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Post by The Barefoot Monk of Korriban on Mar 31, 2017 20:46:32 GMT -8
The Tutor stepped lightly into the tomb, the bare soles of his feet finding relief against the cold stone floors of the passageways as every step took him further from the sands of Korriban; The rusty sands of the valley were particularly hot, reaching absurd heats at peak hours of the day. Some had claimed to find spots of glass across the planet's surface during record temperatures, warped and melted wreckages from felled starships, but these stories were few and far between, no more than rumors told of isolated, distant ranges of the planet - and no one ever returned from those distances. Even so, the Barefoot Monk was happy to be out of the blazing sun of the barren surface of the planet. His encounter with the beast had left him weary. Tired. Dark Lizards were mighty creatures; thick skinned, muscular, with long talon-like fangs lining the lower jaw containing a viscous, vicious poison of the Dark Side. A single bite could mean the end for even the most powerful Force user. Even The Gaunt Man himself. The gravity of his survival of the encounter was not lost on him - Fate was in motion. The Barefoot Monk of Korriban crept through the halls of the ancients, using his staff with great assistance, his wearied form taking gentle motion in the hallowed chambers. But it was not long before he began to change. Breathing in the stagnant air, a thousand years in stillness, seeped in dark energies. He could taste the power of the world in these halls like pure bliss. The Dark Side was like a scornful and passionate lover, its kiss a consummation devoutly to be wished. His shoulders unslouched, his steps became strong and the echo of his staff became a proclamation against the cobbled walkway. The tomb was dark; the stone walls refusing the great sun far above the planet. But the Seer could see. Far beyond the walls. This tomb held great secrets The Tutor swore Fate to uncover. The Tutor stood in the gateway of the antechamber. Suddenly, like the moment of Creation, the chamber burst into bright blue light, consuming the emptiness of the room and filling the distant hall with the chaos of battle, of the fight against vicious villainy. The Tutor observed. A blinking light cuts the darkness of the antechamber as the entrance to the tomb closes itself once more, the sands ceasing their staggered tumble into despair. Silence is often more unsettling than the loudest of screams, but the gently strobing blue bulb emits just a faint enough 'click' to put a being a little more at ease. As if on cue, the light goes out and a darkness falls upon the room deeper and colder perhaps than any darkness has ever done. Just as suddenly, the entire room is aglow with holographic blasterfire, mercenaries, and the echoing screams of dying men. The scene would have been a gruesome one if the camera of the holorecorder had been pointed just a little more to the right. As it was, only the faces of the mercenaries - the shock and sheer terror in the lights of their eyes and faces - could be traced and replicated by the poor machine. What the holovid missed in its documentation, however, it made visible with its ambient glow - the remains of the men seen in the air are strewn about the room in various heaps and piles. An arm here, a few legs there, and in the center of the room a small pile of human ears. The bones have visible teeth marks, the ear-cuts jagged - not removed with a knife or tool, but with claw or tooth. Dark streaks of dried blood criss-cross the room and mar the ancient stone walls.
The tombs of the ancient Sith of old - what better place to lure and trap a monster? What better place indeed, as long as you succeed...
The horrors of what was apparently a short and bloody battle vanish as suddenly as they had begun, plunging the room into darkness once more. The little blue bulb blinks again, waiting for the next victim to warn.
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Shifting sands. The scent of death upon the air once more. A shaft of light in the suffocating darkness. It didn't take long for the rage to begin to build in the great albino Nelvaanian as the promise of another kill drew near. The air smelled different this time, though, less fear in it. A thought crosses the wolf-man's mind but he thinks little of it. A fight is a fight, a kill a kill. He was hungry again, after all, and who could say when he would run out of the odd hssiss to devour. He would win this battle not because he knew who or what his foe was, but because this was a battle of survival. He is Nelvaanian. He is Adervez. He is hungry.
Making his way through one of the long, sloping tunnels leading back up to the antechamber, Adervez holds his arms wide to either side. The blood-flecked claws on either paw scrape ominously against the stone and the sound carries through the close quarters of the chamber. He can feel the rage and power flowing into his body as he draws ever nearer to the entrance of the tomb, using the intense and ancient darkness of the place to fuel his fury. His already red eyes begin to take on an other-worldly glow as the Dark Side flows through his entire being.
When he finally reaches the archway that links the hall to the large antechamber, crystals of red light begin to glow high up near the ceiling of the chamber - the brush of Dark Side power emanating violently from the beast of a man enough to make them come to life. He stands for a moment, drool and foam dripping from his open maw as he stares at the pitiful looking stranger in the room before him."Pregotovsya oohmerett!" he bellows in his native tongue - though whether the man was truly prepared to die made little difference to him. And in an instant, the light of the world is snuffed from this plain, leaving nothing but darkness in the bath ahead. Emptiness. But emptiness stirs. The Tutor could see the hulking mass of flesh and fur approach, its white shape darkened in crimson. A massive menace, taking up wondrous space within the archway of the hall. But the Seer did not move. Instead, he stood, leaning against his staff with both hands, and peered forward, as if to examine a fascinating prospect. He had expected to encounter great trials within these walls, as those before him had for a millennia. But this creature? The Tutor was bewildered. The Barefoot Monk tilted his head, like a wondering mutt. The words of the beast were lost on the man, a language he had yet to encounter, only making him more curious with every step of the beast. "Dear fellow, there are many perils within this tomb. But none so unprecedented as you." |
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Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Sirona on Dec 11, 2017 13:58:14 GMT -8
A StealthX dropped it's landing gear and drifted down to the surface. Landing not far from the Valley of the Dark Lords. Nidana slowly climbed out of the cockpit of the fighter, and retrieved he Sith Sword from the storage compartment, slinging it across her back and grabbing her archaeologist pack before silently moving towards the tombs. The red sand and harsh environment a stark contrast to her fair figure and hair. She was slow and careful, making sure not to disturb her surroundings too much. The Echani reached out with the Force, looking for any slight hint of any artifacts, holocrons, or even old manuscripts that would give her more Sith history, which she craved. Her eyes scanned the Valley, from its eastern side. Once content that she hadn't been spotted by anyone, or anything, she started her way down into the Valley still with a sharp eye out for any form of knowledge she so desperately craved.
