Private The Witching Hour

[Adalee Thorne]

​

Outer Rim, Quelli Sector - Dathomir: The Surface.

4 months...

It took four whole excruciating months to get away from her own family and responsibilities as a Thorne. The constant pestering to try once more at becoming a Jedi and bolstering their ranks with her talents was all her father wanted. Adalee wasn't sure what she wanted, but she knew staying on Lorrd and delegating behind her own Houses' back wasn't the answer either. She had come from a few other planets close by in order to establish connections for the House of Thorne. Wealth meant a lot of things to others, but to Adalee, it was merely a tool. Even so, none of those mundane chores mattered.

Not Now.

Instead, as the soft rumble of the ship latched to the ground safely, Adalee smiled. Normally, she would have smiled simply due to the fact that she didn't die in transit. She had been terrified of flying, but her credits paid well enough to hire some of the best pilots in the galaxy. While that small factor helped, she had good reason for such fright, she'd been in a devastating crash before, no less in the outer rim territories. The thought always lingered when she flew. But again, none of that mattered.

Not Now.

Adalee's smile stretched from ear to ear, her fair eyes scanning for her things as she quickly grabbed them and prepared to exit the star ship. The excitement turned to anxiety as the hatch of the door opened to a misty veil, atop a flat surface on the ridge of a large mountain. She took a deep breath and clicked over on the ship's comms before stepping out onto the clay-filled dirt below.

"Good job making it here, Jeb. I'll be a long while, don't leave without me."

Her boots crunched as they dug into the red grains below. The light mist seemed to clear as her body touched it, obscuring it's natural pathway. Adalee reached into her bag and pulled out a stained sheet of paper, something old with detailed ink in the form of a map. She logged it into her planet side coordinates and tucked the paper safely in her brown satchel. She swung the strap backwards and held onto it tightly before proceeding. As she began her descent, her mind began to run wild.

Was there really a temple here? Did her studies and everything about the Book of Dirge mislead her? Why couldn't she let this go? What answers did she want? Could Dathomir witches be tied to this kind of power?

Her thoughts were cut off, an odd sound breaking her internal interrogation. Adalee was quick to shift her glance, careful of any danger. that might have been present. She learned of the species that resided here, the only thing she hoped she didn't encounter was a Rancor. The sound faded and her body relaxed. Adalee took note of this and as she continued down the pathway, she rested her hand upon one of her three hilts.

One thing was clear, she had arrived on Dathomir.
​

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dathomir
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Adalee Thorne

"Grisial! Stop causing chaos and sort out the supplies for the training room!" Dreidi called out to the Vulptex, he couldn't be as helpful for her as an actual humanoid but he was determined to ensure that Dreidi completed the construction and design of the temple. She had found an abandoned temple that suited the desires she had for renovation and construction of an enclave to train both Jedi and Witches. She was wearing her Jedi attire today since the outfit was comfortable and didn't hinder her movements when carrying the heavier items.

The temple was a bold move by Dreidi as she hadn't really any experience in teaching and she wasn't confident in her abilities to inspire Jedi and Witches to come to her to learn balance and understanding of each other's culture as well as how to control the powers they have. While she wasn't solid in her confidence, Dreidi was committed to her plan. Dathomir had a hold on her as a place she called home, even though she wasn't raised on Dathomir, she had only visited the world the past few years. She always felt more connected here than city worlds like Coruscant.

Pausing as she was sorting through weapons she was going to have decorating the walls of the training room, she felt something through the Force and realised someone had landed on the planet who was connected to the Force. Someone with Jedi or Sith training, the aura was distinctively different to that of the Witches that lived on the world. She placed the items she held in her hands down and rolled her shoulders to loosen her muscles and relax her body. "Grisial, come on! We're heading out!" Dreidi called out to the Vulptex, she decided to go out and meet whoever had decided to visit the world of Witches and monsters.

