|
|
Post by Elarinya on Jan 1, 2024 1:40:57 GMT -8
As the ground gave way, Ela let out a shocked gasp that became mechanised and then lost in the cacophony of sound created by the cracking and falling of rock. Her helmet HUD quickly switched to a low light vision mode, allowing her a better view to watch as Sirona plummeted to the water below. The fall distance not giving her much opportunity to try and catch her friend. Instead, she was forced to worry about her own fate as she somersaulted through the drop and managed to land feet first into the water, narrowly missing a chunk of rock. She braced herself for the impact as her suit plunged into the water and kept sinking. Given the additional weight, she dove several feet down, before the suits buoyancy system kicked in. Her gaze looked down into the depths, catching a glimpse of the Tentacles and the dark shadow from which they emanated, before she rose back to the surface behind Sirona. Her right arm wrapping around the Librarians waist. She didn't have much left for a fight, but if anyone was going to make it out alive, Ela was determined to make sure it would be Sirona
Hold on ti...
But before she could draw on the Force and ensure Sirona's safety, she felt a presence within the Force nearby. One that had gone unnoticed moments ago, but one which instantly drew her gaze up to the hole in the roof and the tomb from which they had just been dumped from
No... anybody but him...
She just about spat the word out, like something that left a bad taste in your mouth. She'd hoped to avoid this meeting for a lot longer time. But fate had clearly decided otherwise
|
|
Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
|
Post by Valefor on Jan 1, 2024 2:09:46 GMT -8
Valefor had arrived to Roon not long after the trio had begun their descent into the mines. The Felstorm had arrived in orbit, only to be advised that Dragus was ground side with some new arrivals. At first he had taken the Shadowgore down and landed it within the hangar bay of the landed Core Ship, intending to wait. However, something within the Force had pulled at his focus, drawing the Demon Lord of Hypori down into the mines himself. His protective magic providing him a barrier against the poisonous fumes that were produced by the Cortosis mining.
He'd felt the surge of magic as Dragus had performed his history lesson, before quickly finding himself trapped as the tunnel behind him collapsed from the shock wave. With only one way left to go, Valefor had pushed on through the rubble and managed to fins his way into the tomb a few moments after the floor collapsed and the quartet of Sith had fallen down into the water. His gaze dropped down to the figures below, recognizing three out of the four people with ease. The reptilian form of Dragus was unmistakeable. Then there was the helmeted visage of Xitan. Lastly amongst those he knew, was the armoured figure of his Daughter. The woman clutched in her grasp, however, was a complete mystery to him.
But like the others, his focus was pulled toward the slowly emerging tentacles and mass from the water. He reached out his hand then, the Stone of Had Abaddon glowing a luminescent green as the water just beneath the group froze into a solid 16 foot by 9 foot slab of ice. Given its buoyancy, it quickly rose to the surface, catching the floating figures as Valefor leapt from the small ledge which remained and spread his wings. The wind caught within them, slowing his fall as he dropped down and landed onto their new floating ice raft. His back was to the group as he ostensibly placed himself between them and the beast
Never a dull moment with you, is there Dragus?
He pulled the Legionis Hastae from his back and held the shaft with both hands as he searched the water's surface for any sign of the beasts body or head
|
|
Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
Posts: 1,408
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
Traffic Light: Blue
|
Post by Dragus on Jan 3, 2024 7:14:49 GMT -8
Descent Into Madness: Part II There was barely time to think, let alone to act, as the floor gave way beneath them. It was nothing short of a miracle that when he hit the cold brakish water at the bottom of the revealed chasm, that no sizable piece of debris came down on his head. A few bits of broken rock and skeleton bones had managed to clip him, but his rigid scales served as a sort of natural armour against all but the most serious sorts of blunt-force trauma. The frigid waters sent chills across his scales, and were it not for the insulating layer of fat that all barabels possessed, he might have otherwise found his cold-blooded formed reduced to sluggish speeds. As it was, a lifetime of traversing the various sewer-ways of the galaxy had well prepared him for these unfamiliar and quite chilly watery depths. He opened the scaled lid of his right eye beneath the water, while a second transparent adapted lid protected his bloody orb, allowing him to see in the somewhat silty depths. His predatory infrared vision saw not much but blue, though when he craned his snout up towards the surface above him, he could see the familiar orange forms of the fellowship of Sith who had made this journey with him. Ah, excellent, still alive then. Perhaps a bit banged up, but nothing they couldn't walk off on the next leg of their pilgrimage into the bowels of the underworld. Manipulating the overlong tail protruding from his backside, Dragus prepared to use the fifth appendage as a propeller of sorts, when something stirring the waters around him drew his attention. Squinting, he was just able to make out long stalk like shapes that barely registered on his thermal vision, rising up around them from somewhere down below. Lowering his snout and looking down, the saurian Sith's scaly snout opened and released all the air he held in his lungs with a startled gasp.At the bottom of the underwater lake was the massive monstrous mutant form of what by all accounts appeared to be a dianoga, though stretched to obscenely gargantuan proportions. That alone would not ordinarily have been enough to trouble the Blood Wyrm who was used to all manner of oversized creature that the galaxy had to offer, but it was what the multi-faceted amethyst gem of his left eye saw that truly troubled him, providing perhaps a more detailed description due in part to the rakatan ocular implant attached to it that was hard wired into the scheming saurian's brain. The arcane device allowed He-Who-Hungers to see the unseen world around him, to probe its depths and unravel its mysteries, and what he saw currently did not fill him with a warm fuzzy feeling like being cuddled to death by a dog-pile of ewoks. Quite the opposite actually. In the same way he had channeled the depths of misery sunk into the stone above to perform his feat of sorcery, the dianoga at the bottom of the pit had been leaching those negative emotions for sustenance, for centuries if not longer. Through the glowing ocular gem set in his eye