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Post by Professor Arachnus on Sept 8, 2023 8:34:41 GMT -8
Like dominos toppling over, the defenses and last shred of resistance by the Stalgasin Hive crumbled like so many other cities and worlds before it, pounded to rubble by the machinations of the Forge Master and his mechanical legions. Mecha-Arachnus for his part added to the pyre, his flame projector bathing the retreating Geonosian warrior caste in green gouts of alchemical flame. The destruction was pleasing to him. These organics offended his cybernetic sensibilities, they deserved to die if only for the crime of their unworthy existence. Metallic mockeries of the defenders descended in mass, swarming over the hive like angry wasps as they dragged terrified insectoids out of their holes and put them to the flame or sword, meting out righteous viral justice. The Professor could have continued all day, save for the fact that his communications suite began to bleep with a priority transmission from the Golbah Hive.Expending the last of his munitions, the spiteful spider-bot emerged from the top hatch of his modified MT-AT, quickly clambering across its mechanical surface. Lining up a shot on the Red Sage's battle-mech, the cyber-arachnid fired a magnetic grapple cord at Valefor's vehicle, striking the right shoulder. Without concern for the considerable height, the viral SD-K4 assassin lunged off the head of his spider-mech and swung over to his master's armoured red hulk. Scurrying across its surface, he crawled across the mech's head, stopping in front of the Fabricator's General's view as his plethora of glowing crimson photo-receptors locked eyes with his beloved creator."Master!" Screeched the Professor in panic. "We just received a priority transmission from the Golbah Hive. The queen has gone into labour! The Princess is coming!" By his calculations, if they left immediately they would just make it there in time to witness the birth.
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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 Nov 24, 2023 18:36:08 GMT -8
Red dust billowed around the exterior of the Stalgasin Hive's entrance as a dark shuttle descended to the uneven dirt, extending landing gear at the last moment to impact the ground hard, releasing a hiss from the vessel's strained hydraulics. A mechanical whine sounded as the boarding ramp extended and slammed down next, exposing the dark interior and the two occupants that stood just within the shadowy confines of the sinister ship. The two figures couldn't be further apart from one another in nature. One was a raging muscular mass of pure aggression and barely contained rage, the other a cold blooded serpent with scales that swallowed light and an aura that wilted everything it touched. Fury and Famine, also known as Darth Garrax and Lord Dragus, the Fist of the Eternal and the Dark Apothecary of the Sith Eternal. The Wrathful One was garbed in a blood red cloak that invoked the image of spilt vitae, while the Hungering One was garbed in a robe comprised of the flayed faces of former attendants that had the misfortune to earn his ire. Both Sith strode off the shuttle, taking to the rusty red sands and briefly baking beneath the ultra-violet radiation of the unforgiving Geonosian sun."This better not be another waste of my time, wyrm." Snarled Garrax, puffing out his chest and flexing his arms in an attempt to intimidate his fellow Council of Seven member with his incredible musculature. The grey skinned Fist was like a sculpted slab of granite, strewn with dark veins and crisscrossed with old battle scars. He leered at his forced companion with bloodshot eyes of jaundiced yellow.Beside him the drake lord turned his snout, black lips splitting into a despicable grin that revealed rows of razor sharp incisors. The Blood Wyrm dragged a forked tongue over those glistening fangs, slurping up the scalding salivation that dripped from his sopping gums. "Trussst me, Garrax, you won't be disssappointed. Valefor'z massstery of the sorcerouz artz have produced a Geonosssian Queen unlike any I have ssseen before. The dronez she producez from her magnificent womb will ssswell the rankz of the Sssith Eternal and put to shame even the Acolytez under your command." There was a rhythm to the way the saurian Sith moved, his shoulders swayed one way while his overlong spike capped tail swished the other, always in sync despite the uneven terrain underfoot.Garrax snorted derisively. "It seems dishonorable to rely on beasts rather than soldiers. If you hope to impress me with more nightmares of the flesh, you will be sorely disappointed." There was a martial swagger to the Fist's stride as he followed Dragus into the Hive, an ease of posture that belied a killer instinct and mastery of the echani arts.For the most part the strange spire like hive seemed abandoned, for there were few signs of life as the two members of the Council trekked further into the dark depths, more like entering a tomb than a home to millions of sentient insects. Both knew better, however, as their otherworldly senses probed the claw hewn corridors and felt the buzzing life that resided further in. They quickly found themselves surrounded on all sides, including above and below. Neither displayed any hint of fear. In fact, He-Who-Hungers was humming a tune on his bleeding lips, something he had learned long ago from a freakish woman with glinting spectacles and a chainsaw grin. They expanded their auras, projected a mixture of fathomless hunger and raw anger that discouraged even the Praetorians from barring their path. Garrax looked over at Dragus, eyeing his fellow Sith suspiciously. According to the Dark Apothecary they had been invited here by the Fabricator General, but so far as the Fist could tell, their presence in this place was quite unwelcome. The muscular Sith rested a hand on the hilt of his lightsaber, taking comfort in its presence."We're almossst there." Hissed Dragus pleasantly, intertwining his talons in front of his chest, mismatched eyes hidden by the hood of anguished flesh he wore over his scaled scalp. "Look there, the central chamber." Breaking his grip, the twisted terrorsaur extended a claw out ahead, pointing to a barren chamber nearly as pitch black as night, absent light save the amethyst glow of the reprehensible reptile's glowing ocular implant."I don't see...AGH!" Garrax hissed in pain as a sharpened length of serrated Sith steel dragged across the backs of his ankles, severing the tendons in one fell swish. The Fist collapsed as his legs betrayed him, arresting his fall as his arms shot out and stopped himself from slamming face first into the ground. He immediately rolled onto his back and faced the immediate threat, revealed to be the smiling serpentine Sith who had accompanied him thus far.Dragus licked Garrax's blood from the edge of the serrated tail spike capping his overlong fifth appendage, savoring the metallic tang before focusing his bloody right orb on the fallen Fist, bleeding in the dirt. "Oh my." Cooed the crocodilian coyly. "You ssseem to have ssstumbled over my tail. How embarrasssing. Siss, Siss, Siss!" The mad alchemist's sinister laughter was accompanied by crimson flecks misting from his bleeding maw.The Fist's eyes went wide, his nostrils flaring angrily. "You traitorous bastard! What is the meaning of this?" He plucked the silvered lightsaber hilt from his belt and ignited it in his right hand. SNAP/HISS! The blade shrieked to life, casting a red pall across the hive chamber and highlighting the cadaver clad Dark Apothecary in bloody twilight. Unfortunately for Garrax his apparent adversary was standing well out of his weapons reach, and exuding a strong aura of the darkside that suggested any attempt at telekinesis would be rebuked."You have my sssincerest apologiez, sssweet sssimple Garrax. Our esssteemed Fabricator General called in a favor, one of ssseveral I owe it would ssseem. According to the red winged one, he requirez a Force Sssensitive of consssiderable ssstrength." A leathery creak groaned from the fiendish fanged barabel's scaled cheeks as they stretched impossibly beyond the borders of his snout. "You were the firssst to come to mind. The Eye knowz the grip of your Force Choke iz unmatched. I'm ssstill visssiting the chiropractor after you lassst wrapped your filthy mind around my throat. You hadn't thought I forgot, did you? I am many thingz, Garrax, but forgiving iz not one of them."Garrax snarled and slashed out with his saber, striking nothing but air from his position on the ground. With the tendons of his ankles slashed, he couldn't rise to face the traitorous terrorsaur on even ground. His eyes darted from side to side, looking for any advantage, but seeing nothing in the large empty chamber. Returning his attention to his betrayer, he growled a threat through teeth grit with pain and a curling lip. "You're a fool if you think you will get away with this. When the Supreme Leader hears about this...""Siss! Siss! Siss!" Saurian laughter bubbled up as a wet gargle from the Famine Lord's throat, loud and cruel, without a hint of fear or mercy. Stalking closer, the black scaled barabel's bloody right eye was wide with a mixture of madness and mirth. He bared his glistening fangs, dripping ropes of steaming saliva onto the cold stone floor."The Sssupreme Leader won't be a problem for much longer, my dear and desssperately dumb former comrade. Hiz replacement iz sssoon to assscend the Eternal throne, and once more I will be free to pursssue the Eye'z great work. A tide of blood and death will drown the pathetic inhabitantz of thiz galaxy, and my children will take their rightful place az inheritorz of the new galactic order. Sssadly, you won't be around to sssee it. Ssso long, Garrax." Fading into the shadows, the Dark Apothecary stopped at the threshold of the chamber, offering the former Fist one last parting statement. "I never liked you. Not even a little."And then he was gone, leaving a wounded Garrax that stunk of spilt blood lying on the Hive floor. The Fist screamed in rage, venting his fury with a terrible shout."DRAGUS!!!"
