Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 17, 2023 13:04:36 GMT -8
Kr'Naan tried to think of anything she could to try and take her mind off of the cold, though nothing was of any real help. As her mind did try to wander, her eyes focused on the growing structure in the mountain ahead. Kr'Naan's held her arms tight to her body as she moved, both to help retain warmth and as if making herself smaller would make her immune to the biting arctic weather. The cold had dulled her senses so much that Kr'Naan's mind could only focus on the goal of their destination and she did not even hear the first crack of the ice. It was the unbalancing movement of the shifting ice that nearly caused her to lose her footing that caught her attention as she snapped out of her icy daze, turning back to hear Endor calling out to her. She was lucky that the frigid wind was carrying his voice to her, if it had been blowing the opposite way she might not have heard.
Almost as soon as the advice registered for her to remain still and she complied, the ice she stood on lurched as it began to fracture and be overtaken by the sheet Endor and Red Claw were on. Kr'Naan did her best to maintain her balance, widening her stance and spreading her arms out, but was caught off guard when Endor began yelling at her to run for it. The sheet where she heard Endor still yelling from was still coming towards her, pushing the ice she was standing on further down and breaking it up like an icechipper to be pulled underneath the oncoming slate of ice and thrust down into the sub-zero waters below. With panic setting in quick at the thought of being pulled under the ice, Kr'Naan turned and began to awkwardly run in her snow shoes. Trying to beat the growing incline of the slab she was moving along as it continued to be torn apart the longer the Tusken youngling was on it, it was obviously a losing battle. The sand dweller was a quick learner, adjusting to the weird way of moving in the snow shoes, but her overall lack of experience only hurt her odds as fear would overwhelm her mind and slow down or hamper her decision making. Instead of moving to the side in an attempt to get out of the way of the incoming ice sheet, she was running straight ahead, remaining in the path of the moving sheet.
Maybe taking an inexperienced child on a hike across an ice sheet was a bad idea?
With columns and pillars of ice forming, rising, falling and fracturing as the ice shifted, Kr'Naan had managed to grab onto the edge of a rising pillar with one gloved hand, her snow shoed boots dangling in the air as she rode the pillar. Swinging herself to grab hold of the icy ledge with her other hand, she tried to pull herself up. A difficult task because of the downward force exerted on her by moving upward at such speed. But it was not to last forever, as the ice pillar the sand child clung to slowed and she was able climb atop. Eyes wide with fright she looked around, seeing Endor yelling at her to jump towards them as the ice sheet they rode upon continued to chew up all before it. That hesitation was too long, as the column Kr'Naan stood upon buckled as the bottom of the ice began to break apart, at first sinking and then tilting to the side, dumping Tusken into the glacial waters below. If Kr'Naan screamed, it could not be heard over the sound of the ice being broken up and swallowed beneath the dark waters below. The water where she had fallen already being covered by the moving glaciers.
Kr'Naan's first instinct as soon her body became submerged in the below freezing water was to scream as the muscles in her body were shocked by the instantaneous chill of the water but she moved her hands tightly over her mouth and nose, shutting her eyes pulling her limbs tight to her body. It was agony as the clothes meant to stave off the cold became almost immediately useless submerged in water, even detrimental. The cold pierced every part of her but she did not attempt to swim, instead remaining in a fetal-like position as she was thrown asunder underwater by the ice and focusing on not breathing, despite how much her body wanted to. Kr'Nana knew if she thought about anything else, for even a moment, her mouth would open on reflex and she would drown. Her mind instead focused on her time spent helping her master Dragus in the laboratory aboard the Covenant of Blood. Having to hold her breath for an impossibly long amount of time lest she breathe in dangerous and/or deadly chemicals because a gas mask would only coddle her.
An eternity passed by from her point of view as her body adjusted little by little to the frigid waters, until it came to a point she released the seal around her mouth and nose. Moving her hands up and trying to flail her way up back towards the surface, or what she thought was the surface of the water. Tuskens did not have much need to learn how to swim, nor did it seem Kr'Naan had learned yet in her time spent with Dragus. The snow shoes, despite the possibility of them acting as flippers, in the inexperienced control of Kr'Naan only seemed to push her further down into the black depths with each desperate kick of her feet. Kr'Naan's eyes were bulging in their sockets, her lungs burned and her extremities were growing heavier, unresponsive and numb. A dark haze in her peripherals of her vision was slowly creeping in, but the child of sand fought against the polar waters beneath the ice sheets of Hoth with all her might, even if it was all in vain and all she was doing was sinking deeper beneath the covered waters.
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
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Post by Endor on May 17, 2023 15:02:51 GMT -8
"NAAN!" Endor's bellowing roar of Kr'Naan's shortened nickname carried half way around the planet it seemed, such was its intensity, shaking the ice beneath his snow shoes. He clawed his way up the rising slope as the ice sheet he and Red Claw was on continued to climb, eating up the lower sheet the fleeing tusken was on like nature's woodchipper, the tips of his fingers gouging the surface of the ice even through the padding of his gloves. He continued to climb, even as more of the ice around him broke apart, just able to glimpse his child charge plunge into the brutally cold depths of the water. The piece of ice she had been clinging to actually flipped over, covering the surface and effectively burying her in a watery grave beneath a layer of ice. "Noooo!" He cried aloud, pulling himself over the ledge and dropping all the way down to the lower less stable chunk of ice. His racket-shaped snow shoes thudded down hard, splintering at the edges as his full weight came down on the ice, causing it to sink a few inches before rising again. Red Claw landed beside him next, his curved claws making for natural ice picks. They both looked around for an opening in the water, but as more ice broke apart, it forced the cracked sections together.This was all his fault. Why hadn't he been paying attention? What did it matter if her proselytization grated on his nerves? He should have just humoured her and listened. Now she was dying and he didn't know if he could save her. Not again.He couldn't sense her, no matter how hard he tried. Whatever foul practices his wicked progeny had performed on this poor child, it had burned out her midi-chlorians, weakening her presence to practically nonexistent. He was already worried what the prolonged effect would be on her spirit if that continued, but now it became a true hindrance, with her in danger and him not being able to find her. Desperately he brushed the snow from the surface of the ice, but it was still too thick to see through.He needed to get through. "Red Claw, get to higher ground." He grunted, then sucked in a deep breath as he cocked back a fist, beseeching the Living Force to fill his arm with strength. "I'm going to try punch..."Before he could continue, he felt Red Claw's paws on his cocked back arm, arresting it from moving forwards. Endor jerked his head to the side, eyes wide with panic, a wild look on his face as though to ask 'are you mad?'. Instead he saw a calm face, black hunters eyes glinting as they were focused forwards. The snowok released the human's arm and pointed with a long claw towards where he was staring. The General's head snapped the other way, which was when he saw it, that same gliding shadow beneath the ice. Of course. What was he thinking? Hoth provides. His forest green eyes flicked up to the sky before his wrinkled lids slid over them, closing tightly as he opened himself up completely to the Force, becoming a snowflake in the blizzard that was this planet.To the uneducated this world might appear barren and desolate at first glance, but that was only camouflage for the myriad of lifeforms that made it a home.He felt many of them as he stretched his consciousness out, projecting the image that was burned into his mind, one of Kr'Naan's drowning form. He projected this picture along with a desperate plea for help, never demanding but conveying feelings any parent could understand. Beneath the icy depths, the silhouette began to turn.ARRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOO! Answering Endor's call, the humpbacked Hoth whale easily spotted the tusken's sinking form with its echolocation, gliding beneath her frozen form like the gentle giant it was. Catching her on its rough back, it began to breach, using its powerful battering ram shaped nose to smash open the ice, rising into the air a dozen feet before its massive body came down and smashed the ice sheet for meters in all directions. The General opened his eyes and dropped to a crouch, trying to keep his balance as the the shaking lessened. There directly ahead, laying on the whale's blubbery back, was Kr'Naan's soaked form freezing before his eyes."Get the shelter ready!" Yelled Endor with a turned head towards Red Claw, who was already scrambling back to where he had left the pack he had been carrying. The bearded druid then sprang across the ice, leaping from one unbalanced section to the next until he reached the whale's side. He took a moment to place a hand on the whale's head near its large pearl black eye. Understanding passed between them, and thanks. Endor then scaled the magnificent creatures back and scooped Kr'Naan up into his arms. She was thoroughly soaked and as cold as the icy brine she had just been submerged in. Picking her up, he rose to his feet and leapt off the whale's back. The wind seemed to propel each following step he took, as though the planet itself were aiding the son of the forest in getting the child to safety. Practically flying, a leap carried the General and the girl in his arms up onto the higher ice sheet where their snowok companion had already raised their portable shelter. Endor pushed through the opening in the insulated tent and began stripping the wet noodle out of her soaking furs. They needed to get her dry and warm. "Red Claw, get in the thermal sleeping bag with her. I've got to find the portable heater."The snowok nodded and pulled the frigid ice cube of a tusken into the sleeping bag and began rubbing the sides of her arms and legs, trying to get the blood circulating in her frozen form. Endor dug through their supply sac and was rewarded a few seconds later with exactly what he was looking for. "Aha!" It was a hot water bladder. Essentially a rubber bag that could be filled with boiling liquid, usually used to warm up ones bed or in this case heat a sleeping bag. He didn't have the time to boil some water, so instead he unzipped his fly and filled the rubber satchel with an offering from his own bladder, before popping back on the cap and sliding the warm bag of urine into the sleeping bag. It didn't seem to bother Red Claw, though the hygienic habits of snowoks was questionable at best, and Kr'Naan was not conscious enough to complain currently.With that done, Endor stood back up and stepped towards the entrance of the tent. A stern uncompromising expression physically masked the worry he felt inside."Keep her warm. I'm going to get help." And then he stepped out into the cold and disappeared. |
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 18, 2023 6:42:59 GMT -8
Sinking. That is all Kr'Naan could do; her arms and legs having stopped responding to her commands, too numb to move. All the Tusken youngling felt was the pounding of her own heartbeat, growing louder and louder to the point she could feel each pulse of the organ in her eyes as her heart pounded more erratically. Was this how it would end for her? Submerged beneath more water than existed on her planet? Kr'Naan's life flashed before her eyes, recalling the most recent events first: her time with the saurian Sith, Dragus.It was a time that made her struggling heart ache even worse. Memories of time spent aboard the Covent of Blood. The familial bond she had developed with the Ewoks of the Flock. Learning things she could never have imagined. Seeing the power of the gods with her own eyes. Using it herself in the name of her vile deity. But it was an amount of time spent, in the beginning at least, living in fear and uncertaintuy, living at the mercy of the avatar of the dark god she had sold her soul to. All in exchange for rescue and revenge on those who had captured her and murdered her grandfather.Kar'Orzh, her grandfather. Her guardian after the death of both of her parents in a conflict with another tribe. Even she did not truly know how they had died, but her grandfather was never the same after the death of his daughter and son-in-law. How he told the stories of their people had changed after that day; a deeper sadness than before. The great sadness conveyed by the story of their ancestors was compounded by the loss the R'Crurak Storyteller now felt for the death of all of his remaining family, save for his granddaughter. It permeated much of the stories, not only to make them more beautiful, but tinging them with a bitter sadness that was felt by any who listened. It was both a great and terrible blessing that always made many, including Kr'Naan, cry as he regaled them with the tales he had memorized all his life. So just for her he would tell another story to cheer her up. And as Kr'Naan's eyes closed beneath the icy waters of Hoth her mind was brought back to Tatooine.