socket he could see ethereal strands of raw emotion being pulled towards the dark centre of the creature's core, like a blackhole whose gravitational pull swallowed up everything in its vicinity. Only in this instance, it was they who were the ones bordering its edge, on the verge of being dragged down into its crushing embrace. After all, what more delectable meal was available to a creature that grew fat on negative emotion, than a couple of Sith who exuded it in droves?Tail swishing behind him, Dragus swam towards the surface, his snout erupting first in a spray of brackish water. Seconds later his claws found purchase in something unbearably cold as a block of ice rose up beneath him and the other three. On his hands and knees, the Hungering One sucked in air when he felt the risen ice-block wobble beneath them as something landed on it ahead of him. Peering ahead, he found his mismatched gaze focused on a pair of muscular red calves. Had Elarinya stripped out of her attire? Water aside, this was hardly the time to don a bikini. On either side of his snout, his nostril slits flared, absorbing a world of scents around him. A more pungent aroma of brimstone, a hint of masculine pheromones in the sweat, a touch of droid lubricants caught beneath the fingernails. Not Elarinya. This was the other half.Never a dull moment with you, is there Dragus? |
|
Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 338 
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Darth Sirona on Jan 12, 2024 18:17:14 GMT -8
Many things were happening in quick succession. Sirona was at first shocked (both due to it's sudden appearance and the cold it exuded) from the block of ice rising from under her and the rest of the party. Next, the arrival of a hulking Sith with... wings? Sirona had many questions, none more pressing than why he felt so much like her companion, Elarinya, in the Force. But those questions were pushed far far far back in the archeologists' mind as many tentacles, coated in water and cortosis, rose from the depths and surrounded them. Sirona was stunned. The anticipation of what she knew was coming made that dreadful moment stretch for what seemed like an eternity. An eternity devoid of any plan, scheme, idea, or even thought other than "Survive."
Seeming time stop was broken as the mighty leviathan made its first move. Or more accurately, moves. The massive tendrils of hunger and hate crashed upon the ice raft, grasping at each of the passengers. Sirona's instincts finally seemed to kick back into gear as she saw a mighty fleshy limb come crashing down at the exhausted and prone Xitan. Sirona mustered a modest Force Push and slid the acolyte out of the immediate path of the monstrous assault. But this cost Sirona, as she did not notice the grabber coming at her from behind. It slammed into her back, knocking her off her feet that already had trouble finding purchase upon the ice, and then it wrapped around her legs and began to pull.
Sirona had thought she knew fear. She had delved the deepest of Sith Tombs, been alone in dangerous places, turned her back on one of the most powerful Sith in the Galaxy, her adopted father. But nothing compared to the seeming inevitability of being simultaneously crushed, drowned, and eaten by some unknowably ancient lurker of the deep. Tears welled in her eyes as she clawed and scraped on the ice, leaving a trail of small channels filling with the blood from her finger nails. This wasn't how she was meant to end, was it? Dead at the bottom of an underground lake. She could have let Xitan die, and been ready for this attack. But as she felt her feet going off the edge of the ice, she didn't regret that choice.
|
|
|
|
Post by Elarinya on Jan 14, 2024 15:53:21 GMT -8
Her grip on Sirona loosened as the block of Ice rose them up from treading water to standing on somewhat solid ground. Her gaze levelled upon the winged figure as he sailed down from above and landed a few feet away
:: Father... ::
She whispered the title venomously as she pushed herself to her feet at which point her focus was turned upon the multitude of tentacles rising from the water. She kept the dagger held in her left hand, not bothering to draw her saber once more as she noticed the blue shimmering spots across its skin. Her suits HUD confirmed a moment later that it was indeed Cortosis, meaning her saber would be useless here. But before she could consider that matter long, the tentacles started to lash around the raft of Ice.
As the tentacles came down, she dodged just to the side causing the fleshy limb to crash upon the ice. She spun in a half turn and stabbed the dagger down and then across the limb. She extracted the blade and slashed at another pair of tentacles that tried to come after here. But at the edge of her focus she became aware of the fallen form of Sirona being dragged across the ice and towards the depths. She started after the Librarian as she screamed at the top of her lungs
:: FATHER! ::
She pushed herself forward, grabbing at one of Sirona's wrists to grab hold. But still they slid across the ice as Ela tried to gain purchase herself. However that momentum stopped as a fleshy stabbing sound could be heard. Her gaze finally turning from trying to stab the dagger into the ice down to where a spear of pure darkness stuck down through the tentacle and held it in place. Her attention briefly turned to where Valefor stood, where a blue glow emanated from the metal glove he wore. The last time she'd seen it, not a single gem had adorned any of the settings. But now four stones studded his knuckles.
Things to question him over later. For now, she pushed herself up to her feet and started hacking away at the tentacle just beyond where the spear pinned it in place. Blood and gore exploded from the vicious assault and splattered across her armour, until the limb was hewn off. She stabbed the dagger into the ice and started unwrapping Sirona's legs
:: Hurry up! Get up! ::
She pulled the spear free then, gripping it with one hand allowing Sirona to free herself
:: You need to be more UGH... ::
Before she could finish her warning, she felt a tentacle lash out at her like lightning, wrapping around her waist and yanking her backward and under the water. She went still for a moment, watching the surface and ice go higher and higher. She'd saved Sirona, but had now in turn ended up as the one being dragged to the depths to presumably die. But it was not a fate she was going to willingly go to without a fight. So long as the beast still lived, the sacrifice would have been for nothing. Her grip remained tightly upon the Darkshear that still held existence which was causing the water around it to boil. She wasn't about to just give up and die in these depths. She twisted about and started to stab down into the tentacle that was wrapped around her. First she needed to get free. But it was then she became aware of a figure leaping off of the ice. Who in their right mind would voluntarily dive into these depths?
