Faction [NJO] (Alter Environment Training) Baby It's Cold Outside

[Ran Serys]

Obj. II - Crystal Hunt
Tags: Lysander von Ascania Sazo Vass Wulrenkit Claymus

Lysander von Ascania​

As Ran let her hand down she placed it tenderly on the young Jedi's shoulder. He beamed at her. "Precisely." She agreed. She could find no fault in his ode to the light side of the force. Without hope, love, and unity the Jedi stood little chance against the dark forces of the world.

"Why not go forth, young padawan? Find a crystal that suits you and these ideals. Let the force guide you. Or is there something you need?" Ran asked Lysander curiously.

Sazo Vass​

As the others continued, Ran watched and listened as Sazo stopped before the threshold of the caverns and announced her intentions. Ran nodded knowingly. I know. She thought to herself as Sazo turned into the caves. Ran had the utmost confidence in the abilities of her padawan, and while she knew the trial would be challenging, she knew Sazo had all she needed to succeed.

The Kyber called to Sazo and beckoned the young woman down the crystal cave tunnels. Forked Paths led to Dead Ends and other perilous places, but the crystal Sazo sought would call her to an open cavern with many levels and stairs traveling to those levels. They intersected the cavern at all heights and traveled in all directions. Some stairs traveled up normally, some were upside down, sideways, and others spiraled and waved like a roller coaster. Others who'd come across the cavern in the past had thought it some sort of artistic installation by Jedi long gone. The room and its paths made no sense in the context of gravity. Hard to make sense of, it was, but Sazo would have to do it. She would have to figure out a way up a room that made no logical sense, as the kyber crystal called to her from the cavern's apex.

As the young Jedi focused on the crystal, others were there to distract her, ghosts, echoes, and apparitions of those key figures of her life. Real enough to be mistaken for the actual people she knew. These specters didn't believe in her and would try to dissuade her at every level. The further she got, the nastier the ghosts were.

"You're wasting your time."

"The force is too vast for you to comprehend, little one."

"You are too inflexible to be a Jedi!"

"You should be focused on vengeance, not being coddled by the Jedi!"

"You are a disgrace to your Ghôsh! You cannot even get your hands around a rock without difficulty!"

And so many more hurtful things awaited her.

Wulrenkit Claymus​

Meanwhile…

Wulrenkit's path diverged from the others. He found himself in a room filled with his own reflection casted off of the frozen faces of dozens of frozen pillars. There seemed to be no end to the reflections. As he moved, so too did the reflections. His body disappearing and reappearing in frame. Were the pillars following him or simply reflecting the alternate angles? It was enough to confuse the eyes and potentially throw his senses into overload.

A humming resounded across the lengthy room. Something to focus on. Its shine was bright and bold and peaceful, the kyber crystal touched him through the force. He needed to get past the pillars, but in a room where they seemed endless, what was to stop his frustration, his anger, his feral rage?

 

[Azurine Varek]

To Forge the Crystal Path

Outfit: Snow Clothing | Right Arm | Glove
Weapons: Lightsaber

Azurine ran fast through the twisting passage ways, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. She channeled the force into her feet almost on instinct, leaping gaps and running faster than she should have feasibly been able to do in the icy caverns. Just when she thought she was getting close, the echoed words would shift position to a new location. Her desperation spiked like the blue tinted crystals around her. When she had been warned these tests could be brutal, she hadn't realized just how cruel the force could be.

At least not until she saw him.

His blue skin was pale, sickly, and his starlight silver eyes had lost the sparkle she remembered so clearly but rather held a dulled pain. He no longer looked ethereal or whispy like she could walk right through him, but he still looked like he was sitting on deaths door. She recognized the look in his eyes, dark bags under them, and the way he struggled to move. Though she'd seen him near death a few times before, this seemed different. It was something she recognized from looking in a mirror at herself —though not quite to this extreme in her yet— a slow, painful death.

