Private It's a Hell of a Time

[Vaylin]

The Zabrak stood to her back mostly to Adrian as he went about collecting some samples. Her fiery eyes lingered around their surrounding area, watchful for any potential threats. In Vaylin's experience there shouldn't be much, if any, for a good while. Added to the fact a Valkyrie was present, it would hopefully mean their exploration would be uninterrupted.

Albeit, Vaylin also had the experience to know things rarely went that simple.

"I'll leave the science of that in your capable hands, Lord Vandiir." She spoke just as another gust of wind blew through the area. The dead howling in its wake.

Vaylin waited until it passed, before glancing back at Adrian.

"Any particular areas you wish to visit? If we head east across the river, we'll reach Sinner's Despair then into the larger regions such as The Blood Waste. Alternatively we can head north, follow the River of the Dead and reach the cluster of smaller areas, like the Garden of Thorns."

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

It seemed the Valkyrie was content to watch over him as he worked - excellent. After examining the environment, the stray spirits, the very soil, they made their way towards the river at last, Adrian stopping to mutter an incantation under his breath before approaching. Better safe than sorry.

"Ztaxane tave pezitjazi, s'dies tave diable."

Vision blurring momentarily, the Sith Lord inhaled deeply, prismatic lenses of some kind now obscuring his eyes - and yet he could still see, after a fashion, in some ways he saw more than he once did. Turning his gaze towards the river, he saw through the clustered souls, saw death and shame and worse things yet... and yet he saw through that too, like the empty lies they truly were.

Perceiving for a long moment the river as it truly was, he eventually turned back towards the mountains, closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

When they opened anew, it was without the prismatic lense, a mixture of interest and horror in his eyes.

"Fascinating. Utterly fascinating." Turning towards Vaylin with a smile, he nodded as if to himself. "You were right to warn against its dangers, of course. So very right... and the cluster sounds of greatest interest, the Garden in particular. What little I have heard of it makes it seem the kind of place one would be hard-pressed to find without the expertise of one such as yourself."

 

[Vaylin]

"Any of the regions here would be difficult to find, especially if you arrived here as a spirit." With Adrian finished with his business, Vaylin turned on her heel and began to lead the way without pausing to find her bearings. "As a Valkyrie I have a bond with the Netherworld that helps keep me on track. A spirit will find themselves enraptured by the endlessness, while a physical being will gradually lose their way in time." Which fortunately for Adrian, he was safe from the latter provided they didn't get majorly seperated at some point. Though she was sure the scientist had some means or a trick up his sleeve to help keep his sense of direction.

The Valkyrie led the way along the river, following it out of the Valley of Lies and into the River of the Dead, the first half of the region. Its second half; the Path of Choices wouldn't be required for them to access the Garden.

"Don't touch the water here, not even slightly. It'll cause a sickness that's potentially curable and will severely cripple your connection with the Force." And would outright kill you if you tried drinking from it. "But to the subject prior, if you were a spirit this river would appear endlessly to you. No matter how far you could see ahead, you'd never see anything beyond the water."

She went to speak more, but suddenly paused and threw her arm up to signal Adrian to freeze too. Before them was a small group of creatures, hounds from their general shape. Gaunt and sightless, three of them quietly made their way towards the riverbed. One taking the lead, while two followed a bit further behind. To Adrian though, unless he reactivated his fancy lenses again, would only see the paw prints in the dirt, as they passed by.

"Hounds. They can't see you, hear or smell you. But if you directly run into one, they'll catch your scent." Vaylin didn't relent in keeping still, until she was certain they were in the clear. "They're a 'Passive Patrol' I suppose, on the search for any spirits that might be refusing to move on. At least the ones that hadn't taken a direct route through the river."

As if on queue, a wispy voice suddenly called out through the wind.

Valkyrie...

Vaylin turned to look at the river itself, just as an ancient looking rowboat appeared in the water, as if out of thin air. It's appearance was incredibly simple, and one could argue it looked as though it was going to fall apart at any moment. But the more catching sight was the one who steered it, with an overly long oar. His features completely concealed in robes, a large hood covering his face in shadows. The only part that was visible, were the pale skinny arms.

"Greetings to you as well, Ferryman."

I see you've brought a guest along.

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Listening attentively to the Valkyrie's explanations, Adrian compared it to what he already knew, finding his book-learning to be more or less accurate; some discrepancies were to be expected, however, given that the Netherworld had been all but closed off to the living until relatively recently. Curious that it would take such a horrible catastrophe to open up this new frontier.

