It is unaVOIDable, it is your destiny. [TSE Dom of Nathema Hex - AN,21]

[Darth Carnifex]

"Indeed?"

The Emperor rumbled, his gaze never leaving Tehkyram no matter how long-winded the old Sith's ramblings became. There were many Sith who had started out their existence as slaves, as there was hardly any better adversarial life than that of a meager slave. The strife and hardship stripped away the softness of their hearts, hardening their minds and bodies with cruelty, ruthlessness, and desperation as bitterness consumed their souls. Carnifex had ordered keen eyes to be mindful of the slaves that passed through the Empire's borders, they could spot a promising Sith hopeful among the downtrodden and oppressed with frightening accuracy. Those that were plucked from servitude found themselves tested yet again in the academies, where the weakest would be destroyed and the strong empowered.

"If that is all true, then you have done the Empire a great service. You have taken a lump of coal and shaped it into a diamond. No doubt your apprentice will go on to do many great things, and become a household name of the Empire's citizenry." In the educational systems of the Empire, children and teens are conditioned to worship heroism; to live, fight, and eventually die as a hero of the Empire. Statues of prominent figures, both Sith and Imperial, are displayed in almost every public forum, and rallies are mandated to instill greater pride and reverence for the fascist state. All while information is carefully filtered down through the Sith-Imperial News Network, the only legal news distribution organization in the Empire's territories.

As the Emperor talked with the old Master and his young apprentice, more and more material was being ferried down to the temple. Massive stone blocks weighing several tonnes were lowered down by grav-lifts and tractor beams, and then gently maneuvered into place as teams of agile and engineering-inclined aliens quickly fastened them into place with the rest of the growing structure. Almost forty-five percent of the temple's main framework was complete by this point, yet the continuous train of supplies and resources considered the rain down from the sky on a regular basis.

Along with them came the true centerpiece of the new temple, a massive prism carved out of shining, glossy obsidian that perpetually devoured all light around it. The prism would be set at the apex of the temple's structure, a pulsating beacon of utter darkness that the Sith could rally at for the glory and immortality of the Dark Side of the Force.

[member="Tehkyram"]​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Objective 4 - BYOO
Study the history and wildlife of Nathema

"Maiyijia wa ri drosar anas tash shias. Dzatwi uynsutu ri kakija iw ri sosutiwisosutua. Kurososuti ki ri Diyina iw Raria."

And then suddenly her mind's eye was thrust into a scene... the colony was happy, the hive mind singing in peace. They were safe underground, the red-skinned two legs, the ones that hunted them, could not reach them. There was a shudder, a sense of dread permeating into the hive mind. Something had happened, something terrible was coming...

Pain, panic, abject fear, anguish, all these and more consumed the hive mind as something started to tear it to pieces, to consume the lives of those colonies closest to the surface. The hive mind was wiped away, destroyed... songs cried out but there was no answer. More death, more lives reduced to nothing as something... unnatural... Taeli recoiled out of the faint memory as the pure wrongness of the Void created on Nathema hit her, or rather, struck the voreclaw ancestor. Such absolute power, and it had all been used because one man feared death.

Such a waste, and she learned almost nothing about the ritual. She needed that holocron. Looking over at what was left of the voreclaw she had been examining, she ordered for it to be disposed of.

'Inform [member="Darth Carnifex"] that the voreclaws were able to survive the Ritual of Nathema and the resulting Void in some way, further research will be done to figure out how," she said.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

If Cerbera was expecting a particular reaction, she might have been disappointed.

After all, Cass's sensibilities ended in the same place the public eye did.

"Well, so long as you have considered that already," she made a small, dismissive gesture with her hand.

It wasn't that this information made Cassandra more interested in the project. Nor did it make her hesitate. It was simply that it didn't impact it at all. She didn't care what a customer did with her products once they exchanged hands. What they did with them was their business. A fully grown Griffin or a Vornskrill could tear a man's throat out with ease. Did that make Cassandra the murderer? Not even remotely. This functioned on an entirely different scale, yes. She was not blind or naive in that regard. It simply didn't register as something she cared about.

