Awakening

[Adron Malvern]

Planet: Illyria, Outer-Rim​

Location: Sith Temple​

Time: Late Night​

Tags: [member="Kruel Zing"]​

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~~~~~​

Darkness fell over the mysterious planet of Illyria. It had been weeks since Adron and [member="Alessandra Creed"] had found themselves stranded in the lush jungles of the mainland. Since their discover of the Sith temple and the cult of darkness the young Sith Lord had devoted a good deal of his spare time to the hidden world. It held more resources than he could count, lumber, irons, a variety of wild life, however it's greatest boon was the temple dedicated to the ancient Sith Lord, Kruel Zing. Adron had bent and shaped the cult of darkness to his whims and taken the world for his own, yet he had yet to explore the mysteries of their sacred temple.

The halls that surrounded him were made of an eerie material that looked to be Obsidian, however it was far too dense to be mere volcanic glass. Engraved in the walls were large defined runes that ran from one hall to the next. As he walked down the dimly lit halls Adron was sure the runes were twisting and quaking at his presence.

The Dark Side of the Force was thick within the temple. So much so that it covered Adron in an icy aura that reached into his center. He felt....empty, yet fulfilled. Where the quirks of his humanity felt washed away there was endless power replacing it. His footsteps came to a stop as he inhaled deeply, taking in the strange feeling. The sensations of drowning and flying were flooding over him in a mass that caused his heart to beat against his chest.

Running a hand over the top of his head Adron quickly composed himself. Rather than bearing the weight of the temple he would draw the power inside of him and allow it to feed his own connection with The Force. He looked to the glassy wall beside him and in the reflection he could see his crystal blue eyes had quickly become overrun with the crimson corruption of the Dark Side. He smirked at the sight before looking down the halls before him. He could sense something drawing closer, something far more powerful than he imagined would be in this temple.

He continued down the hall with a noticeable air of confidence. He was sure whatever was held the depths of this structure could serve his plans well. Finally the halls led to a singular point. By the way so many of the corridors opened to this one door it was obvious this was the main focus of the catacombs.

The door that Adron peered at was not made of the same glassy material. Instead a thick foggy stone was embedded in his path. It was covered in the same vague runes that Adron had seen through out the halls and just like them they moved in odd shifts and swirls as he grew closer.

The Dark Side is the Key. A grim voice echoed through his mind causing Adron to glance around for the briefest of moments. It was becoming obvious that something was guiding him down this path. He pressed his hand against the stone and immediately felt a burning sensation flow through his arm. It felt as if a fire had erupted from his hand to his shoulder however he could not part his arm from the door. The pain threatened to rush through the rest of his body and Adron winced while sweat began to well over his brow. Finally he grunted and lashed out with The Force as if trying to turn the pain back where it had come from. In an instant the pain stopped and Adron drew his hand back. His hand was red and the palm had been painfully burnt where one of the runes seemed to have imprinted itself on his hand by burning itself into his flesh. The soft stinging from the burn subsided as the stone doors slowly parted.

The loud rumbling that occurred was accompanied by the view of a single dome chamber. The obsidian halls flowed into the chamber yet the runes within were glowing a deep shade of crimson. Adron narrowed his eyes at the thick fog that danced over the floor while glancing back to his stinging hand.

"Isn't this interesting." He muttered, almost smugly before stepping foot into the chambers. The fog below him began to rush and twist, fleeing from him as he approached. He arched a brow yet it was not at the bizarre fog. In the center of the room was a stone pedestal which was home to a single crystal pyramid. That was what the temple had been protecting this whole time. A holocron. A smile spread over Adron's lips as he peered into the crimson device across the room.

Perfect.

 

[Kruel Zing]

Location: Illyria, Sith Temple
Tags: [member="Adron Malvern"]


It had been decades, perhaps centuries since the temple devoted to Kruel Zing had last been invaded, an attempt made by some hopefuls that they’d find great power awaiting them, perhaps knowledge that had been secreted away from the prying eyes of the Sith and Jedi. Instead all they’d been welcomed by was death, only those truly devoted to the Dark, Masters of it could navigate the vast array of halls that spread throughout the catacombs. Some leading to dead ends trapping individuals for an eternity and others to traps that swiftly dealt death upon the intruders.

