Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 23, 2013 7:56:29 GMT -8
"You know nothing, Jud'dayus..."
Nexus let out a chilling chuckle, following the calm, almost mocking tone of his statement. He looked at Lux for a moment, certain that the girl was being annoyed by the transaction- after all, who would claim to be so great, yet cower from such a vessel of unbridled power. And Nexus, who said he had something to show her, had naught but an old dusty city and words. A light smile played across his lips from behind his memqo, as his eyes returned to Jud'dayus.
"But I will humor you with a little monologue, since you caught me in a good mood, and since you will probably die at the end of it, depending on the choice you make...but you need to wait to hear the choice. First you must hear what I have to say."
He chuckled once more, this one more hearty than the last, as though he truly took pleasure finally telling this story. Or perhaps it was the position in which Nexus placed Jud'dayus. The old sith was in the heart of Nexus' sanctum. Should he manage to kill the Dark Lord he still had to make his way out of the structure, which would be no easy feat. There was a sinister happiness that sparkled behind those pale blue eyes of his.
"Well, where to start...abridged or unabridged version...so many stories to tell...but we haven't got all day so I guess I will just cut to the chase. The man you once knew as Nexus...he was not truly me. He was a vessel- forged by one of my disciples. While he bore my name, it was only in ceremony; he was not me. The boy you knew was Malakaii Concordia, bastard son of Dace Concordia and slave of the hutts, freed by my doing, not his own. He was to be my body, an empty shell so to speak. There is still a part of him in here though- and he remembers you, but mostly he remembers that girl...what was her name? Syvilis? Hah! Young boys and their eye candy, though she was eye candy...I'll give him that."
Nexus turned his back on Jud'dayus, revealing the entire blade of Reaver, topped by its ornate hilt which hung just past his shoulder. The weapon seemed alive in the force, waiting for something to tap into it. Nexus rounded the nearest corner of the obelisk, in a steady pace.
"But you see, after you humbled the boy, and took his arm, that was when he finally set out to do what he had to do. He faced the enemies which he fled and continued upon his path, until it led him to a few of my artifacts. The mask is one that you know, and the others were probably less known. My gauntlets and my sword. There are still more to be found, but these will suffice for now.
He finished rounding the obelisk, reaching where Lux and Jud initially stood. He seemed taller now, more imposing.
"And now comes the time to make that choice. Will you choose pride or survival? You can leave here, now, and warn the galaxy of my return. Not that it will help them, but I do love feeling fear. OR you can stand your ground as a stubborn old man, and have your story be added to my holocron...against your will."
Reaching up, Nexus' hand wrapped around the Rancor leather coated hilt of his blade, pulling it free from its scabbard. The blade made no sound, yet it was free of its constraints the room seemed the rumble. There was a notable spike in the force as the blade and its master were as one again. He lowered the blade to his side, not taking an attack stance, but clearly ready to do so.
"I think you and I both know which you will choose."
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 22, 2013 11:29:43 GMT -8
I'll take you on Sihnyad. I am thinking simple GBA rules, no full power armor, and I am open minded on the arena. Any preferences?
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 22, 2013 11:22:26 GMT -8
The memqo guarded his expressions- though had it not been there, Jud would see his mocking smile. Instead, he simply felt it. Crawling up his skin like a cold snake, born from what ever hell was held within the ice blue eyes of the dark lord.
"Jud'dayus...you wound me. I would never stoop to such a low cunning...a trap? Now now, clearly, you should know I am above such things. Though I can understand your paranoia. It comes with age."
Nexus looked up and down at the man, then at the holocron- he pressed his fingers against the obelisk, causing it to pulsate and let out a reverberating hum. The sensation made Nexus chuckle.
"It's as though you don't trust me...and rightfully so. I don't trust me. But what you see is not a trap or a security system. It is the bond. You see, what makes this Holocron so powerful, and...special, is the bond. In order to access the holocron, you must let it invade your person, and take a little bit of you into it's records. The more knowledge you wish to have, the more you must pay with your own. It is quite a remarkable artifact. The holocron knows all of me, as I know all of it, hence why our bond is so strong...as for your bond, well that depends on how much you are willing to sacrifice."