Approaching the ship that landed, Dreidi waved her hand out to the visitor. "Hey there! My name is Dreidi, what brings you to Dathomir?"

 

[Adalee Thorne]

​

Outer Rim, Quelli Sector - Dathomir: The Surface.

It wasn't the wind that sent the shiver's up her spine, nor the eerie junction of the misty fog climbing higher and higher to meet her at she continued down the mountain. Instead, it was the cracking and waning noises of the unknown. She knew the planet was filled with monsters, but she wasn't here for them. Nor did she want to be part of their next meal. Adalee had everything she would need to react. Her twin blades of Dirge and her trusty Point. Her tri-style sword mastery was rare for a Thorne, but to her it was better than succumbing to be Jedi. She didn't mind the teachings, she minded the insistence to become one from her parents. Adalee was here to hopefully blaze her own trail, a new way to live like a respectable Thorne, even if that meant dabbiling in the arts of Dirge...Blood Magic.

Adalee was careful to step over any suspicious flora, she knew all too well that plant life could be the difference between life and death in some cases. Dathomir, was filled with such things. It's ecosystem stemming with life that meant to kill and feed. There were other important existences here though, one she hoped she wouldn't have to encounter, probably the most feared from what she gathered from her ancient book.

Witches.

The thought of someone who was able to take hold of Magick in such destructive and creative ways amused her. It also scared her.

Am I technically a witch? If I-

Her thoughts was cut off, like knife slicing through warm bread the voice called out to her. Not through the force, but between the empty spaces between her and the base of the mountian. Adalee's fair eyes lowered and they met with the crystallized fox creature before her. Then she remember it couldn't talk and that it was an omnivore. She took a breath and shifted her gaze to what seemed like a half-Zorren. The first thing that sunk in was the voice.

"Hey there! My name is Dreidi, what brings you to Dathomir?"

Is this blonde haired, tattooed mess friendly?

It took a second to process and Adalee took a step back out of caution. She observed Dreidi, the attire reminded her of those on Cerea at the Shyarn-Ado Schools. Was this woman a Jedi? The tightly wrapped attire screamed such, but Adalee was hesitant. She had seen depictions of witches, some Dathomir witches of old used methods of paint on the body for ritulistic tendencies. Typically, it seemed they were used to infuse or sacrfice one's life force to another, if Dreidi was anything close to being able...Adalee was in trouble. First, she couldn't just stand there in silence and the words spilled out.

"Adalee, my name is Adalee. Are you-" Adalee paused, it was rude to even ask. She looked back at the Vulptex. "So, your fox, that won't eat me, right? I've just read a lot about Dathomir, nothing mentioned that." It was still rude and her nervous tone didn't help, her anxiousness took over and she splurted out the next thing she could muster. "I don't really go around telling everyone my business, but seeing as I happened upon you in the most unlikely places I've ever been in, I'm looking for an ancient structure. Any chance you have an idea where I might find it?"

On the surface, her social tactics with strangers always turned into rants. Beneath her nervous infusion of anxiety and excitement at the unknown in front of her, she was calm and collected. In a way, it was her own weakness turned to strength. If she had come across a high class aristocrat, she would have known all the customs to implore, making the exchange less awkward. She smiled, hoping to ease any tension between Dreidi, the fox and herself.

One thought plagued her...

How many more are there?

​

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dathomir
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Adalee Thorne

Grisial tilted his head as he listened to the stranger, she called him a fox. But he wasn't a fox. Telepathically, he reached out through the Force and attempted to communicate his issues. I am no fox, stranger. I am a Vulptex. And my name is Grisial. And I do not eat humanoids... At least not when she is watching!

Dreidi shook her head and smirked, Grisial had his own mind and he often reached out to talk before knowing whether or not the other person could possibly comprehend the words he was sending. Looking over to the woman, she was curious if there would be a reaction to the voice calling out through the Force. It would certainly give some indication about who she was dealing with, without having to ask.

