Am I Dreaming? [Primeval dominion of Sernpidal]

[Ue-‘Kuo-‘Koe’c’cu-Eou]

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

The stars continued to shine and sparkle like lights of a distant dwelling-place. Odd, though, that there were no others of his kind. Where were all they? Why did they not join to see the dew on the leaves?

Wait...

Rumbling. There was a rumbling. A deep, trembling rumble which journeyed up through the ground and entered his very core. The skies above changed, becoming less serene. The whole scene changed, and with it Ue-'Kuo's sense of peacefulness.

The alien sat up, alarmed. He watched as the stars fell like burning fabric from the sky, paper for kindling. And then he, too, fell.

He fell, and fell, but felt nothing.

And then, blackness, comforting, encompassing darkness, swallowed him whole. Ue-'Kuo floated, and the sense of wrongness subsided. Here was the best place to be, the most familiar.

But the darkness was not to last. Like being pulled out of the water, the alien was thrust out of his comfort zone and was once again falling, only this time he was nowhere pleasant.

He collapsed through a roof, and landed on the floor of....somewhere. He knew not where he was, only that it was not where he wanted to be. "No!" he cried, unaware that his tongue, in this interconnected dream world, was no longer his own -- he understood all, and all would understand him.

"No! Take me back! Oh, my ancestors! Take me back home! Take me back to the Undying Darkness!" HIs mouth was open in anguish, calling for remittance to the prior. In his crying, though, he did not notice the other being in the room.

His Master.

Spoiler

Ok, Anja, let me know if I have to change anything and I'll try to get to it as quickly as possible!

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

https://soundcloud.com/deep-records/hans-zimmer-time

​

Today I pass on,​

​

I have lived,​

A long and full life,​

Some of it had been pain,​

Though most of it had been joy,​

I came from the broken,​

A galaxy asunder,​

But I find,​

Peace.​

​

I had never imagined it would be this way,​

This strange ideal of complete and utter tranquility at the end of this long journey.​

My life had not been an entirely entitled or happy one despite what most would say about the ruler of a planet,​

Though their perception of me is wrong in thinking that I am the ruler of anyone beyond my own fate,​

Yet even that is an elaborate and difficult lie to explain that I myself have difficulties amending to,​

Though my struggles with understanding are over as the brightness of the unifying force,​

Fills my body with that strange ephemeral feeling that only the privileged few,​

Shall ever taste in all the history of the universe,​

The sense of identity and fulfillment,​

A commodity not oft come by,​

That few possess at,​

The end of life.​

​

But it would seem that through my life of a century and twenty seven years,​

An entire century dedicated to my sole uninterrupted regency among the poor vulnerable isolated populace,​

The prowess of my complete and comprehensive knowledge in the art of healing as my wife had told me I knew from within,​

And through the simple actions that I had lead throughout life as a bastion of light to those who needed it most in their darkest hour,​

My identity as an everlasting Jedi was nearly assured to me through the slow gradual process of my own terminal expiration,​

I needed no guidance in this ancient and historic feat as the process only came natural to me in my deep meditation,​

My mind had been opened and cleared to the will of the force for the better part of the last decade prior,​

My body fully attuned the presence of nature and life thriving all around me in a living envelope,​

My spirit had been connected to each living particle within the air and the earth,​

Before the final decay and failing of my mortal coil,​

I had in essence become one,​

With the force...​

But it was...​

​

​

A lie​

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Location: Sernpidal[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Elias Truden"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][2/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]One of the sides of the room was entirely transparent granting a spectacular view of Eridium Industrial and Iron Crown’s efforts in the construction of the spaceport above Sernpidal, it had taken them a while but eventually Saiba Group had managed to create a design for an easy-to-fabricate spaceport annex station that could be constructed on the spot.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]This had the big advantage that it wouldn’t take many a month to build, they wouldn’t need to stall their efforts of bringing civilization to the worlds they were attempting to uplift and that meant that costs could be cut and cash would flow easily.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Truden.” Irani simply said, greeting his associate. Saiba Security Solution personnel were lining the walls, no expression made apparent from the opaque visors of their helmets. Elias would get the feeling he was being watched by more than one pair of eyes though.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Darell didn’t turn around, those blue cybernetics still pondering on what was being built underneath them, so much effort for the Primeval, they were an interesting bunch. Reminded him of the old days of the Fringe, a horde of barbarians.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“How are you settling in here?” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Question would be asked after a few more moments passed.[/SIZE]

 

[Asher]

Location: Sernpidal
Allies: [member="Darell Irani"]
[2/10]

I looked to the viewport and feast my eyes on the construction site. Didn’t really know what to say, the man had called me for something and he knew better than to do it simply to waste my time. Perhaps I was imagining things but I swear it felt like I was at a podium. Just had to wait for the crowd to fade from black in front of me. All the questioning looks and yet nobody was there.

