Recruit Queen Talia's younger brother

[defiance021103]

As the title suggests, this request is for a recruitment mod. I've just recently got back into kotor after a few years of mmo's and for a fresh feel I thought I'd try the modding scene. I've found quite a few I really enjoyed, and when I'm at work with free time or driving down the road, it seems all my thoughts turn towards what kind of mod I'd do if I could. I've actually read up on the tutorials and I understand some of them but with a couple kids at home (one 2yo and the other 10mos) it's hard to keep focussed and retain some of the more extensive stuff after diapers, bottles, sippies, Lucas Forums, bites, diapers, bites, KOTOR, forums, diapers....lol you get the picture. Regardless, I still have this idea consuming my thoughts. I'm sure it's probably quite extensive, but if nothing else I'd still just like to express the idea even if no one picks up on it. Also, it's a long thread because I want really introduce the idea of this character. I keep calling the character to be recruited "the prince" primarily because I couldn't come up with a name fitting with other characters of the game and the settings, so I figure if someone is interested they could name the guy themself since the name is the biggest tag of recognition.

 

Basically, I've always had a problem with the guy from Onderon being inside the med facility on Telos. He speaks a couple one liners to you but I've never been able to get more out of him. I don't know if this was content cut from the game, a sort of favor to an employee's family member to get their voice in game, or if I just have lacked the ability/choices to open up further conversation from him at other spots in the game.

What I'd like to see is the normal coversation options, but then, through say an awareness check etc, the PC is able to figure out there's another reason he's come to Telos. The npc finally reveals that he's also searching for the Queen's younger brother who spaced himself away from the planet quite a few years ago. I haven't replayed myself up to Onderon yet, so I'm not sure if there are story conflicts here but if they are I could easily work around them by changing relationship, timeline, etc. But for my thoughts, I put Talia's parents in the grave hence her inheritance of the throne. (I can't remember if she inherits the throne or is elected by the people in Naboo fashion, but again I'm giving my current ideas as they are for argument's sake.)

 

Because her and her brother were so young, Vaklu, who still resented being the younger brother himself and never having his own shot at the throne, carried his resentment on to Talia after her coronation. However, being one of their only relatives, he still loved them and cared for them as a substitute father, especially to the younger brother (perhaps seeing him as the future ruler of Onderon molded as Vaklu saw fit with Vaklu himself being the power behind the throne). As Talia grew further into womanhood asserting her own aspirations and designs as queen, the resentment from Vaklu progressed into an all out feud in which the young prince continually found himself as a pawn stuck in the middle between the two people he cared for the most.

 

Only days after undergoing the ritual rights of passage into manhood (age thirteenish), the prince orchestrates an elaborate escape from the planet which covers his tracks and sent anyone who came looking for him chasing ghosts long enough for him vanish completely. Although an extensive search was carried on and all leads extinguished, no sign of him was ever found. His disappearance deepend the wound between Talia and Vaklu driving a wedge further between them and fueling their discontent. The Rep tells the Exile that few still carry on the search because they feel that if the prince could ever be found that it may reunite the royal family and end the suffering it's caused the people.

 

Ok, where was I? Just had a few sidequests to deal with there... had to hunt down the new box of diapers, search for the ointment and powders, then clash with two admirable foes whilst trying to aplly said diapers and butt cream, but I finally prevailed through high Will saving throws. Once finished, I also had to negotiate a peace treaty between the two opposing factions as to who got what rights to which toys. So, I hope everything is still coherent for the readers....

 

The Exile uncovers through conversation options that, although young, the prince is quite skilled in athletics, top notch in his studies, and thus highly capable of planning such a vanishing act. He also finds out that the Onderon rep was the son of one of Vaklu's lieutenants killed in the war and became close friends with the prince during his visits to Vaklu's where he was told stories of his late father's heroic service. It seems to the Rep that there was something more, an inner turmoil that combined with the catalystic-like effect of the Vaklu/Talia fued which drove him to flee. This as I'm sure many see, opens the door for the prince to be recruited as a Force user.

 

One thing I do remember from my playthroughs years ago, is that the people of Iziz distrust the Jedi/Sith and blame them for the war finding its way to Onderon and want to leave the Republic. As such, the prince's inner turmoil is that he realizes he's becoming force sensitive through slight anticipation of future events, perceptions, and even hightened physical abilities. Being youthful and inexperienced, he's scared for anyone to find out, and even dislikes himself for what he's becoming. But because he's sensitive, he also has the vision to know how much more of a prize he would become to his uncle and even to his sister should they ever discover his growing abilities.

 

Of course during the opening dialogues with the Onderon Rep, the pc has the typical light/grey/dark response choices about his thoughts on the prince's flight away from the planet. For example, the Exile in the "I hate the wimps of the galaxy tone" would say, "Only a coward would flee such as he did. Perhaps Vaklu is right; obviously the Queen and her brother's royal blood isn't nearly as pure as his own. It is only natural for the strong to rule the weak." (etc.) Or perhaps in a softer optioned tone, "In my travels, I've learned that such a young man, any man does not lightly leave behind everything and everyone he's ever known. Surely there was something deeper that made him feel as if he had no choice but to flee." Regardless of how the PC decides to play out the various conversation choices, before finishing he's asked by the Rep to keep an eye out for the prince. He gives the Exile a token from a childhood game they used to play which he hopes will remind of a happier time on Onderon and tells them that as children, they both expressed a desire to see a place like Coruscant or Nar Shadaa with it's stark technological contrast to Onderon.

 

When the player does find the prince, there is of course another dialogue sequence and the player is able to discover the young man's identity. I went pretty deep on the whole idea of the opening conversation with the Rep that introduces the prince, except for detailed dialogue options, but I felt it needed to be put forth in order to set up the character in case anyone would be interested in it. So, I won't go in depth with the meet and greet between player and prince. Suffice it to say that the Exile is given the option to persuade the prince to join the party, to conceal his secret and live out his own exile, or to even kill him and prevent Talia and Vaklu from ever finding him. In order to preserve the Onderon story line, if the prince is recruited, I suggest he be recruited on condition of anonymity and that if they go to Onderon he doesn't want to be outted to the people or family. (Perhaps the Exile even recruits him as his own pawn and wants to groom him to become the eventual ruler of Onderon after the events of TSL are played out and the game is over.)

It would be quite neat to see a cutscene between the Onderon Rep and the prince if a trip back to citadel station is taken. Also, maybe some people or an individual on Onderon itself does recognize the prince, but through persuade, force persuasion, or even saber persuasion they are silenced. Also, should the prince be recruited as a starting class player or Jedi class? I like the idea of being recruited as a scout or scoundrel (because of his nifty little escape from Onderon) and opening the story arc of the exile offering to train him in the ways of the force and to embrace his affinity instead of fearing it. It would also be cool to see him have a love interest with Mira if you've played it right to get her in the party. Maybe some cutscene interaction between the two of them since she tells your pc he's way too old for her when male. Speaking of Mira, that begs the question which party member would be replaced. I personally would vote for HK. I know he's popular, but in this game he's also expendable, not needed (unless TSLRP is released), and I suppose that would make it easier on modders.

 

Well, I'm outta steam and this post is probably way too long for most readers. Just felt the need to show that I've thought quite a bit about this myself. Hope someone likes it...take care.