She didn't particularly understand the point still. It seemed an awful lot of effort to go through for something like this. Cassandra wasn't driven by the same things Cerbera was, and in truth, was largely unable to see the appeal in anything that didn't already interest her. Empathy, seeing things from a different point of view, those were things too far out of Cassandra's grasp. With effort yes, or when it suited her she could coldly work through a reaction someone else would have. But she had to have a reason to care enough to sink that effort in.

This simply did not qualify.

If [member="Cerbera"] wanted a giant, planet eating crab, so long as it didn't eat anything that mattered to Cassandra, what did she care?

"I am not particularly concerned about 'sensibilities' outside of the public facade of the company. That you understand I must protect. I have several scientists who would suit for this job. My best, as a matter of fact."

Cassandra appreciated the people who worked for her that not only didn't push back but were happiest while exploring the depths of their work without concern for silly little things like ethics.

"I believe we can be of help to you in this, yes."

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

When she was younger, less wise and accomplished Cerita Sarova had a heart.

Spirit fierce.

She had understood empathy, hurt and understood the pain of others. Those that had known her there and those that could compare the two spirits wouldn't find a larger difference, of change. Of the few that knew that Cerbera was Cerita Sarova... none of them knew what had inspired the change. Oh, Dissero might consider it simple Darkside corruption of the sort that had plagued him all those years ago. Before a family and age had made him decide to leave all that behind and embrace neutrality. But there was more to it than that, of course.

Doctor Ven knew better than most.

Mostly because she had encountered her on one of her.... off-days so to speak.

That had been rather awkward. "Splendid, absolutely." An inclination of the head followed. "My people will scout for a perfect locale for our little project." There were things to consider there that went beyond the usual need for GenPals' PR.

"Somewhere protected.... in space, of course. Easily accessed but not easily found. I am sure we will be able to accommodate."

A shrug.

They'd figure it out eventually.

"You should bring that dear Larry for this one, darling, he was quite enthusiastic on our last foray." Briefly Cerbera wondered how he would have liked to be part of the experiment. They would need sentient minds and Larry was a brilliant one.

 

[AMCO]

Objective II: Harness the power of the dead Don't die.
Allies: [member="Elline Adasca"] & a squad of Helldivers.
Post Nr. IV

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Nodding thoughtfully towards the Arkanian, he spoke softly, senses primed. He had no doubt the Helldivers knew what they were doing, but he was hardly willing to bet his life on it. "Sentient? Absolutely. Their sanity, as well as their ability to differentiate reality from their pre-death memories, is more varying, from what I've heard." From what I've heard. Not very likely to inspire confidence in the middle of a spirit hunt, but Adrian had never been one to lie unless he had to. "As I understand it, they require an anchor of sorts. Some find this in emotional attachments or sheer stubbornness, though most are tied to a specific location or relic." A wry smile. "Here's hoping the one we're tracking is one of the latter."

For a moment, he considered asking the small group of hardened slayers of the occult spread out around and in front of them, but he quickly decided against it, considering how the visage of a time-worn ruin was now visible through the thick forest through which they had been forced to travel.

... and quite the ruins they were. The walls were tall, a spire or two still poking eerily into the sky. Yet as they approached, Adrian could feel a strong sense of wrongness emanating from it. There was also something else bothering him, something nagging at his subconscious. The ruins were magnificent... too magnificent. They were large... almost too large. With a start, his eyes widened, the realization causing a chill to run down his spine. Too large indeed. They should have been easily visible from the sky, and yet they hadn't been.

Before he could shout out a warning, the nearest wall shifted, aged stone turning into a tentacle of black smoke that surged forth, smashing into one of the Helldivers before he had a chance to react. As the man was driven into the ground with a sickening crunch, the others leapt into action, strange artefacts completely unknown to the young Knight pulled from dark pockets and bandoliers to be wielded against the unseen threat. Damn it all, why did nothing ever go according to plan?

 

[Cassandra Paige]

Cassandra was not surprised by [member="Cerbera"]'s request for Larry. Doctor Fischer had gotten along exceedingly well with the green skinned woman. It had been a little nauseating to watch in truth.

"Of course," she answered with a smile, instead of making childish gagging noises. "I had already been considering him."

Which was the truth, she just didn't like it.