“Settling in just fine. Had a hard time getting used to the new scenery but it’s... Settling.”

Because nothing warmed my spirit like zealots and fake gods. I kept shut about it, in truth I never really felt as much at home here as I did on Annaj, but unlike Annaj I had only lived her for the shortest of whiles.

“Why?”

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Location: Sernpidal[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Elias Truden"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][3/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Just looking out for my star associate.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It wasn’t particularly clear if Irani was making a joke or if he was serious about it, but his back was still directed towards Elias and so it would be hard to judge the man’s intent. No facial expressions to go off from and all that, eventually the businessman would wave him to stand next to him and waited until that happened.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Head turned slightly, eyes on Elias. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Iron Crown Enterprise has grown since we took over.” [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]perhaps it hadn’t been all Truden’s work, but that was besides the point, really. One had to take any praise he could get in a world such as this one, enjoy the little moments.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Eyes returned back to the construction site. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“But the Fringe Confederation’s collapse is a setback, not a crucial one. We are already resettling on nearby clusters with the support of the Remnants.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Ovmar had brought over the entire Navy and Armies of the Fringe, protecting the citizens of the collapsing Confederation, and was building up a new [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]nation[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] underneath the Primeval. There was tension all around the place, but Irani knew one simply thing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Profit was always to be had.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“What did you think of Danger Arceneau?” the switch of subject could throw him off guard, or perhaps it wouldn’t. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The fact that Irani knew shouldn’t be a surprise to Elias, Darell knew everything.[/SIZE]

 

[Asher]

Location: Sernpidal
Allies: [member="Darell Irani"]
[3/10]

Star associate, sure, I was willing to take it as well as the comment on Iron Crown’s recent success despite the fact that I merely felt like an administrator of sorts. After all, in the end the real profits went to Mister Irani. That was not to say I didn’t enjoy pay as much as he did, he merely got what I didn’t need according to his board. Which still was enough to supply me with a life of luxury unlike that of which I’d had before.

“Arceneau?” I arched my brow. “Nice lady, likes to ask questions.”

I left out the parts about good looks and that she brought me into a state of terror like if it was nothing. Most of it felt kind of obvious. Still, it left me thinking twice about what kind of moves I made in the future. As unprepared as I was the meeting still left me far less burned than I had expected. At least from Arceneau herself.

“I can see why some would call her the trade queen, sure.”

I didn’t like where this was going.

“But still, once again, why?”

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Location: Sernpidal[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Elias Truden"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][4/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Hmm, nice lady indeed.” Irani would remark, pursuing his lips in thought. In truth Danger Arceneau was exactly what she needed to be depending on what the situation needed from her, oh Darell wouldn’t ever claim that Arceneau didn’t have a heart of gold somewhere ticking there.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But that heart of gold was ignored pointedly whenever business was on the line.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]That ain’t no judgement call, of course. Irani was probably even worse than her, at least she cared for the lives of the innocent, the refugees and the poor, Darell only saw all of it in numbers. Not that he would ever make that known.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Bad for business, that PR.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“She is making waves, the Maladi-class… hmm. It’s probably nothing, and I doubt the Sith will be stupid enough to go to war with her over it.” a pointed look. “I am currently entertaining a business proposition from them.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A shrug, he was always entertaining business propositions. That was what Darell was all about, playing the angles and searching for maximum profit outputs whenever possible. But this could be a big one… or it could ruin Iron Crown, which way it was? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Only the Force could know.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“They wish to buy Iron Crown Enterprises from me.”[/SIZE]

 

[Asher]

[ SERNPIDAL ]
[ [member="Darell Irani"] ]
[ POST 4/10 ]

My eyes set on Mister Irani in surprise. The Sith wanted our company. Last time I was part of a company looking to take part of the credit cake that was the One Sith’s money they all ended up filthy rich. I knew about the money and I knew about the risks. I was hardly material for a man looking to bargain with what quite possibly could be the devil.

Much less so because of what they did.

“The sith.” I couldn’t help letting my skepticism play into it. “The One Sith.”