She came to the bottom of the Valley. Looking from tomb to tomb. She could see from here that most of these places had been plundered long ago, but she would try none the less. She moved down the rows of mausoleums, she would stop occasionally to dust off an inscription, or reach out with the Force, but this world seemed as dead as ever.
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Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Sirona on Dec 18, 2017 10:16:17 GMT -8
Nidana had managed to collect a small amount of artifacts, though much of what she sought had been either pillaged or destroyed by other Darksiders, or by the Jedi. The fragments of an old tablet were wrapped in a small cloth that she fastened to her belt. She also checked the makeshift bandage she made after a scrape with a Tuk'ata in one of the tombs. The climb back up to the top of the Valley was challenging, not only the added weight and wound, but also the darkside energies did not want to let her leave. Beating back these thoughts, the Echani reached the top of the Valley and her StealthX. She stowed her sword and relics in the small cargo compartment, before stowing herself in the cockpit. With her time on Korriban at a close, and the pitiful haul she had to show for it. she knew to gain the knowledge she craved she would need to either infiltrate or join the Blackguard. So as she lifted off she plotted a course for Iradonia, and hoped she would be accepted.
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Gráinne Mhaol & Fiach Dubh
Member
Is mimic a bhris beal duine a shron - often a person's mouth gets their nose broke
Posts: 714
Affiliation: Oglaigh na Irandoideanne - Warriors of the Iron Fists
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Post by Gráinne Mhaol & Fiach Dubh on Aug 21, 2018 18:13:59 GMT -8
Hanging on tightly to the hand of Rhiannon the child walked jaw agape and eyes wide. The place was so splendidly terrifying Maureen took in every minute aspect of the terrain recording it deep in her mind. And she did likewise with the intangible supernatural spirit that filled the air on Korriban
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Dread Lord Havok
The First Order
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Post by Dread Lord Havok on Apr 11, 2020 5:40:05 GMT -8
*A dark elderly figure emerged from Darth Vador's tomb and began to climb the walls of the valley. He ascended by bounds, aided by the force, until he reached the top of an adjacent mountain. There, he rested until the next day.*
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Dread Lord Havok
The First Order
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Post by Dread Lord Havok on Apr 18, 2020 8:05:54 GMT -8
*Rising before the sun appeared, the dark elderly figure sat, comprehending the stars overhead.*
The brilliance of their light was not hidden in light pollution of cities or civilization. The darkness in the valley in the morning was total, save for these celestial lights. Havok's eyes could not see them. They had long since ceased operation. As he watched the stars in their orbits through the force, the 4th dimension of time faded away, and the stars revealed themselves in their cycles, orbits and wanderings. All planets inhabited a space representing their pasts and futures. in this profound revelation, the significance of the "now" was lost in the infinitude of all that came before, and all that would come to pass.
The curse of the seer is that he must always dwell in the insignificance of the present, and can never dwell in the infinite majesty of his vision.
Havok traced the streams and riverlets of the force generated by the heavenly processes overhead. The causality generated by photons streaming through space, shimmering through atmospheres; feeding plants, warming ecosystems, creating electron currents on solar panels, filling solar cells, evaporating water...
To truly understand the flow of the force, one must see and understand the flow of all things; its beauty in the fertility as well as the beauty in desolation. The gamma ray bursts of dying stars that lay waste to all life, is just as beautiful as the processes giving rise to life.
Havok's thoughts naturally shifted into philosophy.
Lest any believe that such views or appreciation of existence requires a jedi, or grey jedi perspective or philosophy to appreciate is wrong. A jedi perspective appreciates all creation, but naively ignores death. A sith perspective praises strength and power often manifest through destruction, without appreciating the necessity of the processes of life to perpetuate. how else may a sith rule, but over the living? when one sheds the jedi philosophy, the light side of the force and this necessity of life cycles swallows up sith reasoning, showing it is insufficient. This must always be so. As long as there is a rebirth, the limitations of narrow sith philosophies will not respect reality, and therefore fail to fully manipulate and control the forces in the universe. Thus a Jedi, that sheds the narrow confines of the limited jedi philosophy, becomes capable of defeating the sith, becoming more powerful than a sith can comprehend in his rebirth in the force.
BUT! but...- Even the infinite rebirth in the universe cannot stop the inevitable expansion and heat-death of all existence. And that is why a sith, who sheds the narrow confines of orthodox sith philosophies, and embraces the dark side of the force in all its aspects, will inevitably exceed even the cyclical rebirths of the jedi, and able to swallow them up like a black hole at the end of time and space.
And what does that make a seer? Inevitably, a prophet of doom? A jedi sympathizer? A Sith Heretic? A man with two faces, who sees all sides of an issue? Who sees forward and backwards in time? That sees the pros and cons? That can dispassionately trace the lines of causality; see all causes and effects; trace the very force back to its source?
No. So much more.
He stood up, ready to begin his trek down the mountain.
