Whill Shaman Dažbog
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Water is the most important element of life. For without Water, you cannot make Coffee.
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Post by Whill Shaman Dažbog on Oct 15, 2022 10:07:35 GMT -8
A tropical island located near the equator of the planet Rishi. Dominating the eastern portion of the isle is a rocky cliff, under which is a coastal cove. Several sandy beaches surround the perimeter of the island, while the center mainly consists of jungle terrain host to a small population of jungle wampas and kell dragons native to the planet.
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Dragus on Oct 18, 2022 9:53:07 GMT -8
Story continued from here.For Dragus, time seemed to slow as his brother's pasty white hand reached towards him, a single finger threatening to come into contact with his obsidian hued scales. His response was a mixture of emotion, a cross of cold resentment swirled with the lusty yearnings of physical desire. How dare he be touched without invitation! And yet, he wanted to be touched, oh how he curiously craved the crawl of Havok's alabaster digits across his perfect body. His lips trembled, steaming salivations dripping in a warm flowing tide down the chin of his snout, his forked tongue emerging from his forest of incisors to lick across their gleaming yellow surface as he felt the stroke of the Dread Seer's finger for the briefest of moments. At the centre of his being, the great fathomless pit where his soul should be, stirred with a thirst that all the water on Mon Calamari would not be enough to quench. It took all of his self control not to sink his claws into his brother's soft flesh, or to close his terrible jaws around his brothers face and chew through his skull for the tender grey matter within. Brains were a favourite snack of his. Fortunately in that moment of contact, he could feel the Dread Seer impress a vision onto the saurian Sith's scattered mind, distracting his senses from the physical present. Dragus closed his eyes and allowed his mind to be led on whatever journey his brother intended. When he opened his blood red orbs, they came to linger on Havok meditating in the temple. For his part, the Hungering One was just a spectator in these events, watching through a proverbial window into the Seer's recollection of the past. However, a vision was just a dream of another sort, and dreams were something the fiendish Famine Lord was all too familiar with. From behind the transparent window into his brother's troubled memories, the scaly figure of the Great Devourer began to shift and change. His arms retracted up into the sleeves of his robe and his legs seemed to merge together, blending into his tail as his body elongated and took on the shape of a great serpent. The hood of his robe joined with his glossy scales to form the head of a cobra, with smouldering eyes and a large snout full of two glistening fangs. Taking on the same form as his astral projection of self, the great serpent form of the mad drake exhaled a sulphuric breath of poison smoke from two long nostril slits, fogging up the window until it began to blister and peel. Slithering forwards, Dragus penetrated the previously assumed impermeable barrier and entered the vision, not a spectator any longer but now a true participant.From the shadows he watched with slit eyes full of blood, his senses tingling as the Seer was set upon by invaders that had breached the temple catacombs, possessed by a desire to purify the wellspring of darkness that fueled the unnatural powers of the High Lords of the Eye. Dragus was content to observe as Havok dispatched them, though when one came near the dark corner the serpent remained coiled in, he couldn't help but slip from the shadows and sink his sword length fangs into the invaders back. Poison pumped through the recollected invaders veins until his body burst like an overinflated bladder, spilling congealed jelly from every orifice as the coagulants in the serpent's venom turned his vitae to a solid. The fangs came free in a brief wet spray before the hooded cobra opened its massive maw and swallowed the mental apparition whole, devouring them in a single quiet gulp. He was uncertain if his tampering would effect Havok at all. This was a vision purposefully projected by his brother, these events had already happened, or so he was led to believe. Though a curious part of him wondered if his playful alterations would change the way the Seer recalled those events the next time he thought on them. Either way, the mad drake intended to have his fun. The great serpent's crimson orbs went wide with alarm as he found himself drawn into the maelstrom of time behind Havok, bound to his brother as the vision followed its leading character.He watched his brother's confusion and agony, licking his lips as Havok practised dark rituals and committed all manner of despicable act, all in a hopeless attempt to draw an explanation from the aether and the Eye as to what had happened. Havok's suffering was a savory delicacy that He-Who-Hungers could not restrain himself from. As the Seer knelt in the dark grass of the Deep Woods beneath the moonless night sky of blessed Pzob, the serpent slithered from the trees, drawn by the delicious offering. He encircled the Seer, who seemed unaware of his presence, the memory and manipulation not melding perfectly. Despite this, the serpent's nostrils slits widened, smelling the sweet scent of despair. It was a most gratifying offering, he longed to bask in it for as long as his brother could endure the emotional agony. Yet even as he yearned to sup upon this exquisite morsel, he found that he could not enjoy the moment completely. Havok's pain of loss reminded him of his own loneliness and feelings of abandonment. He resented Mortale for leaving, Bacca for sleeping, and Kaan for breaking. Belisarius betraying him was a further twist of the dagger of abandonment in his pitiless heart, more fuel to heap on the pyre that started with his separation from Major, who had always clung to his villainous backside like a shadow. Famine's coils began to constrict around Havok's still seemingly unaware form, encircling him tightly in a warm embrace of glossy scales that were each in turn a window into the soul of Famine. Tortured phantoms were reflected in each hardened mirror of the serpent's surface, banging against their prison for release, their desperate pleading a wailing chorus to lull the Seer to sleep. He wanted to embrace Havok completely, to hold him tightly until his bones were ground to dust, one far-seeing soul pressed to the heart of his hollow being. Here was someone who understood his profound sense of loss, an equal to share in the misery that tortured him even on the summer shores of his pleasure isle. Suddenly his coils closed as the projection of Havok disappeared from his clutches and reappeared as the world around them changed from the natural splendor of the Eye's cradle to the artificial Imperial halls of a First Order compound. He watched as the Seer followed a similar path as he had, seeking a benefactor to bleed for wealth and resources. The great serpent hissed as Havok's words reverberated in his mind, reaffirming his loyalty to his brothers, to Dragus. At that moment the conniving snake was at a loss for words, let alone lies.He didn't want this shared connection to end. But it did. Dragus restrained his aura as Havok removed his finger, the invisible leeching tendrils of his spiritual presence withdrawing reluctantly, forced to be sated with what small snack they were able to scrape from the brief connection with the Seer. A groan rumbled in his belly and his red eyes glazed over slightly, lips widening and jaws quivering in barely contained hunger. Seeing the obvious signs, Squeakers snapped two clawed digits of its gnarled paw, summoning one of the ewok maidens from the entourage that followed behind them. A fishbowl full of human eyeballs was quickly presented before the salivating snout and slathering jaws of the famished draconian. A single sniff broke the spell and his heavy lids narrowed on the bowl, grasping it with a claw before thrusting the talons of his other hand into the transparent container. When he removed his hand he held a handful of the ocular organs in his palm, which he proceeded to plop into his mouth, shredding them between his incisors like fat juicy grapes. Eye juice drizzled from the side of his jaws as he munched noisily, distracting his appetite as his brother completed his explanation.Delvardus as a member of the Order? He used his forked tongue to loosen a half eaten eyeball from between his front teeth. Preposterous! Dragus was an excellent judge of character and he could tell from the moment he had met that human that he did not possess the very specific moral inclinations that the others had. At most he would make a useful pawn, which was the reason why the Famine Lord allowed the events of Prakith to unfold as they had. Still, it heartened him to hear of this so called Emperor's impending death, even if he was to have no part in it. This talk of civil war, however, was something he found most interesting. In fact, it excited him greatly.By the time Havok had finished talking, half the bowl of eyes was already empty, with a thick slathering of slimy juice trailing from the saurian's snout. He looked up at the sky as though the Eye might be up there staring back, then lowered his gaze and swung his claws out to the side, spilling eyeballs from the top of the bowl held in his right claw. Behind him his tail swept through the air at a fast rhythm, wagging happily like a vornskr that had just fetched a ball. Organ juices sprayed in a fine mist from Dragus' wet lips as he spoke sincerely."Oh my dear sssweet, Ssseer." Cooed Dragus, flicking his forked tongue as he brought his claws back together and rested the talons of both hands on the lid of the half emptied fish bowl. "You are ssso sssimply adorable I ssswear I could eat you right up." The corners of his lips lifted, fully displaying his rows of steaming fangs, suggesting he was considering making good on that statement. "I never doubted your commitment to the caussse, though it warmz my black heart to hear you reaffirm your loyalty to our dark family. Know that you are not alone in having attempted to fill the hole the Order'z decline haz left in all our livez. I too have sssought to fill itz vacancy." Dumping the last of the slimy organs from the fishbowl into his mouth, he discarded the container onto the rocks where it smashed into shards, rinsed away by the waves rolling into shore. "Not with any of thiz, of courssse. Material wealth iz az worthlesss az power without sssomeone to share it with. I have a daughter now, did you know?" Raising a talon beneath his snout, he scraped his chin, flacking away scales as he mused aloud. "I sssuppose that makez you an uncle. The little runt iz around here sssomewhere." He cupped his claws around his snout and snarled loudly. "Wart! Where did you run off to? Wart, come out here thiz inssstance!"When she didn't readily appear, the saurian Sith offered a shrug, tilting his head and stamping his tail on the stone steps with a clang. His toe talon tapped on the ground impatiently."That jawa fingered little sssavage iz probably hiding in her room. Well, no matter. You'll meet her eventually. Squeakerz here assurez me she iz a real tusssken raider. Practically feral when I plucked her out of a ssslave market on Nar Shaddaa." He examined the polished talons of his left claw as he feigned humility. "What can I sssay? I've alwayz been drawn to strayz. I'm sssure it haz sssomething to do with my entrepreneurial interessst in charitable workz, az much az the Jedi have tried to ssscrub word of my magnanimouz deedz from the holonet. But letz ssset that assside for a moment. Thiz newz of civil war iz mossst wonderful. A fractured Empire, neighbour againssst neighbour, one ssside pitted in bloody conflict againssst the other for galactic sssupremacy. It stirz the passionz, and presentz opportunity. Siss Siss Siss." Blood bubbles popped in his throat as he hissed and laughed both at once.Meanwhile, the ground underfoot began to tremble and shake. A deep rumble from under the earth caused the entire island to vibrate as something primal and terrifying moved through the subterranean tunnels beneath their feet. Cracks formed in the stone stairs leading up to the sinister fortress at the top of the hill, spewing methane and other odorous gases trapped beneath the surface from fissures in the earth, venting out in scalding bursts of acrid steam. Whatever good mood was writ upon the fiendish face of Famine, it was replaced by a look of...well, we won't call it fear but it very closely resembled concern. The furry followers all muttered the same word:"Umaroth..." To which Dragus replied. "The doomssslither awakenz. Come brother, we should make our way inssside."Without further word, he led Havok the rest of the way up to the front entrance of Fort Ewok. Two massive doors nearly as thick as the Pzobian oaks that they had been hewn from, barred the way into the darkened fortress. Hastily the barabel rapped the scaled knuckles of one fist on the door, urging those inside to open it as quickly as possible. The ground still rumbled beneath them, causing rocks to splinter from the cliff and fall into the sea. A creak sounded from somewhere inside as a latch was lifted and the doors were unbarred. The great portal into the stony entrance swung inwards, pulled by the freakishly large gnarled paw of a ranat-ogre. The towering brute was shorter than Bacca by a head, but just as broad of shoulder and equally overflowing with tightly packed muscle. A thousand tallow candles of congealed human fat illuminated the inner hall, which was adorned with already mouldering tapestries depicting scenes from the the Famine Lord's awful exploits. The air was heavy with sickly smelling incense and narcotic spice, creating a fug that lingered like a tangible layer and clung to ones clothes like dampness in a swamp. Flies buzzed around the sinister decorative lights, seduced by the decay scented secretions.
