The Deep Woods

Whill Shaman Dažbog Master Moderator Water is the most important element of life. For without Water, you cannot make Coffee. Posts: 1,451 Affiliation: Ancient Order of the Whills	The Deep Woods Dec 22, 2021 20:30:46 GMT -8 Quote Share Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Whill Shaman Dažbog on Dec 22, 2021 20:30:46 GMT -8 An area of the great northern forest steeped in the Dark Side of the Force.

Dragus
The Sith Eternal

In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.

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The Deep Woods Dec 27, 2021 7:11:45 GMT -8

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Post by Dragus on Dec 27, 2021 7:11:45 GMT -8

Ion engines shrieked as the star courier Grimblade entered the atmosphere and descended towards the expansive forest that seemed to cover nearly every square inch of the planet. The milky eyed ewok Lil'Havok manipulated the controls, pressing forwards on the flight yoke to dip the nose towards the ground, then pulling back to level out as they neared the wooded canopy. Coordinates were already locked in from the last time they had visited this area and soon a familiar clearing came into view, the ground scarred by previous extensions of landing gear. Repulsors took over as the ion engines were throttled down to zero. The ship spun in the air until it was angled just correctly to avoid clipping trees on the way down, eventually settling into the dark green grass that carpeted the ground. There were a slight jerk as the weight was transferred from the repulsors to the landing struts, and then a rumble as the repulsors were powered down completely. The whole time the ranat in the co-pilots seat stared at the legally blind ewok with its beady eyes, utterly confused about how he managed to pilot the vessel, let alone land it without smashing into anything.

"Ha-Hakusar...R-Ru k'urk r'rrk kr'ro'a cr'cu ur'orc? Rk'kr c'r urrc'rc kur'kr? Ru k'urk cur'kr kur kr'aeor r ur'c ru?"

^{"Ha-Hakusar...I-Is that your realm down below? Are we headed there? Is that where the temple I saw is?"}

It was the second time that the Great Devourer had heard the child use that term, Hakusar. He attempted to discern meaning from the rest of the words she spoke in her primitive dialect, but it all just sounded like sand spoken gibberish. Something about the way that particular term was used, however, made it sound more like an honorific or a name. In the same way he referred to her as Wart, she was now referring to him as this...Hakusar. His curiosity as a student of the linguistical arts was peeked, but they had just arrived and there hardly time to probe her mind as deeply as would be required to draw the answers out. Well, at least without tearing it apart, and he still had need of her. Scratching the side of his scaly head with a curved claw, he pondered how best to explain things in a way the sand child might understand so that its mouth would cease flapping in guttural savage speak.

Inspiration was quick to take hold and he lowered himself to the floor, taking a knee before the heavily burdened slave girl. He extended a clawed hand towards her and turned it over, exposing his palm for her to see. Then he focused on an image in his mind, performing an old trick his former shadow the Major had once taught him. Kr'Naan's fear and uncertainty became the wellspring he drew upon, and soon invisible threads of power began to flow into a slowly forming illusion of etheric quality. A large jagged edged firkraan crystal rendered to life in his hand, crackling with electrical discharge as though it contained the power of a storm. It glowed intensely, almost blinding in its resplendent brilliance, blotting out the Hungering One and the rest of the ships interior until there was only the stone and the stone alone. Then a set of curved finger claws began to curl around the base of the crystal, causing it to distort and dissolve in his grasp, until it melted between his scaled fingers like grains of sand falling to the floor.

A groan echoed through the ship as the emaciated dark furred bear, Lil'Mort, pressed its paw to the hatch release and the star courier unsealed, exposed completely to the planet's atmosphere as the boarding ramp extended to the ground outside. The granules of etheric sand seemed to be sucked out the open door as though stolen by the wind, swirling in the breeze before fading into the dark forest beyond, signalling without words that 'this is the way'. Fairly certain Major's otherwise useless bit of Fallanassi shadow bending drove the point home, Dragus stood back up and descended the ramp, his talon tipped toes clacking on the metal. While Lil'Bacca finished stuffing the last of the standard camping gear into sacks on the overladen child, Lil'Mort disappeared into one of the storage compartments and then returned a moment later carrying a wooden spear with a jagged stone tip. Lil'Bacca said something in ewokese, to which Lil'Mort replied, loudly and harshly. The doors to the Hungering One's bedroom opened and Lil'Kaan limped out, holding the door frame for support while saying something that was barely more than a whisper. Not that he was listening, but if he had been, Dragus would have known that they were arguing about who was going to accompany them on the journey. Lil'Mort thumped the butt end of his spear on the ready room floor, silencing descent before gesturing to the ewok spear of power in his hands, replete with dangling tribal fetishes tied to the base of the pointy end with lengths of hide.

That seemed to settle it.

As Dragus reached the bottom of the ramp and stepped onto the ground, his talons sunk into the earth, tickled by the corruption of the darkside that seemed to have even seeped into the soil. The forest ahead was dark and twisted, projecting a sense of wrongness that even one without the second sight would instinctively recognize as evil.

Last Edit: Dec 27, 2021 7:52:00 GMT -8 by Dragus

"Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. Yes, I seek perfection. Perfection of body, perfection of mind, and perfection of the soul. Attaining perfection is the ultimate acquisition of power, and I crave power."

- Dragus, excerpt from the Book of Hate

Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal

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The Deep Woods Dec 27, 2021 22:42:35 GMT -8

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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Dec 27, 2021 22:42:35 GMT -8

Kr'Naan shifted her feet once more as Dragus knelt down before her. The closeness of the scaled biped made her somewhat uncomfortable, but she did not shrink from his proximity. Not that she could move much regardless due to the weight of the gear that encumbered her. Whether he was god or mortal, the Barabel was most certainly dangerous and each moment could potentially be her last if she upset him. Children, even children of sand such as Kr'Naan, rarely acted rationally when it came to possible danger. Curiosity was often the winner in their decision making. So it was a boon for the Tusken girl as Dragus extended an upturned hand to her and made an attempt at placation guised as communication, though she did not know this.

She watched as light sparked into existence in the palm of the squamous one's hand, coming to life a manifestation from her visions and nightmares. The crystal she had seen, crackling with electrical arcs of energy. It was smaller, only being slightly larger than a marble as it was represented in the lizard-man's hand, but she recognized the shape of its form and the sparkle of the glow it emitted. Kr'Naan's vision blurred and she squinted her eyes as the light of the illusion grew brighter and brighter, nearly blinding her. She raised an arm to help shield her vision, still affected by the intensity despite the protective mask and goggles she wore. As she opened her eyes once shielded, in the shadow of the light she could see that her hands arms were still intact, unlike the occurrences within her mind. Kr'Naan blinked and with her right hand began to reach out towards the mirage, overcome with the urge implanted within her to attain the artifact. It was a compulsion, an involuntary response wrought by the repetition of the action in her young subconscious. She could almost hear the chants from her dream in the background as her hand inched closer and closer to the glowing jewel.

Just before her gloved fingers were able to touch the illusion, the talons of the saurian Sith closed around it, disappearing the source of the light and sending its aftereffects scattering around the room like fine dust. Kr'Naan's breath stopped for a moment in shock. The uli-ah blinked to try and clear the mind-fog as she snapped out of the trance like state that had overtaken her. She turned her still outstretched hand over to look at its contents, empty of the prize she had reached for. Her attention was drawn to the sparks of luminescence that danced along the air, having somehow escaped the fate of the Barabel's enclosed digits. Her eyes traced the specs as they swirled along an unseen breeze down the ramp as it opened and out into the wooded landscape of the world they were upon.

Loaded with two chockablocked knapsacks, one strapped to her front and one on her back, as well as two slightly smaller saddlebags which hung on her shoulders on both sides, Kr'Naan moved with audible effort. She grunted as she almost lost her balance moving down the ramp to follow the flickering flecks of magical radiance that were quickly dimming. The Tusken girl leaned back so excessively that she felt her ankles stretch, all in an effort to not fall forward from the nearly uncontrollable weight she found herself burdened with. Making it to the bottom of the ramp, her gait straightened, though her walk became only somewhat more than a waddle. The Tusken youngling was no stranger to carrying heavy loads, the nomadic tribal lifestyle her people were known for demanding rigorous activity, but they usually had tamed beasts of burden or the noble bantha to aid in transporting at least some of their items. Now, it seemed, she was the pack animal.

Kr'Naan looked for the speckles of fading illumination, though they quickly faded in the darkness of the great trees surrounding the ship that engulfed their twinkling emittance as if they were a feast. Trees that she recognized. Trees that sent a shiver down her spine as she was reminded of the oracular flight through their domain she had dreamt of. Kr'Naan looked up to the imposing draconian, pointing in the direction the radiating particles had died, pointing excitedly towards the direction they flitted into nonexistence. It would seem that Dragus's attempt to quiet the Tusken girl only raised more questions within her, which she articulated through the guttural speech of her homeland.

"Rr'r ur'c k'ura, kr'kuk? Ru ku'r k'krukr'o k'urk cr'r, cur'kr kur'r cr'uk? Ru k'urk c'urk r'rr rk'r k'kr'ruk kr kro'o ar?"

^{"You saw them, right? Is the crystal that way, where they went? Is that what you are trying to tell me?"}

They reminded her of one of the stories told by her people of the souls of the ancestors guiding the living by taking form of lights that floated in between the planes of the living and dead. Drawn by the believed sign towards the bearing of their path, Kr'Naan began to make her way towards the forest with hurried steps, her knees almost buckling under the weight of the supplies strapped to her person. She only stopped once she reached the edge of the clearing they had landed in, turning back to await the Barabel.

Dragus
The Sith Eternal

In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.

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The Deep Woods Dec 28, 2021 5:41:11 GMT -8

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Post by Dragus on Dec 28, 2021 5:41:11 GMT -8

More guttural savage speak ground coarsely in the Hungering One's ear as Kr'Naan excitedly spoke, the opposite of what he had been going for. Fortunately before he had to toss her in the right direction with a swing from his tail, she got the correct idea and made for the edge of the clearing, right towards the path they would be following. If you could call it a path. The forest was thick and choked with low hanging branches and webs. Most vegetation found on the ground was either covered in thorns or some form of toxic fungus, likely hallucinogenic to most humanoid species. There was enough light by which to see, at least during the day, with the occasional ray of green light piercing the canopy overhead or the forest covering was thin enough to allow the dimness to shine through. At night it would be impossible to move anywhere without some form of artificial illumination, which presented its own host of problems. Even at its height, the Order had always avoided this part of the northern forest. The dark side had wormed its way into the heart of everything that resided here, transforming even the most inane and innocent thing into a twisted parody of itself. He doubted they would find any vegetation that wasn't poisonous and any creature they came across was more likely to attack them then leave them alone. Fortunately they had a secret weapon to combat the corruption.