Sat around a heating machine in their yurt, Kar'Orzh sat across for Kr'Naan, making gestures to go along with the story."...and when you return from the stars, our people will rejoice. For you will have followed the footsteps left by our ancestors and uncovered the Old Paths, bringing back with you the power of the Gods to help all of our people." It was a fictional story with Kr'Naan as the hero gone out on an adventure and returning to bring prosperity to her people. Kr'Naan giggled in response. "But Grandfather, I cannot fly!" The old storyteller raised a gloved finger at the uli-ah. "Ah, but the outsiders have their great flying machines! You could use one of them." Doubt and confusion filled Kr'Naan's voice as she questioned her grandfather. "But Grandfather, we do not use their ways. The stories of our ancestors say tha-" Kr'Naan was cut off by her Grandfather, but chuckled as he spoke. "You do not need to remind me of the old stories, young lady. You forget who is the storyteller here?"Kr'Naan could feel her face turn hot with embarrassment as she squirmed on her sleeping mat. "No, Grandfather, I jus-" Kar'Orzh raised his hand to quiet his grandfather. "It is okay, child. The Stories are told to remind us of the wrongs of our ancestors so we do not retrace their steps exactly." Kr'Naan was quiet for a moment as she thought of his words, looking over to her grandfather even more confused. "Grandfather, I do not understand. If I follow the footsteps of the ancestors into the stars, then would I not also make the same mistakes as them?" Kar'Orzh shook his head. "Just because you follow a path left by another does not mean you are bound to the same fate as them. If you look ahead you may yet see their destination, and change your direction if you do not wish to arrive at the same place. You can change the path to make it your own. Then, others will follow you as well and do the same. Just as you will change the path left by the ancestors, so too might those who follow you branch off into their own paths as well." Kar'Orzh stood up and went to put out the lights keeping the inside of the yurt lit. "Now go to sleep, Naan. Tomorrow we ride to the Or'Rrk'Rkr's Enclave. I have been summoned by their clan's chieftain. You will come with me, but you must get your rest."Kr'Naan let out a huff in defiance. "But I am not sleepy yet, Grandfather." Kar'Orzh chuckled walked over to granddaughter, kneeling down adjusting the fur blanket covering her. As he stood up he patted her hooded head and moved back over to where he had sat before, across from her near the heating unit. "Well then, I suppose I will have to tell you another story then, won't I?"
Kr'Naan's eyes opened up inside a shelter put together by Red Claw, snuggled into the sleeping bag with the sand-cicle to warm her back up. The first thing Kr'Naan saw was her grandfather, Kar'Orzh, standing over her. They were in their yurt, back on Tatooine. A weak smile formed on her face."Kkr'ucur'kur'k""Grandfather." But as her vision cleared the mirage of Kar'Orzh and her old home was replaced by that of the bearded Jedi druid, Endor inside the portable shelter. A tear fell from her eye as Kr'Naan lost the memory to the wracking cold she still felt from her time in the waters of Hoth as her mind began to fully awaken. The child of sand shivered uncontrollably as her body struggled to warm back up. Her extremities and phalanges tingled and stung with pain as blood returned to them to awaken them. Kr'Naan blinked a few more times before trying to speak, now in Ewokese as her mind came back to the present, though quiet and with some difficulty through her shivering lips and rattling teeth. "W-w-what-t-t hap-p-ppened?" She said, almost biting her tongue in the process. "I f-ff-fel-ll-ll. The wa-wat-t-t-err-r. So c-c-old-d-d."
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
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Post by Endor on May 18, 2023 9:26:56 GMT -8
Endor's smiling face greeted Kr'Naan as she awoke. Finally, he was starting to worried she might never rouse at all. He chuckled to himself as he recounted the events that had led to her current predicament, that being thawing out in the heated tent with a furry snowok for a bed mate. Red Claw was snoring loudly beside her. The General was holding a steaming cup of stim-caf he had boiled after returning to the tent with help he recruited from the old rebel base. Currently waiting outside were a half dozen tauntauns, two sleds and four abominable snowoks. At the head of each sled was an imposing white furred snow bear. Their growling could be heard through the thin but durable fabric of the tent."You went under the ice, plunged head first into the planet's sea." He took a scalding sip of caf, then continued. "It's my fault. I should have recognized that the valley was unusually flat. In these warmer summer months, sometimes that ice shelf can break up, which is what happened. You fell in and went under. I pulled you out with a little help from a friend."
ARRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOO!
The feintest moan from the departing whale could just be heard over the growling of bears, grunting of tauntauns, and the whipping of the wind outside. The General took another sip and put down his cup, before checking a boiling cup of broth he had set on his portable camp burner. He lifted the steaming mug off the grill and set it down beside Kr'Naan, hoping the smell and the warmth would be enough to invite her to drink it. A concoction he had learned as a child. Mostly bitter herbs, but it was also a mild thermogenic and would raise her temperature.
"This planet is strong in the Force, the power your master wields, the power you believe belongs to him. But it doesn't, Naan, it belongs to all living things. It connects us, binds us all together to form this wonderful tapestry of life. I know because your master's power, this Hakusar as you call him, it comes from me. I created him in a terrible mistake of hubris and the foolish certainty of youth. That darkness inside of him, he inherited it from me. Dragus is my son." While he wish he could say getting that off his chest made him feel better, the sad fact was that it did nothing, save leave him feeling just as guilt ridden and weary as before. He could see the doubt forming in her eyes, but also perhaps, recognition of truth. "Search your feelings, Naan. You know it to be true. Why do you think I was able to beat him, a god as you say, if I did not wield great magic of my own?"
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 18, 2023 11:42:19 GMT -8
Kr'Naan scoffed at the mention of these being the warmer months of this planet before shaking her head at Endor's admittance of fault. "I was-s-s ang-g-ry. I s-s-should-d-d not-t have g-g-gone ahead-d-d." The realization did not hit her for a few more moments that Endor had saved her. Kr'Naan looked up to the druid Jedi, her black eyes shimmering with tears that she fought to hold back. "T-t-thank you...f-f-for sav-v-ving me." The gratitude was genuine, but there was also something else in her voice as well. Maybe sadness? Or could that be just because she had a near death experience and she was still suffering from cold shock?
Kr'Naan leande upward slowly in the sleeping bag, trying not to disturb Red Claw snoring next to her. Thankfully she had been put into a dry pair of long johns, but to a Tusken it was still basically wearing nothing if even a bit of skin was uncovered. Kr'Naan hesitated as a shaking hand reached for the mug Endor set near her. The heat emanating from the cup was welcome, her eyes lighting up with delight as she held the cup in both hands tight to her chest. Kr'Naan sniffed the contents, scrunching her nose. It smelled bitter, like a tea that she vaguely remember the older people in her tribe drinking. Giving Endor a suspicious side-eye glance as she lifted the rim of the mug to her lips to take a sip.
Thankfully with her condition already mostly stabilized it did not take long for her to fully warm back up with the multitude of items being used to do so. She had insisted on getting out of the sleeping bag with Red Claw, instead taking a thermal blanket and wrapping herself in that as she drank more and more of the herbal tea. Everything seemed to be going well, at least in the way that she seemed thankful and open to Endor for saving her life. The only problem was that as soon Endor opened his mouth to explain the truth about her master and the Force, the glimpse of the gracious Tusken girl seemed to disappear back into its shell. The notion that this man was somehow the father of her god was so ridiculous that she did not even know how to respond to that, and dumbstruck look of disbelief and disgust appeared on the Tusken's face. "Blasphemer. You did not create Hakusar. The Creators did. They made all." Her eyes glowed with anger once more, but she was still too cold and exhausted to become much of a problem. "The power comes from all the gods. But only the gods are worthy of using it. Mortals cannot be trusted with it." Kr'Naan's face continued to contort and twist in new and interesting ways as a result of the anger and disbelief Endor was summoning within her with his perceived sacrilege. "All you do is lie. You did not beat him. He let you think you won. This is all a test, to make sure I am worthy. Because I..." Kr'Naan hesitated and her eyes looked down as she wrestled with admitting what had happened prior to her rescue from the Covenant, what she could remember of course. "...I...betrayed Him. This is my punishment. I must prove myself. Atone. We both must."
