Living Force (roleplaying campaign)

Living Force was a Wizards of the Coast RPGA organized play campaign, following the model of similar campaigns such as Living Greyhawk. The campaign was set in the Cularin system, created especially for the campaign and detailed in the Living Force Campaign Guide. The campaign was initially set one year after The Phantom Menace, but to keep current with the movies, the Cularin system time jumped almost ten years when Attack of the Clones came out.
The Living Force campaign lasted for six years, coming to a conclusion after Revenge of the Sith was released. The adventures of the campaign were distributed by the RPGA through its membership for conventions and game days. They were supplemented by articles providing stories, information about the Cularin system, and rules updates for the campaign on the Wizards of the Coast website.
The main story arc of the campaign was titled Among the Stars. A side story arc called Law and Order was being created by campaign staff in Great Britain, but was canceled after only four adventures were released.
==Characters==
===Mother Dariana===
Dariana was the Mother of the Tarasin Hiironi irstat, the largest irstat on Cularin. In this role, she was an influential figure among the native Tarasin, able to convene a council of elders with decision making power for all Tarasin. On numerous occasions, Dariana recorded her memoirs, sharing insights on the events occurring in the Cularin system.
===Yara Grugara===
Yara Grugara was a reporter for Cularin Central Broadcasting, originally on the talk show "Eye on Cularin." She became a key commentator on events in the system, obtaining interviews with many of the key personalities in the system, such as the crime lord Nirama and the Jedi Masters Qel-Bertuk and Kirlocca. Grugara later endorsed the efforts of the Cualrin Militia, drawing criticism from some areas. While many thought her vapid, her persistence in interviews often produced surprising results.
===Kirlocca===
Kirlocca was a Jedi Master at the time of the Invasion of Naboo. A Wookiee male, he was the lightsaber instructor at the Almas Academy. Kirlocca was kind-hearted and wise, but felt the best way to impart what he knew was through martial training, helping the younger to direct their energies through fencing. In addition to lightsaber instruction, some of Kirlocca's other duties including helping with basic Force exercises and overseeing aspects of the Jedi Trials. Kirlocca was attending a peace conference with a number of other Jedi when Raik Muun attempted to use two T'salaks to turn the Jedi mediators into crazed killers, so as to discredit the Order. Her plan failed, but Master Kirlocca was killed by the t'salaks and Raik managed to escape.
===Thurm Loogg===
Thurm Loogg was the Metatheran Cartel's envoy to the Cularin system after Velin Wir. He headed the Cartel's offices on Cularin and oversaw their mining operations on Tilnes, but was more of a spokesman and facilitator than a true executive.
===Nirama===
Nirama was an Oblee crime lord who controlled all crime in the Cularin system. He was formerly an accountant for Riboga the Hutt, but managed to take over his whole Organization. He was based in the Cularin asteroid belt and developed a great love for the Cularin system. His organization fought on the side of the Cularin Militia against the Navy of Thaere.Living Force Campaign Guide
===Lanius Qel-Bertuk===
Lanius Qel-Bertuk was a renowned Jedi Master and Headmaster at the Jedi Academy on Almas. Lanius Qel-Bertuk was considered by some to be one of the wisest Jedi in the Order. Qel-Bertuk was a Human male with ice-blue eyes, raven-black hair and a greying beard in a friendly, commonly-smiling face. He had a burn scar on his left cheek and was missing the third finger on his left hand.
===Jir Tramsig===
Jir Tramsig was the leader of the Navy of Thaere in the Cularin system. A ruthless and ambitious man, he had a reputation for caring more for the successful completion of a mission than the welfare of his subordinates. He eventually led his forces against the Cularin Militia, seeking to control the system through force, a development prompted by the Navy's affiliation with the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
===Lavina Wren===
Lavina Durada-Vashne Wren was a female Human Senator of the Galactic Republic who represented the Cularin system from 32 BBY to 19 BBY. She constantly campaigned for Cularin during her terms on Coruscant, including during the ten year absence of the Cularin system from the galaxy. She endorsed the efforts of the Cularin Militia fighting against the Navy of Thaere and pressed their cause in the Senate, drawing assassination attempts. When it became clear the direction the Republic was taking, Wren withdrew Cularin from the Republic, declaring it a sovereign independent system.
==Media==
===Adventures===
The Living Force campaign was composed of a number of story arcs, each lasting one year although with some story elements that continued throughout the campaign. Each year contained four adventure trilogies, of which three contributed to the central story line, with one additional trilogy on more peripheral events. These were trilogies were supplemented with between one and three stand-alone adventures. These adventures were all released first at conventions, but then became available for play at home at a later date.
Most Living Force adventures were designed to be played in the four-hour time slots used at gaming conventions. A Mon Alone was an extra long adventure to be run in two time slots. The adventures were meant for 4-6 players (though for a short time, the RPGA allowed 3-7), and GMs were expected to run the adventures as written and without using house rules, so that all players had a similar play experience. Living Force adventures were usually retired about one and a half to two years after they premiered. Games played within 30 days of the premiere submitted an events summary to the campaign staff, with the results of the majority of the tables determining the results for the campaign (i.e. if a villain escaped for over half the tables submitting events summaries, that villain did escape and could recur later).
Another type of adventure was called an interactive, which had all the available players playing together in a mostly live action roleplaying (LARP) situation. The players mostly interacted with each other and NPCs in a social setting. There were often activities that could be engaged in, such as podracing, gambling, marksmanship contests, or starship combat sims. Players could submit orders to metaorganizations, such as Joh's New and Used Droid Emporium and the Ma'Haffee Shipyard. Some interactives featured periods where the players would break up into groups of 4-6 and sit down for a short segment of tabletop roleplaying. Many interactives only ran once, with the results of that event being the results for the campaign, though a few were made available for later conventions.
Key: 	Key: 	Key:
Adventure trilogies	Associated interactives	Stand-alone adventures
Issue 	Adventure Trilogy 	Date 	Adventure 	Tie-In Article(s)
 	 	 	 	