Her mind couldn't seem to pick up on the red flags, even if they spiked at the back of her mind. She rushed forward, dropping to her knees and grasping onto his outstretched hand with both of hers. Her body trembled both from the cold and from the ache in her soul. It felt so real. To real to be true.

"I'm here, okay?" Azzie whispered, her voice breaking. She moved herself across the snow, pulling him away from the crystal towers into her arms with one hand pressed against where his heart would be and the other more mechanical one holding onto his hand like it was her lifeline. She didn't know what to do, feeling the heartbeat against her fingertips grow fainter. She couldn't find a wound she could pour healing into.

"W-what do I do? Just tell me what to do to save you and I'll do it. I'll do anything!" She begged, trying to figure out what any of this meant. It felt like her heart was being put in a chokehold.

No. It's not real. It can't be real!

She clenched her eyes shut tight against the thought, the truth of it pushing through almost hitting harder than the scene itself. "I can't do anything ... can I? Because this isn't real." In that moment, it finally clicked what she could be expected to do here, and she just prayed she had the strength to do it.

Valery Noble​

 

[Sazo Vass]

Objective 2- Crystal Hunt
Tags: Wulrenkit Claymus | Braze | Aris Noble | Azurine Varek | Ran Serys | Azurine Varek | Lysander von Ascania | Valery Noble


Sazo walked faster and faster, following a voice. Familiar, yet unfamiliar. Distant, yet close.

Calling her, beckoning her. Sazo obliged, falling into a sprint. Yet as she ran, the shadows grew longer. The paths got narrow, twisted, turnt, shadows became longer. And then the voices chanted around her.

"You're wasting your time."

"Quiet", Sazo mumbled, nearly running into a wall, before turning around. She could barely hear the voice, but she could hear it.

"The force is too vast for you to comprehend, little one."

"Quiet", she hissed. 'Talion', she called out. Yet the ancestor spirit was silent.

"You are too inflexible to be a Jedi!"

"...Quiet", she pleaded, panting. The voice was but a whisper. The shadows...seemed to surround her.

"You should be focused on vengeance, not being coddled by the Jedi!"

"...Not...Jedi...way", she said shakily, sinking to her knees. A fog, seemingly out of nowhere, rose around her.

"You are a disgrace to your Ghôsh! You cannot even get your hands around a rock without difficulty!"

Something in her snapped.

"I SAID SHUT UP!", she roared, emitting a Force Pulse, blowing the fog away. But it merely swirled around and solidified into a faceless form. A wan-shen materialized in it's hand.

"You? A Jedi? Don't make me laugh. You a nidôsh that rises above it's station. You cannot begin to understand what Jedi means. Let me remind you of your place", the wraith snarled, swinging the wan-shen at Sazo's head.

​

Talion Vass, ancestor spirit of the sword Talionis, stood silently behind Ran Serys and Valery Noble , as he watched the next generation of Jedi struggle against their demons, including bearer of the blade battle against her doubts. In places strong in the Force, he could manifest as a shade. He watched impassively, the only emotion expressing itself was a tightening of a jawline.

He had guided countless bearers, but Sazo was different- she was a Jedi, and the potential to become a powerful. But this was something she had to overcome by herself, without his guidance.

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Objective II

Tags: Ran Serys - Open ​

As the Jedi Knight's hand fell upon his shoulder, warmth spread through the Padawan's very being, briefly offering a sense of calm and reassuring him. Although Lysander didn't expect any danger in the area, he couldn't help but note that he felt safe in her presence. When she suggested that he finally begin searching for his crystal, he gave a subtle nod, refocusing his gaze ahead at the temple. A swirl of emotions began to churn within—excitement for the possibilities, but also a hint of nervousness for what lay ahead.

Glancing closer to the entrance, doubt threatened to take over his thoughts. “I want to,” he said eagerly, “but.. what if I can’t find the right one?” The light in his emerald orbs dimmed slightly. A second later, he inhaled another deep breath and straightened himself, feeling a spark of determination ignite within. “No, I will find it.”