Kr'Naan set down the nearly empty mug of tea she had been drinking, drawing the blanket up over her head like a hood. At least this time she did not seem to be hiding any weapons, as the stubborn sand dweller had not had a chance. "You saved my life. Let me save yours." Kr'Naan looked up to Endor, her eyes watering and seeming to plead to him to reconsider. "Because when He returns, if you have not repented we will have to kill you." Of course she ended it with a threat, though her tone seemed to show actual concern rather than hatred and contempt.
Whether the tears were out of genuine concern for Endor's eternal soul or the fear of failing the test she believed came from her master it was unclear, but the tears in her eyes were real; not some simple manipulation meant to tug at the heartstrings. The Tusken girl had nary a deceptive bone in her body, made even more unusual by the fact this trait had remained intact despite the company she kept. Kr'Naan was a true believer of her faith that had been co-opted by a deceiver she believed to be a deity from. Shaking her faith would take much more than words of a someone she saw as a heretic. But it was strange that Kr'Naan had mentioned Creators, plural, meaning there were other gods in this religion of hers. Surely Dragus's ego was much too large to allow other supreme beings to exist in a religion of his own creation to brainwash a child...would he?
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
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Post by Endor on May 18, 2023 18:42:18 GMT -8
The absolute fear Dragus inspired in the girl was completely laid bare in Kr'Naan's pleading voice and desperate face. He could only imagine the sort of monster that could fill a child so utterly full of conviction that it could not be slain, the sort of horrors she would have had to witness, no doubt the brutality she herself surely must have suffered at his talon tipped hands. It awoke a sleeping bear inside of the former forest druid, a man who preferred the company of beasts over men, isolation over civilization. Coming out of hibernation was the warrior monk he had spent long years training to be, faced with an existential threat. Maybe that lizard filth that shared his DNA still scurried beneath the rubble somewhere, biding its time in a dark hole. Or maybe he was dead as Endor genuinely felt likely. It didn't matter. He knew first hand that death didn't always take. If Dragus lived, or if he returned, Endor would be ready for him.
"No, Kr'Naan." Said Endor in a hushed voice, his throat hoarse from his time spent in the cold. He turned his leafy green eyes on her, smirking as though keen to some secret he wasn't yet ready to share. Then that smirk turned into a wolfish grin, his canines almost pronounced as his face spread wide with restrained ferocity. "If he returns, I'll kill him again. I'll kill him as many times as it takes." He leaned in, his gaze intense every bit about his seated stance hinted towards aggression. There was no fear when he spoke or thought of Dragus. Endor had faced evil in its various forms many times before. This time it was just a bit more personal. "But let's not fight about this. You should conserve your strength. We still have quite a journey ahead of us."
Placing his palms on the floor, the old rebel pushed off the ground and maneuvered his legs around so that he was kneeling in front of the tearful tusken. The killer gleam from a moment ago was replaced with paternal charm as he eyed the snow raider up like she was a member of his tribes hunting party.
"But you're strong, I can tell. Hoth may seem strange, but it is not so different from your people's homeworld. It is a desert, one of snow instead of sand. Once you see it for that, I think you will appreciate just how majestic this planet can be." He snorted. "For a frozen chunk of ice. I'm sure your planet was much warmer."
How long has it been? He paused, daring to even think about asking such a heart wrenching question for a child. How long has it been since you've been home, to the sands of the Dune Sea? Endor grunted, coughing as though to clear his throat before fumbling for his cup of caf and downing the now cooled contents. He grimaced at the oily bitter taste but swallowed it all the same. Turning around, he found a fresh pile of furs they'd brought back on the sled, these ones a bit more rustic than the set she'd previously been provided with. The other pair were still completely soaked from the dunk in the ocean. Oddly enough the garments actually seemed a lot warmer than her previous set, as though the snowoks had unlocked some secret of protecting against the constant chill. These were grey instead of white, fashioned from the pelt of an icetromper, a shaggy herd beast of the ice planes.
"Grimfang's people have been kind enough to provide you with some dry clothes. They may not smell great but I'll wager they'll keep you warm better than the outfit Drenlin and Deitr stitched together for you. Put them on, we need to set out as soon as possible." He pulled a geospecthrometer out of his pack and checked the weather status from the rebel satellite uplink. That storm he had spotted earlier was moving in their direction. The last place you wanted to be in the middle of a Hoth blizzard was an unstable ice shelf. "There is a storm rolling in and we don't have much time to make it to the old rebel outpost. Believe me, you don't want to be caught in Hoth's wintery grasp without shelter." He leaned in, close enough she could smell the stale caf on his breath and see the wild gleam in his eye, a face of a man who had seen things and weathered hard storms. "In the far north, where we're headed, I've seen wampa ice beasts that had been caught out in one of the daily blizzards. Its body was frozen solid, a statue to serve as warning and witness to Hoth's unforgiving chill. It's going to get cold, not nice and cozy like the weather so far. Lets try to stay warm while we can and keep ahead of that storm."
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 19, 2023 6:19:50 GMT -8
Kr'Naan frowned and shook her head at the preposterous notion of repeatedly killing Dragus. "You cannot kill a god, even using their own power. Hakusar has been banished from our plane many times, but it only delays his purpose. He cannot be stopped from being made whole and swallowing all of creation. The stories are clear." Kr'Naan was beginning to get riled up again at all of the heresy spewing from the druid Jedi's mouth, but she gave it a rest when he insisted on them not arguing it this moment. It seemed the Tusken youngling took his words to conserve her strength to heart, but she also seemed slightly defeated in that her attempts to make him see the error of his ways were failing. Kr'Naan knew that should he not denounce his heathen ways she would forced to kill him in the name of her master. Just as she had done in the past with others like him. A small part of her did not wish to do so.
Kr'Naan looked over the furs as she was handed them, sniffing them but seeming not to mind the odor. While the musk was not exactly pleasant, her nose had endured far greater atrocities in her time spend with Dragus and the Flock. As Endor compared the barren tundra of Hoth to the dunes of Tatooine the Tusken's face became pensive and her eyes seemed to drift off a little bit as she thought of her homeworld. Her mind had drawn the same comparison when she had gazed over the open barrens of this world. Thinking on it, it cause a pang in her heart which yearned to return to the ancestral sands of her home. "This world could never compare..." Kr'Naan said as her eyes met Endor's. There was sadness in her voice, but there was also a confidence born out of the beliefs of the Tusken people that made one prideful of the sun-scorched world.
Kr'Naan dressed quickly at the mention of an approaching storm. Even if it was different, she had lived through many sandstorms on Tatooine. She had been told stories of outsider's stupid enough to travel without proper protection. Their skin would be torn from their bodies, their lungs filled with sand and bodies flung across the dunes to be eaten by scavengers or left as omens of warning for not respecting Tatooine's dangers. The thought of becoming an eternally lasting statue seemed a fate in line with the harshness of this world, one the child of sand did not wish to partake in. Her black eyes had grown wide at the description of the ice beast's fate.
"But we can make it, can't we?" Kr'Naan seemed very eager to get on the move again. Having already nearly become a Tusken popsicle once, an experience she was not keen on repeating. "I will try not to slow us down any further."