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Dread Lord Havok
The First Order
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Post by Dread Lord Havok on Apr 24, 2020 13:49:09 GMT -8
The sun rose above the distant mountains, brilliant, and highlighting Havok's perch. Down below, the valley of sith dead, remained shrouded in shadow.
Havok's expansive ruminations were disturbed by individuals on the planet's surface. Just because Havok's mortal address was in the "here and now" doesn't mean he enjoyed leaving his mental vacation cottage of "contemplating the infinite expanse of the universe and its death" to deal with nuisances. It annoyed him to have his visions of the cosmos, and contemplation of the inevitable death of all that is, was, and ever shall be... at the end of time... constantly deflated by distractions occurring in the effervescent present.
Well, now that he was back to present, might as well focus on the distraction at hand.
Havok headed out into Korriban's terrain, trudging towards where the disturbance is...? was? would be? Havok wasn't Splitting straws. He was a seer after all. Why marry yourself to the present moment, it would only be chased away the next moment. In order to make it to the disturbance in time, he had to leave About... now.
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Dread Lord Havok
The First Order
Posts: 945
Affiliation: Sith, darkside, Adventists of the Eye, Imperial Remnant
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Post by Dread Lord Havok on May 2, 2020 11:17:40 GMT -8
After watching the outcome of the battle, which was probably riveting, Havok returned to the Valley of the Dark Lords to deliver his next lecture.
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Post by Darth Sanguinus on Feb 25, 2022 19:59:19 GMT -8
Darth Sanguinus strode down the hills leading to the valley of the dark lords. He could feel the dark side flowing through his body. This place was filled with it. He came to the valley where statues dedicated the ancient dark lords were erected just outside the tomb entrances. Sanguinus sat down legs crossed between two of the statues, and he began to meditate. In his meditation he was given a vision. He saw a massive army and entire fleets art his command. He saw worlds fall before his might as he conquered the galaxy. The dark lord's eyes opened as he saw the blood-red sunsetting over the dark valley, and shadows grew larger. He felt a calling, a pull from the dark side. At first it was only a whisper, then before long it felt like the dark side was screaming at him. Pulling him towards the tomb of the dark lord Naga Sadow. Sanguinus stood up, and began his walk towards the tomb.
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Nem Yin
The First Order
The dark expanse of the intergalactic void is not as empty as they would have you believe...
Posts: 439
Affiliation: The First Order
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Post by Nem Yin on Oct 18, 2022 5:12:00 GMT -8
Coarse grit buffeted the yorik-vec 'Bleeding Orifice' as it descended from the sky into a sweeping sand storm that obscured visuals. Even symbiotically bonded with the organic transport as he was and able to see with its own visual sensors, Nem couldn't see a damn thing as he manipulated the controls and guided the ship further downwards. Fortunately the dovin basals were able to give him an approximate idea of where the ground was. Blinking at the top corner of the hud projected by the cognition hood over his head, he used the dovin basals to create a singularity between the ship and the wind, pulling in any sand that it flung their way. Through this method he was able to find the ground, stroking a reflex that sent a signal to the gunship's landing gear to extend. Spindly segmented legs emerged from crevices in the coral crusted hull and impacted the ground as they took the weight of the ship and supported it. A section of the ablative hull split to reveal a hatch sphincter. It unsealed, dilating as a long molleung worm unfolded and formed a living ramp to the sandy terrain. The Praetorite shadow hunters waited at the ramp for Nem, who just finished removing the cognition hood from his head.
The others, all young warriors eager to prove themselves to the war hero in their midst, looked to the Executor for last minute guidance. His mqaaq'it, usually a resplendent emerald green, now burned with a crimson light like two low burning coals. Nem stood at the top of the ramp, staring into the whirlwind of sand whipping by. Shem-Veesu hissed from a satchel fixed to his back, covered in the same photosensitive bacteria as his cloaker. Turning his back to the storm, the intendant looked the soon-to-be blooded shadow hunters up and down. His lip split into a savage grin, exposing his crooked yellow teeth.
"We'll split up into teams of three. Aegor, you take Círdan and Joralf. Eldarion, Katar and Lathai are with you. Connack, Keiran, and Erhorn. Faelar, you Orist and Drannor." Lowering to a knee on the ramp, the Executor retrieved a tactical villip and stroked the biot, causing it to tremble in his hands before projecting a holographic ray of light onto the deck. An image of the valley was spread out before their ocular implants, each warrior snapping images with the chilab implanted in their brain. Yuuzhan Vong hieroglyphs marked different tombs, identifying each team responsible for the different targets. Nem's hand formed a knife edge that he swept down, indicating the map as he motioned to each target in turn. "I've marked each of your teams targets with the leaders name. Given that we weren't intercepted on the way down, it is fair to assume that are assumption was correct and the Sith Empire is no more. That doesn't mean there still won't be natives prepared to protect these tombs. Remember, to them this is a sacred place, they venerate these past leaders of their religion in a similar fashion as our people. Don't let your guard down. Falling here will bring shame on your domain, my domain." He growled. "Do not dishonour yourselves. Now, move out."
Several grunts of approval sounded off as the others began to disembark. Only Drannor stopped at the bottom of the ramp and looked back at Nem, who was walking down behind him. The younger Yuuzhan Vong raised a questioning brow. "What about you, Yu'shaa? You're going alone?"
Nem paused mid-stride, mildly surprised by the expression of concern. After a second he shrugged his shoulders and then activated his cloakers stealth mode. "I work better alone." He said, before even his face faded away and there was no visible sign of the Executor. So nimble was Nem that Drannor didn't even hear the veteran slip away. Scowling, the younger Yuuzhan Vong turned and ran to catch up with his own team.