Among the Stars, Year One, 2001 	Among the Stars, Year One, 2001 	Among the Stars, Year One, 2001 	Among the Stars, Year One, 2001 	Among the Stars, Year One, 2001
 	 	 	 	
101 	Eye of the Sun 	January 	A Cularin Presence 	
102 	Eye of the Sun 	January 	The Resistance Within 	
103 	Eye of the Sun 	January 	Revelation and Refutation 	Two Heads Aren't Better Than One
104 	Eye of the Sun 	January 	An Uneasy Peace 	The Cartel's Gift
105 	 	February 	The Price of Business 	
106 	Between the Worlds 	March 	TopWorld 	
107 	Between the Worlds 	April 	MidWorld 	
108 	Between the Worlds 	May 	UnderWorld 	
109 	Clouds of Genarius 	June 	Head in the Clouds 	Tales of Nub Saar
110 	Clouds of Genarius 	July 	Clouded Paths 	Tales of Nub Saar
111 	Clouds of Genarius 	August 	Into the Storm Clouds 	Tales of Nub Saar
112 	Clouds of Genarius 	August 	Blown Away 	The Sivulliq is Out There -- Somewhere
113 	Broken Orbits 	September 	Depths of Dorumaa 	New Crimelord: Rufus Trammel
114 	Broken Orbits 	October 	Something Uffel 	No Droids for You!
115 	Broken Orbits 	November 	Tilnes Rising 	Yri Worms Wreak Havoc for Miners
116 	December 	December 	Oblivion's Kiss 	Cularin's Lady Senator, Lavina Wren
 	 	 	 	
Law and Order, 2002 	Law and Order, 2002 	Law and Order, 2002 	Law and Order, 2002 	Law and Order, 2002
 	 	 	 	
101 	Trade War 	September 	Consignment 	
102 	Trade War 	October 	Mix 'n Match 	
103 	Trade War 	November 	Find the Lady 	
104 	 	December 	Operation Blue Star 	
 	 	 	 	
Among the Stars, Year Two, 2002 	Among the Stars, Year Two, 2002 	Among the Stars, Year Two, 2002 	Among the Stars, Year Two, 2002 	Among the Stars, Year Two, 2002
 	 	 	 	
