Faction In Memoria

[Balun Dashiell]

Present Company: Lady Falentra .
Wearing: White Collar Suit, Lightsaber.

"Same old protocol, just conceal your presence and you should be fine. We could check out the carnival. I haven't been to many of those. Have fun. Hopefully win some prizes. Get something to eat, some drinks - I'm pretty sure they'd have something strong.

Then maybe, if you're up for it, we could go dance."

Balun Dashiell had spent more time among the Sith than most Lightsiders would dare. He had visited the dark world of Jutrand twice, alongside Aris Noble, even setting foot inside the foreboding Sith Academy together—a feat few Jedi would ever risk. His shared encounters with the Sith, especially those alongside his close friend Lady Falentra , only added to his unconventional path. His first relationship, with Cordelia Dimitte of House Marr, had also given him invaluable insight into maintaining anonymity among the Sith, a skill that allowed him to move quietly and undetected in their circles.

Balun's actions, to those strictly adhering to the Jedi Code, were more than enough to brand him a rogue—if not fallen—Jedi. And yet, he carried this label with an air of pride. He wasn't one to pick a fight without a solid reason, nor did he judge others unless absolutely necessary. His mastery of Altus Sopor had become second nature, allowing him to suppress his presence in the Force until he appeared as a mere Non-Force User. This ability helped him avoid drawing attention due to his Lightside affiliation, especially since he refused the title of Jedi, preferring to walk the line of neutrality. This stance was all the more important as he moved into the professional world, co-founding Dashiell Retrofit™, a venture that demanded careful balance in his dealings.

With a playful smirk, Balun entertained the thought of something far lighter: "You know what? The Carnival sounds awesome. I've never been to one, and I could certainly go for a drink." The prospect of alcohol was a rare indulgence for him—something he hadn't enjoyed in a while. In fact, most of his past drinking binges had been back on Maldra IV, away from prying eyes, where he could acquire liquor from soldiers more easily than suppliers. Now that he had recently turned eighteen, he could partake with a bit more freedom, and the idea of cutting loose at the Carnival felt like a perfect escape.

 

[Elise of House Marr]

Tags: Darth Malum of House Marr Sophia of House Marr

Gave him an apologetic shrug, hardly as closed off as either of her siblings here. Or maybe any of them really. She was exactly what she professed herself to be. Then raised a brow at the sneeze, "Bless you?" she offered with a mildly confused and amused look.

She almost felt a sort of insult for her sister at 'at least one of my sisters cares' but chuckled anyway. That was more her distaste for the expectations, not really anything to do with Malum, or even the words themselves. Just the general assumption of what they ought to be. Sophia's answer however drew a more clear smile, at least at first. It was the living, afterall, that they could still care about. And she could hold quite the agreement, he had accomplished quite a lot really. Seeking approval of those as long dead as Darth Marr, it just seemed weird.

"Can always use a good saber for something." she agreed as Sophia pointed out her offering was practical. She felt that very true, it was why she had two. One was for real war, and one was for when she didn't want to spray everyone in the vicinity with lava spatter. The second also made for entertainment at social gatherings if she felt like it, the real war saber caused too much damage for that.

"I couldn't agree more." Elise finished cheerily, then gave Malum another shrug and smile. Sophia, for all her visible adherence to their expectations, was really saying quite a bit that sat quite well with Elise.

She stepped further from the shrine, "The dead, unlike us, have plenty of time. Do we really need to spend all of ours at altars?" she prompted further, "Besides, if they have something to say, what took them so long?"

It wasn't her goal to necessarily insult Malum, nor the statue, but she couldn't help but admit to her skepticism. She felt, she provided something of value, if there was any use in such a ritual, surely one of the two of them provided something worthwhile. Short of human sacrafice, and she wasn't keen on that idea, nor did it feel in line with Darth marr's history either. So either they would get something, or they wouldn't. It was all the same to her, better to just move on until/if something happened. Spend less time with graves and more in living.

Spoiler: Equipment

Personal equipment:
Draika iv misina (Lava lightsaber)
Red lightsaber with sturdy hilt

 

[Lunaria Talon]

Tag: Soldane Talon | Matteo Guo-Yian
Alias: Artemis Dreadmoor
Wearing: School Uniform w/Red Cloak

Artemis felt the warmth of Matteo's hand lacing into hers, the gentle pressure anchoring her in a way she hadn't expected. His touch was steady and familiar, and she found a comfort she couldn't quite explain in that small, reassuring gesture. She glanced up at him, the metallic silver-blue of her eyes softening just a little, her guard lowering, but not fully. Not yet.