"Grisial is harmless. And you come to Dathomir, many here do not kindly to strangers, stating your business and assuring you are not here to cause trouble goes a long way." Dreidi stated in a cool tone, she was not seeking a fight but she knew many of her fellow witches would have attacked on sight. The planet was not known for warm welcomes.

Thinking on temples, "there are many ancient structures here. Dathomir holds a rich history and a fountain of culture once lost." Dreidi placed her hands on her hips, "any further information on the temple that you are seeking will narrow the search." Dreidi mentioned as she stood firm in her stance.

Grisial shifted into a seated position as he listened and watched Dreidi talk.

 

[Adalee Thorne]

Outer Rim, Quelli Sector - Dathomir: The Surface.

Adalee was hesitant to relax.

The deep stare the Vulptex was giving her, made her more nervous. The creature seemed to strain as it slammed it's crystalline paws into the earth beneath. Adalee met eyes with it. Her golden gaze trying to make sense of it. In a weird way the foxlike creature reminded her of the baby coydogs that were exotic to Lorrd. She could still hear the howls they made at night. The high pitched sound wasn't easy to forget.

But nothing came from it, it remained motionless staring intently back at her. It's concentration almost made her feel like she was doing something wrong, until, Dreidi spoke out.

"Grisial is harmless. And you come to Dathomir, many here do not kindly to strangers, stating your business and assuring you are not here to cause trouble goes a long way."

Adalee sighed. Thank Lorrd and all it stands for. The thought was subliminal and quick, but the words from the woman in front of her made things less tense. Adalee wasn't a force-user, but something felt odd. A swirling motion of invisible forces tickled her senses, her parents would have been proud she felt anything at all. Although, nothing came of it. She wasn't force capable...at least so she believed. Despite that fact, she was here on Dathomir, looking for an ancient blood mage temple.

The thought hit her hard. Am I crazy?

Adalee looked to Dreidi, almost forgetting to respond. "Trouble? Oh, no. You see I'm on a journey of.." Adalee looked over the woman on last time, before proceeding and stepping forward. "Discovery." She didn't know how else to put it. It was complicated, family always seemed to be. It was the unknowing that really bothered her, the lies from those she knew as mother and father that really brought her here.

"The temple, well..." Adalee wasn't sure how much to tell her. "My nav tells me it's here, but do you mind looking at this old map?" Adalee moved her satchel forward and grabbed a small piece of stained paper and extended out her arm. "Please, I'm just looking for answers. I was told I might find something about my family here?" Adalee lied, she wasn't even sure if she was a Dirge or not. All she knew, is something was tied to her from a time that was no longer spoken of.

A forbidden topic, that might have held the secrets to what she was and what she was capable of.
​

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dathomir
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Adalee Thorne

Dreidi spoke to Grisial through the Force, it seems she cannot hear you. Either she has cut her connection to the Force or does not have one strong enough to hear you.

Grisial huffed and laid down on the ground, appearing less intimidating as he allowed Dreidi to take charge of the situation and communicate. Dreidi looked at the stranger as she stated she was here for a journey of discovery, something that many claim to be about. Rarely does that go well on Dathomir, it held more dangers than it did insight. It also had the ability to drive many insane or deep into darkness if they were not in control of their emotions and hearts. Dreidi had read plenty on visitors causing and creating more harm than any native would.

Taking the map, Dreidi attempted to read it and tilted her head. She was not the best at reading maps, even holomaps caused her trouble since her sense of direction was not the best. "What is it that you are seeking at this temple?" Dreidi asked as she attempted to understand the map.

"Hm. Are you sure about that? You do not have the connection of Dathomir flowing through as those of us with a connection to this world do." Dreidi stated, not looking at Adalee but sensing the lie, "only the truth will help you and it is the only way that I will help you find what you are seeking." She was speaking plainly and her gaze lifted from the ancient map back up to Adalee.

"So, do you wish to start over and tell me truly why you are seeking this temple?"