201 	Blinking Eyes 	January 	Quarters 	
202 	Blinking Eyes 	January 	Halves 	
203 	Blinking Eyes 	January 	Holes 	
204 	Blinking Eyes 	January 	Peaces 	
205 	 	February 	An Official Engagement 	Senator Wren's Social Calendar
206 	Almas, Sweet Almas 	March 	The Kaluthin Are Always Greener 	Into the Academy
207 	Almas, Sweet Almas 	April 	Desert Cries 	Now I Am the Master
208 	Almas, Sweet Almas 	May 	A Dark Fortress 	The Sith Fortress
209 	 	May 	Coruscani Dawn 	
210 	 	 	Shadows in Green 	
211 	Below the Belt 	June 	Philanthropy 	A Friendly Face
212 	Below the Belt 	July 	Philosophy 	Dark on Dark
213 	Below the Belt 	August 	Philology 	The Cell Revisited
214 	Below the Belt 	 	Here and Thaere 	
215 	Looking In 	September 	Outward Bound 	Renna's Transport Service
216 	Looking In 	October 	The Air Up Thaere 	The Creaking Gate
217 	Looking In 	November 	Memories 	Trade and Trade Alike
218 	 	December 	No Place Like Home 	Celebrate SoroSuub
 	 	 	 	
Among the Stars, Year Three, 2003	Among the Stars, Year Three, 2003	Among the Stars, Year Three, 2003	Among the Stars, Year Three, 2003 	Among the Stars, Year Three, 2003
 	 	 	 	
301 	Forces of Cularin 	January 	Force Concession 	Winter Fantasy PreviewA Mother's Memoirs
302 	Forces of Cularin 	January 	Force Contention 	Winter Fantasy PreviewA Mother's Memoirs
303 	Forces of Cularin 	January 	Force Convention 	Winter Fantasy PreviewA Mother's Memoirs
 	Forces of Cularin 	January 	Force Convergence 	Winter Fantasy PreviewA Mother's Memoirs
304 	 	February 	Twi'light Storm 	Friendship in the Order
305 	Metatheran Caution 	March 	Caaried Away 	Tilnes Falling
306 	Metatheran Caution 	April 	Open Aarms 	Something to Mull Over
307 	Metatheran Caution 	May 	Belly of the Beaast 	Stories of Caarimon
308 	Metatheran Caution 	May 	Paarty On! 	
309 	 	July 	From the Trees 	
310 	 	 	Who Goes Thaere? 	
311 	Belted In trilogy 	June 	Incursion 	Burnout
312 	Belted In trilogy 	July 	Excursion 	Life's Memories
313 	Belted In trilogy 	August 	Recursion 	The Darkstaff
314 	Night Eyes 	September 	Night's Promise 	Jurisdiction
315 	Night Eyes 	October 	Night's Friend 	Cularin at Night
316 	Night Eyes 	November 	Night's Homecoming 	Thaere Is Not Your Friend
317 	 	December 	Dorumaa's Children 	Trammel's Move
318 	 	 	At Your Service 	
 	 	 	 	
Among the Stars, Year Four, 2004 	Among the Stars, Year Four, 2004 	Among the Stars, Year Four, 2004 	Among the Stars, Year Four, 2004 	Among the Stars, Year Four, 2004
 	 	 	 	
401 	Jedi Code 	January 	Padawannabes 	
402 	Jedi Code 	January 	The Way of the Force 	
403 	Jedi Code 	January 	The Dark Side Beckons 	
404 	Jedi Code 	January 	For Fun and Profit 	
405 	 	February 	Contract AA23 	
406 	Jigsaw 	March 	Portrait of the Artist as a Young Rodian	
407 	Jigsaw 	April 	In the Name of the Maker 	
408 	Jigsaw 	May 	Cloak and Vibroblade 	Swoop and Dive
409 	 	N/A 	Murder on the Queen of Cularin 	
410 	Inside-out 	June 	Lockdown on Soboll 	Political Platforms
411 	Inside-out 	July 	Uffel's Prisoners 	Droid Rights
412 	Inside-out 	August 	Storm's Depths 	
413 	 	 	The Replacements 	
414 	 	August 	A Mon Alone 	Kilassin For Hire
415 	 	September 	Hunting the Wyrd 	Making of a Witch
416 	Decisions 	October 	Decision: Almas 	Academic Review
417 	Decisions 	November 	Decision: Coruscant 	Zero Zero Zero
418 	Decisions 	December 	Decision: Cularin 	
 	 	 	 	
