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

[Alina Tremiru]

Darth Arkanus was right. Their best bet was to find the tomb first. She'd already started a fire, using her saber as heat to ignite the dried remains of plants that couldn't survive around the almost cactus like plants. The heat from the flame reminded her just how cold this word actually was. With a shiver she pulled free a small cup, scooping out the water and setting it on the fire. It'd be a little bit before they got water, but at least they had it.

She sat beside it, humming softly. A care free tune, one her father used to hum when she was still very little. After a moment she stopped, turning her gaze towards.. Something. She wasn't sure. She lifted a hand, pointing in the direction. "Anima is coalescing that way. It's heavy. Dark. It could be another of our rivals, or the tomb." She wasn't entire sure what she was saying, either. But there was something that way she couldn't ignore. A pull. As if it was leaching the already thin amount of Anima from the air to sustain itself.

"Do you have any canteens? We should get some filled then head that way."

Darth Empyrean

 

[Melydia Gold]

Wearing: X, X
Wielding: X
Tags: Kal

"Well if he was so direct, you'd think the path to his Holocron would be as well." Of course, that couldn't be the case, not for a competition's sake. The direct path could easily be obfuscated, either by those who placed the holocron or by the individual teams focusing too much on hiding their trek from the others. This contest was one of wits just as much as it was speed or endurance, of deception just as it was of teamwork.

For that reason, Melydia was grateful to have Kal as a partner. A familiar face who also had a sense for wandering, for discovery. His intuition would be a great asset in at least starting them off in a direction. Meanwhile Melydia's own approach was something a bit more holistic, but also worlds more meandering.

Reaching down to scoop up a handful of sand, a small cluster of beetles came with it. She brought the handful to eye level, her other hand moving to serve as both shield should a beetle or sand go for her eye, but also a focus to channel her efforts into, fingers moving slowly like a distant caress. "We seek what's newly hidden," she told the beetles, implanting what information she recalled into the small insects. A moment later, she released them back into the sand, watching them scatter before turning back to Kal with a nod. "Then let's head that way. The beetles will be watching. More eyes for the hive."

 

[Quintus Varro]

Of course why wouldn't he have a thing for Twi'leks the rest of the galaxy seemed to. He'd once thought they lived a softer slave life then others, but he'd heard enough stories to know that different didn't always mean better. Instead he walked to the front of the transport and entered the cockpit as they began to settle down among the canyons.

"Everyone out, Acolytes, we're here." Clicking a few buttons they prepared to take off as soon as the two were on the ground, but Quintus remained unmoving even as Arcturus Dinn moved for the opening door.

Reaching down Quintus hit the button again reversing the direction of the ramp as the pilot looked up at him startled. Quintus just rose a hand to him until his partner came up to find out what the issue was. "There are no rules except killing another Acolyte, and so we will play by those rules." Turning to Arcturus he smiled, but it was not a pleasant look as he accepted that their dark fate was perhaps unavoidable. "Take us into the air, pilot, and to the nearest base. We'll requisition supplies there before returning to scout the land by air."

The pilot's eyes bulged as he realized their intentions and immediately opened his mouth to stand against it before the soft hiss of a lightsaber filled the air. "The death of Acolytes is the rule, pilot. Perhaps we will push this angle too far, but if we do only we will be punished. This isn't your battle so simply accept your place in it and go home after with a story. Or, attempt to break the chain I'm placing over you and stand against me and be struck down. The choice is yours."

If they were to be damned by knowledge and power then he would grasp that in his hand and take all he could from it before the end. Perhaps he was wrong about his choice and the unspoken rules should have been honored more, but if he would rule his own fate it wasn't the last rule he'd have to test he supposed.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Arkanus]

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TAG: Alina Tremiru | Darth Empyrean​

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Dral began to set up the steps to turn their discovery into the water for the pair. Helping Alina as they set up the process and then began to fill a cup that he had on his person. Having known he would need water for this journey Dral had managed to procure some canteens for the pair to use. After several minutes of filling them with water, he began to close the lid on the last one.​