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Darth Rebellious
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Rebellious on Dec 3, 2022 22:31:58 GMT -8
Continued from hereAfter the ebon-hued transport broke through the atmosphere and the heat of entry dissipated, Darth Rebellious leveled the craft out and soared unassailed through white clouds and blue skies. The planet Rishi, by all accounts, was a tropical paradise of lush jungles, swampy mashes, rocky mountain crags and sandy shores. However, it also had a history of serving as a safe haven for the more disreputable characters from all over the wider galaxy. This also made it a good redoubt for a wayward Sith.
Behind the controls of his Star Courier, the Dark Lord piloted by feeling, following the Dark Side to it's strongest source on the planet. The vessel skimmed slightly above the ocean's surface, the velocity of which caused the waters to splash and leave vapor trails in its wake. Eventually, Rebellious spotted an island situated in the middle of the vast blue near the world's equator. The isle was a hill of tropical forest surrounded by beaches, save for a stony cliff face that appeared to open into a grotto or cave. Constructed atop the cliff was what appeared to be a fortress. The ship slowed and the landing gears deployed as it made it's approach, finally coming to a hovering stop and making it's landing on a flattened beachhead a short hike from the castle itself.
Darth Rebellious emerged from the craft clad in all black garments of shimmersilk and fine leather. A Sith for sure and a sovereign in his own right, he wore the fabrics of his post. With the hood of his cloak raised, he would seem out of place if he hadn't been standing in the shadow of such a construct. His luminous yellow eyes scanned the dense treeline until his gaze settled on a clearing in the vegetation; a jungle path. He assumed it would lead him to the gates of the fortress, and so he hastily stepped onto the trail. As he walked, the Darth made his presence known, allowing the his malignant power to radiate from him like the heat from an inferno. He could feel the jungle's fauna moving away from him as he proceeded up the path; they knew he was an apex predator among them.
Upon reaching the end of the trail, the Dark Lord looked upon the inky black stone of the fortress'walls, noticing the blood-colored mortar that bound the bricks together. He stopped at the equally dark-hued wooden gates and looked up to meet the stares of furry creatures he recognized as Ewoks and Ranats manning the battlements. Using the Force to amplify his voice, he spoke to them."I seek Famine!"Rebellious exclaimed to the onlookers. He stood completely still as they raised their spears, a warning that they were prepared to throw them and leave him skewered if he didn't leave. Unafraid of their posturing, he brushed aside the fabric of his cape and rested his right hand on his hip, allowing them to see the metal of his lightsaber hilt hanging from his belt before speaking again."I said I am seeking Famine. I won't say it again."Although the scurrying feet of one of the Ranats could be heard as it skittered off in search of their master, the Dark Lord remained still as a statue. He was fully prepared to unleash carnage on the creatures should they attempt to strike. A fact that they fully understood if the subtle rippling of their fur and slight trembling of their appendages was any indication.
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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 Dec 4, 2022 7:29:38 GMT -8
In the distance a bolt of lightning kissed the ocean, followed by a rumbling crack of thunder that roared even over the crashing of waves rolling into shore. The sky overhead darkened as though the sound awoke a bitterness in the clouds that caused them to vent their sour mood onto the fair isle, delivered as the pitter-patter of warm tropical rain. A second heavenly bolt of electrical discharge struck closer to shore, the natural choir of thunder concealing the grating creak of the fort's dense wooden doors of iron hard Pzobian oak swinging wide apart to reveal a creature lurking in the embrace of shadows created at its threshold. It stepped forwards on two clawed feet that ended in curved toe talons that would have been suitably utilized as butchers hooks. Its body was covered in red feathers, with a vultures head that seemed oddly out of place given how broad across the chest it seemed to be. As it emerged from the gloom of the open portal, the figure's features became clear and it was exposed as more saurian than avian. Those feathers belonged to a cloak it wore around its body, swathing its black scaled form from hood to mid-shin. The vultures head was actually the top half of a rishii skull worn as a cap and mask over the reptilian visage of a barabel. Crimson orbs smouldered like burning coals from the eye sockets of the skull mask as the Hungering One peered at the visitor to his less-than-humble abode.
Dragus, for who else could it be, leaned on a dark iron staff shaped like a rigid serpent with a hooded cobra's head at the top, fangs gripping a cannonball sized sphere of ruby red meltmassif that glowed with an intense inner light, casting an eerie crimson glow over the drake lord. The corners of his lips twisted upwards before peeling apart, his lower jaw splitting from the beak that covered the top half of his snout, exposing a forest of razor sharp incisors that filled his fanged maw to the point of absurdity. A forked tongue darted out of his toothy snout and flicked back and forth, sampling the wind with his powerful olfactory sense, while simultaneously misting the air with crimson flecks from his bleeding gums. Steaming ropes of hot salivation spilled over his lips, dripping down his chin to soil the front of his attire. A small swarm of blackflies buzzed about the Great Devourer's head, drawn to the cadaverous reek that seemed to perpetually cling to his scales like some sort of pestilential halo. Occasionally an overlong tail that sprouted from the saurian Sith's backside would swat the insects away with a sweep of the serrated iron spike capping its end, refracting the light from his staff off its oily sheen that hinted at the poison carefully massaged into its corroded surface.
"You have come at an inopportune time." Hissed the Blood Wyrm, his slit pupils peering past Rebellious to the jungle covered island beyond, as though seeking a graver threat than the Sith at his door. After a few seconds he shrugged his hunched shoulders, leaning more heavily on the staff in his claws as though exceptionally weary. His reptilian eyes ceased their vigilance and came to settle on the man that had arrived on his shores. "No matter. You are a part of thiz now and shall sssimply have to help."
While it might have been unclear as to what the mad alchemist was referring, who he was would have likely been unmistakable. His connection to the Eye had granted the avatar of its endless hunger a rather unique presence in the fey. Being next to Famine was like standing on the sloped side of a sarlacc pit. The closer you were to its deadly center, the harder it was to pull yourself away. He was both alluring and threatening at once, drawing in his victims like moths to a lit flame, promising sweet oblivion in his clawed embrace. Unmistakably corrupt, He-Who-Hungers made no attempt to conceal his sinister nature, accepting completely what he was without apology.
Removing his right claw from the staff, he raised it in his left and thumped the butt end on the rocky plateau upon which Fort Ewok was situated. As if on cue, the ground seemed to rumble and quake underfoot, cracks forming from the point of contact that seemed to spiderweb outwards. A fissure formed and vented a hot plume of volcanic gas that temporarily obscured the black scaled barabel in a sulphuric cloud before dissipating. In the near distance, somewhere in the heart of the jungle at the center of the isle, a great bestial shriek sounded that split the very air and brought a scowl to the depraved draconian's toothy snout. Along the battlements, greasy furred rodents with rusted spears and charcoal furred night ewoks with knocked arrows of obsidian slinked back into the shadows, retreating from whatever unnatural fury had just announced itself.
"The Doomssslither haz been rousssed." He rasped in his reptilian manner, scaled lids widening in alarm. "Come inssside, quickly now. Umaroth will not sssettle until itz appetite haz been...sssated."