Lysander recalled hearing another Padawan mention her name just as he had arrived late to the lesson a little while ago. “Thank you, Master Serys,” he said with a grateful smile, looking back up to the Knight one last time. He imagined that name would remain easy to remember, even when his task here on Ilum was completed. Without any further consideration, he began jogging and soon disappeared into the caves.

 

[Mahsa]

She was eager to learn more about Domxite, and very curious as to how a little droid could be resonating with the Force as it was. A hand reached out to pat its head softly, before Master Si’s voice reeled in their attention once more.

Right, they were still in class…

Snowflakes… Snowflakes… She quietly chanted the thought in her mind, using it as a focus of sorts as the Kazelrrian tried to remember all she had read about snow and ice and whatnot before coming here today. She knew they were miniature ice crystals formed when water froze, and had even been surprised to learn that—while they could be categorized in about 8 broad classifications, and about 80 different variants—no snowflake would truly be identical to another.

Eyes closed as the Kazelrrian allowed the rest of her senses to quietly stretch outwards, remembering the cold she’d felt upon arriving and focusing on the chill breeze that washed over them after Master Si scattered the light flurry of snow she’d created as an example.

Her hands had remained close together, creating a small space between her palms that she tried to guide the Force into. The gloves she’d worn had been discarded before she began, tucked into one of her pockets, as the Kazelrrian feared they might interfere with her attempts to create snow.

It has to be cold… and they’re so pretty too. Despite her best attempts she couldn’t quite keep her thoughts from wandering, she had been mesmerized by all the different snowflake patterns documented in one of the books. A faint smile tugged at the edges of her lips at the thought, feeling as the cold around them slowly began to gather between her hands and grow.

It worked—
"—Oh!!!"

Mahsa finally opened her eyes as the cold began to bite against her skin, excited to see the fruits of her first attempt, before a surprised squeak left the young Kazel. A thin sheet of ice had indeed formed in the small space, its design similar to one of many she’d remembered from her snowflake research… except this was the size of her palm instead of a tiny speck of snow.

She barely got to admire it before its fragile structure finally gave up, cracking into various pieces as it began to melt until nothing was left. "Awww…" It had disappeared faster than the time it had taken Mahsa to shape it, but for a splitting moment it had been real.

Her attention turned to Zaiya and Dezorath then, curious to see how they had fared in their own attempts.

---

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Dezorath Barcu | Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Wulrenkit Claymus]

It took some time for Wulrenkit to leave behind the wonder of feeling the force, having finally been able to sense it without some anger or rage building inside of him. But now, he found himself feeling as if he were stuck in some sort of small town fair with a hall mirrors and a busted AC unit. "Not exactly what I was ex-" he cut off as he saw the light, his crystal blue eyes locking on the distant luminance. "They said I'd know it when I saw it." He started forward, purpose filling each stride of long powerful legs... and yet, as quick as he walked the distance seemed to never close. Hell, it anything, it seemed to be shortening. "Aight," he growled, "What the hell?"

Breaking into a run, the young Wilder turned Jedi sprinted towards the light, for all the good it did him. But each step felt like he was on a treadmill. A part of him would have been certain that he wasn't moving at all if not for the pillars that passed him by. Each one, emblazoned with a reflection of his face which twisted more and more into frustration and anger. "What kinda magic nerf poodoo is this!? I'm just here for the rock!"

Ran Serys

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Mahsa Dezorath Barcu

Unlike Mahsa, who could at least form a snowflake, Zaiya wasn't so lucky, but she expected it. While she could sense the drift and flow of the icy environment around her, since the life forms and their respective Force auras and alignments tinged in shades of colors and light, creating something out of nothing through the Force was still a bit difficult for her.

It had taken some painful practice to alter her own body to shift from soft to solid to help prevent serious injury in a fight, much the same way when she had practiced to learn how to enhance her own strength at the same time while using the first former.

However, her failure didn't bother Zaiya. It just meant she had to keep practicing.

A faint smile would curve over her lips as she heard Mahsa give a soft, delighted cry of accomplishment, only to follow with a slight dejected aww as her snowflake melted away.

