Faction LOTS │ Trial of Sand (Open to All Acolytes/Knights)

[Darth Arkanus]

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TAG: Alina Tremiru | Darth Empyrean​

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Dral gave a determined nod, as he walked forward and knelt on the ground, taking a handful of sand and released it into the air as he looked out into the desolate waste that was Korriban, a soft sigh escaped his lips. Closing his eyes he reached out, filtering out the different senses to see if he could sense any water for the pair.​

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Pointing off in the direction that the wind was blowing he looked up at his compatriot. "I feel that we will find some luck in our mission if we head off with the wind. I sense something coming from that way, hopefully, it will flesh itself out what it lies when we get closer." Stating this he rose and began to make the way he had motioned towards.​

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[Dis]

Surur Pomi (Dis the Shadow(cat))
Shadowcat, explorer and wanderer; Owner of the Cat’s Paw; Member of the Greystone Mercantile​

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Chosen Host | Lightsaber
Tags: Val Drutin

~ I was also surprised that you are here, but I am glad for you! ~ conveyed happiness and joy towards Kal , even though they won’t be on the same team.

However, Kal was also unable to help with what should be handled in a situation like the one the Shadowcat is currently in. Yes, it quickly looked through her memories when Dis occupy the body, but found nothing like that in her memories. It’s much more about bureaucratic things, or how someone has to scratch out others eyes. All this literally. For the peaceful Dis, these were almost frighteningly aggressive memories. It probably won't even want to live like that. However, the girl had little memory of social behaviour.

~ If it was like that, I wouldn't have asked you. Good luck to you too Kal! ~ said goodbye to its Shadow peer, then turned its attention back to its newfound companion.

After all, if for no other reason, Val joined Dis because the Shadow chose a host like the one. The Shadowcat thought for a moment that if it had come in its original form, what would he have said about it all? Didn't know, but maybe it wasn't that important. It should go among mortals several times in a host. This will change later and it will try to gain more experience.

"I’m glad you help, even if it’s just because I’m a cat."

It even smiled, it was closest to what was found in her memories and seemed like normal behaviour. Luckily, Dis was watching the briefing so knew what the task was. It nodded the host’s head slightly to the side and moved the tail curiously to Val's words. Meanwhile, the Shadowcat joined Val and walked past the young man.

"Or is he just lazy? We need to get Darth Malgus' holocron and they'll take us to the Desert. However, I think he knows where it is and they hid it for us. After all, this is a test or trial…"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"The wind, huh?" That was the exact sort of mysticism she couldn't understand. Alina's connection to the Force had grown, but she'd never be able to sense things on the wind as Darth Arkanus seemed to have. So she trusted that the Force said something to him. What, well. She didn't trust it'd be water right away. In truth she half expected this tomb to be in the midst of a complete wasteland.

She'd follow along, her yellow eyes scanning their surroundings for anything. Any sign. Of life or the tomb. Thus far, nothing. A frown settled on her lips. At least the last time she went into an unknown tomb she had a location. Sith's desire to protect their secrets was rarely outclassed. "What else do you feel? I feel.. No life. Not yet."

 

[Darth Arkanus]

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TAG: Alina Tremiru​

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Dral looked out into the desolate wasteland that was Korriban, how one had survived here was a surprise, but technology allowed for the building of the academy and other buildings to keep their weak flesh safe from the harshness that was nature. His eyes glancing around as they made their way along, reaching out with the force to follow some of the paths towards life.​

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"Any life that survives here isn't going to be found very easily, we must search, and use the knowledge we have gathered to hunt for our prey. Today it is a source of water, tomorrow it might be a foe. Not everything in life is so black and white as it can sometimes appear to be."​

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The ever giver of wisdom, spouted out more lessons for the woman to learn, he wasn't her master, far from it, but he had been alive long enough to teach the younger woman a thing or two about life.​

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[Alina Tremiru]

Alina rolled her eyes as she stayed behind Darth Arkanus . "I meant there's no sign of life around us. Not just animals, but those we're supposed to go against. It means there's a large area to comb, oh wise elder." There were some things she appreciated learning, but the Zabrak's obsession to continue spouting out lessons like he was somehow helping the young Sith mature was bordering on annoyance. She took a breath and closed her eyes. Asides from that quirk of his, he was a solid ally.

"Do you know what kind of Sith Malgus was? Any information will help us find the tomb."

 

[Val Drutin]

"Darth Malgus?" Val echoed, his brow furrowing. "Darth Malgus... Oh yeah, Darth Malgus! Old Republic Sith dude, stormed the Jedi Temple on Coruscant or whatever. He kinda looked like an egg, but then so did Darth Vader without his helmet. Vader was smart, he hid his egghead behind a cool mask." Val's wisdom was impeccable as always. "He's supposed to have been super duper powerful, like, on par with Vitiate. I have no clue where his tomb might be. So I guess we should use the Force to find it."