Nexus removed his hand from the device and walked back to Jud'dayus. His eyes seemed to glow for a moment before fading to their natural, unnatural pale blue. His eyes shifted to Lux, then back at Jud'dayus.
"If you are so scared, perhaps I should let my new apprentice go first. She certainly has more courage than you do."
He let out a stale, mocking laughter, and looked to Lux.
"Are you afraid of an old artifact Lux, I don't think so."
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 22, 2013 11:14:28 GMT -8
Nexus looked on at the men who were once his brothers in arms, his expressions hidden behind the visor of his helmet. He looked at Dearg, the man who was once a brother, then a stranger, then a corpse, and now a stranger once more. He looked to Avidus, the strange mummer of the group who possessed a deadly edge, often concealed through his acts of tom foolery. Then he looked to Mortus, who was but a stranger to him. While a stranger, Nexus noted An Tiarna's respect for the man, and that was good enough for him to be content with. Then he looked at Cormac, one of the many spawn of Dubh- the war lord had seen them come and go but never did they remain. Perhaps this one would be different.
Then his eyes came to the big man himself. An Tiarna's was an intimidating sight to most- with a fierce physique, fiercer personality and fiercest drinking habits. Nexus had been the greatest of friends with this man, and the greatest of enemies- that was why he was so willing to follow him. He let his eyes settle on the Ard Ri for several moments before looking around at the encampment. He smirked- glad to see the unnecessary luxuries done away with. All the Lord of Chaos sought to have was his weapons and his armor, everything else was expendable. After a few moments of silence, he reached up and pulled his helmet free from his face, revealing a man that was unfamiliar to most- though An Tiarna knew that Nexus was a man of many faces, and probably wouldn't be surprised.
No longer was he the Arkanian brute, born of Dace Concordia- now he was smaller and more lithe. Instead of his notable silver hair, his hair was as dark as obsidian, though his eyes remained the same. Those haunting, ice blue eyes. The eyes of a monster.
"So, when will we get to smashing?"
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 22, 2013 10:20:07 GMT -8
The calm resting place of the dying was suddenly filled with blurry life, as enemies locked into mortal combat.
As the phrik tendril embraced the blade of the sith sword Reaver, Nexus tightened his grip on the weapon. When the whip coiled around the blade, Nexus braced for what he knew would end in a nasty surprise for the Falleen. The tendril tightened it's grip, but the sword did not bend or break. Instead, it emitted a blood curling shriek as metal grazed against metal. Sith Swords were unique due to their unnatural creation process. A combination of sorcery and ancient forging secrets led to the creation of this weapon, which was made of a metal sharper and stronger than most.
For the Shadow King, the surprise was just that. Rather than finding his opponents weapon destroyed, he found that the sword was intact and locked in a brutal tug of war with the tendril. The tighter the tendril squeezed, the more the sith blade bit into the weapon, though the more Reaver bit into the tendril, the more damaged the blade became.
The Dark Lord did not allow himself to linger in this position. Instead, he allowed the force to flow throughout his body, becoming a more deadly glove than the one which the Fallen wore, then he harnessed the force and bent it to his will. Being a master of Telekinesis, the Dark Lord did not need to move his hands to use the force, all it took was his will. Without any physical influence, the shorter lightsaber hilt of the two snapped free from his belt and shot towards the head of the Falleen at blinding speeds. The blade ignited when it was 10 feet away, spinning as a horizontal disk of crimson death.
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 20, 2013 8:07:40 GMT -8
Open challenge. I want to brush up for the next tourney. Who's up for it.
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 19, 2013 7:58:17 GMT -8
So it began.
