The Blackstar Chronicles Novelization/Character Names

[Cahaun]

People of Blackstar and Areas of the Galaxy

Name: Harry Hijack
Status: Bounty (Collected), KIA

Bio: Infamous as he is smart, Harry has been widely know to hijack merchant ships all over the galaxy and selling them to a mysterious buyer.
Many companies have started making no-guns-allowed for their cruisers in an attempt to prevent internal hijacking but it's still controversial and many major trade companies like Cycorp still oppose it.
Harry turned KIA in a hijacking gone bad.


Name: Lasiter Bigsby, CEO Cycorp
Status: Alive

Bio: Lasiter Bigsby knew business after taking many years in the Consumer Industry as Spokesman. For some unknown reasons, Lasiter resigned from his previous work and used all his experience, cunning tactics, and an equally mind-set crew to get Cycorp to where it is now. Many think Bigsby is trying to get Liber Corp to be in part of his now giant industry for their Light Bending Technology.

This is just to get me started off. I'll get in lots of people like Cycorp, Dynastar, and UC Marine Contingent officials. I'll start this list off with a familiar face: Harry Hijack. While some characters can be alive in the story, others are used by references... just being mentioned. I'll add basic info and slight lore on each character.

[Battlegrinder]

Thanks, that will be really helpful. I can't promise I'll be able to use all your stuff, since I occasionally have to change details to make the story more plausible or tie details into the over arcing plot. Its been so long since I started playing, I've forgotten who a lot of these characters were and what their role was.

[Zraorizer]

Hey you can use my name: Zraorizer
Mind if I can blog the same about SL since you inspired me

[Cahaun]

Thanks, that will be really helpful. I can't promise I'll be able to use all your stuff, since I occasionally have to change details to make the story more plausible or tie details into the over arcing plot. Its been so long since I started playing, I've forgotten who a lot of these characters were and what their role was.

No problem. That's why I came to help
I was actually about to make an entire book on the lore of Star Legends because I was bored, and I was jotting down everything I know from weapon descriptions to quotes to even the smallest references the characters talk about. I'll add even more by the end of today or tomorrow.

[Battlegrinder]

Chapter three has been posted. Vance and company have fought and tricked their way through the security center, and discovered the true nature of the people who seized control of the R&D complex. Now they must deal with the implications of that discovery, and find a way to proceed past the complications it has added to their mission..

I've been working on plotting out the whole story of the Star Legends game, so I can start developing the main plot for Blackstar Chronicles. So far, the biggest problem I'm having is finding a way to tie all the independent story arcs of the various mission together into a cherant main plot. Some of them can be link together on their own (like Cycorp leading into delta-7). The tricky bit is developing the main plot underlying the events of the game, and then linking the various mission arcs to that.
The other element of the story that's being difficult is character development. SL doesn't offer much in the way opportunities to see a side of the characters that's not devoted to kicking butt and taking names. So I'm working on writing a number of chapters that show Vance during his time between mission, when he isn't busy killing stuff. The hard part is coming up with what to make them about, given a lot of Vance's personality is still unformed. Stay tuned for additional updates.

[Battlegrinder]

No problem. That's why I came to help
I was actually about to make an entire book on the lore of Star Legends because I was bored, and I was jotting down everything I know from weapon descriptions to quotes to even the smallest references the characters talk about. I'll add even more by the end of today or tomorrow.

Wow, that's impressive. That kind of information would be a huge help, since trying to make notes on every level in the game, develop background details on the universe (like the weapon data files I've been releasing), come up with an over arching plot for the whole novel and adapt the circumstances of the game into a more realistic story leaves little time for research. I've been working on leveling my guild bank alt so I can reread the various quest orders, but trying to do that, finally get my main up to the cap, farm the hive, and do school work is making task management a nightmare.

[Cahaun]

Went through the first level in Cycorp and a few other sources, and I managed to get LOADS of info! I just added one bio tonight because I'm exhausted after what I did today irl so expect a lot more tomorrow.
I'm not sure if you wanted this, but I'm also keeping track of all of the bulletins, entries, and servers. I got a few names and small things from it.
I'm making a thread soon because there is just soooo much stuff I can write down.

[Battlegrinder]

Chapter Four is now out. Vance and his team have encountered the juicer menace, and now must find a way to overcome the juicer's numerical superiority and extreme resilience. But as they enter the farthest reaches of the complex, they discover new mysteries, new allies, and a sweet new gun.

I've started adding the first plot hooks linking this arc to the main plot of the novel. I've also made a number of radical departures from the original Lab and Experimental Wing levels. This section has less action than the previous three, instead its a more of a mystery chapter. I'm trying to vary the tone and mood of the various arcs, so the story doesn't get stall. For example, some levels will have much more of a mystery tone, and a couple will have more of a horror perspective. We'll see how it works. In other news, I'm almost done with the weapons data fills at the end of the chapters. I've tried to resist the urge to retcon them too much, but I have gone back to the early ones and added in some information that will help them tie into later entries and story lines. Credits to Justin Saber-Scorpion for a few ideas about the AOK rifle, and the whole idea of the data files was inspired by the guy who wrote the Tiberium Wars and Renegade fanfics.