Predatory orbs of blood narrowed as the saurian Sith watched Lil'Mort stroll down the ramp, thumping the ewok spear of power in his paw on the ground with every step. The tribal fetishes, mostly old knuckle bones, rattled against the haft as the ewok waddled. It was a gift from the ewok shaman Greybeard, a powerful caster of ancient ewok magic, who had been driven to the brink of madness due in part to Dragus' perverse attentions. Even the Great Devourer himself had been too fearful to examine the potent relic, knowing full well the magics of the ancients were beyond his mastery over the malevolent fey. He had never been able to sense any power from it directly, but clearly it was meant only to be manipulated by one of the descendants of the celestials. He felt better for having one of them along on the journey ahead. It was likely a suicide mission otherwise. As Lil'Mort reached the bottom of the ramp where Dragus was standing, the black scaled barabel stepped aside as the ewok passed, staying clear of the spear's stony tip.

"Careful with that." He hissed, sucking back the blood and saliva that wetted his mouth. "I'd rather not be turned into a Yuzzum."

Both lizard and furry bear walked away from the ship and joined Kr'Naan at the clearings edge, peering into the dark depths ahead. The emaciated 'wok lowered its spear and stepped past them, seeming to lead the way into the thicket. It was eerily quiet, absent the chirping of birds and other usual sounds one would expect of such a wooded area. Just silence and the crackling of old branches under their feet. He hurried the tusken child along with a nudge from his muscular extra appendage, before drawing back the tail behind him and exposing the serrated length of iron on the tip, to let any watching creature know that he was a predator as well. He then reached a clawed hand into the folds of his robe and withdrew a ruby red flute from within, holding the musical instrument he had crafted from meltmassif in his talons before bringing it to his lips. He drew in a breath through the slits of his nostrils and breathed life into the alchemically altered device, sounding a single note that cut through the silence like a lightsaber through blue butter. Rapidly his clawed digits danced across the length of the flute and played a dark tune.

♪♫♪ ♪♫♪ ♪♪ ♪♫♪ ♪♫♪ ♪♪ ♫♪♫ ♪♪ ♪

Ordinarily the Great Devourer used the flute to control his troupe of ewoks, making them perform a merry jig for his own entertainment, but today he had another purpose for the telepathic transmitter. Given the abundance of the dark side in the land, it was an easy thing for the saurian Sith to channel the malevolent fey up through his toes and into his claws, exerting his will into the musical instrument and broadcasting it out to every living thing in proximity. Low hanging branches began to twist and bend out of their path as his wicked will caressed the trees of the forest, briefly detecting what almost felt like sentience, if only for a moment. Poisonous centipedes crawled out from behind rocks and from under the rotting underbrush at their feet, moving further north on either side of Lil'Mort as the ewok led the way. Dragus continued to play a sinister song as they ventured into the deep woods.

"Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. Yes, I seek perfection. Perfection of body, perfection of mind, and perfection of the soul. Attaining perfection is the ultimate acquisition of power, and I crave power."

- Dragus, excerpt from the Book of Hate

Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal

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The Deep Woods Dec 28, 2021 22:33:10 GMT -8

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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Dec 28, 2021 22:33:10 GMT -8

Kr'Naan noted the lizard-kin's reaction to the seemingly normal stone spear carried by the skeletal Ewok Lil'Mort. Perhaps the spear contained a power that it was wary of? Why would a supposed god, even an incomplete one, fear such an outwardly mundane object? Kr'Naan had not been blessed by the Suns with shamanic powers so she had no way of knowing for sure. She felt the tickle of doubt rise in the back of her mind rise once more. The Tusken girl dismissed the thought for now, but she would remember the Dragus's wariness of the spear for later. Kr'Naan turned her attention back to the forest before them as the ewok and Barabel caught up to her.

As the spear-wielding Ewok took the lead of the trio, Kr'Naan seemed unbothered by the appearance and still air of the forest that they walked through. On Tatooine the dunes were always silent. Noise was not heard from predators or the environment until it was usually too late to do anything about it. Instead the uli-ah seemed to be in amazement at the vast amounts of living flora of the forest. As far as she knew, the silence that would be unsettling to those that knew better was normal and there was no cause to be on guard. Each step was a new experience, fertile soil being an extreme rarity on her homeworld; reserved for growing food, and even then most Tatooine plant-life was hardy enough to grow from the dead and dry sand itself.

Kr'Naan's ears tickled as the air was filled with the soft music of the flute played by the Barabel. The trees seemed to respond in kind, creaking and appearing to bend to the will of the melody. Their route became less treacherous, clearing of branches and other obstacles from their direct path. Even various nightcrawlers seemed to enthralled by the refrain of the instrument, moving out from safe shelter and skittering ahead of the pilgrims. Kr'Naan's also felt the music of the flute call to her. Her eyes drifted towards the saurian Sith as they continued; watching him as his fingers frolicked along the keys of the flute masterfully. So many things Kr'Naan had never before witnessed, and may never had, had she not been liberated from the slave market by this being who was still largely an mystery to her. Even if she had never been abducted and had remained on Tatooine there was still a good chance she never would have seen the things she had in the past two days in an entire lifetime on her homeworld. She thought it was quite beautiful and matched their surroundings well.

Kr'Naan's senses came back to the present as she felt the slave collar around her neck shift. She adjusted the strap of the bag that was causing the uncomfortable position of the device. She was not entirely free, or else the collar would no longer be around her neck. She knew that he had the control remote, and could easily remove it, so why hadn't he? It could be about trust, or it could be about control; if she was headed to her death the collar was a good way of ensuring her compliance. After all, why would her dark scaled rescuer sacrifice one of hairy herd when he could just find an unfortunate outsider to their group to be the offering for his plans. As the uncertainty entered her mind once more her steps slowed and then stopped completely.

Was she willingly heading to her own death? The pain and disfigurement she had suffered in her premonitions flared up in her mind. But she had been healed in her vision? Was that just a lie to make her more compliant? To feel some sense of being rewarded for suffering for the task bestowed upon her? It was also strange that someone she suspected to be the Tusken deity Hakusar did not speak the language of his worshippers; instead speaking in the tongue of outsiders and other creatures. A dull pain began in Kr'Naan's head as the pseudo-indoctrination of her visions and dreams conflicted with this skepticism. A hand went to the side of her head, and the uli-ah shook her head slowly, blinking and few times to clear her mind.

After the pain quickly subsided to a small throbbing, Kr'Naan hurried to catch up to the pair. She gripped the straps of the knapsacks and satchels tightly to secure them as she sped up to walk alongside the robed Barabel, speaking to him again.

"Ru r'rr rk'r Hakusar...c'uru r'rr kr'k k'ur k'kr'uk'ro...c'urk cro'o ur'eeru kur'u? C'uru r'rr rk'kr'ru k'kr'r kr'cur'rc?"

^{"If you are Hakusar...When you get the crystal...what will happen then? When you attain true godhood?"}

Dragus
The Sith Eternal

In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.

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The Deep Woods Dec 29, 2021 6:46:07 GMT -8

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Post by Dragus on Dec 29, 2021 6:46:07 GMT -8

The deeper into the forest they went, the more oppressive the aura of wrongness became, as though an unseen force was telling them to turn back. Even the terror inspiring appearance of the black scaled barabel and the sheer wickedness radiating off his form with every tune played was not enough to dispel it. He continued to play his flute, knowing full well what it was that trying to stop them. After having spent time studying the hieroglyphics on the temple he had found so long ago, he was certain it predated the forest itself, having been built in eons past by the entities the galaxy referred to as the celestials. It was his belief that the forest had sprung up to conceal the ancient structure, thereby denying any would-be treasure seekers the prize within. He would not be denied though, even if it meant crossing through lands inhabited by cannibal tribes of mutant gamorreans. That was another reason the forest didn't trouble him so much. He knew it was only going to get worse. Dragus gave his whole body to the song, moving in rhythm with the tune as his body swayed from side to side. Bands of black and white began to spiral from the pupils of his blood red eyes, giving them an almost hypnotic quality. He was both the serpent and the serpent charmer all wrapped up into one dark musician.

"Ru r'rr rk'r Hakusar...c'uru r'rr kr'k k'ur k'kr'uk'ro...c'urk cro'o ur'eeru kur'u? C'uru r'rr rk'kr'ru k'kr'r kr'cur'rc?"

^{"If you are Hakusar...When you get the crystal...what will happen then? When you attain true godhood?"}

Interrupted, the Hungering One removed the flute from his lips and the tune came to a stop. Ahead of them the insects on either side began to scatter, his spell over their hearts and minds broken. Lil'Mort took the moment to try and grab a fleeing few in his paws and stuff them into his mouth, crunching and munching on the poisonous insects without concern for his own wellbeing. He'd eaten worse. Dragus' tail flailed violently behind him, slashing left and right, sheering off brambles and branches as he regarded the tusken child that was, yet again, incessantly flapping its gums and choking up throat-spoken sun-baked savage nonsense. Resting a scaled hand on the tree nearest to him, he dragged his claws across its bark, sheering through its wooden armour. Crimson sap seemed to bleed from the gash and the roots beneath their feet trembled as though in physical pain. A snarl preluded hissing as the saurian Sith exposed his dripping fangs and gleaming yellow daggers for teeth, his forked tongue snapping to full extension as it flicked the air between them.

"Hakusssar, Hakusssar, Hakusssar!" Crimson beads flecked and misted as those razor sharp incisors bled his black gums, while ropes of steaming drool rolled over his lips and down his chin. "Enough with your ceaselesss prattling, Wart! I should have called you Gnat for all the pessst you've become."

All around them, the forest began to awaken, feeding off the barabel's anger. The twisted branches that had bent from their path began to once more block their way, some almost seeming to reach for them with long claw like twigs. Heated as he was, the raging reptilian failed to notice the faces in the bark, staring at the intruders in their woodland realm. Irritation had quickly turned to fury as he cornered Kr'Naan, his baser urges overwhelming his more calculating sensibilities. In that moment he was thinking less about the crystal necessary for his master plan and more about how the tusken would taste. It wasn't all him though, part of it was the corruption of the land itself. The influence of the dark side was so strong here that even the Great Devourer was afflicted by the emotional poison, quick to anger and less in control of his mental faculties. A long gnarled length of Pzobian oak extended from a nearby trunk and reached for the heated hissing lizard from behind, like a large wooden claw seeking to wrap him in its clutches. Instinct took over and the long appendage that extended from his backside, violently swaying side to side at this point, quickly swatted at the reaching length of branch and sheared through it in one swift stroke with the blade on the end.

SHRIEK!

The forest screamed and exploded. Where once it had simply sought to bar their path, now it actively worked to kill them. Roots and vines slithered like serpents, attempting to wrap themselves around them and drag them into the earth, while branches thrashed and scratched at them. All across the vicinity, knots in mossy bark twisted to form faces that shrieked a terrible wailing cry. Lil'Mort swung the ewok spear of power in his furry paws, fending off the forest with relative ease, no doubt the primal magic contained in the Endorian relic was lending him its strength. There was something else too, a mad and almost rabid look in its eye. Hot froth foamed at the corner of the ewok's lips as it seemed to enter an almost berserker like state, possibly due to some of the poisonous bugs it had just been snacking on. It slashed left and right with the spear, occasionally gnawing on branches with its teeth when they got too close to its face, causing even the forest to recoil from the little bear's ferocity.

"Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. Yes, I seek perfection. Perfection of body, perfection of mind, and perfection of the soul. Attaining perfection is the ultimate acquisition of power, and I crave power."

- Dragus, excerpt from the Book of Hate

Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal

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The Deep Woods Jan 6, 2022 2:08:31 GMT -8

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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Jan 6, 2022 2:08:31 GMT -8

Kr'Naan glanced around as the song came to an end, confused as the insects scattered from their path. Her walk slowed with the Barabel she walked behind, hopefully awaiting an answer. The hair on the Tusken girl's neck stood on end, an instinct of imminent danger that ran through her veins like ice water. She ducked as the scaled one's tail began swinging around, covering the top of her head and diving of the way as Dragus turned, his tail whipping around in her direction as a result. She could practically taste the anger in the air radiating from the reptiloid, but Kr'Naan did not understand what she did to cause such a reaction. All she had done was speak. Kr'Naan turned over on the ground and crawled backward as the large, dark-robed Barabel towered over her, shielding her masked face as chunks of tree bark showered her from the tree as the hulking being slashed the surface of the plant with sharp talons.

Every time she had made so much as a sound it had elicited a mostly negative response. Was that it? Kr'Naan raised her arms defensively, gesturing to the enraged reptilian as he hovered over her. Cautiously, she spoke in a scared tone to try and plead for leniency.

"E-E'or'rur...R-R cro'o ur ur'or'uk..."

^{"P-Please...I-I will be silent..."}

But it was too late, as the forest came fully to life, fueled by an unknown power, and began to contort and twist to repel the invaders inside its borders. Kr'Naan pressed her hands against her covered ears to try and quiet the shrill screech that permeated the air, but it seemed to almost come from inside her head. She tightly closed her eyes. She felt the ground rumble and the trees vibrate as they seemed to close in. Feeling something run across her torso, she opened her eyes, seeing a length of root that had sprung up from the ground and began to wrap itself around her. In a panic she began to try and pry the roots, fighting back as they began to try and drag her down into the ground. Frightened as the feeling reminded her of sinking into the ground in her vision, she let out a scream as she fought against the tightening against her, struggling to break free.

Managing to snap the soil-covered roots and free herself, Kr'Naan scrambled back up to her feet, running over to one of the broken branches that had cut by either Lil'Mort or Dragus, lifting it up. It was in no way a good weapon, but it would have to do. Clutching the shaft of her makeshift weapon, she looked to both beings she travelled with, hesitating for a moment. She could run, but she did not think she could survive on her own in the cursed forest. Deciding against what may be her chance at escape, Kr'Naan raised the branch and began to furiously beat at the encroaching limbs and roots as they attacked. There was little else she could do as she tried not to be separated from the other two as they slowly advanced through the onslaught of twisted flora.

Dragus
The Sith Eternal

In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.

Posts: 1,409
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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The Deep Woods Jan 6, 2022 7:13:56 GMT -8

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Post by Dragus on Jan 6, 2022 7:13:56 GMT -8

Still heated from Kr'Naan's agitation and the emotional manipulation of the dark side that seemed to permeate everything in the blighted forest, Dragus barely noticed the danger awakening all around him, despite having been responsible for setting some of it in motion. Realization dawned on him rather quickly though as he watched the tusken child he had been considering eating struggling with some unusually animate roots, the oddness of it seeming to break through the spell of rage and allow enough room for his depraved mind to grasp what exactly was occurring. Well, that and the fact that he was beset on all sides as well. Vines threaded themselves around his limbs while roots slithered over his clawed feet and bound him to the ground. Extended thorny branches scraped against his chest and teared at his shadow silk robe. Snarling, the black scaled demon of claw and tooth thrashed savagely, snapping the natural binds over his feet and shearing through vines with his razor sharp talons. For every root or branch he managed to tear his way through, twice as many took it place, as though the whole forest was attempting to devour them. Bloody orbs peered around, confused at the strange change of pace.

He wasn't supposed to be the prey.

The Hungering One, the Great Devourer, the insatiable Lord of Famine...all titles the saurian Sith went by as they accurately depicted his hungering nature, both physical and spiritual. Among the Order, Dragus had come to embody the Eye's constant hunger, and his appetite was large. Therefor it couldn't be countenanced that something else would be capable of devouring...well, the Devourer. He had his reputation to think of.

Slowly, reluctantly even, he lowered a clawed hand to the handle of the axe hanging from the right side of his belt, and wrapped his scaled digits around the old reek leather grip. As he made physical contact with the dread weapon, the fury of the present was replaced with the fury of the past. Visions of conflicts fought long ago filled his mind and he found his cold blood turning hot, the salivation dripping from his jaws starting to sizzle as it slid over his chin. Bloodeater shrieked in his mind, demanding its own dark appetite be sated by whatever means possible. He drew his arm back over his shoulder, pulling the axe free and holding it over his head. Script etched into the flat of the blade glowed a sickly green, as though possessed by witch fire as the warped nature of the axe came into full effect. Dragus swung down, cleaving through rotten wood and fibrous vines, embedding the axe head into the trunk of the tree nearest to him. A knot in the bark split and seemed to form a face, staring back at the rampaging reptilian and screaming as the dark sorcery woven into the weapon contested the corruption of nature. He braced a foot against the tree, gripping the bark with his toe talons, then pulled back on the haft and wrenched the axe free from the trunk.

"I refussse..." He rasped, misting sizzling crimson. "...to be eaten by a bunch of shrubz!"

Drawing on the primal power written into his unnaturally manipulated genes, the barbaric barabel erupted in a savage blur of motion, spinning and striking with his tail blade and axe, shattering the forest around him and transforming it all to kindling. Where his axe struck, the forest seemed to recoil, the alchemically forged weapon more than a match for unintelligible corruption. It wasn't planned, but as he transformed into a mobile woodchipper, he formed an almost defensive perimeter around Kr'Naan. Lil'Mort joined in as well, rolling under a swinging branch before ending up with his back to Dragus, striking down vines with his stone tipped spear, eyes wild and savage. Where the barabel was a destructive brute, the ewok was a whirling dervish, twirling the ewok spear of power with the skill and precision of one born to the hunt.

When enough of closest trees had been thwarted and they had a bit more breathing room, the saurian Sith reached into his robe and found one of his glass globules, filled with a sloshing yellow substance inside. Retrieving it with his left hand, he pulled the glass sphere from his cloak and threw it ahead, shattering the container on a tree a dozen feet in front of them. As the glass broke, the liquid inside came into contact with the air and ignited, erupting in a brilliant orange blaze that rushed out to consume anything and everything around it. The forest screamed as it caught on fire.

Last Edit: Jan 6, 2022 7:20:37 GMT -8 by Dragus

"Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. Yes, I seek perfection. Perfection of body, perfection of mind, and perfection of the soul. Attaining perfection is the ultimate acquisition of power, and I crave power."

- Dragus, excerpt from the Book of Hate

Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal

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The Deep Woods Jan 6, 2022 22:50:58 GMT -8

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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Jan 6, 2022 22:50:58 GMT -8

Kr'Naan continued to struggle against the horde of plants given unnatural movement and awareness by the dark energy that pervaded the forest. Vines twisted around her wrists and attempted to pull her from the ground, but she planted her feet firmly into the ground and leaned back and fought against the supernatural strength of the ropelike extensions. Kr'Naan's attention was momentarily drawn from her own grapple as she saw the flash of metal. The axe the Barabel had carried on his back was brought to bear and she watched as he cleaved through wood and vine alike as he wrestled himself free of his own attackers. The distraction was enough for her to lose her footing as several vines sprung out and wrapped around the middle of the limb she had been using as a sort of club, wrenching the ineffective weapon from her gloved hands, while others slithered like serpents across the ground, circling around her left ankle. They shot up like a tripped snare as they enclosed, flipping the Tusken up in the air and swinging her around.

Kr'Naan attempted to bend upwards to try and pry the vines from around her ankle, but each time she got close she would be shaken around like a ragdoll. A large limb propelled itself into her dangling body, impacting her over and over again as she struggled to break free of her position as a living pinata. Kr'Naan reached out, attempted to grab onto the incoming limb, grabbing hold and clinging to it to prevent it from batting at her further. Her thick clothing was again a blessing, though she still felt every hit it was not as severe as it could have been if she was lightly clothed. An eruption of flame in her periphery was what finally caused the forest to cease it's attack, kowtowing to the action of eradication by the Saurian by use of one of his glass sphere grenades.

The forest began to recede as it seemed to recoil in pain, though there was something else. Maybe a modicum of reverence? Or perhaps caution? Among these three was one who was more powerful than the others, and so the woodland would have to lick its wounds for the time being. The trees seemed to space out, away from the fire so that it would not spread, and it would slowly die out. Sacrifice the one so the many would continue to possibly attack later.

Kr'Naan hit the ground with a thud as she was let loose from the grip of the vines, impacting against the now cold and hard ground on her right side. As she sat up she gasped out in pain, biting her lip to keep from making too much noise, beneath her face covering. It was difficult to tell beneath her heavy garb, but her shoulder was dislocated from the fall. She gripped her upper arm just below the shoulder, squeezing tightly. Nothing was broken, thankfully, but she was no shaman, and had little in way of medical training. Kr'Naan looked around, fighting back tears as she was about to call out for help, but held her tongue out of fear for the reaction from the black-scaled Barabel. It was Lil'Mort who took notice of the Tusken girl's injury, shuffling over looking over the injury, prodding it with a finger from his free hand.

Dislocated shoulders being a somewhat mundane and common injury after private "audiences" with Dragus, it was a simple enough thing to fix. Stabbing his spear into the ground with an audible "humph" to keep it upright the gaunt Ewok grasped at the wrist of the Tusken's injured arm, steadying himself and positioning her downward. A quick jerk and a loud pop echoed in the immediate area, the sound dying quickly in the foliage. Kr'Naan tasted blood in her mouth as she bit hard into her tongue to prevent from screaming out. The would-be Ewok medic positioned her arm against her chest and held it firm there, picking up a length of cut vine and tying it tight to keep her from moving it. Satisfied with his work, the Ewok retrieved his spear and thumped her with the butt end a few times in the behind to get up and moving, jabbering in tree-speak at her. Quietly, holding her slung arm with her functional one, she took a few steps towards the saurian Sith. She stopped just short of him; not looking at him directly, instead staring down at the ground before his taloned feet.

