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Charles Boyd Interview (Emperor's Body, Returning Characters, Vowrawn, Lore)


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The below info is a human-made transcript from Passionately Casual Podcasts's interview with Charles Boyd, which can be found here https://www.twitch.tv/videos/275655031 (skip to 29:00 ish to start the interview if you are not interested in the rest of the podcast.). If you want the exact wording please listen to the audio interview.

 

Other lore topics talked about are

 

spoilers: Ziost, Nathema, Vitiate, Valkorion, Zildrog, Iokath, Zakuulan Gods, Sith Warrior Story, Vowrawn

 

Returning Characters

 

"We've mentioned before that the storyline is definitely going to be moving to a Republic vs Empire direction... in our last interview we talked about what if the story focused more on Jedi than on more day-to-day or non Force using people, I think the next step of the story will have some relevance for Jedi and Sith, and is definitely a storyline where I'm hoping to bring back a lot of characters who have been gone for a very long time - some from the very beginning of the game! As well as introducing some new and cool characters that I'm really excited about." - Charles Boyd

 

The Emperor's Body

 

Interviewer: One thing that's always kinda bugged me is - they kind said that their job was to take care of the body of the Empror. What is their job NOW? What was their job during Valkorion's reign?

 

Charles: So a little of that is something I'm planning on getting into in an update coming u, so I don't want to get into it too much, but in terms of - There is a story of the emperor's original body that I want to tell. And so that would [?] into what their job is now. We see the servant that shows up in Nathema, and obviously, by that point in the story, he feels like there's nothing else for him to do but find you and murder you. So it's gunna be - It'll have to be a little bit of a flashback, that story, but dealing with that is something I really want to get in to. I think that's all I can say about it. [...] I've always thought there was this fascinating notion - somewhere, there is a body, that was hidden that was his, that was his original one, that still exists. Horrifying, desiccated, form after all these years, that he's kept it alive and that it's important to him and to his sort of connection to this plane of existence. He needs it for some reason - or at least he feels like he does. I've always been fascinated by that and I'm looking forward to delving in to it. It's not likely to be a central part of the story line, it's really going to be about Republic vs Empire, it's not about everyone fighting the Emperor himself anymore. But it's definitely something I want to dive in to.

 

Vowrawn

 

Interviewer: Another person that has had a time line that jumps around or at least his titles jump around, and I'm not sure exactly what his titles were at specific times was Vowrawn. We know in the Sith Warrior Story he wa, correct me if I'm wrong about this, he was in charge of Production & Logistics. He was the council member for that. Then was he also the Minister of Logistics during...?

 

Charles: Because they said the Minister of Logistics...

 

Interviewer: Right

 

Charles: Honestly I think that was just n error on our part, it should have been "The Darth - The Lord of that Sphere" rather than the Minister if I'm looking back and recalling those specifics scenes correctly. Because we actually see Vowrawn - that was either a mistake either in the writing or a miscommunication of which character we were supposed to see in the moment. Vowrawn was definitely meant to be involved in that, and that was an idea we had behind the scenes for sure, and so I think there was maybe a slight change in that storyline that happened that didn't get updated in the text.

 

Interviewer: In Acina's empire, where does he fit?

 

Charles: He's a member of her reconstituted Dark Council. That's another thing that we'll be touching on in this update, hopefully this coming fall. We'll be getting some updated codex entries or extra information on how does the Empire actually work now, what is its structure, because it was clear that most if not all the Dark Council was wiped out at one point during the invasion.

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Was wondering whether you'd type something up. I'd considered it, there were a lot of cool little tidbits discussed, but oh so much. My poor fingers, YOUR poor fingers!

 

An excellent episode worth listening to though, especially if you're a lore junkie. And I squealed like mad at the little Balkar teases... no promises, of course, but I'm crossing my fingers.

 

Thanks Swtorista for the write up! ♥

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Thanks for the thanks, such a pain to type, but worth it to share!

 

Thanks for the summary!!! Interesting info there...the part that caught my eye the most was his use of the word "fall" for finding out more...I really hope that's the case.

 

They've mentioned this before in another interview, it kind of sounds like there will be a lead-up story to the expansion later in the year :)

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"We've mentioned before that the storyline is definitely going to be moving to a Republic vs Empire direction... in our last interview we talked about what if the story focused more on Jedi than on more day-to-day or non Force using people, I think the next step of the story will have some relevance for Jedi and Sith, and is definitely a storyline where I'm hoping to bring back a lot of characters who have been gone for a very long time - some from the very beginning of the game! As well as introducing some new and cool characters that I'm really excited about." - Charles Boyd

 

 

95% of it better be Jedi and Sith. Star wars didn't get where it is today by talking about the trials and tribulations of normies. Thats why solo is flopping in theaters now. No real force user presence.