He easily brushed aside the encounter with the Lady of Shadows, with such certainty, as if it had just been a random and strange moment in their lives. Perhaps, that was true. But…Luna wasn't so sure. Everything about tonight felt heavier than usual. Almost, like she had been thrown into deep waters without knowing how to swim. Still, Matteo pulled her through it.

An unwitting lifeline.

She could feel his efforts to lighten her mood, to distract her from the gravity of what had just happened. If the great masters at Jutrand Academy heard of their insubordination there would no doubt be repercussions whether they'd intended to draw attention to themselves or not. The way her friend talked about the carnival made the Eternalist Cathedral feel like a distant storm cloud that was destined to float away. The accepting notion of a candy apple, of fairy floss, like they were just regular kids looking for a fun evening made her smile. Though, it was small and fleeting.

The pale child appreciated it, truly, but her mind still buzzed with the remnants of the Sith Lord's presence. The memory of her words lingering in the air…Like an unfinished thought.

Her senses felt…frayed. Echani tended to see things more clearly and Luna was no exception to that. Her mixed heritage meant that her senses weren't innately quite as keen as her mother's but that didn't mean she couldn't learn. Artemis just needed to try harder to understand the unspoken cues that every living being suffered. The movement of the crowd around them, the sharpness of the autumn air, the warmth of Matteo's hand in her own—It all seemed amplified, yet distant, as if she were half in the world and half out of it.

She looked up at her friend again, trying to ground herself in the here and now. He was taller than she was, and she found herself leaning up on her tiptoes to look around at the varying vendors. Her curiosity felt called out when he asked if she'd even been to a carnival before and her cheeks took on a pink hue while she ducked her head for a moment. "No…", she admitted, her voice still tinged with the seriousness of earlier…But it was lighter now.

"I haven't. We…Never left home. We were never allowed."

Artemis let herself be pulled along, her steps matching his as they weaved through the bustling crowd. The festive lights danced eerily around them, casting everything in a warm, almost surreal glow. She could hear the laughter, the music, the clatter of games being played, and for a few stolen moments, she felt her worries begin to fade. Her mind was still on high alert, every movement in her periphery causing her to glance over, scanning for danger…

But—She was trying. Trying, to let go. Even just a little. For him.

"Sometimes…I feel like…like I'm not enough, you know?"

She was terrible, apparently, at making light-hearted conversation. Her words were hesitant, unsure, but she spoke them anyway. "Like, no matter what I do, I'll always be in someone's shadow."

The admission was coupled with a shy smile, almost embarrassed by the admission. "But…Maybe I don't have to be. Maybe, being me is enough."

There was a pause, and then she added, with a hint of mischief creeping back in. "Besides…You know I can beat you at any carnival game, right?", her smile widened just a little, the shyness still there, but now wrapped in a playful challenge. Competition was something she understood so much more than the messy network of feelings she was desperately trying to navigate. It was also her way of lightening the moment—

She pivoted when she saw the candy apple vendor and tugged Matteo with her.

"My mom, she loves fairy floss…", the idle thought escaped her while they found a place in line and Luna kept leaning up to see what sort of apples they offered. They were heads and shoulders shorter than most of the bodies ahead of them. "Oooh…Candy or caramel?"

 

[Tamsin Graves]

Tags: Kaila Irons
Theme: Dance Macabre

---

Tamsin wasn't exactly sold on Kaila saying she was just fine, but she wasn't going to argue the point. History indeed, it seemed there was a lot of with how many shrines were present. Kaila's love for it meant Tamsin would learn a lot about the past, and she wanted to know it all if she could. There was so much she didn't know even about the more recent past, and there were millennia beyond that. So much history and from Kaila's words a lot of it was bloody and chaotic.

"I suppose it is a vast improvement, at least I didn't have to try and catch you. I would have been crushed." Tamsin said unfiltered but quickly apologized. "I am sorry that wasn't a fat joke….it was meant to mean our height difference." She motioned with her hand to describe their height difference like that would fix the situation.

But it seemed Kaila caught the meaning of the reference as she went into the history of Nyto and how to draw out the spirit. Tamsin looked at the still almost full cup of tea Kaila had used, an offering. It seemed even in the afterlife greed and ego drove ones will. Then she explained Nyto was nearly forgotten sith but she had discovered them and their secret. She talked of Darth Parasideus the other spirit that had showed itself, it was bound to her and bent to her will.

"So, these spirits they are inside of you now? Do they talk to you, how many do you have now?" She had a deeper question, but she wasn't sure if it was a stupid question. "What would happen if…well I don't know if they can but what if they merged together inside of you to make their will stronger?"