The young man promptly assumed a meditative stance, floating cross-legged in midair with his eyes closed. After a minute or so, Val started to nod off again, only to wake himself up with a start. "That way!" he declared excitedly, pointing in one direction. "I think. There's definitely something over there, I can feel it. Come on, let's go!" He sprinted forward.

Dis​

 

[Kal]

Wearing: Devaronian Male; Early Twenties, Athletic, Curved Horns and Fitted Robes.
Equipment: One Standard Issue Survival Kit
Tags: Melydia Gold

Her time with the Sith had certainly not changed Melydia much, as her attempt to be friendly with the faceless troopers proved; unsurprisingly, however, it met with little success. There were sentient beings in there but said beings were likely all too aware their masters were watching.​

"I have been well, thank you - and not long, I only recently made my way here in order to study the ways of the Sith." Noting her hesitation and the not all that subtle aborted movement that accompanied it, he moved to hug her, the action only a bit awkward. He had seen people hug, among other things, but that did not make the motions any less strange to him. Still, it seemed to make people happy, so why not?​

Breaking off as the shuttle made landfall, he squinted out the opening doors but saw nothing but sand, rock, and more sand.​

"That is... inhospitable. The air is very dry, I imagine it will get quite cold come nightfall." He was not terribly worried for himself, he felt fairly confident in his ability to drive this body forward to the destination, but this climate was the polar opposite of the humid jungles of Dxun.​

"Do you need some water? This thing has some... hydration capsules?" Kal said, gesturing at the singular survival kit.​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

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TAG: Alina Tremiru | Darth Empyrean​

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He took her words and nodded, he thought back to what he had learned of Darth Malgus, oh so long ago it seemed. He was a Sith Lord that had carved his name across the galaxy in blood, that was for sure, he was the name of an era, even on par to the Emperor Vitaite himself.​

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"He was what every sith aspires to be, he was cunning and ruthless, carving his name in the history books in red. He did a lot in his life that would make the sith of today envious of his accomplishments. Although he only had some measly Jedi to meddle with, and eventually he even took on the Sith Empire as well, fracturing off. Or at least as I believe."​

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As Dral spoke he reached out with his senses, continuing to follow the trail that he had started on, noticing the lack of life, even of those that the Darth had sent to search along with them.​

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[Alina Tremiru]

"A failed usurper then? Surprising he even had a tomb made. Though I suppose given his prowess it's only natural they'd still give him a tomb. If hidden in the desert for his traitorous actions." That at least narrowed it down a bit. The tomb wouldn't be out in the open. Secreted away. Water was their goal, but it didn't mean it had to be their focus. So, what could she find? Her eyes closed as she focused on the flow of Anima around them. The part of the Force that was supposedly there to bring life. As she said, she couldn't feel anyone other than herself and Darth Arkanus just in front of her. But it wasn't the only thing she could feel.

There was the flow around her. Thin. Almost like they were high on a mountain and there was just enough air to breath. Just enough for her to feel it shift and move. Dral made an easy starting point. There were two flows within him. His blood, circulating through his body. And the Force around him. Bending to his will. "Huh. Are you sensing anything?" A casual question, but there to see if she pulled him out of his own focus, and what effect that might have on the flow around him.

 

[Dis]

Surur Pomi (Dis the Shadow(cat))
Shadowcat, explorer and wanderer; Owner of the Cat’s Paw; Member of the Greystone Mercantile​

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Chosen Host | Lightsaber
Tags: Val Drutin

Luckily, Dis had read a book or two already about who the more famous Sith Lords used to be, so it also knew a thing or two about Darth Malgus. That’s why Shadowcat pretty much knew who Malgus was and what he was doing in his life. So nodded at Val's words. Found it a little strange that the shadows were not following its movement now, but there were no more shadows around it in this shape. And the Shadowcat heard about Vitiate mostly because it also had an artefact from the vault. Kal helped to examine and investigate the scroll after Dis found it.

"Yes, it's about him!"

Dis finally said out loud. Almost as usual, it telepathically communicated all of this, but luckily it realized in time that it should change and it needed it to say it out loud. Suddenly, in Val's words, didn't even know what to say, because probably everyone had already searched that tomb anyway, and they weren't likely to be students who would find it after thousands of years.

"I do not think that…"

Dis sighed as the man picked up the meditative state. Felt it was going to be a very, very long day. Luckily, the Shadowcat was a fairly patient thing, although wanted the holocron, but was here for learning rather than the trial. Although it had no doubt that it could still learn from the trial as well. Looked around in confusion; it really didn’t know what to do in this situation. It was confusing and embarrassing for the whole thing. Kal?! Searched for its Shadow peer, but could no longer see him.

