Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Feb 19, 2022 3:06:33 GMT -8
Kr'Naan found herself in a black void. It seemed like she was finding her dreams to start many times like this as of late. But something was different. She did not feel the presence in her mind of that of her master. Instead a green wrinkled hand reached up from the inky floor, grabbing ahold of her ankle. The hand of the pig witch she had killed. Kr'Naan stomped at the attacking extremity, crushing the brittle bones in the forearm, the arm going limp in response and slithering back into the black walls with a slurping noise. The walls of the Tusken's dream closed in around her, becoming a small circular enclosure. Kr'Naan reached a gloved hand to touch the walls of the entrapment, pulling back as it gave way like liquid, pulling her hand back and rubbing together some of the sticky black residue together between her covered fingers. This seemed familiar somehow, but from where?Before she could place the origin of the strange fluidous formation, another gamorrean arm reached from the depths of the apparently permeable partition, reached out and grabbing at Kr'Naan's right arm, grasping firmly ahold of the Tusken's garb and digging in with sharp nails, refusing to let go. Kr'Naan planted her feet firmly on the ground and leaned back against the pull of the witch's arm which was attempting to bring her into the rippling oil-like surface of her surroundings."I killed you once, witch! I will do it again!" Kr'Naan felt the hilt of the stone knife she had broken in the waking world, now unbroken in her dream. This was her dream. She was in control here. Tightening her grib on the hilt she hacked away at the arm, cutting it from where it had sprung from like she was cutting a bad root. The arm fell to the more solid floor, rippling the otherwise pristine surface; the amputated appendage squirming and thrashing for a moment before withering. Her surroundings shook and rippled, and a loud bellowing cry pierced her ears, making the Tusken cover her ears to protect them.Silence. Kr'Naan removed her hands from her covered ears. Was that it? Why had she not woken up? Kr'Naan gasped out in pain as a piercing headache came upon her, bringing her hand to her head in response. The smooth undisturbed walls rippled in several places, the tiny waves across the surface running into and rebounding off one another, cascading into an infinite amount of smaller wavelets. An audible water droplet sound echoed within the small chamber that contained the Tusken youngling. The ripples slowly came to a stop and the surface of the Silence. Five more green arms, identical to the first two sprung out the walls; three in front of her, clawing at her arms and torso directly, and two from the ground, holding tightly onto both her legs. Kr'Naan instinctively attempted to step backward away from the three arms before her, but immediately fell backward as she lost her balance, the arms that held her feet planted in place appearing too fast for her brain to fully take in and not allowing her to move. She fell backward, hitting the ground, and three more arms sprang up from the ground, two attempting to hold her arms down while the other wrapped around her neck like a snake to keep her head facing upward towards the ceiling.From a large shimmering ripple fell drops of the black liquid down upon the Tusken, impacting her clothes and burning them like acid, though not dissolving them. Instead the black droplets seemed to come alive and worm their way through the fibers of her garb after they landed on her, searing her skin beneath. Kr'Naan screamed in agony and anger as she fought to free herself, but the grasp of the arms were strong, too strong for her to break. She could do nothing but struggle and continue to watch the ceiling which the protuberances wanted her to see. A decrepit yet familiar snouted head appeared from the undulating ceiling, rising above the surface to hang above the Tusken. The head of the sow sorceress, appearing gaunt and partially decomposed, and grimacing menacingly down at the uli-ah. The disembodied head spoke with words laced with malice, more droplets of the acidic fluid.Wrong The lips of the gamorrean which pinched together and her cheeks bulged as if she were holding back vomit. Black liquid overflowed from her eyes like tears until they burst out, giving way to a flow of the acid down upon the Tusken girl. Finally her mouth opened, and from which poured copious amounts of the black concoction. Kr'Naan screams continued she felt her skin and muscle melting away beneath her clothes, her thrashing continuing. Kr'Naan felt a pop in her shoulder as she twisted too far, but it worked to her advantage as she was able to twist her left arm more. Fighting through the agony she twisted her left arm further until her hand which held the knife was turned almost completely around. With the leverage, she was able to slice the gamorrean arm which held her left arm down.The pig witch screamed in response, and the grip of the other limbs lessened enough for Kr'Naan to wrench free her right arm. Grabbing the knife from her useless left hand, she grasped tightly ahold of the wooden hilt with her right and cut free herself from the rootlike forelimbs which were holding her down. The disembodied gamorrean head screamed again at the Tusken child.Wrong Audibly gagging, the head began spewing more of the burning fluid upon the child. It would melt her until she was nothing left but a pile of goo inside of her own clothes. Through the pain and agony a greater pain came to the forefront of Kr'Naan's mind. The throbbing headache piercing her consciousness like a hot poker twisting around. She fell to the ground and clawed at her dissolving head beneath her mask with her melting right hand, the left little more than a loose lump of wet goo.A wisp-like clawed appendage sprang out from the forehead, flailing searching for purchase on anything around. What it found was Kr'Naan chest. The claws sank deep into the Tusken girl's chest to anchor itself as what the arm was attached to literally clawed it's way out from the temple of the uli-ah.A shadow of a barabel, semi-transparent and black smoke curling from its body stood over Kr'Naan. The red burning eyes of her master, Dragus. No, her god, Hakusar, looking down upon her. Without a word to the Tusken, who was little more than a gurgling pile of barely sentient slush inside her own garb, the shadow looked up to head of the gamorrean witch. Reaching up and wrenching the disembodied head from the ceiling with little difficulty. The head screamed and threw curses at the silhouette, spitting more acid to no effect. The god-shade held the head out in the palm of its hand, clicking its tongue and wagging a finger at the gamorrean hag's head. Bright red light welled up inside the mouth of the wight, and it opened it's maw wide as fire shot out and burned away the head of the gamorrean witch, leaving nothing but the skull remaining. Closing its mouth, the shadowy barabel doppelganger huffed a few remaining flames from his mouth in a burp and crushed the skull to dust in its taloned hand before turning to look down once more upon the mostly melted Kr'Naan.Only I decide when you shall die. The voice was her master's but also not, being distinct enough to be noticeably a different entity. It was the voice that had been whispering to her the speech her master had implanted inside her mind.Now... WAKE UP! Kr'Naan opened her eyes as she awoke from her dream. She looked around and stood up, careful not to make too much noise. Both her master and the ewok Lil'Mort were still curled up with one another asleep on the cot. Kr'Naan clenched her hands and looked down on them. It had not been her master that had given her that dream. It felt different. Was the spirit of the slain witch haunting her? Or was it just that? A dream all in her head? Kr'Naan heard another rustle outside, and she crept towards the cloth separator that was covered the entrance to the hut. She moved a small bit of the portière to peer outside, but saw no one.Stepping outside, Kr'Naan noticed the fighting between the pig-folk vying for leadership had died down. Shrugging she turned around, only to see the same symbol she had seen on their original hut now painted on the exterior wall of their new dwelling. That had certainly not been there before. Kr'Naan's ear caught the sound of more rustling in the brush just beside the hut. Her blood ran cold. She did not know what the symbol meant, but it certainly was not good. Was it some sort of hex? Did the pig witch have co-conspirators? Or had she been innocent? Instinctively Kr'Naan ran her hand over the still-fresh blood paint to smear it, destroying it, and turned her attention back to the direction of the noise. Slowly she crept, being painfully aware of every twig and doing her best to avoid them.A small clearing was a few yards from the hut, and Kr'Naan held her breath as she spied dark figures, speaking quietly amongst themselves. Kr'Naan had no light, and waited for her eyes to adjust better to the darkness to make out whoever it was.