To be fair, none of them were really in their right minds, were they. Sirona had almost gone over the edge trying to protect Xitan, and she had been dragged into the depths herself trying to protect Sirona going over the edge. Meanwhile Dragus was the most insane of them all.
|
|
Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
|
Post by Valefor on Jan 14, 2024 16:31:27 GMT -8
Valefor let out a gruff sigh as Dragus muttered about this not being his fault
You can profess your innocence later Apothecary...
His focus stayed on the water and the eye stalk that burst from it a moment later. A bit larger than usual was certainly an understatement by Dragus. Of all the Dianoga he'd seen, none were quite this twisted. But before he could spend long examining their foe, the Tentacles burst forth from the water and began their attacks. He planted his feet further apart and struck out at the closest tentacles as they sought to assault him. Solari's edge cut through flesh and bone, drinking deep from the life force that was being cut off in each tentacle.
It was then that he heard Ela's voice cry out to him. His focus shifting toward where she was being dragged across the ice alongside her friend. He muttered a curse under his breath as he dodged another tentacle strike. The Stone of Zakuul glowed blue as a darkshear burst to life in one hand, which he then javelined through the air into the tentacle wrapped around the ashen haired girls legs. Allowing him to turn his focus back to his own defence once more. He dodged back and forth, tentacles reaching for but just missing him before Solari was slammed down and started to drain its essence.
But despite his best efforts, the beast still seemed as strong as ever.
Once more his focus was pulled away from his own fight when he saw Elarinya pulled over the edge. He growled as he turned back to face the beast's eye
Time for a little indigestion... Don't die!
He ran forward to the edge of the ice and dove into the water. His wings pulled up close to his body as the Stone of Had Abaddon glowed green, creating a current of water to carry him straight for the beasts mouth. He kept The Hastae outstretched, Solari pointing directly at the gaping maw of the beast. Trying to kill this thing from the outside was going to take too long. These waters were its domain and they were all land based creatures at a severe disadvantage. He kept up his torpedo attack, as the pair of Stones shone under the water. Just a little bit further.
|
|
Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
Posts: 1,408
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
Traffic Light: Blue
|
Post by Dragus on Jan 15, 2024 6:50:44 GMT -8
In moments such as these you had two options: fight, or flight. While hardly what you might call a pragmatist, in this particular instance, the Great Devourer opted for the latter choice. When the swarm of tentacles began erupting from the icy water he quickly calculated that decision offered the best odds of their survival, especially after a single glance at Valefor indicated to him the unlikelihood of the winged red sorcerer carrying all four of them out of the watery pit, regardless of the Fabricator General's rather impressive physique. So rather than engage in combat, He-Who-Hungers bent his knees and leapt from the floating ice platform to the chasm wall, sinking his hand and foot talons deep into the smooth rocky surface, gouging the stone as he secured whatever purchase he could. Even with having carved furrows into the slick stone, his talons began to slip, the slimy lichen that coated every inch of rock producing an incredibly sleek surface. Slowly he slid down towards the edge of the water, only to halt at the last moment as his overlong tail curled around and stabbed into the chasm wall overhead, anchoring his body just above the briny tentacle infested depths. He scowled as he looked down from the water and up towards where they had fallen from. There was no chance of climbing out of this, even with his natural climbing spikes.Bracing against the wall, the deranged drake lord tucked in his knees and pushed off the rockface, leaping back onto the floating block of ice just as Sirona pushed Xitan out of the way only to be caught by one of the tentacles herself and dragged towards the waters edge. Now, now. Can't have his niece be eaten at such an early stage in the subterranean adventure. If rumour spread he'd never convince another group of aspiring Sith to embark on a mission with him in the future. Smoothing out his wet feathered robe, the dread draconian prepared to assist the tentacle wrapped witch when Elarinya darted past and went running to Sirona's aid. Ah, excellent. That matter resolves itself, which leaves what left? His mismatched gaze swept across the embattled iceberg they rode upon, spotting Xitan still lying on the ground like a sack of broken bones. Exposing grit fangs, the Famine Lord growled in distaste as he watched the Erudian Despot contributing little in the way of help. This was hardly time for a nap, though he supposed the young man did look a bit, mmm, unwell at the moment.Fortunately there was a rather talented terrosaur of an Apothecary on hand. Sliding a claw beneath the feathery folds of his cloak, he reached into his alchemy satchel and retrieved a Sith iron goblet studded with roonstones and nihil smokestone opals. He scraped some of the lichen scum caught under his talons into the cup, then scooped down to pick up a severed tentacle Elarinya had hacked off the dianoga and squeezed some of the congealing blood into the receptacle, before then stuffing the remainder of the slimy appendage into his supply bag. Dragus dodged whip cracking wiry tendrils and toxic squirting barbed coils as he casually skipped towards Xitan, next retrieving a small pouch of pipe-snuff, which he sprinkled into the goblet. A bit of darkside infused glitterstim. It should give the forming potion a bit of kick needed to get the masked menace back on his feet, if it didn't cause his heart to explode. A droplet of the Urcinis-Helix, and half bottle of concentrated essence of ewok, and few ice chips from the brakish pond rounded off the mixture. The Dark Apothecary dipped a talon into the cup and swished the elixir around, blending it all together, then removed the curved obsidian hook and sucked the potion's residue off the razor sharp digit. "Not bad. Could ussse a bit of allssspice or sssome powdered kalak tesssticle, but it'll sssuffice in a pinch." Slapping the ice-block with the face of his tail spike, the Hungering One awoke the ultrasonic vibration generator housed in the blade, causing the serrated edges to super-heat with friction as they vibrated