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
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Post by Endor on May 19, 2023 7:14:20 GMT -8
"Aye." He nodded his head, eternally optimistic about their chances. "We'll make it." Endor couldn't help but snort at the freshly furred girl's suggestion that she was at fault for what happened. Playfully he nudged her fur insulated shoulder as he threw open the tent flap to reveal the endless white landscape outside. "One ice bath was enough, eh? Heh."With Red Claw's help they quickly disassembled the portable structure and gathered all their supplies back into their packs, which fortunately they could now store on one of several bleating and somewhat unpleasant smelling tauntauns, or on the two sleds attached to large growling snow bears that looked like they could have easily wrestled with a wampa and won. Like the snowok already in their company, the other four were as naked as the day they were born, nothing but chalk white fur and horns. The only sign of a primitive sentience among their feral appearance were the spears held in their clawed paws, each tipped with a roughly carved leaf-shaped tip of glowing blue Force imbued ice."Here, take a seat." He said to Naan, helping her get situated on one of the sleds, before burying her under a mountain of warm furs provided there so that only her hooded head stuck out. The wind had picked up from earlier, cutting across the open valley like a sharp knife, causing goose-pimples to rise on the forest druid's hairy back. He placed his shoe shoed feet on the back of the sled's skis, grabbing a long stick with a leathery lash fixed to the end. He cracked the lash, snapping the tip in the air as opposed to at the back of the bear attached to the sled. Recognizing the signal, the ursine native creature of Hoth let out a groaning roar and began to march ahead. The other sled quickly moved up beside them, with the tauntauns and their snowok riders running along the flanks on either side of them. Endor craned his head to the East where a white curtain was rolling in, sweeping across the landscape and blotting out the horizon.They were cutting it pretty close. Cracking the lash a few more times for incentive, there was little else the rebel or his furry entourage could do to increase the pace of the beast of burden pulling them. They would either make it in time, or they wouldn't. Tears formed by the wind froze on Endor's cheek as he kept one eye on the approaching storm, then other fixed ahead at the base looming larger every passing minute. Squinting with his eagle eyed vision, he could make out several furry figures standing at the ramparts, glaring back at them with telescopic lenses crafted from the same mysterious ice that snowoks had somehow managed to utilize in their day to day lives. By the time they reached within fifty meters of the flapping dragonslug scale hide used as a tarp over the opening of the base doors, permanently forced open by rust and time, the snow already obscured their vision completely. Endor trusted the snow bear pulling their sled to follow its instincts as the base finally rose up into view, materializing from behind a curtain of snow."Inside, ucha-dei." Snarled Grimfang in near feral ewokese, the white furred snowok appearing from within the base, his shoulders broad and his fur marred by several battle scars. The chief of the Lost Tribe wore a skel skull headdress on his furry head that seemed to perfectly situate over his curling horns. His eyes were the same vampiric shade of red as an ice bats, narrowing as he observed the rebel General and the Outsider he had brought into their midst. Grimfang respected Endor, who was practically family with Tarfang technically being his cousin, but he was still weary of the rebels and their allies. As always, his people were at the forefront of his thoughts. Clutched in his paws was an ice club, festooned with tusks hammered into it, like a sort of primitive morning star. The burly snowok held open the tarp entrance as the bears pulled the sled inside, their eyes adjusting to the dimly lit interior of the base. Unlike Echo Base where the rebellion relied on modern technology, the snowoks lived a far more rustic lifestyle. Thus, instead of generator powered lighting, there were a few lit torches and smoking camp fire that served for interior illumination.A pleasant aroma greeted their nostrils from a crackling roast Hoth hog turning on a spit over one of the fires. Endor's mouth salivated to the point where he was nearly drooling on Naan's hooded head. When the sled came to a stop, he climbed off and helped Naan up. There were at least a few dozen snowoks visible, most appeared busy securing the base against the storm. The General thought he heard the bestial sounds of wampas further in, though that was no surprise. The snowoks lived harmoniously with those apex predators, interbreeding with them on occasion to keep the blood line strong. Arms crisscrossed with battle scars crossed over his equally imposing chest, Grimfang eyed Endor and his companion with suspicion, before turning his furry head as he heard the rattle of the tribe's shaman approach. Icetooth had taken over the role after their former shaman, Whitebeard, had passed a few seasons ago. The older snowok hobbled forwards, using a gnarled walking stick of frozen wood for support. A hide hood sat over the shaman's head, with holes cut in the side for his horns that stuck straight up, giving this one snowok the unusual appearance of an antelope. A smaller snowok, roughly the same age as Kr'Naan, walked beside Icetooth. Snowfang was the shaman's apprentice, destined to become the Lost Tribe's future shaman, assuming the elements and the danger of Hoth didn't see him to an early end. Hoth was not a kind world. A beautiful one, perhaps, but no less lethal for being pretty."Icetooth, Grimfang. It's good to see you." Said Endor in warm greeting, pushing Naan out in front of him with a gentle nudge on the back. "This is Kr'Naan. She's a wok-friend and knows the ancient tongue." The one thing Dragus had seemed to have done right. "She'll be journeying with Red Claw and I to Mt. Permafrost." He put a hand on the tusken's shoulder, arresting any thought of bum-rushing the shaman she might have had with a squeeze of the shoulder to let her know he was there. "Naan, Grimfang here is the tribe's chief. And Icetooth..." Actually, she maybe he should skip that one. "...is an old friend. And whose this?" He knelt down, staring at the smaller snowok trying to hide away behind Icetooth's furry leg."Snowfang." Growled the chief. "My son."
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 19, 2023 12:17:48 GMT -8
Uncomfortably stuffed into the front of the sled, mostly because she did not like being confined in any way, Kr'Naan was at least thankful the rest of the journey to the snowok village was easier than it had started. Why had Endor not had these sleds and beasts waiting for them to begin with she did not know? Or simply taken an actual ship instead of a barely controllable metal coffin? The lack of planning on the man's part did not make the druid Jedi look good in her eyes in that moment. Though this misunderstanding was still largely because of Kr'Naan's lack of understanding why she was truly brought along with them for their scouting mission. All she could really do was watch as they got closer and closer until finally they arrived at the abandoned rebel base now inhabited by snowoks.
After unloading from the sled, Kr'Naan followed closely behind Endor, looking around at the inside of the converted military installation. This place must have been inhabited by the snowoks for a long time, as they seemed very settled in and comfortable here. Given their numbers in the front of the base, she could only guess the total number throughout the structure. Perhaps when she had time she could try to convince them to join her master. Bringing a large number of what she thought as corrupted ewok demons to serve her master might very well make up for any shortcoming if she were unable to convince Endor.
Kr'Naan stumbled forward a bit as Endor nudged her forward. Even if Tusken troublemaker had aspirations of overthrowing their social hierarchy, if she wanted to not be thrown back out into the cold she needed to make them think her not a threat. Kr'Naan looked at Endor's hand on her shoulder, confused. Having no ability in the Force, made less so since the events on Bakura, without being explicitly told or witnessing it herself the young Tusken had no way of knowing if someone was a shaman just by looking at them. "I have spent time with those who did not abandon their god." It was honestly not intended as a jab, but it really came across as swipe at the snowoks. Kr'Naan flinched as Endor thumped her in the head. The Tusken girl bared her teeth in a forced grin and did her best to correct the first impression. "It is....nice to meet you." Starting with trying to show respect to the chieftain of the tribe here by bowing her head. "I hope to...get to know your tribe....much better while I am here."
Even if it was still technically the truth, the words spoken were still dripping with the attempt to cover up her true intentions. Just because the child of sand was an honest being did not mean that she was incapable of bending the truth when needed; it just made her extremely terrible at it. Though Kr'Naan, still being a child, would of course think she got away with it unless called out on it.
Still, even if dune dwelling devotee did manage to convert any of these perceived apostates, would she be forced to remain on this frozen planet until Dragus found her? The gears began to turn in Kr'Naan's head. They had not taken a ship down to the planet. That implied either there existed a ship on this world, or that Endor was to communicate with the ship in orbit and they would come and get him. If it was the former, Kr'Naan needed to find that transport so she could escape if it came to it. If it was the latter, she would need to device a way to commandeer whatever ship came to pick them up. Problems for later. For now, Kr'Naan needed to bide her time, do her best to save who wished to be saved and stay alive.
"What is on this Mount Permafrost?" Kr'Naan would ask aloud to Endor. "Let me guess: more ice?" Someone was getting a bit cranky at the thought of having to climb a mountain.
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
"No man is good enough to be another's master."
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Post by Endor on May 21, 2023 5:16:35 GMT -8
"Aye." He replied with a head nod. "A whole mountain of it, Naan." He held his tongue only so long as he could withstand the tusken's withering look as his comment did not appear to satisfy her desire for information. Endor sighed, putting his hands on his hips and lowering his head. "The Rebel Alliance, the group I'm a part of, it has a base located on this planet a bit south of where we are currently. We call it Echo Base. Well, one of the pilots stationed there saw something odd when performing an atmospheric patrol of the planet. The area we're headed to, it's had a lot of meteorological impacts in the last month, it might have revealed something trapped in the ice." When he saw the confused look on the snow raider's face he did his best to explain. "Hoth is next to an asteroid field. Large rocks in space, smashing together, sometimes the little ones get away and get pulled into Hoth's gravity. The pilot said he saw a strange glowing blue phenomenon when he flew over the mountain, something that definitely wasn't there before. In rebel tradition, we're going to check it out."When he had spoke, as typical the General's voice carried like a boar-wolfs howl through the forest, gracing the furry ears of every snowok in attendance. They exchanged glances, some nodding, but they clearly had some knowledge or concern about Endor's words. The ball of restrained white fury that was Grimfang was unusually quiet when the human spoke, his primal mind performing some unseen calculation. It was Icetooth, the shaman of the tribe, who spoke up first. The antelope horned snowok's staff struck the ice crusted floor, drawing all eyes to the mystic bear, who flashed the group a grin that exposed a glowing blue tooth that appeared to have been crafted from the same Force imbued ice they made their weapons from, among other things. Icetooth's other paw turned over, holding in his palm a handful of snow mouse skulls. The shaman cast the tiny collection of skulls down at their feet, causing Grimfang and Endor to back away."It is just as the portents suggest. Calamity from the sky, the heart of the mountain exposed, doom..." Icetooth shook his horned head, bending down to scoop up the mice skulls before stuffing them into a hide bag hanging from a string tied around his pudgy waste. Snowfang, the tiniest bear in attendance, helped the older snowok gather up the bones before returning to his side.Oh for the love of the forest, not more religious superstition. Endor had to inwardly supress a groan. After a week of listening to Kr'Naan babble on about doom and death in all its scaly forms, he had little patience for this, especially when he could smell the pig flesh crackling on a turning spit. He was about to try and put a damper on Icetooth's doom-speak, when he noticed the expression on Grimfang's furry face. The chief was clearly taking the shaman's prophecy seriously."Now hold on..." The druid started, only to stop when Grimfang raised a paw to broker silence. The chief, with his skel skull headwear, fixed the General with a look that would allow no room for argument. "Come. Bring apprentice." Then Grimfang turned and began leading the way down one tunnel of the base. Endor looked dumbfounded. "She's not my...oh, never mind. Come on, Naan." He shook his head and began to jog after the chief, with the tiny tusken in tow.As they passed through the icy halls of the base, they could see signs of true habitation further in. Furry hides were hung on racks, wild game was stored in icy lockers, wampas with inflated mammary glands acting as milkmaids for weening woklings, and tribal artifice of all shapes and sizes. Scones set into the ice walls flickered with glowing blue flames, lighting the way and causing Endor's nose and eyes to become irritated by whatever mossy substance they were burning for fuel as it bled a strange sort of smoke. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, the way opened up into a large hangar that looked like it had been exposed to the elements for a few decades before someone finally shut the door. Amazingly, the hangar wasn't empty."No way!" Endor gasped, pulling on his beard to make sure what he was seeing was real. There occupying the majority of the bay was an old sandcrawler, like the ones jawas used on Tatooine. He looked down at Naan's hooded form, them back up at the crawler. He wondered if his troublesome scamp of a granddaughter recognized it as well, though he was not entirely sure on the timeframe of when she had been taken by slavers. Those details had been mixed with a lot of accompanying screaming and yelling. It looked as though the snowoks had added their own flare to the sandcrawler's hull, which had been painted white and was adorned with tribal fetishes. "Where did this even come from?""Always been here." Grimfang snorted, crossing his furry arms before hacking a wad of bloody phlegm onto the snow. "Snowoks call it the Gorax. Big sled here when tribe move in. We make a few...mmm, changes, over many winters. Tribe's shaman has had dark vision about mountain for many months. We prepare for journey.""Wait. You're not..." Again he was brought to a pause by the uncompromising glare from the village chief. "Tribe coming with you. Not up for debate." A bit of Grimfang's aggressive charm came across in his posture, with a smirk rising from the corner of his fanged lips. He winked a feral eye at the General.Well, he hadn't been counting on company for the trip other than Red Claw and Naan, but the truth was they'd be relying on the generosity of the snowoks one way or another. His plan had originally been to borrow a couple of tauntauns and set out to the north. Not the most well thought out plan, but he felt confident in their ability to scout out a hill. If the snowoks came the journey would be safer, especially with this mobile fortress, but also a lot slower. Not that it mattered. He wasn't in much of a position to turn Grimfang down. They needed their help. If he wanted the tauntauns, this was going to be the catch. Whatever the pilot saw out there, the tribe believed it was connected to the vision of their shaman. Maybe he was right."Okay, fine. You can come, but how exactly do you expect to move this thing?" He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the crawler, whose treads appeared frozen to the floor. "Surely its reactor...its heart, is dead." It was then that he noticed a large set of ropes attached to the front of the white snowcrawler, spooled by the hangar door as though they were waiting to be attached to something."Snowok ingenuity." Said Grimfang, smirking.