Dragus
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The Deep Woods Jan 7, 2022 7:05:09 GMT -8

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Post by Dragus on Jan 7, 2022 7:05:09 GMT -8

As the forest receded, Dragus was able to ease up a little, lowering his axe and taking a moment to catch his breath. Hot steam vented from his nostril slits as he exhaled, bloody orbs glaring at the surrounding wilderness as though daring it to try its hand further at subduing him. He could feel some of the invisible malignant tendrils of the malevolent fey withdraw, no longer infecting the forest with horrifying animation. Closing his eyes briefly, he drew in a long breath through his nose, then slowly exhaled through his mouth with a long flick of his forked tongue. Calmed, if ever so slightly, he returned Bloodeater to its belt loop and smoothed the folds of his shadow silk robe, noting a fey frayed marks where the branches had torn his attire. He made a mental note to contact the Covenant of Blood and order an orbital strike on the area once they were done with their business here. That seemed a reasonable penance. With the alchemically warped weapon out of his scaly digits, the visions of past bloodsheds vanished from his mind and he was left feeling hollow and cold. He shuddered, shaking off the momentary discomfort before returning his attention to his companions. He heard an audible 'pop' when Lil'Mort moved Kr'Naan's arm back into its proper position, his jaws slavering as he savoured the sensation of pain projected into the aether.

By all appearances it seemed like the forest had decided to back off for now. If it did possess a form of sentience of its own, then perhaps it could sense the flaw in attempting to halt their progress. He had plenty more globules where that one had come from, not to mention a few tricks with the Force that would make it think twice before crossing him. Still, this level of mutation where something as basic as a tree could be transformed into a predator was quite unlike anything he had seen before, which was unusual given his degree of study when it came to dark science and the alchemical arts.

He walked over to one of the trees he had sunk his axe into and examined the wound in its trunk, his crimson orbs watching for any signs of predation while he performed his inspection. He plunged a finger talon into the wound and withdrew it a moment later, the curved claw now coated in a slimy green ichor. Bringing the talon to his mouth, he lapped at the fluid with his tongue and paused thoughtfully, before looking back at the face formed in one of its knots. Stepping even closer, he sniffed at the trunk, his eyes widening in recognition.

"Ah, I sssee." He hissed knowingly, scratching his chin with the same wet claw. "They're Neti, or at leassst they usssed to be." He thumped the ground with his tail, listening to the sound. "The rootz are deep. They've likely been here a few centuriez, perhapz longer. After the ennui ssset in, the corruption of the land did the ressst. I don't think they can truly be consssidered 'alive' anymore, just shellz to act az sentinelz for the foressst." Looking around, the forest seemed as quiet as it had when they had first entered it. "I don't think it will trouble uz further, ssso long az we remain composssed."

Taking a knee, the saurian Sith gathered a few samples of broken branches and vines from the ground, placing them in a pile while Lil'Mort rummaged through one of the packs Kr'Naan was carrying and retrieved a transparent polymer bag which he handed to Dragus. The black scaled fiend placed the gathered samples in the bag and sealed it, before opening his robe and finding an interior pocket used for just such a collection. He stood and contemplated their next move, examining the tusken child. His ewok flock member had seen to the girl's injuries and offered some form of medical ministration, but she still looked a sad broken thing with a wounded wing. He needed her able bodied when they reached the temple. At this rate, she might not even survive the trip. From what he could ascertain at a glance, it hadn't been more than a simple dislocation, so as long as she didn't push herself too hard and was given time to rest, it shouldn't prove too much of an impairment. Lil'Mort noticed his inspection and said something to the Hungering One in ewokese. The barabel nodded and looked at the path ahead, then up at the forest ceiling where a few rays of light could just be seen through the thick brush.

"A little further, then we'll ssset up camp for the night and she can ressst. Until then..." He stared down at Kr'Naan who seemed to be examining the sharp talons of his feet. "...make sssure she doesssn't fall behind."

Smiling ferally like a hungry rancor, Dragus reached into his robe and brought his flute back out, placing the mouthpiece between his lips. When he exhaled, he blew dark life into the musical instrument and began to play a twisted tune. Once more the entrancing effect of the meltmassif flute bent the corrupted forest to the whim of his song. On he walked as he played, taking the lead this time while Lil'Mort managed the girl with a careful prod or two of his spear.

♪♫♪ ♪♫♪ ♪♪ ♪♫♪ ♪♫♪ ♪♪ ♫♪♫ ♪♪ ♪

Last Edit: Jan 7, 2022 7:05:38 GMT -8 by Dragus

"Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. Yes, I seek perfection. Perfection of body, perfection of mind, and perfection of the soul. Attaining perfection is the ultimate acquisition of power, and I crave power."

- Dragus, excerpt from the Book of Hate

Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal

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The Deep Woods Jan 8, 2022 0:49:46 GMT -8

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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Jan 8, 2022 0:49:46 GMT -8

Besides the melody of the flute played by Dragus and the occasional exclamation from Lil'Mort at Kr'Naan in ewokese, which she did not understand anyway, it was an uneventful walk. He shoulder throbbed against the weight of one of the straps, and the way her arm was partially fastened over on behind the pack on her front was awkward, even if it did help keep her injured limb from moving. The jostling of her steps was enough to make her wince regularly from the pain of the strap digging into her tender joint. When her steps would slow she would be smacked or prodded by the butt end of the ewok's spear again as a reminder to keep up with the dark scaled musician from which dulcet tones wafted through the air. Kr'Naan looked up at the canopy, spying the singular sun in the sky through some of the ill-looking limbs. She missed the twin suns of her home. A deep sense of loss and longing filled the youngling, followed by anger as she stared into the back of the Barabel she followed's head.

It quickly passed, replaced by anger at herself for taking his squamous hand back in the slave market, then regret, then doubt. Her inner thoughts were again filled with turmoil as she tried to make sense of everything. It was a repeating cycle in her mind when she had time to be alone with her thoughts, which had been often as she had none to actively converse with but herself; at least if she wanted a response she understood. Her doubt was stronger now, fueled more by the actions of the being she had believed to be a god to her people. She needed to be sure. She needed to find out if he truly was the unborn god Hakusar given material form. Asking him had not given her any answers. Though she was largely uneducated, she did know of the almost magical technologies and machines of the outsiders, the invaders of her homeworld of Tatooine. He had might and tricks, but she was beginning to think these were just outsider tricks, and that she was following a deceiver.

Kr'Naan stumbled forward a few steps as Lil'Mort prodded her once more with the flat end of the spear, jabbering his tree speak at the Tusken, who did her best to hurry along. They continued the march for what seemed an eternity to her, as the tune of the flute began to grate on her ears and the light of the sun that had been above began to dim. As the annoyance would begin to bubble up, almost to a boiling point the saurian Sith halted, stopping the group. Kr'Naan watched his fanged mouth speak, but the words still held no meaning to her. The ewok then chirped up, tugging at the side saddlebags that the Tusken girl was carrying, unslinging the first one from her person. Now understanding, Kr'Naan plopped onto the ground and tucked her uninjured arm against her body. She then wriggled upward, gritting her teeth against the pain of her hurt shoulder, tears coming to her eyes as, like a cliffboreer emerging up from the sands of the Dune Sea, she emerged from the small mountain of camping equipment and crawled out and over. Lil'Mort grew close to her, grabbing at Kr'Naan's shoulder, likely to inspect the sling. She recoiled at the ewok's furry grasp, taking a step back. She did not wish to be touched. Not accepting the slave's decline of treatment, the perpetually starving ewok pointed the sharp end of the spear at the defiant child, again speaking in the tongue of the treebear to her, waving the spear tip around in the air at her as a warning.

Kr'Naan relented, glancing over to Dragus for a moment, before stepping back within range of the mostly fuzzy being stubby arms. After a quick inspection and an apparent nod of self satisfaction the ewok began pointing at the packs, opening them up and directing the one armed girl to begin setting up the camp. Eventually the ewok grew tired of the speed with which she was handling things, and shoved her out of the way to handle it himself, once again shoving the ewok spear of power into the dirt to keep it in place, the bone knuckles knocking against the wooden shaft before falling silent.

And so Kr'Naan stood to the side, remaining quiet save for a grumble of her stomach as it's emptiness finally caught up with her. The rumble sounded throughout the immediate area of the camp, her able hand going to her stomach to quiet it, glancing at the menacing Barabel leader of the trio in hopes the sound did not make his anger rear its head once more.

Last Edit: Jan 8, 2022 0:49:55 GMT -8 by Kr'Naan'Kar

Dragus
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The Deep Woods Jan 8, 2022 8:11:20 GMT -8

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Post by Dragus on Jan 8, 2022 8:11:20 GMT -8

While Kr'Naan and Lil'Mort busied themselves setting up camp, Dragus reviewed his notes on the temple they were headed to. He sat on a moss covered log, his tail swaying behind him almost rhythmically, occasionally glinting as it caught a rare ray of light piercing the thick canopy overhead. Those rays were diminishing as night neared, the already considerably dark forest turning a deep black. The lack of light wouldn't have been an impairment to him, as his vision was based on heat rather than light. When he looked up from the handwritten pad of scrawled scribblings in his scaly hands, he saw the world in various shades of blue and red. Kr'Naan and Lil'Mort were orange, their bodies giving off heat as they exerted themselves setting up camp, while the rest of the area was a cool blue as the lack of light barely managed to penetrate to the forest floor. The emaciated ewok gathered broken branches in a pile to serve as kindling, gathering whatever dry wood it could find, before dumping a container full of fuel onto the kindling. The scent of acrid chemicals teased the black scaled barabel's slit nostrils and he stood up, walking over to where the camp fire was being set up. Spying a palm sized rock on the ground, the saurian grabbed the stone and held it in his left palm near the chemical coated kindling. His tail came up under his arm and the blade capping it presented itself. Taking the stone, he dragged it along the edge of the blade, grinding stone and metal together. At first nothing happened, but after a few strokes along the length of iron, sparks began to jump from the blade and stone, showering the pile of sticks until finally it caught ablaze. He stepped back to examine his work, dropping the stone next to the fire.

Not bad. That ought to discourage the arachnids that were trailing them overhead. He looked up, peering into the web strewn heights above, occasionally hearing a crack as one of the bugs disturbed the rotting canopy. They'd been following them since the fight with the trees. He hadn't been able to sense anything as recognizable as emotion coming from them, just a cold empty hunger and minds as alien as his own was to them. He would have preferred if they simply attacked and got it over with, but for now they seemed content to watch and wait, perhaps waiting to see if any of the group would become separated and make for an easier meal. Looking back down, he shook his head in annoyance. Well, he had no intention of climbing up after them so they'd just have to muster up enough courage if they wanted to make a meal of the group.

Groan!

Both Dragus and Lil'Mort paused in whatever they were doing when they heard the long groan come from Kr'Naan's belly. The Hungering One let out a surprised chuckle, amused rather than irritated. "Finally, a trait I can appreciate. It hungerz! Siss Siss Siss!" He took a step towards the child, bending down to lean close, his snout a hand length away from her goggle covered face. He sniffed, then prodded her with a claw, interested in her for perhaps the first time since they had left Nar Shaddaa. "But what doez it eat? Hmmm. I offered it a rat and it refusssed." He patted at his pockets and then pulled them inside out to reveal they were empty. "I didn't bring any sssand. Perhapz it could eat the rock I usssed to ssstart the fire?"