to incredible speeds. Practically possessing a mind of its own, the saurian Sith's serpentine fifth appendage fended off lashing tentacles like a parrying saber-rake, all while Dragus bent down and raised Xitan in his arms. The Blood Wyrm cradled the acolyte like a newborn babe, bringing the foul mixture he had whipped together on the spot to the young man's lips. "Drink." He hissed, raising the other Sith's mask enough to access his nose, which he pinched closed as he tipped the cups contents into Xitan's open mouth. He poured the full measure down Xitan's throat until the last drop was gone, then lowered him back to the ice as he allowed his mystery mixture to perform its miracle. As he looked around, he saw Sirona saved by Elarinya, only to trade places it seemed as the red skinned woman went into the brackish depths next with a great splash. Moments later, the red winged Demon dove after her, risking the frigid depths."Huh." He blinked, mildly surprised by the display, scraping his scaly chin with a claw in clear contemplation. "Well, that iz very heartening to sssee. Right, Xitan?" He looked down at the Acolyte, his body was now twitching as the potion worked to revitalize him, probably. Shrugging, the saurian Sith stalked over to Sirona who was searching the water's edge for her friend. He smacked his palms together as he approached the worried witch, standing over her to peer past into the dark depths below. "Oh, I wouldn't worry, my dear. I have it from a very reliable sssource that your crimson belle'z lessser half iz an excellent ssswimmer. Valefor received an electrum medal in sssynchronized ssswimming at the Roon Sssummer Olympicz. Squeakerz ssstill squeakz about hiz performance regularly." He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded his snout with certainty, then leered towards the pit walls with his mismatched eyes. "While they have the beassst dissstracted, we'd bessst come up with a way to essscape our current predicament. I'm sssure I mussst have sssomething that can help in thiz here bag of mine."Once more scouring the seemingly bottomless depths of his trusted alchemy satchel, until his talons came upon an orb like object that fit comfortably in the scaly palm of his claw. When he extracted the limb, held in his hand for Sirona's attention was one of the villainous velociraptors Dragmentation Grenades, or Drag Grenade for short. "Ah, thiz should do the trick." He smirked, displaying a mischievous smile from salivating fangs as the explosive device reflected in the multi-faceted surface of his amethyst ocular gem. Packed with alchemized exonium harvested by his Galandan slave force in the mines of Rishi, the hand sized explosive was a mix of fragmentation and sonic grenade. It partially relied on sound waves produced to hurl the Sith steel shrapnel around, while the concentrated liquid collapsium inside did the rest. The effects were quite messy when used in closed confines, but he had a good feeling about this. Taking the grenade, he deposited it into Sirona's hands. "You take thiz and throw it at the wall. Actually, hang on a sssecond." Using his tail like a scoop, he heaved Xitan's body off the floor and caught the Acolyte across his shoulders, using the wounded Sith as a shield. "Alright, whenever you're ready, my dear."Down below, the Dianoga-Leviathan's monstrous maw opened wide as it continued to drag Elarinya towards a watery grave. The water bubbled and churned, drawn towards the ancient mutant's gullet as it filtered stagnant subterranean pond water, intent as ever on its next meal.The fighting only seemed to spurn it on further, and where tentacles had been hacked and severed, new limbs were beginning to grow. From the bleeding stump of one lost limb, three more sprang in its place, even more grotesque than the single tentacle that had preceded it. It let out a mighty underwater roar, that even entirely submerged seemed to shake the chasm around them, causing more debris to rain down into the underwater lake from above. A few surviving taung skeletons plunged into the pond, rapidly sinking to the bottom as their armour dragged them to the bottom, boney nub fingers thrashing uselessly in the water.
|
|
Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 338
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Darth Sirona on Jan 20, 2024 9:43:35 GMT -8
Sirona's heart was pounding as she struggled back to her feet, finally free of the tentacle grasp of the monster below. And almost as soon as she had been freed and came back to her senses, she saw Elarinya get dragged under. Sirona cursed herself as she looked into the dark and lightless water. She was about to dive in after her when she was shocked that the new comer, Valefor, beat her to it and without hesitation. This puzzling turn stayed Sirona's suicidal dive long enough for Dragus to (or at least attempt to) alleviate her worries. The saurian sorcerer at the very least managed to distract her and pull her from the edge and refocus on escape rather than an endless back and forth for survival. Sirona waited with baited, and still panicked and heavy, breaths as Dragus rooted around inside his robes before producing a... grenade? How... normal. This may have been the thing that caught the Sith historian (or Sithistorian) the most off guard. But, Sirona accepted the small, yet strangely heavy, explosive. Her mind had become so clouded from all of the events of the past few hours, that here in this moment she hesitated, even after her Unusual Uncle gave his blessing. But it was when the great beast below let out a cavern shaking roar, Sirona snapped back to her senses. She pulled the pin and hurled the small ball of destruction as far as her bookworm arms could muster. The grenade struck the cavern wall and erupted into an even louder noise than the shrieks coming from below. As the bomb left her hand, Sirona had a gnawing feeling that somehow things were only going to keep going down hill...
|
|
|
|
Post by Elarinya on Jan 21, 2024 15:05:24 GMT -8
Were it not for the glow of the stones upon his gauntlet which gave away his identity immediately, Ela would have figured Dragus had dived in based on mass alone. But then, she doubted the Saurian Sith Lord would have done something quite so heroic seeming. However, much more pressing concerns drew her attention away from such thoughts. Even as she wildly hacked away at the tentacle wrapped around her torso, it seemed to hold on. Barbs pressed at and failed to pierce her suit thanks to the armour plates and the body glove weave. She had no way of knowing just what the barbs would do, in fact it was likely some of them had pierced Sirona with what ever toxin they excreted.
