The Duelist's Holocron

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="The Talatheen Amalgam"]

"True, it may well be that the structure supporting any of these areas has been damaged, and the slightest amount of force could trigger an eruption reminiscent of a great quake. Though, I agree that with the assumption that the creature consumes the dead when living prey are not present, it would be our best lead towards the corpses we desire." The Arue'tii cast his gaze into the putrid room, taking a whiff of the strong scent of blood, intermingling with the harsh gore. Inside of the mounds, Abelain believed that he scented multiple instances of fresh blood, almost certainly rats rolling about in their haven of tranquil filth. It was offensive to the senses to be so close to the repulsiveness, and he attempted to shut it out with distance, moving over to the right passageway to examine it further.

The words of the Talatheen brethren seemed to be reasonable, it was far too unlikely that all of the corpses present were originally buried in this place, especially since it would mean that... "I no longer believe that we will find very much in the way of tombs in the direction of the gore. No, that is incorrect, we shall find tombs, but there will no longer be organic presences within them. Consider, the creature may have existed for many centuries. Assuming that the creature may only have feasted upon one corpse a year to supplement it's diet, it is still likely that all such corpses near it's nesting ground have been consumed."

Which left the eternal pit into darkness, and the water room. The room that had been filled with rubble was no longer an option, essentially as the creature was simply too large for it to be a suitable habitat. The melodramatic tales from the amalgam were not without merit however, it was also unlikely that a Sith Lord would be buried inside of an aqueduct. "I agree that we should venture into the water room. Though, I must question the architectural safety of such a structure." Entering the room, the Arue'tii quickly adjusted to the gentle darkness washed over the room, though it appeared as though some form of light was being cast along the far walls. The floor was slick with liquid, and the noise amplified the deeper one proceeded inside.

On the far wall appeared to be a pipe, broken long ago, though the water that flowed into it had not ceased and it spewed profusely into a cracked hole in the floor. Curiously, this did not seem to be the cause of the loudest noise, but it did nonetheless contribute to the clamor. Attached to the cracked hole was a makeshift ladder, one that appeared far too new to have been placed there the same time that the remainder of the room had been constructed. It was dark in the hole, but the faintest glimmer of reflection indicated water flooding the floor. Casting a glance back at the Talatheen, he examined his figure and then laid another examination into the hole before stating his observation: "It appears as though the water is nearly waist high for you, our speed may be hindered, though it may also be possible that assailant speed would also be slowed. We hold the range advantage, and this appears to be our only path. I would also call your attention to this construction." He motioned towards the ladder, tapping the hilt of the still humming vibroblade onto it.
"It would appear that we are not the first beings to venture into this area, though the exact date of entry would be difficult to estimate."

 

[The Talatheen Amalgam]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

"If we're lucky, the erosion may have broken into additional tombs - hopefully sealed; neither beasts nor looters would-" he stopped, his eyes darting towards the dark abyss to which the arue'tii directed their cause. The hole was wide; its berth clearly the cause over a great many centuries. The water, pooling upon the this area, for thousands of years, had churned in pooling water; the resulting current, confined to such a small area, had weathered over the ancient architecture - some additional weight, from an unknown source, had collapsed the weakened floor, breaking into a lower room - perhaps recently, judging by the slime which coated the room. Shimmering light floated up from below - suddenly, Talatheen had the illusionary sensation he was underwater, with the dark light cast over the both of them; reflecting forth from the bowels of the tomb into the dark corridor. "Depending on the type of creature, it may either be hindered or flourish in such an environment - but due to the seemingly recent nature of the pool, it is unlikely it spawned from such an environment; best be careful, though - it will be a great deal louder; we best have a source of light as well."