"Would it kill you like you said it could if it overpowered you?" It was an important question because if there was something like Kaila's spirit in her she wanted to know what might happen latter down the line even if they managed to bind it. Whatever it was, that was inside of her attached to her for whatever reason. "I wonder what I would have to offer to draw mine out. I don't know what it wants, and if it has been with me as long as I can remember why it hasn't tried to take any form of control over except when you saved me on Tatooine."

All answers Tamsin knew would come with time hopefully. Kaila was right, there wasn't a need to dwell on the what nots and what if's at the moment. "Alright tell me about some of the ones that inspired you." She looked up at Kaila concern still in her eyes.

 

[Lady Falentra]

“Right. Drinks first then.“ Falentra had not many opportunities for liquor, but with her turning 18 months ago - albeit within lightsworn custody, a drink must as well be mandated by now.

She couldn’t help but give a glance at her friend’s dashing outfit as they walked to the carnival bar, a smile playing on her lips. “I haven’t seen you look so dashing before. Careful, you might attract the attention of a sith girl or three with that. “ she commented.

The sith apprentice would put in her order, a bottle of Kashykk a popular alcoholic beverage she had heard about in a coruscant, she didn’t really know many others.

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Present Company: Lady Falentra .
Wearing: White Collar Suit, Lightsaber.

​

"Oh, please, I look like a clown," Balun quipped, glancing down at himself with a grimace. His white-collared suit, neatly paired with a black vest, jacket, slacks, and tie, felt all wrong to him. It was a far cry from the simple robes he once wore, and he couldn't shake the awkwardness of being out of his element. "My brother says my Jedi robes looked like a burlap sack, and, as you pointed out, I'd stand out here like balls on a bantha," he added, chuckling nervously as the unfamiliar outfit chafed at his sense of self.

"And honestly, I haven't caught anyone's attention since Cordelia—and that was a complete fluke. She only flirted with me to try and make me drop my guard. That wouldn't have happened otherwise," he admitted with a self-deprecating snort. The memory of his ill-fated romance stung, and his luck with women was dismal at best. Confidence had never been his strong suit, especially when it came to the opposite sex.

"They're more likely to try and kill me than take an interest," he concluded with a dry laugh. "Like that friend of yours—Revna, was it?" He recalled their tense encounter with Revna , the Sith apprentice, and her master. "But it's fine. I'm not exactly putting myself out there anyway." He shrugged, walking alongside Nouqai as they made their way toward the Carnival Bar.

As they reached the bar, Balun gestured to one of the stools, motioning for Lady Falentra to sit while he scanned the bar for the bartender. He raised a hand to catch their attention, and soon a tall, thin Chiss with sharp red eyes approached them. Those piercing eyes were perfectly suited for Sith territory—his kind thrived in the shadows.

"One Jet Juice for me, thanks," Balun said with a friendly smile, sliding a credit chit across the counter. Jet Juice quickly became his favourite after discovering it in the Outer Rim. It was a bold mix of Maker's Mark bourbon, Ancho Reyes Chile liqueur, pomegranate liqueur, white grape juice, and lemon juice—an unexpected indulgence for a man who once lived by the Jedi code.

 

[Lady Falentra]

It took a while to get used to a new style of clothes when she had first fell to the dark. She even felt weird when she first tried on a decently nice dress that wasn’t completely white or tan. The Jedi robes were all she had worn for her earlier years that it was incredibly sentimental. But with that was also exploring what style complemented her best. “Well, you should take your brother’s advice more often. He know what he’s talking about.”

Falentra sighed when Balun brought up his ex. It seemed he had not gotten over her, they had been close after all. Back when she was invested into her new apprenticeship, Cordelia had been incredibly close with him, but Nouqai couldn’t help but be upset on how their separation affected him. “You shouldn’t throw your chances with finding love just because one didn’t work out. And I’m sure you and Cordelia had fun, it wasn’t all that bad, surely. “ said shaking her head.

Speaking about Revna, she hadn’t seen her friend since she had returned to the Sith. She knew the others master and her own wasn’t exactly standing on good terms. “Hey, Revna wasn’t trying to kill us if you remember. But I guess we were both running for our lives either way.” She laughed. “And for the record, I wouldn’t try to kill you, nor would most. Not every sith are blood thirsty.” She was still a sith apprentice, but Balun would know that she’d never kill unless in self-defence.

The bartender would serve their drinks. Falentra held her glass up. “Here’s to a fun night, Balun Vale.“

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Present Company: Lady Falentra .
Wearing: White Collar Suit, Lightsaber.