Such a thought made her fight even harder as she kept working to piercing through the Tentacle limb. She needed to get back to the surface and check on Sirona and make sure she was fine.
The Tentacle crushed down around her chest, the armour holding for a time, before finally starting to crush and decompress her chest. But she fought through it, slamming the spear of darkness manifest tip first all of the way through the limb. Grabbing it with two hands, she spun the weapon around, cleaning through flesh and bone.
The Tentacle fell limp as it was detached from its owner, but the length remained wrapped around her torso and dragged her down under its weight for a few moments, her focus finally turning toward the best itself and the gaping maw that was not all that far away. She felt the rumble throughout her whole body as the beast roared and new tentacles sprouted first from the stump she had freed herself from. Causing her to fight to free herself of her entanglement, trying to rise toward the surface as several warnings rung out on her HUD.
With the damage done, she had to engage the purge system, which ejected much of her armour off and leaving her more free and able to tear off those bits which remained. She planted the spear down through a tentacle, pinning it in place as she clipped her saber hilts to the undersuits belt and grabbed the pair of blasters. Allowing her to better able to ascend to the surface with only her helmet as the last piece of proper armour on. She pushed off from the bottom of the lake with the aide of the Force, sending her skyward and dodging the raining debris from the roar and then the explosion that seemed to come from above the surface.
Tentacles shot through the water toward her, but Ela responded to them with several shots from her blasters. Although the water dampened their effectiveness, they seemed enough to discourage a direct strike landing. Allowing her to launch out of the water a few moments later and belly flopping onto the block of ice even as more explosions seemed to be going off against one of the walls
|
|
Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
|
Post by Valefor on Jan 21, 2024 16:16:49 GMT -8
Valefor was only peripherally aware of Ela's predicament, but the important thing was that she was not ahead of him and being drawn into the now gaping maw of the Dianoga as he continued to hurtle toward it. What ever happened to her at this moment, was her own problem to contend with. So long as she did not die down here, then everything would be fine. For now, he needed to keep his focus forward even as several rumbling explosions seemed to come from behind him.
Soon enough, however, the mouth was encompassing his entire view as he disappeared inside of it. but thankfully the speed kept him going fast enough as to avoid being pierced by the massive sword like fangs. But his speed did not immediately cease as he kept himself propelling forward. Solari seemed to glow with a bright red light as so much life energy surrounded it. And then, the tip of the crystal tore into flesh as it met the back of the Dianoga's mouth/throat. The beast let out a pained growl as Valefor pushed through the first strike, driving deeper and deeper into the beast. Solari drank in the life energy, seeking out the beasts heart.
All Valefor had to do now was maintain the momentum, which necessitated letting go the Darkshear which he had given to Ela. Even if she had not gotten to safety yet, he was close enough to his own goal that she would not have to be defenceless for long. He reached out with his gloved hand, gripping the steamy hot innards of the Dianoga and pulled himself deeper. The beast shuddered and shook, Tentacles reaching inside of its mouth and the wound he had created to try and fish him out.
But unlike any other ailment that might have disturbed this leviathan, Valefor would not be removed so easily. He kept driving forth until at last Solari pierced the beasts heart. Blood burst forth around the wound and washed backward over Valefor and out through the passageway. The Shard drank deep of the energy, sucking the soul from the Dianoga even as it writhed about in its death throes. But the Crimson Demon was not dissuaded and held his attack, using the Stone of Dromund Kaas to further drain the beast of its strength to replenish his own.
It was not until the beasts final laboured heart beat ceased that he kept on pressing through, driving Solari forth and cutting a path to freedom. It took several moments longer before he finally pierced the beasts outer hide and pulled himself up and out to freedom, struggling somewhat due to the slickness of the blood that coated his body
|
|
Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
Posts: 1,408
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
Traffic Light: Blue
|
Post by Dragus on Jan 21, 2024 20:48:44 GMT -8
As Sirona pulled the pin and hurled the Dragmentation grenade at the far cavern wall, the black scaled barabel turned his snout away from the direction of the tossed orb, planting his talons into the ice and hefting Xitan's slowly recovering unconscious form between his armour hard hide and the expectant blast. The lethal sphere struck with a clink, bouncing off the slick and slimy surface, then erupted in an alchemical explosion of magnificent proportions. Like a star going supernova, the drag grenade blossomed into a brilliant expanding ball of sinister green flame and deafening sound, sending a shockwave across the surface of the underground lake that was expounded by the walls that bounced the kinetic energy back and forth as though the Sith were trapped in a deadly pinball machine. Stone debris pelted the mad alchemist's legs, peppering his scales where the young Acolyte's limp body wasn't covering, sending shivers of exquisite pain rippling through the deranged drake's body. Almost as fast as the violent explosion occurred, so too was it swallowed up, the shockwaves collapsing in on themselves and sucked into a singular spot as though the blast had opened a singularity in real-space. All that was left was the resulting steam from the exuded heat, creating an obscuring fog that made it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of themselves.