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 22, 2023 6:20:44 GMT -8
Kr'Naan's already dark eyes eyes seemed dim more as they narrowed into a predatory glare locked onto Icetooth as the snowok shaman read the bones, focusing in on someone she now saw for what they were; another shaman in defiance of the decree of the gods. The ice-stranded sand child knew there was little she could do, and get away with, under the watch of Endor. As well as with so many other snowoks here, it was unlikely that the sand child would be able to eliminate the dissident, but perhaps if she stuck to her original plan of converting them? After all Kr'Naan was trying to do the same with Endor, a shaman himself, but the devout youngling believed in her master's eyes the snowoks would obviously be a greater boon to redeem. Just as Kr'Naan was about to intervene and begin her attempts to save the snowoks eternal soul, Endor would interrupt, only to be interrupted himself by Grimfang.
As Kr'Naan would find herself guided along with the group to the hangar, the look in the sectarian child of sand's leering eyes would continue to watch Icetooth hungrily. Any attempt by the surly sand child to get closer to the snowoks shaman as they made their way through the snowok village was corrected by a tug of the shoulder or a tug of the furred hood she still had up. That is, until they arrived in the hangar. Kr'Naan seemed less than impressed with the white sand crawler, as she had seen many such vehicles on Tatooine in trade meets with the Jawas or at the Or'Rrk'Rkr clan's Enclave, who often traded with the sand salvagers often for technology.
As Endor seemed a little distracted Kr'Naan would edge her way over to Icetooth and speak lowly to the snowok tribal shaman. "I know why your visions foretell doom. It is the coming of the god Hakusar, my master. I am sure of it. I can save your souls, but you must denou-" Kr'Naan was cut off by a very loud clearing of Endor's throat followed by a gesture by the druid Jedi to come to his side. An angry look was shot from the propagandizing uli-ah to the human as she begrudgingly went to his side. "They have a right to know the truth." Kr'Naan rebutted harshly beneath her breath as the tiny Tusken crossed her arms and focused her angry stare at the sequestered snowcrawler. "Denying them the chance will only doom them...and yourself."
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
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Post by Endor on May 24, 2023 10:52:59 GMT -8
Hakusar, a foreign word, but one that rang a cord of curiosity in Icetooth. While Grimfang, the snowok chieftain, was the oldest snowok currently alive, he did not necessarily know their history to the same extent as the tribe's shaman, who had learned of their origins from the former shaman Whitebeard. Origins that would likely trouble the forest druid were he aware of it himself. The General knew that the first abominable snowoks were created through the union of an ewok and a wampa ice beast, but he had never thought to ask how that ewok ended up on Hoth and where it had come from. Perhaps too many years sailing the high space-ways with his childhood friend Tarfang and the Bespin Blood Pirates, many of whom were ewoks themselves, had given the retired Jedi an inflated understanding of how wide spread his people actually were. After all, an ewok out in the wider galaxy was a rare thing, few exceptions aside. The arbiter of peace and justice would likely be displeased to know that original ewok that had wandered off and led to the creation of the Lost Tribe had actually been a member of the Famine Lord's flock.Icetooth's black eyes turned luminous as he fixed his gaze on Kr'Naan, the orbs glowing in their sockets with the same blue light that permeated the Force imbued ice the tribe used. The knuckles of his right paw cracked in a series of sinuous pops as he gripped his frigid staff that much harder, Hoth's power suffusing his small furry horned frame.That original ewok had passed on his understanding of Dragus to his descendants, forming the basis for their own primitive religious beliefs. They had no Hakusar, but the entity filling the place of the dark deity in their pantheon had another name that the Child of Sand might be aware. They called this dark god the Great Devourer, sometimes also referring to it as the Feaster of Worlds. A belief that continued to this day. When forging the black mace Exsanguinator, the dreaded Famine Lord had drawn upon the faith of his many worshippers across the galaxy, which had included the Lost Tribe. While not the leader of their pantheon of gods, often the abominable snowoks would make an offering to this deity after a successful hunt, dedicating a part of their feast to the Feaster himself.Looking down at the youthful snowok at his side, Icetooth spoke with his young apprentice, not with words but in the way that only shamans could communicate. An exchange passed silently between them.<< Befriend this outsider, Theesa. >> Icetooth's words rattled off in Snowfang's mind, reverberating like an echo that only the young apprentice could hear. << She knows something. >>Little Snowfang, the shortest of the abominable snowoks that accompanied the group to the hangar, looked up into his master's glowing blue eyes and gulped. Slowly he nodded his horned head, before staring across the bay at the strange fur clad outsider standing beside Endor. He wrinkled his nose at her unusual scent, blinking away ice crystals from his eyes as he stared at her. "I do not..." Began the snow child in ewokese, before he remembered his training and focused words into telepathic thought, which he shared with his master. << I do not trust her. She smells wrong. >>The perpetual scowl etched in ice and fur on Icetooth's face only deepened as the shaman nodded, then surprised his young steward with a quick smirk that showed off his icicle of a fang that faded nearly as fast at it had formed.<< I know. Befriend her all the same. We must know what she knows. >> Endor, who was no slouch with the Force by any means, turned his bearded face in the direction of the two telepathically conversing snowoks. He could tell that they were exchanging words, even if he wasn't privy to the conversation. For his part he offered the two a warm smile, feeling genuine pride that these cousins of his people were so well versed in the mysterious ways of the Living Force, never for a moment sensing that something might be wrong. He returned his attention to Naan and looked down at her, sighing as felt her desperation to spread the word of Dragus, her brainwashing unfortunately thorough. He hoped exposure to a different culture would help open her eyes. He crossed his arms over his fur clad chest and snorted."Heh. I know you mean well, kid." At least he thought she did. "But I don't think you'll find many converts among the Children of Ice and Snow. The Lost Tribe has its own beliefs, they share a special connection to this world." He uncrossed his arms and laid a hand on her head, roughing up her hair beneath the furry hood. "But I also know you're as stubborn as a Ronto and won't be stopped once you've set your mind to something. Preach if you want, Naan, just take it slow. You'll have an easier time making friends if you go easy on the religious talk." If he was actually concerned about her turning the Lost Tribe into followers of Dragus, he never would have spoken those words. Feeling a tug on his arm, the General looked down at Snowfang, who had crossed the bay and was looking up at the hairy human with innocent eyes. "Can Kr..." The young snowok struggled with the sermonizing sand child's name. Eventually he settled on the shortened form Endor had used earlier. "Can Naan come and play?""That's probably not a good..." He started, his mind already thinking of a dozen ways that was a bad idea, but again his words were cut short by the gruff and unwavering command that Grimfang projected. Even Endor, for all his wisdom and strength, seemed a bit cowed by the chieftain of the tribe. When the chieftain spoke, the forest druid felt like a child standing before Chief Chirpa of Bright Tree Village, his every instinct telling him to obey. "Good idea. Children play. Snowfang bring Naan back in an hour for dinner. Endor and Grimfang have much to plan." Rubbing the back of his head, Endor slowly seceded to the chief's wishes, despite his reservations. It wasn't like she could run away, though he wouldn't put it past her to try. Still, she needed to interact with children her own age if she was ever to regain a sense of normalcy. If he didn't give her the chance to be a kid again, she never would be."I suppose that would be alright." He locked his forest green eyes on Naan's black orbs. "Be on your best behaviour, Naan. And remember what I said about making friends." Across the hangar, the briefest of smiles flickered across Icetooth's visage, before vanishing again as it was replaced by hard eyes as cold as winter's breath. Snowfang, who was standing next to Naan, offered the tiny tusken a friendly smile, reaching for her hand with his paw as though to lead her."Me Snowfang. Come, come. Me show you ice caves."