Out of the way, out of the eye. Cassandra didn't particularly trust Cerbera- she'd be a fool to- but she did believe the other woman would not ruin GenPals reputation. At this time. Without a reason. She was already considering how to wrap this in a neat little bow, in case it came out in a fashion that could damage. A shell corporation with Dr. Fischer as the head would do just fine, she decided. Larry wouldn't care if it was wrapped up as part of the project package. He'd happily go along with anything as long as he got to do his weird experiments. The man wasn't dangerous or violent, and neither were his creations for the most part. He and they were simply more often unsettling. Yes, that would do nicely.

"You have my support then," Cassandra said, nodding. "It will be a pleasure working with you again."

It really, really wouldn't be.

But Cass put up with a lot for business.

 

[Elline Adasca]

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

"So they can be weaponized."

And there, the young Arkanian began to show how her mind worked. These spirits were tools in her mind, nothing more. She wanted them for the great journey of science but more than that to increase her own prestige in these matters. So, she practially left this world and walked in silence. Her mind semi-alert but distant as she weaved and planned out how such beings could be shackled, controlled, and then used for the "betterment of the Sith Empire". Yes, that sounded like a good line.

Elline was a cold woman, but when the fighting started that could both be amplified or ruined like a simple coin toss. She was much more of the latter this time, snarling at these things as they burst into life and disrupted her focus. But she drew no weapon, no, she wanted to examine these...wonderful monstrosities first. Uncaring of how many of those unpleasant soldiers would go and die for her to do so.

Fascinating, that was what she thought of the Dark Side

 

[Ras'kala'han]

One flaw in the endless exhumation and reburial of Sith power - put enough darksiders in the Galaxy, turned loose like so many ants on a fresh corpse, and you only have so long before the bones are picked clean. In this golden era of the Dark Side, a time of nigh-unceasing war and winnowing and explosive rates of Force sensitivity, the past was being dug up faster than it was being buried. So many tomb worlds - Korriban, Malachor, Prakith - and yet the graveyards were running out of ghosts.

It irked Vesper. He knew better than to believe in the lie of cosmic justice, prated to the unthinking masses, but when enough suffering accumulates in a single body (and he had so, so much) one begins to involuntarily, instinctually itch for payment, for recompense. He was, as far as he was concerned, entitled to it; he did not expect to receive it from some mechanism of the Force. No, he would take it with his two hands.

Exhaling hard, the Sith ceased his tiring work of burning his way through the jungle, armed with nothing but his bare hands. That was more a function of Antherion's anger than anything needful - if anything, marking a prominent trail to his destination. Turning backwards, he pursed his lips. If what I'm looking for can't be moved away immediately, he thought, then I've effectively ensured I have no secrecy to study it in. What I find, all Sith on this planet find.

The slender man balled his fists. So be it.

In the distance, a clearing - ruins in the truest sense of the words. As he walks, a pebble, then fist-sized chunks of stone, and on, and on - and before long, a temple, blasted to pieces by the force of an explosion. This was what he had been searching for, truly. Grown over by moss, smoothed by rain and wind - so much, erased. Something, perhaps, left over. Stepping towards the rubble, he rolled up his sleeves. I am Sith. I am majestic, no matter what stains me. And I will dig through whatever mud I must, to heal this aching in my heart.

 

[Mythos]

Objective III: A Feast for the Horde

The silos were magnificent, each line of storage prepared and equipped to handle the amount of food the empire needed for the legion. The people had already been reaping the crops of the year, the timing could not have been more flawless. It was buzzing with activity, every passing moment more and more tools, resources and manpower were delivered on to the construction sites, Mythos now micromanaged seven.

The great tower was next, several of the largest cranes were brought in as well as construction freighters for the specific purpose of building and finishing the three skyscrapers Mythos had designed. Each one representing a pillar of power of the Sith Empire.

Now having finished the foundations and roads of the city one would notice from the sky that the city itself resembled the symbol of the Old Sith Empire. At the centre were the three largest buildings, the Imperial offices and the buildings of the internal government which Mythos took personal ownership of.

The first and largest of these three skyscrapers was "The Imperial Tower". It was designed and built by Mythos for the exclusive use of [member="Darth Carnifex"] and [member="Darth Prazutis"]. It was designed using what Mythos understood to be Panathan architecture and artstyle. It was a challenge Mythos had made himself, a challenge and a boast to panathan engineers and artists as if to say 'Even if I am not an Epicanthrix i can still make buildings and art of your own nature, for our Emperor, better than you ever could.'