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Dec 2, 2023 21:12:27 GMT -8
"DRAGUS!!!" There was no reply as the name loudly echoed across the dark chamber that existed beyond the bubble of light that emitted from his ignited saber blade. But as Garrax's echoing voice faded into oblivion, there was a thumping sound as the Spatharii Guards lumbered out of the main tunnel through which Dragus had disappeared. Their growls were deep and rumbled the air, summoning legions of much smaller shapes in the darkness. Hisses and growls of a lower pitch filled the air. All of which Garrax could only try and slash his saber at in the darkness, causing the shadows to shift and shimmer. The pair of Spatharii heads appeared at the edge of the purple glow, letting out visceral roars"Stay back!"The pair of royal guards growled deep in their throats, before turning their heads and focusing upon a single point in the darkness. Valefor strode into the chamber from between the two Necronids and appeared at the edge of the light. The Legionis Hastae held in one hand as a walking staff, whilst the Eternus Caestus adorned his left hand, with all six sparkling gems glowing within their settingsLord Garrax, how nice of you to join us..."You wretch! It is unwise to ally yourself with that traitor! You can yet absolve yourself of retribution..."Retribution?! Oh... my dear Fist... I see you have failed to understand the position within which you have found yourself...A much deeper growl echoed up from the depths of the pit upon which Garrax found himself upon the ledge of. Valefor smirked, hearing the voice of his daughter within his headSoon my dear...He stepped a few feet closer and focused his gaze down upon Garrax"I am not an enemy you wish to make, Fabricator-General..."Previously, I would have agreed... But not today...He reached out his left hand, the green stone of Had Abaddon glowing as the rock seemed to become liquid at several points around Garrax's limbs and wrapped around them like shacklesThat's better, nice and secure... There is no escaping your fate. With the Eternus Caestus completed, not even your considerable might can defeat me... Though, I admit Dragus' betrayal did help. Despite some of his faults, he is a lizard of his word and repays his debts...Valefor moved around Garrax, watching as the Fist of the Eternal tried to struggle against the earthen bonds that held him in place. Once upon the side away from the purple saber, He knelt down and brought his face close to Garrax'sYou know, for all his cunningness and conniving plots, Dragus can be manipulated just like anyone else. All I needed to do was call in a favour and his wretched little mind would guide him to you... I suppose I can count one more favour he owes me off the list."What is it that you want with me?"Why, nothing more than the truth, old friend...He reached his left hand out and wrapped the metallic fingers of his Caestus around Garrax's throat, just lightly enough that the Fist would feel them"What truth do you think I know demon?"Tell me, Garrax, does the name Quantum mean anything to you?There was the barest hint of an inhaled breath and the widening of Garrax's pupils, that told Valefor all that he needed to know. It had taken a great deal of work, research, and resources to finally begin tracking down his adversaries. But he was patient and had plenty of time to wait. Until finally, his search led him to GarraxAh, that look of familiarity... it is difficult to hide in such a tense situation, is it not? Did you really think I would not find any of you? But of course you didn't, your hubris blinded you... And now you are trapped here, like a little mouse. Just like you treated me...His grip upon Garrax's throat tightened for a moment, choking the man briefly, before relaxing his grip once more. Despite how many years ago it had all been, the memories and feelings were still fresh for the Demon Lord of HyporiTell me, little mouse... how does it feel? To be caught in your own trap?"This is madness..."Madness?! Madness was what you did to me, expecting to get away without repercussions! No, Garrax, it is you who will face what is coming for you...Valefor released his grip upon Garrax's neck and rose to his full height once more, the purple glow of the saber still illuminating the small areaWho else made up Quantum? WHO IS IT'S LEADER?! I can make things... painful....He pointed his palm down upon the Hand, the Stone of Endor crackling yellow with energy before lightning arced off of the metal gauntlet down into Garrax's torso. Valefor made sure to keep the burst of energy short, listening and watching as Garrax hacked up some phlegm and tried to catch his breath, before spitting on the ground near Valefor's feet"You want the truth? You're a fool, just like DraguuARRGGGHH!!"Another shock of lightning burst down onto Garrax, this time holding a little longer before relief came. Valefor tuttedDo not test my patience Garrax, I have very little of it for your kind... I suppose you don't need all of your appendages in tact...With a swift movement, the Hastae was flipped upside down and the crystalline tip was pressing down upon Garrax's crotchGarrax the Eunuch... Quite the ring to it..."No... no! stop! It was us! Vullorr, Melabor, Xazatar! We oversaw Quantum! But the Supreme Leader... He... He saw to your creation... SHIT!"Garrax closed his eyes as he saw the crystalline tip of the spear raise up, before hearing a high pitched whine ring out. Daring to open his eyes once more, the spear tip was lodged in the ground between his legsWas that so hard? Is the truth not so freeing? It all makes sense now... Why you holed up so often and all but disappeared when I joined the Eternal... You had me where you wanted me, and then Elarinya stumbled along not once, but twice... You could present yourselves as friendly faces, not shadows obscured by anonymity. Clever...He reached out with his gloved hand and pulled the Hastae free of the ground. His free hand remained closedI'm afraid this is the end of the line for you, Garrax...The Stone of Korriban glowed red moments before tendrils of magic wrapped up from the ground around Garrax, cutting off the former Hand's protests. Valefor then opened his right hand and dropped a single worm down onto Garrax's face, watching as the creature felt around in the darkness before disappearing into a nasal cavityFear not, your worthless existence to date will not go wasted any longer... Dragus was right, I have use of you for an experiment. You see, the Geonosians had a wide variety of members within their society. Necronids have a similar such structure, but there is one societal class they are missing...As the worm burrowed its way into Garrax's mind, he too would hear the initial hissing sound become a voice within the Force speaking into his mindFatherrrrrr.... Is it time yet?Yes, Zevene... Your meal is prepared...With a wave of his hand, the green stone glowed and caused the stone to retract. The lightsaber hilt fell limply from Garrax's hand as his body become paralysed. Zevene's massive form pushed up out of the shadows of the pit and started to tower over the Former-Fist and the Demon Lord. Since her birth she had grown considerably in size and power. She was Empress of the Necronids now, with several Queens serving her. Valefor turned toward his adopted daughter and reached out his hand which Zevene nuzzled the tip of her head againstShe is quite beautiful, wouldn't you agree Garrax? I guess not... You never much had an appraising eye for such feats. But no matter...Zevene pulled away from her father's hand and opened her mouth as she moved over Garrax's form. An inner appendage short forth then, with another row of teeth clamping down upon Garrax's chest. In a swift motion, his body was pulled up and into the Necronid Empresses mouth and disappearing down her gullet. Valefor regarded the lightsaber, calling it to himself as the purple blade remained litWaste not...He deactivated the blade and made his way through the darkness out of the Hive whilst Zevene retreated back down into her pit where she could continue subjecting Garrax to his transformation... |
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Dec 13, 2023 0:55:41 GMT -8
It is an interesting prospect to consider how it would feel being swallowed by the Necronid Empress and passing through her body into her womb. Necronid biology, especially that of the Queens, is complicated. Some things interconnected in myriad and strange ways. But the important thing is that whilst Garrax was swallowed through her mouth, his paralyzed form ended up within her womb. It was here, that the metaphorical magic began. In truth it was a small sprinkling of magic and a lot of biological processes on steroids. The first and foremost thing to happen was the encircling of the Former Fist into a cocoon like egg.
As the Brain worm burrowed its way into his mind, Garrax was cut off from control of his own body. He could still feel, see, and hear everything happening to him. But he could do nothing to stop it. Something that would torment the man as he was forced to endure the unbearable pain of his skin being flensed with acid down to his muscles. Thick viscous fluid filled his nose and mouth as it sought its way to fill his body. Garrax thought that perhaps he might finally feel the sweet relief of death, or that his body might fight back. But neither thing happened. His body did nothing more than float within the fluid as it filled up his lungs, forcing him to feel as if he was drowning over and over again.