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Post by Professor Arachnus on Mar 10, 2024 8:19:55 GMT -8
Continued from here.Orange luminous discharges of light flashed amongst the rust red sky as a massive Freedon-class Star Pyramid barreled through the atmosphere on a descending course towards the Valley of the Dark Lords, igniting the sky while setting off dark storm clouds that crackled with lightning and rumbled with thunder, which were barely heard over the constant roar of the monstrous repulsor engine banks that kept the giant dreadnought aloft. In the valley below, indigenous predators present began to burrow into holes and flee in panicked droves, perhaps sensing via their latent connection to the darkside the wealth of sorcerous power contained within the Felstorm as the flagship of the Forge Master came to hover three hundred feet above the dusty ground. Across the angled surface of the mobile city that served as host to the cybernetic legions of the Fabricator General, circular ports across the hull began to open up, as ninety concussion missile tubes were prepped for firing. Loaded into each ordnance launcher was a baradium warhead packed with enough explosive material to blast the command bridge off a star destroyer. A veil of steam bled from the launch tubes as each warhead was armed. On the bridge of the warship, Commander Beelzebub assumed his position in the command throne of the Felstorm, seating his metallic posterior in the polished obsidian chair. The super tactical droid's right appendage hovered over the firing controls. Three glowing red photo-receptors glared across the room from his metal cranium, waiting for the winged Red Sage to give the order to unleash hell. When the Fabricator General nodded, Beelzebub pressed a button on the arm of his throne, signalling the warship's gunners to launch the first volley.Fire! Ordered the tactical-bot in an audible synthetic command. Even on the heavy protected bridge buried within the bosom of the Felstorm, the cybernetic arachnid known as Professor Arachnus could feel the vibration through the hull as ninety warhead launchers vented their wrath onto the desert sands of the Korriban. Blue cobalt streaks zipped from the floating obelisk in the clouds, racing rapidly towards the surface, impacting the desert floor with resounding impacts that echoed across the continent. Thick choking black smoke and cleansing flame scoured the valley clean, causing the grainy particulate to flash boil into molten glass, while shock waves traveled across the dunes and disturbed the old tombs spread across the burial site. Growing mushroom clouds blossomed up into the sky, clogging the air intakes of the Felstorm's repulsors with ash, the strain of which could be heard across the ship as the exhaust nozzles sputtered and coughed. Take us up another hundred feet, then fire the second volley. Commanded Beelzebub, leaning forwards now as the view screen darkened, the exterior feeds turning grey as ash flakes settled on their camera lenses. Rising higher, the star pyramid unleashed a follow-up volley, sending screaming missiles hurtling through blast clouds to impact the target area. A second series of explosions rippled across the valley, dispelling the first set of rising smoke columns before replacing them with new ones that rose just as high.Next, disc shaped HMP gunships soared out of the numerous hangars spread across the Felstorm's hull, unleashed upon Korriban like a plague of mechanical locusts. Each gunship carried two 125-Z treadspeeder bikes magnetically clamped to their undersides, equipped with an IG Lancer in the drivers seat and a super rocket droid riding behind. The gunships circled the blast site, descending just above the desert sands without reducing speed as they disengaged their mag-locks, releasing the Hellrider units onto the dusty dunes. Tracked bikes tore up the terrain, sd-kfz 2 engines growling as they zipped over sand hills, scouting the area around the planned landing site the flagship had just bulldozed with baradium. After releasing the treadspeeders they were carrying, the HMP gunships assisted with the scouting efforts as well, circling the fire blackened fields of soot stained glass from the air. Landing zone cleared of hostiles and hellrider scouts deployed, Fabricator General. A C-9979 command variant is standing by to depart whenever you are ready, Milord. That got the Professor tittering around the bridge excitedly. The chief librarian was most eager to get his many legs on the tomb world's wealth of Sith artifacts.
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Mar 13, 2024 17:54:24 GMT -8
Despite the two bombing runs, the stone cliffs of the Valley and the Sith Tombs dug into them appeared to be unharmed. Which was probably the only saving grace for Beelzebub, as the Tactical Droid seemed quite proud of his work. Valefor turned toward the droid, his gloved fingers wrapping around the servomotors that served of Beelzebub's neck
Congratulations on your demotion to Ensign, Beelzebub... Upon our return to Hypori you will report to the Dark Forge, is that understood?! Now get Mammon to the bridge, he will be taking command...
He tossed Beelzebub across the bridge before stalking out of the command centre and making for the central hangar bay where the C-9979 Command Refit was waiting. The Forge Master lead the way up into the vessel with his retinue certainly not far behind, allowing the massive transport to lift off and depart the Star Pyramid. Having opted to remain in the cargo bay area, Valefor spent the trip down without a view out to the surface below until the C-9979 touched down and the massive pair of doors split open. He raised his hand up to protect his eyes as the light spilled in to the darker interior. The wind and heat hit him together as he made his way down the ramp and set foot upon Korriban.
Almost instantly he could feel the presence of the dark side washing over him. It reminded him a lot of Dromund Kaas, except here that thick presence was everywhere across the planet. The planet was, itself, a nexus of dark side energy which could provide those who fought here the advantage over the Jedi. But despite his grand designs, there was no way to crystallise the force signature of an entire world.
His ambitions were much more realistic and manageable. Something so powerful would only overwhelm and destroy him. But the nexus of Darth Krayt that he sought, was something he could manage to bend to his will.