Among the Stars, Year Five, 2005 	Among the Stars, Year Five, 2005 	Among the Stars, Year Five, 2005 	Among the Stars, Year Five, 2005 	Among the Stars, Year Five, 2005
 	 	 	 	
501 	Polarization 	January 	Challenge 	
502 	Polarization 	January 	Revelations 	
503 	Polarization 	January 	Showdown 	
504 	 	 	Plea Bargain 	
505 	For Every Action 	 	Preemptive Strike 	
506 	For Every Action 	 	Counterstrike 	
507 	For Every Action 	 	Strike III 	
508 	Heart of Evil 	 	A Plague of Darkness 	
509 	Heart of Evil 	 	Destruction 	
510 	Heart of Evil 	 	A Hero Seeks Not Vengeance 	
Among the Stars, Year Five, 2006 	Among the Stars, Year Five, 2006 	Among the Stars, Year Five, 2006 	Among the Stars, Year Five, 2006 	Among the Stars, Year Five, 2006
513 	EndTimes 	January 	The Heart 	
514 	EndTimes 	January 	The Hand 	
515 	EndTimes 	January 	The Eye 	
N/A 	 	N/A 	Ilum-ination 	
N/A 	 	N/A 	Alliance of Strangers 	
N/A 	 	N/A 	Situation Room 	
===Articles===
Numerous supporting articles for the Living Force campaign were published on the Wizards website. Once the campaign got underway, these typically came out once a week, most written by plot director Morrie Mullins. Many were written as supplements to specific adventures, while others detailed other events in the Cularin system, often in the format of an in-universe component followed by some out-of-universe context and/or roleplaying statistics. J.D. Wiker also wrote some articles more specifically related to roleplaying issues, such as how to properly portray a Jedi or how to create an ongoing campaign villain.
2001
*Sep: Two Heads Aren't Better Than One · Liriana: Dark Force Witch of Cularin · No Droids for You!
*Oct: The Sivulliq Is Out There -- Somewhere · Over Thaere · Shades of Meaning · Yri Worms Wreak Havoc for Miners
*Dec: Cularin's Lady Senator, Lavina Wren · Troop Movements · The Cartel's Gift
2002
*Jan: Senator Wren's Social Calendar · Gang War
*Feb: Discussions With Lanius · Into the Academy
*Mar: Life in the Shadows · Now I Am the Master
*Apr: A Dark Cult · The Sith Fortress · A Friendly Face
*May: Profile of an Assassin
*Jul: Dragon of the Desert · Dark on Dark · A Changing Galaxy · The Cell Revisited
*Aug: Further Discussions With Lanius · Renna's Transport Service
*Oct: Rebirth · Shadow Droids · The Creaking Gate · Trade and Trade Alike
*Nov: Celebrate SoroSuub
*Dec: That Is Nirama's Word
2003
*Jan: A Mother's Memoirs · Cularin's Militia: Exposed!
*Feb: Friendship in the Order · The Lost
*Mar: Tilnes Falling · Felanil Baaks, Jedi Artisan
*Apr: Something to Mull Over · Jedi Artisan Prestige Class
*May: Stories of Caarimon · Long Live the Republic · Jedi Artisan Contest
*Jun: Burnout · Devan
*Jul: Life's Memories · Trouble Follows Us
*Aug: The Darkstaff · Thurm Loogg Speaks
*Sep: Jurisdiction · You Are Not a Jedi Yet · News of the Wyrd
*Oct: Cularin at Night · Conversations With Lanius
*Nov: Thaere Is Not Your Friend · Who Is Baylan?
*Dec: Trammel's Move · False Horizon
2004
*Jan: Destabilization · Reidi Artom's Expansion Manifesto
*Feb: Smuggler's Trade
*Mar: Riboga's Legacy · Conflict and Mastery · Manifesto My Foot · Only a Master of Evil · Home of Wisdom
*Apr: Tales of Nub Saar · Martial Arts · The Hunt Begins · Merr-Sonn · A Mother's Memoirs, Continued
*May: Swoop and Dive · Insecurities · Jungle Warfare
*Jun: Political Platforms · The Duel · Metatheran Promise
*Jul: Droid Rights · Double Cross · Into the Woods · Lockdown · Conversation in Shadow
*Aug: Kilassin For Hire · Sacrifices · Cause of the Month
*Sep: Making of a Witch · Further Conversations with Lanius
*Oct: Academic Review · Professionals at Work · View from the Roof · Priorities