From the moment Adron had entered the temple his presence had been known, his power evident and thus allowing him passage unimpeded, even the worshipers of Kruel that protected the temple didn’t impede his path. They revered the temple never daring to enter and risk the possibility of ruining their Lords slumber. All aware of his demise that took place on the planet of Atrisia, yet many still held hope that one faithful day he’d return. Deliver them once more to a true age of the Dark. Many of the individuals being the descendants of long dead Sith apprentices.

As Adron entered the central chamber the thick fog pulled away from him, drawing back to the foot of the pedestal that bore the crimson pyramid. All across the surface gold could be seen inlayed with the metals that formed the ancient device. The air temperature in the chamber suddenly dipped far below what was natural, to the point where one’s breath was visible. The fog turned into a mist, a mist that began to spin and twirl at the base of the pedestal. The dark power that Adron had once fed on began to grow, with each second it reached a new pinnacle to where the temple itself felt as though it were a nexus in and of itself. Throughout all this Adron would hear a faint ticking, similar to a clockwork device. The pyramid was moving, shifting.

The tip of the pyramidal object began to spin slowly, with each movement punctuated by a obnoxious click. Rising up, raised by nothing more than the ethereal energy of the force the tip rose up to nearly reaching the ceiling. The walls of the pyramid slowly lowering themselves to the side. Throughout all this Adron would feel a presence fill the temple, one besides his own. The blood-shine crystal that sat at the center of the pyramid put off a magnificent sheen that grew into an extravagant glow.

Above the pyramid a form took shape, the mist dispersing to the far corners of the room as the figure revealed himself. A hulking monstrosity of an individual, even as an apparition it towered over Adron. Eyes glowing a vibrant blue. The large head turned to Adron the eyes locking onto his figure. “I am Kruel Zing, Darth Ambroscus to some, the ancient devourer, who dares summon me?” The artificial voice boomed outwards reverberating off the walls of the chamber. Arms crossing over the large barrel chest, the ancient Sith looked down on his visitor. Many holocrons did carry a hint of power that their creators once possessed but this one was far more potent, it radiated power. The cold energy of the dark reaching out taking in Adron's own.

 

[Adron Malvern]

The Dark Side of the Force moved around the room absent Adron's command. It could mean only one thing, that The Force was being influenced by another being. Adron could feel a powerful feeling fill the room from wall to wall, a deep hunger that threatened to never be sated regardless of who it consumed. A person, a city, this hunger could very well consume an entire world. As the Holocron reacted to Adron's presence the man crossed his arms over his chest silently. He watched the chaotic display with a unique interest that rarely blessed his features. Once the strange mist began to twist and swirl away from the pyramid and to the far corners of the room he could see the being the Holocron had produced.

Darth Ambroscus. A Sith of the past who was known to have significant power. There were few Sith worth their salt who did not know of the monster, Kruel Zing. Adron's eyes fell over the near reptilic features of the Dashade and stared intently. His voice boomed through the room and commanded attention and more importantly, an answer. For a moment Adron was unmoving and silent, his near crimson eyes never turning from the beast before him.

Dashades. They were a staggering species to begin with, yet the one before Adron was something far more. He could feel The Dark Side radiating off the creature and it was staggering. His eyes glanced down to the holocron before him and he realized this should be impossible. Most Holocrons had a gatekeeper imprinted on them that was a reflection of their maker, but this was something more. "I am Darth Malphas. One of the few true Sith remaining in the galaxy." He said, his eyes staring at the being intently. "I want your power." He proclaimed.