 

[Adalee Thorne]

Outer Rim, Quelli Sector - Dathomir: The Surface.

Adalee watched closely as the Vulptex formed a relaxing stance as it lied down.

She felt way more at ease. The tension in her shoulders loosened and her golden eyes met with Dreidi. The map left her pale hands. This was the first time Adalee decided to allow someone to take things related to the Dirges' from her. Typically, she would have coveted such things, but this was Dathomir. She listened to Dreidi, carefully too.

"What is it that you are seeking at this temple?"

Adalee didn't know if she should reveal it. Would this woman judge her? She hadn't a clue. What she did know is she wasn't being attacked or being hunted by whatever lurked in the darkness of Dathomir. For that, she was grateful to have stumbled upon Dreidi and her Vulptex. Something still didn't feel right though. The air felt heavy and the mist that flowed between the empty spaces between them didn't remind her of anything positive. Instead, to the "little Thorne." truly felt little here. The words pouring from Dreidi wanted truth over deception. Adalee hadn't mastered her own truth. Deception ruled her life, whether with words or actions, Adalee had begun to build her own personal empire of wealth and lies. If the people closest to her could do the same, she decided long ago she would play the same game.

However, something about the Dathomirian woman in front of her made her feel less confident in such things. Adalee took a deep a breath and decided to tell her a small part of the truth.

"The temple holds..." Adalee stopped, looking around her. This world had nothing else to offer her. She had to trust Dreidi with what she knew. "history of a family known as the Dirges? Have you heard of such tales?" Adalee could feel her chest tightening before she said the rest of it. "They would have...been practioners of magic, what some might consider dark magic." Adalee couldn't believe she was about to blatantly say it out loud, but the final words escaped her mouth. "Blood Magic, to be precise."

She stepped forward, her hand lightly resting on her hilt now. She knew some might consider such ancient magic as a forbidden. She hoped for all it was worth she wouldn't have to fight Dreidi and her exoctic animal. Adalee knew darkness lurked within the arts of blood magic, part of her, or rather her gut told her that everything about it might have been misunderstood.
She hoped.
She yearned for this to be true.

It has to be true...
​

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dathomir
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Adalee Thorne

Dreidi shook her head, "Dathomirian history is not normally noted by families but through their clans. However, there might be records of them that I have yet to discover." She knew that she would not have read everything there was about Dathomir and the historic moments and people that lived here, no one could be able to do that. However, she was not sure what would be available. Much of the history of Dathomir and the impact it had was still a mystery. "The Nightsisters are the practitioners of darker avenues of Magick on Dathomir. There might be something in their records that could be informative but they are a clan that is more cautious and intolerant of outsiders."

She had her own experiences and issues with the Nightsisters and their views. "However, I might have some of their records in an enclave I am setting up. I know little of blood magic myself, I refuse to step a toe into the waters of Magick such as that. There seems to be a lot of hate and suffering that tends to be focused upon when casting Magick like that." Dreidi mentioned as she walked, "it is not a path I would recommend you to go down if you wish to explore Magick, there are better alternatives and practices that I would recommend personally."

"However, I am not going to prevent you from that path if you truly desire to explore it." Dreidi had taken the stance early on as a Witch to never force another to follow her path. While she would stand in the way of a person becoming a Sith, that was due to the clear corruption and evils that Sith did with the Dark Side. Her experiences with Witches who used darker arts of Magick, there was not the same corruption nor did they have to use their powers to cause harm. She would prevent them from doing harm, but there were plenty of examples of the Witches of Dathmir being left alone and not attempting to cause further harm on the galaxy.

Looking at the young woman, "why is it that you wish to explore this particular path of Magick? Is it purely for familial reasoning or is there another reason?" Dreidi was curious why it had to be a specific type of Magick that Adalee had to know about and not the arts in general.

 

[Adalee Thorne]

Outer Rim, Quelli Sector - Dathomir: The Surface.

