Falling Rodian

The Falling Rodian was a cantina situated in the floating city Tolea Biqua on the planet Genarius that operated during the latter years of the Galactic Republic. Regarded as an average bar, the cantina was favored by aliens and known for its regular bar fights. Around 31 BBY, the cantina was the site of a three-way brawl between Thaereian military soldiers, three servants of the crime lord Nirama and a group of adventurers for possession of the head of the protocol droid L8O-RC.

Description

The Falling Rodian was a bar that operated in the floating city Tolea Biqua on the planet Genarius during the waning years of the Galactic Republic. Considered as an average, middle-of-the road cantina by the standards of Tolea Biqua, the Falling Rodian was popular with aliens and renowned for its frequent bar brawls. Inside, the cantina had a typical bar setup, including chairs and tables for guests to sit at and an area attended by a barkeeper from which drinks could be purchased.^[1] Around 31 BBY,^[2] the elderly Human Norben worked as the bartender of the Falling Rodian and would harass individuals who ventured into the establishment if they did not purchase drinks.^[1]

The cantina's customers included Humans and aliens alike and it catered to a variety of tastes. The bar was awash with different sounds and sensations, owing to the various exotic infusions and substances consumed by its clientele, including strangly colored ales, smouldering braziers and hokkums of Glitterstim.^[1]

Outside the cantina was a sign that depicted an alarmed Rodian falling off the railings of a cloud city. Beneath the sign was a notice, written in Basic and accompanied by pictographs, which warned that blaster weapons and droids were not permitted in the bar. Little was done to enforce these restrictions and the majority of the cantina's patrons were armed.^[1]

History

The Falling Rodian was named to commemorate a particular incident, but the exact nature of the event was eventually forgotten after the cantina subsequently changed ownership about a dozen times.^[1] Circa 31 BBY,^[2] the Bimm information broker Ginder came into the possession of the head of L8O-RC, an L8O-series protocol droid, whose memory chips recorded of the hiding place of treasures of the Hutt crime lord Riboga. Under threat from various parties who sought to acquire the head for their own ends, Ginder sought sent a message to a group of adventurers to meet him at the Fallen Rodian, hoping that they could help him out of his predicament. The Bimm ventured to the bar every afternoon as he awaited the adventurers, staying there as long as he could.^[1]

Several days later, the adventurers arrived at the Falling Rodian and waited there for the Bimm information broker to appear. At the same time a trio of thugs searching for the protocol droid head on behalf of the criminal kingpin Nirama—the Sullustan Jubieck and the Trandoshans Orix and Dimogog—also came to the cantina, to drink and discuss business. After the adventurers had been waiting for about an hour, Ginder arrived at the Falling Rodian. The information broker immediately thrust them the droid head and requested that they help him flee Genarius and keep the head out of the hands of the factions who sought it.^[1]

Three plain clothed soldiers^[1] of the Thaereian military,^[3] another group seeking the protocol droid head, arrived at the bar amid Ginder's meeting with the adventurers. Spotting the droid head, the soldiers claimed it to be stolen and attempted to confiscate it. The confrontation drew the attention of Jubieck and the two Trandoshans, who also also sighted the head and demanded that the adventurers hand it over to them. A three way violent struggle ensured between the adventurers, soldiers and thugs for possession of the head, while Norben hid behind the bar and the cantina's other occupants headed for the exit. Following an explosion outside, which shattered the windows of the Falling Rodian, the head rolled over to the adventurers and they fled the bar with it in their possession.^[1]

Behind the scenes

The Falling Rodian featured as the main setting of Head Trip, a roleplaying adventure by Jeff Grubb that was published on Wizards.com on April 29 2001 as a supplement to Wizards of the Coast's Living Force Campaign Guide roleplaying sourcebook.^[1]

In the adventure, the players roleplay as adventurers summoned by Ginder to meet at the Falling Rodian. While the player characters are waiting at the bar for Ginder to arrive, the adventure advises using the "instant cantina generator" feature on Wizards.com to generate random encounters between the players and the bar's denizens. During the bar fight between the different parties competing for the head of L8O-RC, it is possible for the other bar patrons present and bartender Norben to become involved in the fight if the player characters attack them. The adventure does not clarify the cause of the explosion outside the Falling Rodian that shattered the cantina's windows.^[1]

Appearances

• Head Trip on Wizards.com (backup link) (original site is defunct) (First appearance)

Notes and references