But his torment was only just begun as his body underwent a rapid series of changes almost all at once. bones felt like they snapped and broke, others seemed to increase in size, pressing out against his muscles that were too tight. Organs burst and the viscous fluid oozed through his veins. His heart felt weighed down and sluggish, unable to process the liquid that now filled its valves. But the worst pain was yet to come.
Had he the control, he would have been bent over and with hands clutching at his head as a migraine beyond any pain he felt struck him like a hot iron. That pain travelled from the front of his skull and then pulled back, moving about as his skull was deformed into a new shape. His torment felt like it lasted for days... weeks even as his senses were assaulted with pain without relent. As the last of his old visage was burned away and a new skin hardened over his muscles, the last and final remnant of Garrax was snuffed out like the flame of a candle. His last moments of existence were only pain and torture...
As Valefor entered the chamber a few days later, wooden torches lined the path from the outer wall to the spot upon the ledge where a massive egg stood. Flames burned upon their torches, providing a flickering flame light by which the Demon Lord could see. His foot steps rung out and echoed across the chamber as he approached the egg and then came to a stop. His right hand reached out to touch the surface of the massive shellAn historic day...He is ready to hatch, Father.Zevene's massive form appeared up from the darkness of the pit and loomed over her latest pride and joy. Valefor took a step back, offering a smile to the Empress of the NecronidsA mother knows best... Come, let us see this newborn child of yours...Zevene moved about the egg, her claws running across and gripping the surface of the egg before ripping and tearing apart the cocoon. A crack formed before bursting open. The thick viscous liquid within rapidly spilled out across the cavern floor, carrying with it a humanoid like form. Valefor watched for a moment, the liquid stopping short of touching him as the head of this new being rested a short space from him. Zevene watched anxiously, his small fore arms seeming to fidget as she wondered if perhaps what she thought was a success, was actually a failure.
As Valefor was about to console his daughter, the body upon the ground twitched once, then twice. Then it seemed to hack up some fluid as it forced itself up onto all fours. Its head shook as it took its first proper breaths. It seemed to look about, though no eyes were apparent. Finally, the creature pushed itself up onto one knee and bowed its headMas.... Master....Its voice was frayed, but still held some semblance to that of the former Fist. A matter of little concern. Valefor stepped forward and placed his hand upon the creatures headToday, the Necronids have passed a new milestone. Geonosian society once had a variety of castes, filling various roles. You now have helped rebirth that tradition. Rise Arch-Duke Panik The Greater, Fist of Empress Zevene! You are special... You will act on your Empresses behalf and fight for her. I will train you how to do so... Come, we have much to do together...The newly named Arch-Duke gave a nod of its head, before rising fully to its feet and following alongside the Demon Lord as he lead the way out of the Hive once more...
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Mar 17, 2024 16:27:23 GMT -8
The great Arena of Justice had undergone a number of repair and rebuild works since the Sith Eternal had claimed Geonosis. The Nercronids had been busily working away to restore the natural arena to its once former glory with new reliefs carved into the walls of the arena floor. Where damage incurred by the Clone Wars and subsequent invasions had been incurred, spitcrete had been used to rebuild those missing sections. CAT Necronids had busy for months undertaking the work needed, but now the Arena was restored and the rows upon rows of seating filled to the brim. The higher echelons of seating were filled with Necronids, beaing the lowest ranking but also invited to celebrate the opening of the Arena. But as you moved down and closer to the ring side, varied members of Sith Eternal society filled the seats. Governors, Mayors, Ministers, and a whole array of other political apointees were split between ring side seats and some of the private balcony's. Many Sith Lords and their Apprentices were given granted private boxes to better enjoy the entertainment.
Lord Valefor meanwhile, as the host of the event, was up upon the main balcony overlooking the arena. While an event had been needed to officially unveil the restored venue, he was not particularly pleased about the circumstances and people involved with the current one. There were certain advantages earned by not being apart of the Council, but current events were one of the disadvantages of being separate of the Council. When Astera had reached out regarding her proposed wager with Dragus a couple weeks back, he had initially tried to push back to ensure better terms. After all, this fight was going to happen whether he liked it or not, but he was going to make sure he did not face retribution. Each side provided access to something valuable and losing that access would be very unfortunate.
He strode to the front of the Balcony, with Darth Astera on his right side and Dragus on his left side, whilst members of the Legios Cybernetica worked security. Sure, the greatest threats at the moment were the pair of council members against whom his robots would be outmatched. But the Crimson Lord was not about to be caught unawares by anything more primitive and low powered.
As he arrive dto the microphones, he gave a quick tap-tap sound test as he picked the microphone up, his voice echoing throughout the Arena:: Thank you all for coming out to the official re-opening of the Arena of Justice! I am joined today by Darth Astera and Lord Dragus! In the east corner, Nu-Mag! in the west corner, Nu-Jake! They represent the forefront of cloning technology for our many armies! Two Clones Enter, only one shall leave victorious! ::The crowd cheered loudly as the pair of steel gates on opposite sides of the Arena lowered and the competitors took to the field
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
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Post by Dragus on Mar 23, 2024 18:37:45 GMT -8
A few steps behind and off to the left side of Lord Valefor, the Villain Crocodilian somehow managed to appear both pompous and primitive simultaneously. His right claw grasped the Staff of Corruption, essentially a gnarled branch of Pzobian oak topped with a nightbrother skull encased in cortosis alloy. Fiery orange flame jewels glistened in the skulls eye sockets and green wisps of spectral vapour hissed from a glass globe wedged between its jaws containing raw spirit ichor blood fracked from the bedrock of Dathomir. The curling razor digits of his left claw grasped a Sith iron chain that served as a leash for a frog-dog that drooled a congealing slime on to the floor near the dread draconian's foot talons. As for Dragus, his black scaled form was layered in a rainbow cascade of different silks that seemed the uniform of a merchant prince or Tatooinian sultan of the sands. Even the blade capping the end of the overlong tail that swayed serpentine behind his saurian form had been replaced with a curved khopesh, like the hooked stinger of a scorpion. A collection of mismatched talismans hung from his neck, seeming to weigh the reptile's neck down until he walked and stalked with a hunch, placing his weight upon the wicked totem clasped in his right claw. The Dark Apothecary's black lips peeled apart to reveal glistening daggers stained pink, blood seeping from between those serrated saw teeth, spilled from where their lethally sharp tips pricked his gums. He was smiling as he stepped forward, coming closer to the side of the red winged ruler of this world.
"I do ssso love a good show." He hissed with a phlegmic gurgle, puffing purple wisps of smoke from his flaring nostril slits, the exhaled narcotic vapours that bled from a Sith gold pomander hanging beneath his snout. This particularly fragrant incense was a combination of ryll spice from the slave mines of Ryloth and hallucigenic black mushroom from the poison marshes of subterranean Dragusblight, its smoke staining the vitae dripping from his lips with black specks of tar. "We can't thank you enough for hosssting thiz event, my dearessst Valefor." A crimson mist flecked from his flapping lips, the pitter patter on the floor somewhat obscuring the sinuous groan of a palanquin crafted from rancor bone and sinew carried aloft by six fur covered and broad shouldered night ewoks with demonic red eyes that flickered like flaming coals, brought behind the scheming saurian scientist who wasted no time in resting his rotten rump on its sinew bound bones. Grimaces appeared on the hooded fuzzy faces of the tree-kin who seemed to struggle with the tyrannical terrorsaur's modest and certainly reasonable weight. "I can promissse you..." He leered lecherously at the Forge Master's muscular back. "...my Nu-Jake won't disssappoint."
Resting his sorcerous staff across his lap, the mad alchemist attached the leash of his drooling pet to the arm of his hovering seat and brought his scaled palms together in a loud clap, signalling the small army of servants he had brought with him to the event. Chestnut furred ewok maidens carried fishbowls of pickled eyeballs and platters of extravagant hors d'oeuvres featuring Mon Calamari caviar and fried gungan legs. The Famine Lord helped himself to some of the briny ocular orbs that popped like grapes between his powerful jaws, bursting with vinegar jelly, the remaining tissue catching in pockets between what seemed like endless rows of teeth. "It iz my pleasssure to provide refreshmentz to sssate our appetitez. I myssself am absssolutely famished." A scantily hooded night ewok hedge witch approached the ruinous reptilian and offered him a soot stained bottle, which he raised for inspection before the amethyst lens of his left eye implant. With a sweep of his hook tipped thumb he cleared ash from the label of a bottle of aged Hiitian wine he'd seized from the ruins of Bonadan's capital after he'd put its people to the torch in a massive funeral pyre for some and an unpleasant execution for others. He handed it back to the ewok who opened it and began to fill glasses for the three Sith.
