With the current battle of Malachor I felt like this would be an appropriate time to collect and sort all the lore I established over time:
The Free Cities of Malachor
General:
Governance: Formerly Anarchy/Crime. Currently Totalitarian (TRE)
Official Ruler: Formerly No One. Currently TRE
De facto Ruler: Formerly Darth Abyss. Currently TRE
Population: Around 1550000
Date of Founding: Unknown, estimated to be somewhere around 848 ABY
Despite being the most commonly used term, "The Free Cities of Malachor" is not an official name. In fact the Free Cities aren't officially part of the same political entity, or part of any political entity at all. Instead those independent settlements are bound by dependence and sympathy, as well as a level on general agreement on topics like law and governments. (See Economy for further information.)
Points of Interest:
The Cities:
-The Tainted City: The First of the Free Cities, and generally considered to be Malachors capital. A wild mix of various cultures, bringing together crime, art, invention and survival. Sometime referred as the city of the Unchained, its know for the strong will of its inhabitants who first defied the endless wastelands of the world. (Click link for more Information)
-The Spheres of Ash: The main hub for tourists on Malachor. While the dead world has little to offer to outsiders otherwise, the various clubs, bars and casinos continue to draw the rich and wealthy from all around the galaxy. Split in two, the lower city is under the control of free slaves, while the upper city is home to Malachor's elite. (Click link for more Information)
-The Blessing: Also known as Genesis, the Blessing is the first attempt to therefore Malachor into an actual livable world. With both surface and underground projects to grow various plants as well as water purification the Blessing is the least violent and most welcoming of the Free Cities. (Click link for more Information)
-Firewall: A city of cyborgs, Free Droids and general tech addicts, Firewall is the main center for all technology originating from Malachor. Known for a network that links the whole city together, allowing the inhabitants to interact in a virtual reality. (Click link for more Information)
Other:
-The Floating Market: The main trade hub of Malachor. Formerly a gigantic battleship of the One Sith fleet, the wreck has been repurposed into a shadowport orbiting Malachor. Most outside trade is conducted from there. (Click link for more Information)
-The Abyss Academy: The first structure ever build by Abyss and his organization on Malachor. The Academy is a place for all students of the Darkness, be they sith, dark jedi or witches. (Click link for more Information)
Culture:
-General: Due to the mixed heritage of the People of Malachor many influences can be found which slowly melt together inside the cities. One thing the people of Malachor normally have in common is their status as outsiders, misfits and outcast, ranging from criminals, to political activists, over to morally flawed scientist, sith, witches and anyone else that has a certain distaste for laws and order.
-Art: Art can be found throughout all the free cities, and while pretty much any form, ranging from the common, to the unorthodox, to the down right weird can be found somewhere there a few forms that are considered to be both common and of Malachorian origin. These include various forms of street art and graffiti, as well as "Monumental Junk" a from of art in which junk and trash is repurposed into all kinds of structure and sculptures.
-Religion: Religion varies greatly in all of the cities. In the Spheres many can be found that believe in the old tales of the Twi'lek, in the Tainted city quite a few can be found that worship the dark side of the force in some way. Firewall is known to have a general lack of religion. Yet in all of the cities almost all common believes can be found,
-Symbols and Proverbs:
"The Prophet's Hand is endless." - Refers to Darth Abyss, the Prophet of Malachor. Often used as a threat towards outside forces.
"Kark of fascist scum." - A simple phrase turned symbol after the attack by the imperial Remnant. Often associated with the girl that first opened fire while shouting the same words. Object of various graffiti and streetart.
"The Day of the Free." - Malachors only (semi)official holiday, celebrating the victory over the Imperial Remnant
"The Black Flag" - The Banner of the Prophet
"... by Decree of the Prophet." - Originally used by Abyss when placing bounties, now a phrase often used jokingly ("Next round is on me, by degree of the Prophet.")
"The Hand." - The (metaphorical) hand of the Prophet. Object of much street art and graffiti, often seen holding Malachor
"The Iron Flower." - A monument in Firewall build for those fallen when the IR attacked. Composed out of the metal offered out of the People of firewall (including droid parts and used cybernetics), making an sacrifice to those that sacrificed their live. A part of Abyss old lightsaber hilt is part of it as well.
"Mark of the Prophet/The Prophet's Blessing." - Amulets that serve as symbol for those given power by the Prophet.
Economy:
The Free Cities have a quite complex system that keeps the individual cities from falling apart. The Floating market works as main hub from trade on and off world as well as mass production, making sure that the wares created or designed in Firewall and the other cities make it into the Galaxy. The Blessing is the main supplier for food and water around, buying its security from the other cities with those wares. The Spheres hold the most money, but also spend the most, thereby making sure that this money serves Malachor as a whole in the end. The Tainted City is less significant in any of these areas, offering a mix of all the other cities on less wide level.
Wealth is uneven on Malachor, people ranging from having absolutely nothing to the galaxy top 1000.
The Blessing is the city with the highest average wealth, but the Spheres hold far more wealthy individuals
Technology:
The People of Malachor are known to be able to make something out of nothing, which is the reason why most of their cities are composed out of the near infinite amount of scrap left by the ships that crashed down on the world. Without rules technology on Malachor can take up any form, even such that wouldn't find much praise in the civilized galaxy. Nothing is to uncommon, to simple or to complex to find a way to be utilized by the people of Malachor.
Groups and People:
-Darth Abyss/The Prophet - Founder and former Ruler of Malachor. While sometimes seen in the Free Cities, many still believe the illusive sith lord to be a myth or a made up figure used to control the Free Cities.
-The Tainted Chorus - Umbrella term for all groups working under the Prophet.
-The Tainted Legion: The main army of Malachor, composed out of volunteers. (Click link for more Information)
-The Swarm: The main naval forces of Malachor, composed out of smugglers, pirates and scavengers. (Click link for more Information)
-The Children of Korriban: A cult like drug and slave ring, Abyss main source of income. (Click link for more Information)
-Inner Eye: The Elite Agents of the Prophet. (Click link for more Information)
-The Free Spirits: Free Twi'lek slaves that control the lower city of the Spheres. Known for their peaceful protests and rallies.
-The Knights of Firewall: An anarchistic slicer collective that commonly targets totalitarian governments and megacooperations.
-The Purple Jewels: Remnants of the Hutt Cartel, operating in the Tainted City and the Spheres.
-The Brokers: A family that has kept their real identity secret, running multiple clubs and bars in all of the main cities. Most well known for their ownership of the Brokers in the Spheres.