He turned, offering Rebellious his feather swathed backside as he stalked back through the main entrance into the fort. The interior of the front entrance hall was a dimly lit chamber illuminated by low burning tallow candles of congealed human fat that bled dark wisps of greasy smoke. Wrought-iron braziers hanging from the ceiling belched clouds of narcotic incense that intermingled with the carrion scent wafting off tapestries inked in blood and excrement that were etched on a canvas of stretched manflesh that covered the walls. The disturbingly drawn images depicted scenes of past glories, along with a few artistic renderings of his extended family. There was an image of a massive cyclops wielding a mace, another of a skeleton with a skull topped scepter, a mad man with wild eyes, and finally a three eyed oracle preaching to white robed monks. While each picture varied in its twisted display, all shared one common theme, an eye in place of the sun at the corner of each image. In fact, looking around the fort one might similar iconography spread throughout. Beyond the obvious disturbing physical display, there was also a prevailing sense of wrongness that emanated from the fort, as though it were at odds with the natural world. Unmistakably, the fort was a place of great evil.
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Darth Rebellious
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Rebellious on Dec 4, 2022 20:24:24 GMT -8
The clouds blackened and lighting forked the sky as Darth Rebellious waited at the gates for the Lord of the castle. Just as a second bolt crackled in the air and the rainfall began, the massive doors of the fort opened with a loud groan and the Dark Lord's hand dropped from his belt allowing the dark fabric of his cloak to fall back into place. His fiery gazed moved from the creatures on the battlements to the doorway before him. A obsidian-scaled creature clad in the feathers and bones of the native Rishii revealed itself and began moving toward him, while Rebellious himself appraised it. He recognized the Sith for what it was, a Barabel; a race known for their savagery with this one appearing to be a prime example. It apparently also had an uncommon flair for the dramatic, assuming the tinge of the Dark Side in the clouds above came from this being. The visitor nodded in greeting.
As the reptilian drew closer, he could feel it's presence in the ether undeniably tugging at the life around them as if it it were a singularity drinking in the light of stars, drawing them into the void. Fitting that that this one was called Famine. Although the lizard leaned on an ornately-crafted serpentine staff as it walked, the Darth had no doubt that the being had no need of the assist, but rather that it was an alchemical work that it was proud of; along with the blade on the end of its tail that sliced the air with what he would assume to be poison coating the edge. As the saurian Lord spoke, Rebellious had caught wind of the smell of decaying flesh and gore that permeated the being, even more so, it's maw and breath. He grimaced unnoticeably and followed the drake into it's lair with brisk steps, the oaken doors closing audibly behind them.
"Perhaps... Help with what exactly?"
The Dark Lord curiously questioned as he walked behind the Barabel, intentionally keeping himself just out of reach the being's bladed appendage. He had no wish to involve himself in Famine's affairs beyond what was necessary to get what he wanted out of the fellow Lord, but if he had to trade a favor or two to meet his aims, he had no real qualms with it.
The sickly sweet smell of incense intermingled with the odor of death that followed the reptile, creating a pungent aroma almost as vile as the aura of the fortress itself. As they continued their trek through the halls, Rebellious' eyes wandered to observed his dimly lit surrounds, taking a particular interest in various artworks lining the walls of the drake's domicile. The images of carnage and Sith Lords marked with ornate symbols resembling eyes captured on canvases of flesh and inked in blood gave another grotesque indication of the depravity that the being was capable of. Something that he would take note of in dealings with this being.
"Do your troubles have something to do with this 'Umaroth' you speak of?"
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Dragus on Dec 6, 2022 8:16:57 GMT -8
"Precisssely!" He exclaimed, thumping his muscular tail against the ground with a heavy thud quickly followed by a clang as his tail spike struck the slick stone floor and sent a shower of sparks chasing after rodents as they fled into the darkness. "It'z a Sssith Wyrm, you sssee. One of my finessst creationz. Imagine if you will a monstrouz ssserpent ssseveral hundred meterz long with armoured scalez and a undissscerning palette, capable of exhaling an acidic vapor that can melt the plating off an all terrain walker. Umaroth is the culmination of countlesss yearz of resssearch and ssstudy." He brought his right claw under his snout and stroked his chin with a curved index talon, flaking off scales as he visibly pondered. "The only difficulty haz been in controlling the beassst. The Doomssslither iz foul tempered and az of late haz been tearing the island apart. Ordinarily I might allow it to do ssso for the purpossse of further ssstudy; however, my current benefactor haz already expended a great deal to afford thiz exotic locale. They would sssurely be vexed if I were to ssseek further allowance for repairz. In pursssuit of a remedy I have conssstructed thiz control rod..." He turned the serpentine staff in his left claw, the orb gripped between its fangs still glowing, occasionally pulsating with greater brilliance. "...that should allow itz wielder to isssue mental commandz directly into the mind of the great ssserpent. Asssuming of courssse the command pendant haz been properly placed." He paused, then shouted. "Squeakerz!"
While all manner of ill-imagined monster lurked in the dim halls of the mouldering fort, none were quite so numerous as the waist high rodents that made up the bulk of the Great Devourer's underlings. These agents of decay gnawed away at the roots of the world, spreading like a rampant disease, breeding uncontrollably, constantly consuming while tainting all they came into contact with.
One of the little parasite ridden disease breeders emerged from a nearby darkened corridor and scurried to the saurian Sith's side. The greasy furred rodent followed Rebellious' well made choice to stand on its haunches just out of reach of the black scaled barabel's long sweeping tail and the sinister spike capping its end. It held its own nub-ended wire thin tail in its gnarled paws as it focused its snout nervously on the drake lord, whiskers twitching, beady eyes fixated on Dragus. From a fanged mouth it chittered something in indecipherable rat-speech, squeaking too quickly for most to comprehend. A rumbling growl sounded from the throat of the Famine Lord as he returned his verminous assistant's stare with an inpatient glare of his own.
"The command pendant, you idiot-moussse!" Snarled Dragus, misting the rodent in crimson flecks that dampened the ranat's already filthy fur. Always on the edge of fearfulness, the rodent scampered back into the dark only to return a handful of seconds later with a satin pillow upon which sat a forearm sized oval of meltmassif fitted like a precious gem in a shiny electrum setting, attached to a long slender pin crafted from impervium alloy, sixteen inches in length. Both the orb in the control rod and the oval of the pendant pulsated with a ruby red light at matching intervals, physically inferring the two objects were linked. Squeakers raised the pillow in offering, while lowering its snout in prostration.
It was only then that the Hungering One turned, finally making Rebellious the focus of his attention since first appearing on his doorstep. His crimson orbs seemed to blaze in the yellowing sockets of the bird skull he wore, luminous like two flaring motes of witch-fire. Narrow slit pupils studied the other Sith curiously as the barabel's lips twisted and split into a cruel grin that put the forest of sharpened incisors in his jaws on full display. Flexing his right claw, his knuckles cracked audibly with sinuous pops, though for now he kept the hook like talons capping each fingers end folded in towards his own palm.
"You arrived at my door ssseeking me by a particular name, one not ssso widely known az it once waz. There are only two probable reasonz I can sssurmise for thiz. The firssst and mossst common theme amongssst my visitorz iz that you've come for revenge." His grin reversed into a disappointed scowl. "Sssadly, az you made no attempt to ssstrike me down when my back waz turned, I think it sssafe to rule that out. Which meanz you've come for the other reassson; you require sssomething from me. Though I am loathe to admit it, I find myssself sssimilarly requiring the asssistance of another. Ssso letz make thiz matter sssimple. Help me in bringing the Doomssslither to heel, in turn I shall aid you in whatever it iz you require, ssso long az it iz in my power to do ssso. Hmmm?"
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Darth Rebellious
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Rebellious on Dec 8, 2022 23:08:30 GMT -8
Darth Rebellious' lips subtly curled into the shadow of a smile as the Drake Lord spoke proudly of the abomination he had created. With his brief explanation of the creature and his troubles with it, he confirmed that the Lords of the Eye were indeed sorcerers and alchemists as the rumors claimed. The Kiffar felt a bit of satisfaction and relief in his heart knowing that this little trip abroad hadn't been in vain. The feeling was soon replaced by a hint of disgust when he caught a glimpse of the Ranat servant that came to the Barabel's aid. The filthy creatures were everywhere. It would seem that Famine simply allowed the vermin to roam and multiply unchecked. One moment the creature was there, the next it disappeared into the shadows only to come back with a cushion bearing a large device capped with an oblong jewel similar to the one that adorned the serpentine staff.
The Darth looked over the alchemically crafted trinket for a moment before shifting his sight back to the saurian Sith as he whirled on him, bringing his full attention to his guest. Although he was sure a lesser would've been stricken with fear by the reptilian's sudden movement and luminous glare, the near-human was unintimidated. Rebellious met the fellow Sith Lord's gaze with his own blazing irises, crossing his arms over his muscled chest as he listened attentively to the being's hypotheses regarding the visitor's intentions. He found amusement in the fact that the Lord of the Eye seemed disappointed that he wasn't there seeking an altercation, causing his smile to return in full, exposing his perfectly alabaster teeth. The Dark Lord chuckled slightly as he replied.
"I assure you, Famine Lord. I have no quarrel with you."
The Sith spoke with a casualness that paired well with the silken bass of his voice and core accent. In politics it served him well to set his peers at ease. Whether it would work with the Barabel was still unknown. The smile toned down to a look of seriousness as he got to the point.
"Your assumption would be correct in that I came seeking something. What I want is power, plain and simple. Power in the the form of knowledge that you possess."
The Darth lifted one hand from the folded mass of his arms and pointed his gloved index finger at the command pendant for emphasis.
"I heard rumors that the Lords of the Eye were masters of the arcane arts, and so I sought you out. I have been exploring some of the more obscure Sith teachings as well. Unfortunately, I find myself stuck in some aspects. You can only learn so much from texts."