Fortunately for Famine, sight was overrated. He trusted his nose, the nostril slits on either side of his snout flaring as he sniffed the air, detecting something new and interesting despite the heady stench of acrid agents so recently combusted. Lowering Xitan back to the ice, he looked in the direction where the worrying witch had tossed the grenade, focusing the ocular gem in his left eye as mechanical cogs whirred and electrical currents fired across his synapses. The amethyst lens magnified, piercing the veil of moisture dense air to perceive and opening rent in the cavern wall, a jagged hole that appeared to be connected to a subterranean tunnel. He-Who-Hungers stalked across the floating ice block, pausing briefly as Elarinya's helmeted head bobbed to the surface of the pond. His snout followed her as she leapt out of the water and flopped onto the ice like a drowned loth-cat. "Ssstill alive, hmmm?" Cooed the crocodilian, stepping closer, noticing the warrior woman's distinct lack of armour, apparently having shed her protective skin while submerged. His saurian pupil constricted as he peered at the water, noticing the colour change from a brackish blue to dark red, reeking of copper and cortosis particles. "And Valefor?"
It was then that he felt the change, a dying shudder followed by a cold nothingness as the Dianoga-Leviathan expired beneath the depths, no longer exuding an aura of unfathomable hunger to rival his own insatiable appetite. Dragus crouched down and waited and watched the depths, licking his lips as steaming salivation spilled from between his teeth, his palate excited by so much blood. Finally after what felt like an eternity of waiting, the Demon Lord's horned head burst from the water and he too climbed up onto the ice, shaking the water from his wings. The Dark Apothecary cackled, finding his cane quickly and cracking the butt end of the Gorgon's Eye on the ice block. "Good show, chap. Never doubted you for a moment." Hissed the malevolent master of the Alchemical Arts, crossing two talons behind his back as he mentally scratched his plans for the Forge Worlds. Grinning villainously, the reprehensible reptilian twirled around like a twi'lek slave dancer, sliding to a stop as he motioned towards the opening created by the grenade. "Well az we all appear no worssse for wear, we might az well continue. The passsage sssweet Sssirona uncovered smellz much drier than thiz pit, and perhapz we will find sssomething to ssstart a fire with in yonder depthz."
Turning on his heel, the Hungering One leapt across the water from the ice to the opening, the glowing head of his ornate saber-cane illuminating the path ahead. He paused there, looking over his shoulder, appearing somewhat considerate. "Oh, one of you be a dear and gather up Xitan." The heinous smile splitting his fanged features stretched just a little further, causing his scaled cheeks to creak like dried leather. "Or don't." And then he stepped out of visible sight as he entered the dark tunnel that seemed to slant further downwards, towards the dark heart of planet.
|
|
Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 338
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Darth Sirona on Jan 29, 2024 23:11:35 GMT -8
Instinctively, Sirona brought her arms up and crossed them in front of her face, shielding herself from the worst of the rock shards, but her sleeves were now ripped in several spots, revealing shallow scratches underneath. Damn, lizard could have warned her about how big the blast was going to be... but then again, time was of the essence. Or at least it was. Things elsewhere in the cavern seemed to be calming down. Sirona then noticed her red skinned companion on the ice. She moved over and started to help her up, whispering under her breath. Should have let me drown... almost got yourself killed. A not so diplomatic 'thank you.' Next she moved over to where Xitan lay. She was by no means strong enough to lift the Dark Acolyte and as she was turning to ask her uncle for help, he was already disappearing into another tunnel. Then her attention shifted to the larger red being that had just emerged from the water. A thousand questions again raced through her brain, but only one was articulated in this moment. Do you mind? She motioned toward her (unbeknownst to her) other half. Since Dragus has already decided to continue plunging snout first into the unknown and my expertise is not in the... being big... and... carrying... things. Whatever, just grab him! Embarrassed at tripping over her own words again, in front of yet another powerful Sith, Sirona turned and leapt out after Dragus. Uncle! Wait for a moment!
|
|
|
|
Post by Elarinya on Jan 30, 2024 13:47:24 GMT -8
Ela was glad for the assistance in getting up when she'd finally had enough strength to move after laying on the ice for a few spare moments. Had she not been wearing her helmet still, Sirona would have seen the smirk that briefly flashed across her lips
:: Better me dead, than you drowned... ::
She steadied herself upon her own feet as Sirona went off to check on Xitan, before chasing off after Dragus. Between the two of them, Sirona was the one that would need to survive this. In all matters, Ela was merely a spare. A point punctuated by her Father's presence as he shook off the water and rose to his full height. He had been Quantum's original design, the thing they wanted. She was just the killer they made to hunt him down and bring his body back. She glared at him for a moment, wondering what life would have been like had she managed to kill him and find those responsible for what she was. But such a matter was too nebulous and so she shook her head and moved over to where the Dagger was plunged into the ice.
Despite her struggle beneath the now blood stained waves, she extracted the blade with ease and gave it a quick test swing. Her focus turned back to Valefor once again as she strolled across the barge of frozen water
:: This doesn't settle things between us... But... thank you, for helping save her ::
The whole notion left a bad taste in her mouth, but he had at least earned that much from her. She leapt the small gap between the ice and the now cavernous rocky maw that lead off into the deeper tunnels. Without looking back, she hurried off after Sirona and Dragus, certain that the Saurian Sith Lord was bound to run them into trouble again. So far his actions had run them from one catastrophe to another, so it seemed likely they were bound to run into a third
|
|
Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
|
Post by Valefor on Jan 30, 2024 14:19:38 GMT -8
Valefor had brace the Hastae against the surface of the ice and was using that to steady himself and act as a crutch against which he could hoist himself up to his feet as Dragus watched on
Oh, I'm sure you were filled with divine confidence...
