaennsisters-blog]

The Eternity Effect: Prologue

So, uh... I have no offerings of art for Star Wars day (because haha drawing what’s that), but I wanted to do SOMETHING for today, so... here’s the unedited prologue of the fic I’m working on?

Involves Arcann and our favorite Killik Joiner interacting.  Uh... yeah.

The view from the Spire was meant to encompass all of Zakuul.  It was a feat that was, in reality, impossible, but it had shown the entirety of the city where Zakuul’s citizens resided.  With the expansion of the city to most of the planet, apart from the Endless Swamp, the view no longer served even that purpose.  That didn’t mean, however, that it wasn’t impressive.  

Desensitized to the view as he was, Arcann chose to conduct most other business outside the throne room.  He only received diplomatic envoys here because he knew that the Spire intimidated outsiders.  One particularly weak-minded ambassador came to mind, who had fainted from the sheer height alone.  The man’s replacement, who was not nearly as skilled of a negotiator, had ended up agreeing to a tribute that was double what his colleague could have likely arranged.

The throne room did have its uses, at times.

Today he sat on the Eternal Throne, one of the fingers on his artificial hand tapping the armrest impatiently.  Vaylin stood at his right, ostensibly serving as both the High Justice and an observer to the negotiations, one of her roles as his heir. If she noticed or was annoyed by his tapping, she didn’t show it.

The doors to the elevator finally opened, revealing a group of five: two Knights of Zakuul, followed by a man dressed in the garb of an Imperial Ambassador with eyes that held no trace of white or color.  Two more Knights followed him.  Officially, they were there to ensure the safety of the ambassador.  Unofficially, they presented another intimidation factor.

The view and the guards did not seem to perturb Ambassador Hyllus, who knelt once he reached the throne.  Arcann sat up straighter; the Killik Joiner had already passed his first test.

“His Majesty the Protector of Zakuul, Emperor Arcann, welcomes you,” Vaylin said, her tone sounding bored.  Arcann almost twitched in irritation, but suppressed the urge.

“Your majesty is too kind,” Hyllus replied.  

Arcann studied him for a moment, wondering if the silence would throw him off.  “Rise,” he said, once it became clear that Hyllus wasn’t going to react.

Ambassador Hyllus stood, clasping his hands behind his back in what Arcann recognized as a parade rest.  He wondered if the Joiner had picked up that habit as part of the Diplomatic Corps or if it was from his time in Imperial Intelligence.

“Say your piece,” Arcann ordered.  

At the very least, Hyllus didn’t beat around the bush. “We have come to discuss a potential alliance between the Ouroboro Nest and the Eternal Empire.  We are willing to pay a tribute in credits in exchange for being allowed to travel freely throughout the galaxy.  Though we do not rely on trade, as many other nations do, we do not wish to be a static presence in the galaxy.”

Arcann folded his hands together, leaning forward on his knees.  “Many other sovereign nations have come to us willing to pay a tribute in resources in addition to a monetary payment.  What makes you think I would accept an offer that offers anything less than that?”

Next to him, he sensed Vaylin bristling in anticipation; she had heard the veiled threat in his voice.

Arcann was also eager to hear Hyllus’ answer, but less because he wanted to see another diplomat frightened into compliance by Vaylin and more because there was a very specific reason that he had even allowed Hyllus to meet with him in person.  

Hyllus didn’t even blink.  “That would depend on what would serve as an acceptable substitute for said resources.”

This one was smarter than most – he knew exactly what he had to bargain with, and he was trying to find out how much he could get from Arcann in return.  Arcann smirked beneath his mask; it was so rare that he had the chance the play the political game with any kind of nuance.  Most diplomats were concerned only with their and their people’s survival, and little else.  Risk-taking was no longer an option in the greater galaxy.

“Credits in amounts equal to the value of the resources,” he began.  “Sectors and systems that could be of strategic value to Zakuul.  Innovative technologies or personnel that would be conscripted into Zakuul’s service – I have heard that newly-hatched Killiks are capable of nearly undetectable sabotage, is that correct?”

“It is certainly a possibility.”  Hyllus’ tone was still carefully neutral.

“And yet, though that would certainly be useful, there is another matter I feel I must discuss.”  Arcann stood up and began to pace in front of the throne, each step measured.  He passed right in front of Vaylin, meeting her eyes briefly, and saw impatience there.

He pivoted to face Hyllus once he was back in front of the throne.  “You see, I have heard some… disturbing reports of the aforementioned sabotage on some of the planets under Zakuul’s protection.  How am I to know that the parties responsible are not associates of yours?”

“We would, of course, happily turn over all dealings we have had with other nests over to you, and you may dispense justice as you see fit,” Hyllus said, though now he showed the first sign of distress by clenching his fists.  “We also hold information that you might find has some value, your majesty.”

Arcann grew tired of waiting.  “Depending on the value of the information, we would be willing to overlook any and all instances of such sabotage, so long as you can provide assurances that they won’t happen again.”

“We can provide those assurances,” Hyllus said. “As to the value of the information, we possess the current location of the Empire’s Wrath.  We believe that she is currently number one on Zakuul’s Most Wanted list, correct?”