Zaiya gave her an encouraging smile, "It's okay. You did well for the first time. I'm still trying to make it work." Domxite provided a joyful ripple through the Force that she could do it.

With that in mind, Zaiya tried once again.

This time, she gave a delighted, joyful shimmer that mirrored the dancing lights over her mottled spots as she gleefully managed to form a snowflake.

"I did it!"

 

[Dezorath Barcu]

Each of them, the padawans, extending their hands, their faces furrowed in concentration as they reached out with the Force to interact with the snowflakes drifting lazily from the overcast sky. To Dezorath, the scene unfolded in excruciating clarity, his heightened perception stretching each moment into something deeper, something more profound. The snowflakes themselves seemed to defy time as they descended. To the others, they fell softly and uniformly, a dance of nature responding to their will. To the Gen'dai, however, each snowflake was a world unto itself—crystalline and impossibly intricate. He could see how they spun and twisted, how they caught fragments of light and refracted them into tiny rainbows before fluttering out of existence.

It was mesmerizing.

Each snowflake, he saw and thought about, may of corresponded with the influence of its commander and the force user. He glanced at Mahsa and Zaiya Ceti as they celebrated with each other in their accomplishments and smiled lightly. He saw all of this with rapt attention, but there was something else too—an understanding, blooming within him. It wasn't immediate, but as he watched the snowflakes, time seemed to stretch and fold, and their patterns became clearer, more deliberate. The Force wasn't merely acting on them. It was guiding them, shaping them, listening to the intent of the students.

And so, he decided to try.

He turned his massive form slightly away from the others, wanting to focus without distraction. The Force was no stranger to him—it was an ever-present hum in his existence, but rarely had he commanded it with intent. Reaching out, he opened his hand to the falling snow, the cold kiss of flakes on his armored palm. At first, there was only silence in his mind. The world seemed to still as he searched within himself, finding that connection. He concentrated and as he delved deeper, he began to feel it—not just the Force, but his own biology responding. The network of sinews, muscles, and regenerative tissues that made him a Gen'dai began to resonate in unison. The cells in his body seemed to hum, almost singing, as though they understood this connection innately. His perception sharpened even further, and the Force became not just a sensation but a rhythm, one he could feel pulsing through him!

He focused on a single snowflake, hovering in front of him as though frozen in time. Its edges glistened, catching the faint light from Ilum's sun. Slowly, carefully, Dezorath reached out—not physically, but with his will. He felt the Force extend from him like a wave, gentle and curious, brushing against the tiny flake.

And then, it moved!

The snowflake twisted in midair, its crystalline edges refracting light as it spun slowly. Another flake joined it, then another, until a cluster of them hovered together, glinting like stars in his massive hand. With a sense of wonder, Dezorath shifted his focus, and the flakes began to arrange themselves. They formed the shape of a... kinda of a flower, its warped petals delicate and shimmering with frost. It was imperfect, a very uneven, but it was his.

" Woah! Am I doing this right?!?" He asked and then let out a deep laugh. " Hahaha. This feels great."

 

[Mahsa]

"You’re r-right," Zaiya’s encouraging words softly pierced the disappointment she’d felt upon seeing her abnormally large snowflake fracture and melt away, reminded that some progress was still a success, even if it didn’t turn out the way she might’ve hoped.

"I focused on the c-cold," Coppery hues danced along her hair as she hesitated, unsure if her advice would be welcomed but wanting to offer whatever support she could regardless. "A-And their shapes… maybe that helps?"

Domxite offered a joyful cheer through the Force, the little droid seemingly wishing to help in the only way he knew too, and Mahsa couldn’t help but let out a soft giggle before her attention focused on her two companions for the class. She felt the Force as it gathered about the colorful Lovalla, responding to her thoughts as a singular snowflake finally formed in her palm.

"You did it!" Her voice echoed her friend’s, an excited smile on her face as she witnessed Zaiya’s own success, before her attention was pulled back to Gen’dai and a low hum wrapped around him.