The bark of Kad'marev disrupted the scalding serenity of Tattooine, and disturbed the sacred place. But the bullet did not meet its mark, and blood had not yet been spilled. No. Nexus was ready for a fight, and thus his senses were attuned to threats against his person. While Ashrah may have been invisible to the eyes of the force, his intent was not.
There was a disturbance in the force, as the jedi were so fond of noting. No sooner than the Dark Lord's foot touched upon the skull, did he push off again, leaping backwards, away from the back of the skull and towards the maw of the deceased monstrosity. As he landed, creating a subtle indent in the sand, he backed away, vigilant for the attacker which he could not sense. Then he felt it again. Raising the force around him, he was ready to defend himself from a second shot, yet that was not the disturbance.
This time, the disturbance came by the way of a Falleen bursting through the sand to Nexus' right. The Dark Lord stepped back further still, assessing the situation. As he stepped, still ever vigilant, he reached over his shoulder, grasping the hilt of Reaper. He unsheathed the blade and pulled it down in front of him in one fluid motion. The blade was colossal in size, as wide as a man's hand, and as tall as a short man- a claymore of considerable size. Even so, he moved it as though it weighed no more than a feather. He brought the blade up, holding it with both hands just in time to intercept the tendril with a batting parry as it snaked for his head. He kept his eyes open for the second attacker with the shot gun.
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 15, 2013 9:05:10 GMT -8
The serenity of Manaan was broken early in the day with the arrival of the Warriors of the Iron Fist and their army, however since then things quieted down. But disruption came once more, this time in the resonating booms of the sound barrier being broken. To look to the heavens, soldiers and men alike would see a brilliant white ball with a red tail descending to the surface. A meteor at first glance, though after watching, the object slowed significantly. White turned to red, and red turned to blue. Then the meteor was gone, or so they thought- for in actuality there was never a meteor, but rather, a man.
The Dark Lord descended in the manner of his Hssiss Commandos, coming from the heavens to bring hell to the earth. The initial moments of the descent are the worst, as gravity takes hold and slingshots you down to the atmosphere encased in a ball of fire. Fortunately, Hssiss Body Armor is specifically made for this purpose, which is the only reason the man wasn't cooked upon entry. After 20 seconds of light and heat, the suit's outer flaps engaged, as well as repulsors, which slowed descent down significantly. Now within manageable speeds, Nexus was able to negotiate his way down to the surface. He was invisible for several minutes before he appeared as a minute spec in the sky- no larger than a bird. Then the spec grew, and grew, and grew. As it approached the base, soldiers lifted their weapons and brought their sights to the man. None had seen the Hssiss in action, so none would know that it was Nexus. As it came closer, the men opened fire. Light lit up the sky as blasters cried out in unison. Suddenly the spec was gone- believed to be incinerated in the sheer ferocity of the defense. The men watched the sky for a long while, however they failed to note the subtle shifting in the light around them.
He was on the ground, engaged in camoflage that hid the suit and its wearers from eyes and scanners. The wraith made its way closer to An Tiarna and Mortus. While it did not reveal itself physically, it made no effort to hide its force aura. A maelstrom of emotion and energy marked the man, the man who An Tiarna was familiar with, who was once a member of the IF, and later a member of the Dark Tide. The Lord of Chaos had earned his name by his aura. After a few moments, the man's stealth systems lowered, revealing the heavy power armor of the Hssiss commandos. The man looked to Mortus and An Tiarna before pressing his fist against his left breast by way of an honorable greeting.
"Gentlemen...It has been too long."
The voice of Nexus was deep and powerful, with the subtle hint of a Mando'a accent. It was a voice heard and feared on the plains of war, yet here it was the voice of a brother.