"But…"

It would have started as Val found the place and sprinted in one direction. Mortals… Dis really should write the book it mentioned to Kal on their first encounter. Help?! the Shadowcat thought for a moment. But since it was a paired task, after another tired sigh, it was a run to try to catch up with Val.

"Wait, don't leave me here!" shouting after the young man.

 

[Darth Arkanus]

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TAG: Alina Tremiru | Darth Empyrean​

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Reaching out as far as he could, Dral felt his senses rub against something, a small bead of sweat coming down his face as he concentrated, he couldn't tell what it was he just knew that it was some sort of living lifeform, that as better then the pair had managed for a while.​

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"That way, there is something, I don't know what exactly, but when we near hopefully I can narrow down what it could be."​

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Dral gestured towards the direction he had felt the sense he had gotten, and began to make his way towards the location, hoping for some water to allow for them to begin searching for this tomb.​

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[Alina Tremiru]

There it was. The change. Darth Arkanus seemed to focus more, if how the flow suddenly rushed through him was any indication. And he felt something? Her brow furrowed as she tried to focus on what he was found. So far, nothing. No change in the flow. It was thin, barely enough for her to actually be able to feel it. It was frustrating, to say the least. After a moment she just let out a sigh and opened her eyes again.

They'd find water, then she'd try again.

 

[Val Drutin]

An athlete by trade, Val ran fast and tirelessly, assuming that his kittenish companion would keep up. Clad in his customary costume, he looked like he had begun a marathon minutes after leaving a renaissance faire.

Spotting some rocky crags sticking up out of the desert ahead, he came to a skidding halt, sending up a cloud of sand in the process. The sand dusted over the distinctly lizard-like shape of a Hssiss which had been sunbathing beside the rocks.

Val turned toward the creature, his hands on his hips. “Is this the Tomb of Darth Malgus?”

The Hssiss hissed at him, then lunged forward.

Leaping over the thrusting beast, Val flipped and landed on his feet behind the Hssiss, only to be knocked over by a swipe of its long tail. He fell, eating dirt, and barely managed to grab hold of his lightsaber before the creature pounced on him, goring it through the throat. It slumped on top of him.

Val strained and grunted as he rolled the beast’s dead weight off of him. Judging by the sound of thundering feet, another one was fast approaching. The noise was amplified in volume, as if through a tunnel... or a nearby cave.

"Surur! There's more!" Val called in warning.

Dis + I accidentally tagged people who aren't even in this thread rip​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

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TAG: Alina Tremiru | Darth Empyrean​

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Glancing back at his compatriot Dral stopped for a moment, he could feel her struggle to sense what he had. Dral knew that Alina had always had trouble when it came to utilizing the force in more conventional ways, although with this she was a force to be rivaled with when it came to some more unique aspects of the force. Dral almost wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut, he was not her master, this wasn't his job, he was just an old crone for the most part.​

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Coming onto a ridgeline he peered down into the valley below, seeing some flora that survived the harshest of conditions on Korriban, he pointed these out for Alina to see.​

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"Hopefully they contain water, or we might be searching for water a while longer."​

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[Alina Tremiru]

Plants? Flowers? Alina's eyes narrowed on them as they drew closer. The flow was stronger around them. There was a lot of very interesting sensations she was feeling now. Learning more on how it was to feel the world around her. Probably not the lesson Darth Empyrean was trying to teach, but she wasn't going to not use it. She brought her saber out once she neared one of the plants and cut it right open, revealing the reservoir of water within. Well, liquid. It certainly wasn't just water. Likely something the plant produced to keep the water lasting longer.

"It might be a good idea to try and boil this. Knowing Korriban, it's likely poisonous to drink. But, it should work for what we need." She turned her gaze back to Darth Arkanus , watching him expectantly. "Now with water, what do you want our first move to be? Try and find the others? Or the tomb?"

 

[Melydia Gold]

Wearing: X, X
Wielding: X
Tags: Kal

The mere concept of affection, platonic especially, was one Melydia gladly accepted. And awkwardness aside, be it an unfamiliar territory for one or trying to avoid the act of comfort turning to one of discomfort - bent wings, broken spines or horns, or other predicaments surely wouldn't help either in the mission itself -Melydia was absolutely ecstatic to be on the receiving end of a hug in general, even more so from a friend.

"Makes sense, and there's plenty to learn here, yes yes. We've been here...a time, we lost track of how long exactly." Granted, that assumed she attempted keeping track in the first place.

"It's not like the jungle, no," she admitted, exiting the shuttle, boot kicking up a bit of sand for added emphasis. "There's sand and rocks and more of the sleeping dead - though sometimes they stop sleeping, too - but it's not so bad. Lots of treasures to find if you know where to look." Or at least what to look for and for that purpose, Melydia was grateful for the early morning debriefing. There was a chill in the air and it was still quite dark, but a scavenger hunt with a friend almost made up for it.