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 24, 2023 12:37:58 GMT -8
Kr'Naan stuck up her nose at Endor's words. "If they are foolish enough not to heed my words, that is their fault. Their souls shall be devoured along with everything else and tortured for all eternity." Kr'Naan's tone was quite matter-of-fact. When Kr'Naan was answered by Endor ruffling the hood, the tiny Tusken flailed her arms and jerked away, staring up at the druid general with hate in her eyes once more. "I HAD friends! You killed them all, remember!?" The Tusken screamed at Endor in Ewokese, causing a silence to fall over those in the area and look their way. It was a fresh wound that had been reopened unintentionally by Endor and despite her being rather civil for the second half of their journey it was clear that Kr'Naan had not forgotten how Endor had upended her life. Despite her talk of trying to save the man's eternal soul and saving her life, it was very clear there was much emotion bubbling just below the surface. Tears of sorrow spiked with anger were barely held back as she stared daggers into the man.
Breaking the pin-drop silence was Snowfang trying to gather Endor's attention, giving Kr'Naan time to wipe her eyes with her sleeves. Kr'Naan froze in confusion when she heard the snowok's request. "Wha...me? Play?" The child of sand seemed genuinely flabbergasted at the prospect of being invited by someone else to join them. Both her and Endor seemed to, at first, have the same opinion on the matter. "I am not sur-" She would mumble bashfully, only to be cut off with Endor by Grimfang as well. Kr'Naan would stare meekly at the ground as Snowfang would reach out his paw to her. Maybe if she wished hard enough, she would slip through a crack in the ice and disappear. Kr'Naan was not even entirely sure why she was so embarrassed, only that she was.
Kr'Naan cautiously lifted a gloved hand, hesitating to fully take the apprentice snowok shaman's paw, stopping just short and drawing back as if scared. On a mission from Icetooth, Snowfang would reach further to grab hold of her hand and take off, guiding her to their new destination, practically dragging the Tusken along. Kr'Naan looked back at Endor as she was whisked away by the young snowok, eyes wide with terror. Kr'Naan had shown little in the ways of fear so far in Endor's company, at least without reason, so to have the proposition of simple interaction between another being close to her age cause her to shrink like this was a sight to behold.
With her free hand Kr'Naan held down her hood as Snowfang held on tight to the other. Finally she would regain enough of her composure to be able to move her legs correctly and keep up with the snowok leading her. "Are they all not ice caves?" Kr'Naan was question confusingly, still trying to understand why Snowfang had suddenly taken an interest in her. "How far is it?" She chirped nervously, as her mind began to conjure paranoid thoughts of the snowok disposing of her in whatever far flung cave he was dragging her to.
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
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Post by Endor on May 26, 2023 5:14:03 GMT -8
Kr'Naan's sudden outburst caused the weathered bushman to wince, then become flabbergasted as yet again this child brought about a lack of timely response in Endor, a man who enjoyed talking now at a loss for words. His face dropped, green eyes focused on the icy floor, his chin sinking deeper into his bushy beard. The girl told no lie, even if it was a childish interpretation of what had happened. Yes, Endor had effectively killed everyone aboard that sinister warship. He could still hear the screams of the damned on the winds of the Force as the dreadnought had presented a gaping wound in reality, its very presence weakening the dimensional barrier as its darkside tainted hull offended all that was good. If in the same position all over again, the General would have done the same damn thing. He had too. There were too many lives depending on his every action. He couldn't hesitate, or afford to overlook those that would inflict suffering on others. Of course he had killed her friends. They were evil. He shook his head as he watched the emotionally distraught raider get pulled down an adjacent tunnel by Grimfang's pup. The chief actually came to stand at the rebel leader's side as they watched the two depart."I just keep feeling like I'm failing her, Grimfang." He spoke sadly, well out of earshot of the others. "But I can't give up. She's practically family." A warmth radiated from the abominable snowok chief standing next to Endor, the battle-scarred warrior of the snow planes always running a little hot due to his aggressive nature. His eyes seemed to flicker as he watched his boy lead the angry child away. A rasping chortle slipped from between his fanged lips and before he knew it the chieftain punched him in the leg playfully."You be fine. Female woklings more emotional than males." He claimed knowingly in a rough series of growls. "We give her tauntaun calf before we leave. She forget all about being angry."Endor scratched his beard. He supposed that could work.
"Not far." Replied Snowfang cheerfully. He was practically skipping as he held her hand in his paw. While nervous about his mission, the youthful part of the chief's son was actually excited about the prospect of getting to know this outsider. It was rare for the Lost Tribe to have visitors, especially of the non-furry kind. He had never seen her species before, and likely never would again, let alone without all the usual tribal wrappings her people were known to wear. His other paw scraped the claw carved tunnel wall as he snatched up an unlit torch made from one of the spine like horns that jutted from an icetrompers thick skulled head, packed full of some flammable moss. Holding the horn beneath his fangs, Snowfang uttered a word of sacred snowok powa.Whoosh! Unwittingly channeling the fey, what the snowoks believed to be Hoth's sacred power, he caused the moss to first heat and then finally combust. Not much at first, just a few embers really. His steaming breath added the needed oxygen and soon the torch erupted in a dazzling blue flame that gave off an oddly scented smoke that seemed to addle the senses. Snowfang continued to lead Kr'Naan further down, the tunnel taking a sharp sloping descent until they were well beneath the base and into the tunnels carved by iceworms.Interestingly, the deeper they went, the warmed it became. While hunting in the endless series of caverns and ice tunnels that could be found beneath the planet's snow covered surface, the tribe had happened upon a geo-thermal vent, releasing a sliver of volcanic heat that made the walls run and become smooth like frozen glass. Tribal paintings decorated these tunnels, depicting scenes from snowok lore and legend. Snowfang released the off-world girl's hand as he held his torch up to the images, illuminating them so that they were easier to make out. Slowly he turned, keeping his chalk-white furred back to the primitive cave drawings of a black scaled dragon-slug with an endless appetite, its maw depicted wide across and seemed to have been painted in blood mixed with soot. A novice at best, the young shaman apprentice let some of Hoth's power flow through his veins, just as his mentor Icetooth had taught him. The ice magic was strong in him.Unbeknownst to Snowfang, his line was particularly strong with the blood, poisoned by earlier generations for its proximity to a terrible hungering creature with a perverted penchant for supple ewok furred flesh. There was a reason Grimfang, as gruff and rough as he was, shared a striking similarity to a certain one-eyed bear.His child, however, was much less physically imposing. Yet as he faced off with Kr'Naan beneath the flickering blue flames of the torch in his paw, his growling voice radiating with borrowed power and eyes beginning to glow blue, he asked the question that both he and Icetooth were so desperate to know."What do you know of the prophecy? Is the Feaster returning for his flock?"
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 26, 2023 9:42:41 GMT -8
Kr'Naan rolled her eyes at the vague description of how far away their destination was. Kr'Naan watched as the magus mentee grabbed hold of a torch and proceeded to light it without any tools. Kr'Naan's nose crinkled at the acrid smoke, but her brow furrowed for another reason as well. More heretic shamans. This place was practically filled with them. Who knew how many others dared to defy the gods and coerce their divine powers to serve themselves. At the very least they could do it in the name of their god, but Kr'Naan had seen no evidence of them being any more than those who cast aside their god and were in hiding, their appearance corrupted as their curse. So it appeared to her, anyway.
As they descended and the walls became adorned with tribal paintings the deeper down the tunnels they went, Kr'Naan did her best to try and make out the pictographs as they rushed by them, but their goal seemed deeper yet. The walls changed from their jagged and crude texture to a more smooth and bore-like formation. The air warmed, even if only slightly. For a moment the tiny Tusken's heart dropped into her feet as she realized how stupid she was. Another shaman, from a cursed tribe of heretics, taking her off into the unknown depths of their hidden refuge. Her snowok guide was obviously taking her somewhere to dispose of her. She needed to fight, to escape, to enact retribution on these accursed beings.
Thankfully, before Kr'Naan could enact her poorly planned escape strategy of attacking Snowfang like a wild animal, as she had no weapons other than her hands, the snowok came to a stop before a particular painted mural and lighting up the wall with his torch's blue flames. Kr'Naan's mouth almost dropped open at the drawing before her eyes. Her feet stepped forward on their own and her hand reached out to touch the depiction of what was obviously her master, Dragus. Pulling back the furred hood she wore, Kr'Naan pressed a pecan-colored cheek against the icy wall and closed her eyes, trying to listen for any sign of her deity through the portrait.
"Master..." Kr'Naan spoke quietly, as if speaking to her master through the artistic representation of him, like a prayer. Unlike recently when her mind was host to the still forming cipher entity posing as Dragus, sadly this time there was no answer. Still, the fact that they still remembered their true god and had reverence enough keep this accounting of him. It was not he most faithful depiction, but still it was unmistakably Him. Maybe there was hope for these heathens yet.
Kr'Naan opened her eyes to meet the glowing gaze of Snowfang, who was staring her down demandingly for answers. The blue light from the snowok's torch reflected in her black eyes as a delighted yet sinister smile grew on her face. "You know him as the Feaster, but He has many names. The Unborn God, Lost Dragon of the Dunes, the Outcast Lover, Hakusar, Famine Lord, Dragus..." Kr'Naan removed herself from the wall and leaned close to the snowok's face, the sparkle of pious madness in her eyes outshining the blue torchlight. "I have travelled with him. He had returned to the mortal plane to make me his disciple, rescuing me from nonbelievers to aid him in his divine plan. Your pure kin stood by his side and accepted me as one of the Flock."