His eyes returned to the command pendant as he pondered possible ways to complete the proposed task. He had heard stories of the beast that Exar Kun had been forced to slay on Yavin 4, and how difficult it had been to battle. However, that had been a fight to the death. A task that seemed far easier to do than get close enough to plant the control device on the behemoth's crown. With a drawn out sign, Rebellious turned to look upon Famine once more.
"If you agree to allow me to watch you work, and give me a few insights on the craft, then I will help you apprehend your monstrosity. Frankly, a great wyrm is one hell of a creature to lose control of. However, if we put our strength and wits together, I believe we can succeed in the endeavor."
Completely unfolding his arms from his body, Rebellious fully extended his right arm and outstretched his fingers, inviting the Famine Lord to shake hands in agreement to the pact. Although he wasn't enthused about battling the colossal serpent, he was truthful in his belief that they could gt the job done if they worked in concert.
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Dragus
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Post by Dragus on Dec 10, 2022 7:37:12 GMT -8
A fellow seeker of lost lore and forbidden knowledge? Oh how delightful! Behind his feather swathed form, the twisted terrorsaur's tail lifted from the floor and gently began to sway behind him, the spike capping its end shaking like a rattle as a full bodied convulsion vibrated his scales. His lips spread wide, seeming to stretch beyond the dimensions of his snout into a villainous smile. He could barely contain himself as Rebellious hit all the keywords to set his passions ablaze. His desire for power was expected, Dragus had never met a Sith who hadn't succumbed to its siren call in some form or another. Most sought it through strength of arms or pure military might. Too few had the patience to put in the hard work, dedicating themselves to study and the pursuit of knowledge. He could recall a younger version of himself on much the same path as this Sith before him now, sagely turning to the greater mysteries of the malevolent fey as a means towards ultimate power.
Older now, questionably wiser, he no longer sought after that most desirous of fruit. In a sense the order had reversed, where once he had sought knowledge for the sake of power, now he viewed power as a means to acquire more knowledge and further his already unparalleled mastery of the alchemical arts. It was his ultimate failing as a Sith and greatest strength as a scholar. It also had made him a sought after commodity, which was how he ended up in his current circumstance, indentured to the service of the Supreme Leader of the Sith Eternal. Fortunately the Eye, not the religious Order but the malign entity itself, had been willing to overlook this as it provided a means for its most capable servant to continue enacting its dark agenda for the galaxy.
Such was his excitement that it awoke in him a terrible hunger. A sour reek of spoiled meat wafted from his open maw as his mouth grew warm and hot salivation streamed from his jaws, spilling over his lips in long steaming ropes that drizzled to the floor and bubbled in a foul puddle of acidic stew. He briefly closed his frightful mouth to suck back the accumulated saliva in an audible swallow, followed by an unintentional burp that saw small wisps of poison breath escape his nostril slits, evaporating slowly in the dank environment of the dread fort. His unmatched olfactory senses scented the blood pumping through the Kiffar's veins, the unique flavour of meat he was comprised of, even the fragrance of his natural pheromones. Slowly, his forked tongue dragged over his wet lips before retreating back behind rows of glistening incisors. Just a small bite perhaps. Surely he wouldn't miss a piece off the arm or thigh? Little more than a nibble really. As his more bestial nature vied for control, another rumble shook the fortress as the ground quaked under claw, the Doomslither's poor mood having an effect on the island akin to seismic activity. It was enough to distract from the ache in his belly and allowed him to regain his better senses just in time to respond to Rebellious' outstretched hand.
"I admire your optimisssm." He responded in his rasping reptilian way, extending his right claw to embrace Rebellious' hand with his own scaled mitt. He-Who-Hungers had to make a concerted effort not to scrape or prick the Kiffar's skin with the biting edge or piercing tip of his talons. While not coated in poison like his tail spike, the barabel's personal hygiene was questionable even at the best of times, so it was anyone's guess what manner of harmful bacteria lingered on the surface of his sharpened nails. "It ssseemed to well ssserve the rodentz I sssent after Umaroth. At firssst anywayz. Fortunately their carcassez now littering the beach have found a new purpossse feeding the crabz. Deliciouz grilled and basssted in blue butter. The crabz that iz, not the ratz. Parasssite infesssted, the lot of them. Givez me the worssst indigessstion."
Dragus released Rebellious hand and took a step back before crossing his arms over his chest. His scaled brow rose curiously.
"By what name shall I know you, hmmm? Unlesss of courssse you would prefer I choossse my own for you. I should warn thee, they tend to be quite catchy." Squeakers, Squawkers, Wart, Lil this and Lil that. You get the picture.
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Darth Rebellious
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Post by Darth Rebellious on Dec 12, 2022 20:26:44 GMT -8
Darth Rebellious gave a closed-lipped smile as Famine confirmed the deal with a traditional hand shake. Knowing that his own ravenous hunger for knowledge would be soon sated brought him joy, or at least the closest thing to it that a Lord of the Sith could truly feel. However, the hesitation and thick ropes of saliva shown by the terrorsaur hadn't gone unnoticed.
The Kiffar had seen enough predators in his time from the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk, the forests of Dxun, and the wastes of Korriban to recognize a feeding reflex. The beast had thought about eating him. He was no stranger to Sith Lords that feasted on sentient beings. His own master and a fair share of students at the academy would partake in such barbarism on occasion. Rebellious himself would only do so when he felt an edge was needed in psychological warfare, though he never enjoyed it. He would have to keep an eye on this creature, lest he would have to show the saurian that he would be no easy meal.
Following suit, the Dark Lord took a step away and clasped his hands behind his back and allowing his cloak to close around him before replying to the fellow Lord's query.
"I am known in different circles by different names. Since you are of the Dark Side as I, you will know my truth. I am Darth Rebellious, Dark Lord of the Sith."
He dipped his head with a polite nod of acknowledgement before continuing.
"And I would ask the same of my gracious host. I would assume Famine is a title rather than a name?"
The Darth paused long enough for the saurian to reply before extending his arm from his cloak, motioning to return the way they came. With their immediate task of taking down the wyrm at hand, he didn't want to waste time talking in the halls. He did, however, have questions about the beast that would need answers if he wanted to formulate tactics to combat the sithspawn.
"You've seen the serpent in action, correct? What can you tell me about it? If am to help you subdue the creature long to tag it with that command pendant, I wish to know its strengths and weaknesses so that I might know how best to undermine it. Going in blind is never an ideal circumstance."
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Dragus
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Post by Dragus on Dec 13, 2022 10:02:47 GMT -8
Darth Rebellious? An interesting choice. He wondered what exactly the Kiffar was rebelling against. Well, there would be time enough to pry those details out of the man, that much he was certain. While he lacked his brother Havok's prophetic darksight, he had seen enough of the skeins of fate to be confident that the other Sith's wyrd did not end here today."Famine..." Hmmm, how to describe the significance of that name to one of the uninitiated? There were few enough these days that could remember a time before the First Order held dominion over the larger galaxy, but some still recalled the emblazoned Eye on a field of fire, flapping in the wind upon a black flag over the scorched capital of a broken world. In those days 'Famine' had been a means of letting the pitiful peons know which warlord of the Order had come to ravage their planet and terrorize its people. But it had another meaning, one that could only be understood by those that had been exposed to the Almighty Eye, had their souls laid bare before its omnipotent gaze. He supposed it didn't matter. Those were secrets not to be shared with those outside the faith. "...waz a name given to me by the Order of the Eye. I wear it the sssame way one might adorn a cloak, trading it for another when it suitz me. If you mussst call me sssomething then Draguz will sssuffice. It waz the name I chossse for myssself when I had no other."If he went through his whole collection of titles and names they'd be here all day. The Dark Apothecary was so utterly obsessed with his work he considered such formalities to be a waste of his time, which is why he so rarely used them. His genius was better focused on the task at hand.Carelessly he tossed the serpentine control rod in his left claw to Squeakers, who somehow managed to catch it in his gnarled paws while still juggling the cushion with the command pendant on it. The barabel then approached the wall and removed an unlit torch from a barbed iron scone mounted upon the brick, taking it into his right claw. Crafted from a hollowed kell dragon spine, the torch was filled with fuel while its head was bound in strips of oil soaked human hide. He held it to one of the tallow candles lining the wall, where it ignited in a 'whoosh' of flame that wafted with the scent of crackling human skin. Holding the torch aloft, he jerked his snout towards one of the adjoining corridors and motioned for Rebellious to follow as he led his guest further into the fortress. At first they passed through several rooms of raised portcullis, lined with waist high murder holes where night ewoks waited with knocked obsidian tipped arrows. They were practically invisible in the dark, save for the feral glow of their beady red eyes. Such a common sight were they that the Great Devourer seemed to pay them no mind."Umaroth will keep for a bit." He explained. "It'z been tearing the island apart for a few weekz now, ssso I think we should be fine for another hour, which iz roughly when the bait will arrive. You sssee I sssent a ssslave barge to the mainland to gather sssome of the Doomslither'z favourite food. It should be returning shortly with a hold full of galandanz. I'm not sssure why it enjoyz them ssso much, I alwayz thought they tasssted like mutton, but to each hiz own I sssuppose. We'll need them to help dissstract the wyrm if we are to have any hope of placing the command pendant. It mussst be placed between the serpent'z eyez, a very difficult feat. I've tried jussst about everything I could think of. I sssent the vermintide to ssswarm it overland, only to have half their number flattened and the other half melted into mush by itz acidic breath. Ssseated on the back