As the rust rimed portcullis groaned its way in protest into the ground, NJ1-749 raised a naked hand to block the harsh rays of the sun glaring down from above as he emerged from the darkness of the arena bowels. The muscles beneath his tight and vein strewn flesh rippled with tension as hormones flooded his bloodstream, enhanced with a recently induced concoction of alchemically altered steroids and combat stimulants. Stripped from the waist up, it was as though the clone had swelled to twice the size in the week between the challenge was initially issued. A luminous green steam blew from a nose that had been broken and reset several times in the last few days, those unnatural fumes hinting to the nature of the substance the Dark Apothecary had introduced to the Nu-Jake in an effort to gain an advantage in the match. What little hair remained clinging to his red scalp hung in loose patches, turned salt and pepper grey like the stubble on his sweat glistening chin, jaw clenched tight to expose teeth that had been replaced by iron pegs. The blood in his veins ran hot as his flushed skin turned red as he sighted his opponent across the arena sands, causing his sandaled feet to plant themselves and send him muscle bloated body forwards into a feral sprint towards the Nu-Mag. His eyes were wild and foam spilled from his lips, his hands stretched towards her and fingers flexed into claws.
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Apr 8, 2024 19:29:21 GMT -8
Of all the council members, Dragus was the one he had spent the most time dealing with. A number of ventures had proven quite profitable in their immediate conclusion while others had much more long term benefits. It was the pay off that almost always made some of his more trying character traits a bit easier to put up with. But today was a little more vexing than most. He knew Dragus well enough to know that what ever the Dark Apothecary had planned was not going to be strictly within the spirit of the terms Astera had laid forth. It was also true that the Lizard Lord was not very humble about his prospects. He was always the worst when he was trying to surreptitiously brag
Yes, well when two members of the Eternal Council want something, who am I to deny their wish...
He gave a roll of his eyes, his back having remained toward the pair of Sith Lords. But he spared them both a glance as Dragus boasted of how good a show his Nu-Jake would put on for them all. It didn't take long after those words left the lizards wicked lips that the shambling mass that had once been a Nu-Jake came out onto the field. There was a time when such a sight would have buckled Astera's knees and drained all colour from her face. But instead, she merely walked closer to the balcony's edge, holding a glass of the Hiitian Wine. To say he was impressed by her composure and the confidence on her features was underselling it
Your confidence betrays you Dragus... But you will find the scales of this fight aren't quite as unbalanced as you might have hoped...
Astera was certainly coming into her own power a bit more than when he had built the Eye for her. It was almost a little terrifying to see her like this. It was also why he was glad she was on his side and not his opponent
NM1-010 strode out onto the hot sand and the sun beating down upon it. She was garbled in only a simple cloth toga intended primarily to protect her modesty. But otherwise she seemed unarmed and unarmoured. But looks could be deceiving. Whereas Dragus had been overt about his changes, Astera had been much more subtle. Her changes had been focused internally, reinforcing bones and sinew. The charging Nu-Jake was about to be in for a surprise if he expected to just crush her with a single charge. She stepped backwards as he closed in and reached his diminutive hands out to try and grab her. She kept moving backward, dodging this way and that so as to keep her movements unpredictable. She let off a couple jabs at his elbows and head
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Dragus
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Post by Dragus on Apr 11, 2024 5:17:06 GMT -8
Blinded by bloodlust, the Nu-Jake didn't slow for a second as the Nu-Mags fist struck his head with meaty thwacks and crunched into his elbows with sinuous cracks, his mind altered state leaving him oblivious to injury while any resulting pain only served to incite his hyper-aggressive state further. In fact, his flesh seemed to ripple beneath her strikes and swell after each firmly delivered blow, almost as though he were still undergoing some form of metamorphosis. Beneath his flushed and veiny flesh, the clone's cells were multiplying at an alarming rate, causing him to physically enlarge as the fight went on, inducing further growth pains that only seemed to produce more savagery from the alchemically altered super-soldier. When he threw a clubbing swing of his bulging left arm, or gripped his hands together over his head in a downwards hammer-swing, each progressive assault came just a bit closer despite that he was slower than the slender Nu-Mag. His arms and legs were quite literally lengthening with each blow, making his range of attack difficult to entirely predict even though his slower movements somewhat telegraphed his incoming strikes.
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Valefor
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Post by Valefor on Apr 18, 2024 17:07:58 GMT -8
Despite the growing size and strength disparity between herself and the Nu-Jake, Ten remained resolute in the fight and determined to win. Lady Astera had pressed upon her the importance of this fight and the underhanded tactics with which Lord Dragus would trade to win. This growing mass of flesh and muscle was just evidence of the warnings she'd been given about what the fight would entail. Of all the people in the Sith Eternal, it was the Serpentine Alchemist that would have offered up something worthy of a real fight. This fight wasn't just about who the best of the Eternal's gene-forged clone soldiers was better, it was a live test of the Nu-Mags to see how they adapted to changing battle field conditions.
With his in mind, Ten made use of her speed to keep out of range of any direct attack from the hulking brute. It was a tactic which saved her from an instant death being crushed by the wild strikes being thrown around by the Nu-Jake. However, even a miss or near miss was proving quite problematic as debris was being flung about. A number of stone pillars that had once littered the arena had chunks missing from them or had been brought down entirely. But Ten still dashed in when she saw openings and got in a strike or two where possible. Given the unstable nature of his genes right now, she could use it to her advantage. After all, at some point the beast would become too big and slow to move under his own weight. Right?
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Dragus
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Post by Dragus on Apr 27, 2024 7:07:40 GMT -8
Maybe? Truthfully not even Dragus was entirely sure what the end result would be as he spied glimpses of the fight from their box seats, which had erupted into chaos as the Director became enraged by the Dark Apothecary's obvious treachery, leading the reprehensible reptile to retreat from his precious Winter Rose as she hurled bolts of Force Lightning in his direction. For his part, He-Who-Hungers did his best to keep Valefor positioned between himself and the infuriated Lady of the Sith. "Cheater!" She screamed, her terribly beautiful features were illuminated by the cobalt coloured blade of her permafrost crystal powered lightsaber, that wept a hissing curtain of frost as she cleaved it through the air towards the ducking draconian. The Hungering One held up his empty claws in a placating gesture. "Nonsssense, my dear. The Nu-Jakez have alwayz been able to do that." Unquestionably another compounding lie. Honesty was a practise the Great Devourer considered to be best avoided. Dragus dived into roll that carried him behind the Fabricator General's wide wingspan, tucking his snout out from beneath the Forge Master's legs just beneath his loin cloth, his maw open wide in surprise as another bolt of lightning was tossed his way.Down in the pit, NJ1-749 continued to grow. Splintered and fractured bits of bone speckled its stretched leathery flesh, while yellowed nubs of spine protruded from its back. The knuckles of its massive hands calcified and the corner of every joints emerged from its armour hide thick skin in bony spikes. Monstrously modified by alchemy, the Nu-Jakes cells exploded in rapid generation, thickening his swollen form into solid slabs of muscle. The special steroid introduced into his system prior to the match was a variant of the combat stimulants used by the Umbaran Militia, enhanced with alchemy to produce gigantism in the subject, increasing the size of its musculature and levels of raw aggression. The trade off was a diminished mental capacity. The mutant looked dumbly down at the ground where its fist has just impacted the dirt, confused what had happened to the small female with the intoxicating aroma causing a reaction in its lower extremities. He bellowed a snarl and smashed both hands into the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust that caked his enflamed flesh in Geonosian clay. Ropes of drool dripped from the corners of his slavering iron peg filled mouth as the Nu-Jake panted hard, its swollen heart beating dangerously fast. |
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Valefor
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Post by Valefor on May 1, 2024 20:33:41 GMT -8
Despite the commotion going on around him, Valefor had mostly stayed in the one spot whilst observing the ongoing fight down below. Calling it a duel was disingenuous to the Nu-Mag that was now being forced to face the trickery of Dragus. Every now and again the Crimson Lord took a step to keep himself out of the way of the attacks that Dragus was trying to put him in the way of. Thankfully, despite her fury, Astera was doing her best not to hit him. But that all came to a head as Dragus' face came peering out from between his legs. Valefor shifted his left hoof off of the ground and pressed it down upon the Apothecary's back
You are a most elusive foe to the truth...