Keeping well clear of the waters after Vaylin explained their threat - somehow the risk of permanent damage to his connection to the Force seemed almost more scary that the risk of death - the Sith Lord continued to watch it suspiciously for a while before turning his attention to the hounds.

"I take it you can see them, not merely perceive their passing?" Eyeing the receding footprints with no small amount of interest. his musings continued unabated. "Would they, if they have caught our scent, have struck at the spirit and not the flesh? Attempted to drag our spirits to a, ah, final resting place?"

It seemed the most reasonable presumption, based on the data he currently possessed.

No matter, obscure phenomena were seemingly around every corner in this amazing place, the newest of them the hooded figure of a Ferryman, a guide for the spirits of the dead and, it seemed, the living; content to nod his head respectfully towards the figure, Adrian left the talking to Vaylin...

... for as much as he enjoyed to prattle on, he had to admit that he was a bit out of his depth.

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin looked back, a smile on her face. "An accurate assessment, Lord Vandiir. They're not phyiscal entities like us, thus they cannot directly harm. A common mistake for anyone who steps into the Netherworld without knowledge, or sense." Many had encountered such beasts, disturbed them or caught their scent and tried to combat them. Only for the hounds to pass through flesh and tear into their very spirit.

She returned her attention to the Ferryman.

"His name is-"

Adrian Terassi Vandiir. Prospero. Dex Ereni. His name his known, just as his presence has been felt gazing in from the other side.

"Ah I see, perceptive as ever Ferryman."

Always...

"I don't suppose you have some room on your boat? We're heading towards the Garden of Thorns."

No...already at full occupancy. Always.

Just like that the Ferryman began to steer the boat forwards again, a mist began to fall in its wake. Be wary, Shiftling, you do not bear the mark of the Netherworld. It does not react kindly to those that have not been raked over its coals. The mist seemingly consumed the boat after those words, disappearing moments later with the small vessel nowhere to be seen.

"Let's press on, we'll need to find a means to cross the River soon."

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Mild surprise briefly spread across his features as so-called the Ferryman identified him, though it was quickly replaced by a soft smile. Initially staying silent, the direct comment aimed at him earned a reply. "I have seen enough to arrive wary as can be."

He made no attempt to explain what precautions he had taken, however, and soon the boat vanished into the mists.

Turning thoughtful at her statement, he followed along, piercing gaze examining river and surroundings alike.

"This realm is more malleable than realspace, no? If the River represents such a significant danger, it is possible to, ah, cross without crossing?"

Perhaps he was approaching a simple problem with complex solutions - for all he knew there were bridges or rafts, somewhere, but the thought of its foul waters lessening his connection to the Force scared him more than he was willing to admit. Its presence had always elevated him above the hoi polloi, the mere thought of its absence terrified him, more so even than death, now that he had begun to dabble in Necromancy.

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

They pressed on further, following along the river's edge as they continued towards their destination, Occasionally coming across another passive patrol or two, stopping to let them pass by. During those small moments, Vaylin glanced back at Adrian with a curious gaze. She wondered what was going through his mind, looking around at what the Netherworld was.

She was very much one for martial prowess, always looking out for physical threats. Her time as a Valkyrie drilled into her the notion that there were much more dangerous threats that weren't something you could just punch. She assumed it wasn't the same for Adrian, but what he lacked in fighting ability, his mind made up for it in being so keenly attuned to finding something previously unseen, or finding something where one wouldn't have expected.

There was also the fear.

Vaylin could hear it, disguised but hidden when he spoke. The idea of having the Force severely dampened or taken away entirely terrified him. A very understandable mindset. It would be a damn shame if that happened, as the man had a knack for taking even the smallest morsel of something and making it something grander.

She stopped in her stride, turning to face Adrian. "What do you have in mind?" Personally, Baylin's intent had been to just leap over the river once they reached their crossing point.

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Something as simple as merely leaping over the body of deadly liquid had not, in fact, occurred to Adrian; instead, he spread his hands so as to gesture towards the terrain itself. "In this realm of spirits and power, reality itself is more flexible than elsewhere, no?"

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts even though these were hardly new ideas to the ever-curious Sith Lord, it was clear from his tone alone that this was not just about practicality - it was also a "because we can" situation. "In theory, feats that would be impossible in realspace should be possible here, the extraordinarily difficult should be merely challenging."

Nodding towards the sand under their feet and then the other bank, his smile said it all.

"Why not simply bend the fabric of existence a bit until we are there instead of here?"

Vaylin​