Strange tales are repeated across the galaxy.
In grimy cantinas on the Outer Rim, Resistance sympathisers claim that a single man faced
down the entire First Order amidst the swirling salt of Crait.
On the rainswept streets of Coruscant, some still whisper that Emperor Palpatine had at
his command the powers of the ancient Sith.
And throughout starports and salvage yards, it’s claimed that a foolhardy smuggler once
made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.
The most unbelievable story however, might be that long ago, a race of legendary warriors
rose to challenge even the mystic power of the Jedi Knights, and that some among their
number still persist.
That between forgotten outposts and far flung colonies there travel those who might be known
as “Mandalorian”.
Before even the formation of the Old Republic, the world of Mandalore existed in a state
of constant conflict.
Eventually, the planet could not contain the ambitions of its people, leading armies of
Crusaders to turn their swords from one another against the wider galaxy.
Highly skilled in the art of war, nearby star systems became Mandalorian conquests, until
a wide swathe of the galaxy could rightly be called Mandalorian space.
The expansion of the Mandalorian Crusades inevitably brought them into conflict with
the Jedi Order, and the nascent Republic they guarded.
The Mandalorians had honed their skills in battle across the centuries, but the supernatural
abilities of the Jedi Knights surpassed even the greatest among the Crusaders.
Prideful and cunning, the Mandalorians refused to let their weakness stand.
They coordinated advanced technology with revolutionary doctrine to overcome the powers
of the enigmatic Jedi.
The distinct Mandalorian fighting style that emerged would endure for millennia, and those
who perfected it earned the reputation of being able to confront and defeat even the
most powerful Jedi.
The Mandalorian Crusades threatened the galaxy across generations, but brief periods of reconciliation
slowly stripped the myth from the Mandalorian people, revealing them to be a culture not
only of martial prowess, but also one of great art, honor, and tradition.
One among their number, Tarre Vizsla, was even inducted into the Jedi Order, creating
a weapon that would decide the fate of Mandalore for centuries.
Ultimately however, any peace between the Jedi and Mandalorians was short lived, and
it was only after the devastation of Mandalore that the wars were finally ended.
There is not a soul alive today who remembers the planet as it once was, a world of grass
covered fields and rich oceans.
Mandalore today is a tarnished desert, still marked by the Cataclysm that stripped it of
its beauty.
While their planet died, the Mandalorians endured, surviving within domed cities on
their homeworld and on the scattered colonies they were able to retain.
While the Galactic Republic expanded across the galaxy, the Mandalorians remained isolated,
struggling merely to survive.
In the waning days of the Galactic Republic, as it’s power and resolve grew weaker, conflict
sparked anew on Mandalore.
Competing ideals had emerged across their society with some advocating a return to their
warrior past, while others saw pacifism and neutrality as the only future left for their
people.
Splinter groups, hidden within the political structure of Mandalore, emerged during this
time, including the nationalist Death Watch and reformist Protectors.
Civil wars, coups and shadow conflicts between these discordant groups was fought in parallel
with the Clone Wars.
Both the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems attempted to win Mandalore
over to their cause, before the planet was ultimately occupied by the newly established
Galactic Empire.
Many Mandalorians rose to positions of authority within the Imperial regime, but the majority
of their people suffered.
Even Imperial rule could not contain the outbreak of renewed civil conflict, fuelled in part
by the outbreak of a wider Rebellion across the galaxy.
However much the galaxy changes, or stays the same, Mandalore has always been a world
apart.
Even during their attempts at pacifism, honor and single combat were held in high regard
and continue to be so.
Mandalorian power structure remains deeply hierarchical, with a single ruler granted
the title of “Mand’alor” and entrusted with nearly unfettered authority.
This title carries with it significant cultural and historical significance and not all who
have ruled Mandalore have claimed it.
Some have instead preferred to be known as Viceroy, Duchess, or Prime Minister, rather
than risk the loss of legitimacy that would occur should they claim the title of “Mand’alor”
only to be deemed unworthy.
Regardless through which title they ruled, directly beneath this individual existed a
network of various houses, themselves comprised of several clans.
Mandalorian clans were roughly analogous with the extended families of other cultures but
held to much greater esteem.
Clans and their respective houses routinely plotted and warred against one another, although
members would be expected to set aside such differences when joining various state institutions,
which recruited members from every clan.
The inherent instability of this system relied on a strong leader for balance, with only
a true “Mand’alor” able to properly harness the potential of the Mandalorian people.
For most Mandalorians, the title of “Mand’alor” is intrinsically linked with the ancient weapon
of Tarre Vizsla, the Darksaber.
Stolen from the Jedi during the height of the Mandalorian Crusades, it has emerged periodically
throughout history, and those who have wielded it, carry perhaps the best means to truly
unite the Mandalorian people.
It is Mandalorian armor however that is most well known across the galaxy; distinctive
honeycomb plate patterns and t-shaped visors have been associated with the Mandalorians
since the Crusades.
Sets of armor, hundreds of years old, have been passed through the generations, modified
and reformed, but forever imbued with the memory of blood, battles, and history.
Mandalorian style armor was a major influence during the outfitting of the first Republic
Clone troopers, creating a design lineage that has persisted across the Galactic Empire
and First Order.
Mandalorian armor has struck fear across the galaxy for thousands of years and has often
been used to great effect by individuals with no real tie to Mandalore itself.
Some of the most prolific and infamous Bounty Hunters in recent memory have used Mandalorian
armor, generating confusion as to their true origins and identity.
For some, exploiting the legendary style of the ancient Crusaders is purely a means to
an end.
For others, however, to be Mandalorian is not a matter of birthplace or lineage, but
a code through which the galaxy might be tamed.
It is a belief that through ingenuity and talent, martial skill and immortal honor,
there is no force that cannot be conquered.
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