His attention was drawn down to the Arena, just like the crowds, as the Nu-Jake's ongoing transformation took a new turn. What seemed like the final transformation took place before everyone's eyes, with Astera having stopped her attacks now that Valefor had pinned Dragus down for a moment. Despite the beasts inability to find the Nu-Mag 010, Astera was able to track the poor woman's escape and movements around the arena trying to avoid being crushed to death by crumbling architecture or the beasts growing fists. Without any proper weapons, she would be well at a disadvantage against the beast that now appeared in the centre of the arena. Loss was a vastly growing prospect, and one Astera was considering a further breaking of the rules to provide her fighter a chance.
However, before even that concern could become more than a thought, all focus was pulled from the arena up to the object that was emerging in the sky above. It was almost impossible to miss the brass blimp as it filled more and more of the view. If there had been any doubt as to its threat, they were cast aside as the port-holes opened and the familiar snouts of Ranat's poked out of them. Valefor ground his hoof into the Reptilian's back, sensing that something crooked was about to unfold.
Sure enough that calamity started to unfold as the green gas was unleashed upon the arena stands. hundreds, if not thousands, were killed within those opening moments.
The Demon Lord's right hand curled into a fist as he stood shocked for a moment by how brazen the attack was. Gassing an entire arena filled with Necronids and members of the Sith Eternal was bold, and nod or would go unanswered
Brassclaw...
He growled the name before turning his focus upon the Saurian Sith Lord beneath his foot
So help me Dragus... If you had any part in this, Astera will soon be wearing a new pair of boots...
He lifted his foot and set it down upon the ground as he moved a few steps forward toward the edge of the balcony. Stone flew about as the bullets chipped away at the arena where the shots did not land buried within flesh. His wings spread out before he launched up into the air and placed himself right in front of the cockpit of the brass blimp. The Desidia Stone started to glow a brilliant yellow as the Demon Lord of Hypori raised his right hand and held it palm out toward the blimp
I treated you too kindly Brassclaw... A mistake I will not repeat...
Strands of lightning leapt from his claw tips and palm, arcing out across the open air and toward the brass cupola
As soon as the gas had started to roil down along the stands, Ten had made sure to keep as far away from the Nu-Jake and the cloud of death. But that had quickly become impossible to avoid both. Just as she was about to charge into the gas, a panel in the ground collapsed beneath her and the Nu-Mag found herself falling into a pit and the floor closing back above her head. Leaving the mutant Nu-Jake to face the gas and fight a foe that was no longer there
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Dragus
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Post by Dragus on May 4, 2024 7:05:22 GMT -8
"Oophff!" Sputtered the saurian as he felt Valefor's left hoof press down upon his back, slowly squeezing the air out of his lungs as more weight was applied, causing the Dark Apothecary to struggle and squirm like a wriggling worm. That pressure was relieved as some other form of chaos seemed to have caught the Demon Lord's attention. Rising as soon as he was freed, the Famine Lord brushed the collected layer of dust and filth that had adhered to his robe from the floor, then assumed a position behind their host and opposite Astera. His mismatched gaze bore witness to scenes of violent death as clouds of luminous green vapour appeared to have swallowed much of the crowd in the stands below and around them. Inhaling a deep breath through the flaring nostril slits on the end of his scaly black snout, the Dread Wyrm sorted through a million different particles in the air, determining the composition of molecules like some sort of super-computing blood hound. The corners of his lips drooped and curled downwards into a scowl as he realized what exactly the poisonous gas being dropped from the sky was. Famine's Breath! That reprehensible rodent was using the Hungering One's recipe without his express permission. Snarling, the black scaled barabel slammed the butt of his skull topped staff on the ground, cracking the stone at his feet as his ire bled into the Force.
"Thiz waz not my doing." He hissed, proclaiming his innocence. "I knew Clan Russstrot waz aboard the Maw, but I never anticipated Ssskaltera would attempt sssomething az treacherouz az thiz..." The remorseful reptilian cast his snout towards the floor and appeared the picture of contrition, shaking his crocodilian head from side to side. Surprisingly that much was actually true. Dragus had assumed the tinker rats work on the Doom-Balloon would have Chief Brassclaw occupied for the foreseeable future, but it seemed the ingenious half mechanical Verminlord had completed his work early and was eager to test it out on the inhabitants of the Forge World. He was about to explain what he knew of the hovering piece of ranat ingenuity and rodent science, when the Fabricator General unleashed a blast of Force Lightning at the blimp. "Valefor, wait!" Cried the villain crocodilian, raising a claw to intercede but arriving at the Demon Lord's side too late.
Above, as the forks of Force Lightning arced towards the floating dread blimp, those crackling currents of electricity were drawn into one of several copper lightning rods jutting out from the cupola's sides. The current was caught and stolen by those rods, then redirected through spools of copper wire, and stored internally within the Doom-Balloon. Rotating in place, the prow of the hovering weapon was turned towards the royal viewing box where the trio of Sith currently looked on. As the blimp slowly spun, the fanged metal snout of the rodent figure head fitted at the front of the cupola came into view. A grinding metal shriek echoed through the arena as the lower jaw of the figurehead dropped, falling open to reveal the contraptions throat, within which sat a massive firkraan crystal that smoked and fizzed with crackling electrical current. With a turn of a crank inside the cupola, Chief Brassclaw awoke the figurehead, rerouting the captured Force Lightning into the rodent's maw which amplified the stolen energy and unleashed it back towards the box containing the three Sith. "Lookout!" Shrieked the saurian Sith in alarm, diving for cover as a thunderous blast of lightning hurtled towards them.
In the arena below, the mutated Nu-Jake stumbled through stinging clouds of green gas, weeping blood from his eyes, ears, and nose. An unaltered NJ1 would have stood little to no chance of surviving exposure to the Dark Apothecary's lethal gas, in fact even the master crafted NJX would have struggled against the sheer virulence of the modified trihexalon. NJ1-749, however, remained standing on his oversized and swollen feet. Whatever alchemized steroid or stimulant the Dark Apothecary had introduced to the clone, it was the rapid cellular growth occurring was repairing the damage caused by the gas faster than it could fell him. Having lost all trace of the Nu-Mag, the mutant Nu-Jake turned his attention to the crowd. Digging claw like fingers into the stone walls of the arena, 749 began to ascend into the stands, cresting the front row as Geonosians that had managed to avoid the poison gas were fleeing in frightened panic. Wading through the scurrying bugs, the freakishly altered clone began to murder its way to freedom, crushing chitin as he followed the flow of the crowds.
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Valefor
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Post by Valefor on May 11, 2024 5:00:20 GMT -8
What should have been a spectacular lightning show as the brass cupola was enveloped by electricity and sent hurtling to the ground turned out to be a lot less satisfying. The blimp was unscathed as his attack was sucked in by the myriad of lightning rods and stored away. But it was not stored away for long as the blimp turned and the rodent figurehead dropped open its mouth to reveal a new weapon. As the Firkraan Crystal charged up, Valefor dropped from the air, hurtling back down into the viewing box and landing with just enough time to raise the Caestus as the Avaritia Stone shone with a brilliant purple luminance. The ball of lightning energy came hurtling down, only to be caught in the palm of the Demon Lord's hand as its energy was swallowed up. Lightning arced up and around the box, striking at nearby seats and stone. But neither Dragus nor Astera were harmed.
Valefor fell to one knee as the surge of energy seemed to be more than he was expecting and had taken a small effort to keep from overwhelming him. His gaze shot back to the cowering Saurian Sith Lord
Something to share with the class Dark Apothecary?