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He felt it, a shiver down his spine, he looked at Alina and could tell that she had felt it too. Attaching the canteens to his belt he stood up and motioned for Alina to follow, they were going to find out what that feeling was.​

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"I am not sure what that is either, but I can tell that it could potentially lead to our death, so let's try not to upset anybody or anything. If it comes down to it, we can handle some other acolytes for the most part, but old sith powers? I doubt it."​

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Dral began his way to the feeling that had emerged at the edge of his boundaries with his compatriot, reaching out to learn more about what he was feeling as they made their way towards it.​

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[Arcturus Dinn]

As they came to the end of their journey, Thesh stood up from his seat, gave a nod of thanks to the pilot, and headed for the ramp. No use sitting around, wasting time.​

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But the ramp closed as he reached it, locking him inside and shutting him off from Korriban. The boy frowned, a deep and troubled frown, as he turned back toward the cockpit and glanced at those within. "Come on, we need to--"​

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His companion was stood with lightsaber ignited, staring down the pilot. He flicked his gaze between the two of them, making a quick assessment of the situation, and then shook his head some.​

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"You know it was implied that we were to do this alone," he said, as bluntly as he could. "Maliphant won't stand for it..."​

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Thoughts drifted through his mind, of all he owed his Master and how easily he could be disposed of if he became an inconvenience. Thesh was afforded a little more freedoms than most who studied under the white-haired Lord, he was the first, and he had come before the darkness truly set in. Had been practically raised by him. But he knew that it wouldn't matter in the long run. Not if Maliphant saw fit to remove him.​

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The spar with Rax was evidence enough of that.​

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At the same time, he couldn't keep holding himself back by fear of the unknown, of life without his Master. He was going to disappoint him, that was inevitable. But was this the hill he wished to die upon? Was this really worth all of that?​

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"You're going to get us all killed," he said with a groan, though at saberpoint the pilot had already begun to lift off from the ground once more to set them upon Quintus' maddened quest. Thesh's face was even paler than usual, no doubt he'd end up with the worst end of the stick for not calling the whole thing off.​

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Quintus Varro ​

 

[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, the Hssiss was smart enough to talk to it well, so Dis could easily speak to him. Was glad that Val didn't want to kill this new one, and also that the Hssiss didn't attack either, but was willing to talk. So it was much easier. In the end, they came to the question that the creature wanted dinner, and this was interpreted by the Shadowcat to its companion and nodded slightly at the question.

"I know they are carnivores or necrophagous and usually eat the dead who died in the desert, especially in war… but I ask."

The Shadowcat turned back to the Hssiss and asked what exactly he wanted for dinner. Dis scowled at the answer. As a Shadow, they didn’t need a meal, in a host, of course, the host did, but Dis didn’t want to stay in the body so much, especially after the answer. Val seemed right.

"He doesn’t shy away from cannibalism… although he would be happier with some older carcass, something like us that has been in the desert for a while. Necrophagous. But he said that if there is no one else, he will eat the one you killed."

Looked around quickly, but didn't really see anything the Hssiss wanted, namely corpses in the area.

"Did you see anything he wanted to eat somewhere?" asked Val.

 

[Val Drutin]

While Surur spoke to Mr. Hssiss, Val had begun to stare at the dead Missus Hssiss. He'd impaled her through the throat, but the sureness of his bladework had left the rest of her untouched. Peculiarly, he could still sense life within the body, albeit very faint. Reactivating his lightsaber, he sliced open the Hssiss' belly. A torrent of entrails spilled out from betwixt cauterized scales, along with half a dozen round white eggs.

"Ew," Val declared. "I can't believe I just did that. But look!" He reached down to pick one of the eggs up, feeling life like a heartbeat through his bare fingertips. The corners of his mouth curled upward in a smile. "No wonder why she was so, uh, hissy. That's a lot of babies."

Mr. Hssiss looked quite happy at the news - just not for the right reasons. The dragon's tongue slithered out, tasting the air, and he started to stalk forward, filled with obvious saturnine intent, clawed feet thumping the ground with every step.