"C-Can you hear that…?" A curious glance was given to Zaiya, unsure if this was a sound her friend could hear as the Gen’dai resonated with the Force. The tune that wrapped around Dezorath was like nothing she’d heard before, and yet the Kazelrrian couldn’t help but close her eyes and sway a little bit as she listened—pleased by the sound.

"Whoooa, there’s so many of them…!" His boisterous laughter had caused her eyes to open, marveling at the cluster of snowflakes that had gathered in his palms. They glittered as the light caught on them, slowly clumping together into a frosty flower of sorts in his hands. "That’s amazing, Dezorath!"

---

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Dezorath Barcu | Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Mahsa Dezorath Barcu

Focused on the cold and its shape? Zaiya nodded, musing if she could also do the same to have her snowflake last longer. However, the Lovalla Padawan's ears perked as she sensed and heard some faint melody.

Just as Mahsa asked if Zaiya could hear that, she turned her head, her long, flowing, colorful hair catching the light and her eyes sparkling with curiosity, a shimmer of citrine glowing effects appearing over her rosy golden skin.

"Oh!" A joyful expression bloomed over Zaiya's face as she saw the giddiness spread across Dezorath's face, the flutter of snowflakes falling around him.

It made Zaiya giggle and Domxite resonate with happy congratulatory joy that the Gen'Dai could do it.

"That is so awesome, Dezorath!" Zaiya exclaimed, her voice filled with admiration, giving a clap in joy.

"You must be really good at altering the environment around you!" she added, her bioluminescence lighting up with a soft, pulsing gold.

"Perhaps you can move the snowflakes into a little flurry around you? That would be neat!"

Zaiya would continue to practice making it work, but for now, it was fun seeing how well others were doing.

 

[Ran Serys]

Ran said nothing as Lysander’s resolve triumphed over his doubt and then smiled when he thanked her. She had done little but ask a few guiding questions, but sometimes that was all it took. The presence of support and the time to think things through always proved wonders when dealing with the young, Jedi or not.

“You’re welcome.” She called out warmly as the young Jedi began his journey into the cave.

As Lysander forged his own way through the crystal caverns he’d find many forks and diverging paths. If he listened to his instincts and intuition, he’d find himself walking down a long corridor that only narrowed the further he went. By the time he’d realize it was beginning to narrow he would turn to realize the way he had once come from no longer remained. There’d be a wall at his back and he’d be stuck quite literally between a rock and a hard place. Still he’d feel the call of the force, and the warmth that radiated from a nearby crystal. The normally mischievous Lysander would have to be serious if he wanted to escape this trap and find a crystal that resonated with him.

Lysander von Ascania

“So you finally reveal yourself, Talionis?” Ran didn’t need to look at the shade to recognize the sword or man’s presence, so she didn’t. She’d been traveling alongside and training Sazo long enough to know how they felt through the force.

“She’s making good progress. She’s strong in the force and has a lot of potential. Her instruction is going well, and I believe you are partially responsible.” Ran observed.

“But as much as you are a guide. You are also a crutch. I understand the sword’s history. I understand you. But there will be a day that she outgrows you. Are you ready for that day, Jedi Lord?” Ran asked the old spirit.

Meanwhile… The faceless form swung the wan-shen ferociously at Sazo. If she reached for Talionis she would find the sword unable to be removed from its sheath. The same way the voice of Talionis went silent at Sazo’s call so too would the sword. She’d have to find another way to deal with the foggy specter. She needed to learn that being a Jedi meant more than might and fight and that in the end there is only the force.

Sazo Vass

“I’m just here for the rock!” “I’m just here for the rock!” “I’m just here for the rock!” The reflections echoed at different intervals as they stared back at Wulrenkit. Each reflection was uncanny yet slightly different. Each one fed a different emotion. However, the one directly in front of him raged against the reflection of the pillar, tried to smash it from the inside.