If Arcann were able, he would have smiled.  He knew very well that Hyllus was lying about being able to force the other nests into compliance, but that didn’t matter now.

“That is indeed valuable information, Ambassador. Zakuul would be happy to accept your proposed alliance.”

Hyllus bowed his head.  “We are glad that you find our terms agreeable, your majesty.”

Arcann sat back down on the throne, gesturing to the side. Vaylin stepped forward, sounding only marginally less bored than she had at the start of negotiations.  

“If you would be so kind as to follow your escort to one of the conference rooms,” Vaylin said, “our diplomatic advisors will work with you on the details of the alliance.  His majesty thanks you for a fruitful negotiation.”

Vector bowed again, before making a very precise pivot (another gesture that made Arcann wonder about his exposure to military protocols) and following his guard out of the room.  Vaylin at least had enough presence of mind to wait for Hyllus to vacate the throne room before she started to pace in front of Arcann, tracing the same path that he had taken earlier.

“He was almost certainly hiding something,” she declared.  

“I’m not concerned with the ulterior motives of the Killiks,” Arcann replied.  “They are a nuisance at worst, and pose no serious threat.  Besides, it was worth it for the information that Ambassador Hyllus can provide.”

He tapped a few of the buttons on the armrest of the throne, bringing up a holoscreen that had been the subject of his ruminations for many weeks now.  In the upper-right hand corner of the screen was a picture of a Cathar woman with large eyes, and a pattern of white fur that was at odds with the dark fur that covered the rest of her face.  The darker fur thickened into hair on the top of her head; it was short and practical.

The holos from her last known sighting showed her hair being slightly longer than that of the picture.  Arcann theorized that she was less concerned with hair maintenance than she was with evading the Eternal Empire.

Vaylin had moved to stand at his side.  “Do you really believe that the Empire’s Wrath will be where the Killiks say she is?”

“I would believe them over most of our other sources of information,” Arcann answered.  “They wouldn’t have come to us with that as a bargaining chip if they were not absolutely certain.  Yes, they know where she is.  Soon, sister, we will have the answers that we are looking for.”

“Tell me I get to be the one to retrieve her.”

“I wouldn’t entrust that task to anyone else.”

Vaylin’s face split into a gleeful grin.  

“I’d prefer her mostly unharmed.”

The grin only dimmed slightly.  “Based on what we know about our father’s dear little pet, capture will be so humiliating that she’ll be torturing herself over it.  I won’t have to do much.”

Arcann agreed with that assessment.  Though the Empire’s Wrath had mostly existed as a rumor in the Sith Empire, Darth Vowrawn had been willing to give enough information about her temperament in exchange for lightening the burden of resources that the Sith Empire had to provide to Zakuul.  Honorable to a fault, possessing of a strict moral code, devoted to those she deemed honorable.  It was, in Arcann’s view, a recipe for pride – and pride was the downfall of so many men and women.

“As soon as we know, I expect you to be on your way,” he said.  “You’re dismissed.”

Vaylin bowed.  This time, there wasn’t any sarcasm in her body language – she was in a better mood than usual today.  “Until next time then, brother dear,” she sing-songed, before striding over to the elevator.  

Arcann turned his attention back to the profile on the Empire’s Wrath.  Yes, Anjanay Karrus would go a long way to achieving his goal of ridding the world of his father.  

He closed her profile and opened the profiles of two others that, while they weren’t all that high on Zakuul’s Most Wanted list, were also of interest to him.

The faces of a Mirialan female and a Sith Pureblood male were side-by-side.  Arcann was less optimistic about finding these two, as neither had been sighted for years and were believed by many to have left the galaxy entirely.  They, too, would have been valuable sources of information, especially the Sith.  Alas, nothing could be done about either one of them.

He closed their profiles and pulled up one last one. He was fairly certain that her profile picture was the only picture of her face in existence; all other records of her showed her wearing that abominable helmet of hers.

Darth Nox stared out at him from the picture, burnt orange eyes almost glowing compared to her sallow skin, which was marked by intricate scar patterns that might have been beautiful if it weren’t for what they represented.  Information on Darth Nox was plentiful; she was in the public eye as a Dark Council member. Information on the person behind the mask, however, was far more difficult to find.

It was something of a conundrum: he had this very woman encased in carbonite, but he could not find the answers he sought from her. Not when, even now, he could feel the oppressive presence of his father emanating from her.

Arcann was about to close Nox’s profile when the comm built into his mask beeped.  

“Yes?” he answered.  

“Your majesty!”  The voice belonged to the Overseer in charge of the carbonite chamber, and Arcann felt his blood turn to ice.  It took him a moment to realize that it wasn’t his imagination; the Force was practically screaming a warning at him.  

“There has been a breach in security in the chamber that holds the Outlander!  It… it appears that someone infiltrated the facility and… freed her, your majesty. Your orders?”