Lil'Mort dropped another pile of gathered wood next to the fire and then plopped his furry butt down on the ground, resting his spear across his lap. Despite the twisted skin and bones nature of its body, the ewok's mind was sharp, its eyes flitting between Dragus and Kr'Naan. Eventually it spoke in its native tongue, saying something to the lecherous lizard. Scowling as he heard his flock mate make a reasonable point, the shepherd stepped away from the tusken and took a seat as well, warming his scaly hands by the glowing orange blaze.

"What doez it matter if the rat waz cooked? They're better raw." More ewokese followed, as did more hissing as Dragus' tail thumped the ground and snapped the log behind him in twain. "It only eatz cooked food? Well that'z very inconvenient." He tapped on one of his saliva glistening incisors with a curved finger talon, pondering the dilemma. "Mmmm, perhapz we have sssomething that will sssuffice. What did you pack?" Groaning, the ewok forced itself back up and went over to one of the packs Kr'Naan had been carrying. He rifled through the pack for a good thirty seconds, then retrieved a shiny dry sealed bag, ripping open the top. Reaching inside, the ewok pulled out a handful of very-gamey jerky, holding it up so that both the barabel and tusken could see. "Iz that what I think it iz? You know, usssually I don't abide by apprenticez but when they are az deliciouz az that one waz, well, it'z hard to argue againssst their worth. Ssstill, I think I preferred him fresh. Give it to her." Lil'Mort took a piece of jerky for himself, gobbling it up, then handed the rest of the bag to Kr'Naan.

As for the Great Devourer, his smashing of the log behind him had revealed quite the smorgasbord of delectable insects. He reached behind where he was sitting and grabbed a handful of bugs desperately trying to scatter. A poisonous looking centipede squirmed between his claws, attempting to escape, only to have its head bitten off in one sharp snap of the saurian Sith's large jaws. He held the headless insect over his maw and let the juicy innards drip out into his open mouth, his forked tongue occasionally teasing the writhing bug to get at all the delicious goo inside. When its insides were sucked out to completion, he crunched the rest of its body between his teeth and grabbed another handful of bugs, plopping them into his gullet one at a time, crunching and munching merrily. Amidst his tenth or eleventh insect, his crimson orbs began to turn glossy, while the world around him slowed and blurred. Oh yeah, definitely poisonous. With hallucinations assaulting his mind from every direction, he closed his eyes and started to lay back, lying on his back as he began to drift into dream land. Ewoks danced across his vision, writhing seductively as his body gave itself completely to sleep. A loud rumbling snore escaped his snout, occasionally joined by a flicker of his fork tongue as he exhaled.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

"Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. Yes, I seek perfection. Perfection of body, perfection of mind, and perfection of the soul. Attaining perfection is the ultimate acquisition of power, and I crave power."

- Dragus, excerpt from the Book of Hate

Kr'Naan'Kar
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The Deep Woods Jan 9, 2022 4:45:04 GMT -8

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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Jan 9, 2022 4:45:04 GMT -8

Kr'Naan felt especially useless. She stepped to the right side of Dragus and peered over his large shoulders to peer at the notes he was looking at, but could not make them out. Back on Tatooine, each member of the tribe had to help set up camp in preparation of the night's rest. Despite her overall situation and injury, it still felt unnatural to not be of much help. She jumped back as the hulking reptilian stood up and began striking his bladed tail against a stone to strike sparks on the now extra flammable gatherings. The smell of chemicals that choked the air made her nostrils crinkle, and she waved her uninjured arm around in the air to try and dissipate the heavy fumes. Her wish for the smell to dissipate was granted by the birth of the fire that quickly burned through the noxious vapors, replaced by a strange smelling smoke that frankly was not much better. Chemically started or fueled fires would take time to fully burn off the effluvium of the fuel. For that reason such things were rarely used by her people for camping, except as bait or distraction.

Relaxing slightly as her stomach growling did not draw the ire of the saurian, Kr'Naan let out a small sigh, which was immediately followed by her body tensing up as his muzzle came close to her face. The Tusken youngling turned her head slightly in response, twitching as she was jabbed by a talon as he inspected the girl to try and surmise what it was she ate. Hearing the words of Lil'Mort, Kr'Naan's tried to discern the meaning behind the jibber jabber of the hairy and haggard looking humanoid and the more raspy and serpentine speech of Dragus. The gratefulness and reverence she had felt earlier was slowly being replaced by a loathing and annoyance. Not only at the lack of communication, but towards the scaled being as well. His demeanor and actions, while some were impressive, were considered uncivilized even by Tusken standards. Still, she was at his mercy. The dull throbbing in her head became a stabbing pain once more as thoughts of escape once more came to the front of her mind. Behind the darkness of her goggles, her eyes glanced at the ewok's spear, reminding herself of the Barabel's reaction to the seemingly innocuous weapon.

Kr'Naan's eyes lit up at the sight of what appeared to be actual prepared food. Dried and age meat, but still edible at first glance. Her feet shuffled excitedly and another rumble came from her stomach. She watched as Lil'Mort scarfed down one of the pieces of jerky and handed her the rest of the bag. After taking the bag in her hand, she bowed deeply to the scraggly ewok. Grasping the bag in her slung arm's hand, Kr'Naan then brought her uninjured arm's hand to her face in a sign of thanks, bowing again to show her appreciation. She did not know if the ewok would understand the sign, but by the nod he gave her he at least understood what she was trying to express without words, followed by a shooing motion to leave him be. Although it was hard to be certain, Kr'Naan's covered head turned to the side towards Dragus, followed a slight upward tilt and a barely audible 'hmph' before she moved to the opposite side of the fire from the other two beings. She payed no mind to the actions of the saurian Sith that followed, instead focusing on the jerky she had been given. She had barely been with the suspected deity for two days, and yet by his actions and those of his cohort anything she was given was to be scrutinized. Sitting crossed legged and setting the bag of jerky in the empty space on the ground where her legs intersected, she left the bag open for a moment as if expected it to spring out as if possessed and try and eat her instead.

When no such thing happened after a minute, she then took out a strip of the strange meat and brought it close to her mask, sniffing it and visually inspecting it closely. After several more minutes of this, she cautiously stuck part of the jerky stick into the mouth hole in her mask and bit into it, ripping the end off and chewing it. To the Tusken child, the meat, while it was certainly not spectacular, tasted rather plain. As she did not immediately vomit in response that was a big improvement. She would eat three more sticks of jerky, stopping far short of her hunger completely being satiated, but still too untrusting of anything given freely by the reptoid and his minions.

Kr'Naan took care not to fall asleep, focusing on the fire to help her clear her mind and watching Lil'Mort and Dragus, who was already asleep. The ewok cuddled the spear, lovingly rubbing the shaft and toying with the bones tied as ornaments just below the spear head. Eventually, however, he would also fall asleep, snoring not quite as loudly as his master. This was when Kr'Naan would move. Grabbing a thin piece of tree branch from the pile of kindling, she would as quietly as possible tip-toe over to the ewok, swapping out the ewok's spear for the the normal stick. The Tusken girl froze as the ewok rolled over onto his side, licking his lips and stroking the spear in his asleep. Holding her breath and slowly easing the weapon from his furry grasp, she replaced it with the ordinary branch. Lil'Mort seemed none the wiser, as he rolled back over and seemed to grind against the wood, his left leg kicking in response to whatever he was dreaming of.

Carefully looking over the weapon, even up close it did not appear to be anything other than a plain stone spear. Why would he fear such a thing? Did it have some sort of power that she could not sense? Moving quietly, carefully planning each step so as not to step on anything that could make noise, over to where the large hallucinating lizard was thrashing about in his poison induced delusions in between loud snores, she waited.

Eventually his movement would slow, and she would see this as her chance.With her uninjured arm she would lift the spear up, holding it over Dragus's still form, holding again as he shuffled and swatted at a bug that buzzed by tickling his nose. It was in this moment that she heard it. Rustling? Creaking? Kr'Naan looked up and saw them. Large arachnids of significant size, their black eyes gleaming in the firelight. Stalking prey, but hesitant to move in for the kill as if they were warded off by something. Kr'Naan lowered the spear slightly, and the spiders seemed to disappear as if disappointed. When she raised it, they leaned slightly off of their perches as if readying to pounce on a meal. Kr'Naan looked down at the sleeping Barabel. Was it him? Were they waiting to see if he was killed so they could swarm their camp? Was he powerful enugh to keep such terrors at bay by his presence alone even while asleep? She squeezed the shaft of the spear in anger readied it back, steadying her arm.

The stabbing in her head because more intense, all of the emotions and thoughts tearing and mixing with the quasi-brainwashing she had been subject to in her sleep, both counteracting and swirling together. It was a paradox her young mind could not fully comprehend. Kr'Naan let out an intense scream, letting all of it come out in a shriek-like battle cry, plunging the tip of the spear down towards the saurian Sith.

If Dragus had not already woken up, when he did the ewok spear would be planted into the dirt directly next to his head. Kr'Naan would be curled up on the ground next to the dying fire: asleep.

Last Edit: Jan 9, 2022 4:46:18 GMT -8 by Kr'Naan'Kar

Dragus
The Sith Eternal

In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.

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The Deep Woods Jan 9, 2022 8:25:11 GMT -8

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Post by Dragus on Jan 9, 2022 8:25:11 GMT -8

A uninvited scream intruded upon an otherwise pleasant dream. Dragus had been sitting atop a pile of corpses that resembled his brothers in strikingly accurate detail, while an infuriated Inquisitor Kryptman cooled the saurian by fanning him with a large palm leaf. Beside him, clad in olive combat fatigues, the pale skinned Fallanassi hand fed him grapes from his private vineyard. An army of ewoks danced and frolicked before him, thrusting and gyrating in a pleasing manner. When he looked up at the sky, there glaring down at him was the Eye, offering its most devoted servant a knowing wink. It was all so perfect he swore he must have converted to the Jedi Order, died, and had been sent to Harmony. That was until the walls of the false reality began to crumble and a piercing shriek broke the calm. The corpses of his evil family vanished and he fell on his scaly rump, then the dogmatic hound disappeared and dropped the palm branch on the Hungering One's head. He looked to the right, watching as the Major stepped back into the darkness and began to fade from sight. He reached a clawed hand towards her, desperately trying to stop her from going, but there was nothing to grasp. Everyone he had ever been close to vanished and once more he was left alone, staring at his empty claws. Dark laughter assailed his ears and he glared up at the Eye, which now was a baleful orb of spite, turning its gaze from the disappointingly pathetic clone. His eyes snapped open just as a large arachnid dropped from the trees and pounced down on top of him. His tail reacted before his mind could. The sinister serrated edge capping the additional appendage struck up like a spear, catching the spider in its fat belly, holding it extended fangs just out of reach of the barabel's scaled throat. With a minimal exertion, he flung the arachnid into the fire where it writhed and squealed, the flames hissing as they began to cook its hairy flesh.