“I’m just here for the rock! I don’t need this! I don’t need you!” The reflection pointed at Wulrenkit. “I’m stronger like this!” He gnashed his teeth. “So stay out of my way! I won’t be collared! I won’t be heeled! The Jedi would tame me! I won’t let that happen! I’m wild, free, and strong!” The reflection calmed for a moment, aggression hidden behind an air of manipulation. “We’re free.” The reflections tone changed. “Join us, Wulrenkit! We don’t need this crystal. We don’t need the Jedi. Turn around and leave. We’re stronger than this!”

Wulrenkit Claymus​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

The illusion of Kynn stirred weakly in Azurine's grasp, his trembling hand tightening ever so slightly around hers. His voice came again, quieter now, like a distant echo carried on the wind.

"Azzie… don't leave me. I need you."

The crystals around them pulsed faintly, their light flickering as if the very life of the cavern was ebbing away. His silver eyes, though dull and pained, held her gaze with an almost magnetic pull, anchoring her in the past, in the what-ifs, and the impossible desire to rewrite what could never be undone.

But the Force was relentless in its lesson.

The hum of the cavern grew softer, almost mournful, as Azurine's realization solidified. There was no saving him. No action she could take would change what had happened, and holding onto this phantom, this pain, was not the path forward. The Force was testing her resolve, her willingness to accept what she could not control and her capacity to release the burdens she carried.

The illusion of Kynn flickered for a moment, his features briefly distorting before solidifying again. His voice was barely above a whisper now.

"You have to let go, Azzie…"

The cavern seemed to echo his words, as if urging her to take the final step. The hand in hers grew colder, the heartbeat beneath her fingertips weaker, and the light in his eyes dimmed further. But the choice was hers. She could hold on, prolong the pain, or she could find the strength to release him and embrace the present — the path the Force had laid before her.

Azurine Varek ​

 

[Azurine Varek]

To Forge the Crystal Path

Outfit: Snow Clothing | Right Arm | Glove
Weapons: Lightsaber

There's nothing I can do.

The thought crossed Azurine's mind as she gripped tighter onto the hand of what she knew was an illusion. For a moment, her resolve wavered. Her heart couldn't possibly allow her to leave anyone in such a state, especially not someone she'd loved so dearly. Just getting up and walking away seemed so cruel, so soulless. But this wasn't real. It was a projection of an ancient past that she found herself hopelessly trapped within long before she had ever entered this place.

Slowly, she realized that she didn't have to forsake herself by blindly and callously walking away. In fact, she was almost certain that the intent was not to do that at all.

"Your passion will never be your enemy. It's how you handle that passion that will determine the outcome. The key is in allowing yourself to experience your feelings and learning when it's time to let them go."

Words she had been told once before echoed in the walls of her mind, and though it did nothing for the tears streaming down her cheeks, it strengthened her will to face it. As she thought through her state of being, she began to understand that grief would never be a linear path. The pain she felt would require baby steps to fully heal, and it would likely have setbacks along the way. What mattered was that she stopped running from the truth and holding onto ghosts that had long since passed as if she could change it somehow. She would never be able to move forward if she continued that way.

Azzie took a couple of deep breaths, truly allowing everything she'd been trying so hard to hide away from to crash into her like a landslide. Her vision blurred, and she gasped against the sobs she allowed herself to feel fully. No walls to protect herself, no desperately trying to keep herself from looking weak or burdening others, only completely letting the floodgates loose in a way that wouldn't completely pull her under.

"I-I know this is... going to h-hurt. I don't know h-how long... this path will be or... or even how m-many times I'll stumble on it, but I have to... to try." She started stuttering through her cries, her grip tightening on the illusion as if to steady herself before finally beginning to loosen. Her tears fell to hit his face as she pressed the soft part of her forehead to his. "Be at peace now..."

Though it wasn't real, it was the first step towards release. So she would wait only briefly for the suffering to leave his face, then she pulled herself to her feet and turned to leave. It was time to let go, or at least begin to. The road ahead would not be an easy one, nor would it be free of hurt, but she could take it one step at a time and face it with eyes wide open rather than run.

Valery Noble​