"Indeed, range is to our advantage," he began, stepping over to the ladder - his foot nearly sliding across the grime that coated the stone like a slick oil; "So how about I cover you from up above? The hole is wide enough to give me an angle to fire - while the rain of bolts won't be pleasant, you should be wholly resistant; they're quite weak." He took another step and slid, his arm flying up to catch his descent - his foot kicking up some previously unseen object: a small helmet, one of rather recent origin, but ultimately flayed - the paint had long since been scratched away. The helmet slid into the abyss before them - its collision matched by a tremendous explosion of water; only one that mixed with the initial thunder of the flooding currents below. Regardless Talatheen flinched, his legs bent to force his weight against his resting point - and outstretched arm of stone; perhaps once it held a torch, but no longer - it had long since been taken. As he pulled himself to his feet, something below, much softer in motion, stirred; its source undefinable, but it moved with particular intent - one that brought the Amalgam to stiff attention.

"Or maybe we should move on to the bloody tunnel."

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="The Talatheen Amalgam"]

"I do not believe that such a creature will have had it's original habitat in the water, especially due to the more recent opening of the hole. It is much more likely that the beast thrives on the environment that we have thus far encountered; namely stone tombs and long passageways. Still, I agree that our noise will undoubtedly become more noticeable and our current light reserves are quite low." The Arue'tii leaned his head forward, taking another examining glance into the pit. It would no doubt be quite loud, though that could certainly be an advantage as it would allow for the pinpointing of the creature when done in combination with his blood scenting. The idea that echoes might throw off sound in the dark waterways never reached his mind.

"It is my recommendation that you not keep your weaponry too weak, as it may be liable to become useless in such a state. You have my assurance that your weapon will not harm me, even if it is to be increased in strength." The ancient legends of the Arue'tii had talked about the first encounters between aliens and their people. Those individuals had been fleeing a great plague which had swept throughout the galaxy, ravaging countless worlds, and allowing a seemingly endless number of individuals to escalate. Such stories had further told of the attempted murder on the part of the aliens, how they had struck out against the Arue'tii diplomat with their weapons which flung streaks of fire. The refugees had been slaughtered after their hostile encounter, though such a thing would later lead to the plague spreading even upon the homeworld.

Lost in the reminiscences of legend, Abelain failed to assist the amalgam when it slid forward, very nearly into the hole. His eyes caught the faintest glimpse of something resembling a piece of headgear, before they were greeted by the loud splashing sound from the pool beneath. The explorer shifted his arm, resting it upon the shoulder of the Talatheen in an attempt to assist in his stabilization. It felt strange allowing physical contact with a being that he still knew so little about. It was a reminder that he was dealing with an enigma, and that his guard should not fall too far lest he be left with a knife burrowed into his back. The gentle movements of something below forced the Arue'tii to immediately change his attention from the Talatheen brethren to the hole.

It would be foolish to dive directly into such an encounter with a potentially dangerous animal, though it seemed unlikely that it would be extremely large, as such a thing would make a decidedly larger noise. Abelain breathed in a whiff of the air, analyzing for the scent of blood, but the only occurrences that struck him were the ones from the gore covered room nearby, and the faintest tingle of the creature that must certainly accompany that direction. Nothing was scented below him, though, that might also have meant that whatever had made the noise was under the water, using the liquid as a natural barrier to his abilities. "Now is not the moment to fret, and fly into fear. I believe that this will lead us to our goal, and even if we should be assaulted by some being, I trust in our abilities to enable it deceased." With a final glance at the ladder, Abelain began to lower himself down, using the slimy rungs as support, unsure if his decision was the wisest course.

 

[The Talatheen Amalgam]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

Strange, while Korriban was primarily a dry and chilly wasteland, rarely would water make its presence - save for underground reservoirs and springs; perhaps such would be the nest of such an aquatic creature, provided that was what would lay in wait. Nonetheless, he allowed Abelain to conclude their advantages and begin his descent; while he, Talatheen, reminisced about the brief moment of physical contact. The arue'tii, despite his rather friendly nature, at least in regards to cooperating upon their ordeal, was still an oddity the Amalgam could not fully trust; perhaps it was a matter of physical bias, the instinctual bristling of the spines one male felt to another that encroached upon one's territory. He was a fragmented yolk, divided from that of a whole; how could he not despise the superiority of a singular sentience? By the time this line of though concluded, Abelain had fully descended the ladder, and the Amalgam, first hesitant, gently lowered himself into the dark embrace of the creature abyss. Such was the way things would be, as always, he supposed.