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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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Post by Dragus on Feb 19, 2022 8:00:51 GMT -8
A furry lid slowly opened, revealing a beady black eye watching Kr'Naan as she slipped out of the hut and into the night. Outside in a small clearing beyond the hut were the three conspirators responsible for the occult markings dabbing their former and current sleeping quarters. Under the light of the stars, the three gamorrean children spotted on their arrival to the village could be seen, speaking in hushed squeals and oinks. The largest of the three was at least a head taller than Kr'Naan, broad of shoulder and already filling out into a boar of impressive stature, even for one so few of years. He held the thick wooden haft of a stone-axe that looked too large to be wieldy, yet seemed perfectly at home in his solid grip. The second largest was a sow, nearly as tall but much leaner in frame, almost a smaller representation of the shaman the tusken had slain. In fact her clothing was decorated with small bits of bone and odd fetishes, possibly inferring that she was a future shaman candidate herself. She leaned on a gnarled wooden staff of Pzobian oak, though this was far less festooned with tribal ornamentation than the swine-sorcerous' had been. Finally the last of the three, and also the shortest of the trio, was also a boar. The porkling was about the same height as Kr'Naan and still hadn't developed the adolescent muscles the others had. Yet where his chubby fingers should have been a dark green, instead they were stained with the same brownish-red as the symbol painted on the hut. He carried a stone knife tucked into a twine belt around his waist. While their whispered oinks would have been difficult to decipher without a running knowledge of the language, the tone implied their words were heated, with the female among the group appearing to argue and blame the smallest among them, jabbing a boney finger into the youths chest.As Kr'Naan's eyes adjusted and she was able to spy the trio of malcontents, she might have noticed the presence of another figure sliding in beside her. Silent as death, Lil'Mort appeared next to her, tapping her shoulder gently before holding one furry digit to his lips and giving the universal symbol for quiet. His emaciated frame and dark fur helped him merge with the forest at night, practically invisible save for the gleam of his eyes and faint wisps of steam from his wet nose in the cold night air. A wooden bow was slung over his shoulder, along with a small quiver containing a half dozen jagged stone tipped arrowheads. Held in one paw and resting against the ground as he moved beside her was the spear of power. He stared ahead, watching the three pigs with something akin to cold fury, his teeth biting his lip until a single bead of crimson appeared and ran down his furry chin."Pigs make plan to kill master." Lil'Mort whispered quietly to Kr'Naan. "They squeal something about using magic to take his powa as he sleeps. We not let that happen." He slid the spear of power across the ground towards the child of sand, pressing it into her hands. Beady black eyes laser focused, he met her gaze. "We protect master." He stated firmly, then relinquished his hold on the spear.Quiet as a field-ranat, Lil'Mort melded back into the darkness of the forest and disappeared as he effortlessly scaled a tree. Pzob might not have been Endor, nor was it the natural home of the descendants of the Great Tree, but it was still a forest planet covered in trees. Where there were trees, an ewok always had the advantage. With a feline grace one would not expect of a waddling bear species, the emaciated 'wok moved from branch to branch, concealed by the thick canopy as he took position above the trio of conspirators. He hadn't discussed a signal or plan of attack Kr'Naan, but she would know when the moment was right, he was certain.Finding a length of vine, he began to gather up the natural rope in series of coils, until he had about thirty feet collected. He formed a loop and tied a noose into one end of the rope. Then he began to squat down in his stance and slowly lowered the rope, gently easing it towards the unsuspecting group below. He hesitated as the loop hovered a good six feet over their horned heads. He only had one shot at this, so he hoped he picked right. In an instant he let the rope fall the last six feet and drop right over the sow's head, landing around her neck. All three pigs blinked in surprise, then squealed as the rope pulled taught around the sow's neck, causing her beady eyes to bulge in their sockets. Then she was pulled up into the air as Lil'Mort leaped off the branch he was on, using the rapid descent of his body weight to pull the female gamorrean up into the air by her neck."Yub-Nub!" Mutha-fucka... |
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Feb 20, 2022 2:41:17 GMT -8
Kr'Naan jumped as she felt a touch on her shoulder, spinning around only to be meet the face of the ewok, Lil'Mort, imploring she remain quiet. The Tusken child's sudden movement at in response to the surprise rustled the brush she was using as cover, though the trio of traitorous rapscallion swine-folk did not seem to notice over their own heated discussion. Kr'Naan listened carefully to the hushed speech of the ewok, noticing the intense anger with which he spoke. It was a frigid hatred for those who would harm his master, their master. The Tusken had recognized that Lil'Mort was capable and able-bodied despite his somewhat skeletal appearance, but the cold hatred she felt coming from him made her afraid of her own safety. After all, she had come very close to harming the saurian Sith herself while he slept. She prayed that this wrath would never be pointed in her direction.Kr'Naan shook her head as the furry brigand slid the spear he had brought from the hut to her. Again she was reminded of the last time she had picked it up; but Lil'Mort refused to accept her refusal of the spear of power, shoving it into her hands and enclosing her fingers tightly around the wooden shaft of the primitive weapon. Kr'Naan would hesitantly nod her head in reluctant acceptance of the honor of using the weapon in an actual fight. The ewok would nod in response before scurrying away, disappearing up into the trees. Kr'Naan was unable to follow the diminutive bear for more than a few moments before even his outline was unable to be made out.The Tusken youngling was unsure when she should strike, her fingers tightening further around the haft of the spear in fear and anticipation of using the weapon again. She was dumbstruck when she saw it; a vine slowly descending from the canopy down towards the trio of gamorrean children. There was a pause for a moment as the vine adjusted. Seeing this as the intended signal, Kr'Naan braced her right leg to launch herself forward as soon as the vine struck.Squeal! The frantic cries from the female gamorrean child as the vine wrapped around her neck and began lifting up into the air as Lil'Mort used her as a counter-weight to slow his own descent by the same vine which was now strangling her. It did not take long for her to stop struggling, as Lil'Mort held firm the makeshift noose to hang her until her feet stopped kicking. Ky'Naan launched herself from the brush, lunging with the spear in both arms, striking at the throat of the larger of the two gamorrean males, seeing him as the larger threat. Caught off guard and by surprise, the larger boar had no time to react as the spear pierced his flesh. In a panicked rage he swung his large axe wildly at the Tusken. Kr'Naan jerked the spear out of the gamorrean's throat and rolled to the side, to dodge the blow. Gurgling and struggling to breath from already beginning to choke on his own blood from the wound, Kr'Naan knew he was a dead pig walking. It was just a matter of making sure she did not join him while he went still stood. A dance would begin between the larger boar and small Tusken girl. The gamorrean's gurgled breathing would become more ragged as he kept swinging the stone axe at the swift-footed Tusken with one arm, all while keeping his other hand clasped around the free-flowing wound on his throat.The third gamorrean youngling, the second boar, stood frozen momentarily in fear and panic as he looked franticly at the fate of his comrades. As he watched them both stop moving he finally made his decision. The final gamorrean took off running in the opposite direction away from the village. Kr'Naan, standing on top of the body of the now dead larger gamorrean boar-child, raised her spear in preparation to throw the artifact as a ranged weapon to strike the fleeing pig. Lil'Mort however, was faster. Letting his grip on the vine, the gamorrean female falling like a brick to the ground in response. The ewok quickly notched and let loose two arrows in quick succession. They struck the retreating gamorrean in the back, the momentum of his previous movement carrying him forward a few extra feet before he too hit the ground. Kr'Naan lowered the spear, and instead stabbed the heart of the gamorrean corpse she stood upon before moving to the felled unmoving female and stabbing her in the throat and heart as well. Just in case. Kr'Naan looked to Lil'Mort, who was returning from slitting the throat of the gamorrean that had attempted to run away and retrieving his arrows.Speaking in ewokese to Lil'Mort. "What do we tell our Master? Do we tell him anything?" Kr'Naan held the ewok spear of power back towards Lil'Mort to return the weapon to him.
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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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Post by Dragus on Feb 20, 2022 7:45:07 GMT -8
A knowing grin spread across Lil'Mort's dark furry features at Kr'Naan's query. "Why say anything?" He asked in return, taking the ewok spear of power in hand as she offered it to him. Turning it over in his paws, he flipped the rustic polearm around and quickly wiped the stone tip on the clothing of the larger deceased boar the tusken had felled, cleaning off the freshly spilt blood still glistening on its surface. Satisfied, he planted the butt end of the spear in the ground and leaned on it, looking at the slave child with a renewed respect for what she had done in their master's service. "Master not care." He explained for her sake. "Everywhere go, things try kill master. Everywhere, Wart." Stated the ewok matter-of-factly, implying the future was going to be bloody. "But master never die. Master kills things that try kill him, or we do. Is expected." He shrugged and regarded the three corpses.
There had been so much turmoil in the village since Dragus and his companions had arrived that it was unlikely the three porklings would be noticed missing, especially as their boss was now dead as well. If in the same circumstance, he knew Lil'Bacca and Lil'Kaan would have just left the bodies where they were, but Lil'Mort had never been a fan of loose ends.
"Help move bodies." It was a phrase he had stated a hundred times before, and even though it was only the first time he had said it to Kr'Naan, he knew it wouldn't be the last time. Not by a long shot. So the two worked throughout the wee twilight hours until the early morning. The smallest pig and even the sow were easy enough to drag further into the forest until they stumbled across a stream the locals most likely used for water. It wasn't quite a river but it was deep enough and had a strong enough current that it would carry a body downstream. Good enough. He rolled the sow's corpse into the murky waters and watched Kr'Naan do the same with the smaller boar. Beady black eyes watched as the two bodies slowly drifted away. The water around each corpse began to bubble and churn, disturbed by something below. With eyes adjusted to the night, the ewok spotted several small carrion fish emerge from the water, chewing at the fresh meat. He supressed an amused chuckle. Of course. Even the fish were deadly here. The moment passed and he and Kr'Naan returned for the last body, which given its size took a combined concerted effort from the two of them to get it to the stream. Hard breathing wracked the emaciated ewok's boney chest as they dumped the last body into the water with a big splash.
Their work completed, an exhausted Lil'Mort and Kr'Naan headed back for the shaman's hut. The first few rays of daylight emerged from holes in the forest canopy above as they arrived. As they made the walk across the village center to the dwelling, the flap pulled aside and out stepped a fully garbed Dragus, resplendent in his midnight robe and glossy scales. He reached two clawed hands up to the hood of the garment and pulled it back, revealing his toothy complexion. Fierce red orbs glared at his two companions, while a talon tipped toe tapped impatiently on the ground. Behind him his tail thrashed from side to side, slashing with casual disregard for the safety of anyone near him, while making ribbons out of the hut's curtain door.
"Ah, there you two are. It'z time we were on our way." He looked up at the sky, noting the slow rise of Pzob's green sun. "We can't afford to wassste the daylight." While he didn't explain why, from his tone it was implied that there was more to it than simply making their journey easier. He jerked a clawed thumb over his shoulder, indicating the hut. "Pack up our suppliez quickly and we'll be off."
As he said this, the curtain flap behind him was pulled aside and from inside the hut emerged a massive boar, covered in fresh claw marks that glistened wetly. The muscular pig savage stepped behind the Great Devourer and slapped the barabel's scaled rump, causing Dragus to jump as he was slightly startled, then rub at his posterior with a clawed hand as he watched the new village chief walk off.
"That explains the sorenesss." He shook his head. "I ssswear that'z the lassst time I drink mushroom juice." Stated Dragus emphatically, before spying a horn conveniently still held in the hand of a boar corpse whose head had been split in twain. The saurian plucked the horn from the body, holding it between two finger talons. "Well, perhapz one for the road." He downed the contents in one satisfied gulp and cast the horn to the side, still waiting on his followers.
