1. Please provide a brief (at least one short paragraph) backstory for your character.
Born in 15 bby to two Tapani Nobles, Corbin got to live in the lap of luxury for the vast majority of his life. Raised to be proud of his heritage, House Banarba. That family pride invaded even his name. Corbin’s name was based off of the Cor trade route vital to the House Economy. His family name was named after the house. He lived and breathed nobility, parties and the extravagance of House Banarba.
He probably would have been a pompous noble all his life had it not been for an incident at a party. A perceptive youth is trouble, one that can also pick up on that an adult is lying and call them out on it is especially problematic in polite company. The problem was headed off by his father, but after hauling off Corbin and asking how he was able to tell the noble was lying, he could only explain “He felt it. A feeling in the gut.” Concerned, his father had him follow him around, staying silent but observing anyone he talked to. Afterwards and away from others, he asked Corbin who else he got a hunch from. He pretty much hit everyone that his father suspected of fibbing, and some that he didn’t even consider. A learned man with knowledge of house history, it lead to a potentiality that was a problem.
Force sensitivity was not unheard of in the Tapani sector history. In fact there were plenty of rumored vaults, and secret artifacts that each house had. What was a problem was that Corbin’s parents had a force sensitive child on their hands, at the height of Imperial power. While they were knowledgeable of rumors of “secret vaults” of force artifacts held by different houses, they were outside of the social circles to access those, and it was risky to even breathe a word of this. So his parents did the next best thing. Discretion, isolation, and unorthodox education. Corbin spent time away from the parties he’d gotten used to. Education was a focus, self control, discipline, and excursions. A chance encounter with a monk on a family vacation to nearby Bardotta, seemed to be a little less than uncommon now. Learning oration and public speaking from a Miraluka and becoming friends with his daughter so there was an excuse to continue to meet and talk.
The goal was to trickle in enough information for control, to hide, never enough to use or show. Because it was made clear to Corbin, that if this got out? It would hurt the whole family… and put everyone at jeopardy, and stain their family name. So Corbin went from an upcoming noble to a sheltered and bored child who lunged at the chance to do something, a ticking if well behaved time bomb just waiting to do something, and that chance came after the liberation of Fondor and the fall of the Empire.
Saber Rake culture hit a boom time after 9ABY, with no empire, there were less rules about the lightfoils they were known for. Nobles could be more brazen with their duels without some fear of an imperial stooge shutting it down and hauling them off for questions. After years of being away from the limelight, at age 24, Corbin WANTED to live it up. The lightfoils of the saber rakes called to him. He was beaming the moment he managed to get his hands on one of the foils. He was grinning ear to ear when he got to pull one out his first duel, some arrogant knight insulting the honor of Barnaba, and what was even better? He was good at it. He enjoyed it, he enjoyed the blows, the near misses, after years of playing it safe, being sheltered, itching for the chance to make mistakes, he never felt so alive!
Reality started settling in though, Shisai, the friend from his youth messaged him, she was starting to look into repulsor craft manufacturing, and had an apprenticeship lined up at Fondor. He was in the area, so she wondered if they could meet up. Easy enough! they reminisced, and they’d visit each other regularly. Corbin always was showing up in some haggard state, usually after some wild duel. Shisai gently pushing him to maybe take it easier, and that while he was defending the idea of Honor, that he could be doing something else, something positive that didn’t risk him loosing a limb or worse his life. He’d brush it off, and smile. Saying he was fighting for his house’s honor, say he’d be fine. The process would repeat, until his overconfidence caught up with him hard.
He couldn’t remember who he fought, some Bravo from House Mecetti. Maybe they had access to actual training, maybe they dove into the supposed holocrons of their house. That didn’t matter. What did matter was their footwork was miraculous. Their form was impeccable. Their strikes were devastating. Corbin’s defeat, it was crippling. He woke up in a hospital room, with a familiar Miraluka sitting at his bedside. After years of warning, it had finally come to this. She asked if he could continue, would he continue to narrowly avoid death? Or would his next duel be his last. Would her best friend wind up dead, and what honor would that bring to his family, that their son died in a stupid duel. With a shuddering and tired breath he agreed. The ride had gone on long enough. It was time to get off.
He stopped taking duels, and stopped challenging others too. When they pressured him, he refused. When they pressed him further? He soured on it all. The duels nearly ended him, and the honor they represented, he realized it wasn’t honor for Banarba, wasn’t even Honor for Barna. It was bragging rights for Corbin. He sought a more legitimate form of honor, to the shock of all, he joined the House defense force, and tried to turn himself into a halfway decent officer. Corbin’s exposure to lower classes helped mellow him out further. He balanced complaints from the common people to the nobility, tried to use silver tongue and elocution for leadership, and his education for military planning. By thirty, he’d turned his life around, was a respected and level headed officer, and married to his childhood friend. With a Daughter, Parre, on the way quickly after that.
When his daughter turned five, strange things started occurring. Objects were being displaced, people were forgetting where Parre was, only to find her nearby. The little girl giggling. Corbin’s first guess was the correct one. She was force sensitive alright, and Corbin lacked any workable lessons, only half remembered knowledge, and a grandfather that was many systems away. The family was in a discussion about what to do, when the Culling struck. Mind wracking pain, a crying child and the threat of something beyond the borders of their little slice of paradise. He and his wife spent a week talking about what to do, he had to help, and Parre needed a place to learn. There was a place where they could do both. He resigned his commission from the House defense force, and the family packed up, heading for Dantooine.