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That sounds like a really interesting info update. I'd be very interested to see what they might want to do with the original body of the Emperor, because it does sound like a plausible idea. And it would work as a good explanation for some of the discrepancies in Vitiate's story: What was the Emperor's Hand doing? Why weren't Kira and Scourge involved in Valkorion's downfall? Why have all the bodies we've seen him use been human and not pureblood?

 

I'm also pretty interested by his talk about the next story update being important for Jedi and Sith. Part of me is encouraged because Kira and Jaesa are returning soon, and you'd think they'd be a major factor in a story centered around Jedi and Sith. But it's probably wishful thinking to believe that they are the old characters we has said he was excited about bringing back for that story. The best I can probably hope for them in the new expansion is that they might get one short scene or two in key moments like all the other love interest did in Kotfe and Kotet.

 

I'm also pretty interested in finding out exactly how the Empire and the Dark Council and the Republic have been functioning since Zakuul attacked. So far we've seen four members of the Dark Council possilby survive (although 2 or 3 of them have since perished), and we also know that Lana considers the possibility that Darth Jadus could still be at large.

Edited by OldVengeance
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For the Dark Council, out of the 12 who were sitting when KOTFE began, here's who is still possibly kicking around.

The ones that are killable in Nathema are written out of the story altogether I would assume.

 

Darth Marr - Dead (KOTFE 1)

Acina - Empress or dead (Iokath)

Vowrawn - Emperor or Dark Council member

Darth Nox/Imperius/Oculus - Outlander or KIA during the assault on Darth Marr's ships

Ravage - Vanished; now dead (Nathema)

Mortis - Vanished; now dead (Nathema)

 

Killed before KOTFE and do not appear to have replacements

 

Decimus

Arkous

Archaron

 

MIA/Fate never confirmed

 

Zhorrid

Aruk

Rictus

Jadus (replaced by Zhorrid; vanished into space)

 

Edited by IoNonSoEVero
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Ravage and Mortis both perished (presumably) on Nathema, but the thing about them both is that they are both optimal participants because they both appear in some circumstances and not others.

 

The question becomes are they both in a dual possible state like Acina, or do we just assume they are dead regardless even if they did not show up?

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Ravage and Mortis both perished (presumably) on Nathema, but the thing about them both is that they are both optimal participants because they both appear in some circumstances and not others.

 

The question becomes are they both in a dual possible state like Acina, or do we just assume they are dead regardless even if they did not show up?

 

From what I can piece together eventually Acina and Malcolm will not be this -maybe alive maybe dead- state but that choice will not matter in the end as they need the story to go with the same characters alive for everyone, including the leaderships so both will "die" or elsewise be removed as the story goes into rep vs imp. No idea how long but there was a comment from Charles I think, I can't remember exact words but it vaguely hinted at that.

 

assume dead, or assume they will never show up/have barely a line in the continuing story, like any companion that could be dead also *looking at you Theron* there might be a line, but it'll be the tiniest amount of content because they aren't there for everyone.

Edited by Asmodesu
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In the case of Vowrawn and Acina, Malcom and SC Madon/Galena, I suspect they might be written out or forced into the background. Making an additional effort for 'could be' dead companions and LIs is one thing but I don't think they'll make that double effort across the board to cater to the leadership situation as well. Either that or those characters will have an early appearance only in a scene to transfer leadership to whoever new, and then vanish.
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From what I can piece together eventually Acina and Malcolm will not be this -maybe alive maybe dead- state but that choice will not matter in the end as they need the story to go with the same characters alive for everyone, including the leaderships so both will "die" or elsewise be removed as the story goes into rep vs imp. No idea how long but there was a comment from Charles I think, I can't remember exact words but it vaguely hinted at that.

 

assume dead, or assume they will never show up/have barely a line in the continuing story, like any companion that could be dead also *looking at you Theron* there might be a line, but it'll be the tiniest amount of content because they aren't there for everyone.

 

I think that is exactly what will happen - Acina and Malcom will both be removed/killed so everyone will have the same heads of state (Vowrawn and I dont' know who for the Republic).

 

I really hope they will continue writing for the KOTFE companions even if they can be dead. They said "We're not going anywhere" at the end of Nathema. Hope that is true.

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It is also important for Jedi and Sith. Maybe we will finally experience two stories. Once for Jedi and Sith, then for everyone else. I think Valk will rise again, in his old body and more powerful than ever before. :D
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95% of it better be Jedi and Sith. Star wars didn't get where it is today by talking about the trials and tribulations of normies. Thats why solo is flopping in theaters now. No real force user presence.
I beg to differ, people love some of the non force-sensitive stories, Dash Rendar, the X-Wing series, Republic Commando ETC.