"Hey!" Val exclaimed in alarm. He scooped up another egg and held it in the crook of his elbow, then floated the rest up beyond the Hssiss' reach with some well-applied telekinesis. "You said you wanted a day-old corpse, that's what we'll get for you. No eating your own babies! That's needlessly edgelord-y, even by the standards of this faction!"

His tongue lolling angrily out of the corner of his mouth, Mr. Hssiss reluctantly slunked back over to his corner and lay down to impatiently await his promised carcass. Meanwhile Val abruptly noticed that the two eggs in his arms were slick with gore, which had been transferred to the front of his black velvet tunic and linen sleeves. "Oh, yuck!"

Grimacing, he turned to Surur. "To answer your question, no, I didn't see any dead bodies on the way here. But I'm sure if we look, we'll find some. This is Korriban, after all." He gestured with an egg-laden arm toward the open desert. "Shall we?"

Dis​

 

[Kal]

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

Shrugging as if to convey his ignorance, he confirmed that his earlier comments had just about been the extent of his knowledge on the matter. Those sources he had perused had described Malgus as warrior first, everything else later, but that oh-so-often happened when it came to powerful Sith; a bit of bias in the chroniclers, no doubt. Whether it was accurate in this case or not was anyone's guess, though he leaned towards yes.​

Smiling enthusiastically as his friend made use of the limited fauna at their disposal, he tracked the beetles with his eyes for a moment before setting off in the direction in which the tomb probably lay. At the very least, something was calling to him, in a roundabout way.​

"Excellent work, Melydia; the more eyes the better. Given Korriban's nature and the particularly inhospitableness of this region, I anticipate carrion birds sooner rather than later - do you believe you could reach out to them from a distance?" A bird's eye could be very useful, certainly; a shame they could not keep the shuttle, but then that might have taken away some of the challenge. Unless they started shooting at each other.​

 

[Aspect of Passion]

RNG: Natural Crit of 20.

The deserts of Korriban would seem endless - no matter the ship they rode in, or the sands they walked. Cliffs seemed long devoid of life, their marred rocky faces playing tricks on the eyes - occasionally looking like giant stone faces carved into perpetual screams before the winds blow the visage away. There was nothing for miles but the dark side corrupted animals, and the few plants that carried any moisture for them to survive; but all of them would feel what was about to occur.

Heavy on their senses, they would collectively feel the skies darken - notice the distant draw of the Dark Side to somewhere over the horizon. For each of them, it would be different - a cave leading into the tomb, a hole in the sand leaving through a broken ceiling, finding the barest peak of the tomb's towers poking through the sand; but each would find what was to be their guide into the tomb from different places around the great desert. Yet, there was a message amidst the darkness.

As the sands began to swirl around the tomb - a circular wall of burnt orange dust would close them within the eye of this artificial storm. A message would whisper itself into each of their minds; but it was obvious it was only meant for one of them.

"I have waited... so long for you... Come, carry on my legacy. Find what was always to be yours.", it called out.

While many would feel comfort in its tones, from the acolytes sent out by Maliphant with no hope to succeed, to the most experienced among them, they would all hear it; yet the sensations each felt would vary. There was no doubt however, it was meant for one of them - the question became who among them was the chosen heir of his disembodied voice.

Arcturus Dinn // Quintus Varro
Darth Arkanus // Alina Tremiru
Melydia Gold // Kal
Val Drutin // Dis

 

[Quintus Varro]

Watching the darkening sky he peered into it without moving as the ship descended having gone as far as even it could in this storm. The rest would be on foot, but at least now they had real expedition supplies and wouldn't have to worry so much off of simple survival. He glanced down the pilot as the rear of the ship opened up the man still more then a bit nervous. There were easier ways then the brute force he had used here, but he didn't know them well enough yet, soon enough though.

Dropping his hand down he patted the man's shoulder. "Don't worry, pilot, I assure you they'll understand this particular incident was beyond your control. You handled yourself well and when asked I will commend your bravery in holding together despite my threats. No one expects you at command to defy a Sith, I'll contact you again when I have need of transport."