It felt wrong of me to even say it. They killed my sister, they tore the bonds of my family apart and they were the ones who caused me to leave. All for the sake of credits and the ability to practically swim in it, or perhaps it was loyalty to the cause? Did I really want to know? Probably not, but the biggest irk was just that. Kana.

“Kana...” I whispered. “I don’t know.”

She had caused me to drop that life once before but that was more than twelve years ago. Perhaps it was just time to let go.

“Maybe.”

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Location: Sernpidal[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Elias Truden"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][5/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Irani would let Elias brood on it for a while, before coming over and putting a hand on Truden’s shoulder in a sign of support. He pinched it a little bit to hit the message home and then gave the young man a nod of understanding.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Of course he knew about Kana, he realized what this would mean for Elias. But?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Never let your personal feelings cloud your judgement, Elias.” the Irani would say with that warm voice of his, there was confidence in that voice, a feeling of [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]knowledge[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px], of a man who knew exactly what he was doing. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Who saw the true path and tried to guide others onto it too.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“This is a good opportunity for Iron Crown, if it happens? I will make sure that you get to keep your position as CEO.” his shoulder was released and Irani returned to watching the construction efforts beneath them. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“It’s your choice, Kimberly. Past or future, which one is it going to be?”[/SIZE]

 

[Asher]

[ Sernpidal ]
[ [member="Darell Irani"] ]
[ Post 5/20 ]

I probably didn’t want to admit it, but the hand helped even if it was just to remind me of what and where I was. I was Elias Truden, CEO of Iron Crown Enterprises. Rumored puppet of Darell Irani and Tyrel Holdings. I didn’t really mind it, and in reality the man truly did alleviate a lot of the burdens off of my shoulders. After all, it was all about teamwork! Synergy!

I let the buzzwords run for a while.

“The future.” I exhaled. “Keep the past where it belongs and look forward.”

Not that I truly looked forward to my potential homecoming. The awkwardness of a family reunion would hardly be able to be measured by mere mortal instruments. To leave in a storm proclaiming that the credits had made them even more horrible people only to take the mantle of the one of the One Sith’s big corporations wasn’t exactly a good way to go about things.

Still, perhaps they would applaud the hypocrisy. They were weird like that.

“I'll follow through with this. Is there anything you need me to do?”

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Location: Sernpidal[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Elias Truden"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][6/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Not particularly, no.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]There wasn’t really anything that Elias had to do himself, Irani would have a last talk with [member="Reverance"] and from there they could get the ball rolling. Iron Crown would start producing for the Sith and would gain a multitute of contracts that used to be owned by Titan.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]And Irani earned a lot of money with the sale.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]In the end Elias would be a benefactor in the deal too, he would get to stay as the CEO and more importantly earn even more money with the flux of contracts and products streaming in and out of the corporation.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“You will primarily deal with Darth Carach, one of the Voices of the Dark Lord. He is one of my more… [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]reliable[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] contacts within the Sith.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The irony of the statement would only be known to him.[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But the fact of the matter was that only a few men and women in the Sith were truly people you could rely on, Xiangu, Vrag, Reverance, there weren’t really a lot of those kind of people. People that knew the value of your word. People that could be trusted to a certain degree.[/SIZE]

 

[Orkamaat]

[4/20]​

​

​

'Twas a curious place where they'd found themselves, and where most people would long to get away as quickly as they possibly could, Orkamaat felt quite comfortable in the embrace of the sorcery, more fascinated than anything else. When you got to be his age, hardly anything could unsettle you anymore, least of all a magic trap woven into the fabric of some ancient object. Rather trifling, all things considered.

This would be his sentiment on the matter, at least, were he aware of the fact that he was caught in the lattice of the unholy spell. As it was, the man was still quite comfortable studying his collection of antediluvian tomes in a remarkably well-crafted replica of a library he used to possess. Had he been in his right mind, the priest would have realized that something wasn't quite right — how could he be here, in his most beloved of places, when that had been destroyed so many millennia ago? — but he wasn't, and so the half-man was left to enjoy the annihilated opus for one last time in its full glory. Ah, the pleasures forgotten by time.

His thin form easily hid amid the flickering shadows, wiry and tall like the pillars supporting the towering structure. The ceiling disappeared into the umbrage somewhere high above, devoured by the shades of gray along with the towering bookshelves bustling with scriptae and books collected over the many centuries of his existence.