 

That sounds like a really interesting info update. I'd be very interested to see what they might want to do with the original body of the Emperor, because it does sound like a plausible idea. And it would work as a good explanation for some of the discrepancies in Vitiate's story: What was the Emperor's Hand doing? Why weren't Kira and Scourge involved in Valkorion's downfall? Why have all the bodies we've seen him use been human and not pureblood?

If I seem to recall he started using the voices after Revan and Scourge attack him, although I swear I also read about the Emperor's voice in that book but I don't remember where it might've been just an editing error or I could be mistaken, regardless on the novel at least he's described with the black eyes so we can assume that was his body, after that he doesn't seem to use it anymore and uses his voices instead.

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Darth Nox/Imperius/Oculus - Outlander or KIA during the assault on Darth Marr's ships

 

Where was this established? One of the things I love about SWTOR is the idea that all my characters are running around at the same time and their existences are not mutually exclusive, so I think I may have just picked up another reason to despise KotFE and KotET. Like, at that point, what's the point of the legacy system if all of your characters are necessarily experiencing separate continuities?

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Where was this established? One of the things I love about SWTOR is the idea that all my characters are running around at the same time and their existences are not mutually exclusive, so I think I may have just picked up another reason to despise KotFE and KotET. Like, at that point, what's the point of the legacy system if all of your characters are necessarily experiencing separate continuities?

If you're playing a non SI Outlander, it is said on the SI's companions' codex entries that Nox / Occulus / Imperious went missing after the Eternal Fleet attacked Marr's ship, but there is no more explanation.

It's not said if that SI is dead or alive, and there are no clues as to how and why s/he went missing.

 

My best guess is, if your HC Outlander is not your SI, that you can make up whatever you want to explain why s/he disapeared.

 

Maybe s/he went on a hunt with Scourge and Kira to find Tenebrae's original body and destroy it.

Edited by Goreshaga
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Where was this established? One of the things I love about SWTOR is the idea that all my characters are running around at the same time and their existences are not mutually exclusive, so I think I may have just picked up another reason to despise KotFE and KotET. Like, at that point, what's the point of the legacy system if all of your characters are necessarily experiencing separate continuities?

 

All eight class stories happen in the same continuity, but after that, there's only one story for each side, and then only one story overall. Thus, there's only one person who takes down Malgus, only one hero of SoR and only one Outlander, and that is whatever character you are playing at that time.

 

So when you get to KOTFE, the class you play is the hero that survived and the other seven classes are assumed to be KIA or MIA. As mentioned you can decide whatever you want for them in your own head, but in terms of the game, they vanished if they're not the Outlander.

 

If you look at the codex entries for the class companions you get in KOTFE, most or all of them mention that their former master disappeared, which is why they've all gone off on their own. In the case of the Sith Inquisitor, Talos mentions it in the Alliance Alert quest you do with him and it is in his companion bio:

 

Talos's skills as an archaeologist were first noticed by the Dark Council when he served the councilor in charge of the sphere of ancient knowledge. After his master disappeared, the Council ordered him to return to the Reclamation Service to lead an expedition on Yavin 4.

 

Other examples include:

 

Pierce (Sith Warrior)

Pierce thrived during his service to the Emperor's Wrath and even led a successful operation capturing the Bastion on Corellia. But when the Wrath vanished, the Moffs decided a war hero like Pierce was too valuable to lose in combat. They promoted him, then reassigned him to a desk job at the Outreach Bureau, where he could act as an idol for the new recruits, much to Pierce's chagrin.

 

T7-O1 (Jedi Knight)

Despite T7's ties to the Republic, the droid readily agreed to work with Sith Lord Lana Beniko after Arcann attacked the Core Worlds and its master went missing. Because of T7's unthreatening appearance, it's often overlooked, making the droid a perfect informant and ally in the fight against the Eternal Empire.

Edited by IoNonSoEVero
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Can we have an option to skip it?

 

Yeah, i'm not into the pathetic Empire vs. Republic storyline. Because as Lore had it it was more Jedi vs. Sith Wars where a number of Republic and Imperial systems fell or left each faction, because they stupid Empire vs. Republic war crap.

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95% of it better be Jedi and Sith. Star wars didn't get where it is today by talking about the trials and tribulations of normies. Thats why solo is flopping in theaters now. No real force user presence.

 

Except people liked Rogue One well enough and it did well. Solo flopped because Star Wars' primary fanbase is sick of being alienated and are boycotting it.

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