The ladder was slimy, covered with some oily, congealed liquid he could not discern in the pitch dark; still, a smell stuck to it, some sort of grease? Regardless, as his feet hit the cool drink, he felt almost at peace - it was strangely relaxing, the depriving nature of the liquid, stealing away all sensation save for the blinding cold... and deafening roar. The water churned beyond his vision, suckled away from the flooded tomb into vacuums of underground caverns and interlocking catacombs, creating a vast, flooded labyrinth. As he washed his hands in the deep water, which rose just above his waist, he warned his ally: "Watch where you go, the current will likely pick up at some points and could suck you underwater; this wound is fresh, extremely so - you'll be pulled away and lodged in a crevice, fettered to the whirling fluid, liquidated by the churn. Besides, the fresh roars would signal those areas have yet to have been flooded; that might mean the Beast has been there already."

He retrieved his blaster, strapped to his back by an elongated cord, knotted by torn cloth; he ignited the energy cell to maximum fatal levels - with burst shot. It would eat up his power, but, hopefully, he would hit something by then - reloading was a pain. He sloshed about in the much, using the Force to guide his way around the submerged earth, shards of metal and rock protruding from the grain below; his foot brushed against something slimy - though, entirely void of life. He needed not vision to discern what it was: "A limb - two or three days old; bloated by the water, the water is not bloody however. Likely washed down from some other location in the tomb; don't- do not fret. Careful, though - that might mean that there are other passages that intertwine to the upper tombs, where the creature may lurk. We're- we are vulnerable down here." He continued, exploring the Sepulcher's cellar with feet and third eye: "This is no longer Tulak Hord's tomb - we've broken off into a deeper catacomb, perhaps utilized for navigation or slave burial; we might be able to access other lost graves of Sith Lords from here."

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="The Talatheen Amalgam"]

The water was surprisingly lukewarm, not quite as chilled as one would expect from an underground pool of the liquid, especially one that had no discernible heat source. Re-drawing the weaponry that he had put away to descend the ladder, Abelain felt the bottom of the pool, taking careful notice of the bumps in the floor where metal had been warped by the eroding powers of hydrogen dioxide. Following closely behind the examination of the water came the reminder that it all lead somewhere, concluded both by the intense roar which echoed around them, and by the wise reminder from the Talatheen brethren. Naturally fitting his character, the amalgam described such a fate in a way that would make both children and adults shudder in their dreams.

"The beast has likely been to all of the areas in which the roar is the loudest, unless those areas have only recently opened up and begun to flood. Still, if that were the case, it seems very possible that any material that we would determine useful has already been absorbed into the hungering maw of the water. In your own words, 'liquidated by the churn'." His foot passed through something silky, forcing whatever it was to disintegrate with the contact. "Cloth." It correlated nicely with what the amalgam had already discovered, after all, alien corpses tended to be covered in their most regal garments, even if they were far too poor for such luxuries. The investigation led to nothing of value however, and was quickly abandoned in favor of focusing attention directly ahead, where the most likely threats would reside.

Cautiously, the Arue'tii began to march down the corridor, feeling the gentle gust of wind which indicated a room to his direct right. It was impossibly dark, and navigation was quickly becoming something based only on tactile sensations. Gliding his hand along the wall, he felt a substance with a slight difference in feeling from the water, a heavier substance that seemed to stick to his fingers in a glob. With an exploratory sniff, Abelain attempted to discern what the liquid might be, but to no avail. It did eliminate the possibility of it being blood however, though that did not remove other disturbing options. With a shake of his head, he took another step, his foot making contact with a hollow husk of something. Shaking his foot around, he determined that it had a generally circular sort of form. Lifting it up, with the offending piece still attached, he felt it in his hands.

The hair slid through his fingers, the holes where eyes would once have lain were easily distinguishable inset into the bony skull. The mouth seemed to lack many teeth, as though they had been pushed aside to provide an easier gateway to the remainder. "It seems unlikely that this piece corresponds with the piece that you located. This one no longer holds the presence of flesh." With that final statement, something brushed along the thigh of the Arue'tii, grasping for the faintest moment before pushing off of him and towards the hole they had entered. "Something has made contact with me."