Upon meeting with the order, it was indicated, they’d accept both of them for training, the only sticking point? If Corbin was going to do this, he’d have to do this right. He had a lightfoil… the request was simple. If he was honest about wanting to train, he had to hand it over, start from square one. He looked to the hilt, to his daughter, and then placed the blade on the table.
the knight nodded and smiled, “Welcome to the Order.”
2. Why does your character want to be a jedi?
Corbin wants to be a Jedi to help be a part of the organization his daughter is going to learn from and grow up in. He feels like he wasted his early adult life and he sees this as a chance to do something good. He can pave the way, take care of this generation of evil-doers so she won’t have to.
3. Are there aspects of your character’s background (people, events, places) that were more formative to your character’s current personal development? Alt version: What was the most formative event/person/place from your backstory that you would like GMs to know or focus on?
The whole culture of the saber rakes was important to Corbin. That honor dueling, the fights, that was his life. He put it away, sure he’s responsible now… but old habits die hard. There always is a piece of him that just wants to draw the saber, done the cape in his free hand, and start that duel.
4. Describe the kinds of personal relationships you might have had in your past?
Corbin was and is still a Noble, he probably still has connections from various parties attended in the past. After going through the House defense force, he might have run into a few different military captains, for whoever the Tapani sector might have tried to rub shoulders with. New Republic of course, but with such lavish parties, perhaps the more "Reasonable" Imperial factions.
5. What is most Jedi-like about your character? What is least Jedi-like about your character?
Most Jedi like: Honorable. A Tapani Noble's word is worth more that Aurodium.
"While lying was considered acceptable and even essential in some circumstances, a noble was expected to never break their word overtly. To do so was said to be equivalent to spitting on one's high lord and brought dishonor and disgrace to the individual noble, their family and house."
Corbin, if he says he'd be going to do something, is going to be there. Ride or die.
Least Jedi like: you’re not supposed to enjoy fights, Corbin loves them. The battle, the strategy, the back and forth, it feels like a dance, and even if he doesn’t want to admit it, honor is often best earned on the battlefield.
6. Does your character have a strong idea of the Force? Do they experience it in a certain way or is it a mystery to them?
He is operating under a few half remembered lessons from years ago, and even then it was less philosophy and more don’t make yourself noticed. He has a rough idea at best, conflicting at worse. His strongest cultural marker is being married into a Miraluka family. There’s an Ashla, there’s a Bogan, one represents light, one represents dark, and while they don’t believe in good and evil, Bogan is corrupting so you stay the hell away from that.
7. Some characters have dark (or great) secrets that they keep locked away from even their dearest friends. Does your character harbor a great regret or a secret aspiration that is central to their character?
No. Corbin is an open book. He’s messed up in the past. He laughs about it, winces at it, looks at it wistfully, sometimes shamefully, but the important thing is that he’s honest about it. Every recruit who’s been under his command probably knows a dirty story about him, but that’s what made him liked, he was like them.
8. What elements of your character are you most excited to explore, whether narrative or mechanical? What aspect of your character do you think will be most challenging to play? We also encourage you to think about how your character does/will interact with the Force and how you may also want that to change mechanically/narratively as your character grows.
He has two modes, the “Commoner mode” and the “Putting on airs,” Aka Noble mode I’ll need to keep those separate. Because one is for interacting with everyone else, one has to be prim proper, and exceedingly deliberate, for use with Nobles. As for dealing with the force. Corbin is going to have to learn the mysticism and deeper philosophies of the Jedi. He went with the Jedi because the Tapani sector is in the New Republic and it was the best place for his family. In another world another time, he could have been a good Imperial knight.
8. Does your character have a long-term plan, mechanically? If so, what is it? No is an acceptable answer - we're just interested in the sorts of niches people want to fill and builds people are interested in. We also encourage you to think about how your character does/will interact with the Force and how you may also want that to change mechanically/narratively as your character grows
The end goal is general. That is the only SET plan. After some discussion, the current plan is Padawn/Makashi Duelist, eventually picking up general at some point. He’s going to be able to do mass combat, but still at the core, he’s still a duelist and a damn good one. (D’Karo was my force character, this is my lightsaber guy)
9. The Dark Side tempts each Jedi differently. How does it prey upon your character's emotional weakness and what makes them susceptible to it?
A Jedi shouldn’t resort to Combat, and unfortunately Corbin just loves it. It’s a chance to prove your bravery, your valor, and show off how much you trust the training of those under your command. The problem is, if you solve ALL your problems with violence, no matter how good your intention is? You’re just a thug with the best of intentions. Throw in any threat to his family, well… there’s a beserk button right there, as he spends more time at the temple, and sees more of the staff as an extended family, that button gets bigger. He’s a father to his men… and he’ll enact vengeance of people who bully his kids..
10. Would you rather start your character as an Initiate or as a Padawan?
Probably padawan, he knows the right side of a lightsaber, has been around the block a time or two in terms of life experience, I’m thinking he could be picked up fairly quickly as a padawan.
Corbin Character sheet