Clans?

Dathomirian culture came from primitive concepts. She had heard of the unforgiving planet and how indigenous people of the planet were connected to it. Rooted in the very nature of its own vicious cycle. There were many things here that weren’t fully understood. Some of the texts she read on her way to Dathomir could only provide enough information on magick. Witches were the source of her interest here. The Dirge’s seemed to be their own form of sect in the world of space magic or, rather, the force.

Adalee was careful to listen to Dreidi. She spoke of Nightsisters and their abilities. The relatable factors almost made Adalee giddy. This was exciting, the text in the book had mentioned the Nightsisters at one point. Although, the Book of Dirge mentioned them briefly, stating that the Dirge’s were not the same. It seemed the Dirge’s were something entirely different, the Nightsisters were witches. Even if the Nightsisters were capable of Blood Magic, Adalee knew such clans wouldn’t be the answer. Insightful, sure, but this was not the Dirge way of practice in such arts.

Dreidi continued, her words hitting Adalee like a knife in the heart. This woman was scared of the very thing Adalee sought.

Maybe this is more dangerous than I thought..

She looked at Dreidi. How could someone like her be scared of anything, on a planet that sent chills up Adalee’s spine. Was Blood Magic really that corrupt and putrid? She wasn’t entirely sure she trusted the words that slipped from Dreidi’s mouth. However, it was the best she was going to get, for now.

“However I am not going to prevent you from that path if you truly desire to explore it.”

A sprinkle of hope. Dreidi wouldn’t stop her. It would ultimately be Adalee’s own choice. This was a different reaction than what she was expecting. It seemed that Dreidi had her own moral values to uphold. Perhaps this was part of her new enclave, maybe they weren’t allowed to sway others toward certain practices of magic. Either way, Adalee found it refreshing. She hoped for her own sake, Dreidi was wrong about the twisted darkness of such power.

"Why is it that you wish to explore this particular path of Magick? Is it purely for familial reasoning or is there another reason?"

Adalee looked down at the Vulpex then back to Dreidi. "Grisal and you. You have a connection right? Through the force?" Adalee assumed, the truth finally spilling out.
"I'm incapable of such things. I can faintly feel the force, but nothing, not even proper training has been able to manifest anything from this invisible living resource. I'm a failure to a father and a deserter to a mother. I seek this power because it's the only thing i've ever been able to feel, taste, hear, see, and use. This power, it's the only thing that will allow me to reach the force. I know this..." Adalee was careful with her next words. She extended her hand out, the marking of a healing knife wound on her palm showed the evidence.

"Because I've done it."
​

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dathomir
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Adalee Thorne

She looked at Grisial and then back to Adalee, "it is the Force, but might be from my Magick and Dathomir that connects us or could be a Force Bond as the Jedi call them. Does not truly matter which, at least to me, there connection is there and it binds us." Dreidi stated as she explained how her connection works.

"If you can faintly hear the Force then it is not something you are incapable of. The Force connects to everything and everyone. Anyone can use it, there are just some it comes more naturally to or they present a stronger connection to it." Dreidi pointed out, "using Magic, that is using the Force. It is just a culturally different approach than the ways that Jedi use it." Dreidi had studied many different ways that planets, cultures and beings used the Force. Having become both a Jedi and a Witch of Dathomir, it was of great interest to her the diversity that was out there.

She studied the girl, "being a failure and disappointment is often self inflicted and rarely imposed upon someone by their parents. I should know, I often see myself that way about my own parents." Dreidi confessed, in the hopes that this girl might reconsider the way she viewed her relationship with her family. "Finding the way that you wish to use the Force and how you wish to use it, that is normal and no one can take that from you. What you do with the power and how you treat others, there might be consequences that you need to be aware of." Dreidi hoped that Adalee would not dive into the Dark Side, or become someone who would do harm.