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Feb 21, 2022 1:48:34 GMT -8
Kr'Naan nodded at the logic of the ewok. She could see the unnecessity of telling Dragus the night's events. After all, to the Tusken girl he was an all knowing god. She had been awoken from the earlier nightmare by him as a pure immaterial form that dwelled in the realm of dreams, and so he was sure to already be more than aware of what had transpired between them and the plotting children of the pork. Right? The work of moving the bodies was difficult, but went by quickly, if not a little quietly. Kr'Naan enjoyed the company of Lil'Mort, but still felt a bit of a disparity between her status and that of the furry bear and his kin. It made sense, as she was under the impression they had travelled with the saurian Sith for a long time. It was her hope however, that one day she would be counted among those who had such trust from their master. She had a long way to go.The village was quiet, and strewn all around were the remains of those who had fallen in the battle for supremacy of the gamorrean clan. From some of the pools of blood still wafted steam from the heat of the bodily fluids. Kr'Naan, while not a stranger to such things, was still surprised how that a clan had turned on itself so easily. How many of the gamorreans were even left? This was not a question that she would have answered immediately, as they reached the former shaman's hut and were greeted, albeit unintentionally, by Dragus appearing from behind the flap that hung over the entryway to the small dwelling, followed behind by a gamorrean boar whom he must have been in talks with before they had returned. Kr'Naan held her hands together and bowed slightly as she was given orders by the black scaled barabel."Yes, Master." She spoke in ewokese to the barabel. Kr'Naan moved to head inside, pausing for a moment to look up to Dragus. "And thank you; for last night." Without elaborating Kr'Naan bowed slightly again before she ducked inside behind Lil'Mort to begin the process of loading her back up with their gear. Though in general she had not slept all that well in the past few days given the nightmarish events, and the nightmares themselves. That being said, even with the little rest she did get she felt much better carrying the packs. Her shoulder, while still stiff, was already on the mend well enough that the injury did not matter. Her mood, while not as cheerful as it would be if she were home among her own people, was pleasant as her spirits were high.Kr'Naan stepped out from behind the now tattered cloth covering and made her way to Dragus, herself carrying the water canteen Lil'Mort had packed and downing some of the precious life-giving liquid to sustain herself. All that fighting and killing sure did work up a thirst, but the uli-ah found that she did not mind it. Her clothes were still stained with the now dried blood of her two kills, mostly being that of her first foe, but she did not bother to attempt to clean it. In the field, there was no point in wasting the energy. After swallowing the water in her mouth Kr'Naan rocked back and forth on her feet before the saurian Sith, her hands gripping the straps of the bags weighing her down as she worked up the courage to say what she wanted to."I am sorry to ask, Master, but would you tell me more of your stories as we travel to the temple?" Kr'Naan asked Dragus in ewokese. "I want to learn more of your great deeds. You were interrupted before." Her speech had improved a great deal in such a short time. Whatever the reprehensible reptilian had done to her young mind had taken root in the annals of her psyche and already bearing the fruit of progress, even if it was to his annoyance most of the time. Lil'Mort stood behind Kr'Naan, watching Dragus and trying to hold back laughter as he watched his master perpetuate the lie that had been told to the Tusken child about him being a god. His beady black eyes seemed to say sassily, "Yes please; tell us more with your godly exploits."
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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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Post by Dragus on Feb 21, 2022 8:26:41 GMT -8
Robe shrouded arms folded over his chest, the Great Devourer watched the tattered remains of the village as he waited on Kr'Naan and Lil'Mort to gather up their supplies. His bloody gaze lingered on a swarm of flies circling a pool of blood and entrails. Razor sharp incisors pierced blackened gums as he gritted his teeth, causing crimson beads to run down his chin. A flick of his forked tongue scattered a falling drop into a fine mist, enveloped moments later by a wisp of steam from his nostril slits. While the time spent within Clan Morlock territory had provided him with an ample supply of entertainment, he couldn't exactly say he was satisfied with the end result. Even if they recovered from the decimation of their numbers, they had proven themselves unreliable as a resource. He had high hopes when he had left Grognak in charge, but even his most trusted hench-pig had shown himself incapable of managing this rabble. Perhaps that was the destiny the Eye had planned for them, he supposed. Yes, he quite liked that theory better than the thought that perhaps he had failed in some way. His pondering was disturbed when his sand dusted charge appeared with all their gear packed up, bouncing from toe to toe with the exuberant energy of youth. Unconsciously his head swayed side to side with her movements. Even his tail slowed and began to sway rhythmically.
If the Hungering One had an obvious weakness it would have to be his ego. So you can imagine the reaction when one of the peons within his possession desired to know about his exploits. It only stood to reason, really, as he was very impressive. But which epic quest should he regale his ignorant followers with? Or perhaps they would prefer to know about the vast array of charity work he performed building habitats for ewoks. Technically, yes, he was using those habitats as a means to gather ewoks for his harem, but he did get a tax write off for it so he supposed it still counted.
A powerful slap from his tail on the ground caught the edge of a spear with a broken tip and popped it up into the air. Dragus' left hand caught the haft of the spear and he wrapped his claws around it, using it as a walking stick, which was all it was good for now. He motioned for the others to follow as he led them out of the village and into the forest. There were few glances in their direction as they left, both because the village population had thinned and because those that remained were still licking their wounds. Most were just happy to see the cursed visitors leave. As they reentered the woods, the saurian Sith had decided on the tale he would share, stepping over roots and beneath low hanging branches as the forest began to thicken.
"Very well, Wart, I suppossse I could share a ssstory or two." Dozen. "Let'z sssee, where to begin? Ah, I know. Thiz iz a tale of Gaiscioch the Unwissse. Thiz was sssome time after I had joined the Order of the Eye and waz attempting to rissse in statuz to the high council, not an easssy feat, mind you. One mussst esssentially control a sssmall empire jussst to apply. That requirez planetz, but to get thossse I needed warshipz firssst. Az it happened, I knew a guy with a shipyard..."
Around them the forest grew dense, as though the very will of these lands was attempting to resist them. It got to the point where Dragus had to wrap his claws around the handle of Bloodeater and use the gore-crusted alchemical axe to clear the way in front of them, swiping left and right as he continued to share word of his deeds and victories in exaggerated detail. The violent nature of the weapon made it impossible for him to focus his ethereally attuned senses, else he might have detected the semi-sentience of the forest screaming voicelessly at them to turn back. Instead there was only the beat of his heart as blood pumped through his body while he exerted himself.
"...and ssso Dorin fell under my control which completed my conquessst of the Expansion Region. Gaiscioch wanted to celebrate and ssso he invited me to hiz palace on Onderon, no doubt to show off that crown of hiz again. For one who called me brother, he never failed to remind me of the fact that he waz a Sssith king, jussst like old Freedon Nadd. The nerve, to rub that in my sssnout..."
An aura of claustrophobia permeated their surroundings as even the space between trees seemed to narrow impossibly. Savagely the black scaled barabel carved a path, the wicked blade seeming to physically repel the corrupted fauna. He knew they were close. The last push was always the hardest. Still, this was getting ridiculous. A series of powerful swipes was followed by a hard shoulder as the lizard lumberjack forced a way forwards, smashing through a thick set of brambles. His breath exuded in a rank cloud of steam.
"...finally the day had come to put my plan in action. Dearg drank from the poisssoned glasss and had the audacity to act surprisssed when I turned on him. He fought az well az could be expected, I suppossse, though he dissshonoured himssself in the end by calling on our bond az though I might show him mercy. Brother, he called me. Ha! Did he not underssstand what I had become? He waz never my brother, jussst a rung on a ladder..."
Unable to sweat, the physically drained draconian began to slow, his axe sweeps growing less and less frequent. He even stopped at one point to place a clawed hand on a tree trunk to catch his breath. Angrily, he cast the walking stick aside and reached to his left hip, pulling free the silvered cylindrical hilt from his belt clip. Holding the emitter up, he thumbed the activation stud and activated the lightsaber. SNAP/HISSSSSS! A brilliant crimson beam of energy screamed to life as it lanced from the emitter out to nearly a meter and a half in length. Even held still, the energy blade wailed and shrieked as the dragite crystal that powered the blade resonated loudly. Changing tactics, the dark scaled fiend began to spin, transforming into a whirling dervish as he used the combination of his axe, lightsaber, and tail blade to turn the forest in front of them into scorched kindling.
"...after I had collected a few samplez, I ate the ressst of hiz body, which waz when I dissscovered that human tasssted a lot like hawk-bat. I then took hiz crown, hiz kingdom, hiz shipyardz, and hiz entire planet. All of which could have been avoided if he jussst underssstood hiz place. I'm a perfectly reasssonable being, but referring to uz az equalz was a ssstraw too far..." A ray of light punched through the dark forest as he cleaved through a tree in front of them and shouldered it out of the way. "...and that, my dear, iz the tale of Gaiscioch the Unwissse."
Pushing past the tree, he toe talons touched flagstones.
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Feb 22, 2022 2:34:23 GMT -8
Listening to the story being told to her by Dragus, the Tusken youngling was almost immediately confused by many of the unfamiliar and confusing concepts. Why would a god have need of ships or a shipyard? What was the Order of the Eye? He had made mention of the Eye in the dream he had appeared to her in his true form as a great serpent, and she had felt a power and religious zeal overtake her as a great Eye appeared in the sky but she had believed it to be a showing of his power as an embryonic deity. Why would he need to join a group dedicated to himself? Kr'Naan continued to listen to the tale of the being named Gaiscioch, trying to stay as near to the saurian Sith's side as she could despite the arduous swinging of his great axe. Every now and again Lil'Mort would grab hold of the pack on her back to keep her from being lopped in two by the mighty flourishes as their master led through through the thickening forest.The story had to be some sort of lesson, Kr'Naan concluded. Just as the stories her grandfather and the other Storytellers memorized, there was always some moral or thing to learn from the chronicles woven over the millennia of their existence; she just needed to figure out what knowledge he was trying to pass on. Obviously it was a story of hubris and betrayal, as the one known as Gaiscioch was braggadocios of his status. Perhaps a former disciple, or a rival god embryo seeking to be born into true godhood? One that had challenged the god Hakusar by working to surpass his future greatness and supplant him somehow? But of course her master had been wise of his machinations and used his cunning intellect to already be several steps ahead of the apostate being and won the battle for supremacy before it had even begun by enfeebling his foe beforehand. While not necessarily honorable the harshness of survival by any means necessary was something her people did understand. She felt a familiarity with the story in that regard. So what was the actual meaning of the story, then? The lesson that was to be learnt from the tale?Her master was not to be challenged, lest she suffer a similar fate as Gaiscioch the Unwise. Know your place. Kr'Naan felt a shiver down her spine as she reached what she believed to be the true moral of the story she had been told. It only cemented further the knowledge and forethought of the unborn god. As there was no way he could not have been aware of her thoughts when she had been plotting killing him in his sleep, the only reason could have been that he knew she would not follow through and had decided to spare her. His percipience and grace was boundless, and she was humbled to be of such importance to his plans to have been given such reprieve from his wrath.Speaking to Dragus in ewokese. "Gaiscioch the Unwise lived up to his name, then." The Tusken girl had been too caught up in the deep philosophical thought to notice the toll the path clearing had been taking on the black scaled barabel. When he reached for his lightsaber Lil'Mort was forced to once again grab her to stop her from being caught up in the tornado of slashes from the combination of the axe and the screaming blade of their master's lightsaber. A dangerous duet to hack their way through the overgrowth of the surrounding forest and push through to their destination, or close enough. The rising black outline of the building that was their goal rose slightly further in the distance, but the bushed barabel's labors seemed to be over...for now.A path of hand-placed black stones eerily clear of most growth save for the leaves that had fallen and some vines across the ground. No trees dared grow to block the path ahead that led to the hidden temple. Lil'Mort moved ahead of Dragus to retake his place as a scout now that the path was clear(er), while Kr'Naan stayed behind with Dragus for a moment. Despite his heaving and exertion to the point of exhaustion, she did not seem to notice. Deification was a strong filter with which to look upon an individual, even one such as he.Speaking in ewokese to Dragus. "I think I understand the story. I would like to hear more when you have the crystal...if that is okay?" Kr'Naan reverted to a sheepish tone. "That is...If you have time for such things when you become a god." A cackle could be heard ahead of the two beings, coming from Lil'Mort as he overheard her. He seemed to find the god ruse created by his master to be extremely entertaining.
