Ord Mantell is the starting world of the Trooper and Smuggler classes. Though it is technically under Republic control, there must be a fair amount of fighting going on there given the deployment of Republic forces on the planet. Known equally for its natural beauty, its general state of lawlessness, and as a safe haven for smugglers, bounty hunters, and pirates; the planet is a prime example of the many worlds in the Outer rim territories under the control of the Republic. It’s also the focus in part two of our four-part series featuring the starting planets of SWTOR.

 

Ord Mantell is quite the beautiful world. It’s known as the Heart of the Bright Jewel since it orbits the blue star, Bright Jewel, at the center of the Bright Jewel system and is famous for its thick, outer cloud, which has a pinkish glow when viewed from space. The surface is dotted with islands and mountains, and nearly every landmass sports a mountain chain. Ord Mantell’s main continent is known as Worlport and boasts a sprawl of cities along its southern shore. It is this part of Ord Mantell that many spacers regard as a safe port, famous for casinos, which attracts almost one billion tourists annually. One interesting feature is that certain metropolitan areas lack address markings and are considered off limits for outsiders. The thinking behind this was “If you don’t know where you’re going, then you don’t belong here,” marking a distinct difference in which areas were okay for the tourists and which areas were only for the locals.

 

Colonists from the planet Corellia settled Ord Mantell around 12,000 years before the events of “A New Hope”. It originally served as an advanced military outpost for the Galactic Republic in the Outer Rim. It was one of several Ordnance/Regional Depots in the Outer Rim, which led to ‘Ord’ being included in its name. Over time, the discovery of wealthier planets and improvements in hyperspace routes diminished Ord Mantell’s strategic importance. It became something of a free port for all manner of freighters and cargo ships. Despite the planet’s diminishing stature, it remained a popular stop for traveling ships of all sorts, particularly smugglers, pirates, and bounty hunters who were looking to stay off the more well known hyperspace lanes. This naturally led to the local government being controlled by crime syndicates, further enhancing its reputation as a spot for some of the shadier groups in the universe.

 

During the Cold War in 3,653 BBY, a corrupt admiral sold off the local fleet leading the military to all but abandon the planet. The planet was largely uncontested during the opening years of the war, until the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant that is. Though many star systems withdrew from the Republic during that time, Ord Mantell decided to remain loyal. A group of separatists on the planet disagreed with this decision and began to attack the Republic forces stationed there in an attempt to drive them off world. This quickly escalated into a full-scale conflict that further destabilized the planet. In the two years between signing the treaty and the start of SWTOR, the planet’s surface has been decimated and the government has been destabilized. Crime syndicates that back the Republic have been bringing in Black Market goods and the Republic is deploying elite forces there in an attempt to hold the planet.

 

The battle for Ord Mantell is ongoing as Troopers and Smugglers make their start on the planet. There they will help influence the fate of the planet, as well as see a more corrupt side of the republic’s government on the war-torn world. The planet looks to be an action packed place, a perfect starting point for these two classes. The actions they take here are only the beginning of their story, and it seems that their story is going to start off with a bang.

Tags: Ord Mantell, Origin World, republic trooper, smuggler