He walked away leaving the man in some confusion, but Quintus knew he'd answer the call when he was needed again. A Sith as a patron was a powerful ally after all for any member of the military. As he stepped out of the ship he nodded to Arcturus Dinn knowing the man would want and answer, but barely having it. "You know I studied this Sith a bit as well? He loved a slave, interesting no? He fought across worlds with her in tow, and then one day he realized she was his last chain. He'd bound himself to her with love as surely as any chain. So he killed her, he killed her to reach the summit of his power, and no one could hold him to anything then. He was as free in the force. Utterly free."

Pulling down his googles and closing up his robes he walked into the wall of sand knowing he hadn't answered really anything. Did he need to though? He'd made a choice and he'd done it. Wasn't that all there was to being free? The cost, well, who had he ever had? Who had he ever loved? Perhaps he was born luckier then he realized for he had nothing to lose.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Thesh spent the majority of their journey to and from the supply harbour in seething meditation. If he was going to be stuck with this insanity he might as well use it to fuel himself, he figured. Else it was all for naught. So he did. It wasn't until the voice called out into his mind, similar to that ever present and haunting melody, that he truly roused himself from it either. As the ship touched down, and the storm grew so strong that it was unwise to continue on via the air.​

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Good riddance, he thought, as they disembarked and he pulled a scarf up over his mouth to save from inhaling the worst of it. At least they would be doing some of this of their own volition.​

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As the man began to speak further on the Darth they were hunting, he pondered the words solemnly for a moment. Then he shrugged. ​

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"Funny how the Jedi of old preached separation from such things, yet many Sith would ultimately also end up doing the same in their pursuit of power. Surely there must be a way to have both. Is a chain really a chain if it is one you willingly bear? Is it truly possible to exist without any bindings at all? Ones Master, ones government, family of old, or those we meet along the way. I am particularly close to my books, and the things I create. Are these things which I must also purge myself of? What is left if all we do is sacrifice living for some unobtainable dream?"​

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The boy shook his head some at the mere thought of it. No, if he ever had a love like that he would not see fit to sever such chains. There was no sense in seeking immortality, or anything akin to that, if you never truly lived at all.​

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He raised an arm to cover his eyes for a moment, before procuring some goggles of his own from within the supplies. They did a good enough job at making it so he could keep his eyes open, though did little against the sand itself. That still blocked as much of the view as it liked.​

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"Come on," he said, as they began to trudge away from the landing zone, a new pack upon his back within which a multitude of supplies lay. And as he trudged he thought upon that voice, and the words spoken. Surely it was not speaking to him directly. Such a powerful voice had no place looking to one such as he. He was far from the strongest among the Acolytes, all the boy sought was knowledge... And, he supposed, validation from the one soul in the Galaxy he owed his life to.​

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Quintus Varro​

 

[Quintus Varro]

He smirked as he considered Arcturus Dinn words as they battled through the wall of sand the wind whipping at his clothes and flesh. Small rocks caught among it pelted them as they continued bruising the skin, but the robes kept it from being worse. Still a solid hit to the head might leave one of them unconscious. Pulling up his hand against the wind he couldn't make out his hand as he realized if it wasn't for that pull of darkness they could easily have been lost inside of the sand forever. If the darkness wasn't meant to trick them.

He continued mentally his conversation with Arcturus if for no other reason then to avoid the hopeless feeling that maybe they wouldn't find the other side of this wall. Your very words make it clear you understand, think them over. Is a chain still a chain if you are willing to bear it? If it wasn't a chain would you need to bear it? The choice comes down to what this power we seek is worth to you. You're a good man, Arcturus, but one day you will sacrifice them all if you tread this path to it's ending. Even your own body will corrupt and rot under the power of the dark side. Walk away while you can, or study a different line of knowledge. This one will end with you truly alone for power too is it's own shackle, and one can only bear so much weight.