Kr'Naan looked back to the painting of the dragon-slug. Waving a hand over the artwork as she continued. There was a sadness and longing to took hold in her voice. "The one who brought me here. He took me from my master barely a week ago." There was a hesitation. "His ship was destroyed and, according to Endor, was still aboard it when it was." Followed by hopeful self-assuredness. "But even if he has been forced to shed his physical form once more, he will return. Nothing can stop him. And I will do all I can to prepare for his resurrection...He will find me."
Kr'Naan's smile dropped and her eyes narrowed as she looked deeply into the eyes of Snowfang, the black orbs doing their best to stare into his very core. "And when he does, those who aid me in preparing for his return will surely be saved and granted eternal happiness when he remakes our existence." It was a proposition only thinly disguised as a statement of fact to the shaman apprentice. Kr'Naan was asking for his help, trying to see what side the snowok would fall on in what her eyes was an inevitability.
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
"No man is good enough to be another's master."
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Post by Endor on May 28, 2023 5:44:35 GMT -8
! Snowfang gasped. This hooded off-world girl with eyes as black as a predator seal was a member of the Flock?! He stepped back, bumping into the wall with a start. He turned his head, glowing eyes flickering eerily as he looked upon the primitive cave paintings, then back at the zealot child. Even the blue fungal flames projected from the snowok's torch seemed to dim upon hearing that dark revelation, though that could just as easily be the result of hallucinations caused by the narcotic smoke it was bleeding off.According to Hoth legend, many countless winters ago the Feaster came to this world with his Flock, carving out a lair in the ice and forever staining the snows red. What little they knew about this dark god was that it had a ravenous appetite, insatiable really, requiring constant appeasement lest its wrath be turned on their own people. Yet this hungering deity was also a creator, performing his art on a canvas of living flesh, sculpting all manner of terrifying monster. Several of the Feaster's creations still resided in the planet's dark forgotten corners, stewing in hate as their chimeric forms stalked the snow planes in the latest hours of the night. The Feaster's Flock was said to have consisted of His most faithful and loyal followers, ewoks of staunch quality, paragons amongst the children of the forest. Snowfang's grandfather, also meaning Chief Grimfang's father, was one of those ewoks. Though that ewoks name had been forgotten by time, the tale passed down from Whitebeard to Icetooth and then to Snowfang was that the ewok had only had one eye and was an exemplary warrior, an avatar of battle really. Such was the ferocity and strength the ewok projected that it attracted the amorous attention of one of the native ice beasts that originated on this world. One thing led to another and the snowoks were born.So when Kr'Naan identified herself as a member of the illustrious near mythological Flock, it was a shocking revelation, like a figure out of legend walking right off the snow planes and into his home. He was awed, though a little surprised she wasn't an ewok as well. Taking in a smoke tinged breath of damp cavern air, the young shaman extended his spiritual senses, attempting to probe the girl's mind to see if she spoke the truth or was a charlatan attempting to deceive him. A furry brow above one glowing eye began to furrow as his probing returned little, his senses sliding off the tusken's shadow of a soul as though it were slathered in slippery whale oil. Her spirit was diminished, a pale wisp of a thing, barely present at all. It made sense given her claim. Any being in such close proximity to the Feaster would surely be afflicted by its terrible appetite. In all likelihood the god had been feasting upon her very soul. If that were true, if she were god-touched...A clatter sounded as the torch dropped from Snowfang's grip, bouncing off the ground before it rolled into a divot in the floor between them. Slowly the chalk furred native dropped to his knees and prostrated himself before the black eyed prophetess. The shaman apprentice's paws practically touched Naan's furry boots as he groveled before her."I serve! My master and I follow the old ways, just as as Shaman Whitebeard was taught by his master, Greybeard." Kr'Naan had never directly met the shaman of the night ewoks, who was actually an original member of Bright Tree Village that Dragus had kidnapped and molested into madness many moon ago, perverting the harmonious Dream Sifter's peaceful ways and transforming him in a twisted wielder of sorcery in service to the Witch Tree of Pzob. While not an official flock member, the name Graybeard was spoken with great reverence amongst the fiendish denizens that lurked in the unlit belly of the Covenant of Blood. It was entirely likely Naan had heard that name before. The youthful wok's charcoal black nose was buried in the snow at the dune despot's feet as he continued. "My master has foreseen the Feaster's return as well. When the heart of the planet is revealed to the open sky, the Feaster will return for his flock. Your coming only confirms it." Slowly he lifted his head, daring to look up at the dark eyed apostle. "The others of the tribe, they do not believe. My father does not allow the practice of the old ways. He forbids the blood rites we used to strengthen the magics the Feaster has gifted our people." Snowfang loved his father, but Grimfang was a warrior at heart with little love for religion, let alone faith in the gods despite his son's many attempts to convince him otherwise. He also had the respect of practically every member of the tribe. They would not be swayed against him easily. "I love my father, but he is wrong. The Feaster gave us these powers for a reason." The flickering light in his eyes receded to a pale blue glow. "If not to serve Him, then why else?"Putting a paw on the floor, he began to climb back to his feet, scooping up the torch before he stood in front of his fellow cave conspirator. "It is in my blood, after all." He remarked, holding the torch over another section of wall that depicted an image of a one eyed ewok holding a nasty looking club. After that, Snowfang shared with Naan everything he knew about the tribes creation. |
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 30, 2023 12:48:35 GMT -8
Made slightly uncomfortable at the groveling but nonetheless impressed by the show of fealty shown to her in her Master's absence, Kr'Naan studied the snowok's downturned head carefully as he summarized the religious beliefs of the tribe, as well as the recorded history of the snowoks. While taking in all the information she could, Kr'Naan's mind could not help but wander back into theological thoughts of her master's plan. It did not take long for her to make a leap in logic to deduce the true purpose of the snowoks here. Made even more evident by the paint of who could only be Lil'Bacca. Kr'Naan moved close to the painted wall to observe it, putting two and two together. Her eyes grew wide with disbelief and shock as she turned to Snowfang."You were planted here on purpose." The notion excited Kr'Naan to no end, for it meant that she was correct: this was all part of her lord's grand plan. Her belief that the snowoks had been cursed by the abandonment of their god was untrue. In fact it was quite the opposite. An excited smile spread across the Tusken's face. "Do you know what this means?!" Kr'Naan's smile continued to grow as the dots began to connect to one another. "Your people are not abominations! Your powers were given by Him! You were put here for a reason!" Kr'Naan's eyes wandered back to the mural, her eyes longingly gazing at the dragon-slug drawing of Dragus. "I would never have believed it without this proof."Kr'Naan's smile twisted into a scheming grin as her mind continued to branch out at the possibilities of her master's plan. She of course knew the ending, but to see the minor pieces fall together before her eyes. The creation of the snowoks, her capture by Endor and arrival here; it was all part of his plan. Kr'Naan's knees shook as they began to buckle under the weight of such divine genius and foresight. But the child of sand forced herself to remain standing. She had to be strong and fulfill her duty.And so Kr'Naan would propose a plot to Snowfang. "My master has foreseen all of this and everything is proceeding as he wills it. Whatever is on the mountain that drew Endor here is surely His doing." Kr'Naan began to pace in thought as she did her best to scheme. "When we reach the mountain, I am sure my Master will use that moment to reveal himself and strike down all non-believers in his presense!" Kr'Naan paused, turning back to Snowfang. "We must convince as many of your tribe as possible to return to the old ways. Or else they will be devoured when we reach the mountain. As for the human..." Kr'Naan hesitated as she mulled over what to do about him. The daughter of the dunes owed him for rescuing her beneath the ice. She had tried her best to convert him but thus far he had not budged, though Endor had seemed to become far less resistant to it. "I will do my best to save his soul, but if he does not swear fealty to Hakusar...He must be eliminated."Kr'Naan's words were spoken clearly, but her voice sounded unsure of the prospect of killing the man who had saved her life. Something inside of her did not seem to be able to forget about that debt. Clearing her throat before nodding to Snowfang reassuringly, though it almost seemed to be more about reassuring herself. "When my master comes for us, we shall be taken into the stars to continue his plan."
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
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Post by Endor on May 31, 2023 4:45:21 GMT -8
Elsewhere in the former rebel outpost turned Snowok lodge and holiday inn, a hydrospanner clattered to the dirty floor of the repurposed sandcrawler the Lost Tribe had named the Gorax. Endor sat up from where he'd been working on the engines, his bushy bearded face slick with sweat and covered in grime, which didn't begin to the describe how dirty his hands were at the moment coated in engine grease as they were. That could have explained why he dropped the tool he had been using, but that wasn't the reason. His face seemed paler than usual, almost blanched as though he had just seen a ghost. He shuddered and wiped at his face with an old rag he'd found next to the toolbox."What's wrong?" Growled Grimfang observantly. The abominable snowok chief was currently sitting above his human guest, with his chalk white butt parked on top of the unit Endor had been attempting to repair, little furry legs kicking in the air in boredom. As the chief slid off to stand beside his sitting guest, his tushy was stained black and brown from his makeshift seat. The sight broke Endor from the sense of unease that had suddenly taken him, replace worry with amusement. The chief noticed the General's stare and attempted to look over his shoulder, turning in circles as he tried to get a glance at his coloured posterior.He chuckled. "It's nothing." Picking up the hydrospanner off the floor, Endor climbed to his feet and placed the tool back in its shiny red box, before quickly cleaning his hands with the same filthy rag he had used on his face. When he pulled it away, a thoughtful expression was writ across his hairy visage. He looked up at the ceiling, though truthfully his attention was focused on what was beyond it, far into the celestial heavens above. How to explain it? For the briefest of moments, barely more than a handful of seconds, he had felt a dark shadow linger over him, as though he were being watched by some unseen being."Probably hungry. Come on, food should be ready now." Spoke the chief gruffly, and no doubt wisely as well. The General's stomach groaned in agreement, and he took a deep breath, nostrils flaring wide as he thought he could detect the delicious aroma of roast hog from halfway across the base. His mouth began to salivate. He could already taste the fermented tauntaun milk. Admittedly, it took a bit to get used to the harsh notes of the local beverage, which the snowoks assured him would put hair on his chest. Not that he needed any more. Either way it had grown on him. The beverage that is, not the hair. "Alright. Let's eat."