*Nov: Zero Zero Zero · Displacement · Ezil's Return
*Dec: Tramsig's Plan · Standoffs · Disapproval
2005
*Jan: Reprieves · The Oblee
*Mar: Simplicity · The Best Defense · Everyone's a Critic
*Apr: A Mother's Memoirs, Concluded · Letters in the Sand
*May: Insider
*Jun: Conspiracy · Banner Days · Conversations With Lanius · Dark Heart · Stone and Steel
*Jul: All Comers · Osten Dal'Nay · Marching Orders · A Hero's Death
*Aug: Cloud Force · Time After Time · Dark Hands · Idiosyncrasies
*Sep: Tilnes · Sith Battlelords · Hearts of Green and Gold · The Believers · Dark Soul
*Oct: Remember When · What Are We, Then? · Yara: The Unauthorized Biography
*Nov: In All Things Balance
*Dec: Home Again · Cularin Emergency Announcement · Farewell · Life According to Meelo
2006
*Jan: Grudge Match · The Price of Neutrality -- Isolation · The Price of Neutrality -- Rebellion · Dark Hope · The Calm Before the Storm
*Feb: Faded Colors · Closed Circuits · Living Force: Dark Shadows · Living Force: From the Cradle to the Grave
*Mar: Living Force: One Minute to Midnight
2007
*Feb: Living Force: Last Stand
General articles
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==Continuity==
The Living Force campaign was a largely stand-alone series, set against the backdrop of events depicted in the movies. It began with the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, and integrated various references to the events contained within. For instance, one of the early antagonists was the Metatheran Cartel, a splinter corporation that broke away from the Trade Federation. However, all the early adventures were required to occur within the Cularin system, and writers were not allowed to ulitize any plot elements or technologies from the movies.Writers Guidelines In order to keep pace with the movies, a plot device was included to move that action forward ten years to the setting of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones; achieved by removing the whole Cularin system from the galaxy through the use of a dark side artifact, and returning it to the galaxy at a later date.
One of the first external references to the Living Force campaign came in Abel G. Peña's Droids, Technology and the Force: A Clash of Phenomena published in March 2005, which involved Uffel in the Yuuzhan Vong War. Later in 2006 and 2007, Karen Traviss mentioned Cularin in both Republic Commando: Triple Zero and Republic Commando: True Colors; the Cularin system was described as Separatist-friendly which did not fully mesh with the campaign itself. The Cularin system was also the setting for Echoes of the Jedi, an adventure written by Peña and Jean-François Boivin for the Dawn of Defiance campaign. This adventure utilized many features from across the Living Force campaign.
Wizards of the Coast also included the Tarasin, Caarite, and Filordus in their Ultimate Alien Anthology. Later, Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force also made numerous references to the Jedi of the Cularin system, even directly quoting a speech given by Lanius Qel-Bertuk from Friendship in the Order. In 2008, Nirama and the Metatheran Cartel were referenced in Millennium Falcon, then a number of the characters and locations also received entries in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. Later, the Rebellion Era Campaign Guide included an adventure hook set in the Cularin system. Many of the worlds mentioned in passing in the campaign were included in the Appendix of The Essential Atlas.
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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