He tried to spit out the sand as they walked the blew even through his scarf, but to no avail as the world became a great wall of red sand. Sitting in his passion though Quintus continued to step forward towards the tomb as the howling noise dimmed out all others. Only one could have the holocron, and as much as that mattered to him in truth it wasn't the end either way. If the spirit was still here as it seemed to be it was still possible to learn from it with or without a holocron.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Led on by the pull of the darkness, seeing only through the Force as his eyes betrayed him, Thesh fell into a deep and brooding thought as they took step after step through that abyss. As much as it seemed to guide the way, the brewing storm also sought to weed out the weak it would seem. Duplicitous in nature... Like much of the things this Galaxy had thrown at him.​

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Turning back would be a death sentence. Standing still, hoping to merely bunker down, would too. Their only real option here was to continue on, toward its source, into the eye of the storm.​

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His companion soon decided that verbally speaking was no longer a necessity. That was fine with Thesh, anything which would help bolster his connection to the Force and give his mind a workout was more than welcome. These days it wasn't even too difficult to split his focus between two acts such as this, that which allowed him to see and sense his way forward, while simultaneously holding a conversation within his head.​

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There is no one in my life to sacrifice. I have my Master, sure, but one of these days he'll cut his ties to me in one way or another as all are want to do. You, my fellow acolytes, will go off and do your own things also. Amass your own power in whatever form that might take. Alina has her House to focus upon, Dral will find a way to scale the ranks, and you?​

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He pondered on that for a moment, a fact which Quintus was no doubt aware of given that they were somewhat in one another's mind for the time being.​

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Truth be told, you are somewhat of an enigma. But I doubt you'll much want to stick around me in the long term either. All break away from those they once knew. That is not a thing beholden to Jedi or Sith simply lifeforms in general. We all go our own way, become wrapped up in our own lives. And that's okay. I don't have family out there, among the stars, and as things stand I have no interest in furthering my line. This is what I have, Quintus. My books, the Force, all the mysteries held within it. I am not afraid of what it might do to me, I've seen what it's done to others...​

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The boy shrugged, though he knew it was unlikely that the man would see him do it. On and on they trudged as they spoke, further into the unknown. He only became aware of the lessening of the storm, as they neared its core, when he was able to see his hand before his eyes once more.​

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Your concerns are noted, though. Be careful, friend, there are many in the Sith who would believe you trying to undermine the will of those who run the Academy with such talks...​

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Luckily for Quintus, Thesh was not among them.​

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Quintus Varro ​

 

[Quintus Varro]

He would have laughed at the last had he not been absolutely sure he'd just end up with a mouth of sand. Nothing to lose eh? What about yourself man. Strange you never listed yourself on that list, because before the dark side finishes with you that too will vanish into the darkness. There is a difference between us, Arcturus. You're a good man, and you could have a future out there away from all of this. Me? No, I may have been a slave, but I made choices along the way. Hunger and desperation is a powerful motivator, but not an excuse. You're likely right though I won't stick around you until the end. I'd rather remember you like this before it eats your soul.

It all may have seemed insane as Quintus had began all but racing to the very point he argued Quintus to be aware of, but he'd been the only one here who'd ever tried to help him without gain. He didn't care about his own soul, but then he never planned to die. After his first lesson with the eldritch witch he'd started to eat up every volume he could on history and information on sorcery. It wasn't an easy search though as most of it was hidden within the various Sith languages at the least. For a man who'd only learned to read as an Acolyte it was still a bit beyond him.

If there were no chains to bind you it was just you and the force. Whatever goal you wanted was yours to take so long as you were willing. This all may have seemed like it was about simply saving a man worth saving, and perhaps in some ways it was. For Quintus though this was a bond laid upon him by Arcturus Dinn perhaps quite unknowingly. He'd aided the Firreorean and in doing so had laid a chain on him, a kind chain, but a chain none the less.

It was much less a weight then most he'd felt, and he knew most Sith enjoyed comradery, or at least allies. Perhaps he was even just trying to shed Arcturus early before it was more difficult to do so. It was all impossible to know at this point, it was simply all too new and every time he thought he understood it something new was revealed.