of my winged drexl mount Ssspite, I hurled ranatz at itz head from the sssky, hoping one would be able to gain purchassse and plant the device. Another failure; it gobbled them up fassster than I could tosss them. I've tried weakening it with blassster cannonz, sssedating itz food, electric shockz, poissson gaz, etc. You name it, I've tried it. I even ssset loossse sssome of the fort'z battle hydraz, chrysalidz, and sssilooth againssst the great wyrm, only to have their bonez litter my doorssstep." He shook his head. "That'z the price of brilliance. I've sssimply made the beassst too perfect."Ordinarily the Hungering One would not have bothered with a torch. Like the rest of his species his vision was limited to the thermal spectrum, viewing the world in varying shades of red and blue. Typically he relied on his potent sense of smell, which revealed more to him than his eyes ever could. The torch he held for the other Sith's sake alone, as most of the passages throughout the fort were unlit. A good thing too, for the luminance cast off from the torch in his hand revealed that the malign structure was not as empty as it initially seemed. Things lurked in the dark, exposed only by the reflection off hungry eyes and glistening white fangs. As they turned one corner, the saurian Sith halted, stopped by a pack of five leathery fleshed rakghoul that snarled and hissed."RAWR!" Snarled the drake lord right back at them, scattering the pack and causing them to flee further up the hall where they disappeared into the shadows that seemed to bleed from the very walls. He snickered wickedly, clearing having enjoyed himself."Rakghoul." Obviously. "They are admittedly a challenge to keep, essspecially uncaged, but they really mussst be free range to lend the proper gaminesss to the flavour. We're almossst there now." He continued on.They passed other sights along the way. Nightmarishly armoured war bots, nearly statuesque save for the animate glow of their photo-receptors. All manner of rat to ranat, from waist high assistants like Squeakers to towering mutated brutes the apothecary referred to as 'ranat-ogres'. There were even a few common rodents scurrying about, as witnessed when the draconian bent over to scoop up a fat bodied squealing sewer rat, no much bigger than his palm. Holding it by its tail, he brought the rodent to his jaws and sank his sharpened incisors into its flesh, shearing it in half. Messily he gobbled up the half containing its head, tiny bones crunching between his teeth like snapping twigs. The back half of the bisected rodent he tucked away into his pocket as a snack for later, then continued leading the way.Eventually they reached his laboratory, somewhere near the dark centre of the dread fortress, if the malefic emanations in the fey were any indication. While not quite a Force nexus, Rebellious would likely find it far easier than usual to channel the darkside. Unspeakable acts had weakened the veil of reality, while the materials the fort was comprised of helped to anchor the power in place. It was a large windowless room, lit by the same candles as the front entrance though these hung from rusted chandeliers overhead, dripping stinging beads of wax onto the floor. The room was frankly a mess, with numerous tables covered in opened volumes and scattered sheets of parchment. A revolting stench permeated a heap of cadaverous tissue piled in one corner, swarming with flies that clung to offal and what appeared to be hacked off limbs. The discard pile of failed experiments. Glassware beakers bubbled with concoctions, seen to by more of the vermin-kin wearing filthy rubber aprons. Dragus placed his torch in an empty wall scone before approaching one such bubbling container and dipped a claw into the luminous green substance, then brought it to his snout and sucked the foul elixir from the digit."Needz a touch more rock worrt venom." He muttered, before turning to Rebellious and spinning in a circle, nearly knocking over a table with his long sweeping tail. "Well, here we are. My laboratory. Thiz iz where I do my bessst ssscheming."
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Darth Rebellious
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Post by Darth Rebellious on Dec 15, 2022 21:03:07 GMT -8
Dragus? It wasn't what Darth Rebellious was expecting from the Barabel, but he supposed it made sense considering the reptilian features he shared with the many different so called "dragons" of the galaxy. Self-chosen Sith names tended to be either self-reflective or extremely vain; although they could almost be one in the same. His own name had been chosen based on what he came to feel was the act that truly set him on the path of the Sith, a self-reflective one, or so he thought.
"Very well, Lord Dragus."
The Dark Lord said as he followed the saurian deeper into the fortress. Although his effort to hurry the process was rebuked, he assumed the other Sith had sound reasoning. His assumption was confirmed when the Famine Lord explained that he had bait in route in the form of captured Galandan settlers. As Dragus enthusiastically recounted the trial and error of his attempts to bring the wyrm to heel and vividly described the fate of his verminous minions in these encounters, it occurred to the Kiffar that the draconian thoroughly enjoyed bringing suffering and death to lesser beings, reminiscent of a serial killer. Based on the Barabel's eating habits and presence in the ether, Rebellious silently theorized that in addition to consuming life, both physically and metaphysically, the terrorsaur probably drew his power from the fear and anguish of other beings as well.
As they continued through the passages the walls themselves seemed to emanate shadow both visually and in the Force. The inky stones of the building's construction appeared to drink in light, deepening the blackness of the halls, while the malign aura of the Dark Side felt like it permanently clung to them. The sensation only grew greater the further they progressed. Even with Dragus carrying a torch, which oddly enough smelled of burning cadavers, Rebellious found himself prodding their path with the Force to better gain his bearings. Although they were well camouflaged, he could feel the presences of the savage Ewoks that observed their march from the shadows even before he could see the flame gleaming in their beady eyes. Once he felt the mindless aggression of the stalking rakghoul, the Darth's hand gracefully moved to rest on the hilt of his lightsaber, only to drop once again as the creature went fleeing from the growl of the dread-lizard. He didn't outwardly react to Dragus' comments about eating them, but he found the thought of making a meal out of the plague-beasts disgusting.
Upon reaching the alchemist's laboratory, Rebellious found himself somewhat awed by the dark presence of the room. Although not quite a Force nexus, it was heavy with wicked power, likely attributed to the countless hours the malevolent reptile spent there practicing the his dark sciences. He was equally awed by the sheer amount of accumulated filth in the room, in the worst way. The Sith Lord's eyes darted from the Ranats wearing protective aprons and gloves, to the beakers boiling over with putrid potions, then to the pile of necrotic flesh being scavenged by insects; all while wearing a barely visible grimace on his face. While the saurian twirled, introducing his guest to his unsanitary workspace, the Darth folded his arms across his chest with one of his gloved hands vaguely forming a cup over his mouth and nose; a vain attempt to block the sickening smells from violating his lungs. Although, he made sure to make the move appear to be out of curiosity and intrigue rather than revulsion. Despite this, he replied as politely as he could.
"I can tell... It would seem that you've done a great deal of experimentation here. Making monsters can be dirty work, I would imagine."
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Dragus
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Post by Dragus on Dec 17, 2022 8:00:49 GMT -8
"Monsterz?" Queried the confused carnosaur. "Nay, not monsterz, my dear Rebelliouz. Art. Each one of my creationz iz a passsion project, carefully sssculpted with my own clawz into a unique masssterpiece. For there iz no finer canvaz to work my geniuz upon than that of a living being." Reaching up to his head, he hooked his talons around the rishii skull cap he wore over his head and removed it, placing the yellowing mask of bone onto a thick slab of imported Pzobian oak that served as a table near the center of the lab. Scaled as he was, there weren't the lines of age on his saurian visage as one might find on a being bedecked in skin, yet somehow the fiendish Famine Lord still managed to look weary. It was as though a great weight rested upon his shoulders. "Sssadly, not all sssee my flesh sssculpting az thuz. I have been ossstracized by my own kind over a few errant experimentz, az though I should be held accountable for every unexpected resssult or accident. What they fail to underssstand iz that sssomething can not come from nothing. There iz alwayz an asssociated cossst. It iz the firssst rule of alchemy, the law of equivalent exchange."
It was obvious he was still bitter. While his current habitation of Draggle Rock and the fort he had built upon its shores might seem fit for a king, it was still an exile of sorts. After a few loose experiments caused a ruckus aboard the Sith Eternal's star fortress and bastion world deep in the heart of the Cloak of the Sith, the Supreme Leader had made it clear in unequivocal words that he did not wish to see the dark apothecary until called upon. The Council of Seven, the ruling body that governed over the SE's small but growing empire, had even gone so far as to provide the funds for his current domain so that he might be kept as far from thrice cursed Roon as possible.
Dragus placed his claws upon the table and leaned over it with his head bowed as he attempted to quell the ire rising in him over his current predicament. Still he rambled on, absent consideration of the other Sith in his midst and the fact that he was oversharing information his faction would likely prefer he did not disclose to outsiders.
"To transssform lead into gold one mussst ssstill posssesss the lead to begin with. It iz no different with Sssithspawn. Perfection haz a price, yet they fail to accept thiz. Iz sssacrifice not a central tenant of the Sssith? In their ignorance they banished me to thiz place until they have need of my servicez once more. Yet who waz it that conquered thiz world? Hmmm? Who brought Ryloth into the fold? Why me of courssse, who elssse posssesssed the tenacity and experience to sssee thessse thingz done?" His voice rose and its timber was thick with resentment. He sank his hook like talons into the wood his claws rested upon, carving furrows into its surface as he splintered the iron hard oak with relative ease. "I would be well within my right to take the Covenant of Blood and ram it right down my benefactor'z throat. But where would that leave me? More dessstitute than the current pauper prince you sssee before you. Not to mention the otherz are ssso consssumed by their jealousssy of me that they would sssurely turn againssst me, az though their sssubservience meanz anything to one sssuch az I. The work, my sssweet Rebelliouz, the work iz what drivez me. It consumez my every waking hour, intrudez on my ssslumber. Ssso tediouz iz itz nature that I sssimply do not have time to even contemplate rule or governance. Sssurely az a ssstudent of the greatessst of artz, you underssstand thiz, yez?"