[member="Kruel Zing"]

 

[Kruel Zing]

The death that had consumed Kruel had been far from pleasant, his being torn asunder due to his sacrifice, his personality scattered across the depths of the Nether. Yet the remnant of his being he’d left within the holocron was enough to bring most of the being back. The incorporeal form matched what his body had once been, an aged individual, one that had seen every war from before the time of even Exar Kun’s. Features racked with darkside degradation it was obvious how much Kruel had delved into the teachings and studies of the dark.

As the individual claimed to be a true sith, a single brow on the Dashade raised and in an instant his incorporeal being shifted. Vanishing from where it had once hovered above the pedestal to standing before Adron. The Dashade noted how Adron had denoted himself as a true Sith, effectively alienating many of the others in the galaxy. A hint of a grin touched the Dashade’s lips. It appeared odd on the face of such a being, but any who truly knew the history of the Dashade would know he was also calm, patient and had a sense of humor. “Many have claimed to be true Sith, many have also forgotten the Sith’s place in the galaxy.” Eyes changing from the spectral blue to an intense crimson, Kruel’s voice raised hints of rage and righteousness behind his words. “Too many wish to coexist, only the strong survive, they kneel to a single individual instead of striving to dethrone him… The Sith have grown weak! Even when I allied myself with Mepherium I eventually planned to strike against him.”

The hate Kruel bore for many of the current day Sith was evident in his being. Sith who bent the knee and tried to peacefully coexist with one another were no better than the Jedi. “You claim to be a true Sith yet tell me little one, what sacrifices have you made to get this far? Do you know what it means to be a Sith beyond just the code? Beyond wielding the force?” The next instant the Dashade vanished reappearing above the open holocron.

“The force is so much more than what we think, so much more than us feeding it with hate, anger, passion, it can be driven by more… The Sith could always be more if they sought to understand the force truly. If you truly wish for my power answer those questions wisely.”

Around the two the temple began to shake the sound of shifting stone evident. Dust fell from the ceiling and from behind Adron deeper in the temple a chorus of screeches followed by rampant footfalls could be heard. A small project Kruel and his ally Nulgath had once worked on. “Best hurry.”

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

It was not until the Dashade showed the faint hint of a grin that Adron's own expression soured. Did this thing believe this was a joke? Something posed for amusement. His eyes narrowed at the Dark Lord. The grip he had on his bicep tightened as his own anger sparked, threatening to erupt into a raging inferno. The Dark Side was prompting him to lash out, destroy but he knew better than to give in to his whims. Only a child struck out in blind anger. Instead he tilted his head ever so slightly to the side as the Dashade spoke once again. Kruel spoke of another Sith Lord who had met his end on Atrisia, Mepherium. The elder to that intolerant man Cedric Grayson. Even the thought of him continued to raise Adron's already heightened ire.

"People are stepping stones." He explained as he eyed the Dashade carefully. As his anger was rising he was still wary of setting the nerves of this Sith Lord. Death was nothing to the Dark Side, this being was still a powerful entity in his own right.

The Dashade spoke of sacrifice and Adron sneered. He knew the word well. It had been engraved on him since the moment he was named the heir to his House. Yet what did this creature know of sacrifice? His hardships that brought him to this point? In the next moment Adron realized it knew nothing, nor did it care. Nor should he care, at least he should not dwell.

His expression grew solemn as he held a hand up in the air, as if uplifting something. "My family once ruled Serenno. We brought them wealth and power." His hand was quickly closed into a tight fist. "For our sacrifice we were betrayed. Almost my entire family was slaughtered and I survived through dumb luck. That was when I learned the cost of weakness." He said meaningfully. "I've been stabbed, beaten, burned, drowned, poisoned, and nearly beheaded. Adron began to unbutton the top buttons of his lapel as he spoke. "I learned from that to trust no one. All beings exist for only one reason." Removing the final button Adron pulled the shirt off to reveal his scarred torso. It was a tale of battle and pain, but most importantly it was a reminder to the man, of his greatest lesson.