Using rare and exotic materials Mythos designed the four walled, spear looking building to be first and foremost a fortress of high tech design. It had it itself its own energy generator as large as those for all the silos but only for itself and counting on the silos generator as a backup. The entrance alone was a kilometre long, it had space for an entire regiment of starfighters and a pad to land larger ships such as corvettes.

Inside it held the entire command of the planetary defense system, a wing dedicated only as a barracks for the blackblade guard and a regiment of special forces as well as a library that Mythos built and staffed, a garden that encompassed three whole floors, each with it's own artificial temperature and climate, training rooms, an arena and offices, storage rooms and tech centres to run the entire continent the city was on. Inside Anubian craftsmen went to work recreating classical Panathan paintings as well as the walls and support beams carved in the panathan style as well.

The second building was designed to be an extension of Glee Anselm and the will of @Darth Phyrrus as well as a continuation of the camp grounds and range of the academy and it's students. This is where Mythos placed the sorceress of Tund. This tower was more practical and half the size than the Imperial tower, it was however larger in diameter, shaped more as a rectangle. It spanned a whole two miles, inside it classrooms, arenas, training simulators, statues of prominent Sith Of the Sith Empire and the One Sith, most importantly, it's headmaster, Phyrrus himself.

The hall of Tanek was in this building Mythos' most proud creation. Half a kilometer long and half of that wide it held inside it a table made of Ankhyptian wood and golden lining that spanned almost the entire room. Six statues lines each side, three on each side and one last one, behind the headmaster's door. Over said door was a marble carved face of Tanek, no one but him was allowed into this room.

The six statues representing the heads of each Imperial sector of power and the room itself walled off to anyone not invited to the meetings where this room was selected. Glee Anselm operatives and agents would take command of the structure after it was finished and not a second before.

Finally the last skyscraper Mythos designed was of course dedicated to himself and his ego. A large building named "Magnus Gubernamentali", a large "M" emblazoned in gold in it's face was the building Mythos designed for himself, more specifically, for his company. Contrary to the name very few if any government works go through this building at all. It is a business oriented construction housing in the centre of contracts and logistics of the company. This would be where paychecks were tallied, approved and sent off. It was decorated modestly as many business were, but this one held in it's walls and pillars and turbolifts depictions of it's owner and his various victories, treasures and legends.

It would be a while before all of his work would be finished but it would not be too long now. As the city built itself on his command Mythos stood there, over the command centre of the Magnus smoking his Dark Bota. His eyes scanned the horizon, his mind filled with minute calculations of measurements and small details of random projects over the province.

"I will raise to sky this city. Where before only grass grew."

 

[AMCO]

Objective II: Harness the power of the dead Don't die.
Allies: [member="Elline Adasca"] & a squad of Helldivers.
Post Nr. V

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As chaos erupted and strange artefacts and technological doodahs were wielded with trained expertise, Adrian was located where he belonged, in the back. It had been chaotic when the very walls themselves had turned out to be figments of dark will rather than real objects, and the situation had only deteriorated when some of the lost colonists, eyes glowing with purple light, had joined the fray.

Tendrils of lightning crackling forth, he brought one of the afflicted settlers to the ground, only to see them begin to recover within moments. Curses, that shouldn't be possible.

Face hardening with resolve, a sharp slashing motion from his right hand caused a piece of debris to impale the legs of the possessed victim, keeping them out of the fight more permanently. Whatever the Helldivers were doing seemed to be working, but it was going slowly, perhaps too slowly. Besides, despite all that had happened he was still determined to try diplomacy. Whoever was attacking them was awfully rude, but they were still Sith. A fellow Sith, even a dead one, ought to be met with less drastic measures if possible.

"My Lord! Why don't we sit down and talk like the civilised beings we are, rather than squabble amongst ourselves? We are both Sith, are we not?"

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

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A Dark Cave​

Objective IV :: Return to the land of the living​

It writhed and move under his skin like sludge.