Snowfang turned his horned head upwards, fixing his ethereal blue flickering eyes on the icy ceiling overhead, seeing beyond it to the starry expanse of the greater galaxy. Like Endor, the young snowok shaman had felt the lingering of something great and ominous turning its dark gaze upon him, like being caught in the eye of a snowstorm. Unlike the forest druid who had shuddered under its attention, the white furred snowcerer did not shy from the sensation, choosing to embrace it instead.<< My, my. What are you, strange creature? >> Just as quickly as the foul entity's hissing formed into comprehensible words in Snowfang's mind, the connection was broken as the presence faded, leaving the horned bear feeling hollow and cold. If only the wicked entity had turned its attention a few steps to the left, where Kr'Naan's hooded form was standing with a zealous smirk carved into her sand stained face, it might have kept its attention focused a moment longer. Feeling utterly drained by the experience, the shaman apprentice relinquished his hold on the raw fey currents that permeated the ice, causing his glowing icy eyes to return to their usual pearl black."Grimfang is respected by the tribe." Admitted the cub. "He has seen us through many battles and conflicts with the filthy skel." The very same skel Endor had forced into a peace treaty with the snowoks. "It will not be easy to convince them, but if getting them to return to the old ways is the only way to save my people, we must try. As for the human...if he dies, he dies." He locked eyes with the Sand Child, furry face locked in unwavering determination. "My teacher and I are with you, Freet (sister)."By this point the torch in his paw was beginning to burn low, flickering as the fuel reservoir needed to be replenished. Snowfang looked down at his furry naked wrist as though examining a chrono that wasn't actually there, then turned back to his fellow conspirator."We should head back to the main den. The feast should be ready by now and it would be better if the human didn't come looking for you and find..." He turned the torch's illumination back on the wall paintings. "...this."
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 31, 2023 7:55:36 GMT -8
Kr'Naan had watched with great interest as Snowfang had attempted to reach out to Dragus through the aether, to alert to him that his followers were here and the dreaded drake's dastardly design ready to be put into motion. It was a trick of her mind brought about by her extreme religious beliefs, but Kr'Naan believed she felt the dark presence of her master. It was only in her mind, as she had no connection to the Force whatsoever with which to feel such a thing. Still, Kr'Naan swore she could practically smell the death and decay that trailed Dragus wherever he went. A shudder ran down the dune deist at the thought of being reunited with her master. But her mind remained aware of the dangers surrounded her.They would need to turn as many as possible away from the influence of the Chieftain, Grimfang, to see the truth and accept Hakusar as their one true savior. It would not be an easy task. The one thing they had in their favor was their own certainty in the omen on the mountain, which it seemed was where they were heading to anyway. Even if they could not reach the hearts and minds of the entire tribe, those who were hesitant yet still open to their message would see when they arrived. Kr'Naan, in the meantime, would do her best to attest to the testament of the religious movement that would be their salvation. Kr'Naan would stand triumphantly presenting new followers to her master when he set foot upon this world and offer them up as part of her own penance for her recent actions under the possession of a demon and Dragus would welcome her back with open claws. At least that was her hope.Smiling at Snwofang Kr'Naan glared gleefully at the snowok. "You may call me the name our Master has given me: Wart."
And so the conspirators had returned from the tunnels, an unusual air following them from the deep recesses of ice. A self-satisfied smug smile was shown for all to see across the Tusken girl's face. So unused to her features being hidden the thought did not even cross her mind to try and conceal her glee. As Snowfang would return to Icetooth to inform him of the revelations brought by the sand child, Kr'Naan would wander back over to Endor as the other snowoks were preparing the final additions to the feast which was underway. The vibrant smells of roasting pigflesh among other snowok delicacies in the air, even Kr'Naan's mouth began to water at the prospect of food. Joining Endor's side seated by the firepit, Kr'Naan would look over to the druid Jedi practically drooling over the soon to be served food. It reminded her in a small way of her master. Her eyes narrowed for a moment before she shrugged off the feeling."When do we depart for the mountain?" That's funny. Kr'Naan seemed almost eager to venture back out into the frozen wilds of Hoth to ascend Mount Permafrost, when not a short while ago she seemed indignant at the prospect of investigating whatever Endor's forces had detected there. "Surely you do not want to leave your ship waiting too long?" The devious dune-dweller added on quickly. An averting of the eyes, a balling of a fist into her worn fur, the way in which she tacked on that second sentence. Something was definitely different about the Tusken youngling's behavior, something almost unsettling but unable to pin down. But her mind would remain unreadable to the bearded Jedi, her true intentions and meaning hidden by the damage done to her spirit. Kr'Nana cleared her throat and continued to ramble. "I think we should leave as soon as possible." Showcasing once again her inability to lie, with this being an overly suspicious attempt to influence Endor to go somewhere she had very recently decried. Even if Dragus had sunk his claws in this young child's heart and mind, she was still young and very obviously bad trying to hide the truth. A skill that took years to learn, more to master and she had been raised honest as the sand was coarse.
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
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Post by Endor on May 31, 2023 10:43:02 GMT -8
That was weird. Why did she say it like that? She hadn't seemed to show a lick of worry about the ship back when she was aboard it, let alone its crew who she had spent the better part of a week terrorizing. Strange. Then again, Kr'Naan was an odd little girl. Perhaps it was hormones, like some form of tusken puberty. He stroked his beard, wiping away a bead of drool that had slipped the side of his lip and run down his greying mane of bushy brown. Delving into it that was fraught with risk, however, given the Sand Child's outburst the last time they minced words. It put Endor on the backfoot, made him hesitant to speak when usually he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.He shifted a bit as Kr'Naan joined him by the fire, adjusting his crossed legs. Eyes the colour of leaves in Spring remained focused on the flickering orange flames of the cookfire. A snowok approached with a pair of old snowtrooper helmets left behind in some bygone era. Inside the long since emptied cavities of either helmet was a helping of meat carved from the spitted hog. Another of the tribe handed the General a ceramic cup filled to the brim with frothy liquid with a sharp aroma that prickled the nose, or at least so was the case for the rebel leader. For Naan, much at Endor's insistence, a cup of steaming broth was provided, additionally flavoured with the lichen that grew in the caverns beneath Hoth's icy surface."We'll leave in the morning." He said, before reaching into the helmet and picking out with his hands a sizzling piece of ham. He stuffed it into his mouth, chewing vigorously, the fatty piece of pork melting like blue butter on his tongue. "We eat, we sleep, then set out with the rest of the tribe come sun's first light."Raising the mug to his hair veiled mouth, he next took a healthy slug of the alcoholic brew, pounding a fist on his chest as it burned its way down into his guts. A sputtering cough split his lips and the General slapped his knee."The rebellion should use this stuff as engine lubricant." He muttered to himself, before turning to Naan and smiling warmly, lifting his cup in mock cheers. "Drink up before it gets cold, Naan." That never took very long on Hoth.Finishing his own beverage, Endor let out a complementary belch that caused several of the snowoks around him to laugh. Others offered him their drinking horns, which somewhat cannibalistically appeared to have been fashioned from wampa horns. Creepy. Before long he removed his wooden smoking pipe from inside his fur coat. The short stemmed device was a gift from Tarfang's sister Kneesaa. She'd always had an eye for the odd human, though it was never reciprocated. The General preferred his women to have long legs, preferably still hairy of course. His ideal mate was a wookiee dame, though he suspected they were few and far between in these parts. Finding his pouch, the callused fingered woodsman stuffed a pinch of Endorian Green into the bowl end of the wooden pipe, careful not to spill any on the snow. Then borrowing a burning stick from the fire, he ignited one end and began puffing away, immediately relaxing as the herbs euphoric affect helped to ease his worries.They were given large pelts by their hosts and reserved a place by the fire for the night, so at least they'd be warm when they settled in to sleep. As he puffed away by the fire, occasionally picking at the remains of his meal, he noticed something strange. In the far corner of the room or den, depending on your preferred terminology, he noticed Grimfang speaking to Icetooth in a manner that could only be described as tersely. Endor and the shaman's eyes met, but only for a moment. Still, it was enough for the druid to notice something different about the snowcerer. Icetooth's aura seemed stronger than it had before, more potent as though his meager furry frame struggled to contain Hoth's frigid magics. That wasn't normal. Had he always been that strong in the Force? Grimfang swaggered over, a displeased look etched in ice across his fur lined face."What's wrong?" Asked Endor, noticing his friend was clearly unhappy about something. Grimfang shrugged. "Hunting party hasn't come back. Probably got stuck in storm. Still, Icetooth seemed to think differently." The chief looked up and shifted over as Redclaw came to join them as well, seating himself next to Naan. "Story of life." He seemed to cheer up, winking at Endor, then leaning his horned head close to Naan. "All Icetooth wanna do these days is argue. Think ice spread from tooth into brain. Hahaha!"Endor lost control of his humour and spat as he bent over laughing, accidently spitting fermented milk on the cookfire which caused it to flare up and singe his edge of his beard. All the snowoks laughed as the druid began to pat out the smoking embers attached to his sooty staned face.
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