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Darth Rebellious
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Post by Darth Rebellious on Dec 17, 2022 13:22:10 GMT -8
Rebellious listened to the saurian as he explained his view of his alcemical works. A sentiment that the Dark Lord agreed with, albeit for different reasons. The creation of sithspawn was indeed an art that many Sith hadn't possessed, nor truly understood. However, the beings were indeed monsters as they were war-beasts formed to induce fear just as much as they were made for their effectiveness at ending lives; which could be considered an art form within itself. The passion in Dragus' words would eventually become tainted however as weariness and frustration crept into his monologue, emotions that mixed into the ether making his feelings that much clearer.
He spoke of his current benefactors for the second time in this meeting, the entity or organization that had seemingly drawn the ire of the Famine Lord. His resentment emphasized by the deep furrows that he had clawed into the table near which he stood. The alchemist's anger drew a slight smile from his guest. The anger he felt pouring from the being in the Force was great and would serve the draconian well should he find a good outlet for it, more than likely in his experiments, the Darth thought. Continuing with the use of his gentle tone, Rebellious spoke. A covert measure to feign compassion, a sentiment he no longer possessed for living beings, as well as ease the reptilian back into the here and now.
"You misunderstand my meaning, Lord Dragus. I agree that your works are art, I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe so, but can monsters and masterpieces not be one in the same? Is the fear they inspire and their effectiveness at creating carnage not an art form within itself? I would think so."
Now accustomed to the rancid odors of the chamber, the Darth's hand fell from his face and folded into the mass of his folded arms as his smile faded and his tone deepened, taking on notes of seriousness.
"Indeed. Sacrifice is integral on the path of the Dark Side. Every noteworthy Lord has sacrificed something in their pursuit of power. Every true Sith should understand and welcome that fact."
The Kiffar momentarily thought of his own sacrifices on his path. Beings, loyalty, love and camaraderie. He had sacrificed much to form himself into the being he was now. The exaltation of self was the key to true power and understanding. If one was to rise from mediocrity to become great, the only thing that truly mattered was the self. Everything else was just a resource to use or a barrier to break. Even in the context of using beings for resources, Rebellious found it puzzling as to why the dread-lizard's benefactors would readily leave such a resource to waste. One with such value was not to simply be cast aside.
'As I see it, the way of the Sith and governance go hand-in-hand. Governance is simply domination on a grand scale. You don't see your work as governance, but do you not hold the lives of beings in your hands on the operating table? Do you not dictate what form your creation will take in the end? You mold beings into the form you desire, that within itself is a pure form of manipulation and domination on a micro level. The Dark Side is domination. Because of that, your benefactors should consider you a valuable asset and are unwise to leave you in isolation here. You would be of much better use out there, I would think."
*Rebellious drew slightly closer to the Dragus, closing some of the space between them. The drake had spoken of both Rishi and Ryloth as conquests he had pursued in the name of his benefactors. Whether coincidence or not, the Darth recognized the commonality of both worlds. Both were havens for networks of smugglers and illicit resources, and both were located within the aptly named Cloak of the Sith region of space former dominated by the Brotherhood of Darkness during the New Sith Wars. Oddly enough he had also been feeling a calling to enter the Cloak, like a shepherd attempting to round up his herd. A call which he didn't respond to, he served no one. His eyes narrowed as he processed the information and formulated a theory. He allowed his curiosity to show on his face as he spoke.*
"Tell me. Are your benefactors those who call out from the Cloak?"
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Dragus
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Post by Dragus on Dec 17, 2022 15:33:52 GMT -8
! Oh, so he had felt that. Now he had Dragus' full and undivided attention. As the Kiffar stepped a little closer, the sinister spike on the end of the saurian Sith's tail began to shake with each pulse of the barabel's cold blood through his veins, eliciting a rhythmic rattle. Prying his talons from the splintered surface of the table, he slowly turned towards Rebellious and focused his two glowing red eyes on the dark lord. The slit irises of his reptilian eyes seemed to spiral outwards from the centre, almost hypnotically, like a serpentine predator drawing in its prey. An exaggerated hiss escaped his throat and his forked tongue flicked the air between them. His presence in the Force seemed to extend to lure Rebellious in, whispering seductively even as the dim tallow light of the lab glinted off the end of his recently sharpened claws."Ah, what finely attuned sensez you have." His tongue swept his salivating jaws. "I'm glad I haven't eaten you, dessspite the exquisssite ssscent of vitae pulsssing beneath your ssskin. Yez, they do indeed ressside deep within the heart of that dussst cloud on the fabled world of Roon. Not lossst you sssee, az the hissstory bookz might have you believe, sssimply forgotten in more recent centuriez. I had jussst returned from a ten year exoduz beyond the edge of the galaxy on a misssion of the utmossst importance to the Eye, when I arrived at Pzob to find thingz much changed in my absssence. The other high lordz of the Eye were incapacitated. My eldessst brother Bacca, the Eye'z embodiment of wrath and dessstruction, ssslumbered in stasiz. An avatar of war, there waz sssimply not enough conflict to sssustain him. Mortale, the greatessst necromancer of the age and Death incarnate, abandoned hiz physssical body for whatever realm liez beyond. I worry in the doing ssso he haz found the true death that he long sssought; I much preferred hiz ssstate of endless sssuffering. Kaan, the Mad Prince and Lord of Chaoz, fell victim to mania and iz now trapped in a ssstorm of madnesss in hiz own mind. Havok and I were forced to sssecure him in the lower levelz of the black temple on Pzob lessst he dessstroy the mossst sssacred sssite of our Order. Which bringz me to the lassst. Havok, Dread Ssseer of the Eye, my oracle brother ssstill lingered amongssst the bonez of our former capital. Though even he was a shell of the Sssith he had once been at the height of our glory. Pzob was in ruinz, feasssted upon by Blackguard crowz that ignorantly desssecrated its blesssed sssurface. Unaware of what sssacrilege they committed on the Cradle itssself."He would have a reckoning with Viox over that one day. That bastard Zabrak ought to have known better. To think he once had the gall to call Dragus brother, as though he even understood what that meant.If it were possible, his mood darkened further, and his whole body seemed to shake with barely contained aggression. When he spoke it was with the conviction of a zealot, one utterly steeped in some wicked Outer Rim faith. His nostril slits flared and his breath steamed from his open maw, rancid and foul."I needed resourcez to continue my work, but had nothing to my name sssave for my flagship. In my dire ssstate of dessstitution, He sssought me out, my benefactor. I can not sssay for certain what exactly he iz, for though I applied all of sensez both natural and arcane, He remained an enigma. He ssseemed a being of gargantuan ssstature, yet formlesss at the sssame time. I have no explanation for it, I have never encountered the like before. What I do know iz He called himssself the Sssupreme Leader of the Sssith Eternal. A cult with itz seedz long planted on reclusssive Roon. He promisssed me the toolz and resourcez to continue my work, ssso long az I joined His organization and ply my trade az hiz persssonal apothecary. He did not lie, everything he promisssed waz mine to take, but at a terrible cossst. They like their rulez, these ssso called Sssith. An environment under which I chafe."His triangular incisors ground together as he vented aloud, tearing his own gums until hot coppery crimson spilled over his black lips and dripped down his scaled chin, beading before falling to the floor in a steaming puddle."But a lord of the Eye doez not concern himssself with the worriez of thossse beneath him. I had thought to take Hiz Empire for my own, but..." Some of the anger left him in that moment and his scales seemed to flush an ever darker shade of obsidian, if such were possible. He cast his eyes to the floor, rolling one toe talon on the filthy stone floor. "...truthfully I am not sssure that I could. Hiz power waz immenssse, far eclipsssing my own. Apart from perhapz Sssith'ari Grizz of Tynna, I'm not sssure I've felt itz like before. I had only Havok to call upon, and while gifted beyond measure with prophetic darksssight, my brother iz bound to the aegiz of time which makes him an unreliable fighter at the bessst of timez. I have made stridez to gain the favour of sssome within the Sssith Eternal'z rankz, but it iz not enough to challenge itz leader. And what if I were sssuccessful? What then? Hmmm? Managing an empire, even a sssmall one, iz more than I can afford at sssuch a critical time in my resssearch." He held up a claw, just shy of pinching his thumb and index talon together. "I'm thiz close to a breakthrough that will make the Doomssslither look like child'z play. It was a chair you see. A wondrously horrifying algamation of...well, I really shouldn't ruin the surprise. "Yet nor can I trussst rule to my fellow Councilorz. They are more parasssite than Sssith, they would drink itz fortunez dry with their infighting, leaving me back where I ssstarted. Much to my vexation, my clawz are tied it would ssseem."
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Darth Rebellious
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Rebellious on Dec 21, 2022 20:23:12 GMT -8
"Indeed, my ethereal senses are quite acute."
The Dark Lord replied. Even with the swirling orbs of flame that were the drake's eyes fixed upon him and his dark, ravenous aura expanded to ensnare him, Darth Rebellious remained unmoved. Had he been a lesser Sith, he may have been sucked into the vortex of Dragus' spirit. Instead, he expanded his own presence in reply, allowing the the saurian to truly feel a portion of his power for the first time of their encounter. He could be perceived in the Force as a natural disaster packed into a flesh-and-blood being. A storm of epic proportions rolling in to lay waste to everything it encountered with the only options being to flee and prolong the inevitable, or surrender to death and be torn asunder. The Darth allowed his essence to be felt only for a moment, enough to appease the lizard's prodding aura, before shrinking it back into his form to resume the "calm" exchange.