He moved out of the way then, allowing the rest of his forces to disembark from the C-9979 and begin unloading the command base stored within. It would be a couple hours before the setup was complete, but Valefor was not going to just sit around and wait as he motioned to the 113 Brigade
Exorcists, on me! We're going to make for that temple over there!
He pointed to one of the tallest temples within the ruins which seemed the most likely place that the nexus would be found. He would know pretty quickly once they got close enough, since the other stones would start to call out to it
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Post by Professor Arachnus on Mar 17, 2024 9:30:20 GMT -8
A segmented mechanical leg swept back and forth in front of Professor Arachnus' forwards photo-receptors as he followed the Fabricator General off the transport, wiping away the dust and grit kicked up in the air by the C-9979s landing. His only barrier of protection between the sand threatening to get between his well lubricated joints was a wrapping of tanned man-hide that draped the robo-spider's black metallic form like a turban and poncho. The turban bulged and pulsed as the chief librarian's cyber-arachnid offspring squirmed beneath it. Sand. Why did it have to be sand? As you might imagine, the Professor didn't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. "I'm going to be in desperate need of an oil bath by the time were done here, Master." Complained the academically inclined assassin droid as he scurried alongside the winged red sorcerer.
When the order was given to the Iron Brigade, the initial reply came as a synthetic snarl spit through the grill slits of a Sith iron helm attached to the body of a spiked warbot in heavy plate armour. Steam hissed from the joints of 113th's current commander, Sergeant Corrosion, as the Sith Elite Warbot encased Shard marched across the valley sands at the head of the Exorcist's formation. A tattered Nelvaanian cloak hung from the brutish bot's shoulder pauldrons and swept the ground behind his metal boots as they crunched across the uneven terrain. Sparks spat from the heads of humming vibro-axes held in either of his spiked gauntlets, their edges glowing ember orange as the ultra-sonic generator housed in each weapon caused the razor sharp blades to superheat as they vibrated, trailing black smoke as dust turned to vapour as came into contact with their buzzing surface.
"You heard the Forge Master." Growled the Shard, whose silicon based body radiated an intense red light reminiscent of freshly spilt blood, projecting a malefic luminesce that bled from the gaps in his armoured plate. "First column, form up!"
Gleaming silver in their gilded plate, the Exorcists snapped to motion like the tinker-tanker mechanical soldiers they were. Shiny B1-battle droids marched in a rows of five, polished musket barrels resting against their left metal shoulders as they moved in unison with meticulous precision. Every fourth row featured a droid equipped with a drum and another with a flute, which despite lacking lips, they somehow managed to play as the Legios Cybernetica was on the march. The commotion stirred across the valley dunes caused roosting shyrack to flap their wings and take to the air as they were frightened away from their nests in the upper reaches of the temple the 113th Brigade was headed towards.
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Mar 20, 2024 15:26:36 GMT -8
Everyone will need a good oil bath, so long as they do not follow Beelzebub's example... Clear the tombs, gather whatever valuables you can find. Try and stay in one piece...
Valefor set off across the sands then with the Exorcists in tow, heading for the village ruins some distance away. Certainly they could have made use of a troop transport to cover the distance, but that would have taken time to unload and prepare. Even if the stone was found and collected before the base was finished being constructed, they could still linger here to raid the tombs for valuable manuscripts and holocrons. There was much that could be done upon Korriban.
It was a long march across the dunes, but they were soon at the edge of the ruins and the stones were already whispering to the Demon Lord. He'd been quite certain that the next Nexus was here, but now there was no doubt about it. It was here that Darth Krayt had founded the One Sith and left his mark on history. Even at this distance, the dark side was already growing stronger in presence, making those attuned to it feel more confident and powerful. But even with the central temple reaching high over them, as if trying to intimidate them, the Demon Lord pushed on.
As they walked down the main street of the village, echos and memories of the past started to bleed through from the ethereal realm to the physical. Buildings started to appear in the now empty plots and ghosts of residents ran across the streets. Valefor paid them no mind, as many of them seemed little more than a few moments repeating over and over again
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Post by Professor Arachnus on Mar 24, 2024 4:40:48 GMT -8
Beelzebub's reward served as a reminder to them all of how easily one could fall from the good graces of the Forge Master if they failed to meet his rigid standard of obeisance and obedience. The Professor did his best not to be found similarly lacking, though truth be told he was having a difficult time trekking across the tainted sands of Korriban as the unusual effects of time distortion were playing havoc on his internal chronometer. Heavy winds that swept the dunes and blew clouds of grit and dust high up into the sky further stifled his photo-receptors from performing an educated calculation based on the positioning of the stars, while the magnetic and irradiated particulate made synching his uplink with the Felstorm and their orbital satellite telemetry sporadic at best. Instead he placed his trust on the Demon Sorcerer's comprehension of this strange place to see them to their destination, marching next to his winged lord as the droid columns of the Exorcists clanked forwards behind them. Arachnus refused to allow his robo-arachnid children to emerge from the porous holes on his chassis for fear that if they wandered off into the dunes, he'd soon lose contact and never see them again.
"Proximity alert, two o'clock." He screeched as his combat sensors focused his plethora of mechanical red eyes. Thirteen rifle butts snapped against the gilded shoulders of the modified B1s as the front row of automatons took aim, then snapped off a single well aimed volley with a chorus of thunderous cracks. Spectral green alchemical flame and shimmering sparks erupted from the barrels of their master-crafted muskets, propelling sinister orange balls of wyrd shot into the translucent apparitions that faded in and out of reality, causing their incorporeal forms to explode in eruptions of steaming ectoplasm. Ghosts bound by time or spirits trapped in the fey, the well researched war gear of the 113th Iron Brigade was most affective against their perceived foe. The assault seemed to disturb the deathless aura that had settled over the valley, awakening long desiccated inhabitants buried beneath the sands of time. Mummified skeletons of Sith warriors from long dead battles clawed their way up from beneath the dunes, digging themselves out to reveal their ghoulish skeleton forms, staggering towards the arrested droid line. "More contacts!"