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Dragus
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Post by Dragus on May 13, 2024 10:27:31 GMT -8
Thanks in part to Dragus' warning and Valefor's fast action, the trio of science fascinated Sith survived their first encounter with the Doom-Balloon of Clan Rustrot. Once he realized he was still in one piece, the repressible reptilian brushed off his robes and climbed back to his feet, groaning at the exertion due to the extra weight he was carrying around his midriff. He reached a claw towards Astera to assist the Director to her feet, only to have his talons swatted away by an infuriated and frigid Director. Similar to the Famine Lord's insatiable hungering aura, the Ice Queen of Ison and technological Sith savant's very presence seemed to steal the warmth from the air, causing hoarfrost to form on the ground where the soles of her knee high polished uniform boots made contact with the floor. She exhaled cold mist as she settled into a combat stance, summoning the currents of the malevolent fey into her mortal husk by drawing on the purest emotion of all. Hate. With snow pale hands curled into claws, ice crystals began to form in the palms of her hands, spreading out to create long poles of ice that ended in wicked serrated spear heads and seemed as hard as durasteel rods. Hefting the one in her right hand over her shoulder, she hurled the frozen projectile into the air with expert precision, aiming for one of the open port holes on the side of the brass cupola where masked ranats were dropping glass orbs of poison gas. The spear punched through the throat of the rat at the window and continued straight on and out the other side, passing through another rodent on the opposite side and every one that had been in-between.That little bit of murder made her smile. While the Hungering One found the coldly beautiful Astera to be physically hideous to look upon (not an ounce of fur on her besides that patch between her legs), her dispassionate demeanour and the way she slaughtered small sentient creatures aroused the saurian Sith more than a room full of pleasure pawed ewok maidens. He drooled a mix of blood and saliva from his crocodilian snout, zoning out as Valefor demanded answers, his mind drifting into a day dream.
He felt...pain. Terrible, terrible pain. << Squeakerz! My water jussst broke! GAAAAHHHH! They're coming! Squeakerz, can you hear me? They're coming! GAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! >>
As quickly as that strange bit of foresight came upon the Dread Wyrm, it just as quickly left him, causing the villainous velociraptor to shake his slobbering snout from side to side. With the brain fog cleared he looked at his host who was giving him a demonically expectant stare, then at Astera who was limbering up her lean frame up in a series of squats with the remaining ice spear held over her head, then up at the blimp."It'z called the Rattenburg, a Doom-Balloon asssembled by the tinker ratz of Clan Russstrot, under Chief Brassclaw'z sssupervision. It'z modeled to sssome degree after my own airship, the Ssspirit of Sssadow, but with a few notable differencez like that lightning cannon on the prow. I allowed Ssskaltera to ssstudy the designz of my blimp only for inssspiration, of courssse. He waz sssupposed to build me a fleet of Force Lightning resssistant airshipz with which to conquer Roo..." He tore a strip of rotten cloth from his robe and coughed flecks of blood into it, turning his head to the side. "...ooaxuz Prime, or jussst Raxuz Prime az the kidz call it thessse dayz. Clearly that mischievouz rodent had other planz in ssstore. Certainly I never gave him permisssion to make ussse of my patented poissson gaz. It'z trademarked. He owez me royaltiez on every sssingle one of thossse orbz dropped." SMACK! The butt end of Astera's spear struck Dragus squarely across the jaw, knocking loose a serrated yellow tooth that skipped across the floor. A bit harsh, but he had been rambling a bit. Rubbing his scaly cheek, he continued. "Apologiez, darling, I'll get to the point. That airship iz a potent sssuper-weapon. The desssign of the balloon iz sssuch that even if ruptured, internal balloonz sssecured in armourweave canvaz will continue to provide buoyancy. Itz armour iz enhanced by runez and its reinfored ssskeleton haz spellz of sssorcery woven into it. It will be quite difficult to bring down from out here."Dragus put his claws on his head and ducked as a cortosis bullet fired by a ranat jezzail zipped by overhead. "The mossst sssure way to bring it down would be from inssside the cupola, though it will be difficult to get clossse with thossse marksssmen mice taking aim at uz."
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Valefor
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Post by Valefor on May 21, 2024 19:06:05 GMT -8
It was difficult to deny that there was a dangerous beauty to Astera and the way in which she operated. She was ruthlessly efficient and intelligent in ways he was lacking. There was a reason he was keeping in her good graces and had her lined up for some work later down the line. But they needed to live long enough to worry about any future plans each of them may or may not have had.
When Dragus finally spoke, the assessment was not particularly hopeful. It didn't surprise him that Dragus had seen to the creation of blimp that was almost impervious to any and all attacks. But as the Famine Lord pointed out, it could be brought down from within. Assuming at least they could get up to it without being shot
I can provide us a shield, so long as one of you can get us up to its back!
He started chanting an incantation and moving his hands and fingers about in the right motions, causing a series of runes and symbols to appear in the air before the Demon Lord. When the spell circle was formed, he grabbed the air like one might grab a handle, and directed the spell toward the Blimp. The air shimmered before forming into a field of reddish energy. Bullets were shrugged off into different directions or came to a stop entirely before clattering to the ground
Hurry!
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Dragus
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Post by Dragus on May 23, 2024 7:37:54 GMT -8
"Ssstand assside." Croaked the Famine Lord with a renewed sense of bravado, puffing out his chest beneath the layers of mismatched silk he wore as he stepped to the front of the arena box, raising the Staff of Corruption in his right claw while his left disappeared into the satchel of ingredients and supplies resting against his hip. "Thiz iz a job for the Massster of Alchemy." No higher than the villain crocodilian's midriff, the fuzzy horde of chestnut furred ewok pleasure maidens who had previously been paw serving them questionable delicacies, formed a defensive circle around the Great Devourer. Casting his snout downwards, the lecherous lizard looked upon his flock with no shortage of affection, feeling emboldened by their proximity to his scaled form. "Gather me bodiez." He hissed, just as his left claw wrapped its talons around the particular item he sought in his trusty satchel of alchemical agents. "At leassst a dozen, and lay them out in a row on the far ssside of the box."
They worked quickly, these celestial descendants, affirming the order with a nod before slipping from the fortified confines of the royal box to venture into the poison mist that had swallowed the crowd. After a few moments, the first of the fuzzy bears emerged from the luminous green curtain, trailing modified trihexalon fumes that turned their fur black and caused blood to drip from their wet little noses. Behind them they dragged the lifeless bodies of Geonosian drones, those unfortunate insects that had been caught out in the open when the fiendish vermin of Clan Rustrot launched their surprise attack, now nothing more than exoskeletal sacks of boiled bug goo. The bodies were laid out across the floor, all the while their demonic host held the worst of the Rattenburg's jezzails at bay with his shimmering kine-shield, joined by Astera who was hurling icicles from her pale fingers as though they were throwing daggers. As for Dragus, he paced back and forth in front of the laid out corpses, his black lips performing a verbal count when he ran out of fingers with which to keep a tally, finally setting on an auspicious number. He had asked for twelve but they had brought him Thirteen. It was a sign. Among the Adventists of the Eye, there was no more sacred a number than blessed Thirteen. Removing his gruesome gaze from the arranged cadavers, the Hungering One briefly turned his attention to the heaven's above, the whirring mechanics of his rakatan ocular implant focusing its lens on the celestial tapestry of space. Though the Almighty Eye was concealed in the crackling heart of the Pzobian nebula and the stars in the sky were hidden behind the obscuring veil of Geonosis rust red sky, He-Who-Hungers could feel its malevolent gaze turned upon him.
Raising the item procured from his bag, the saurian Sith revealed it to be a fat bottomed bottle of glowing green liquid, not unlike the orbs falling from the sky or the glass sphere clamped between the jaws of the nightbrother skull topping the Staff of Corruption. He popped the cork stopper with a flick of his thumb talon, then leaned his head back as he poured most of the contents of the bottle down his open gullet, snapping his jaws shut with bone crunching force after two-thirds had been emptied. Rather than swallow, the scaled sultan of sin and debauchery swished the unknown liquid around in his mouth, savouring the unique flavour before spitting a fine mist over the gathered geonosian bodies, speckling their chitinous exoskeletons with hissing green specks that steamed even in the oppressively dry midday heat. As the vapours rose, Dragus poured the remainder of the bottle down his throat, then swallowed it down in an audible gulp. A green spectral light shone from behind the black scaled barabel's bloody right eye, and even the amethyst gem set in his left began to shift in hue as it too was affected by the potion the Dark Apothecary had just imbibed. When he opened his jaws to present a frightful fanged smile, a phantom wail escaped from between his forest of daggers and slipped past his blood speckled lips, its words expressed in the witch tongue of Dathomir.
Spirit Ichor, the lifeblood of Dathomir and the supposed source of Nightsister magick. Over the last year an outpost on that inhospitable world had been assembled and put to the task of harvesting the unique substance using a special patented technique known as blood-fracking. In an attempt to reverse engineer Dathomiri sorcery, Dragus had been studying the strange luminous ichor, performing all manner of test to see if he could coax it into responding to his will. Despite his best efforts, the ichor remained unresponsive, denying the devilish draconian's every attempt to command it. Not one to submit to an impossible task, the Dark Apothecary applied his mastery of the alchemical arts to the problem and soon devised his own version of the ichor, combining the manifested mana with his mutagenic elixir, the Urcinis-Helix. The lab rats of Fort Ewok had simply taken to calling the synthesized ichor as 'The Goo'.