Vestille had been stuck in his hallucinations for however long, curled up in a ball whilst dark energy flowed into him. That was what the beasts saw as they took to their prime hunting spot upon sniffing the air. To the hunters, the Colonel was easy prey, wrapped up in his own psychological bubble that kept him separated from everything around him. As the pack of wild animals drew closer, scrambling upon the rock formations that made the cave that Vestille had gone missing within, their sights never left the man that was cast in shadow; a thick darkness that was seemingly darker than the poor lighting conditions of the cave. Perhaps if these beasts were intelligent, they would have told that something was wrong, perhaps even feeling the ancient evil being soaked into the soldier of the Sith Empire, fusing and combining to create something new and powerful yet there was only one thing upon their minds; food.

Their folly was to expect such a feast placed before them and expect it to not put up a fight.

Vestille awoke to growling and the soft landings of claws against the rocks, audible enough to warrant some form of response and call to arms from the Colonel as he regained his footing upon the cave floor. He felt... Different, from the less apparent changes to the sensations ushering through his body like a current to the fact that even in the near pitch black darkness of the cave, he needed no assistance from his helmet's low light augmentation to see; the Colonel saw the approaching beasts easily, circling around him like vultures upon a fresh carcass. Eventually they would leap down to the ground level, staring face to face with Vestille, preparing to pounce and find their meal hidden beneath the armor that encased him. A growl, the scratching of claws against stone as the creatures turned rigid before unleashing themselves upon their prey, Vestille had no more than a few seconds to draw his sword and enact some sort of defense.

As the creatures pounced, it awoke.

The tactical and logical approach to handling his predicament was soon interrupted by the sudden and sharp sensation of something breaking through his back and through the armor, as if he had grown two extra appendages that were somehow able to cut through the back-plate as if it were nothing but, as they moved to sit either side of his shoulders, it all suddenly became very clear to him; the evil presence that had dragged him to hell, placed him within a hallucination of his own nightmares made real had used it all as a mechanism for attack, lowering the defense of the Colonel before intruding and fusing with his deepest, darkest depths of his psyche and giving it company in its ever expanding misery, granting a gateway for the beast within to manifest beyond simple nightmares and control of emotions; it was to become its own entity living within the Colonel; something that allowed it to release itself into the material world for all to see like a malignant growth. This was how it manifested, as two snake like figures with rows of razor sharp teeth and eyes that glowed with a tainted orange. It was as these animals leaped that they sprung into action, jaws open wide as they caught their targets and held as the teeth sank into flesh like a blade, allowing Vestille to swing his sword twice and put the creatures down for good.

This was confusing, to say the least; the beast now had a physical manifestation that seemed to cooperate and help but... At the same time, the dark void that now resided within him already has a history and a label provided by the Colonel himself. The beast was nothing less than a feral creature vying for control to sate its blood-lust and desire for slaughter. The code had been rewritten, the situation changed by a complete side-wind that left Vestille for the first time completely and utterly baffled; for this was a conflict that no military stratagem or doctrine could confront. As he stood there with the blood of those slain dripping down his breastplate, the snakes of shadow released the predators as they dropped to the floor and began to feast; the void swelling within yet not with discomfort but rather power, as if the pieces that the appendages ripped from those that sought their meal were instead used as fuel for both the beast and man that now resided side by side.

As equals, working in unison.

Now in the dark and alone with no danger in sight, Vestille began the trek to the surface. In the light, the beast would hide away, hissing and trying to tug its host back into the dark.

Where man lived beside beast.

 

[Elline Adasca]

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

Elline did not much more than watch, for a time at least. Fascinating beasts these were, she would love nothing more than to take them in and weaponize them into some devastating form of shock trooper. Of course, she knew little of their nature and she was merely day dreaming of achieving glory among the Sith. What she had been both denied on Arkania and squabbled for in it's so sad way when she was found working within the Underworld.

Elline was far from proficient in the lightsaber, and as such she still kept her old blaster she had when she had worked for the Duros Crime Lord that she had made rich. Deciding it was time to go to work she whipped the weapon out and blasted off at one of these colonists, she shot low after witnessing him impale the other. A poor attempt to disable one, she said nothing. Far too focused on making sure it hit just the right point, or within the general area of course.