Rebellious listened as the Famine Lord rambled on about the other Lords of the Eye and their possible fates, which were inconsequential as far as he was concerned. However, it did lay the framework for the terrorsaur's reasoning in answering the call of the so called Supreme Leader. Desperation. The lack of resources and allies was a familiar situation to the Kiffar, as he had practically been in the same position when he first encountered the First Order and their current Emperor. However, it was also something he had walked away from in pursuit of his own aims. He did find the description of this being intriguing though. The last time he had felt truly humbled by another being's power in the Dark Side was with his own master. He highly doubted that any being could truly leave him second-guessing his own strength in the ether.
"The Sith Eternal, you say? If they've been growing as long as you make it seem, I would say that they've done well to keep themselves in the shadows."
Allowing his curiosity to show in his body language, the Dark Lord's hand came up from the tangle of his crossed arms and stroked the stubbled hair on his chin before continuing.
"You speak of this Supreme Leader as if it's some sort of elusive deity. Have you not seen this being with your own eyes?"
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Dragus
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Post by Dragus on Dec 22, 2022 10:40:31 GMT -8
If it was Darth Rebellious' intention to impress Dragus with his revelation of carefully concealed power, then he was successful in the attempt. Bestial shrieks echoed throughout the dim halls of the mouldering fort, causing the black scaled barabel to cock his head to the side and cup his ear hole with a claw, listening to the delightful wailing symphony. The very ground beneath their feet shook as the menagerie of mutant monsters caged in the malign structure's undercroft responded to the exposure of the Kiffar's inner might. Like animals panicking in the face of a tropical typhoon rolling into shore, they thrashed in their pens, filling the aether with flashes of primal aggression. The response even served to disquiet the Hungering One, who was not known for his caution even in the most dire of circumstances. His posture shifted as though the feathers of his robe had been visibly ruffled. Even as the moment passed and the animalistic cries quieted, the residual fury rumbled the fort like thunder.Who was this strange Sith, he wondered. When he had first arrived at Dragus' doorstep, the deranged drake lord had seen it only as a sign of convenience. Since Belisarius' betrayal the fiendish Famine Lord had been in much need of an extra set of hands, and here one presented itself when he needed it most. Clearly the Eye provides for its most faithful. Yet in sensing what he just had... His lips pursed thoughtfully. ...he would need to reevaluate his initial plan to eat Rebellious at the conclusion of their transaction. For starters, it no longer seemed as simple a proposition as he previously surmised. This Darth was a predator, not prey."No." He admitted aloud. "Though not for lack of trying. He never seemz to leave hiz throne room in the Fortresss of Tawntoom on thrice cursssed Roon. If he mussst appear he doez ssso by holographic projection, more often having hiz will communicated via intermediariez, sssuch az Darth Vullor who servez az hiz voice on the dark council. I have been granted a persssonal audience with the Sssupreme Leader only once, when firssst joining the Sssith Eternal. It waz an uncomfortable experience." His scales shuddered as he recalled the encounter. "Hiz aura presssed down upon my own like an incredible weight, az though gravity itssself waz sssubject to Hiz whim. I found it imposssible to lift my head in Hiz presssence, or to focuz my sensez on Hiz physssical form. It waz only by defocusssing my eyez that I waz able to roughly calculate the dimensionz of Hiz throne, which would have comfortably ssseated a gorax."Had it merely been about the Supreme One's suggested gargantuan size, he would not have been so unsettled by their one and only meeting. After all, the Doomslither was a creature of immense size, yet even it did not fill the saurian Sith with the same level of concern. It was the unknown that troubled him far more."I do not think it merely sssome conjurerz trick. My tutor in the mysteriez of illusssion waz no lesss than a Fallanasssi..." He proudly claimed, referring to Major. "...perhapz the lassst of her kind. I would sssee through any attempt at deception. No, thiz waz sssomething elssse entirely. Frussstratingly, my agentz of decay who passs unssseen by mossst have failed to ssspy ssso much az a glimpssse of Hiz physssical form." His glowing coals flitted to the ranats amongst them, then back again to the Kiffar. "And they are everywhere, which speakz either to the precautionz He haz taken or the difficulty asssociated with the tasssk."Arriving timely, for all this talking had left the Great Devourer terribly parched, was a greasy furred ranat in tattered rags carrying a platter with a two goblets and a corked bottle containing a murky liquid. The subservient rodent placed the tarnished platter on the claw carved table and summarily excused itself with a squeak. Without hesitation He-Who-Hungers took the bottle into his left claw and plucked out the cork with his right, then poured a measure of liquid into each goblet without asking whether Rebellious intended to indulge himself. Returning the bottle to the tray, he took one of the filled cups with the same claw and brought it to his lips, before tilting the receptacle and pouring a generous helping of red liquid into his open maw. He swished it about in his mouth before swallowing, savouring the bitter notes of flavour."Pzobian blood wine." He explained. "From my persssonal vineyard on Pzob. Only mildly toxic, in the way sssome spiritz are." Ordinarily he wouldn't have divulged that last part, but now that he was more keenly aware of the danger presented by the other Sith, he did not wish for any misunderstandings. He motioned to the other goblet with a gentle swish of his free claw, before fixing Rebellious with a raised brow. Now it was his turn to question. "Why are you really here? That you are more powerful than you choossse to appear haz been made evident, yet I remain unconvinced that you have sssought me out merely to pick my brain over the finer pointz of alchemy. Havok warned me a Sssith with grand aspirationz would ssseek me out. I wonder if perhapz that'z you."
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Darth Rebellious
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Rebellious on Dec 29, 2022 20:37:07 GMT -8
The Dark Lord's lips curled into a closed-mouth grin as the ground began to tremble from the struggling of the caged abominations and their howls rang out from the depths of the fort. His presence in the either had sent them into a fearful frenzy, a fact he found amusing. More so, the brief display of ethereal might served it's purpose at keeping the dread-lizard at bay for the time being.When the rumbling stopped and Dragus continued speaking, Rebellious remained attentive. As before, his descriptions of the Supreme Leader and his encounter with it made the being sound more like a Force Entity or deity rather than a mortal being. Such a being residing on Roon was less intriguing than the fact that it was a recluse.
"Probably a bit of both. Why so cautious, though? I wonder..."
The Kiffar's sentence trailed off as he quietly considered the question he had posed aloud, more to himself than to his host. He couldn't readily think of a logical reason why such an immensely powerful individual would seemingly hide, let alone from it's own followers. His pondering came to an abrupt stop when one of the Famine Lord's unkempt vermin-servants suddenly emerged from the darkness of the hall bearing a platter on which sat a bottle of unknown contents and 2 cups. The Darth watched the creature from its entry until it's equally quick exit, a barely noticeable look of disgust resting on his face before reverting to neutral as he returned his luminous eyes to the drake, who had begun pouring measures of the liquid into the goblets.
Rebellious waited until Dragus took a gulp from his own drink before taking the other. Even after being assured that it wasn't poisoned, he remained alert. Although his studies of Sith magics had given him the means to neutralize nearly any toxin that could be used against him, he would still have to be ready to do so. With the stem between his middle and ring fingers he cupped the rounded bottom of the container and proceeded to swirl the slightly viscous, red fluid inside, observing it and taking a sip. He didn't enjoy it, but it sufficed to slick the inside of his mouth and cut the foul flavor of the air. The terrorsaur questioning his motives didn't surprise him as he would've been skeptical of another Sith randomly showing up to his own redoubt. He honestly would've found it odd and fairly foolish if he didn't. After swallowing the mouthful of blood wine, the Darth locked gazed with the Barabel, smiling slightly before replying.
"I simply use the tools of the Dark Side as I see fit. If I find it necessary to bring my full power to bear, I do. In most situations, I just find it more advantageous to be inconspicuous. But to your point. I was true in my words, Lord Dragus. I came here seeking your knowledge of alchemy to add to my own repertoire."
The Kiffar took another swig of his drink before continuing.
"I don't know what your Dread Seer saw in his visions, but I do believe the Dark Side had a hand in my being here. Although I had questions of a different sort, you've answered a question of mine that had been unanswered for years while also raising more. This talk of the Sith Eternal and their all-powerful leader has piqued my curiosity."