 

[The Talatheen Amalgam]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

"A scavenger perhaps, Abelain; don't- do not fret, though, preferably give it no reason to assume you are deceased. Such alien beasts may be unfamiliar to the concept of greater intelligence, frightening them could be both beneficial or a curse upon our campaign... or your life, depending on the strength," replied Talatheen as, he too, waded through the submerged tomb. He too felt a tactile sensation against his thigh, though not from the presence of a living creature; rather, the tug of a all-swallowing current - a charybdis of the catacombs, a distant, thundering, gullet of drowning rapids. "Mind yourself in my direction, it seems a recent cave in has begun to drain the flooded passages; I would venture to guess that it is solely the reason we have to thank for these passages remaining relatively traversable." He took a step, his foot coming down upon soggy bone; it split wetly beneath his weight and the chunky, waterlogged marrow spilt forth into the water with an oily texture that clouted his leg. He swished away the congealed, liquidated tissue; "Disgusting, I'm- I am unaware of your immunity to disease, but if you are susceptible I'd- I would suggest-"

Something brushed along his ankle.

"There, the grasping sensation; is that what you had felt?" he held his blaster at the ready, scanning the unremarkable flat surface of the stagnate pool for signs of disturbances - he found none. To their north, beyond the sight, a small trickle of water had begun to sprout from a crack; putrid water billowing forth with some untold pressure - its force signalling a whistle as it spouted through with impressive length. Years, buried within a frosty tomb lost to the dark, had allowed the collective water to worm its way within the derelict walls - freezing and unfreezing in turn; now it loomed upon the breadth of bursting, like a hot boil. The whistle rendered Talatheen taciturn; screeching of danger pulsating within the membrane of the Force - like a web, vibrating in result to the crumbling structure around - such was the danger it presented. Gifted as he may be, such knowledge of interpreting the languages of danger was unknown; instead, he passed the resulting, near-instinctual worry to unwarranted fear. He, however, acknowledged the whistle; a deep noise where air escaped, with the force of a slugthrower, from the exposed, minute passages that breached the layers of graves.

Oblivious to the danger he faced, he pressed forward to the outlying crack; distant but growing ever louder as he pressed on. "Do you here that?" he asked of Abelain, his voice echoing with eerie cadence throughout the submerged crypt; "It's almost like a... what's- what is the word?"

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="The Talatheen Amalgam"]

Whatever the grasping being had been, it had apparently not taken delight in the momentary attachment upon the leg of the Arue'tii and had rapidly left him. The Talatheen brethren attempted some form of comfort, easing his mind for the brief moment required to regain control of the situation. Indeed, there was little to fear from such a small animal, even if they were in it's home. The point that frightening such a being could be beneficial and also hazardous had not crossed Abelain's mind. Logically speaking, if the animal was frightened it would likely return to wherever it's home was, and leave them be. However, there was always the faint chance that the greater danger that stalked the tombs would somehow detect the rapid movement and investigate, leading to their ultimately grisly and untimely demises.

"Indeed, we must be careful so as not to be sucked into the void that the cave presents, lest we be trapped into it and unable to escape due to the increase of pressure. It is also reasonable to assume that at least some of these aquatic beings have become trapped inside of that vault of stone, and may prove hostile in their fright." The question about viral immunity had also not come up, though the tombs and caverns that they were traversing posed an undeniable threat in that standard. It was not beyond reason to assume that the corpses of the dead festered with virulent plague, ready to strike should a host become available. The hide of the Arue'tii was airtight, and while that might have convinced some that they were immune to such disease, it seemed that history would again teach a lesson. A majority of his people had fallen victim to an especially viral plague long ago, even though their exoskeletons were airtight, it had not mattered then, and likely would not matter now. "I shall have to hope that illness does not overtake me in this place, though, I am more concerned at the moment in finding an adequate heat and light source."