Arachnus' warning was unnecessary. Sergeant Corrosion struck his humming axe blades together in a burst of orange sparks that spat hatefully towards the approaching undead. The war-bot encased Shard, psycho-indoctrinated into the Fabricator General's service, charged headlong into the first of the shambling mummies. His glowing orange axe heads shattered walking corpses from his path, drawing the attention of the reanimated host while the Exorcists began to assume firing lines. Battle was joined between sanctified Sith steel and the recently awoken legions of the damned.
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Mar 25, 2024 17:05:29 GMT -8
If he'd thought there was any danger of waking the dead, Valefor would have waved Arachnus and the Exorcists down from their initial volley. However, it proved an interesting test to see just how good their gear really was even against simplistic spirits such as these. But the consequence of this test was that their enemies had taken on a more corporeal form rising from the sands.
Valefor drew the Hastae from his back whilst reaching out his gloved fist and activating the recently acquired Stone of Had Abaddon. The Force flowed through him and into the stone, causing it to glow a brilliant emerald colour as sand started to rise up and form tentacle like shapes. Several skeletons soon found themselves bound by the sand appendages before being snapped apart under the pressure exerted on their fragile frames. With the closest left side group dealt with, Valefor turned his focus to the right side, the Hastae spinning and slicing through the air with its crystalline sharp tip.
The spear tip cut through rotten sinew and skin, while the butt of the shaft was used to crush skulls and cursed artefacts binding the dead to this world. The Demon Lord kept pressing on through the ruins toward their destination, stopping only to allow the Exorcists a moment to form their firing lines before pushing deeper on. As expected though, their enemies numbers only grew thicker and heavier. Without skipping a beat, he used the Stone of Dromund Kaas to suck the life and energy from the skeletal remains before redirecting it to manipulate the sands, creating sinkholes and more siliceous tentacles to crush their opposition
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Post by Professor Arachnus on Apr 1, 2024 9:33:41 GMT -8
It seemed as though they had wandered into a realm half in this world and half in the next, as the dark sands of Korriban came alive around them, giving birth to all manner of monstrosity and ginormous ghoul. Long dead elements of the Tomb Lords army were stirred to life by the electricity of combat. If the spectral apparitions were the gathered undead's scouts, then the skeleton wretches and mummified warriors that clawed their way to the surface must be the valley's guardians, quite literally throwing their horrific desiccated bodies at the droid army in relentless waves. The Exorcists firing lines annihilated scores of shambling reanimated Sith, smashing their bones apart with hammering volleys of shot, setting their parchment dry skin aflame in flames of quick combustion. Meanwhile the Forge Master's magic served as the brigades cannons, taking a terrible tally of the enemy forces arraigned against them that would have sent any living army running in unbridled terror. As for the Professor, as usual he could be found close to the action, screeching platitudes and demanding more from the 113th like a battlefield Commissar. When the madness of the foe they faced proved too much and the simple droid brains of individual B1s gave into despair, Arachnus could be found there, smacking some sense into them with one of his many razor edged limbs. At other times his presence was one of foreboding deactivation, as he executed droid officers for cowardice, then briefly assumed command of the droids under them which he typically led into a reckless action of some form. Lastly there was Sergeant Corrosion, who fought like a one droid cavalry charge, smashing through the horde ahead, trampling skeletons beneath his spiked Sith iron plate. Every sweep of his snarling vibro-axes sent another ten undead back to the grave.As an Exorcist pried the tip of their vibro-bayonet out of a zombie skull, the chief librarian clambered over the stilled corpse and raised a pair of electro-binoculars to two of his two dozen photo-receptors. He spied the tomb the Fabricator General had selected just a bit further ahead. "Tomb in sight, Master." Shrieked the cyber-spider excitedly, pricking the pile of bones beneath him with the spear like tips of his legs as he hopped from side to side. "Just over this last dune. We'll have these rotten shamblers dealt with in short order, sir." He said confidently, offering the Demon Lord a Legios Cybernetica salute.If only it could have been that easy. The moment the words left the SD-K4 assassin droid's vocabulator, he knew he was going to regret them, as the planet began to rumble under their feet. Further ahead, halfway between their forward position and the tomb they were headed towards, something burrowed up from beneath the ground. Long dirty yellow claws burst from the sand and sank back into the depths, gripping the surface as whatever it was pulled its gigantic skeleton after it. The scale of the monstrosity was grander than anything the Legios had brought with them, as an undead prehistoric beast of Sith legend rose to tower above the dunes of Korriban, venting a terrible shriek that could be heard from halfway across the planet, kicking up a storm of dust and sand that swept across the desert. Arachnus turned his domed chassis as the grit cloud wore at his paint, lowering his electro-binoculars and hopping down from the corpse he was using as a stepping stool. Cowering behind the body was one the B1s, shaking in its gilded plate as it looked to the Professor for answers. Wha-wha-what was that? A port on the underside of Arachnus' chassis slid open and a miniature hold out blaster extended through the opening. The robo-arachnid responded to the droid. "Undead leviathan." He stated plainly, as though it were obvious, then shot the droid through his processing unit. FWAP!"Exorcists!" He screeched, the volume of his speakers clearing the smoke from the barrel of his recently fired blaster. "Positions!"