He had no doubt Dragus would have just as happily consigned him off to death, as he was to see the Fabricator-General alive. At the very least, the Apothecary could just be honest about his feelings. But his focus was soon turned to the Witch as she as she examined Xitan before turning to ask him for his help in carrying the whelp. He suppressed a groan as he slid the Hastae across his shoulder and moved across the ice toward Xitan's body, well aware of Ela's gaze upon him. He came to a stop and watched as she walked by and briefly thanked him for his help in saving her friend
Don't mention it...
As Ela leapt off and followed after the other two, he turned his focus down to Xitan. His foot prodding the boy
Hmmm, what of you boy... Still alive?
As the other three moved further away and deeper into the tunnel, he watched as the Acolyte's condition started to worsen. His gaze rose to the trio and then back down again
Fine... But I swear I shall not let you live this down...
He collected Xitan's body then and carried it in his arms as he made his own jump across the gap onto the solid rocky ground. He was thankful to have something a little less wobbly beneath his feet, especially now with the boys weight now slung between his arms. He headed off after the ground and made decent pace at catching up to them and moving to the front of the group alongside the Saurian
So... did I hear her correctly, you're an Uncle?
|
|
Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
Posts: 1,408
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
Traffic Light: Blue
|
Post by Dragus on Jan 31, 2024 8:49:49 GMT -8
The tunnel leading out from the frozen lake decidedly descended ever downwards, sloping towards the dark heart of the planet until the quintet of Sith threatened to fall out the very bottom, though the further they moved from the bleeding out corpse of the Dianoga-Leviathan, the drier their surroundings seemed to become. Geo-thermic fissures criss-crossed the uneven rocky ground they tread upon, occasionally exhaling sulphurous wisps, warming the otherwise cold stone around them. Stalking the dark depths of the underworld, the Dark Apothecary stooped in the shadows, muttering to himself as though he were arguing with a voice inside his head. His claws scraped the ground, plucking subterranean mushrooms and moss from around the gaseous geysers in the tunnel, occasionally sampling them as he stuffed the ingredients into his pack. "Mmmm, a nice nutty flavour, that one." He smacked his jaws, slurping up fungal debris from his lips with a long forked tongue, then bringing another shroom to his snout for taste testing. His serrated incisors carefully sliced a nibble sized sliver from the purple polka-dotted shroom. "Mildly poisonouz, with a tang of mildew." There were multi-legged bugs as well, long carapace covered centipedes and slow slithering slugs. The mad alchemist collected one and all, insectile chitin crunching between his pleurodonts, wings and antenna getting lodged in his black saurian gums. "Ah, here'z a good one." Cooed the vile crocodile as his prey-sight spotted a scurrying rat fleeing across the tunnel and caught the squealing rodent in a swipe of his claw.Pinching the rat's skull between the talons of his left claw, the foraging Famine Lord gave his right a twist, snapping the rodent's neck with a small sinewy crack. It was odd to find vermin this far down. Based on his calculations they were several levels below the slave tunnels of the mines, somewhere near the borders of the blighted marshes of Dragusblight, where the rodent under-empire of the Children of Decay made their wicked kingdom. It only took the scrounging saurian a moment more to discover the source of the infestation. As he turned a corner, he came upon the desiccated remains of a couple of slaves, barely more than skeletons at this point as their bones were mostly picked clean by scavengers. Stuffing the dead rat in his claw into his pocket, leaving its tail hanging out from the compartment in his black feathered robe, He-Who-Hungers began to gather the bones. He pried mummified cartilage apart with groaning cracks and stacked the gnawed upon limbs and soiled clothing like a pile of kindling. Sticking his saber-cane under his right armpit, he picked up the stack of gathered parts and turned around, coming face to face with a questioning Demon Lord. Startled, the Hungering One almost dropped the bones, stepping around Valefor before he began to create his own pile of carefully positioned corpse-kindling on the ground in the middle of the tunnel.So... did I hear her correctly, you're an Uncle? "Pleassse, all of you, sssit and ressst while we have thiz moment of ressspite. We will likely not sssee another opportunity to do ssso before reaching our dessstination."
|
|
Darth Xitan
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 235 
Affiliation: The Cult of the Eternal
|
Post by Darth Xitan on Feb 7, 2024 21:04:37 GMT -8
A presence stirred as all began to move off. The unconsciousness of Xitan was intruded upon, once more, by the Sith spirit.
Hmmm... you are useful to them... now and in the future.
The spirit communes with Xitan's own spirit. From the beyond, these ethereal eyes witnessed the actions of those. The young lady had pushed Xitan out of harms way, the Saurian had given him a potion to stabilize his person, and now this rather... brawny red-skinned individual ensured that the Acolyte left with them. Curious. Then again, this Sithling had managed to hold on to pain and power when the spirit turned the taps off. There were still internal issues and a soreness that the Acolyte would simply have to endure.
An interesting trial. Seeing you able to harness such power for a short time, but better than others who have tried.
The Sith spirit's gaze from the beyond looks upon two individuals among the five gathered.
I'd be wary of the Saurian... he did something that seems to have caused a Force connection between you and that young lady... for what purpose, it is hard to say. But knowing Sith, like that one, hardly a deal that would be beneficial to you or her.
And with that, the Sith began to depart. Yet, he left with one 'blessing', if one could call it. And that was giving Xitan enough strength to awaken, only slightly, to a rather sore and tense body that was still recovering from the effects of his berserk from earlier. A chuckle was heard for a moment as the spirit vanished into the Force, leaving Xitan with those present.