Arcann’s heart started thudding in his chest, forcefully enough that it was almost as though it was hitting his throat. Instead of hearing ‘freed her’, he kept hearing ‘freed your father’, and he almost couldn’t control the blind panic that seized him at the thought.  He swallowed and focused his fear – focused on the hatred he felt for Valkorion, and on the anger that someone would have the audacity to waltz in and out with the Outlander, and slowly his fear subsided.

All that was left now was the hatred.  He could work with hatred.

“Pursue the Outlander,” he barked into the comm.  “I want her captured alive if possible, but killed if necessary.  Any accomplices or suspects in her rescue should be brought in for questioning. Clearly, we have a hole in our security.”

“At once, your majesty!”

Arcann waited, but there was nothing more forthcoming. He found himself to be frozen, gripping the armrests of the throne hard enough that his fingers actually dug into the metal.  It seemed too quiet to him, like he should have been surrounded by chaos instead of the unnatural stillness of the Spire’s throne room.

He stood and swept from the room, the Empire’s Wrath all but forgotten.

[rainofaugustsith]

SWTOR and Staffing Changes

Some story spoilers up through 6.3

So there have been some staffing changes for SWTOR. It's really not a surprise. After the debacle that was 7.0 I would have been surprised if there hadn't been. On the official forum and Reddit it seems to have been met with skepticism and who can blame anyone?

At this point, I think the dev team has lost all trust from the playerbase. There's a good reason for that. It's been year after year of dwindling content, increasingly disjointed story, gme breaking bugs, trying to shove a solo-oriented playerbase into grouping and PvP, and with 7.0, changes that noticeably detract from gameplay. The so-called 'grand 10th year anniversary' has been little more than a whimper. I quit the game the day 7.0 dropped, and while I miss running around with Viri, I am very glad not to have the stress.

Honestly, at this point I think it would have been better to end the game's story at the end of Echoes of Oblivion. The player character defeated Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorion once and for all and flies off into the stars, hurrah. At this point I've accepted that when and if I have the inspiration to write Lana/Viri again, they won't be on book for much of anything.

The new lead producer is one of the devs who is said to be on private discords that are very heavy with NiM raider dudebro types. He was one who asked questions and wanted feedback on the Public Test Server but almost every single bit of that player feedback has been ignored. I have no confidence he is going to veer from that direction.

The new gameplay designer apparently used to work on Ops which does not bode well for making things more playable. This is something that has become noticeably worse over time. The fights at the end of Echoes of Oblivion, all of Spirit of Vengeance and the first boss fight in Dantooine are train wrecks. Confusing, very hard on the hands, very tedious, nothing but mob after mob as filler. The heroics at Dantooine and Mek-Sha are very difficult and can't necessarily be done solo. From what I have read the boss fight in the newest flashpoint can't even be completed sometimes. I don't see good things here.

The new UX Director states that he's been working since 2020 to make the game more accessible. I've seen a few places that's actually been true, like toning down flashing lights. But the new gameplay/gearing, scaled tertiary stats on planets and emphasis on group play make the game far LESS accessible. And the new inventory/UI has given people headaches.

The new head writer states "my primary responsibility has been working with writing, design, art, and cinematics to ensure our story content adheres to a particular standard of quality." Much of the art and design over the past five years in SWTOR has been stunning. Onderon? Ossus? Umbara? Copero? Mek-Sha? Dantooine? chef's kiss from a design standpoint. The new Dantooine swoop races have been a delight, as well.

Unfortunately the story from KOTET onward has been pretty horrid, with the sole exceptions of the Lana and Theron proposals and most of Echoes of Oblivion. Those are literally the only two points that everything seems okay to me.

From an art standpoint, the dressable models of Lana and Senya were notably made thinner, younger and more traditionally feminine looking in their dressable models. I will never even like a screenshot with Lana if it's the Barbiefied version. Koth's dressable model was also quite weird because his head was not in proportion to his body.

From a story standpoint:

There have been plot holes you could drive a truck through.

Our characters are back to shedding as much blood as possible for their factions (or the one they're secretly working for) after the entire theme of KOTFE was to find alliances outside one's faction and one's personal worldview and work toward peace.

The main goal of Nathema seemed to be to murder as many remaining supporting characters as possible. In one neat swoop they eliminated so many characters who could have had key roles or supporting roles later.

Quinn came back, but if a Sith Warrior didn't trust him and didn't want him in their Alliance, assuming they stay Imperial the only way out was to brutally murder him in a scene that was clearly designed to satisfy the edgelords in the audience.

We had a betrayal that made absolutely no sense.

The group involved with the betrayal had a name that was almost a carbon copy of an existing group.

We had companions return, but many of those return cut scenes made no sense whatsoever and had open lapses in continuity from what we remembered about those companions from the class story.

We had a "somehow, Big Bad survived" moment that truly made no sense other than to provide a new Big Bad.

The plot point that drove Iokath was relegated to operations that most people did not want to play. If you have not played those Ops, the plot point randomly dissolves into thin air without any resolution whatsoever. Why didn't they learn their lesson with that from Oricon?

I don't find any quality there. I just find the story flailing and drifting from one point to another. I find frustration.

The bottom line is that there's really no reason for anyone to trust that SWTOR is on anything other than a continued downward trajectory. That's a shame. But it is what it is.