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Apr 3, 2024 16:33:55 GMT -8
To say Arachnus was replaceable was a foolish statement. Despite the odds, the academically inclined spider bot had stuck by Valefor's side through thick and thin. It was why the Demon Lord trusted the Spider Droid to command his forces in battle, so that he could keep his focus on the fights he had to win. But that wasn't to say he was not entirely unaware of what was happening to the 113th. He would definitely be recommending an upgraded battle unit or droid brain for their successors. But that was a later problem, for now he kept his focus on moving forward through the mass of undead bodies.
That was, anyway, until he sensed the movement beneath the ground and the Undead Leviathan breached the surface of the sand. The pair of Horax beasts upon Nelvaan were, by comparison, little pups. However, there was a lot less meat on this Leviathan. It was naught but polished bone from decades, centuries perhaps, of sleeping and residing beneath the hot sands of Korriban.
Of all the things that Beelzebub could have hit and struck with his missiles, this is the one thing he would have preferred be taken out. But the Droids failure had now become Valefor's problem to resolve. He struck his hand out toward Arachnus, as the droid sought to form up the Exorcists
Keep them moving! Get to the Temple!
He gripped the Hastae with both hands as he charged across the sands toward the colossal beast. Under normal circumstances it would have been suicidal to take a Leviathan head on, especially as they were known to swallow entire towns with a single bit. But unlike regular Leviathans, this hulking heap of bones lacked any digestive system. Certainly its powerful jaws and razor sharp teeth were still a danger, but they were a danger he could much more easily avoid. Once he found its weak spot, the place upon which a magic seal had been placed, he could destroy it and defeat the Leviathan.
The ground shook as more of the titan emerged from the ground, massive fore limbs sweeping the desert surface and taking with it enemy and ally alike. It was a blind and mindless beast, intent only upon killing and eating. Things that a skilled mage could have directed properly toward their enemies. Instead, the enemies numbers were being depleted as the Leviathan ran rampant in its act of defence.
Sand exploded in bursts around him as discarded bodies were thrown through the air or some part of the beasts skeletal structure impacted the ground. Valefor had to make several quick direction changes to avoid being crushed or punctured. But soon enough he'd gotten close enough that the beast turned its attention upon him fully, disregarding everything else.
As a massive bone paw came sweeping across the dune, the Demon Lord stood his ground and waited. The pressure wave sent sand flying through the air, obfuscating his own vision but also that of anything looking at him.
Perfect.
He leapt forward and upward then, bursting through the air with great speed and landing atop the Leviathans arm. Valefor wasted no time racing up along the forearm bone he had landed on and made for its shoulder blade. The green gem of Had Abaddon glowed brightly as the sand rose up once more to wrap around and bind the Leviathan's limbs and stop it from moving. The silicate tentacles tried to contract, but the bone was too strong. But that was of little matter for Valefor as he made it safely to the beasts shoulder.
He rushed forward then, his right hand reaching out and gripping the edge of the bone plate as the Leviathan thrashed about, freeing it from the bonds he had sought to imprison it with. It was not a complete surprise that the beast had freed itself with relative ease. It just meant his task was just that bit harder as he continued to scale the beasts bones
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Post by Professor Arachnus on Apr 9, 2024 7:13:28 GMT -8
Scattered by the ongoing battle with the undead and the emergence of the lifeless leviathan, the ranks of the 113th Iron Brigade were disorganized and struggled to assume structurally sound firing lines, so it was just as well when the Demon Lord gave them the order to make for the temple. The Professor nodded his porous domed chassis and turned his droid vocabulator to maximum volume, although his screeching synthetic spider voice was also delivered across the communications channel, laced with static due to unforeseen magnetic interference. "You heard the Fabricator General, maggots! Advance to the temple, don't let the enemy slow you down. LEGIOS, MARCH!" Servo-actuators and mechanical limbs worked overtime to propel the gilded and gleaming B1s into a fighting charge towards the temple. Instead of falling into formations and concentrating their fire at the ranks of the undead, they instead took what pot-shots they could while moving at speed across the last stretch of dunes. Where and when the dead proved to numerous to push through, initially anyways, the robo-arachnid gave the order to revert to more primitive means of warfare. "FIX BAYONETS AND CHARGE!" He shrieked in unmasked cybernetic hatred, rushing headlong himself into a wall of walking corpses. His mechanical spider offspring sprung from the holes in his head and fell upon the Korriban zombies, tearing off dusty limbs and driving a wedge through the horde that allowed the Iron Brigade to pass beyond enemy lines and reach the front entrance of the tomb.As soon as the first droids made it there, they began to turn and provide covering fire for the Exorcists still fighting through the worst of it. When the chief librarian reached the temple, he spun about and raised his electro-binoculars, looking across the battlefield for his master, whom he spotted unsurprisingly on the back of the great reanimated leviathan. Much as his programming had anticipated. The Forge Master led by example. Unfortunately from Arachnus' estimation, the creature appeared to be more difficult than perhaps the Red Sage had expected. Valefor looked as though he could use a hand.Or in this instance, some fire support. Arachnus opened a comm channel to the CIS mobile command centre deployed when the Legios Cybernetica had made its landing. :: Professor Arachnus to Fort Valefor, come in! We've encountered heavy resistance in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Requesting artillery support at these coordinates. Danger close! ::There was a pause as the droid command officer stationed at the base, newly promoted General Glitch, took a moment to reply. His menacing mechanical tone responded over the open airwaves moments later.Negative, Chief Librarian. The heavy artillery guns haven't been offloaded from the landing craft yet. We could divert a Hellrider patrol to your coordinates... But the General was interrupted before he could finish that statement.:: We don't have time to wait! :: He shrieked. :: The Fabricator General needs heavy armour support now! :: Another pause, and then... Understood. Re-tasking two HMP droid gunships with cluster munitions to your position. ETA 2 minutes. This unit is also rerouting four IG-227 Hailfire-class droid tanks to your coordinates, with an ETA of 7 minutes. His synthetic tone sounded apologetic. That's the best we can offer.If the Professor had a face capable of displaying his cybernetically programmed mood, it would have displayed a grimace of displeasure at that moment, but instead all he could do was shake his metal chassis from side to side and pray to the Dark Forge that it would be enough. :: It'll have to do. Professor out. :: He closed the comm channel and scurried back to the defensive formation the Exorcists had taken around the mouth of the temple. "You want to operate forever? Give them hell, Exorcists!" He snarled, delivering the Forge Master's judgement with the swiveling blaster attachment on his chin.