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Dragus on Dec 30, 2022 8:07:38 GMT -8
Furrowing at the brow, the barabel's scales creased across his forehead as he eyed the Kiffar suspiciously. "We shall sssee." He hissed, low and slow, before easing the tension in his scales and offering a very casual shrug of his feather clad shoulders. "In any event, it will be pleasssant to have another intellectual around. Sssince my lassst pupil and I parted wayz, I have been absssent an academic peer. I find it conducive to my work to have another assstute mind presssent to bounce ideaz off of. Az you might have noticed..." He indicated the ranats in the lab with a dismissive flick of one claw. "...I am currently lacking in that department."For those aware of the falling out between Dragus and his apprentice Belisarius Vilebroth, it would take no stretch of the imagination to assume he harbored his former pupil ill-will. After all, he had infected the Sith virologist and the bulk of his force with a rather nasty darkside manifested disease, causing their flesh to slowly rot as they descended into degeneracy. The truth was much the opposite. He was actually quite proud of the self proclaimed Plague Lord's betrayal. Too few of his apprentices had been so traitorously inclined, which was why he inevitably disposed of them. Was it so much to ask that they show a little ambition? Fortunately Belisarius had, and while he doubted his former student saw his current affliction as the final test from master to student that it was intended as, he hoped in time his scholarly equal would appreciate the parting challenge. Unfortunately that absence was most keenly felt in the progress of the Famine Lord's research, which had significantly slowed ever since. He had sought a suitable replacement from among the Sith Eternal's ranks, but thus far none had fit the bill. Too many warriors, too few academics."Let uz ssset that assside for a moment and return to the matter at hand." Breaking eye contact with Rebellious, the scheming saurian stalked over to a nearby table and began to rummage through the stacks of dusty tomes scattered across its surface. Inevitably he found what he was seeking, his talons retrieving a meter long roll of mouldering parchment with a wax seal which he brought over to the table nearest his guest. In an impressive display of dexterity, the overlong tail protruding from the black scaled barabel's backside raised and swished across the table, sweeping the contents onto the floor, including the remainder of the wine. The bottle shattered as it struck the filthy floor, spilling its contents into the cracks and crags while simultaneously eliciting a few startled squeaks from the vermin occupying the room. Dragus broke the seal and spread the roll of parchment across the table to reveal a map of the island. He placed his goblet down on the top right corner, spilling some of its sloshing contents onto the map, staining the compass indicator red."I have already mentioned my previouz attemptz to bring Umaroth to heel, ssstriking from land and from the air, with little to show for my effortz. What I propossse for thiz third and hopefully final attempt iz that thiz time, we approach by sssea." He tapped a talon on the marker for Fort Ewok. "We are currently here on the eassstern ssside of the island. The sssouthern sssea thiz time of year iz plagued with tropical stormz, ssso the ssslave barge with our galandan bait will be arriving from Coratanni Town far to the north. The barge iz more of a galley really, replete with bankz of oarz manned by the chattel themselvez. I find putting them to work while chained to the deck and under the lash tendz to dissscourage disssent. Siss siss siss!" He snickered wickedly, before tapping the marker again. "At the bassse of the cliff thiz fort iz built upon iz a port extending from a naturally formed cove in the rock. You mussst have ssseen it on your flyover the island. In the bay beyond iz an antiquated man-of-war left over from the age-of-sssail that iz anchored there in deeper water. While I have accesss to more modern aquatic conveyancez, the vessel'z hull iz sssealed with a resssin derived from the aura blosssom, which haz the unique quality of being the only sssubstance I have found resssistant to the Doomslither'z dissscharge of acidic breath. I sssuggest we engage the wyrm with the man-of-war to draw it away from land, then hope the galandan barge servez az an adequate dissstraction. Though it iz foul tempered, Umaroth haz shown itssself often enough to be driven mainly by itz appetite. While it iz busssy gorging itssself, a Sssith riding on the back of a ssswiftly ssswimming sssea-drake might be able to get clossse enough to pin the command pendant to itz ssskull."There were a lot of uncertainties in his plan, but quite frankly it was currently the best he had. "What do you think?"
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Darth Rebellious
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Rebellious on Dec 31, 2022 15:14:11 GMT -8
Disregarding the broken glass of the wine bottle and various other items now in shambles on the floor, Darth Rebellious moved to the table upon which they once sat. Looking down at the map that Dragus had sprawled out on it, he scanned the piece of parchment as the saurian traced routes with his obsidian-colored talons and explained the details of his current plot to subdue the great wyrm. The plan was tenuous at best. Each piece of the strategy was dependent on whether the other pieces would work according to design with no real advantage over the beast. If anything it would have a slight edge being that it could probably operate and maneuver in water much better than they could. However, he had never seen the beast in action before, so he was no expert on it's capabilities. In addition Rebellious had a few tricks up his sleeve that the Famine Lord had probably never attempted or even thought of.
It had been apparent in his tales of the previous attempts at wrestling with Umaroth that the reptilian Sith had left the majority of the work to his servants rather than trying to subdue the creature with his powers in the Force. Whether it had even occurred to Dragus or not had been unclear, but Rebellious had been thinking of it ever since the task was proposed. A creature created through use of the Dark Side was best undermined with the same power. History had alluded to that fact. If the stories were to be believed, Exar Kun had to resort to Sith magic, albeit spells projected by amulets rather than his own skills, to truly contend with the sithspawn of Yavin IV. The Darth had been expecting to have to do the same.
"Honestly, it's not a solid strategy. Success seems to rely heavily on everything happening in our favor tactically with little room for error. However, if it's possible to draw on the power of the Fort from that far out in the bay, I believe I can restrain the serpent sufficiently while it attempts to gorge itself."
The Kiffar finished off the wine in his goblet and sat the empty container down with finality before slowly tracing the gloved index finger of his left hand across the map from the castle to the bay, analyzing the distance and silently contemplating the strategy he had in mind.
"If it can be done, it will only be a matter of concentration. I'm confident that your creature will be no match for the power of the Dark Side."
Rebellious took a step back from the map and returned his focus to the drake. The fierce look of determination in his eyes was tinged with eagerness as he spoke.
"When do we begin?"
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Dragus on Jan 1, 2023 9:17:13 GMT -8
While there were still many unanswered questions about his visitor, one thing clear to him was that Rebellious did not lack for confidence. He seemed certain in his own strength and command of the darkside. Or was it a matter of faith? If his tally was correct, this was the fourth time since his arrival that the Kiffar Sith spoke of the malevolent fey, those currents of the Force derived from rage and all manner of dark emotion that served as a darksiders conduit to unlimited power. While the Famine Lord reserved his own religious fervour for the Eye, to which he and his extended evil family were essentially enslaved, he had often remarked of his belief that the Force possessed a malign will of sorts. Not quite sentience, perhaps, but certainly it had often proved willing enough to tip the scales in the favour of a Sith unafraid to expose themselves to that fathomless wellspring of utter darkness, risking corruption in exchange for the power it provided.
"I am sssure you are correct." Rasped the reptilian in agreement, before raising a claw beneath his snout and stroking the scales of his chin with a crooked talon. "Though az a point of professsional pride, if the Doomssslither doez eat uz, I will be sssatisfied with it having sssecured itz place az my finessst creation to date. Siss siss siss." His talon ceased its scratching as his tail slapped in the ground in an audible thump. "No time like the presssent. We begin at once." He drew in a breath, then released a resonating shout. "Squeakerz!"
In response to its name being hissed, the same greasy furred rodent the Hungering One had entrusted Umaroth's control devices to had appeared at the threshold of the lab. Well, it was probably the same ranat. For the most part the near endless horde of verminous under-dwellers looked the same. It was anyone's guess how he told them apart, or if he even did. The most obvious identifiers were the semi-unique lesions and scars crisscrossing their scabrous flesh, as most were wrought with mange. It paused on its haunches, focusing its beady eyes on the feather clad form of Fort Ewok's villainous overlord. As the dark apothecary returned his assistant's glare, something unseen passed between them, as though the fey crackled along the invisible connection between the Great Devourer and his furry feral follower. Its narrow snout split apart in a sinister grin, displaying yellow fangs nearly as long as the barabel's but far more slender in overall thickness.
"Ah, there you are." Said Dragus, acknowledging the mangey mouse before turning his back on the rodent as he began to remove his feathered robe from his shoulders, exposing his otherwise naked scales beneath. Stalking over to one dim corner of the lab, the saurian Sith placed his removed garment on a clothing hook protruding from the wall, then wrapped his claws around a tanned length of leather hanging beside it. Removing this new garment, he slid it over his back and turned to approach the waiting rodent, stepping into the light as he did so. Illuminated by the limited tallow light of the lab, his replacement attire was revealed for the horrific vanity that it was. The mad alchemist was wearing what appeared to be a long coat crafted from flayed human faces, each displaying the same warped expression of agony they had worn when he had expertly peeled the skin away from its connecting tissue. Each had been stretched and sutured together with surgical staples to form the wretched outfit. "Squeakerz, be a good lad and find Ssskritch Hookpaw. Then hurry-ssscurry your way down to the port and take a launch out to the Lady of Pzob. We'll need the sssea-ratz to prepare it for battle. There should ssstill be enough Sssith-iron shot aboard for the tasssk I have in mind."
Wringing its gnarled paws together in anticipation, the revolting rodent nodded and quickly replied with a chittered chorus of rapid squeaks in indecipherable rat-speech. Regardless of the exact translation of its primitive language, it was clear the creature intended to follow its master's instructions. It dropped to all fours and scampered away, vanishing into the murk of the hall. A flicker of thought seemed to strike the saurian in that moment and he rushed to the door, shouting out into the corridor.
"And don't forget the control devicez!" He called after it, before speaking mostly to himself. "I'll not make that missstake a sssecond time." He then returned his attention to Rebellious and bade for a measure of the other Sith's patience. "A moment, my dear Rebelliouz, while I gather a few suppliez."
Without delay, the deranged draconian collected a random assortment of tinctures and vials from across his laboratory, stuffing them into a leather satchel he looped over one shoulder. The contents of each was a mystery as nothing in the lab was properly labelled, though Dragus seemed certain for the most part what each contained, only occasionally pausing to uncork and sniff the various elixirs and potions. The last item he took from one of his disordered tables was a familiar silvered cylinder, unmistakable as the hilt of a lightsaber. The barabel ran a filthy cloth over its surface to remove the dust that had shamefully collected on the weapons casing, before holding it out at arms length and pressing a thumb over its activation stud. SNAP/HISS! A terrible shriek screeched across the room as a crimson beam of coherent plasma lanced from the hilts emitter, screaming into existence. Even its owner flinched at its shrill activation, as the unstable dragite crystal empowering the lightsaber resonated far louder than it had any right to. Depressing the stud, the drake lord silenced the caterwauling blade as the furious red length seemed to retreat back into the hilt as the flow of power was cut off. This too he stuffed into the satchel, then took up the same torch he had used to lead them into the depths of the fort.
"There iz a ssstaircase at the far end of the hall that will lead uz down to the cove beneath the fort. I have a few sssea-dragonz penned up in there, though you shall need to imprint your will upon one before it will allow you to ride it." He raised a scaled brow. "I presssume you have a grasssp of beassst control, or are at leassst familiar with the theory?"
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