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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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Post by Dragus on Feb 26, 2022 9:01:34 GMT -8
As they followed the black stone path towards the hidden temple, the forest began to part before them, growing more sparse the further they traveled. The smooth, almost glossy material the stone was made of, bared a remarkable similarity to the same stone used in the construction of the Sith Temple elsewhere in the forest where some residual vestiges of the old Order still lingered in obscurity. The Hungering One's long muscular tail swept over the stone path, almost caressing it as he expanded his senses and tried to connect with the black rocks, compelling them to share their history with him. Through psychometry his thoughts sifted the time-stream, walking back through the past as the stones gave up their secrets. He saw the last time that he was here, as unproductive as those events were. He went further still, back through the centuries, seeking some unseen answer that would explain the purpose of this place. Just like last time, however, he hit a wall. A thousand years back and the stones sang no more, almost as if a concerted effort had been applied to strip them of their past. He could remain there forever and never know the truth. His tail lifted off the path and swished through the air, finally giving up the attempt. The green glare of Pzob's sun became brighter as the forest gave way to a vast courtyard before the temple structure that seemed to rise the equivalent of six stories from the ground. Like the path, the courtyard was also constructed of interlocking black stone, though these were marked with detailed inscriptions. Literal hieroglyphics were etched into the smooth material, written impossibly in a language that Dragus recognized. He kneeled down near one stone and traced a symbol with a finger talon. The second his sharp digit connected, he felt a spark, the smallest ember of power still infusing the odd material.
Blood red orbs lingered on the symbol, then looked past the stone at the temple structure beyond. It displayed similarities with many ancient temples he had seen before. Pyramid shaped, constructed of the same black stone as the path only these were massive, likely needing a workforce of thousands to move into place. The temple grounds were also somewhat barren of life. Slowly he stood, his snout rising as he allowed his gaze to drift upwards towards the sky. He could see the Pzobian nebula from here. Somewhere concealed within those gaseous cloudy depths was the Eye, watching them, and waiting. He looked back at the ancient script, connecting the dots as his eyes widened in intrigue. It was the same language found within the Order's temple, the language gifted to them by the Eye, despite the impossibility of it all. The temple here was at least thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years old. The Eye, even having ascended to a state of divinity, was much much younger. So how then could the language be the same?
"Be...cautiouz." He struggled to say, the words at odds with his character. Caution was not in his repertoire. It was necessary, however, as there was something overwhelmingly wrong with this place. Lil'Mort's fur was practically standing on end as he turned this way and that, paws gripping the ewok spear of power to the point of nearly splintering the wood. Even though the ewok wasn't blessed with the magics of his people, he could tell this place was at odds with the natural world, a wound in their reality. Growling, Dragus extended a clawed hand and closed his eyes, focusing his powerful connection to the Force on the temple itself. As he stroked the ancient stone with an invisible hand, it felt like he was falling down a cliff, such was the ethereal pull of the structure. It felt like the Force currents were beings ripped out of his control and drawn into the structure, like some sort of swirling whirlpool, absorbing everything it came into contact with. He was forced to release his hold on the malevolent fey as he felt a part of himself drawn into the invisible maelstrom. It was hungry.
Impossible. No, unfathomable, certainly. Possible it clearly was, even if he didn't understand how. If this temple was in some way connected to the Eye, why did it seem to embody hunger in a greater capacity than Dragus, the chosen vassal to embody the Eye's great hunger? And why did it deny him entry when there was no more devout follower than he? Could this place possibly be designed to keep the Eye out? Was that even possible? So many questions, so few answers. It was...irritable.
Metal clanged audibly as the Great Devourer thrashed his powerful tail, striking the stone at his feet with the serrated blade on its end. Sound was the only result, as the stone appeared unblemished when any other might have chipped or cracked under such physical pressure. Frustrated by his own ignorance and inability to properly vent, he grit his teeth and continued to study the temple exterior. Lil'Mort lingered close to the entrance, to the point where the black scaled barabel took notice and shouted at him angrily. "Away from there! Not a ssstep clossser." Like a prehistoric predator stalking its prey, he strode up to the emaciated ewok and grabbed him by the back of his hood, dragging the squirming bear back several feet before depositing him on the ground. A furious look from the saurian Sith was all it took to stay any choice words his furry follower might have been tempted to express. Dragus leered at the entrance nervously, noting the way the hieroglyphs lining the frame seemed to glow a feint red. If Lil'Mort had gotten any closer, he might have activated the curse. A descendant though he might be, his DNA still shared enough with the original celestials that the temple might mistake one for the other. If that happened, well, he'd rather not think about that.
"Kr'Naan." Hissed Dragus, using her true name to convey just how serious the situation was. "Come here." He bade her to his side, dropping to a knee so that he might look her in the eye. Everything since they first met had been leading to this. They were so close, he could taste it. Gently his tail swung around her backside as she neared him, drawing the small child of sand as close to him as was possible. Fierce crimson stared into her goggles, like they could see exactly what was behind the mask and all those layers of cloth. He reached out with his right hand and rested his scaled fingers on her shoulder, curved talons prickling the cloth of her back ever so slightly.
"My child, thiz iz the moment I've shown you in your dreamz. Thiz iz where you prove your worth to me. I can't tell you what you will find inssside, only that you mussst enter alone. The door iz too sssmall for me and dark sssorcery haz been cassst on thiz place that preventz our furry companion from entering thessse hallowed groundz. You mussst enter. You mussst find a way to open the door ssso that I might enter az well. I...need...the...ssstone." He sought to compel her with his his hypnotic abilities, but so close to the temple, the power of compulsion slipped through his mental grasp like grains of sand. The only power he held over her now was the fear his physical form could inspire. He widened his jaws, revealing his full set of gleaming yellow incisors, dripping with salivation and beads of crimson from his bleeding gums. His breath was the same overwhelming rancid stench of rotting meat, rank and revolting. "Only you can do thiz. It iz...your destiny. Now go. Enter the temple and open the way."
Uncoiling his tail from around her backside, he rose to a standing position and kept his demanding gaze focused on her, hot wisps of steam escaping his nostril slits, revealing how hot his blood ran in his veins at the moment.
So very close...
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Mar 3, 2022 22:32:07 GMT -8
Kr'Naan walked slowly alongside Dragus as he inspected the hieroglyphs and characters etched into the black stone. She could feel the unease radiating off of her master, which in turn made her nervous. Of course he had reason to be so nervous, if this was the closest that the god embryo had come to achieving his full birth, any misstep could make this all end in failure. And if the stories were to be believed, Hakusar the unborn Krayt god had failed many, many times prior. Kr'Naan kept her gloved hands gripped together anxiously as she stayed in the barabel's immediate orbit, too afraid of making a mistake and ruining everything.Her attention almost fully given to Dragus, she had not noticed Lil'Mort veering closer to the entrance of the temple. The Tusken girl jumped slightly in surprise as the saurian Sith leapt into action to drag the ewok to a safer distance. She let out a small sigh of relief that it was not in response to anything she had done, not that she had done anything. Beneath her coverings she felt a heavy sweat begin to form on her brow. Her throat felt dry and the air felt stuffy, making it slightly difficult to breath. Kr'Naan was sure it had to do with the unseen forces that pervaded this entire forest, with this place obviously being the epicenter. Not gifted by the gods with shamanic ability to be privy to such sensations in their entirety, she could not imagine how this place felt to her master. It was obviously having an even greater effect on him, being a near-divine being more attuned to the energies of the gods.Kr'Naan's gaze drifted to the etched markings on the stone, her attention being pulled towards them as her eyes sank into the faint red glow of their markings which dissipated as the ewok was dragged away. Her attention snapped back to the present with another slight jump as Dragus said her name; her real name. Kr'Naan moved closer to her master, feeling his tail bring her uncomfortably closer as he stared deeply into the mask which hid her face from the world. Her hands were till tightly holding onto one another, brought up to her chest in a defensive posture. The Tusken child was obviously afraid, but not of Dragus. Of dissappoiting him.Kr'Naan listened silently as he reiterated her purpose, answering with a slow nod. "I w-will not disappoint you m-m-master." She stammered in ewokese. All the indoctrination and mind control in the world, even if his powers did not escape him currently, could not change the fact that she was fearful. Her tribe was that of xenophobic and religious isolationists, even when compared to other Tusken tribes. Fear of the mystical was a common. Kr'Naan was sure of her resolve to complete this task for her patron, to see his dream become a reality as repayment for her rescue. But that did not change the fact that she was a child, and very scared for what awaited her within the temple.Kr'Naan cleared her throat and put on a stronger front to Dragus. "I will not fail." She said firmly in ewokese, though her fear was still easily heard. Released from the grip of her master's tail Kr'Naan immediately went to work; searching for the small hole depicted in her visions gifted by the unborn god in her dreams. Flashes of the memories of herself melting to reach the crystal repeated over and over again in her mind as a reminder of the torment that awaited her as a test of her determination. The hieroglyphs above the small crawlspace glow grew slightly as they sensed a willing sacrifice. The Tusken child knelt down as she readied herself to crawl through the diminutive entrance into the temple. Kr'Naan briefly looked back towards Dragus and Lil'Mort before she began crawling forward, closing her eyes as she did so, in a vain attempt to not see whatever unseen force would inflict unearthly pain and terrors upon her.Which never came. Before she knew it, the Tusken girl had crawled straight through to the other side, bumping into a pillar with her face. Out of surprise and fear she let out a shriek, which could be heard echoing back through the way she crawled, magnified by the acoustics of the inside and funneled through to the waiting Dragus and Lil'Mort. She froze, her eyes still closed tightly in terror as she waited to die. It felt like an eternity before she finally opened her eyes and saw it was a harmless column of stone which she had crawled into head first. Confusion overcame her mind for a moment. Was she still alive? Was this another vision of some sort? She pinched her arm through her garb, feeling the pain. Definitely still alive. But she had no way of determining if she was somehow being tricked.Kr'Naan cautiously stood up, looking up past the pillar she had bumped into. It was one of four which were on the corners of an inner shrine, where she saw the crystal; just as her master had shown her. Its light and beauty were just as she remembered. The Tusken girl took a half step towards the crystal, drawn in by its magnificence but stopped as she remembered her next task. Kr'Naan's eyes lingered for a moment longer on the light of the large crystal which shined enticingly and back to where she had crawled from. She hurried back to the wall, searching the wall with her hands, finding purchase on a lever. Kr'Naan yanked down on the lever.Click. A seam appeared in the stone, starting at the top of the circular arc of the crawlspace, opening up outward, great doors held together for innumerable millennia finally swinging opening. The light of the outside came in, and the stale air within the closed off insides of the temple began to circulate. Kr'Naan stood in the center of the new, larger entryway, greeted by the heavily salivating face of Dragus and the emaciated Llil'Mort.The Tusken girl's mind skipped a thought in confusion and she stood in the center of the opened entrance dumbfounded and in shock at the ease of the task.