​

"Whoa, hold up a sec," Balun interjected, his gaze meeting Nouqai's as she held her glass between them. "I'm not throwing anything away." His tone was firm but calm, as if wanting to set the record straight. "There was another girl after Cordelia— Iona Starchaser . I was really into her, but she went off to find the Wardens of the Sky. I never made a move, though, but that doesn't mean I'm still hung up on Cordelia. She and I are long done." His voice carried confidence, the words resolute and sure.

He leaned back slightly, feeling the need to clear the air. "Just because I'm not hopping from girl to girl doesn't mean I'm closed off to finding love. It just hasn't happened yet, and I'm not rushing it. I've got Dashiell Retrofit now—my own company—and, of course, my responsibilities as an Aquilian Ranger." There was a sense of pride as he elaborated, showing that his focus had simply shifted to other important parts of his life.

To emphasize there were no hard feelings, Balun clinked his glass against Lady Falentra 's in a lighthearted toast, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "We're owed this," he grinned, bringing the glass to his lips. The cool drink was refreshing, a far cry from the burning sensation of other spirits he'd tasted—especially the potent drink offered by his former master, Julius Sedaire, back in the day.

"And yeah, I get Revna didn't follow through," he added, the mood shifting as he brought up the Sith apprentice. "Though we were lucky. Her Master wasn't messing around. I'm surprised he didn't kill her for disobeying him. Do you know what happened to her after that?" His tone turned curious, wondering about the fate of the apprentice who had walked such a dangerous line.

 

[Lady Falentra]

She listened as he spoke, she had vaguely heard about the girl Iona before, perhaps while she was at the Tingel Arm compound with him. “Hey, I’m just saying you could use the company now that I’m not at The Nest anymore.” She shrugged. They had spent quite a lot of time together, after he had taken her there from the Lightsworn, also after their encounter with the Lord Inquisitor and his apprentice.

Falentra lifted the glass up to her lips. She had to get used to the taste of liquor. “Yours looks better. Maybe I should get another one later.” She commented.

However, as he enquired about Revna, it had gotten her worried. Revna had taken a big risk to secure them their escape, but at what cost? “I don’t know. All I know is that my Master would never kill me for disobedience. But Strosius… I’m not sure if he’d punish his apprentices like that.. “

She took another sip of her drink. “@Revna was one of the first people I knew after I fell. She’s almost like an… older sister to me. I really don’t want to think about it.”

“Anyway, you never told me about the Dashiell Retrofit.” She would try to divert the topic away from the dreary.

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Present Company: Lady Falentra .
Wearing: White Collar Suit, Lightsaber.

​

As Lady Falentra spoke about Revna , her hesitation and unspoken worry were clear in her voice. She avoided thinking about what might happen to her friend, and Balun, recognizing this, simply nodded in quiet acceptance. The truth was, the Sith apprentice had taken him by surprise. Although Nouqai was his close friend and ally, Balun had still been following the Jedi Path at that time—an enemy of the Sith, at least in the eyes of most. He assumed that Revna's defiance of her Master was purely out of loyalty to Nouqai, allowing them to escape. But even so, he hadn't expected such an act of neutrality from a Sith. Not wanting to weigh down the conversation further, he chose not to press the matter, sensing how it was darkening Nouqai's mood.

Shifting the conversation, Balun followed Nouqai's lead, steering the discussion in another direction.

Since Nouqai had left The Nest and returned to Sith Space, Balun had kept busy with his own ventures. He'd founded Dashiell Retrofit, with the help of his father Judah Dashiell and his brother Makai Dashiell , and no longer lived on Maldra IV full-time. Taking a larger sip from his glass of Jet Juice, he let the sweet, potent liquid linger for a moment before speaking.

"To be honest, I'm not around the Nest much anymore. Dad invited me to stay at the Dashiell Estate on Joiol. There's this amazing cabin at the edge of the forest, right on the property line. He offered it to me, and I couldn't turn it down," Balun explained with a smile. Of course, Judah's idea of a "cabin" was more like a sprawling two-story lodge. Built with rustic charm, it was a home in every sense, cozy yet grand, and it felt like the perfect place for Balun to settle while staying close to his family.

"Dashiell Retrofit was my idea," he continued, his tone proud but still humble. "Both Judah and Makai are self-made men, and with the training we got back on Coruscant from the Circle of Artisans, I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve. I love the thought of taking old, broken tech, refurbishing it, and turning it into something unique for people to buy. I pitched the idea to Judah and Makai, and now we're getting things off the ground. We've got a shipyard manufacturing station going up over Kesh, but it's going to take some time before I start making millions of credits." He chuckled softly, taking another sip of his drink before signaling the bartender for a refill and ordering one for Nouqai as well.