Though initially green, the luminous Goo fueling the villainous velociraptor with arcane energy began to shift in shade, becoming a sour yellow as its contents became corrupted by its contact with the reprehensible reptile. Clamped between the jaws of its skull topped staff, the sphere of altered ichor began to bubble and hiss inside its transparent shell, effected by the magicks the Dark Apothecary was manipulating. Extending the staff forwards, he refined his self loathing into a stewing hate and used those foul emotions as the wellspring for his own power, transferring etheric currents through his claws and into the Staff of Corruption. Forks of crackling sickly yellow lighting erupted from the sphere clamped between its jaws, pouring into the arranged insect bodies on the floor, drawn to the ichor speckling their chitin. Nightmarish shrieks escaped chittering insect throats as the corpses on the ground came to life, temporarily animated by an infusion of alchemical ichor, filling their lifeless husks with the tortured and abused souls of long dead nightsisters. The mutagenic component of the elixir caused spurs of bone to emerge from the aliens carapace in places, while a viscus fluid seeped from their eyes, ears, and nostrils, running down their transforming flesh as they climbed to their feet. Infused with a portion of the Dark Apothecary's malignant essence, these raised drones were consumed with a desire to devour, that need eclipsing any and all others. They stumbled on uneasy mandibles towards Dragus, raising insect fingers that had turned into claws, groaning as they swarmed towards him like a pack of hungry piranha.
Clamped in the jaws of the Staff of Corruption, the green globe shone with the same jaundiced yellow light as the twisted terrorsaur's mismatched eyes, casting a sickly glow over the reanimated bugs. While the artificial ichor contained enough of the raw stuff to infuse the lifeless husks with reconstituted spirit matter, the Goo housed inside the head of the Famine Lord's staff had been distilled to contain only the harvested essence of former Clan Mothers. That former authority they had exerted in life now became a tool through which the Dark Apothecary could command these undead drones. They stopped shy of his silk shrouded scales, smouldering in place as the magicks that temporarily restored them to life were quickly burning through their mortal vessels. They wouldn't last long.
"Behold..." Hissed the serpentine Sith lord with a flourish of his staff and a aristocratic bow of his scaly form, using the staff in his claws to gesture towards the risen Geonosians, numbering sacred thirteen. "...our chariotz await. Siss, Siss, Siss." He snickered, holding a claw over the end of his snout so not to spray his comrades with misting flecks of blood.
Astera turned from her cold butchery, exchanging fire with the cortosis bullet blasting flintlocks with her own volleys of sharpened ice, some sunk deep enough into the cupola's armour of Sith alchemized brass to provide handholds on the outside. Her head began to shake the moment she laid her frigid blue eyes on the reanimated bugs weeping blood and goo. "No. No way. You can forget it." She started, only to be swarmed by three of the drones and carried quickly into the air, cursing in several different tongues as she was ferried up towards the armoured blimp. Dragus winced as his clever mind translated those curses, several of which were directed specifically at him. He looked up at Valefor and shrugged two silk swathed scaled shoulders. "Women. Am I right?" He queried, before he too was carried into the air by five of the undead Geonosians, leaving the remaining five for the Fabricator General who were attempting to carry him aloft as well.
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Jun 16, 2024 5:26:50 GMT -8
Of the two Council Members that he was currently protecting, Astera was the one that Valefor would have preferred to come up with and handle the method by which they would get to the Blimp. However, whenever Dragus was involved in a matter it did seem that his luck was never that good. Though he wanted to protest, he was far too busy providing the protection behind which Astera was handily dealing with the vermin within the stands and some of those still trying to shoot out of the windows. So he kept his focus there up until the moment the Geonosian corpses were resurrected and offered up as chariots. He shook his head as Dragus tried to casually play off Astera's ire toward the Saurian Sith Lord.
When the five zombies offered their aide, Valefor kept hold of the shielding spell and shot up into the air. Musket bullets peppered the now defenceless corpses as Valefor moved to place himself between the Blimp and his fellow Sith Lords. As soon as Astera was unceremoniously dumped onto the side of the blimp where her hand holds had embedded themselves in the cupola, Valefor dived in hard towards the top of the brass vehicle. His right hand dug its claws into the metal whilst he reached his gloved hand down to help Astera up the side and atop the floating fortress. With the Director secured, Valefor moved across the metallic surface and sought out the nearest hatch and waited.
It didn;t take long for the first Ranat to unlock the mechanism and poke its beady little head out. Valefor tore the rat from its hole and tossed it aside, with Astera impaling it upon a frozen lance as it went flying over the edge. The Demon Lord motioned for Astera to go first, the Ice Queen gave a wicked smirk before dropping down the hatch followed moments later by shrieks and maniacal laughter.
Valefor then dropped down the opening, the fit almost too snug for his liking but he managed to get inside to be greeted by a number of ice pierced corpses impaled upon walls and roofs. In all of this, Valefor figured Dragus would not be far behind or perhaps had chosen to make use of some hidden entrance he had not informed them about. What ever the case, Valefor and Astera moved through the upper decks of the Cupola, cutting down any ranats they found
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Dragus on Jun 19, 2024 8:44:59 GMT -8
Valefor's intuition served him well, for the crafty crocodilian had his sights set on a somewhat loftier heights. Cortosis bullets punched holes in the exoskeletal chitin of the reanimated geonosians carrying the twisted terrorsaur through the air, though those ichor weeping wounds appeared to be no impediment to the undead workers, who ascended past the armoured cupola up to the top of the inflated canvas bag keeping the Doom-Balloon afloat. Dragus shook loose of his escort the moment he was above the airborne vehicle, dropping to the armour-weave bag, which almost rebuffed the Dark Apothecary over the side like trampoline tarp. He arrested his momentum by planting the tip of the Staff of Corruption into the balloon and using his tail to snag hold of a durasteel cable from the harness attaching the airbag to the cupola. Once he had regained his bearing, the villainous velociraptor stalked across the top of the Doom-Balloon until he came upon a maintenance hatch leading down into the blimps airbag. Reaching into his alchemy satchel, the drake lord routed around for a few moments before wrapping a claw around a glass tincture bottle filled with a bubbling caustic appearing yellow substance, then popped open the cork stopper with a flick of his thumb. Extending the claw holding the small glass container as far from the rest of his body as possible, the maniacal master of the alchemical arts overturned the bottle, pouring the contents inside directly onto the discovered hatch. Immediately the vial's vile contents began to eat into the metal, causing it to blister and hiss as the alloy began to evaporate into vapour. Roughly thirty seconds later, a great whoosh sounded as the corrosive substance finally ate through a secondary hatch inside, causing some of the cyanogen gas contained inside to pour out as it was displaced by air. Leaning over the opening, the Hungering One's nostril slits flared as he sucked in a deep breath of cyanogen through his nose, then exhaled a cloud of the toxic gas that was accompanied by flecks of dead insects. The parasitic gnats drawn by the scent of carrion from the rotting morsels of meat stuck between the Dread Wyrm's fangs were considerable less immune to the poison vapours than the black scaled barabel, whose genetic heritage much like a Trandoshan or Sullustan provided him with natural protection. His stomach groaned audibly, even over the hiss of venting gas, as the unique smells brought back memories of the Great Devourer's own experimentation with the celegians. Scalding ropes of steaming salivation spilled from between his forest of mouth daggers and dripped down his chin, soiling his swaddling silk robes. Dragging a long forked tongue over his scaled lips, the saurian Sith stepped forwards and dropped into the opening, descending into the dark depths of the balloons interior.