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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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Post by Dragus on Mar 4, 2022 7:22:13 GMT -8
"Yesss!" Dragus exclaimed his satisfaction in a loud, practically shouted hiss, crimson spittle misting the air as his lips parted to reveal a hungry set of jaws. Steaming ropes of drool oozed from salivating incisors, to the point where even the Hungering One had to drag the sleeve of his robe across his mouth to clear it of dripping moisture. He took a step forwards, placing one scaled foot through the open portal that had been previously sealed, onto the smooth black stone surface. Sparks streamed off the floor where his toe talons attempted to dig in and find purchase, but the material refused to bend, repelling every effort to scratch furrows in its surface. Curious. He thought, staring down at the unusual quality of the stone. He looked up and beyond, staring first at Kr'Naan further down the hall, then beyond to the inner shrine where the celestial stone was located. He reached down to his waist and tightened his belt, peeling back the layers of his midnight hued cloak so that it rested over his naked shoulders, keeping both weapons hanging against his outer thighs within easy reach. This was the moment he had long waited for. It wouldn't do to get sloppy now.As he slowly began to walk forwards, he heard the muffled barely audible brush of furry toes on the smooth stone, and turned to regard Lil'Mort that was following behind. The little bear was just about to pass the entrance threshold, following the Great Devourer like the loyal pup he was. Raising a clawed hand, Dragus splayed his fingers while drawing on his quickly rising anger, channeling his frustration into raw telekinetic power. The emaciated ewok nearly dropped the spear of power as an invisible force folded him at the waist and flung him back across the courtyard, bouncing and rolling end over end. "I sssaid no." Snarled the saurian Sith distastefully, already dismissing his brutish actions towards his flock mate as unfortunately necessary. The blade capping his tail struck the floor once, twice, and then a third time. Sparks showered the wall as he vented the last of quickly summoned fury, then turned back towards the temple interior, his eyes widening in equal parts archeological awe and barely contained excitement. He brought his scaled hands together and rung his claws nervously, looking from side to side for any sign of concealed trap.There was nothing apparent. The moment he reached Kr'Naan's position, he lowered a scaled hand and ruffled her cloth covering before patting her on the head. "Good job, Wart. We're ssso very clossse now." His red orbs like burning coals as he addressed her, continuing to look past as his objective now consumed him. Unaware to the Hungering One himself, his thoughts were awakening the connection between his mind and the entity that resided within the swirling clouds of charged gas that made up the Pzobian nebula. His every physical awareness and conscious thought was shared and picked through by a sentience so beyond the scope of mortal men, that it was like God sifting through the brain of an ant. It saw what he saw, experienced every scent and taste, even felt the flux in temperature. Yet if this intrusion was unwanted there was no resistance offered by Dragus. He opened himself completely to the probing glare of the Eye and offered it all that he was. It compelled him forwards, controlling his actions like commands programmed into a machine. As he entered the inner shrine, the stone heart at its center became clear.On a raised dais surrounded on all four sides by a series of stone steps that rose all the way to its summit, was the Firkrann crystal. It was so brilliant it was practically blinding. Dragus was forced to raised an arm and drape it across his vision, shielding his eyes from the oppressive light. As though sensing the presence of an intruder, electrical current crackled from the stone, dancing across the steps near the center of the room, dissipating only once it reached the rooms walls. The air grew chill and began to move, slowly swirling around the crystal at its center and then dramatically increasing in pace. It was as though the stone summoned the power of a storm, unleashing the might of nature as a means to deter those that were at odds with it. Unable to resist the mental compulsion, the draconian dared the steps, placing a foot down on the first of fifty from the ground to the very top. As his scaled flesh touched that first step, lightning shot up his leg, repelling the limb and flinging the black scaled barabel back. He was deposited on the floor a few feet away, claws and tail spike dragging on the black stone as they struggled to find purchase. Smoke curled up his leg from where he he had touched the step, his toe talons had been scorched black. He hissed, hot steam wisping from his nostril slits as he bared his fangs at the temple's core."It knowz my intention and resistz. Kr'Naan..." He growled through the pain. "...BRING ME THE SSSTONE!" |
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Mar 5, 2022 2:13:11 GMT -8
As Dragus passed by the still stunned Kr'Naan, she was finally brought back to the present from the shock that had overtaken her. Her eyes unconsciously drawn to following the being she believed to be a god among her people, or close enough to one. Opening the way for her master had seemed far to easy. Was it because she was special? That was the obvious answer. She was his chosen, as he had told her. Picked specifically to be the next tool on the path of his ascension. Surely if another had attempted to gain entrance they would have failed as so many others had done before to aid him in this endeavor; as was told in legends passed down through the generations. She was special. Yes, that was certainly the reason why. Kr'Naan's attention came fully just in time to watch her master's ascension up the steps to where the crystal was.Just in time to see him struck and cast down by the energy being cast off by the mystical power of the jewel he sought. Kr'Naan shrieked in terror in her native tongue as she ran towards the crumpled crocodilian with reckless abandon for her own well-being. The Tusken could smell the stench of burnt flesh as she came to his side. The youngling was no expert in medicine or healing, but besides the obvious energy he seemed to be fine, if his temper was anything to go off of. Before she could even attempt to aid the raging reptilian screamed at her to retrieve the stone. Kr'Naan looked up at the prize they were after, then back down to her master, who was metaphorically licking his wounds like an injured massiff."A-are you sure you are oka-" She started in concerned ewokese, but was cut off by a slam of the saurian Sith's powerful tail on the ground.
"GO NOW!" Dragus yelled again at her, red flecked spittle spraying the cloth covered Tusken child. Kr'Naan bowed her head slightly, biting her lip a bit in anger at herself as she moved to the base of the steps. She should not have spoken up. It was not her place. Her place was here, in this moment. At least that was what the Tusken girl was telling herself to mentally prepare for whatever would happen when she took her first step. Kr'Naan held her breath and closed her eyes as she lifted her right leg and took the first step.Nothing. Opening her eyes and looking down at herself, running her hands across herself to inspect for any injuries she had just not felt yet. There were none. Kr'Naan fought the temptation to freeze in this confusing and unexplainable event and continued to ascend the fifty stairs. Of course it was explainable, she remembered. Forty-five. Nothing. She had His blessing. Thirty-five. Nothing. She was his chosen. Twenty. Nothing. She was special. Ten.The air crackled in an instant, the energy that protected the arcing out once more and shooting up and out, striking the Tusken girl squarely in the chest. She folded like wet tissue paper, falling and slumping motionless on the steps. Five. Kr'Naan remained unmoving. The stillness of the air within the temple was dense and heavy with the magicks of its defensive mechanisms. A groan. Followed by motion on the stairs from the Tusken child as she rolled onto her side.Dragus's nostrils flared and he rasped out, smacking the floor repeatedly with his tail and screaming at his page. "Get up! Move! Now! BRING IT TO ME!" He bellowed to the child of sand, practically frothing and foaming at the mouth. Kr'Naan slowly struggled and stood, her legs unsteady. Her right hand covered a black scorch mark in the center of her chest where the bolt of energy had stricken her. Similar black burn marks were barely visible around the edges of the slave collar around her neck, and as she stood up the metal collar fell loose from around her throat and clattered to the floor. Kr'Naan did not seem to notice this however, and she began making progress once more. Three. Kr'Naan stumbled slightly as her feet felt heavy and numb, tingling as nerves screamed as they were dying. Two. A crackle filled the air once more as the temple recharged its mechanisms to strike out once more. One. Kr'Naan's head hung low and stared down as she could only focus on these last steps.Zero. Kr'Naan breathed heavily, clutching her chest as she stared at the ground. Her head lifted as she was eye level with the pedestal the crystal sat upon, squinting her eyes so as not to be blinded. It was beautiful. Just as she had seen in her visions. This was why she was here. Kr'Naan thought she could hear her master screaming at her from down below but his howls only came up to her as muffled murmurs. This close to the source of the temple's power, even one not gifted in the mystical powers of the Force could feel...something. What she heard and felt was a hum, very low, but there, permeating her essence.Her hands slowly moved up and grasped ahold of the Firkrann crystal, removing it from its place in the temple.