Dropping the skull in his grasp into the putrid liquid, the Arue'tii grasped onto the doorway, taking notice of the slight tug in the direction of the corridor. "There is a room here, I am unsure of it's contents, but I do not feel a pull in this direction which may indicate it is a safe area to explore, at least for a time." A closer examination of the entry revealed that a heavy stone door had slid into the wall partially, and a lever attached itself to the outer wall. An obvious conclusion was drawn that the lever controlled the door, and that it had been left open or had been thrust open at some point, allowing for the flooding to desecrate the contents of the chamber. Still, with the cloud of darkness that surrounded them, there was extreme difficulty in discerning what may actually lay within. The amalgam commented on the strange tugging feeling that he had felt, and the Arue'tii responded with a nod.

The sound of a whistle brought the explorer out of his curiosity, and reminded him of the intense danger they faced moving throughout the desolate wastes around them. With a glance of confusion towards the amalgam, the Arue'tii attempted to hone in on the grating noise, and located that it was somewhere in the Northern direction. Something within Abelain felt incorrect, a warning signal that destruction was about to entail. "I am unsure of the composition of that noise, though I most certainly hear it. I am also unsure of the structural safety of this area." For the briefest hint of a moment, the tug seemed to intensify and then lessen back to it's normal state.

Danger was afoot.

 

[The Talatheen Amalgam]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

"We best hurry up and find what we are searching for; something is wrong, I fear time may be in short supply," spoke the Amalgam in grim tone; "If you believe you may have found something, I encourage you to explore - in the meantime, I will follow my own leads." He had come across a sudden decline by this point - stairs it would seem, leading into a dark and entirely submerged chamber; each step coming with a coat of slime that indicated its longevity beneath the film of water - a reassuring gesture, though one that held an ominous glare, for this could also signal this as a nest for whatever aquatic beasts lurked in the drink. Regardless he took a step forward, the water coolly rising up to his abdomen - lukewarm and greasy; his eyes clenched at the disgusting feeling. He took another step, the roaring in the distance seeming to grow deeper as time, apparently, began to slow with anticipation; "Abelain, both of us meet at the surface in five minutes; otherwise, assume the other is deceased. No point waiting to die down here for a dead man." With that, he stepped deeper into the mire, his breath holding, and then he sunk below.

The first thing that came to him was darkness, then it was the cool, buttery texture of the water; perhaps relaxing, if one failed to realize this sensation was likely the result of dissolved flesh, fungus, and flora merging with the water. If not for the airtight nature of his helmet, sealed against the breadth of his neck, he doubt he could have withstood the feeling - much less thought of it entering his eyes, nose, and mouth. However, even with such airtight nature, it did not contain a rebreather; thus, held a limited supply of air - air that would run out sooner or later. Thus, he voted to hold his breath until necessary; he was talented in this regard - additional surgeries had been required to open up his airways properly, the twins had already begun to develop an abnormal air capacity until then - practice also followed under Pruina's training; he could probably stay submerged for the better half of ten minutes, even without the additional air supply. He felt his feet float away from the stairs and, quickly, he swam to a nearby wall, to guide him further in, and also allow him to find his way out - it was far too dark to see within.

As he trailed his way along the wall, he felt his hand slip into a cavity - one ribbed with lengths of carved stone; an ornate ladder, one that led upward into darkness. Where could it lead?

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="The Talatheen Amalgam"]

The slight tug of water seemed to emphasize the point to the Arue'tii that time was running short. Even as the amalgam spoke of splitting apart, he could not help but wonder if such a thing was a reasonable or safe idea. Still, it would be a waste if they stayed together and found nothing, especially since it may have been very much possible that this hidden place may soon become flooded or crushed between the water's weight. The amalgam gave a final instruction, one that hinted at fatality and demise in it's utterance; They were to meet on the surface in exactly five minutes, not a moment longer lest they be caught in the snare that may have entrapped the counterpart. "As you wish." It was an acceptance of the order, a verification that; should anything occur that might endanger the Talatheen brethren, Abelain would not be present to assist in their escape.