Their conversation though had held his focus off of the sand and that was boon enough. Still they couldn't go on like this forever and with that his next step he tried to focus on the force, and open himself to the dark storm around him. Even as he stepped he focused as Celeste Demici had taught him feeling the connection to the force controlled storm around him as he tasted it inside of himself. Rage at the unknown relationship between him and Arcturus focused him as he tried to open himself and the storm at the same time.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Thesh turned his head, and stared at the man at his side.​

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With the waning storm he was able to see much clearer now. Witness the golden hue of his skin, as he sought to observe more than that. To look deeper than mere surface level, to the man within. The boy frowned.​

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It is never too late to take control of one's fate, Quintus, he mused with full sincerity, realizing in truth that he was entering tricky, some might argue blasphemous territory, by choosing to engage this conversation further. Who you were matters not, who you could become... Who you could become changes everything. Each day is a new chance to change your stars. Never think yourself a lost cause. ​

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My people were once all enslaved, and though we bear traits which pay homage to such dark times we endured and we transcended such into freedom. These days most Lorrdian live free, without knowledge of what their forefathers experienced. My ancestors fought to change their fates... And I believe that, should you wish it, you could too. You are not the only student in this Academy who came here a slave, Quintus. Who had to act outside of their nature solely to survive.​

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He had always felt ashamed, a blight on the newer legacy of his people, for being enslaved. As though he had taken his people back to a time they'd clawed their way out of, that by being subservient he was dishonouring his ancestors. But he had taken back that control, the Force had freed him. And though he owed much of it to Darth Empyrean he would be remiss in ignoring the part he himself had played.​

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He could have rolled over, refused to learn as he had when first they'd taken him, but he hadn't. He wouldn't. He had taken fate into his own hands that day on Bastion, when he'd taught himself to read and garnered a love of such.​

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This? he finally said, after allowing a moment of silence to wash over them, This is my way of taking back control. Of ensuring none can ever hold dominion over me once more. Surely you of all people understand that...​

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Perhaps that was why the two were drawn together, why Thesh had felt the need to offer out a hand to the one face in the room nobody seemed to recognize. Trauma could be spotted a mile away, and two slaves certainly amounted to a whole lot of trauma...​

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Quintus Varro ​

 

[Quintus Varro]

With one last step even as he tried to hide his eyes from the stinging red and it was suddenly gone. Coughing out the dirt he looked behind him in confusion, surely he could not have actually opened this storm? Behind the pair stood a wall of gusting sand that flowed in a perfect circle around the location. Turning his eyes further down it seemed almost completely solid the farther he looked as whatever remained in Darth Malgus' tomb protected it's secret from all but his 'chosen one'.

Taking a sudden gasp of air he pulled out one of his canteens taking a great mouthful in before spitting out what seemed to be straight mud. With a cough he spat again before he took another mouthful as his eye remained locked on the unnatural storm before him. "If I have a people, Arcturus, these are them. I've never met another of my kind, and perhaps I never will. So perhaps as much as I have denied it my whole life, these are my people. I have no where else to turn, no people to run to. I'm not a lost cause, I am Sith, and I was born into chains so I may free myself."

Turning back to their objective his eyes looked out to the tomb of Darth Malgus he brushed the dust off his robes, a near impossible task in truth. "Before you are done your people will hate you and what you've become. Let them go if you wish to walk this path. Very well then, friend, let us walk this path as allies at least." He wished they could have been friends, he truly did, but he doubted the price of power would allow it in the end. "You should know that while this holocron is the prize the spirit of Darth Malgus seems to still rest here. If the spirit still walks among us, it can still teach."

Arcturus Dinn

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

And so it was that two men were locked into their fates, whether of their own volition or by some unseen hands unknown. Neither would willingly step away from it, nor could either push the other off the path. Kindred for now, but one day..? Well, one day was not today. Thesh would not dwell on how the future might fare, how they might be in years to come.​

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The parting of the storm was a welcome respite, and one which put an end to their mental talks. Thesh pulled down the cloth which covered his nose and mouth, breathed in a hungry breath of air, and reached for his canteen. How long they'd been walking he could not say for sure, truth be told it did not matter. They were there, wherever there was, in the heart of the storm.​

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And before them lay the prize for which they had come. Somewhere... Within the sands.​