 

[Lady Falentra]

Falentra was glad to hear that Balunwas connecting more with his family. While part of the sith spawn might always be envious of that, she was happy for her best friend. “Now you’d have to take me there sometime.” She chuckled. She knew her friend’s affinity for nature as was hers for water, so living right at the edge of the woods must have been a dream for him.

She leaned on the bar table, chin resting on her palm, arm propped at the elbow. She listened, sipping on her drink and gazing at her friend with admiration, noticing how proud he was at this business start up. “I’m sure you will, it sounds great. I’ll be sure to let you know if I come across some a pile of tech while out in the galaxy.” Balun sounded like he had found his place and purpose. While she had yet to find hers, she would live vicariously through her friend’s successes until then.

“I’ve mostly been at the Alvaria castle. With training, relearning all things Sith - saarai messed it up quite a lot. “ She sighed. The amulet the lightsworn had put one her - one she had foolishly accepted, had erased much progress, but gradually, she was getting back on her feet.

“I haven’t thanked you, for getting me away. I don’t think I would have ever left them otherwise.” It was the brainwashing, the manipulation that had a vice control over her.

 

[Darth Moskvin]

Gear: Staff of the Damned / Talisman of the Witch / Magical Gems / Bow of Immolation / Hilt
Familiar: Archimedes
Tags: N/A

​

The palace was majestic, filled with bright colors and a cacophony of sounds, that was a frightful assault on my senses as Archie and I graced wraith like across the floor. Many faces we passed whilst we marched forth to make our offering to the shrine and call forth the mighty Lord Ajunta Pall were all unfamiliar to me like dead ghosts of the past. As a budding Sith, I took to him like worms to carrion feasting and gorging upon his teachings until nothing was left but picked cleaned bones. Though, as I discovered, many of his teachings were incomplete or lacking substance or possibly doctored by my predecessors; but the foundation had been strewn across my curious mind. Still, he had captured my dead heart, cradling me in his arms like a still born baby. And now after years of honing my crafts that were directed by this one Lord's theology, an opportunity was at hand to speak directly to my dark phantom hero. Of course, nothing in life or death is ever that simple.

Whilst Archie sat perched upon my shoulder, eating the scraps of flesh from my offering fingertips, we stumbled into a group of Sith deep in conversation regarding murder, or murder of those in high position. Normally I don't like to bolster my ego with such talk, so I opted to not get drawn into such a choir only to be whisked into their conversation when one sought to pull me in with a tedious question. "You? Maybe you can help settle a debate between my friends and I being that you are not of our inner circle," the pompous little man said placing himself physically in my direct path. "I do not have the time nor the desire to indulge as a settler of disputes. I'm rather busy and...," I began before this arrogant man waved my words away as if they meant nothing. "Just a quick question! If you were to kill the Head of State for any government or Order, like Jedi or Sith or anyone, how would you proceed in carrying out the act?"

Ah, so they were talking about assassination not outright murder. Now I was fully drawn. "Well obviously a direct approach would not suffice, getting your hands dirty personally could result in either success or failure; the latter not needing explanation," I began looking at the circle of Sith knowing my audience where amateurs in the art of killing. "One course would be to hire mercenaries or assassins to carry out the dastardly deed, however you open the possibilities of two options. The first is they fail and are captured, and I can tell you everyone has a breaking point under strong torturous acts, they will spit out your name or your middleman's name who in turn will spit out your name like cold blood from a corpse. Then you are hunted. The second option is they succeed but now you are forced to silence tongues to avoid exposure or blackmail, and now your hands are dirty as you if you opted for the direct approach."

I ruffled Archie's head feathers, pausing in my speech to these students, before continuing. "A third solution to your problem is poison or a toxin that can be administered both discreetly and at one's discretion; this obviously would be a direct approach but without the results of dying in failure or having tongues to silence. However, poisons aren't cheap or easy to come by unless you know a trusted alchemist who can conjure them up for you. Most alchemists never ask questions, always happy to oblige in the reward their products are successful. If done properly, no traces of the death stroke can be detected. Win-win." I stopped, my eyes trailing across the faces of the group as a grin crept across my face. "Of course this is all hypothetical I assume. You lot don't look the murderous or the conspiring type. And where would you ever find an alchemist trustworthy enough to help with such an act. Or more importantly, a trustworthy alchemist who may not seek to silence her own tongues. Good day to you." And with that, Archie and I continued on our merry way.

 

[Matteo Guo-Yian]

"Sounds a bit like my youth." He murmured thoughtfully as he glanced around and took in the sights. "My parents had a compound on Tion. It was large and filled to the brim with fellow believers. They followed the Kainate in secret and when it came time to destroy the planet, the Lord Carnifex forewarned my parents allowing them to flee."