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 15, 2013 7:44:23 GMT -8
As comm links fell silent, and vessels made their way to the surface, Lord Nexus decided against arriving conventionally. Men would come, with their tails of servants and guards, but not Nexus. On Manaan, such pretensions were soon erased. This planet had humbled him many times, as has An Tiarna. Rather than making his way to a shuttle clad in appropriate uniform, Nexus made his way to the Hssiss barracks. He exchanged brief words with the commander there, a man who called himself Razak. After a few words followed by some laughs and guffaws, Nexus made his way deeper into the section of the ship. Entering the deployment room, now clad in Hssiss power armor, Nexus made his way to a pod. Entering it, he hit a few keys, then sealed the doors. There were a few moments of silence before the all to familiar sensation of rapid ejection gripped the pod, as it hurdled him towards Manaan.
The Hssiss pods, usually reserved for small scale special op missions was not very large. It was roughly the size of an ancient sarcophagus, with a lance like exterior. As the bolt propelled itself into Manaan's atmosphere, it would slow its entry before opening up, leaving nothing between the Hssiss and the planet. And then it was the duty of the Hssiss to fall. And so Nexus fell, just as the pod reached the atmosphere. He plummeted towards the surface.
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 15, 2013 7:24:08 GMT -8
Death is only the beginning.
A smirk played across the lips of the Dark Lord as he roamed; it was an ironic smile, based upon where he found himself. Here, where the bones of massive, majestic beasts littered the earth. Bones that once held powerful muscles and scales, which held a beauty that no man made item could compare to. Now they were just bones, dried and cracked, humbled by the elements. For these dragons, it seemed that death was the final end. It was an end that would be shared by Nexus' opponents. He could feel him coming.
Such knowledge didn't stop the Dark Lord from continuing on his path. The tattered ends of his robes slid over the grass, hiding his footprints. Nexus made his way to the center of the 'Grave Yard', towards the weathered skull of a dragon. The sun was high in the sky, giving the world a bold brightness that is rarely seen elsewhere. In Tattooine, however, this was simply noon. Nexus eyed the skull for a moment, then used the force to propel him to the top of the vantage point. The dunes were undisturbed- it was eerie. Nexus scanned the area silently, waiting for his enemy to reveal his face.
The Dark Lord was garbed in tattered robes, though these were merely used to conceal what was beneath. As he landed on the top of the colossal skull, he shrugged off the bulk of his robes. They slid to the ground by his feet, then off of the side of the skull, into the sand. Without his robes, he revealed his true nature. Beneath was a man of war. He wore no shirt, which revealed a well-toned, muscular upper body, lined with tattoos; a body which was pale even after exposure to the intense twin suns of Tattooine.
The man wore a pair of black slacks, strange black metal gauntlets and matching boots which held a malicious glow, hinting that they were more than simple durasteel armor pieces. The majority of his face was hidden by a pale mempo, which covered from his chin to the bridge of his nose, leaving only his eyes and hair as defining features. Carved from bone, the mempo did not bare any decorative marks, save for the occasional contours; it hid the expression of the dark lord. However Nexus needed no expression to make an impression on someone; he possessed a pair of striking, ice blue eyes, and obsidian black hair which stretched below his shoulders without bounds, this was the face of a handsome man, yet the eyes were those of a predator.
He was armed as well. On his hips hung two saber hilts at his side, both longer than normal, though one was long enough to suggest that it was a double-bladed weapon. Along with these hilts was hilt of an ornate weapon on his back; Reaver, the ancient, massive sith sword that was Nexus' signature weapon.
Nexus made no move for his weapons. He simply waited for his enemy, sweeping the horizon with those eyes.
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 14, 2013 5:34:14 GMT -8
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 12, 2013 12:26:06 GMT -8
Request was sent. Body glove is okay, just know that cortosis is notoriously brittle. We are battling on Tattooine. Waiting for approval now.
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 12, 2013 11:12:31 GMT -8
Lord Nexus vs Ashrah Intablo vs The Shadow King (Triple Threat) Scenario: Krayt's grave yard, Tattooine. Rules/Gear: Uni Rules, Lightsaber resistant metals allowed, no power armor.