"I learned that sacrifice is not only for you. All will sacrifice so that my vision will be achieved. I realized that when I took the head of my friend. He was an obstacle to my vision so his sacrifice was clear. What I learned is that all beings, all people, all allies, even this miserable galaxy exists only to advance my vision in The Dark Side. With their sacrifice I will transcend the barriers we foolishly put on ourselves. With it I will kill Carnifex and the rest of his Sith pretenders and once they are dead I will use my power to learn every mystery of The Force. I will truly become a Sith Master."

[member="Kruel Zing"]

 

[Kruel Zing]

As Adron began to speak of his trials the Dashade listened, the ethereal glow of his being continuing to cast a dim light in the chamber. All the while the howls and screeches grew louder, came closer. In truth this seemed to be an individual that despite their short time of living had experienced more than individuals that were centuries old. A part of the Dashade admired this, another part pitied Adron. For what he could’ve been if not left such a scarred and broken individual. Such was the way of the dark, it devoured, it claimed, and in the end it always corrupted one. You could start down the path with the most noble of intentions, yet by the time you neared the end of your path you’d look in a mirror and would be unable to recognize yourself.

Raising his hand, the remnant of Kruel’s being summoned the force in the chamber, the doorway through which Adron had come closing. A stone slab sliding itself home and just outside the solid smacks of creatures driving headlong into the wall could be heard. The trickling of blood, the screeches as their beings were scorched by the heat of the door. “You have truly endured sacrifice, far greater than many Sith or Jedi that have come in millenia past. For while I may physically be only a few thousand years old, I’ve been alive for far longer. Preserving my physical form, I have seen the Rise of Exar Kun, the fall of Ulic. I have seen the devastation that the Bane line eventually wrought. You are truly worthy of the title of Sith.”

Though there was one statement that turned the small grin of Kruel into a wide, malicious smile. The statement that Adron sought to destroy Carnifex, and his lackeys. “If you’d said that from the beginning I would’ve gladly offered my knowledge. I once stood upon Atrisia with one named Prazitus, he fled the moment the Alliance showed up, like a coward.” The last word had a heavy emphasis put on it, the Dashade even hissing near the end.

“Step forward and claim what is rightfully yours, though be warned for my knowledge there is a cost.” Moving to the side of the pedestal Kruel ushered the young Sith Lord forward, how brightly he shined with potential. Perhaps greater than any Kruel had seen in recent years.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

Once Kruel said Adron was worthy of his title the young Sith nodded. He knew this to be true, and he had always known it. Perhaps even as a young Jedi he had suspected the Dark Side to be his true home, one would never know. However, he had not come here for confirmation or reinforcement, he came here because he needed the knowledge to make his vision a reality. Once Darth Prazitus was mentioned Adron scoffed at the name of his enemies greatest lap dog. “I've never had the displeasure of meeting Prazitus, but I do not need to meet him to know he is a fool.” He revealed. “All who blindly follow the Sith Emperor are fools.”

Kruel hinted to his knowledge and Adron quickly breached the gap between himself and the Holocron. “I lost everything. Now I will sacrifice anything to get it back.”

A hand was placed upon the Holocron and immediately Adron felt that same hot rush flow through him. Instead of his arm the pain flowed into his entire being. Even his presence in The Force quaked as the Dark Side bent him until he was threatening to break. The thick fog that had surrounded the podium appeared once again, this time swarming Adron and coating him in a thick wall of The Force.

Adron did not submit to this dark pain, instead he embraced it and took it within as if it had been intended for him. His voice carried throughout the temple in a pained call of vengeance and pain. He slammed his eyelids shut as his hand tightened around the Holocron. As soon as it had car it had left, the pain subsided yet somehow… It remained. He could feel it in the pit of his chest and it almost felt as if that inferno would return in any moment. His eyes opened once again and they had the most subtle hue to them, instead of a dark crimson corruption they were a faint purple.

“How...How do I consume the essence of another?” He asked, through a tired voice. While his hand was upon the Holocron some knowledge was imparted to him, this new ability was the first he had taken notice of.
[member="Kruel Zing"]