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Lore Update: Ilum



Revealed to be in-game last month, Ilum is the sixteenth announced planet in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The HoloNet reveals that a recent Imperial surprise attack displaced the Jedi from Ilum, leaving players to discover the how and why. But what do we currently know about this mysterious planet the Jedi kept off the star charts for thousands of years? Read on after the jump to find out.
Ilum was first discovered by a Jedi pilot who could feel its strong connection to the Force almost 20,000 years before the setting of The Old Republic. It is located deep in the Unknown Regions and is traditionally kept off all star charts, requiring a Force-sensitive navigator to find it. Exploration of the planet following its discovery unearthed the Crystal Caves, a vast network of caverns covered with powerfully resonant Adegan crystals, which are ideally suited for use in lightsabers.



The presence of the Crystal Caves on Ilum ensured the planet's importance to the Jedi, and it wasn't long before young Jedi began making pilgrimages to the planet to obtain crystals for their lightsabers. The Jedi erected temples and began to carve the history of their order onto the walls of the Cave. Inside the Caves themselves, Force visions are common for those searching for lightsaber crystals. Force based classes exploring the Caves may even be able experience challenges or gain insights from these visions, such as those Teneb Kel experienced in Act Two of Blood of the Empire.

However, the Force isn't the only presence on this ice covered planet. Hazards are rife on Ilum; the climate is brutally cold, and much of the planet is home to a dangerous species of snow beast called Gorgodons. These large mammals are formidable foes that are known to blind their prey with a thick saliva before killing their targets with constriction and suffocation.



The most interesting question surrounding Ilum at the time of The Old Republic is what the Empire wants with it. The crystals found in the Crystal Caves are almost entirely blue or green, and though the HoloNet implies they may be harvesting crystals, the Sith tend to favor synthetic crystals for their sabers. A star map on the Dark Horse website shows Ilum to have no close neighbors, though Csilla, homeworld of the Chiss; Iridonia, home of the Zabrak ; and Lehon, also known as Rakata Prime and once the seat of the Infinite Empire, are nearby. It is possible these neighboring systems will have something to do with the Empire's interest in Ilum.

Ilum is another example of a planet without much preexisting lore in the time of The Old Republic, leaving BioWare freedom to expand a story of their own. By combining a planet with a deep connection both to the Jedi and to a mysterious Sith plot, they create a story more than sufficient to draw players from both sides of the faction divide.

Sources:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ilum
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Gorgodon
http://www.swtor.com/info/holonet/planets/ilum

Comments

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  • Shadowpants's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #29 Shadowpants Posted 12/5/2010 4:25:03 PM
    A winter wonderland, this is not. But here's hoping we can harvest saber crystals from there. I also hope for there to be varied qualities of crystals that will produce a range of saber blade effects. That was one of the things I enjoyed in SW:Force Unleashed. Flickering saber blades or ones that had an erratic glow around the core saber beam. Neat effects.
  • skyhappysal's avatar
    Nerf Herder
    • Posts: 5
    #23 skyhappysal Posted 11/30/2010 10:56:43 PM
    I bet Ilum is related to Revan's secret base? They released it shortly afterwards, and the Sith are looking to cut off power to this location.
  • MechaGodzilla's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #18 MechaGodzilla Posted 11/30/2010 5:08:17 PM
    no podcast this week too? podcasts over with?
  • Gamewiz's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #19 Gamewiz Posted 11/30/2010 5:25:37 PM
    I dunno... It's making me have withdrawals... I need a podcast!!!
  • Peterisjustok's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #16 Peterisjustok Posted 11/30/2010 4:29:55 PM
    It would be interesting to grab one of the high res Star Maps and plot out or highlight all the planets that have been announced so far in SWTOR... Any takers? If not I could try and tackle it sometime this week.
  • Peterisjustok's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #20 Peterisjustok Posted 11/30/2010 6:44:59 PM
    Nevermind... I took an initial stab:
    http://darthhater.com/forum/topic/675/post/9105#9105
  • ArcherAvatar's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #10 ArcherAvatar Posted 11/30/2010 7:58:55 AM
    I really enjoyed the writeup on Ilum... it's more than just a wookiepedia entry to me... It's clear the DH team takes some time to produce these articles, and I usually find them imaginative and thought provoking... I always appreciate the links to sites like wookiepedia so I can research the subject further if I'd like to, but I find the articles written here on this website more interesting and well written, and best of all, they usually include at least tiny bit of speculation as well which is like oxygen to breath for me personally...

    The only thing I like more than Lore mixed with some Speculation is orange text and boxes in a in-depth dissection...

    I'm also intrigued by the potential tie-in with the Rakata and tne Infinite Empire... any storylines dealing with archaelogical mysteries related to the truly ancient history of the Star Wars galaxy would be a huge plus for me personally.
  • Peterisjustok's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #17 Peterisjustok Posted 11/30/2010 4:39:39 PM
    Agreed. To both Earin and Arch. The galaxy is so very old. It has such a deep past. Even the individual planets' histories could be rich in their own way (before the introduction of HyperDrives). I think history will have a resounding impact on SWTOR, and it's a great way to expand further into quest lines and draw out the game to make it longer and more involved (so it doesn't take just 20 hours to reach max level).

    I'm sure if Bioware is going to keep the story driving through the entirity of leveling, a good portion of it will be uncovering mysteries of the past and how they tie to present events. It's an elegant yet simple way to tell an epic story, in my opinion.
  • EarinShaad's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 227
    #22 EarinShaad Posted 11/30/2010 9:48:12 PM
    Cheers to that! :)
  • EarinShaad's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 227
    #12 EarinShaad Posted 11/30/2010 9:57:49 AM
    "I'm also intrigued by the potential tie-in with the Rakata and tne Infinite Empire... any storylines dealing with archaelogical mysteries related to the truly ancient history of the Star Wars galaxy would be a huge plus for me personally. "

    I totally agree. My Imperial Agent will be on the lookout for any missions that involve ancient mysteries and powers long forgotten. My only fear ist that maybe the Sith Inquisitor/Jedi Consular will get more of these storyline. Well, I guess I will have to play every class after all. :)
  • snafu's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #6 snafu Posted 11/30/2010 4:28:54 AM
    You know what would be awesome? If you guys compiled all this information on an encyclopedia-like site that allowed users to add and edit content. Then you could have a whole database about the star wars universe that people could access and contribute to if anyone ever wanted to learn about the lore.
  • Orionark's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #9 Orionark Posted 11/30/2010 6:04:59 AM
    It already exists in many forms. :P
  • emlaeh's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 986
    #8 emlaeh Posted 11/30/2010 5:36:28 AM
    Old joke is still old.
  • GuyTanno's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #11 GuyTanno Posted 11/30/2010 9:14:05 AM
    The fact that your avatar is Helena Bonham Carter makes everything you say hit 10x harder. Just thought you should know you chose well :-P
  • emlaeh's avatar
    Jawa Trader
    • Posts: 986
    #21 emlaeh Posted 11/30/2010 8:58:42 PM
    I tried for over a year and a half to get Orionark to change his avatar to Tyler Durden and he refuses to do it.
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