Ophuchi general interest thread

[Brandon Rhea]

​

A few of you may remember that, about a year ago, I talked about how I was going to introduce the Ophuchi Clan onto SWRP. I started that with the introduction of my character Elias, and there was a discussion about it here. Unfortunately that didn't go very far and, save for one role-play that I'm pretending never happened, nothing was ever done with it. The main reason is that I felt it lacked direction and I really didn't know what to do with it.

That's now changed. Starting after the time skip, I'm going to officially introduce the Ophuchi Clan onto the site as an independent faction. Anyone can join—including you!

Who are the Ophuchi?
The Ophuchi Clan is a group of desert hermits introduced in both (now outdated) drafts of my fan fiction novel, Star Wars: Episode I - The Chosen One. In the novel, they're the keepers of the prophecy of the Chosen One, as well as a number of ancient galactic secrets that even the Jedi don't know about. They introduce the main character, Annikin Skywalker, to his destiny as the Chosen One. Obviously this is part of an alternate universe, the Alternative Star Wars Saga.

The Ophuchi are a deeply spiritual and religious group. They come together, in this timeline, to protect the secrets of the galaxy and to play their part in the eventual salvation of the galaxy. In Alternative Saga canon, this part will be played in 22 BBY. In regular canon, which this site holds to (SWRP canon is part of the Alternative Saga canon, but the Alternative Saga canon is not necessarily part of SWRP), I wouldn't have a clue what ultimately happens to them.

Think of the Ophuchi as a tribal religious group living a humble existence in the deserts of Tatooine. Don't think of them as being similar to the Jedi, the Bogan, the Sith, or any other organization of religious orders. They're not warriors, they're basically tribal monks who prefer to know and understand the Force and the light side rather than actually wield its power -- though Force users are certainly welcome to join. A good way of looking at them is to compare them to the Fremen in Frank Herbert's Dune, from which I took inspiration for the Ophuchi.

Also, in Alternative Saga canon, the Ophuchi are descendants of the Order of the Jedi Bendu, a great order of Force users that existed for tens of thousands of years. They operated until 15,047 BBY, when a great schism was brought about by a corrupt Supreme Chancellor who saw the Jedi Bendu beliefs as conflicting with his own views. The Jedi Bendu were torn apart, and from them the Jedi Order and the Bendu Order, the latter of which was a faction in our second timeline, were created. A cover up was then established which wiped the Jedi Bendu from recorded history, and the galaxy came to believe that the Jedi were created on Tython following the Force Wars and had existed from shortly before the establishment of the Republic.

You can read a bit more about the Jedi Bendu and how the Ophuchi play into them here, in my Elias profile.

What are the Ophuchi beliefs?
The Ophuchi believe in living a simple and humble life. They have no real need for technology, unless their travels take them off-world or great distances on Tatooine, in which case they would find some sort of local transportation.

They have a strong belief in and commitment to the Force. Although it is not official Ophuchi policy to train individuals in the Force, it is not discouraged either -- particularly because some of the first Ophuchi will be Force sensitive and/or have been trained to use the Force by Jedi or other means.

Being future-minded, the Ophuchi are also very strongly connected to the ideas of prophecy and destiny. They believe it is not only their duty to be on Tatooine, but that it is their destiny. Elias, speaking from an ancient text lost to the known galaxy, told his followers that "For it is written, the Ophuchi shall inherit the desert." They respect the desert, particularly the Dune Sea in which they live, where others fear it and hate it. They believe it is their destiny to watch over and protect the desert.

What would an Ophuchi be like?
The life of an Ophuchi is a life of devotion to history, to destiny, to the galaxy, and to the Force. An Ophuchi is restless to play their part in the salvation of the galaxy, yet content to settle in one location like the desert wastes. They are free spirited, but they recognize the importance of their group. They think both inwardly and outwardly, knowing the importance of self-examination while also being keenly aware of the outside. They are, essentially, monks of prophecy.

How do the Ophuchi live?
The Ophuchi live deep in the Dune Sea, many kilometers from Anchorhead. They are near an ancient and forgotten temple, the Temple of Desire, but they live in their own hidden and secret underground sanctuary. The Ophuchi sanctuary was built on top of one of the few areas of the planet with underground moisture, allowing them a cooler environment as well as water to help them live and grow.

It can be difficult to attain food, resources, and other supplies necessary for the sustaining of life in the Dune Sea, but they manage to do so. Using money collected from members of the Ophuchi who held that wealth before joining with Elias, they're able to acquire the resources they need in Anchorhead, Mos Eisley, and the other settlements across the planets. Rarely, but when necessary, the Ophuchi are forced to resort to stealing what they need.

How can I become an Ophuchi?
Very soon, within the next few days, I'll be posting up the information thread for the Ophuchi. The RPing for the Ophuchi won't actually begin until the time skip happens, because I need that four years to do a lot of the formation of the group, but I'll be putting it up for those who want to join so they can say they want to join.

Basically, sometime during that four years, my character Elias would've found your character and told them he believes them to be a descendant of the Jedi Bendu. They would've then chosen whether or not they wanted to go with him to Tatooine.

You can also express interest (or not) in this thread, as that's what it's for. The information I've provided is VERY basic, and it'll be much more detailed in the actual faction write up that I'm working on. You can ask any questions you have here, but I'm going to try not to be too specific before the rest of the information is posted.

I hope to see some interest in this!