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 11, 2013 11:47:47 GMT -8
I am fine with both combatants! Ashrah, Shadow King. Lets do this! Or if possible we can make it a triple threat free for all. (most manly way to say a 3 way)
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 11, 2013 10:15:01 GMT -8
Open challenge for anyone. No strict rule requirements. Obviously no super armor, past that I am open for anything
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 11, 2013 8:53:22 GMT -8
While at first glance, the apex of the obelisk appeared to be the holocron, it need take only a few more moments to note the subtle throbbing and fading colors that glowed through out the entire obelisk. It was not a base that held one holocron, but rather a massive holocron in itself, or rather a network of several. Nexus looked at Jud'dayus with a smirk.
"If light reading is what you seek, you can find it at any old library. The gift I offer to you is priceless."
Nexus stepped towards the holocron and brushed his fingers against it. The obelisk rumbled, sending vibrations through out the room. The dark lord's fingers slid over the mysterious pulsating materials, around a corner and back again. When he finally took his fingers off, he looked at Jud'dayus.
"What you see before you is one of the most unrivaled collections of knowledge in the galaxy. For years I have roamed the abyss, seeking knowledge and power. Over time I lost data, only to stumble onto it once more years later. This is Vladus holocron, it contains the information of jedi, sith, mandalorian and everything between. Some of it is data I have collected and input while others are direct references. Know that you are one of the few who know of its existence- not because of any love I hold for you, but for the favor you did for me. Not even Mercedes truly understands the value of this archive. Now, would you still prefer to read from leather and paper?"
The Holocron let out a reverberating thrum as Nexus removed his hands from the obelisk. The Dark Lord looked to Jud'dayus.
"Indulge for as long as you wish, though the Holocrons may never leave this temple. The force Nexus is all that has the ability to sustain the structure's integrity."
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 11, 2013 7:48:17 GMT -8
Shadows engulfed Manaan- cast by the titanic metallic vessels of its old masters and stewards. The fleet was intimidating, and the darkness was fiercer still, yet the advent of the Óglaigh na Iarndóideanna was not yet complete. On planet side, the skin of thralls and citizens alike prickled as the darkness- not just physical but metaphysical darkness- engulfed the planet.
The fleet of An Tiarna Dubh, Gaiscioch Dearg, and Vereor were soon to be accompanied by a fourth menacing entity. His ship was his harbinger, as a sudden burst of light and energy fluctuations heralded the behemoth of a vessel, seen and known and feared by those who found the ship in their atmosphere. The matte black hull did little when it came to light reflection, allowing it to be nigh invisible to the naked eye. The vessel's contours and various protruding parts made it stand against the common wedge shape of battle ships and destroyers. Armed with a thick hull, a fierce array of weapons, and a particularly menacing appearance, the galaxy soon learned to fear Leviathan-class Battle Cruisers. This one in particular, the Necromonger, was the most fierce of them all. The flagship of Lord Nexus had not been seen for many ages, and yet here it was- enough to warrant concern.
The Dark Lord was once a member of the Óglaigh na Iarndóideanna, but he was also once a Great Lord of the Dark Tide- known as the Lord of Chaos. Tensions ran high as the Necromonger drifted near to the IF fleet. Scanners would reveal no weapons active, however the vessels shields were raised, suggesting that there was a lack of trust- or perhaps a paranoid fueled sense of caution. The Necromonger went from normal speed to dead slow and banked port-ways, bringing itself beside An Tiarna's vessels. There were a few heart beats of silence, before the comm on An Tiarna's bridge went active.
Ard Ri...it has been some time since you have graced the galaxy with your fierce presence...I look forward to reminding the galaxy of who we are. I trust you have no qualms with this?
The Dark Lords voice was deep but familiar. Nexus and An Tiarna went back for many years, through love and hate, and peace and war, but in the end, he was one of the very few men that Nexus respected in the galaxy; a member of a select few that shrunk with each passing day.
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 9, 2013 13:26:17 GMT -8
Group/Faction Name: Óglaigh na Iarndóideanna ~ Warriors of the Iron Fists.