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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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Post by Dragus on Mar 5, 2022 6:48:40 GMT -8
Time seemed to slow within the temple as Kr'Naan's fingers came precipitously close to the stone. Dragus watched from the ground, his hungry gaze resting on the crystal, jaws agape in anticipation. From the heavens above, a malevolent force looked down, watching with wicked intent as it continued to whisper its commands into the mind of the Hungering One. Then the child of sand's fingers closed around the large stone and pulled it from its resting place at the heart of the temple. As though a switch had been flipped the moment the tusken took the shining object in hand, the storm raging all around them instantly began to die down. The wind stopped spinning and the lightning coursing through the steps dissipated. It was...eerily silent. The crystal hummed and pulsated in Kr'Naan's grip, as though the storm previously expressed within the temple was contained within the stone itself. Its light paled from its previous oppressive brilliance, dimming to the point where it was barely luminous. Then a voice shrieked in Kr'Naan's mind, seeming to come from the stone as it used their physical connection as a bridge to communicate when it had no true voice of its own.RETURN THE STONE! THE CELESTIAL STONE WAS THE ONLY THING CONTAINING THEM. RETURN THE...IT'S ALREADY TOO LATE. Through the dim light of the crystal a shadow was cast across the steps where Kr'Naan stood, barely perceptible given the black stones properties, just a shade darker perhaps. It grew in length as something hovered in the air behind the slave girl, materializing into physical form as it floated in the air above her. It was tall and gaunt to the point where Lil'Mort would have looked like a stuffed hutt by comparison. A long flowing mane of white hair floated wildly about its scalp, as though the forces of gravity had no effect on it. Its eyes glowed, bright as stars, focused on the child and the stone in her possession. It slowly began to reach for her with one of its long arms, ending in three sharp crooked talons. The air turned cold, frigid even, as though all warmth had been drawn into a vacuum. It screamed silently into the aether, its voice only audible in the minds of those near it. As its claws came near to grasping the hem of Kr'Naan's clothing, it just as quickly rose towards the ceiling and dematerialized. It was at this point that Dragus crested the top of the stairs, coming to stand beside his proven-capable sandy assistant, seeming to have missed the presence of the odd apparition in its entirety. He looked just as hungry as before, but the focus of his attention was completely on the crystal in her hands. Without hesitation he plucked it from her grip and held it high in the air, holding it between his scaled palms as he exclaimed his victory. "IT'Z MINE!" He let loose a primal roar, thumping his tail and bouncing from foot to foot as he celebrated. Oddly as the saurian Sith continued to hold the crystal, something was beginning to change within it, almost in response to its new owners malignant presence. The dim white light began to change hue, slowly turning pinkish before settling into a ruby like red, luminous around the edges whereas the core of the crystal became dark. Any purity within the object was purged as it underwent a bleeding effect, the dark side corrupting it. If this in any way troubled the Great Devourer he showed no sign of it. After a moment he simply lowered his arms and looked at the child, the moment of celebration having past, and now it occurred to him that the girl's immediate usefulness had run its course.Decision time. His original reason for acquiring the slave child was for this specific task. Now that it was completed, really he should discard her here and now and be done with it. There was no place amongst his followers for a child, let alone one with such a limited understanding of the galaxy. Yet the darkside had shown him a prophetic vision of her future, an image of blood and sand that he still couldn't quite discern the meaning of. She had also proven herself an adept little murderer, surprisingly capable given that she managed to kill Clan Morlock's witch with just a stone knife and an impressive amount of courage. He supposed if there was no 'current' place amongst his followers, he could simply make one for her. After all, capable assistants were hard to come by. How many ranats would he have lost in the same time Kr'Naan had been serving him? At least a half dozen. Plus there was something about her ignorance of his plans and ceaseless desire to please him that reminded him of the Major, though he would never admit it to himself. There was something oddly comforting about having a shadow.As he stood there staring at her, a familiar throaty voice shouted up at them from the temple floor at the base of the steps. Dragus cast his vision towards the ground and his jaw practically dropped to the floor as he saw Lil'Mort standing inside the temple, holding the ewok spear of power in his right paw, with his other on his hip. The emaciated ewok thumped the butt end on the floor and let loose a string of expletives in ewokese as he let the shepherd of the flock know how he felt about being Force pushed across the courtyard. As it on cue, the temple began to rumble, the ground quaking beneath their feet as though they were standing on a fault line. "You fool!" Hissed Dragus, his eyes going wide in panic. "The curssse! You've activated the curssse!" A stone fell from the ceiling and struck the steps next to the barabel, shattering the black stone into cracked debris. Similar sights were occurring all around them as the structure began to crumble. It was equally likely that removing the stone had set into motion a series of events that would see the temple destroyed, but as far as Dragus was concerned, this was all Lil'Mort's fault."WE MUSSST FLEE!"
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Mar 5, 2022 22:25:54 GMT -8
Kr'Naan physically recoiled as the voice penetrated her mind and cried out to be replaced. But as the voice acknowledged it was already too late. A horrible chill ran through the Tusken youngling's blood, the source of which she came face to face with as she turned around to flee from the top of the dais to return to her master. Frozen by terror at the ghastly ghoul that seemingly appeared from nowhere, all Kr'Naan could do was stare as if she was being held in place by the creature reaching out for her. But just as quickly as it had appeared the being disappeared, flying upward and phasing through the physical surroundings of the temple itself as if they were not there. What had they just unleashed? Where had it gone? Why had it been imprisoned here? Kr'Naan could not shake the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, but it lessened as Dragus crested the last of the stairs and joined her at the top.Kr'Naan did not feel the same zealous pride and joy that she had felt in her vision as her master yoinked the crystal from her gloved grip, at least not entirely. She did feel happy that her purpose given to her by the unborn god, now given the tool to become a fully realized deity, was completed. But there was a sort of emptiness that cried out within her now that she lacked a reason to continue on. It was a strange feeling that seemed to grow within her as the light of the crystal held by the claws of the saurian Sith dimmed and was replaced by a dark glow with red edges radiating out as her master's power tainted the purity of the jewel."M-master I s-saw somet-" She began in ewokese before being cut off by the shouting and hollering of Lil'Mort, who had crossed the threshold of the temple and was going on a tirade of expletives at his treatment by Dragus. Before she could try and regain her master's attention, the temple began to shake and destroy itself, large boulders and chunks of black stone falling down and around them. Kr'Naan quickly began descending the stairs albeit at a much slower than Dragus. In the time it took her to get halfway down the steps the repugnant reptile had made it all the way down and had begun his mad dash towards the exit as the temple collapsed around them. Lifting the still cursing ewok like a stuffed teddy bear under his arm he sprinted towards the exit which was still miraculously unblocked. He paused for only a moment to look back and check the Tusken's progress.Kr'Naan felt sick as she struggled to keep going, her heart beating erratically and having difficulty breathing; due to her electrocution mere minutes ago. Dragus would look back just in time to see a large slab of black stone fall before him, seemingly on top of the Tusken girl, as her feet touched the flat ground. With a shrug Dragus would walk outside and watch as the temple fell in upon itself, a large mushroom cloud of dust, dirt and uplifted foliage shooting into the air; followed by silence. The saurian Sith would "Alassss poor Wart; I did not know her well." He said aloud in Basic as he turned to continue on with whatever he had planned now that he had what he wanted. Coughing could be heard from behind, causing the Famine Lord to turn back around to look with narrowed red eyes. Lil'Mort, who was still fidgeting under the strangling grip of the Barabel's scaly arm, slowed in his struggles and listened. Coughing. As the cloud of dust began to settle, Kr'Naan slowly walked out from the rubble of where the entrance to the temple had been."M-master?" She called out in the ewok tongue to try and locate those she had came here with. As the dust continued to clear she spotted the towering figure of Dragus, who had assumed a 'heroic' stance overshadowing the small Tusken, Lil'Mort still in tow beneath his arm. It was a moment to be taken advantage of, to instill an even greater loyalty in the child."I knew you would sssurvive; as I willed it so." He lied in ewokese. Lil'Mort would begin to chortle, which was quickly stifled by the racketeering reptoid flexing his forearm to quiet his furry cargo. In his other hand he held aloft the Firkrann crystal, glowing darkly overhead for Kr'Naan to look upon. He had not abandoned her in favor of saving his own scaly hide and the treasure. No. He had retreated to greet her upon her successful escape from doom, with his help of course. Kr'Naan slowly walked up to the deceiving draconian and would move in close, tightly embracing the black scaled Barabel around the waist with her arms. Kr'Naan's chest heaved as she began to weep tears of joy."Thank you, Master." Kr'Naan said in ewokese as she fought back thankful sobs. "I would have died if it was not for you." No amount of flexing would stop the snickering laughter of Lil'Mort. Dragus just stood there for a moment, chortling ewok under one arm, crystal in his other free hand and crying child around his waist. The saurian Sith rolled his eyes.
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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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Post by Dragus on Mar 6, 2022 7:23:00 GMT -8
The elation they were all experiencing having survived the structure collapsing around them was short lived. Lil'Mort's chortling was replaced with a 'hmph!' sound as Dragus released his hold on his furry companion and unceremoniously dropped him on the ground. Next he focused on extricating himself from Kr'Naan's embrace, slowly prying her arms off his waist before pushing her a few feet back with a gentle sweep of his tail. He looked down at his robe, now soiled with tears and snot, and shook his head. Sewer sludge, blood, and all matter of organic mess he was used to, but tears of joy were something else. He wondered if this was what the Jedi experienced when performing some magnanimous act. It was...uncomfortable. He smoothed the folds of his robe before once more holding the celestial stone before his bloody gaze, peering into its recently transformed depths of red, grinning wide as he saw his own reflection in its corrupted surface. Raising his snout towards the sky, he peered as far as he could see, raising the stone in one hand to the heaven's as though to show the entity watching from afar that he now had its trophy.Kr'Naan believed Dragus desired the crystal so that he himself could ascend to godhood, but that was a simpletons understanding of a far more complicated plan. He needed the lump of shiny rock to serve as a conduit for the black altars he had constructed, a means to channel the stored energy of the soul batteries into the Eye itself, thereby restoring power to the sentient battle-moon. It would finally be able to leave the nebula where the Order had been serving as its guardians for all these years, departing for the known galaxy where it would visit destruction on all that opposed its vision of a bowed galaxy. For his service, the Will had promised that his most faithful Famine Lord would be rewarded, elevated to a position above that of his brothers. As far as he was concerned, those bragging rights alone were far superior than transcending flesh and becoming a god. Plus he would be free to continue his research and experiments, which was all that truly interested him anymore. But he still needed a staff for the crystal to be mounted upon, which meant he needed to get his hands on some cortosis. Fortunately he had an idea of where a deposit of the substance could be found.Lowering his arm, he tossed the crystal up and down in his palm a few times before slipping it into his robe and secreting it away in a concealed pocket. He patted the left side of his cloak near his ribs, presumably where the stone was now stored. Placing his clawed hands on his hips, he regarded his companions. Lil'Mort was already straightening himself, having risen from the ground to stand next to Kr'Naan. The Hungering One's forked tongue emerged from between his lips and flicked the air, dousing the vertically challenged duo with flecks of blood in the same way a priest might shower his congregation with holy water."Well thiz haz been a highly successsful venture, if I do sssay ssso myssself, but there iz ssstill more work to be had. It'z going to be a long walk back to the ship; we should leave now if we are going to..."Before he could finish expressing that thought, he was interrupted by a loud disturbance. Out beyond the temple grounds in the surrounding forest that towered above their heads, there was a crack of broken timber. This was followed by another crack, and then another, as the forest seemed to shake in the direction they had come. As the saurian stared at the sea of thick trunks and vegetation, he thought he caught the glimpse of something massive in the distance. The ground vibrated beneath their feet as though something incredibly heavy was stomping about. He could see the forest canopy shake violently, moving in a circular motion around the courtyard until the disturbance disappeared behind the giant pile of debris that was formerly the temple. Dragus turned, following the forest disturbance until he was staring at the pile of black stone, wondering what lay beyond. He didn't have to wait long to find out.At the top of the pile of collapsed stone, a giant brown leathery hand of thick scale or hide rose over the pile and wrapped around a large stone, digging claws the size of great swords into the debris and pulling itself up and over. Those large claws belonged to an even larger arm that was in turn connected to a huge bipedal body. Pulling itself over the top of the pile was a creature not native to the planet of Pzob, but one that had made a home for itself here, having no natural predators to contend with. It opened its ugly mouth to reveal jaws that made the Hungering One's razor sharp incisors look like toothpicks by comparison. Dragus took a step back and jammed a clawed digit into either ear, knowing what was coming next. RRRRROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!!! Unplugging his ear holes, he looked back at the creature that now was quite clearly revealed as a Rancor. A hot deluge of salivation dripped from its slavering jaws as it stared at the three of them from its perch atop the debris pile, running down the stones like a steaming river of drool. Oddly enough this rancor's thick hide was marked with what looked like some intentional markings, in the same script the Order regularly used. It dug its hoof toed feet into the pile of shattered rocks and began to descend towards them, sending a small landslide of stone cascading down as it made its way towards them.