Spidery fingers turned yet another page, frail and nigh-translucent with age, the scrawl across the thin paper almost unreadable at this point. The twin orbs of fire strained little despite the failing light of a candle upon the desk beside him, his body as cool as the leather of the seat upon which the anzat was situated.

If someone were to come by, they wouldn't be at fault if they thought Orkamaat to be merely another tasteful piece of furniture in the room, for that is how still and unmoving the man remained.

One could almost say that he seemed… dead.

 

[Asher]

[ SERNPIDAL ]
[ [member="Darell Irani"] ]
[ POST 6/10 ]

No paperwork, nothing. It felt a bit too easy like if slipping into a contract with the One Sith was a task done with leisure as if out for a stroll. No, there must be something I wasn’t aware of yet but it wasn’t exactly like it mattered, with time I would find either a nightmare or an unpleasant surprise knocking on my front door. Of that I had no doubt.

“So I’ll just leave it all to you then.” I looked at Darell. “Let you and this Darth Carach figure it all out while I do whatever it is that you expect me to do.”

I had absolutely no idea what it might be, but with the Sith I didn’t really want to know lest I suffered the same fate as my sister. I’d simply let fate play this one out for me. Which of course in reality was the nice way to say I was too terrified of the alternatives to really give them much thought.

“If that was all I’ll go ready myself for a homecoming then, Mister Irani. Wouldn't want the family to get the wrong impression when I step through their great pearly gates once more, would I?”

Oh it was going to suck. I already knew it.

 

[Boethiah]

The sudden cries and pleas startled Anja as a mysterious figure suddenly appeared in her room. The bizarre had managed to get stranger, the Umbaran turned her head to see who it was and when she saw the being she immediately sparked what seemed like a distant memory. It was the creature that had been found on Bastion.

"What are you --," she paused in the uselessness of her words. "Never mind, we need to get out of here." There wasn't necessarily a need for haste but everything around them has not exactly been what she could describe as normal. However; the dream-like state she's in prevented her from seeing through the total insanity of the events transpiring but despite this she began to feel suspicious. Knowing something wasn't right, Anja proceeded down the hall and headed out an old door. There she noticed that no one was around, all those guests and soldiers from earlier were missing as if they vanished into thin air. As far as she knew they probably did, looking back at the structure she noticed pieces were missing. Some floated in the air, others had vanished entirely, and the many aspects of the structure seemed to defy physics as they stood still and in place without fault.

Turning back towards the path that lie ahead she walked through the grass which felt oddly numb on her feet as if the comfort was trying to be real. Having had enough of the oddities, Anja tried to ignore what she felt as she marched onward towards whatever uncertainty existed out there.

[member="Ue-‘Kuo-‘Koe’c’cu-Eou"]

 

[Ue-‘Kuo-‘Koe’c’cu-Eou]

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

If he had eyes, Ue-'Kuo would have blinked.

And then blinked again.

For he, through some surreal impossibility, he could see the being. He could see her -- see the Witch, the creature who'd turned his world upside down for the worse.

But that wasn't all -- he could understand her, too. Quite perfectly, actually.

What....? Am I...is this a dream? A false world? How can I sense these...these... He struggled with the perfect word to describe what, exactly, was happening. For though he had no eyes, he could see the individual in front of him. Though he was largely unversed in the unfamiliar tongue, he could understand her as easily as if she were speaking his.

Scrambling up, Ue-'Kuo let out a moan and hurried to the Witch. "I see you!" the alien exclaimed. "I see you! I see...this! I understand you!" He waved his hands in exasperation. "This is completely out of the ordinary! None of this is supposed to be happening! Where is the darkness, the wonderful darkness?!"

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

https://soundcloud.com/mikerubinomusic/40-truth-lies-orchestral-xrd​

​

​

Seventeen Years,​

That's how long it took.​

I watched him grow into his role,​

A protector growing in strength and power,​

Though he was already a man,​

I granted him guidance,​

Where necessary.​

​

Thirteen Years,​

That's how long it took for me to realize there was a danger.​

As expected from a new ruler there were problems that I had left unresolved,​

Also as expected my successor and grandson picked up the pieces and tried to continue where I left,​

Some problems though were new ones that he would need to solve on his own,​

One problem though was simply beyond our comprehension.​

​

Fourteen Years,​

That's how long it took for me to realize there was a danger not only to my successor but to everything I worked for.​

I should not have underestimated the strength of a cult and its poisoning influences on the truly ambitious people of this world,​