His tone was matter-of-fact, but even now months later Matteo felt conflicted about it.

"They never allowed me to leave the compound... but once I got a bit older I managed to sneak out anyway." Part of him felt like they had allowed him... part of being a Sith was breaking your own chains.

Maybe in their own way they tried to give him a taste of it. What it meant to rebel against authority and become a Sith in his own way, even as a child.

He first frowned but then smiled as Artemis followed her own trail of thought. "You are enough." Matteo said gently and then followed it up with something that could probably get him excommunicated from this Academy. "We are all enough." Softly murmured in her ear as explored the sights of the carnival.

"It is the Academy's responsibility to make us doubt that. To force us to keep proving ourselves over... and over again. I reject that. Doesn't matter if we are Sixth Cohort or First. All of us are necessary... if we keep culling ourselves we will never beat the Jedi or the Republic or whatever group will show up talking about their false Lightside orthodoxy."

He laughed when Artemis challenged him.

"Oh, I am sure you could beat me at anything, Art. I am but of a lowly Cohort... your Highness." A little smirk there, making it clear he was teasing her, because Matteo had no idea he was actually talking to the Empress' daughter.

"Mm... caramel sounds great, doesn't it?"

She once again mentioned her mother and his expression softened away from the mischief.

"Do you want to talk about her? We don't have to, but maybe it could help."

Lunaria Talon

 

[Kaila Irons]

"Yes, let us go find some" And just like that, they were off.

There were a surprising number of shrines in their church, the Eternalists being quite astute in their dilligent studies such that Kaila couldn't help respecting their drive to preserve such history, even as a wayward Kainite. She had never been one for religion and clearly her respect for the dead had limits, but this historical reverence had it's uses. It certainly would tonight.

"Oh but to answer your question before I forget, yes binding multiple spirits is highly dangerous. Under normal circumstances, binding Nyto, my second spirit, would have begun the slow process of decaying my body. However, I have learned a secret"

She trusted that her and Tamsin's ambitions aligned such that she could safely tell her secret without it being used against her. They were no Banites and she planned to train Tamsin very differently from most sith. They were allies, sisters in arms in an eternal crusade against the greater will of the force and it's meddling in their destinies. The dark side was merely the weapon by which they'd liberate themselves, and the sith a means to an end. Tradition was stagnation, after all. Something Grrwunhoooll Agaburry had taught her well, even if they had very different methods of breaking the statues quo.

"The force has an inclination towards crystals, as does the soul" She clutched the black crystals around her neck, flanked by ancient bones.

"I learned this from a dear friend of mine, but it was the Master of Dead Yalara who helped me create this amulet. It stores spirits until I need them, allowing me to temporarily force walk, commanding their will only for as much time as needed to make use of their powers, then re-binding them to the amulet. Thus, my body remains intact. Metal and stone will always be stronger than flesh, remember this"

The amulet was merely a loophole, but she had also made sacrifices of her own flesh and bone few others had, and few may ever know. While she hoped that Tamsin would never have to make them, nor alter her body to survive hardship nor her own ambitions, it was a reality that her apprentice would need to consider.

"The one who helped me forge this, Darth Keres," She spoke of the enigmatic Adeline Noctua "Will likely have her own statue here some day. She is very strange but very powerful. She is an immortal, more of an entity now than anything else. But she seems disinterested in the affairs of our mortal plane, more so in Demons and the Eldritch, and so she rarely participates in the violence of other Sith. She is the Occultist I will bring you to, if your entity turns out to be more than a malevolent spirit. She has a way of... frightening them off"



Tamsin Graves

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Danger.

That was the first sensation that crept up her spine, which, considering she was surrounded by sith lords from all walks of life was hardly something new, but this particular specimen had an air about him that reminded Lily a lot of the Slaine she'd come across on Jaibrek. Creepy, not at all to be trusted.

She accepted the drink anyway, the mission after all, was to get drunk and so long as she kept her limited manners in check she was pretty sure she could entertain polite conversation without needing her cousin to intervene and rescue her.

"Can you be out of place, if your place is nowhere?" she countered, giving the drink a wary sniff, before shrugging and taking a sip. It was better than the wine at least. She gave him a once over with a flick of her doe eyes. Yep, definitely creepy, sharply dressed, but still creepy.

"At least we can camouflage and pretend like we belong. Though I'm not sure I'm up for the strutting like an Empress part, feels like a betrayal of my hatred for nobles."