Group/Faction Purpose: The IF is the oldest faction in the universe. Others have come & gone but we survive. We have done so by adapting with the tides of change yet maintaining our fundamental values. We refuse to be categorized as Jedi or Sith; we are the Warriors of the Iron Fists. We observe the Force as a living entity, Mórrígan the Dark, Briget the Light & Manannan mac Lir that of the Realm of Shadows where truth is found.
Group/Faction Leader: An Tiarna Dubh, (Ard Ri~High Kin)
Group/Faction HQ: Dún na Manaan -Manaan, requesting new forum for the group titled Dún na Manaan -Open Group
Other Relevant Info: Our lifestyle is nomadic & as consequence maintain simple easily erected & disassembled dwellings. The hearth is central to life in both a spirtiual & practical sense. Skulls decorate the areas in which we reside. Any who threaten our way of life will be met with an Iron Fist.
Social Structure Blood of the Dubh line has come to be seen as the heart of the IF but each member is no less family. The Tuth, or Tribe in Common is the social framework of the IF. The Crown by definition stands supreme but the tribe as a whole meets & votes on any major decision. This is know as the Ard Fheis ~ High-Council. Mórrígan Dubh and Kegan Shadowfire stand as Tansite ~ Heir Apparent who will assume the role as Ríon, or in common, Queen but do not vote at present.
The voting parties are as follows: Taoiseach Catha - Battle Chieftain: Dearg & Nexus Sean Coimeádaí ~ Old Keeper: Randall Flagg Cumann na Seanchaithe ~ Society of Old Tellers: Lord Mortus, Avidus & Vereor. Ard Druí ~ High Druid: Piteous.
We do not handcuff ourselves in empire building; we have learned firsthand the folly of such enterprise. We do not build empires for our own need; we bring great empires to their knees, as history proves devastatingly. We are from our roots farmers & as consequence base wealth on cattle; all other forms of wealth are measured pound for pound against beef & milk. We are warrior pirates not conquerors; we smash & plunder not occupy. As consequence we hold an enormous bank of wealth & knowledge, perhaps most prominent among these our copies of the entire Jedi Archives. We have collected a massive bounty of credits too, exceeding any standing bank in the universe, all maintained in liquid assets impossible to steal yet accessible to us at the drop of a hat. Our Garden is an unmatched collection of flora & fauna carefully created over years of work. The IF HQ is on Manaan, or Rock all as we call it.... Byss too is of special interest as the property of Lord Nexus.....
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jul 9, 2013 9:15:10 GMT -8
"Save your taunting for when we reach the bottom Jud'dayus."
They descended. Deeper and deeper, darker and darker. As they went lower, the air grew heavier and warm. Now the only light was the subtle ambient red glow that came from the bottom of the pit. They passed several passages and portals on their way down, though there was not a single soul to be seen. All was hidden in the pulsating energies of the Nexus. Even though they were next to one another, none could detect their counterpart's aura.
They went deeper still. The air became filled with the bitter scent of brimstone. Beads of sweat formed on the back of their necks as the temperature climbed. Hairs stood on their ends and goose bumps crawled up skin- a response to the unnatural tingling chill that came from the darkness, countering the pulsating heat that came from the core.
When they finally reached the bottom, the stairs turned into a suspended stone walk way, which stretched over the yawning, glowing chasm. The heat here was nigh unbearable. In the center of the walkway was a circular platform; the platform consisted of raised pedestals, which surrounded a glowing red obelisk. A holocron- one of massive size- such as that none have ever seen. Nexus crossed the chasm and looked back at Jud'dayus.
"I hope you weren't expecting leather bound tomes...those are rather...impractical."
Nexus looked at Jud'dayus, then at Lux, wondering if her irritation had been weakened by the descent, or intensified.