I had been a healer of the Jedi forced into the role of a Jedi Lord to watch and to protect the world from all of its dangers but this lead to my gravest misestimation,​

I assumed that such a cult could not be stable in any sense of the word due to its dark origins and the instability inherent in it.​

​

Sixteen Years,​

That's how long it took for me to realize there was a danger not only to my successor but to everything I worked for and that there was nothing I could do to reverse what they had done to my lineage.​

​

Seventeen Years,​

That is when he died,​

He tried to bind me to his darkened soul,​

I had no other choice but to destroy him with what little power I had,​

In my grief I could do nothing but become him,​

My soul in a sense had died right then.​

​

Peace was a lie.​

 

[Armand Temi]

8/20

The promise of getting her innocence back was enticing. Why this sudden need for redemption, thought Perla? It wasn’t as if she normally felt guilty over her actions. Nor did she feel particularly loyal except maybe to the Host Lord.

But she knew deep inside this nagging feeling remained because she had killed someone so young. Even though she was a mere child herself, she still carried this huge burden of guilt. For her selfish pursuit of with Sith magic with reckless experimentation. And not listening to the Clan Elders as she was supposed to have done.

But back to the cave. She entered this cavern like many beforehand, slowly and giving her eyes time to adjust to the dark. She walked forward, feeling her way along the walls. Eventually the Dathomir witch lost track of time. It could have been a minute. An hour could have passed, but she was finally in a large open space inside the cavern still. Light seeped through crevices in the walls, and an ear splitting screech could be heard. She ducked down as hundreds of bats swooped down on her, just above her black hair and then flew back up to their perch at the top of the cave ceiling.

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Location: Sernpidal, Hyperspace[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Catalys Maijora"] | [member="Dakita Calfur"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][01/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Wild Space.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It was a new frontier for the enterprising souls, worlds that had never been explored before, hundreds of thousands of star systems just… [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]laying[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] there and waiting to be cracked open by those that simply had enough heart to make it so.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Khal couldn’t really be called alongside those type of folk.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]All duster, gruff and steal. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Attitude[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] coming out of the wazoo, or at least the implication of such that made those that didn’t know him well… well… keep a little bit of distance between them. Which incidentally was exactly the point of the exercise, so there weren’t no tears spent for that particular development.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Ya thought about my offer yet, Dak?” the Underlord would say over his datapad, currently lounging in one of the sofas that had been placed inside the little cozy hangar of his ship. They were here together with Catalys and her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Doing what?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Expansion, not necessarily to Sernpidal. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It didn’t really have much in the way of expansionary pulling-factors, but it would be a good base of operations for the [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]true[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] operations that were around the system. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Gotta do what ya gotta do. [/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

Returning to Primeval space... Catalys couldn't help but look back to the state of affairs outside in the rest of the galaxy, his time with Khaleel has been tiresome yet there was a reward in it, something he rather enjoyed. The agent of The Primeval leaned up against the metallic wall, listening to the conversation between the two. The Umbaran had begun to trust the Underlord more and more with each passing day, their journey together had been a chain of events too fantastic for most men to believe.

Pushing himself off of the wall, he walked towards the viewport and stared off into hyperspace... Supposedly it wasn't good for you, he wondered why.

As for Khaleel and his new friend, Catalys mostly ignored them for the time being. Their affairs were none of his business until they were, and up here in the metal coffin he had nothing to offer except maybe a few words of wisdom when it came to capturing a Jedi or holding a space station hostage. Their destination was Sernpidal, a complicated world once ruled by the Vong -- their presence lingered still.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"] | [member="Dakita Calfur"]

 

[Armand Temi]

9/10

Perla then heard a hissing noise, which sounded like a snake but there was a certain timbre to the sound. This was no ordinary reptile, alligator or other such cave creature. She knew that like Mother Zivka said, her old adversary was making this inhuman noise.

Sisqa. Smoke demon.

A powerful female sisqa that some would categorize as a succubus. Others would say there was no seduction or trace of human in the inky black form which began to materialize in front of Perla. She shivered with fear and coldness. Today she had not summoned it using the Dwomutsiqsa. But she had so many years ago the night she killed Manju’s daughter. The demon had absorbed the child, had turned her into a black smoke and made her disappear.

The irony of the situation was that a smoke demon assumed the victim’s worst fear upon being summoned. The illusion currently was also playing upon Perla’s worst fear by providing comfort. Therefore Perla was caught in a heady trance between an inexplicable feeling of soothing relief and pure terror at the black, misty female form.