Credius Nargath

 

[Credius Nargath]

A somewhat rough chuckle escaped the man's lips, a strangely smokey, clear voice escaped from his throat as he chuckled once more. Raising his glass to his lips, his chuckle stopped, a swig of the strong liquor contained within the glass running into the man's mouth and throat. "No one is fully without a place. Those who think they are, simply haven't found theirs yet."

Reaching out with his glass, stretching his arm a bit forward, as if to point at someone, it was clear he was motioning towards a young man dressed in the finest silks and satins, fingers laden with golden rings, trousers too tight and a vest too loose, a mismatch of clothing on an otherwise unremarkable fellow. "If one does not have a place yet, one simply needs to continue on their path until they find out what their place is. Just...avoid looking like that guy when doing so, because I haven't seen anything more pathetic than an academy reject desperately clinging to some sort of fleeting ideal."

Again, the man chuckled, finding the woman's words rather funny, even if they perhaps weren't meant to be such, they did strike a chord with the Abomination. For one because in what now feels like a distant past, he himself had been a noble, an aristocrat, scion from a great and powerful house in the Seswenna Sector, a viceroy in the Confederacy of Independant Systems. Yet now, he was not a noble, he was just a man...a monster who saw fit to grant himself a greater purpose and greater calling than that of a mere, insignificant noble.

"Nobility comes in many flavors and forms...are not those who have been granted the title of Darth, lords and ladies within the realm, maybe a lot less pompous, but nonetheless a perfect equivalent of nobility in itself," His eyes turned towards Lily Rhodes , a dim red and golden light visible from behind the shades he was wearing. "So... camouflaging is fine and all, but in the end, one's true nature will always reveal itself. I prefer calling it adapting ourselves, observing how others go about their day, how they act and react and formulating a proper response from there on out. Camouflaging means inaction, pretending only goes so far... so yes, we adapt to blend in, so as to not call too much attention unto ourselves."

Lily Rhodes

 

[Lunaria Talon]

Tag: Soldane Talon | Matteo Guo-Yian
Alias: Artemis Dreadmoor
Wearing: School Uniform w/Red Cloak

When Matteo spoke about sneaking out, she couldn't help but smile wistfully. That rebellious spark, the one that had driven him to break free, was something she respected, even if she wasn't sure she had the same strength. She'd always been so careful, so cautious, always trying to live by the rigid rules that Haru and her Naneth had put forward. It was in the most literal sense a matter of life and death.

But…Maybe that was part of the problem. Obedience.

"In your youth…You sound like an old man Tea-Yo."

The flippant ribbing was meant to distract him from the possibility of feeling badly about the events of the Tion War. Massacre, was more like it. She did make a mental note to thank Darth Carnifex when she saw him next for sparing his followers. For sparing Matteo. Lunaria would have never known him to miss him, but even still, she felt like the world would have been worse off without him. Maybe, just her world. But it was still a world.

"You are enough."

It was simple. Quiet. But, it struck her like a bell ringing at night.

Artemis walked beside him in relative silence for a little bit. Letting those words settle. Matteo wasn't like the others at the Academy. He was competitive, but, he wasn't cold and duplicitous in a way that made her feel small. He was…Different. "I don't know if anyone has ever said that to me before…Not that…Not that they would even know I needed to hear it…", her admission was coupled with sweet, precise babbling. Her tone was thoughtful and eventually a small smile started to tug at the kiss of her mouth. "It's kind of…nice."

When her friend teased her, calling her "your highness", she rolled her eyes to play it off. If only he knew how close to the truth he was. "Please, you know I'm not that fancy…", but there was a flicker in her eyes, a moment of truth hidden beneath the joke. It didn't matter though. She had no desire to live up to any title, no matter how grand it might be. She just wanted to be… Luna.

Not Artemis.

Lunaria.

Matteo seemed to want to try the caramel apples and she doubled down on that choice. The vendor was decent enough to cut it in half for them and spear each with a little wooden stick. It was more sweets than she was used to and it very well may result in a sugar coma but smelled heavenly. Way better than the food at the Academy. She handed him his half of the sweet while they pulled out of line. Did she want to talk about her mother?

Matteo was giving her an out, the option, to talk about what was bothering her. The way he asked made her want to say more but she hadn't really spoken about the imperial woman with anyone—Not like this. Not beyond the surface, not in a way that mattered.

But Matteo wasn't just anyone.

"She's…", Artemis hesitated, biting her lip for a moment while she collected her thoughts. "She's like a mountain."