Sitting up, he looked up and around for any other signs of attack, but there was nothing. The others of its kind were still above, waiting patiently, perhaps learning something from the exchange between their kin and the less than amused lizard. Dragus blinked his eyes a few times and shook his head, trying to clear some of the residual fog from his hallucination inspired dreaming. Despite the attack, the others in his company still appeared to be slumbering peacefully. Lil'Mort was grinding on a branch, while Kr'Naan was curled next to the fire, first in line to get a bite of the slow roasting arachnid when they awoke for breakfast. Oddly, the ewok spear of power that his ewok flock member had been carrying was planted in the ground, stone tip embedded in the dirt. That would have been fine, except for the fact that it was planted right next to where his head had been resting a few moments ago. He looked from the spear to Lil'Mort cuddling with a branch, then back to the tusken child. Understanding dawned on him. A slow rumble rose from his gut and escaped his incisor filled maw as a growl, teeth clenched to the point where his gums bled and crimson streams seeped over his lips in a hot cascade.

That fool! If her thought had been to kill him, well, that he could certainly respect. Honestly it wouldn't have even upset him if she had succeeded. There was nothing quite so delightful as a playful bit of murder. But for a non-celestial to use as potent an artifact as the ewok spear of power, it could have spelt doom for all of them. Carefully, he wrapped a clawed hand around the haft of the wooden spear and slowly pulled it from the ground, keeping the stone tip as far away from himself as possible. He moved slow so as to not even rattle the bones dangling from the end, then gently placed it on the ground next to a slumbering Lil'Mort. Curious, he was mildly surprised the planet hadn't exploded when she embedded the spear in the ground. Perhaps... He glared at Kr'Naan, caressing her aura with invisible tendrils of malice. He shook his head. No, certainly not. He would know is she possessed a connection to the old magics. There wasn't an iota of power coursing through that ones pitiful little body. Still, he couldn't afford another mishap like that. Next time they might not be so lucky and she might have opened a gate to another realm or split the galaxy in half. Their lack of communication was proving itself problematic. Hands on his hips, he tapped a toe talon on the ground ponderously. He would have to remedy that as soon as possible.

!

An idea formed in that poison addled brain of his. The Hungering One moved closer to Kr'Naan's sleeping form and sat on the ground next to her head, crossing his legs. He brought his hands to either side of her head and delicately made contact with his claws to her cloth concealed temple. Drawing of the ruinous currents of the malevolent fey, he plunged his astral self into those dark waters and dove into her mind, forming a connection between his spirit and hers. He noted it was more difficult to delve deeply into another's psyche without a powerful anchor like the alchemically forged ring he had given Xeonon Solomon, but with enough exerted effort, it was still possible. Down and deep he went, entering the young girl's mind as he swam through a sea of her memories, finding a familiar place for them to have an 'honest' conversation. Outside the mindscape, his physical self smirked, lips curled upwards in a sinister smile.

There!

For the slumbering Kr'Naan, the manifestation of her dream-self would find itself on familiar soil, or rather...sand. Twin suns burned overhead and the dunes were hot, baring the might of the searing orbs at the height of the day. In the distance, banthas strolled across the sands, while remembered fragments of her people rode atop and walked in front of them, always single file. Her mother and father waved to her in the distance, holding their gaderffii sticks up to get her attention. However, if she had a mind to run towards them, she would find it quite impossible. Despite appearing otherwise near, they were always out of reach, the sands stretching unfathomable distances regardless of what her eyes might tell her.

Something disturbed the dunes from beneath, causing the sand to rise and fall as a large and long creature swam beneath the sandy sea. Occasionally a patch of black scale would emerge and become visible, before disappearing again beneath the dunes. The sky began to turn dark and a loud rhythmic rattle vibrated the unreality, distorting the dream scape. A great eruption of sand exploded out in all directions just ahead of her as a giant figure emerged from beneath the surface of the dune sea, rising high into the sky. A giant black scaled serpent, whose scaly neck hood extended out to either side to block the light of both of Tatooine's suns. Two giant serpentine orbs of crimson glared at the tusken child, while clouds of purple poison mist were exuded from its slit nostrils, creating a fog that banished the sights and sounds of her family. It opened its large jaws, revealing a fanged maw that dripped acidic saliva that seemed to scorch the sand black where it made contact. A long forked tongue leapt from its throat and flicked the air, sending another rattle that threatened to tear the dream scape asunder. The massive serpent looked down at the girl hungrily, seeming to debate whether or not it wanted to eat her. Eventually though, rather than devour her whole, it spoke with a very familiar rasp and hiss.

"Child of the Sandz, it iz time we ssspoke in earnessst."

In this artificial realm of two connected minds, the words shared were not in any specific language. Their collected knowledge was combined and shared, and while the dream was their reality, they would understand each other without flaw.

Last Edit: Jan 9, 2022 8:25:39 GMT -8 by Dragus

"Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. Yes, I seek perfection. Perfection of body, perfection of mind, and perfection of the soul. Attaining perfection is the ultimate acquisition of power, and I crave power."

- Dragus, excerpt from the Book of Hate

Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal

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The Deep Woods Jan 10, 2022 3:27:36 GMT -8

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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Jan 10, 2022 3:27:36 GMT -8

Kr'Naan opened her eyes, raising her right hand as her goggled eyes were near blinded as she looked up in shock. Her right hand, whose arm which did not hurt when she moved it. The arm that had been dislocated mere hours ago. Confused, she brought her arm down, making a fist and squeezing it several times, rotating her shoulder joint. Had it all be a walking dream? Kr'Naan looked back up as she heard a call in the distance, voices she did not recognize. In the distance were two adult Tuskens, a male and female, adorned with decorative ornaments and bijouterie customary in the R'Crurak tribe. On the right shoulder of the female there was a painted on yet faded red crest marking her as a Dunewanderer, an elite warrior of their tribe.

Kr'Naan squinted as she tried to make out their masked faces to see who they were, but something was wrong. Having never known her birth parents, who died shortly after she was born, the Tusken girl was raised upon stories of their lives and exploits. The masks that covered their faces were smeared as if they had been painted using oil and swirled about, leaving only a blurred barely distinguishable image, preventing any sort of identification of any key details that Tuskens could pick up on to tell identities through by their masks alone. Just the details she had been told growing up by her grandfather were all that the dreamscape could use to create an estimation of what they may have appeared to be, but some things could not be filled in. He had told her everything she knew about them.

At the thought of her grandfather, the older Tusken materialized into view just to the side of the imitation of her parents. The older Tusken wore similar R'Crurak regalia; ornamental accessories worn such as a fang necklace and leather bracers. The most eye catching piece of adornment was his mask, which had two tusks, or repurposed fangs, coming down from the where his ears would be beneath his mask and curving as they went down, following the jawline of his mask, so that the ends of the ivory decorations jutted out forward just past his mask. He was Storyteller of their tribe, tasked with not only memorizing the oral histories of the Tusken people and the R'Crurak, but also other stories of significance. Had been a Storyteller. The mirage of her grandfather flickered in an instant, replaced by a near identical replica, save for the large gaping wound in his chest and neck, blood pouring down his robes and spilling onto the sand. Kr'Naan tightly closed her eyes, afraid to look at the memory of her grandfather, but the temptation to see him in any way was too strong. She opened her eyes and looked once more. There her grandfather stood, unharmed and uninjured. Very much alive and gesturing for her to come to him.

She ran towards him for what felt like an eternity, but each step brought her no closer to her beloved caretaker. In the corners of her vision she saw the dunes move, sand being disturbed from a great beast travelling beneath the grainy silica. Kr'Naan increased in speed, attempting to outrun both her inability to gain any ground towards her kin as well as whatever dwelled beneath the sands. A panic began to set in as her grandfather began to fade, slowly disappearing. Every few moments the visage of his mangled body would replace the healthy and alive version that would still be waving her to hurry up and join his side, only flickering for long enough for her to see then returning to the welcoming fantasy. Her run became a full sprint, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she tried with all her might to reach him. The sky darkened, not from a disappearance of the Suns but as if all the light was being drained away even while the twin balls of fire still hung high in the thought-conjured sky. The path of the heaving sand that was thrown up by the burrowing entity darted in front of her, blocking the vain path she was following.

From the disturbed dunes sprang up a black scaled basilisk, it's giant form reaching up into the sky, blocking out the brightness of the Suns. The part of it's body that was above the sand curled to the side of the Tusken youngling from where it had burrowed, stretching out arching
to look down upon her, dripping saliva that smelled of death, smoke rising from where it landed, acid strong enough to melt whatever it touched into black puddles that hardened in the air. It's full length was still submerged beneath the sand, not even half of it revealing itself to the open air. Kr'Naan ceased her running, her eyes wide with fear, jaw agape. This wasn't real. Was it another vision, or a dream? Kr'Naan looked past the serpent to where her grandfather had been standing. There was nothing but sand and rock as far as the eye could see now. She closed her eyes again, bringing her hands to her head and shaking it furiously in disbelief. Why was this happening to her? She had only barely understood the symbolism of the past visions and dreams, by way of basic force and gesture, but overall she did not understand any of what was occurring and the meaning behind it. The young Tusken had her theories regarding gods from the Tusken pantheon, but those had been sullied with doubt.

"Child of the Sandz, it iz time we ssspoke in earnessst."

Kr'Naan froze in stupefaction, her hands lowering from her head as she looked upward towards the source of the words she heard. Words that she understood! A voice that rang familiar in her ears. The tears that she had stifled as she had attmempted to reach her grandfather came back up, overflowing her eyelids and streaming down her face beneath her mask. To be able to understand someone, to have the possibility of communication, they were tears of joy. She had been cut off from being able to converse with anyone for weeks, and it had taken a large toll on her mentally. Almost pumping her fists in celebration, she planted her right foot in front of her in a stance, then moved her hands out to her sides in a question motion. She screamed up at the beast through her sobbing and joyous laughter, her voice raised not out of anger or frustration but so the towering serpent would hear her from down below.

"Yes! Please! I...I have so many questions! What is going on? W-who are you? I do not understand what has been happening!"

Even without an immediate answer, just the thought of being understood gave the Tusken youngling a feeling of elation, joy at even the prospect of getting some answers as to the recent events in her life. She would continue speaking, her voice cracking with fear every couple of words.

"I-I -a-am Kr'Naan'Kar'Krish'Rak'R'Crurak! I m-must know! A-are you Hakusar? Am I your next chosen to help you r-reach godhood? W-why me? I am not special. I am no one...I cannot be of use to you...."

Last Edit: Jan 10, 2022 5:03:15 GMT -8 by Kr'Naan'Kar

Dragus
The Sith Eternal

In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.