I'm starting to form a much better idea of the direction I want to take this story, though their are a few elements I'm looking to nail down, mostly dealing with numa prime, the Mode, and the slouch-o and shipyard campaigns. Fortunately, I have a fair amount of time to figure most of them out, and Cahaun's lore research should help with that. Speaking of which, Cahaun and several other suggested characters will be joining the story in the next few chapters. I was tempted to add them in this chapter, but doing so would have limited the use I could get out of the characters.

[Cahaun]

Ok I managed to get a roster of Cycorp's HQ staff, security team, scientists, products and ingredients, bulletin messages, areas, and most importantly their company catchphrase as I call it. I will get them all down here, but I was wondering what you'd like to see the most as I have over 2 pages of lore and rising.
I'll read chapter four as I really like reading these you make.

[Battlegrinder]

Just send me everything you have. I'm really good at digging through loads of information to find the data I need, and sometimes looking through the data will help me make connections or suggest new approaches that reading a summary wouldn't. I'll PM you an email where you can send me the info. Thanks a ton for getting me this data, the few tidbits you've already given me have been very helpful.
I was also think of putting the Lore you gather up on figment as a separate story, so other people can read it and draw suggest new additions to it. Its your work, so I wanted your permission, and I'd credit you in the description.

[Battlegrinder]

Chapter Five is now up. The juicer guards are down, and the path to the Black Project area is open. One final battle awaits Vance and his crew, and some of them won't live to see the end. A new ally, and a new threat wait at the end of Vance's mission.

I've posted chapter five, and have also added in a new "story" as a companion piece, the writing log. Some information on how I wrote the chapters, what things were changed and why, along with tons of other information.
I have a basic plot for the first few major arcs done. Since I'm wrapping up Dyanstar, the next few chapters will form a kind of intermission between arc for Vance to cool off, relax, get patched up, and grab some new weapons.

[Garvhoz]

How about

Torv Gorund, also known as Red Winter
Home planet: Equinox
Always cool in battle and has a permanent blue tint to his skin from being frost bitten so often.

Grew up on a ice planet colony where talking too much will get you killed. He has scars of his survival through fighting back against the native creatures of the planet. He took the name Red Winter because once he would stock up on food for the first months of year long winter he would be bathed in blood. He became a mercenary when he was offered to be one by some highly ranked officers. He doesn't find this mercenary job harder than his life on his home planet, in fact its much easier. Though he rarely talks, its usually about how easy it is being a mercenary or about how to take down the enemy. You can choose what he will be it doesn't matter to me.

[Cahaun]

Nice character you made there! Mind if I log in your planet to my lore research?

[Battlegrinder]

How about

Torv Gorund, also known as Red Winter
Home planet: Equinox
Always cool in battle and has a permanent blue tint to his skin from being frost bitten so often.

Grew up on a ice planet colony where talking too much will get you killed. He has scars of his survival through fighting back against the native creatures of the planet. He took the name Red Winter because once he would stock up on food for the first months of year long winter he would be bathed in blood. He became a mercenary when he was offered to be one by some highly ranked officers. He doesn't find this mercenary job harder than his life on his home planet, in fact its much easier. Though he rarely talks, its usually about how easy it is being a mercenary or about how to take down the enemy. You can choose what he will be it doesn't matter to me.

Nice character. I think I can find as use for Torv, though I might have to make some edits to his background and tone it down a little. Currently, it reads like a commando bio, and I have a pile of those waiting to be written in. I might nudge him more towards a covert ops role, since his background could give him a supply of survival and wilderness trapping skills that would be useful for that profession. I think I have an upcoming arc where I could use him, in role rather different than the usual SL mission as well.

[Garvhoz]

Nice, thanks

Nice character you made there! Mind if I log in your planet to my lore research?

Sure, why not.

[Cahaun]

Nice, thanks

Nice character you made there! Mind if I log in your planet to my lore research?

Sure, why not.

Excellent! This should be quite an interesting planet

[Cahaun]

Hey, Battle. I'll put in a full detail on the Mode soon in the Lore thread so visit it when you need any more info.
I'll also send in some on the Scorn and the Riven as well as soon as time permits me so.

[Battlegrinder]

Ok, thanks. Do you know if the Riven are actually in-game, or just mentioned in the development Lore like the Mode?

[Cahaun]

Ok, thanks. Do you know if the Riven are actually in-game, or just mentioned in the development Lore like the Mode?

They aren't in the game yet. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. They are just referenced through the information given.

[Battlegrinder]

Chapter Six has been posted. Vance has survived the mission, but now faces the next great challenge: Getting paid.
This chapter is the first of the intermission chapters. I'll be posting two or three more of these before jumping off into the next mission. This first intermission will be doing a lot of character development, since there is only so much you can learn about someone in a combat situation.
I've fixed the date of the beginning of the Blackstar Chronicles as the year 2368, after some research help from Cahaun and Deathpunch (Thanks!). I'm also working on writing up a history of the events that occurred up until then, and will post it here when its finished. This chapters data file contained some reference to that history, along with the first glimpse of the not-yet-in-game Mode.