 

[Dmitri]

Sounds awesome. I'd be interested in signing the Witch of Endor up (whose title would contradict the Ophuchi home planet, lol)

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Sounds awesome. I'd be interested in signing the Witch of Endor up (whose title would contradict the Ophuchi home planet, lol)

Isn't the Witch of Endor like...evil?

 

[Dmitri]

Isn't the Witch of Endor like...evil?

Not really. She's psychopathic, but not evil. I designed her to be more of a hermit, a nomad, the little old lady who gives advice to those who are willing to listen.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Not really. She's psychopathic, but not evil. I designed her to be more of a hermit, a nomad, the little old lady who gives advice to those who are willing to listen.

I'm not really looking for psychopaths to be honest lol. I'd have to read up more on her first.

 

[Dmitri]

I'm not really looking for psychopaths to be honest lol. I'd have to read up more on her first.

Checking on dictionary.com, I realized that I confused psychopathy and sociopathy. A sociopath is...

a person, as a psychopathic personality, whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.

I was trying to lean more towards amorale and asocial, rather than psychopathic killer.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

That's a little bit better, but an Ophuchi should still be a moral person and should absolutely have a social conscience. After all, one of their major tenets is the deep belief that a Chosen One will ultimately rise up as the savior of the galaxy to free it from oppression. An Ophuchi shouldn't just be indifferent to that.

Plus, an Ophuchi would be living on Tatooine. The sanctuary wouldn't be the occassional pit stop, it would be their home, and it would be very difficult to be a withdrawn personality in a small, collective environment.

 

[Dmitri]

That's a little bit better, but an Ophuchi should still be a moral person and should absolutely have a social conscience. After all, one of their major tenets is the deep belief that a Chosen One will ultimately rise up as the savior of the galaxy to free it from oppression. An Ophuchi shouldn't just be indifferent to that.

Plus, an Ophuchi would be living on Tatooine. The sanctuary wouldn't be the occassional pit stop, it would be their home, and it would be very difficult to be a withdrawn personality in a small, collective environment.

True. The Witch does believe in destiny, but does have no moral conscience. I'd suggest the Witch knew of the Ophuchi's existence but I believe you're wanting to keep them hidden, so that would be unlikely.

Shame. If I had one more character slot left, I'd make a new character. Hm, I may decided to kill of the current Witch and make a successor (my plan with the Witch is that it's a title that'll go on through the ages; if we ever do a timeline that takes place in the future from now, I'd probably have a Witch of Endor then too)

 

[Empress]

>.> there is a few chosen ones in my mind....and lemme tell ya, the skywalkers aint it, there are three other major families I hold much higher in the pecking order ^_^

 

[Dmitri]

>.> there is a few chosen ones in my mind....and lemme tell ya, the skywalkers aint it, there are three other major families I hold much higher in the pecking order ^_^

My guess is that Bac is one of them

 

[Brandon Rhea]

>.> there is a few chosen ones in my mind....and lemme tell ya, the skywalkers aint it, there are three other major families I hold much higher in the pecking order ^_^

Ah, but they are the ancestors. They all contribute to a journey that will ultimately be fulfilled by the Skywalker family.

 

[Empress]

does not mean I have to give them the satisfaction, the others did most of the work *nods

 

[Brandon Rhea]

does not mean I have to give them the satisfaction, the others did most of the work *nods

I would disagree with that, both in canon and (especially) the Alternative Saga. The other families had their hardships and they paid the price for their destiny, but no one suffered the way Vader did. No one had to fight as hard as Luke and Leia did.

 

[Dmitri]

Are the Ophuchi's existence known to the public, a select few, or do they keep to themselves?

 

[Empress]

I would disagree with that, both in canon and (especially) the Alternative Saga. The other families had their hardships and they paid the price for their destiny, but no one suffered the way Vader did. No one had to fight as hard as Luke and Leia did.

we had Vo....:bitchez


but enough ego semantics.. you know Im keeping an eye open on this and thinking purposefully

 

[Brandon Rhea]

This fascination with Vo must end.

:CStern

Are the Ophuchi's existence known to the public, a select few, or do they keep to themselves?

No, it's not known to the public. Their existence, in the vast scope of the galaxy at large, is minor in this timeline. The only way someone could realistically find out about them is if they found out from an Ophuchi.

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

I'm in with Laida, a seer.

 

[Dmitri]

So if the Witch of Endor met an Ophuchi or stumbled upon their sanctuary, with the latter being highly unlikely in comparison to the former, would that be satisfactory for the Witch to learn about eh Ophuchi and their prophecies? The Witch, in my mind, is like the Ophuchi, except she's nomadic and doesn't want to be involved as much with large-scale destinies.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

So if the Witch of Endor met an Ophuchi or stumbled upon their sanctuary, with the latter being highly unlikely in comparison to the former, would that be satisfactory for the Witch to learn about eh Ophuchi and their prophecies? The Witch, in my mind, is like the Ophuchi, except she's nomadic and doesn't want to be involved as much with large-scale destinies.

She wouldn't stumble upon their sanctuary. It's deep in the Dune Sea, and underground. She could meet an Ophuchi, but I'm not sure how much an Ophuchi would actually tell the Witch given her personality.

 

[Dmitri]

She wouldn't stumble upon their sanctuary. It's deep in the Dune Sea, and underground. She could meet an Ophuchi, but I'm not sure how much an Ophuchi would actually tell the Witch given her personality.

True, to both accounts. The Witch's personality is her worst flaw, and I've not really cared for her so I think I might kill her off and bring a replacement.

On a side note, where can we read your Alternative Saga?