Her voice was quiet but it was clear from the slight furrow in her brow that she was concentrating on her reply. Trying to paint the picture for her friend so that he might understand. Her words came slowly, like they were pieces of a puzzle she was still trying to understand. "She's so beautiful…so strong…and so distant. She doesn't talk much, but you can feel everything she's thinking, you know?" She glanced up at Matteo, wondering if he would understand. It was probably an Echani thing. Speaking absolute volumes, by saying nothing at all.

"I don't know if the Shadow Lady was right. I don't know if Naneth misses us…I don't…I don't know if she actually can. I know she's out there, doing what she needs to. It's just really hard. Not knowing when I'll see her again…and well—"

"It sucks."

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Tags: Open
​

The shrine was tucked away off the main concourse of the mighty and legendary Sith, one devoted to other lesser Sith Lords and Ladies of the modern era. One would expect the Lady of Secrets, the Mother of Monsters, a Dark Councilor of the Sith to be at the shrine of one of the most infamous alchemists or perhaps a gifted sorcerer, and she may well make her way to the shrine of Sorzus Syn or Darth Zannah, but that was not where she had begun her remembrances.

Instead, she was at the small shrine to a Sith that had been known as Darth Timoris, a young woman that had been a Voice in the later years of the One Sith and had left it to join a coven of rogue Sith that had ultimately, likely, been the source of her doom. The Lady of Secrets was sitting cross-legged in front of it, a small offering of incense and a sapphire resting in front of the bust of the woman... of her youngest sister. It was odd to see the relief, she thought, that had been created for Melori as she had seen her face, spoke to her, when she went Beyond Shadows. The sculptor must have had ill feelings towards the One Sith as her features had been exaggerated in many ways, but the piercing blue eyes had been done right at least.

She knew the veil was thin, but she was... content to let Melori rest in the Nether. There was no need to summon her spirit to her shrine, she already knew everything she had wanted to say, needed to say, and her regrets for not telling her of the plan. No, it was just a chance to remember her without going to the family monument on Corellia, although it was nearing the time when she needed to do her annual trip there and this time she would bring the whole family. See their roots so to speak, but that would be a conversation with Fio later.

For now, she would merely sit and remember.

 

[Tamsin Graves]

Tags: Kaila Irons
Theme: Dance Macabre

---

Tamsin did not yet know the worlds in which she was walking in and just how valuable knowledge and secrets could be. She didn't know that Sith used whatever they could against each other just to get ahead of the competition. It was a world of survival of the fittest, and she didn't even know the game. She saw Kaila as her friend and teacher, even an older sister or parental figure, so there was not even a thought of using anything told to her against Kaila. Plus, she felt she owed Kaila on some level for saving her a life debt of sorts but not exactly.

So as Kaila told her of the crystal and how it worked Tamsin, she knew that was Kaila's tot ell and not hers. The mention of a soul caused something inside her to stir with a little rumble, but it remained silent not speaking or even showing words. "So it protects you, its…like." She tried to think of a better word than what she was thinking of describing it. "Like a prison for the spirit."

Darth Keres, the name spoken with reverence and respect clearly someone Kaila looked up to greatly. "Immortal? She can live forever?" How was that even possible, Tamsin had always thought death was inevitable, one of the truest certainties in the universe. Of course, she never really dwelled on it too long, choosing to live in the moment then the future. "So, she knows even more about these possessions then yourself?"

Tamsin had a million questions again, not just about this Darth Keres. Yet the fact she said she was immortal but she would be here one day raised an interesting question in Tamsin's thoughts how did or could an immortal die. "So, all of these shrines are people with Darth titles like yourself and this Keres? How many are there? How many are or were immortal?" She once again looked at the shrine that had drawn her attention earlier. She then lifted her hand and pointed it out to Kaila. "Who is that one?" As she couldn't read it, she figured she would just ask as it was calling out to her not in words but more in a feeling.

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Lily followed the creepy man's gesture as he spoke, it was impossible to miss the man he was indicating towards. Gaudy was the first word that came to mind, swiftly followed by someone who was trying a little too hard to be a part of whatever this was. She gave a snort of laughter and took another sip of her drink, her gaze falling back to her current company.

The glow from behind the shades sent a tingle of apprehension up her spine. Had she offended him in some way with her nobility comment? she should probably point out that she herself was a noble, one of the many heirs to the House of Marr. Not that she ever actually accepted that fate that was thrust upon her. In fact, to this day, she still refused to use the name, keeping a hold of the one given to her at the orphanage all those years ago.

"One's true nature…" she tilted her head "I suppose the revelation depends on just how well they've observed and adapted. Although I do think that no matter how well one thinks they can blend in there's always a tell tale sign of who they really are if you look closely enough."

She offered a hand to shake. "I'm Lily."

Credius Nargath