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Mar 7, 2022 22:02:45 GMT -8
The Tusken would do her best to quiet her cries as she was pried away from the barabel, Lil'Mort patting the girl on the shoulder to calm her. Just as she had gotten ahold of herself, mostly, but before she could say anything the appearance of a mighty rancor erupted from the forest. The large creature clambering over the destroyed temple and rushing down to where they were now. Was it some sort of guardian of the temple; summoned by the destruction of its post that intended to take revenge? Kr'Naan's eyes darted around for a weapon of any sort, but all that lay around were vines, sticks and destroyed stone too heavy or unwieldy to be useful.Panicked, Kr'Naan looked to Dragus. The black scaled barabel had not moved an inch. Instead, his lips parted to reveal his bloodied fangs in a sinister knowing smile. Kr'Naan took a few instinctive steps back to hide behind the odious ophidian for protection. The rancor would come to a grinding halt before the trio, its beady eyes locked with those of Dragus. The rancor would slam the ground with its giant hands and let out another roar. To keep himself from falling over from the strong gust of smelly breath, Lil'Mort had to plant the head of his spear into the ground to act as an anchor. Kr'Naan, standing behind the saurian Sith who had not budged a millimeter, was also protected from the high speed exhalation.She was surprised at herself to find that she was not as afraid of the beast as she would have been. It was obvious that if the creature intended to make a meal of them it would not be standing before them like a trained beast awaiting its master, but also that in comparison to all of the horrors she had bore witness to in recent days the appearance of a beast like this was rather....boring? Maybe not the right word. But it just did not inspire the same terror as it would have if she were still on her homeworld, unaware of the nightmares that could exist out among the worlds of outsiders.Kr'Naan stepped out from Dragus's shadow slightly and looked up to him."Do you know this creature, master?" She asked in ewokese. The rancor leaned its head down and sniffed the area around the Tusken, letting out another powerful huff that, this time, did knock the youngling on her backside. Kr'Naan got up, dusting herself off as best as she could. Surprisingly, she took a step forward and shouted, rather aggressively, at the creature in her native language."Cr ur'k k'kr A'ar, ur'ruk!""Do not try me, beast!" Kr'Naan was lacking any sort of patience and chill after everything she had been through. Despite her heart still beating erratically from the electrical disruption that had shot through her body and feeling heavy and sick she still was not about to back down. The small Tusken youngling was a wild sight to behold, if even in a comical way. Her front was still largely covered in blood from the sow sorceress she had slain. The center of the robes covered her torso had a large black scorch mark where she had been struck, along with the smaller burn marks where the slave collar had once been. Her garb had seen far better days. Parts were frayed and starting to tear, and yet none of the being hidden beneath the layers of cloth was visible.The uli-ah would suppress another round of incoherent sand speak that was to be directed at the rancor as Dragus moved his free hand in front of her to silence her.
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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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Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Dragus on Mar 8, 2022 7:00:26 GMT -8
"Az it ssso happenz..." Interjecting after silencing Kr'Naan. "...I do." Recognition took place between the massive beast and the saurian Sith, as scents were absorbed and analyzed, like two old acquaintances getting the measure of one another. The rancor's black predatory eyes widened and it reached out with one of its giant clawed hands towards the Hungering One, who for his part attempted to step back and away but was quickly swept up in its powerful grip. Dragus hissed a protest as he was plucked from the ground like an infant babe and brought before the drooling maw of the bipedal repto-mammal."Wait, no! Put me down thiz inssstant! Nooo!" His protestations and aggressive hissing was summarily dismissed by the beast, as it brought the black scaled fiend before its quivering jaws and extended a long glistening tongue, dragging the muscular organ over the struggling Sith's body. It's tongue came away, having completely soaked the saurian in steaming salivation, drool oozing off his soiled robes in thick gooey ropes. Dragus squirmed in its iron clad hold, prying his hands free so that he could wipe some of the warm slobber from his face. While perhaps a moment ago he was agitated at being manhandled by the creature, it quickly passed and he found himself chuckling darkly in amusement. He met the monster's curious stare with his own piercing gaze and the two seemed to share a moment. There was a primitive sort of intelligence in the beast, not quite complete sentience but near enough that it possessed some emotional complexity. Dragus stroked one of the long clawed digits holding him around the waist and spoke to it, projecting images in its mind so that it might better understand him."If you're here, then perhapz Bacca haz awoken from hiz ssslumber?" He queried and probed its mind for any glimpse of his cycloptic brother in its recent memories. Understanding dawned on the semi-domesticated rancor and it lowered the drool dabbed draconian back to the ground, releasing him from its grip before turning its head to the sky and letting loose a monstrous howl of despair. One wouldn't need the Force to tell that the creature was in deep emotional pain. He had his answer. After a moment it ceased its suffering cry and lowered its head, nuzzling the barabel affectionately. Dragus for his part reciprocated, as it was always wise to placate a rancor rather than scold it. He patted it on its large head and whispered sweetly to it. "Ah, not to worry, he will. We must sssimply be patient."Though he would never express it openly, it was equally difficult for the Hungering One. The Eye's embodiment of War and Wrath was one of the few beings in the galaxy that truly understood him. They had so frequently fought like blood born siblings, usually with the mutated abyssin serving to chasten the treacherous terrorsaur for his schemes and ill tempered actions, with Bacca often acting as one would expect of an older brother. But he had never refused the Lord of Famine his dark appetite and perverse indulgences. In fact he seemed to take pleasure in it, which in turn had made Dragus feel for the first time like he actually belonged. It was safe to say he too missed the cyclops.Turning to regard his companions, the saliva soaked saurian shook himself dry of the worst of the rancor's mouth juices and introduced the beast to the child of sand, as Lil'Mort was already partially familiar with it."Right, ssso az I waz sssaying, I do indeed know thiz creature. He iz one of my brotherz favourite petz, Ssspot." Or was it Spike? Frankly he couldn't recall nor could his author even after probing the abyssin's profile page, so Spot would simply have to suffice. "We should be able to ride him back to the ship, once he'z taken hiz measssure of you."Without hesitation, the rancor leaned its massive head towards Kr'Naan and opened its jaws as though to swallow her whole. Instead of gobbling her up in one crunchy yet disappointingly small bite, she experienced the same tongue lashing as Dragus, as Spot's profusely moist tongue stroked her up and down in a bath of putrid saliva. |
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Mar 8, 2022 23:18:32 GMT -8
Kr'Naan attempted to grab onto the foot of her master as he was lifted up, but by the time she could even attempt it the rancor had already brought him up to its jaws. All she could do was watch as the barabel struggled. And was summarily given a very sloppy tongue lashing. Kr'Naan sighed, thankful that she would not have to fight the beast. Not that she was in any sort of shape to do such a thing. As Dragus was returned to the ground the cackling Lil'Mort quieted himself, mostly anyway. This was surely something he would have to retell to the rest of the flock when they returned to the ship. Chittering chuckles as the saurian Sith shook himself somewhat dry continued as the bear made contact with the rancor, speaking to the beast like an old friend reunited.Kr'Naan listened silently as Dragus properly introduced the beast to her, but a more interesting thing she took note of was the mention of a brother. She knew most gods were related in one way or another. Be it siblings, cousins or through marriages the pantheons of the old Tusken gods could be rather complex, but this was the first real mention her master had made of such relations. There was still so much she did not know; that she wanted to know. That she needed to know. Before she could dig deeper with questions Kr'Naan was lifted several feet off of the ground, carried aloft by the tongue of the rancor before being set down upon completion of the greeting."Like a bantha!" She exclaimed in ewokese in between laughter as she stood there dripping in dribble. Kr'Naan reached up with her right hand and gave the rancor pats and rubs on its face. Perhaps this beast, Spot, was not so bad after all. The Tusken youngling had not been old enough to have gone through the rites of passage of her people to receive a bantha of her own, but she had often tended to and played with the banthas of her fellow tribesmen. The creature had surprisingly large tongues and would often make use of their prehensile organs to play, communicate, and even grasp food. They too had incredibly sloppy ways of showing affection. An emotional pain appeared in her heart, alongside the already existing physical one, as she realized she may never know the joys of having a horned companion of her own. Even having known she might die, this realization hurt deeper than most.Kr'Naan patted the creature for a few moments before looking back to Dragus as she seemed to perk up slightly. There was audible excitement in her voice."We get to ride him?" She said in ewokese with barely contained excitement. Not only was this sure to make the journey back much much faster, but it also meant she would not have to carry the burden of all their packed gear all the way back to the ship. It was a win win in her eyes. It would also give her the chance to ask Dragus to regale her with more stories of his endeavors, to learn more of him and his ways so she might better serve him. Even in this short time, with nowhere else to go and no one to truly go back to...what other option did she really have? It had been tough so far, but it was not the worst of experiences she could think of. So long as she did her best to be useful.The uli-ah was also curious as to when exactly he would shed his physical shell and ascend to godhood now that he had in his possession the tool to do so.