As Valefor and Astera fought their way through the upper levels of the cupola, the mechanically inclined verminous servants of Clan Rustrot moved to meet them. Marksmen mice fled from their path in terror, as the cortosis flintlocks the jezzails were using proved unsuitable for the tight corridors of the armoured blimp's interior, creating further panic and disarray. Tinker-rats with all manner of cybernetic enhancement took their place, throwing themselves at the two Sith with reckless abandon as they bought time for the Doom-Balloon to organize its defenses. Some rodents had shock-mauls or blaster muzzles in place of gnarled paws, while others boasted an assortment of hydraulic claws or pneumatic drills, presenting a fusion of rodent flesh and sinister ranat science.These dregs spent their lives, allowing two of Chief Brassclaw's more capable warriors to take the field. The circular hatch handle for a pressurized door at the end of the corridor spun round, then the heavy door swung open with a loud bang, striking the wall as it burst open. Emerging from the tight space was a monstrous rodent brute, standing a head taller than even the Red Sage and nearly twice as broad across, bulging with brawny musculature. It sported two natural arms, or perhaps unnatural given that they appeared to have been sutured to the towering ranat-ogre's arm sockets with thick metal staples. Its fists, which were as fat as a Gamorreans vacant skull, ended in curling meat-hooks that looked sharp enough to hack through the hide of a rancor. A secondary mechanical set of limbs extended over its shoulders from its backside, swiveling on multi-segmented joints that hissed steam as they moved, one ending in a large power-claw and the other attached to a double barreled assault cannon the featured a red targeting laser. Roaring in bestial fury, the cybernetically enhanced ranat-ogre began to charge down the corridor, one beady left eye fixed on the Demon Lord, while the augmetic photo-receptor that replaced its right provided targeting data for its assault cannon. The howling snarl rising from its throat was a mix of synthetic tones and primal rodent rage, causing a trail of saliva and oil to drip down its neck and over its backside from the filthy tongue hanging out of a set of iron jaws that replaced the rodent's original snout.It was joined by a warlock enginseer in a rubberized yellow suit that concealed the mechanically inclined mouse's scabrous flesh, save for the ranats head which was otherwise exposed except for a pair of goggles with grimy lenses suctioned over its beady eyes. That rodent was accompanied by a pair of slave mice hefting boxes of cortosis ammunition on belts that fed into an organ gun the enginseer was carrying, connected to straps attached to a chest harness for the heavy weapon. The rodent warlock turned a spinning crank on the right side of the organ gun which caused the multiple barrels to begin to rotate, spinning faster and faster, until finally it began to spit and spray a chorus of hot bullets down the hall. With the cyber ranat-ogre focused on Valefor, the warlock enginseer focused its aim at Astera, absent minded to any fellow vermin it mowed down while trying to get a fix on the Sith Eternal's Queen of the North.
Nearby, in the Doom-Balloon's command centre... Lounging in his control throne, Chief Warlock Enginseer Skaltara Brassclaw, watched the live feeds provided by the Doom-Balloon's internal security cameras. The pneumatic brass-claw the verminlord was named after squeezed the sides of metal drink receptacle the mechanical mouse had been savouring, crushing the container in his grip in a fit of fury as he watched the Demon Lord's image appear on the screen. "Not this time, my mortal nemesis." The verminlord hissed, oozing rivulets of oil from his metal snout as he focused his glaring emerald photo-receptors on the view-screen. "This time...you will die, and the Forge Worlds will fall to the mechanical might of Clan Rustrot. Hehehehehehe!" His flesh and blood left arm drove the cortosis tip of his electro-cane into the deck, scattering sparks and causing the large firkrann crystal atop it to crackle with electrical current. "Prepare my Sith-Buster armour..." |
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Valefor on Jul 4, 2024 21:40:28 GMT -8
Astera had been incensed and without the Crazed Crocodilian around, it was the Tinker Rats of Clan Rustrot that paid for her vengeance. Frozen shafts of ice in many shapes and sizes impaled those accursed Ranats that did not manage to flee from the Ice Queen fast enough. Even Valefor kept himself behind Astera, not wishing to end up as collateral damage. However, their positions changed as the door swung open with force and the mutated giant Ranat came charging forth. Valefor rolled his shoulders and gave his neck a crack
Come on...
He dropped his right shoulder and charged forward in return. The massive meat hooks that were embedded in the beasts hands did pose a risk and danger, but Valefor was confident he would be fine. His magic was strong and if he got in close enough, fast enough, then the ogre would be unable to grab him. He let out a roar as he closed in and pushed his weight into the Ranat Ogre's chest. The bigger they were, the harder they fell.
Astera meanwhile had kept her distance, allowing the Forge Master to charge the brute of a Ranat and instead had her focus on driving icicle spears down the corridors length to the remaining Ranats that had not gotten to safety. But that plan lasted only until the enginseer appeared in the door way with an organ gun and belts of ammo being fed into it
Shit...
A wall of ice formed instantly in the air in front of the Ice Queen as she ran across the hallway and spun around behind the Ogre and Lord Valefor, hoping the Enginseer would take out his ally
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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 Jul 8, 2024 5:30:07 GMT -8
A furious shower of high speed cortosis slugs roared from the end of the organ guns multiple barrels, hot on the heels of Astera's nimble form as the Ice Queen martialed her hate, using those raw emotions that lingered just beneath the surface of psyche to empower herself and channel the currents of the darkside. With a sweep of one elegantly gloved hand she stole the moisture from the air of the corridor they were in, and with the other she bent nature to her will and forced her desires upon reality. A wall of ice seemed to spring from her palm, creating a barrier no vermin designed bullet could hope to penetrate. The enginseer squinted its beady orbs, peering from behind its goggle covered eyes at the blurred female form visible behind the sheet of ice, and continued to focus the wrath of the rumbling weapon strapped to its chest where it perceived her to be, keeping a claw clamped down on the trigger even as the barrels of the organ gun began to glow orange and bleed acrid smoke into the hall. Spent casings bounced off the rodent spore slick deck in a clinking chorus, eating through ammunition like a Hutt at a free buffet.Unbeknownst to these verminous cretins, the Director was more than just a potent wielded of the darkside and deft hand with a lightsaber, but a brilliant mind as well. The Supreme Leader only knew, she'd been playing her fellow Sith against one another since her younger days as an Acolyte. Pitting two rodents together was practically child's play by comparison.Entirely reactionary, the enginseer's trail of bullets followed Astera, whose frigid form evaded them like some sort of blizzard ballerina. At the last moment she spun round the oversized ranat-ogre who was currently engaged in a sumo-wrestling contest with Valefor. Before it realized what it was doing, the enginseer's organ gun peppered the back of the mutated rodent, biting through its scabrous flesh and into the thick meat beneath. As the Director had mentally calculated, the girthsome bulk of the ranat-ogre absorbed the ruin-storm of bullets, which were unable to penetrate all the way out the other side, sparing the Demon Lord their toxic fury. Even as its enlarged heart and oversized lungs were pulped and mulched, it continued to strain against Valefor stubbornly, fighting beyond the moment of its death until finally there was no escaping reality. Its eyes rolled up into its skull and its lower jaw hung open, with the rodent's long black tongue flopping lifelessly, the entire creature finally going limp on the Forge Master as its body succumbed to the cold embrace of death.Click-Click-Click! It was at this time that the last of the belt felt cortosis ammunition ran dry, leaving the panicked enginseer clicking the trigger uselessly as the glowing barrels of the organ gun strapped to its chest slowed to a stop, spilling smoke from multiple muzzles. Not one to waste the initiative, the Director stepped out from behind the dead ogre and Valefor, who was currently disentangling himself from the creature, and raised a hand with her fingers splayed. Flakes of frost formed on her fingertips, transforming into an icy stiletto that launched from her palm, down the corridor and straight into the throat of the enginseer struggling with his emptied weapon. Drooping forwards, the rodent clawed at its throat, trying to extract the sliver of ice that had already killed it. That's when the Director squeezed her hand into a clenched fist, releasing the telekinetic charge she had placed at the centre of the icicle. The enginseer's hooded head exploded, showering the slave mice on either side of it in blood, gray matter, and skull fragments. The two vermin took one look at each other, then fled down the hall, hurry-scurrying back the way they came."Disgusting." Astera said to Valefor with a shudder. "I hate rats." Then the deck beneath them lurched and the hallways seemed to lean to the left, as though the Doom-Balloon was suffering some sort of mechanical failure. She caught her fellow Sith's shoulder, using the Fabricator General's bulk as a secure hand hold, before adjusting to the off kilter floor. Her left brow rose as intuition set in. "Dragus!" She hissed through clench teeth, then stared icy daggers at her crimson companion. "Come on. Let's finish this before that idiot-lizard drops us out of the sky."Just beyond the open door at the end of the hall was an enclosed vestibule, featuring a magnetic blast-door leading to the bridge, where the leader of Clan Rustrot was waiting for them...
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