"Come, the temple I am staying at is not far from here and standing around in the open, exposed. It will draw the attention of the many creatures here." Dreidi mentioned as she became to walk in the direction of her temple. "Why is so important that you be able to use the Force? What is it that motivates you?" There were plenty that lived lives without being Force Sensitive, many who did amazing, fantastic good without using it and were powerful in their own ways. Dreidi was curious what need there was to use the power, especially if it meant self harm.

 

[Adalee Thorne]

Outer Rim, Quelli Sector - Dathomir: The Surface.

Adalee listened to Dreidi. The words of the Jedi were always wrapped in riddles. However, Dreidi was different. She seemed to understand things in another light. It was refreshing to Adalee. Although she wasn’t entirely sure why someone would willingly want to always be on a planet like Dathomir. Tugs of the force probably flowed through the planet in bursts of incredible power, but Adalee felt nothing. Again, her incompetence to connect with the intangible source of potential was her burden.

Dreidi mentioned that everyone could use the force, but Adalee wasn’t sure. The practice and study from the Dirge book specifically stated that power was drawn from other sources. She couldn’t recall what that source was, but Adalee knew it had to be tied to the force somehow. In fact, Dreidi even stated that the force and magick were one in the same, only different in their uses.

“Come, the temple I am staying at is not far from here.”

Adalee nodded in agreement and began to follow. She wasn’t sure how comfortable she was following so blindly, based on a witches word. Although, there was no other choice. Adalee was in Dreidi's world now, she just hoped this temple wasn’t for sacrifices.

“Why is it so important that you be able to use the force? What motivates you?”

Adalee hadn’t considered out of everything what she really wanted. In truth, she wanted to be a Jedi as much as she didn’t. On the other end, she wanted to be free from Jedi ideals. Then, there was the unknown, the path that led her to the real truth of everything. What happened to the Dirges? Why were they ostracized? Who made the call to eliminate their bloodline and why? Family secrets made these questions difficult for her. So, Adalee tried her best to answer as honestly as possible.

“My father, my mother, is why it’s important for me to weave the force like a Jedi. At the same time, I don’t even know if that’s what I even want. I seek the truth behind my ancestors, If they were wronged by my family. Do the people I love have darker secrets than my own? Why was a book left with me and not any of the other Thornes?” Adalee paused. “I guess I want to be someone who can bring about change to the world, I think the force and my ancestors can help me make that possible.”

The sky dimmed and the thick fog that greeted her when she first arrived dissipated as they gained closer to the base of the mountain. Adalee didn’t know if a temple was going to have these answers, she didn’t even know if the dark arts behind blood magic were valid. All she knew was that if she was going to be a ruling Thorne, she needed to know the truth...

about everything.
​

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dathomir
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Adalee Thorne

Listening, Dreidi was taking in everything that Adalee was saying. The desires to use the Force like a Jedi, to find out secrets that she believed existed within her family and seemed to feel that there was some big conspiracy. It was concerning to Dreidi. Needing there to be a conspiracy, a big secret that was forced to be hiding, a lot of the times it led to dead ends and were rarely based in truth. She feared that if Adalee had placed too much stock in such things, then if they did not provide the answers that Adalee desired then she would be furious and heartbroken.

"Sometimes, the most obvious explanation is the one presented to us. Sometimes, things are not a big conspiracy." She shrugged, "it could be that these ancestors committed crimes or harmed people that was a part of family history your family believed was best to not revisit. Could also just be that seek to sow distrust and ruin the love you have for your family by pretending there are dark secrets. Or it could be that what you believe is true." Dreidi sighed and could not figure a helpful direction for Adalee to approach this.

Perhaps that was not the role she was meant to play.

Entering the temple, there were signs this was a mix of Jedi culture the native culture of Dathomir. She was hoping to train both here so she wanted to have the temple reflect both of them. "I have some documents and history of Dathomir already archived and records at the table. Have a look through there, I just ask that you do not take anything from here." Dreidi stated with a warm smile on her face.