Diving Into The Syndicates Of 'Star Wars Outlaws': Crimson Dawn
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With less than a month to go before the release of Star Wars Outlaws, fans have continued to read and see more information drop regarding the various features of the game. One of the most notable for Outlaws is the flexible reputation system, divided between four core criminal factions Kay Vess and her small crew will need to interact with, be it in equal deals, acts of treachery, or straight-up brawls. But who are the criminal factions Kay will need to appease or reject as players make their way through this open-world game?
Today, in this third installment of our article series, we will be running through Crimson Dawn, their history in Star Wars canon, their current status at the time Outlaws is set, as well as their leadership and likely focuses in-game, to help players feel informed about their choices! To learn more about the other criminal organizations playing a role in Outlaws, read our articles on The Pyke Syndicate and The Hutt Cartel.
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Background
Crimson Dawn existed in some form before the rise of the Empire, as the appearance of Dryden Vos in Season 7 of The Clone Wars suggests his significance to Maul before that era. Additional comments made by Dryden to Qi’ra in the novel Crimson Climb suggest his long life in the underworld before the formation of the Shadow Collective. Crimson Dawn was quite powerful in their time, one of the galaxy's five major crime families and likely personal representatives of Maul in the criminal underworld. But, after Dryden Vos died, the organization withdrew, and many assumed they were gone for good.
Criminal Focus
Image Source: Wookieepedia
Crimson Dawn specializes in racketeering, blackmail, and extortion, their operations are described throughout Crimson Climb and mentioned briefly elsewhere. While they had associations and understandings with Imperials, they were not above stealing from them, as can be seen with the hiring of Tobias Beckett and his crew, or killing them, as Solo directly depicts Dryden doing.
In the Era Of Outlaws
Image Source: Wookieepedia
The time of Star Wars Outlaws is enormously significant because it begins right after the return of Crimson Dawn. In an elaborate reveal, Crimson Dawn openly announces their return to the entire underworld, hosting a grand party to auction off the carbonite slab of Han Solo, which is the focus of the comic event War of the Bounty Hunters. Their prize, first stolen from Boba Fett, is taken by the Empire, and then recovered by Fett in turn, but serves its purpose in letting the Dawn break back onto the galactic stage.
Crimson Dawn in this era is now led by Lady Qi’ra, but she and the organization no longer have explicitly criminal aims. Instead, they secretly plot to hurt the various criminal syndicates who support the Empire and oppress billions, before seeking to eliminate the Sith themselves to break the system Sidious and Vader have imposed on the wider galaxy. Qi’ra is not a rebel, nor is she a conqueror, instead, she wants to grant people the chance to live their lives how they want, free of the worst forces of oppression working against them.
But, this is a plan that has yet to commence in Outlaws. From all the information gathered, Kay’s quest takes place between the War of the Bounty Hunters, when Crimson Dawn returned, and when Qi’ra puts her plan into motion, causing a great underworld war, a story told in the Crimson Reign comic event. For now, Crimson Dawn is putting themselves back on the map, taking over locations on Kijimi for instance as part of their return. But they are also surely starting to put the pieces in place to turn the various syndicates against each other, in line with Qi’ra’s ultimate aim.
Homebase
Image Source: StarWars.com
Crimson Dawn is a unique faction in that their center of power is mobile, a huge starship capable of landing on a planet. However, in Outlaws, they might have a major foothold on the planet Akiva, a world rarely seen or discussed in most press materials which instead focus on Tatooine or Toshara. But, we can also see in that same coverage that the Dawn seems to be muscling in on the territory of both the Ashiga Clan on Kijimi and the Pyke Syndicate on Toshara, which makes perfect sense as a newly returned criminal faction looking to intimidate and not get pushed around.
Conclusion
Is Crimson Dawn the right pick for players to support? For many who know their lore from the comics, or who enjoyed Solo, the answer will likely be yes. They have a great aesthetic, and their goals are broadly noble, even if they are shrouded at this current moment, both in the violence of expansion and by Qi’ra’s plans not having come to fruition. But players should not be blinded by those details. Kay will need to navigate relationships with three other syndicates, and Crimson Dawn’s plots and possible antagonisms might make life tough for Kay if she double-crosses the other factions one too many times.
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Source(s): Star Wars: Crimson Climb helps us out
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