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The Deep Woods Jan 10, 2022 9:16:48 GMT -8

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Post by Dragus on Jan 10, 2022 9:16:48 GMT -8

Predatory orbs so fiercely brilliant they replaced the light of the suns, shone from the serpent's sockets like blazing red stars, their focus on the girl below. If she looked closely enough at his glossy obsidian-like surface, each one of his scales contained the reflection of a soul he had devoured, screaming in silence as they rebelled against a prison they could never escape. The Hungering One listened as Kr'Naan spoke, offering him her long nonsense name that he had no interest in. His massive head swayed from side to side, moving to the beat of some unheard drum, hypnotic in its movements. There it was again, that name...Hakusar. He knew little of her peoples beliefs, but from what he could ascertain based off her words and reverence, this being she believed him to be was some sort of spiritual entity seeking godhood. How droll. Once upon a time he might have epitomized the description of such a creature, but years and experience had shown him the folly of seeking immortality and godhood. There was only one perfect entity deserving such devotion; it was the one he served above all else. But perhaps it would be easier to secure her obedience if she believed he was this creature of tusken legend. At least until she had secured his prize. The massive serpent's head let out a large hiss, its long tongue flicking out towards the sky as it laughed wickedly, misting the sand around the child with poison and blood.

Siss! Siss! Siss!

"I have many namez, Kr'Naan." He used the first part of her offered name, feeling it more appropriate than the entire title. Also, he had already forgotten the rest. "Your people call me Hakusssar, krayt dragon of the sandz; to otherz I am the demon ssserpent Zildrog. The children of the great tree know me az the Night Ssspirit, and thossse that dwell in the deep refer to me az the water-drake, Kelkresh. To the followerz of the Eye, I am Famine, hunger incarnate. I am all thossse thingz and more, but the only name I require from you...iz MASSSTER."

The ground shook and the dunes vibrated as the nightmare form Dragus had assumed began to move, slithering around and around to encircle the tusken child until all she could see was a towering wall of dark scales that eventually even blotted out the last few rays of light from the sky, casting her into darkness. Still moving, the long encircling coils parted, revealing something else. Gone was the sun blasted dunes of the desert, replaced by the same sickly looking trees that they had been traveling through for the last day. The cobra-headed serpent plunged into the ground, sinking below the depths until at last the seemingly endless length of black scale vanished beneath, leaving Kr'Naan alone in the forest. If it was quiet, it only lasted the length of a moment, for the ground continued to rumble as though the very planet was shaking apart. The rumbling grew and grew until the ground beneath the tusken's feet split and she was thrust skyward, riding atop the basilisk's massive scaly head, rising above the trees to regard a very ancient looking structure in the distance. There, perhaps another day and a half's travel from where they made camp for the night, was the temple from her visions. Forest growth covered ebony hued stone, inscribed with hieroglyphic script that seemed to move in ones peripherals. Even showing Kr'Naan what he wanted her to see, his head still swayed from side to side, forcing her to hold on with all her might lest she plunge from those heights and fall to the forest floor below.

"You sssay you are not ssspecial, but you are very ssspecial to me, Kr'Naan. From the moment you took my hand, you were bound to me, body and sssoul. Forever. You belong to me. And I will never let you go."

Trees bent and snapped as the serpent's main body slithered through the forest, its head with the child atop still risen above the trees even as it moved. Left and then right, but always forwards, until the black scaled behemoth broke through the last of the forest and emerged onto the temple grounds, lowering its head from the sky and sliding up to the front entrance, a large slab of some unbreakable material. Dragus hissed and blew a gust of poisonous purple mist at the portal barring his path, the cloud billowing at the door unable to breach, save for at the bottom. There near the ground was an opening just large enough for a child. Declining his head downwards, he created a descending slope to slide the tusken off his head and deposit her on the moss covered stone terrace outside the temple. He then reared back and let loose a furious hiss that shook the temple grounds. After, the great basilisk figure fixated on the girl yet again.

"The celestialz carefully guarded their secretz. They devisssed a meanz to prevent me from acquiring the prize I ssseek within the ancient ssstone ssstructure before you, but I will not be denied. You will enter where I can not. You will open the door and I will take what iz rightfully mine, bringing the day of assscension that much clossser. That iz why I chossse you. That iz your purpossse. You will do thiz...for me. Siss!"

He might have been laying it on a bit thick, but from what he could tell hers were a spiritual people prone to believing in old wives tales that had evolved into myth and legend over time. If she wanted to believe he was an evil spirit or a god, he would let her, so long as the end result was that he got his stone. It was the only object he had located that was capable of serving as a conduit for the soul energy harvested in the black altars. Without it, well, he didn't want to think about what would happen. Too much rested on this, failure could not be afforded.

"Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. Yes, I seek perfection. Perfection of body, perfection of mind, and perfection of the soul. Attaining perfection is the ultimate acquisition of power, and I crave power."

- Dragus, excerpt from the Book of Hate

Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal

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The Deep Woods Jan 12, 2022 1:28:48 GMT -8

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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Jan 12, 2022 1:28:48 GMT -8

Kr'Naan's blood ran cold as the large serpent confirmed her theory. She had been a fool to doubt the visions bestowed upon her by the power of the entity. The Tusken girl swallowed nervously, feeling her mouth turn dry as if filled with sand, and a tightness in her throat and chest. Her instincts screamed at her to turn and run away, to escape from this entity that had "rescued" her just to use her as he pleased. Her legs however, were frozen and unresponsive to this impulse as her mind had already come a realization: there was no escape. Even less of a chance as they were currently in a psychic construct of a god. Nothing she did here would have any direct repercussions, at least so long as she obeyed. Rebellion, though, would likely have dire consequences. She doubted she would live to see reality again if she tried to fight back. Kr'Naan cursed herself, remembering that in the waking realm she had plunged a spear next to his head. Why he was speaking directly to her now? So that she would stop doubting his power? So she would be compliant?

Before she could speak further, the enormous scaled beast slithered around her, encircling her and making all around blackness, only uncoiling to reveal a change from desert dunes to thick trees; the forest they were currently in the conscious world. Kr'Naan's feet finally moved from the spot they had been glued to, though it was only a shuffling to steady herself as the ground shook in response to the giant viper burrowing back underground. She looked around the trees, confused. The dragon was gone, but the ground still shook. Where had it gone? This question was quickly answered as the earth split open. Unable to escape the gaping maw, the Tusken let out a scream as she fell, shutting her eyes. The feeling of her falling down was instantly replaced with an upward motion. Even with her eyes closed she could tell she was moving up. Opening her eyes, she now saw she was riding atop the head of the form the deity had assumed, rising above the trees so that all was within their sight. She ran a gloved hand over the scales that she sat upon, seeing oddly humanoid shaped shadows within the scales.

Kr'Naan looked around over the forest below them, taking in the beauty. She let out another scream as the head of the great wyrm began to move. She laid down flat against the scales, spreading her arms wide and pressing her body against the cold scaly armor that covered its hide to prevent from falling off. Slowly rising after realizing she was not going to fall off, after sitting upright again she saw it: the temple. The one from her visions and dreams, overgrown with vines and foliage, yet still the black stone that was visible looked pristine. They were headed towards it. She listened to the words of the basilisk, unsure about his matter-of-factly explanation of her standing in the grand scheme of things. Hakusar was said to be an evil god, and it was very easy to see that his actions were not that of a benevolent good-natured god. They were done in the name of self-serving selfishness. He only rescued her because he wanted to use her for his own gain. And yet, it was he who had rescued her from the slave market. Though she was not free of bonds, she was not chained. She had a modicum of freedom, enough to be grateful. If she repaid his kindness, she may one day be able to return home. Even if nothing was asked of her in recompense, she essentially owed him her life. She had to repay that debt.

After reaching the temple and demonstrating his inability to breach the magicks keeping him out, Kr'Naan slid down his snout, moving closer to inspect the hieroglyphs and symbols etched into the stone. She spotted the literal hole in the wall, the path she had foreseen, that she was meant to take to reach the prize inside. The empty black void of the small entrance made a chill run down her spine as her first impulse, a side-effect of the repetitive dreams akin to brainwashing, made her want to scramble and leap inside. She held her ground, looking to the great serpent.

She still had so many questions. Why not have one of his hairy companions crawl through? Most were smaller than she was, and they seemed more than willing to complete any order he gave; so why her? Was it the risk? Was she just expendable? What would happen to her after her task was completed? Again remembering her first vision, the injury and agony she had been forced to crawl through to reach the jewel the god-to-be desire. She had been healed in her vision, but she did not wish to be used just to then be thrown away and die like a tool. She wanted to live, to stay alive.

"H-Hakus...I mean, M-master..." Kr'Naan bowed her head in reverence. "...I will do what you ask of me..." Here it came. Kr'Naan clenched her hands into fists to keep them from shaking out of the fear. Blood pounded in her ears and her heart went from her chest to her stomach. "...If I survive...no...when I survive. What will become of me?"

Kr'Naan held up her covered hands, palms up. "And how can we communicate outside of this space? To serve your commands after I wake?"

It was a big ask to, in both instances, but having to wait until she slept, was unconscious or had a "vision" was not ideal ways to receive orders. There had to be a better way. And asking her fate beyond what he had immediately planned may be unwise, but the Tusken youngling had no aspirations of dying or being abandoned again.

Dragus
The Sith Eternal

In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.

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The Deep Woods Jan 13, 2022 7:54:02 GMT -8

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Post by Dragus on Jan 13, 2022 7:54:02 GMT -8

Watching the willing subjugation of the child admittedly pleased him. An almost soft hiss cooed from the massive serpent's fanged maw, still too terrifying to be considered affectionate, but certainly softer than before. He had always enjoyed being fawned over and praised, as shallow as the endearment likely was in truth. It hadn't mattered that it was a lie, it sill managed to fill a hole in him, such a vast emptiness that was desperate for validation. As much fun as it was watching the girl prostrate herself before his nightmare form, more time was passing in the real world than what seemed the case in the dream, so he could not stay to enjoy her fear. His towering scaly form began to vibrate, scales singing a shrieking song as the contained visions within each scale beat on the walls of their prison, fading from sight as the monstrous basilisk like creature began to shrink in size. The serpent body descended and began to split along the sides, as two arms ending in clawed hands emerged and raked the air. The long coiling tail of the serpent shortened to near a stub and then separated into two halves that grew into legs with talon tipped toes. A tail of its own slashed its way out from its backside, already armed with a wicked looking blade on the end that loomed over the figure's shoulder like a scorpion waiting to strike. Gone was the giant snake, replaced now with the physical form of Dragus she would be more familiar with. Black flies buzzed in from the surrounding forest and swarmed over his black scaled body, covering his form like an animate robe and concealing his modesty, not that he had any.

While it was not necessary, the Hungering One took a knee before Kr'Naan as he had several times before, lowering himself to near her height. He extended a hand beneath her bowed head and lifted her chin with a clawed finger, so that his bloody gaze met her own. "Now letz not get too far ahead of ourselvez, Wart." He said, reverting to using the amusing name he had coined for her on Nar Shaddaa. He moved his finger claw from her chin and used it to poke her in the chest, still holding her gaze the entire time. "I need you focusssed on the tasssk at hand. Ssserve your massster well and we shall sssee what the future holdz for you."