The distant sound of rushing water was a thunderous applause to the idea, supporting whatever fateful encounter might interact with the pair of artifact hunters and explorers. The Arue'tii; his grip still upon the doorway, thrust himself into it with a fair amount of force, aiming to ensure that he was not caught by a sudden surge from the pull of the North for his moment of inactivity. The room was remarkably dark, and vision became impossible. With a sigh, Abelain removed the Sith vibroblade from his grasp, and took hold of the cylindrical weapon attached at his side. The ignition sounded with a snap and a hiss, light glaring off of the crimson blade and revealing the properties of the room to the explorer. Deep shadows clasped onto the corners, as though living beings frightened of the light and it's power.

Near the center of the room lay a sarcophagus of some form. The hopes of the Arue'tii were excited, however upon a closer examination, it became clear that someone or something else had already attempted such an exploit. The top half of the sarcophagus had been torn cleanly off, and the bottom half lay diagonally in the center of the container. The scent of rot and gore struck the Arue'tii in the face as he approached, and the cause was soon revealed to be a damaged skeleton, festering flesh still attached to portions of it and covered in various teeth prints. The water seemed to lap at the bottom of the container, and already the bottom had begun to warp. "This is likely what has kept the scavengers away." He spoke, expecting a comment from the Talatheen brethren before being reminded that they were no longer in his company.

The most interesting item of the sarcophagus however was not in fact inside of the casket, but instead on the outer walls of it. There were strange and archaic runes delicately placed into the container. They were almost certainly placed there post-creation, and they glinted with the faint glow of tarnished gold. On each side of the sarcophagus lay a hole where there had certainly been placed a jewel or diamond, but that now lay as an empty husk of the valuable thing that had once accompanied that space. The runes seemed familiar, and a quick investigation revealed that they seemed to be of the same type as the vibroblade, though he still was unsure of the meaning of most. Circling around the container, Abelain took notice of something crudely inscribed into one of the sides, apparently with a knife or sharp object of some form. It read: Verson, The Dark Lord about of the Sith.

It was an apparent translation of that particular line of words, though with slight errors having been carved through by whatever had done the initial writing. That did help to explain the ladder, as well as the door having been open in the first place. It also gave evidence as to why the jewels of the sarcophagus had been taken away, and why there were so many bodies lining the outside hallways of the tombs and catacombs. Still, even if the words on the vibroblade and the wording on the sarcophagus were the same, was it proof enough that they were using the dialect of the gateway above? What he needed to find was a corpse wearing ceremonial clothing, of high rank and value.

Turning his gaze to the side, the Arue'tii would soon discover the item of his search.

 

[The Talatheen Amalgam]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

The chamber was composed of two stories, spanned by an intricately carved section of ribbed stone in which one was to utilize as a ladder; a job which Talatheen accomplished with clumsy efficiency. The slime and nocturnal algae made it difficult to hold, and every so often his hands would slip, cutting themselves along a lodged rock or embedded creature of the murk. His eyesight, still void of image save for that of churning darkness, came to bear a soft sense of a light to the surface; he was disorganized, but he could recognize the familiar shimmer of a pocket of air. He swam upwards, detonating from the deep water, into a dome-shaped room, flooded and forgotten; yet, something odd stood out about it - where many locations of the tomb held statues of archaic form, this one held none but faces, wrought from stone, embedded into the walls - drawn in faces contorted of pain and despair. A hole, perfect and untainted by the ages, sat upon the center of the spherical roof, rendering an opportunity for light to shine in. Beyond this, the Amalgam saw nothing of use.

But what lay beyond that dome? That was not natural sunlight he saw; far too dim in glimmer to be the morning light.