But, in due time she saw him attempt his diplomacy. Raising an eyebrow, she backed off some. Knowing more than well enough what he was attempting.

 

[AMCO]

Objective II: Harness the power of the dead. Don't die. Befriend the dead?
Allies: [member="Elline Adasca"] & a squad of Helldivers.
Post Nr. VI

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As quickly as it had started, an odd kind of silence fell. The possessed settlers suddenly stopped, the ones still standing at least, while the shadowy tendrils quieted down. As the Helldivers took the hint, Adrian took the time to briefly nod in the direction of the Acolyte, as if in acknowledgement of her staying calm and attempting to incapacitate instead of killing. It wasn't that Adrian hadn't done far worse to far greater amounts of people, but these were Sith-Imperial citizens, not the dregs of some backwater world. The least he could do is try to save them.

Then, a glowing entity emerged from the forest, the form that of a female figure shrouded in the robes of the Sith of old. Confirming his earlier assumptions, the woman spoke, voice melodic yet tainted by a sense of profound wrongness.

"Who are you to trespass upon my domain, young one? What makes you think I will suffer you to live."

Bowing elegantly, the young Knight spoke with an even tone, no hint of the fear he felt audible or otherwise perceptively.

"Adrian Vandiir, Knight of the Sith and representative of the Saaraishash, at your disposal. I mean no offence, my Lady, but the time has come for Nathema to join the fold of a New Sith Empire. Perhaps you would be willing to share your wisdom with a new generation of Sith? In return, I am sure we could provide you with a sufficient amount of criminals, enemy combatants, and slaves to more than replace the settlers you... acquired."

For a moment, the look in her eyes made him fear immediate and horrible retribution for his presumptiveness, but then the glowing form threw her head back and laughed. It was harmonic, almost musical, and yet it made a chill run down his spine. Somehow, despite looking like an attractive young woman, the entity filled him with a sense of natural revulsion far greater than even the worst Sithspawn that had ever emerged from his labs. Such revulsion, of course, was merely a weakness he had to overcome. Conversing with a spirit such as this one would likely never be pleasant, but he had not lied when he said that her wisdom could be of use --- much had been learnt in the millennia since her death, but much had also been lost.

"A brazen one, are you? Very well, young one. I will play your game, and return these pawns." VIsage briefly twisting from beauty into a horror so great it made even some of the Helldivers visibly flinch, her voice turned soft. "Of course, if you don't keep your end of the bargain, or begin to bore me, your suffering will be the stuff of legend."

 

[Sienna Vekarr]

Sienna looked up at her master with a slightly confused look on her face. Project strength? Extend an olive branch? She looked to the droids and slaves the Sith had brought to bring the rebuild the Sanatorium and wondered if he meant she should show compasion to these beings.

"Master, I...I'm afraid I don't understand." She never felt any ill will towards them, they were all just sort of there. Like he said, a cog in the machine, they were nothing to her.

[member="Darth Prazutis"]

 

[Tehkyram]

Objective: Obey your liege and your master.
Allies: [member=Darth Carnifex]

Tehkyram trembled as the Emperor praised not only him but his master. It was a validation of his very being, a direct endorsement of his existence. It was the most genuine praise he had ever received in his entire life. The Emperor was not commending him as a means of inducing a burden, but making a proclamation. Tehkyram was valuable and useful. He was an asset for the Empire. "My eternal gratitude, my Emperor," he replied. Talking out of turn was a trespass against his Master. But not accepting the praise of the Emperor was a trespass against him, and his authority overrode that of the Master's. Perhaps he would be punished later. If so, that was a burden he could bare.

Amortem, meanwhile, looked on the prostate slave with thinly-veiled contempt. "The one flaw I can't seem to fix is his insipid servility. It's good that he's obedient, but whimpering on the ground like a little child is hardly heroic, certainly not becoming at all for a Sith. Yet he clings to the archaic formalities and legalities, partially because he's too damn voracious as a reader. He's too much of a servant, not enough of a master." He thought about it for a moment. "Though, I suppose that may be to your taste," he mused with a joking smile.

He took a look over at the gem. How amusing. Were he a younger man, he may have thought it would be worth studying, possessing information on an escape from death. But now he was old, and in his old age he had become fine with dying. After all, who said death had to be the end?