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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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Post by Dragus on Mar 9, 2022 7:57:08 GMT -8
In the eyes of the Great Devourer, Kr'Naan looked much the kid in the candy store, bursting with excitement at the opportunity to ride atop the back of the giant beast. Her enthusiasm was an infectious thing, quickly afflicting Dragus' own mood so that he couldn't help but grin in his terrifying way. "We get to ride him." He nodded his head as he repeated the sand child's question as a statement of fact. Taking a step towards the rancor, the black scaled barabel placed a clawed hand on its lowered head and projected his thoughts into the creature's mind, forming a mental picture of the three of them atop its back. Fortunately there was no need to strain himself forcing his will upon the creature; Spot was more than happy to accede to their request. With a forwards lurch, Spot dropped to all fours, lowering itself as low as possible to the ground.Merrily Lil'Mort began to assist Kr'Naan with moving all their bags atop the creature's back. They had to construct a makeshift harness out of some spare rope they had, as the rancor was not currently fitted with a saddle, but it would hold their gear to its back if nothing else. Once the emaciated ewok had scaled the semi-domesticated monster, he reached over the side and extended a paw to the tusken girl, grasping her outstretched hand before pulling her up and onto its back. A crack sounded as the saurian Sith below flexed his claws, extending those curved talons that seemed to glint at their razor edged tips. He dug those digits into the rancor's hide, then sunk his toe talons in and scaled the beast like a mountain climber. The creature's hide was so thick that the pricking tips of the Hungering One's fingers served more to scratch an itch. Dragus clambered on top and lounged across the relatively flat top of the rancor's shoulders, using their bags as cushions. Once they were comfortably aboard, Spot rose to its full height, practically reaching the ceiling of the forest canopy. It turned from the temple and lumbered towards the forest, one booming footstep at a time.Upon reentering the deep woods, they could see that those oversized spiders were still in the branches above. Lil'Mort quickly retrieved his bow from their secured gear, stringing it and knocking an arrow as he took aim at the large arachnids. Before he could fire, the dastardly drake swung his tail around and gently brought the capped tip down across the arrow head, lowering the ewok's aim. Cursing harshly in ewokese, the dark furred bear spun around and saw Dragus shake his head and point his index claw back towards the venomous bugs. Ahead of them, the mutant arachnids scattered from their path, primal instincts overriding their desperate hunger. With the Hungering One's pet drexl currently on Roon, Spot was now the top of the food chain on Pzob. There wasn't anything on the surface of the planet for it to fear. Lil'Mort calmed when he realized this, muttering to himself as he returned the bow and quiver to their bags. He sat with a huff, crossing his furry arms and leaning back against the lounging lizard's legs for rest.As you might have expected, Kr'Naan's ceaseless thirst for knowledge of the Hakusar's exploits had indeed been acquiesced to. This time, however, his stories were more a random oversharing of disconnected events with less of a point and more simply spoken for his own entertainment. Having finally secured the stone after years of scheming, his mood was greatly improved and he was still riding that high, so-to-speak."...and though dangerouz, I allowed Eradomenz to drive hiz lightsssaber through my shoulder and out my back, bringing it into contact with my cape which waz laced with a cortosisss-weave. Hiz lightsssaber shut off, disssarming him jussst long enough for me to cleave hiz head in twain with ol'Bloodeater here. I took hiz masssk from hiz ssstill warm corpse and could feel hiz sssoul writhing inssside of it. The body I had ssstruck down waz jussst a hossst. Hiz ssspirit waz contained in the masssk..." "...Rook ssstruck Lorn'z head from hiz body, leaving a sssteaming neck ssstump in itz place. To think, Lorn thought thiz meant hiz ssservice to me waz at an end. No, foolish Lorn, I would not dissscard sssuch a ussseful pawn ssso wassstefully. Good help iz hard to find, you underssstand, and he had proven himssself valuable in many wayz, if not in combat. Ssso I took hiz corpssse to my lab and began to replace hiz blood with an alchemical sssolution I had dissstilled from the murakami orchid and ssstitched back on hiz head..." "...they ssscreamed and they writhed on the ground, clawing their own eyez out az Major filled their mindz with their deepessst nightmarez made manifessst. I had thought her powerz a uselesss parlor trick, but in that moment I could sssee a practical application for their ussse. The Fallanasssi and I shared what you might call a cultural exchange. I gave her Gascioch'z bloodshine lightsssaber and inssstructed her in itz ussse, while she showed me how to craft illusionz with my mind..." "...and ssso Ssspot here ate the gamorrean'z carcasss, unaware that it was infesssted with parasitez. For monthz the wormz grew in itz belly, until eventually they emerged from hiz posssterior az a putrid bouquet of blade tooth tentaclez, ssspewing acidic diarrhea that could melt the plassstoid off a ssstormtrooper." Spot groaned beneath them, and Dragus patted his head. "Well I told you not to eat it..." "...and ssso Emperor Palpatine turnz to Grand Moff Tarkin and sayz, that'z no wookiee, that'z my wife! Siss Siss Siss!" Lil'Mort scowled as Dragus' hissing lips doused them in flecks of blood, the emaciated ewok wiping the crimson shower from its furry face long enough to point out the fact that its cousin was a wookiee and he didn't find that joke funny. Dragus raised a brow. "I don't think that'z true..." "...I hadn't come into my true power at thiz point and Sssith'ari Grizz well knew it. Had he decided to he could have sssmote me like an insssect and never battered an eye over it. Ssso, what waz I to do? I reached inssside my cloak, desssperately ssseeking sssome relic that might appeassse thiz titan of the darkssside. My fingerz found the masssk, Eradomenz sssoul ssstill ssscreaming inssside the object, hungry for a new victim to hossst hiz wicked ssspirit. Yez, thiz would do..." They made excellent time riding atop Spot's back, passing several recently visited landmarks on the way. What few boars remained of Clan Morlock hid behind the palisade walls of their village as the rancor strode past, uprooting trees as it bent the forest from their path. The netti grove cracked beneath its feet like kindling, not willing to defend itself as it had against the trio, lest it invite the fully fury of the monster they rode upon. Eventually, as day turned to night, they neared the forest clearing where the Grimblade waited. The ramp was down and all occupants of the ship were outside, sitting on logs around a fire. The cycloptic wok Lil'Bacca roasted an eye ball on a stick over the camp fire, seated beside Lil'Kaan who was busy chewing on a charred human leg. Across from them, their blind pilot Lil'Havok, licked his lips as he watched the ranat...mmm, let's call him Squeakers, turn a spit over the flames that held the strung up body of one of the Sith Temple's monks. Apparently the Hannites that maintained the temple grounds for the Order had detected the Grimblade's beacon and had sent a party out to investigate. Obviously they had been welcomed by the Famine Lord's flock and shown their full hospitality. Dragus' nostrils slits sniffed the air as the aroma of cooked human flesh tickled his senses, causing his jaws to salivate.
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 152
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on Mar 17, 2022 23:24:02 GMT -8
Aside from her inquiring into more of the deeds of Dragus, Kr'Naan had spent the ride back almost entirely silent save for a few gasps of surprise or shock as the tales he spun for her of his achievements reached their crescendos. The Tusken child, belonging to a people heavily reliant of the spoken word for their histories and culture, was more than primed to take each word spoken by the embellishing elohim as near sacrosanct. Her young mind did its best to try and commit each syllable to memory. She was not trained in the Storyteller arts like her grandfather, only been shown simple mental exercises for memory training, so Kr'Naan decided she would need to transcribe these stories so that they might be easily shared with others so that they might know the glory of the Tusken god made real. There was something in the back of her mind telling her that his stories needed to be spread so that they might be followed. The lessons woven in between the lines used as lessons for mortals to follow.What lessons there were Kr'Naan could not immediately tell, but she was sure this was some sort of test of her ability to interpret his homily into the mundane. Some of the stories seemed disjointed and unconnected but there were some names that were mentioned several times. There had to be meaning in them. Perhaps other disciples or the deity's kin? Would she ever be able to meet any of them or had they been slain for his own advancement? Obviously not all, as Spot was mentioned as well, so this gave the Tusken girl some hope.That particular sentence consumed her attention for a moment, and she felt her desire for knowledge piqued even more. Kr'Naan would wait until Dragus had finished speaking before piping up."When will you reach your full power, master? Is there more required? Some ritual or time that must pass while you use the crystal?" She said quickly in ewokese. Her excitement at the prospect of witnessing the ascension of the false god, though this was still unknown to her, was very visible in her voice. Her imagination of the event she was picturing was also growing more extravagant and blockbuster-y. A grizzly aftermath greeted them as they came upon the ship that they had travelled within to the planet. Though they had been gone for only a few days, it seemed as though it had instead been weeks. It was almost a welcoming sight, even with the roasting remains and carnivorous bear-folk prancing about.Dismounting carefully with the help of Lil'Mort, Kr'Naan exhaled in satisfaction. She felt much better after the break from being the group's mule, though still not entirely recovered. She had been struck through by some arcane energy, after all. Children were durable and recovered quick, but if there were any lasting effects they surely had not yet shown themselves. Unsaddling the packs from the back of the rancor Spot, Kr'Naan would begin moving them back into the ship. She was careful to give the feast of flesh a wide berth. She believed she had had enough of eating other aware beings, even if the roasted pork rump had been delectable.Kr'Naan would return from the ship and find Dragus; the Tusken girl hovering perhaps a little annoyingly in the shadow of the saurian Sith as he imbibed in the bounty his furry flock had procured. In her hand was a canteen cup of some of the remaining drained spider blood they had procured. It was warm as though it had been heated, but it was sadly not fresh. Still, she held the cup up to the barabel to take.The Tusken youngling was silent as the cup was taken and sickeningly slurped down the gullet of the reptilian reprobate in between tearing roasted tissue from bone. She remained nearby, watching him as he finished feasting. The silence from the uli-ah, though silent as silence was, was incredibly loud for being...well silence. Some might find it a little creepy to be watched by a near unmoving being covered head to toe in thick garb. There was some movement, however; a slight move of the hands, the shuffling of feet. Fidgeting.She wanted direction. To know what was next. But she knew it was not her place to demand such things.
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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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Post by Dragus on Mar 18, 2022 6:31:37 GMT -8
"When will you reach your full power, master? Is there more required? Some ritual or time that must pass while you use the crystal?" "Find a home for thiz sssomewhere aboard." |
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