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"If Malgus rests here, we best hope he does not see fit to rob the air from our lungs... I doubt he'd be in the teaching mood, after so long alone out here. But who knows, I've been wrong before."​

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He offered a smile, as they stepped forth and their feet no longer sank into the sand but instead met a firmer sandstone. Barely any of the tombs entrance was visible to them, but the foundation beneath his feet made him all too aware of their destination.​

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It was Tash-Taral all over again, only instead of Ceri it was Quintus at his side. They would unearth it together, and hopefully he would not find a memory-lost woman buried within it this time. Thesh closed his eyes, extended a hand as conduit for his powers, and began to swirl the Force around himself. To further disturb the sand at their feet, in hopes that they might unearth more of the entrance to the tomb and free it of its sandy prison.​

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With any luck, Quintus would join in too. Two Force-wielding hands were better than one, after all.​

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Quintus Varro ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Aspect of Passion | Darth Arkanus​

"Not our deaths.." No sooner did Darth Arkanus speak that the very thing they both had felt reached out to them. The voice of the dead. Alina's eyes narrowed in that direction, but she didn't stop heading towards it. No, they knew where they needed to go. And, most likely, the others felt it too. It was no longer a matter of who could find it first, but who could overcome the trials.

Alina took off in a run, her glowing yellow eyes narrowed. A race wasn't what she wanted. There was a level of caution needed, but figuring out the balance between that and speed was a difficult enough thing to do without the pressure of others joining in. Would they have to fight anyone? Was there multiple entrances? Too many variables flew through her mind all at once. But they needed to get to this call first.

She stopped outside what looked like a crack in the canyon wall. From a distance, no one would notice that just past it was the smoothly carved stairs that lead down to a tomb. The age old statues of ancient Sith were clearly erected, heads bowed to watch anyone who dared to use these steps.

They'd indeed found the tomb.

"You ready?"

 

[Darth Arkanus]

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TAG: Alina Tremiru | Aspect of Passion | Darth Empyrean​

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His eyes narrowed as he heard the voice booming across the land. His thoughts lined closely with Alina as she began to sprint towards the direction of the tomb. Dral let out a curse under his breath as he ran after her at full sprint attempting to keep pace with her.​

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The pair made their way at breakneck speed towards the tomb entrance, their feet barely hitting the ground before moving onto the next stride. Making significant distance in a short time they made their way to the entrance to the tomb where he looked towards Alina.​

​

"Remember, this is no longer a race to see who can get here first, but to see who is the heir to his legacy that will open the tomb. We must find the one with his blood, and use them to our advantage, we can rule any aliens out for the most part, so any humans or the like are the most likely candidates."​

​

Dral figured that due to him being Zabrak that he was not the heir, attempting to limit the number of candidates out of the groups to find out who the person who could open the tomb is.​

​

Making his way down the flight of stairs that had opened up in the sand he narrowed his brow, his yellow eyes struggling to focus as they delved deeper, down the stairs, away from the light that would surround them.​

​

 

[Melydia Gold]

Wearing: X, X
Wielding: X
Tags: Kal

Melydia's head tilted with careful consideration at Kal's suggestion. "If we come across them, yes, we are confident we can make friends of the birds. It'd just be a matter of how far away we would be. Birds aren't often the best of friends, they're a bit flighty." A dissonant giggle reverberated in her chest, proud of herself for pun-making on the fly. "For now, though, let's follow your feeling."

And so they did, insect and shadow. Melydia hummed a little song as she went, seemingly incapable of walking in a straight line. She bobbed and weaved over the sand, stopping every so often to investigate an unusually shaped rock or consult with more bugs, though being careful as to not get separated from the shadow-horned-friend. All at once she stopped in her tracks, a hand reaching out to get Kal's attention as well. "The beetles, they know something."

As if on cue, she saw the skies darken, felt the winds pick up, eluding to the storm in the distance. But it was a false wind, a perversion of nature that, coupled with the voice whispering into her head, sent a shiver down Melydia's spine. "We think your instincts are rightly placed, Kal-friend."