She shook her head at his question. "Not right now, no. But probably later. Especially if we can't find that holocron. Malgus, right? Do you know anything about him?"

 

[Kal]

Wearing: Devaronian Male; Early Twenties, Athletic, Curved Horns and Fitted Robes.
Equipment: One Standard Issue Survival Kit
Tags: Melydia Gold

Nodding enthusiastically as he followed along after her, Kal bent down and picked up a handful of sand, letting it slowly fall back down to the ground as their shuttle took off, leaving them alone in the wastes. "Yes. Korriban may look barren, but there is strength and history both buried under the dunes and carved into the very bedrock of this place. One could spend a lifetime studying its secrets while only scraping the surface."​

Shivering slightly, he felt quite grateful they had been dropped off in the morning. The nights were likely quite unpleasant without shelter.​

"I have heard of him, yes. A great warrior from a bygone age, a mad traitor or bold patriot, depending on who you ask." Even as he spoke, he began to slowly turn in circles, even sniffing the air as if it would somehow carry a clue. "He was a direct man with little patience for politics..."​

Which might explain the hidden nature of his tomb. Not one for unnecessary opulence, from what Kal had heard, but even in the Netherworld sources became less reliable with age and Malgus had lived a very, very long time ago. "I believe it is... that way. Maybe. Probably."​

He had a feeling, and his feelings usually panned out, though Korriban was harder than most to navigate. So much interference.​

 

[Dis]

Surur Pomi (Dis the Shadow(cat))
Shadowcat, explorer and wanderer; Owner of the Cat’s Paw; Member of the Greystone Mercantile​

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Chosen Host | Lightsaber
Tags: Val Drutin

Running was a completely novel experience that Dis had never experienced before. Followed Val behind him because didn't really have experience with how to move a mortal body in this form. Twice almost fell on the sand, but soon realized how to use the host’s tail to get a better balance. That’s why it was a bit slow, and it only got to the top of the dune when Val killed the Hssiss.

This filled Dis with sadness because loved all kinds of animals and loved to communicate with them as well. The Shadowcat Force's abilities included being able to talk and communicate with animals. In any case, Dis ran down the dune, quite close to its companion, while also hearing the voices of the other Hssiss as he approached further.

"You shouldn't have killed him. Don't hurt the rest, I'll try to talk to them."

Said, then looked in the direction of the sounds and so the cave. There appeared one more the next moment. Dis reached out to the Force and used the form of communication that was common to the Shadowcat because it talked to animals many times here in the Realspace. As it addressed the Hssiss, the creature stopped a little confused. Dis politely introduced itself to him as Dis who works for Greystone and is just here to learn and looking for something.

Learned a couple of things about the male Hssiss, whom at the end, unless Val intervened, the Shadowcat asked him to leave because it didn’t want its partner to hurt him. Even before he left the creature even asked what Dis and its partner were looking for here. Shadowcat said, and at the response, Dis laughed and conveyed joy, amusement to the Hssiss. The creature looked at the girl, at Val, and finally Dis spoke.

"He says if we bring him dinner, he will help us find what we are looking for."

 

[Val Drutin]

"Well, of course I shouldn't have killed it," Val replied. "But the Hssiss attacked with the intent to kill me. Unless I misunderstood, and that was an affectionate lunge-and-tackle..."

Feeling rather chastened, Val returned his lightsaber to his belt and slouched, kicking at a rock with the toe of his slippered foot while Surur talked to the other Hssiss. The dragon seemed rather nonplussed about the death of his female companion. Must be a lounge lizard to treat his lady friend in so disposable a manner.

"Dinner?" Val echoed. It seemed a reasonable enough request, but he was utterly ignorant as to the diet of the Korribanese Hssiss. "What does he want to eat?" Tapping his lip with a finger, the dancer glanced at the body of the dead Hssiss. "I take it they aren't cannibals... right?"

Dis​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

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TAG: Alina Tremiru | Darth Empyrean​

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His eyes would wander over the plant, attempting to discover the identity of the plant. There were 14 well-known varieties of plants, some bore fruit and some were more decorative in nature. This one did not remind him of any of the poisonous ones, but he would heed the advice of the young sith, he wasn't as brushed up on his flora as he was his lightsaber skills.​

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"The others are indifferent to us, they have as much clue as we do when it comes to where this tomb is, as is the assignment. Our best bet is to attempt to locate the tomb itself in hopes of beating the rest. If we are to find other groups, it is best to keep our distance and allow for them to lead us."​

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Being thrust out here without a direction was the whole point of the exercise, yes he wanted to find what lurked inside the tomb and obtain this for Maliphant, but it was best to stay alive whilst they were out there. They did make a formidable pair, they needed to use their brains to find the temple, not rely on the findings of others if they didn't have to.​

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