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Lord Nexus
The Vegemite Enclave
Posts: 174
Affiliation: Chaos
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Post by Lord Nexus on Jun 21, 2013 10:03:30 GMT -8
The Dark Lord stood in silence for a moment, noting Jud'dayus' anticipation and Lux's irritation. Jud'dayus' comment passed over deaf ears as Nexus lifted his right hand, placing it against one of the wrought figures on the door. There was a notable pulse of chaotic energy as the Dark Lord exposed his force signature to the barrier. There was a moment of utter stillness, brief yet long enough to incur potential doubt. Then the door opened, swinging silently inward on its hinges, exposing the dark sanctum which lay beyond. An unnaturally cold breeze entered the hall as air left the sanctum. As soon as the doors were still, Nexus strode through the threshold and into the ante-chamber.
What lay before them was a sight that seemed physically impossible- it was an entire underground city, deep within the belly of Byss. The Ante-Chamber was a domed pantheon so large that the word massive does not do it justice. The floor, made of rough stone, stretched forward only a few yards before dropping off into a chasm that echoed with the murmur of running water. To his back and sides were rugged stone walls which shifted from black marble to white marble as it neared the apex of the dome which hung over head. Looking to his left, a pair of great stone feet dominated the ground, a similar pair was also found on his right. These feet belonged to giant monolithic statues, hewn of abyssal black stone with white veins- the statues depicted men of powerful physique, posed standing straight up, with their arms held in front of them, bent upwards to hold the ceiling up above them. Thick broken shackles of wrought iron hung around their ankles and wrists.
While the bodies of the statues mirrored one another with the same detailed muscular physique, each statue had a different face, adorned with its own unique mask carved of different materials material. Glancing up at the faces nearby, Nexus could see Obsidian, Gold and what appeared to be wood. The old man explained that each mask represented an idea of the Forsworn. The statue to his right bore a mask that looked very much like the mask he once wore.
Directly ahead of them was a set of tall like pillars unlike any he had seen before. Hewn into a tall, narrow, three sided obelisks with flat tops, these pillars appeared in pairs, flanking stone bridges that stretched over the yawning gorge. There were three of these bridges within Nexus' field of vision, though he was sure more were scattered on the other side of the cavernous hall.
While the outer walls of the hall were rough hewn and natural, there were several smooth sections with openings similar to the one where he just exited. Past these openings were bridges much like the one that he was on. Along with these openings, there several carved outcroppings that resembled faces with opened maws from which water tumbled forth. The water would free fall for several feet before crashing onto an aqueduct which crossed the seemingly bottomless chasm, towards an interior wall. Unlike the natural hewn outer wall of the hall, the inner wall was smooth, polished black stone. Nexus led the pair through another pair of pillars, where they would find themselves standing on a smooth stone walkway of some sort, which wrapped around to form a giant ring of stone. The path was roughly twenty meters wide, and ended in a series of arches, which wrapped around the inside of the ring. Like the bridges, there were no rails within the inside of the ring.
To look down, a viewer would find themselves looking across a yawning chasm, stretching out for hundreds of meters. Within the chasm was the inside wall of the ring, whose monotonous smooth stone was broken by the outcroppings of a wrap around stair case which was wide enough to hold five men abreast, so long as the fifth man did not fear death. His eyes went lower, following the stairs to find where they ceased. Holes appeared in the stones, and while they looked small from here, Nexus could see that they were carved. Perfect pentagons- some were illuminated while others remained dark. Windows. He was standing at the top of a hollow cylinder. No; not a cylinder, a city. Lower still, trying to find the bottom of the pit, all they would find was a veil of mist with an ominous orange glow. That was the source of the heat which warmed these stones. But what was it? Were they in the belly of some great volcano?
Nexus continued without a word, slipping through a set of pillars on the inner edge of the monolith. He didn't fall, but instead stepped down. The stairs met here. Nexus turned back towards Jud'dayus and Lux.
"Come, it is a long descent."
The Dark Side was strong in this place. It pulsed heavily, with subtle ebbing in the background. The air was no longer cold and stagnant, but now hot and humid. The Dark Lord began to descend into the belly of the beast.
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