So he found himself scaling along the wall, using said faces, or perhaps masques, of pain to bear his weight. Upon the eve of his ascendance, where no more masks provided comfort, he leaned back from the wall and leaped; his hands snatching out, grasping for the hole - so he might pull himself within. He missed and crashed into the water, choking from the sharp decline, and disoriented by the fall. He swam to the foamy surface and tried again, failing once more. Again; nothing. Finally, upon his forth try, Talatheen's mechanic fingers dug into the stone brim; the inertia carried his feet a ways, threatening to tug him away from his newfound perch, but he held strong. Slowly, but surely, he crawled within, and found himself in an abandoned aqueduct. The light came from a lantern (a small, electronic, hand-held one at that), though its owner, nonetheless, was nowhere to be seen; what laid in the light, however, was far more frightening. Bones - not of those captured and devoured by the beast, mauled by claws, but those of slaves, killed and stuffed away in poor burial; such made him uneasy.

He pulled himself around, grabbing the lantern and directing his crawl towards an additional prize; one such corpse, stuffed against the back of them - however, something drew him to it. An odd sensation of necessity.

Meanwhile, beyond their chosen tombs, the whistling grew stronger from the shattered wall; cracks began to grow and water began to spout with renewed intensity. Something was causing the pressure to build, and the wall was beginning to collapse.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="The Talatheen Amalgam"]

The figure was held in fetters and chained to the wall in a fashion that one would find only in stories or legends. The head was slouched over into the chest, and the arms were still pointed directly up to where they were held captive. The body was surprisingly clean upon further investigation, as though it had already been a skeleton when it had been hung in the tomb. Draped along it's body was a tattered linen cloth, marked in runic symbols with several of them having been completely removed by wear and tear. This was the confirmation that the Arue'tii needed that this tomb did indeed belong to a specific dialect of Sith. That would ease the translation process immensely for the gateway above, but it might be even better to take the cloth for use in assisting the translation.

Abelain approached the body, taking notice of the way that it's jaw hung open, it's teeth seeming to gleam with renewed vitality even in it's deceased state. It was possible that the runes had somehow used the dark energy of the tomb to keep the body clean and fresh, though that was unlikely since the actual occupant of the room had rotted away instead of being preserved. Upon closer examination, a set of the runes revealed themselves along the wall next to the chained prisoner, the darkness fleeing away from the striking red glare of the lightsaber. Below this new set of runes were more words carved into the stone, likely the same individual who had carved upon the sarcophagus. The etchings were cleaner this time however, with no discernible errors, it read: Sardun, The defeated Lord.

This individual upon the wall was also a Sith lord according to the carvings, however the indication of the word 'defeated' implied that he was likely an enemy of the current occupant of the tomb. Sardun had been chained up as a prize to show off to any who would defile the tomb of this Lord, perhaps as an attempt even to frighten them away, though what use that would have served other than self-fulfillment in creating the plans was lost on the Arue'tii. Outstretching his hand, Abelain grasped onto the edge of the cloth, feeling the frayed edges of it in his hand before carefully beginning to remove it from the doomed Lord. The process was simple enough, however when the explorer attempted to remove the cloth from the torso, he heard a distinct clicking noise which rose above even the noise of the whistling outside.

Curious, the Arue'tii turned in time to see the heavy stone door that he had entered sliding shut. With sudden realization, he leaped from his position, sprinting across the tomb and coming only feet from the door before it clicked shut with a resounding crash of stone slamming into stone. He was trapped inside of the tomb, and there were only perhaps four minutes left until the pair had agreed to return to the surface lest they meet the same grave as their partner. Abelain let loose an echoing shriek of hatred, the noise bouncing off of the cold stone walls. He needed to think, and quickly. Rushing back towards the dead prisoner, he attempted to pull the chest back to it's original position, but this was to no avail. Finally, he simply removed the cloth from the prisoner, and left it near the door.

The obvious solution took far too long to enter his mind, in his hand he held a lightsaber, a blade that bent light to become capable of tearing through practically anything that wasn't his hide. Newly minted resolution burst into him as he slid the crimson blade into the stone, watching as it became heated into a magma-like state, dripping away and onto the floor and providing a medium amount of warmth for the Arue'tii as well. The process was slow, but after a minute he had created half of a circle. It would only take him one more minute to fully finish the path to escape, and then he would be free to move to the surface.

The iron scent of blood became evident immediately, and though the Arue'tii spun around, the being facing him was far faster.