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Apr 10, 2024 17:19:36 GMT -8
Valefor's focus was on bringing down the Leviathan as he transitioned from scaling the beasts shoulder blade to up along its spine, moving steadily closer to its skull. Given the beasts gargantuan size, it was not an easy feat to accomplish. Each vertebrae was almost double his height in length which made traversing them difficult enough, but that was compounded by the beast trying to shake him loose. Its arms tried to reach and grab at him, but he kept himself pressed in close to the bone to reduce his profile. Something he though for a moment had worked to dissuade it from further struggle.
However he quickly found out that was not the case as the Skeletal Leviathan dove back into the sands to take a swim. The Red Sage tightened his grip on the edge of the bone he had just gripped onto and felt the sand blast over him. Thankfully his protective barrier kept the sand from peeling off his flesh. But such an assault would drain his shield quickly and then it would quickly be over for him.
And act he did.
He jammed his left hand down between the two giant vertebrae and wrapped his gloved hand around the nerve that still ran through the bones. He then yanked hard on it, pulling it up and away. The Levaithan let out a rumbled roar of pain as it returned back to the surface. The world of sand fell away and was replaced by fresh air as they emerged to the surface and the Leviathan changed its tactic. The Demon Lord had been so preoccupied with freedom from the sand had blinded him to the sudden rushing of air as the beasts tail came swiping along. He started hurtling through the air before his wings extended out and caused him to glide up a bit in the air.
From this new vantage point he was able to see Arachnus and the remnants of the 113th at the base of the Temple. He could also see the pair of HMP Gunships that had been re-tasked to reinforce him.
With this knowledge in hand, he dove back down toward the Leviathan, landing upon its back and making a dash toward the base of its skull once more. Hands, feet, and tail all tried to come up and swipe the Red Sage from its back. But Valefor was not going to be dissuaded or stopped as he raced along the spinal column, leaping from vertebrae to vertebrae. Missiles were soon streaking through the air as the Gunships started getting into range for their weapons to lock on and fire. Much of the original volley seemed to miss, passing dangerously close to bone but never impacting. One lucky missile from the opening volley did find its mark however, and blew off a chunk of the Leviathan's tail.
Bone splinters shattered through the air, barely missing Valefor as he dodged the shrapnel. But the next volley of missiles was quickly incoming, this time more of them found their mark, impacting the beasts right thigh. A throaty roar of pain rumbled out as the beast turned around to face its aggressors. Laser fire was soon peppering the skeletal remains as the Red Sage continued his progress to the beasts skull. Every now and then he was forced to dodge stray laser fire and the occasional rocket. The Hellfire-class Droid Tanks were cresting the rise when Valefore pulled the Hastae from his shoulder and pointed the crystalline spear tip downward.
He pushed himself up off the bone and into the air. Bone, lasers, and rockets filled the air as he sailed forward and thrust the spear tip down. Solari impacted the runic circle, finding the resistance stopping it from piercing through. But that resistance did not last long, with the spear tip piercing through and down into the bone. As the spell broke, the entire skeletal structure stumbled forward a few steps before collapsing away from the tip of the tail back to the base of the skull. The beasts momentum was such that when its body at last impacted the sand and sent the skull flying, it came to a sliding stop just at the foot of the Temple.
Valefor pulled the Hastae free and rose to his full height as the sand and dust cleared. He took several steps across the bone of the skull and hopped off down next to the 113th and Arachnus
Impressive work surviving this long...
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A blinking light cuts the darkness of the antechamber as the entrance to the tomb closes itself once more, the sands ceasing their staggered tumble into despair. Silence is often more unsettling than the loudest of screams, but the gently strobing blue bulb emits just a faint enough 'click' to put a being a little more at ease. As if on cue, the light goes out and a darkness falls upon the room deeper and colder perhaps than any darkness has ever done. Just as suddenly, the entire room is aglow with holographic blasterfire, mercenaries, and the echoing screams of dying men. The scene would have been a gruesome one if the camera of the holorecorder had been pointed just a little more to the right. As it was, only the faces of the mercenaries - the shock and sheer terror in the lights of their eyes and faces - could be traced and replicated by the poor machine. What the holovid missed in its documentation, however, it made visible with its ambient glow - the remains of the men seen in the air are strewn about the room in various heaps and piles. An arm here, a few legs there, and in the center of the room a small pile of human ears. The bones have visible teeth marks, the ear-cuts jagged - not removed with a knife or tool, but with claw or tooth. Dark streaks of dried blood criss-cross the room and mar the ancient stone walls.