That left the issue of communication still to be dealt with. It was proving impractical to not have a working dialogue with the tusken. The easiest remedy would have been to use a mechanical translator, which he had back aboard the Grimblade but hadn't thought to bring with him on the journey into the forest. Though even if he had one present, there likely wasn't a programmed translation of tusken to basic, or the other way around, given it likely wasn't ever heard outside of Tatooine. He had seen her performing sign language before, but he had no interest in waving his hands about like a crippled mute. There was perhaps another way, though...no, he shouldn't even consider it.

Well, maybe.

It was more of a theory really. Of all manner of the mystic arts, the one the Great Devourer seemed to excel at the most was manipulation of the mind. He wasn't quite sure where that proficiency originated, but it was among his greatest talents next to brewing alchemical concoctions. Because of this during his research and experiments, he had theorized a way to transfer part of his collected knowledge to another sentient being, much in the same way a Jedi or Sith might bestow a part of themselves into a holocron. The problem was an active mind was a far more complex organism with which to work than an inanimate storage device. Things like compulsion were easy, especially when fear could be used to amplify the effect, but what he was considering was closer to imprinting. A whole different animal. There was every possibility that an attempt would likely fry Kr'Naan's mind beyond use. However, if it was possible, certainly he would be the one to be able to do it. He was Dragus after all, Sith extraordinaire, fearless in the face of uncertainty. It was worth an attempt, if only to know if he could do it.

"I have a gift for you, my child." His scaled brow narrowed as he continued to lock eyes with her. "I'm going to share my knowledge of the celessstial tongue..." Ewokese. "...with you." Raising his right hand, he reached forwards and placed his palm on Kr'Naan's cloth shrouded head, squeezing just slight enough that the prickling sensation of his claws presence was known. "You may feel a ssslight...dissscomfort."

Pain. There would be lots of pain.

Well, this was a first for him but he was happy to be taking part. Outside the dream his physical body was drawing on the darkness emanating from the forest itself, feeding off the poisoned land like a thirsty leach. That wellspring of power helped fuel the mental exertion he was attempting, using their currently linked minds to effectively transfer a part of his knowledge to the girl. That she was willing made it easier, for he found no gates barring his passage, but that she lacked a connection to the malevolent fey meant he had to do all the leg work. He poured himself into the attempt, opening his mind to the girl by just the smallest fraction. And then he took the information he wanted and forced it upon Kr'Naan's mind like a hot brand.

There was no telling if he would be successful, or the severity of the success if he at least succeeded in not cooking her brain. It came down almost entirely to the child's willingness and the strength of her mind. If she was too weak, she might just break.

Last Edit: Jan 13, 2022 10:38:00 GMT -8 by Dragus

"Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. Yes, I seek perfection. Perfection of body, perfection of mind, and perfection of the soul. Attaining perfection is the ultimate acquisition of power, and I crave power."

- Dragus, excerpt from the Book of Hate

Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal

Posts: 152
Traffic Light: Yellow

The Deep Woods Jan 20, 2022 0:50:56 GMT -8

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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Jan 20, 2022 0:50:56 GMT -8

Kr'Naan looked down at the ground at the light chastising she was given for getting ahead of herself. Still, the answer had not been a 'no' so there was a chance she would survive. Could gods lie? Surely they could, but why bother wasting the effort weaving false tales to mortals? Then again, Hakusar had yet to achieve godhood, and so it was entirely possible he was leading her on for his own end. It was a fleeting doubt, washed away by the belief that she would continue to live beyond her immediate task. When she looked up, it was at the bipedal form of the Barabel in the waking realm, gently tilting her masked face back up with a taloned finger by the chin of her face covering.

Kr'Naan nodded her head enthusiastically at the deity's expectations. In her mind, this vision had proven to the Tusken girl that the being who had rescued her from the slave market was indeed the unborn god of the Tusken pantheon made physical. The actions of a god, or near-god in this case, were beyond her understanding. Trying to rationalize his actions in comparison to that of one not of divine existence was ridiculous. The dark stories told of Hakusar, and the repercussions of him attaining true godhood, were all in the perspective of those who did not truly understand what his true intentions were. While his actions in the corporeal were confusing and cold, Kr'Naan figured that if she was made to wait for such power for eons, she would be as coarse as the sand of the Dune Sea as well.

She did hope, however, that eventually he would adjust a bit better to dealing with those that did not understand his actions. Kr'Naan had no doubt that she was incapable of escaping her fate, but wishing for a more benevolent patron god was a hope she kept to herself. It was a foolish thing to think, but perhaps she could help affect such a change through her completing her purpose? Surely his foul mood in the waking world was due to countless previous would-be followers failing at their task. Again, she could understand how that would taint one's mood and outlook towards those whom you tried to depend on.

Kr'Naan seemed to perk up. "A g-gift? For me?" Kr'Naan gripped her hands together, wringing her fingers nervously.

It was an easy thing to do to buy loyalty, to endear one to another. Sure, Dragus had freed her from bondage, mostly, but up until now they had practically been strangers. Now that they were more acquainted, to present something as a blessing to the Tusken youngling would leave an impression. In more ways than she would know. Kr'Naan did not know what a celestial was, or anything about their language, and had never heard of this method of sharing knowledge directly. An ability of the gods?

In the dreamscape, Kr'Naan saw the world around her darken, leaving her in a black void as Dragus readied her subconscious for imprinting. A long time seemed to pass to her as she floated in the emptiness of the space of nothingness, though she could not form any cohesive thoughts herself at the moment. She could feel a cold, all encompassing presence surrounding her in the dreamscape. She knew it was her master, but could not see him. Then, it happened. It was quick and set upon her quickly, a piercing screech that permeated everywhere in the abyss, causing an intense pain that she had never known in her life. What was going on? Kr'Naan tried to stop the noise by covering her ears, in vain, as the screech only grew more high pitched and intense. Except in this space she had no form, no arms to stop the noise. In this space it was as if she both did and did not exist. Only as an incorporeal entity incapable to react in anything other than excruciating agony. Inside the mindscape she shrieked to match the tone and pitch of the signal that was everywhere and within, though she had no mouth with which to actually do so.

In the real world, Kr'Naan had writhed and seized as Dragus made his mark upon her mind, her body reacting as her mind did everything it could to try and make the pain stop and go away.

When Kr'Naan awoke from the dream, opening her eyes, she did not know how long she had been asleep. Her vision was hazy and blurred, coming into focus slowly as she adjusted. The Tusken felt the dried crust of a trail of blood from her nose across her face beneath her mask, but that would have to wait. Kr'Naan gave a startled jump as she looked at her own hand, and for just a moment thought she saw a black scaled appendage in its stead. When she blinked, it was gone, replaced by her actual hand. She felt really weak, and nautious as she attempted to sit up. Turning her head to the side she vomited, covering the ground in what was left of her meager meal the night previous.

Dragus
The Sith Eternal

In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.

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The Deep Woods Jan 21, 2022 7:22:40 GMT -8

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Post by Dragus on Jan 21, 2022 7:22:40 GMT -8

Dragus sat cross-legged by the fire, staring into the flickering orange flames and glowing red embers, peering into those burning depths as though they held a vision of what was to come. No matter how hard he looked, he saw nothing, not as he had when he first looked upon the tusken child back on Nar Shaddaa. He had never possessed the power of prophecy as his brother Havok had, only occasionally being granted small glimpses of possible futures when the Force deemed to show him something on a whim, but never by his own doing. His abilities lay in the here and now, perverting nature and dominating minds, but not ever seeing what was to come. He scowled and brought a steaming cup to his lips, opening his maw just enough to pour the bubbling contents down his gullet. Boiled spiders blood dripped into his mouth and he swished it about with his forked tongue, savouring the metallic tones of the broth before swallowing. Across from him, Lil'Mort also sat cross-legged, the ewok spear of power once more in his possession and resting across his lap. In the ewoks furry hands was a charred spider leg, almost as long as he was tall, still steaming in the cool morning air. The Hungering One's flock mate tore a strip of hairy spider flesh from the leg, chewing it between his teeth with relish, before pausing to reach into one of the bags the tusken child had brought with them. Inside the emaciated bear retrieved a large metal canteen. Lil'Mort unfastened the lid with a few turns of his furry paw and took a swig, gulping down the cool liquid inside and then smacking his lips. Refreshed, the sentient descent of the great tree extended a paw towards the unusually quite saurian, who looked up from the fire and stared at the container with a raised scaly brow.

"Oocha?" Hissed the barabel in ewokese, speaking in the language he had just attempted to share with the girl, the same language his furry companion spoke. What it translated to was: "Wine?"

Lil'Mort shook his head. Ah, water then. Shaking his head, the saurian Sith held up a claw hand in dismissal and took another swig of boiled spiders blood from his cup, preferring that protein rich fluid over fresh water. The ewok shrugged and retracted his arm, just as Kr'Naan jostled awake and then turned over and vomited up what appeared to be the jerky she had eaten from the night before. No stranger to putrid effluence when the Great Devourer was involved, the dark furred ewok sat up and walked over to the child, patting her on the back as she emptied her stomach contents on the forest floor. He placed the water canteen beside her and returned to his spot near the fire across from the black scaled barabel.

"We'll be crosssing into Clan Morlock territory sssoon." Said the seated saurian, continuing to use ewokese, though his was admittedly slightly less decipherable given his serpentine speech-impediment. "We should be fine az long az Grognak iz ssstill chief. If not, they may decide to try and eat uz. We won't know until we enter their landz, at which point it will be imposssible to avoid detection. They know thessse forestz too well."

Curling behind the Hungering One, the deadly looking tail of his plunged into the ground and pushed, allowing Dragus to rise to a standing position without requiring the use of his clawed hands. He reached for the cooked spider spitted next to the fire and grabbed one of the few remaining legs he and Lil'Mort hadn't yet eaten, then ripped it free with a crackling tear of arachnid flesh. He took the steaming appendage and dropped it beside Kr'Naan, barely avoiding the puddle of putrescence she had deposited next to her. He then took the same cup he had been using and grabbed the dented kettle that was swaying loosely over the fire, raising it by the handle and pouring a measure of bubbling crimson into the ceramic cup before placing it on the ground next to the spider leg.

"Eat. Drink." He hissed at Kr'Naan, uncertain how much she was capable of understanding. "You will need your ssstrength for the journey."

It wasn't yet clear to him if his imprinting attempt had succeeded. He had never tried something that complicated before and the brain was always a tricky organ with which to work. For all he knew it was possible he had just given her brain damage instead. Only time would tell. In the meanwhile, he had other curiosities to examine and focus his attention on. He rolled a corked glass vial across his scaly palm, playing with the measure of spider venom he had milked from the arachnid they were enjoying for breakfast. It was most likely a powerful paralytic agent, though experimentation would be required to determine how strong the effect and whether or not it was lethal in certain quantities. With luck, the next stretch of their journey would provide him with an opportunity to find out.

"Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. Yes, I seek perfection. Perfection of body, perfection of mind, and perfection of the soul. Attaining perfection is the ultimate acquisition of power, and I crave power."

- Dragus, excerpt from the Book of Hate

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