=====================
Moments after all had seated, Xitan's finger twitched and a deep breath was heard as his body regained its consciousness. Still without his mask, the dark-haired male could not move his limbs though. The muscles and bone felt like they were rubber and nonexistent... later, he'd likely feel their scorn and anger at being pushed beyond their limits.
|
|
Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 338
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Darth Sirona on Feb 9, 2024 10:07:31 GMT -8
As it seemed Dragus had no intention of stopping for some time, Sirona fell back to walk along side Elarinya. She was feeling the drain again. Her powers were tapped from the display in the burial chamber, and now her body was worn and exhausted from the dark lake that was now behind them. She was also cold, freezing more like. The time on the ice and in the frigid cave water had taken a heavy toll. She had dressed for surface exploration of Roon, not an adventure deep below her surface. She hadn't even been expecting any kind of trouble or combat, so her simple light cloths were tattered and soaked. And on top of all of that she could still feel the sting of the cuts on her arms and her fingers that had clawed at the ice. Sirona had had many dismal tomb explorations in the past, but this one was rapidly over taking the rest in how taxing it had been.
Her eyes stayed locked on Valefor's back, but mostly Xitan who had been slumped over the red Sith's shoulder. What was the meaning of the connection she had suddenly felt with him? What was the meaning of any of this? She simply hoped that the mad lizard leading the way actually had a plan. But as they came to a stop, Sirona broke her silence as she whispered to Elarinya. I know asking him for help couldn't have been easy... so thanks... With that Sirona took a seat as instructed. She sat close to the fire, the comfort of the warmth out weighing the disgusting smell. All the same she sat and listened to as close as she could to Dragus. She knew not what his end goal was, but right now she had no choice but to trust the rascally reptilian.
Sitting with her knees hugged against her chest, Sirona staired into the fire, she thought she could hears another voice, but it sounded so far off and different... must just be the sneaky saurian's voice echoing from deeper int the cave system. The aspiring witch could have drifted off right then and their but was suddenly called back to the present and her eyes darted over to the unmasked Xitan. In all the commotion, she hadn't taken the opportunity to study his face. She felt her heart begin to beat in a way that it hadn't since she was younger on Iridonia. Sirona shook her head and accepted that the man was aesthetically pleasing, but ultimately very dangerous and probably not someone she would normally get along with. Then she nearly jumped out of her skin as Xitan suddenly took a deep breath, causing her to look away quickly in embarrassment, before anyone would notice she had been staring at him. Then looking back over to pertend she hadn't been gazing transfixed at him, Oh! Look who's finally awake!
|
|
|
|
Post by Elarinya on Feb 10, 2024 0:09:31 GMT -8
She'd kept to the back of the group as they'd descended deeper into the tunnels, watching for any sneak attack that might come from the rear. Given the way this adventure had gone thus far, she wouldn't be surprised if some new monster Dragus had accidentally awoken tried to take them by surprise. But the further on they went, the less likely it seemed anything was coming and so she was glad for the company when Sirona finally fell back to keep pace with her. She reached up and deactivated the lock on her helmet and slid it off, the cool air of the underground washing over the damp sweat of her face.
Much like her one friend here, she was also starting to feel the wear of their misadventure. But there was something rejuvenating about their silent stroll through the underground of Roon which helped her gather her strength. She would need her wits about her, especially when a few moments later Dragus seemed to deem the area safe enough for them to make camp. She turned to Sirona, not bothering to glance in her Father's direction
It's fine... I just... I don't like needing him...
She set her helmet down as she took a seat beside Sirona, purposefully placing herself between the Librarian and her Father. Thankfully the warmth of the flame helped forgive the putrid stench of the smoke emanating from the flaming bones. Her gaze flicked to the rat that was to serve as their sustenance and quietly chided herself for abandoning her armour at the bottom of the lake. A couple of travellers biscuits had been stored away for emergencies, for which this situation would well be considered. But like the armour they were stored within, they were now lost to the depths.
Unclipping her weapons as Dragus and Valefor conversed, she stood up and shed the skintight suit to reveal the clothing she still wore underneath it all. There was little use for the body-glove now other than to restrict her movements. And if she had to place any bet, it would be that where ever Dragus was leading them to would require her to fight unrestrained. So she discarded the suit off to the side and retook her seat as she re-armed herself, feeling the full heat of the flame against her skin. Her gaze only briefly turned toward Xitan when he finally grumbled in his sleep, reminding her that he still yet lived
|
|
Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 284
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
|
Post by Valefor on Feb 10, 2024 1:16:00 GMT -8
Valefor left the mostly unconscious form of Xitan slung within his arms whilst keeping out of the way as Dragus set around setting up the fire. He could have set the boy down and helped the Saurian in his efforts, but the deranged lizard seemed quite capable. Instead, Valefor listened to the tale, sparing a glance here and there to Elarinya and Sirona. He raised an eyebrow as Dragus referred to Ela as a protective paramour, a title he could sense was not one that was well received.
When the fire sparked to life, he set the Sith Aspirants body down next to the flame and close to where Sirona was standing, before moving around to the other side of the fire to take his own seat. Thankfully the spell work to keep him safe had also done its job in keeping him dry as well. But the warmth of the flames was a welcome comfort. There was a lot to unpack in Dragus' words and explanation of events that had transpired
It is perhaps a good thing you saved them from Vullorr's tiresome blabbering... And what exactly is this curse upon Viox's bloodline? Is it perhaps your company? or something much more malignant? Perhaps the same madness that I hear drove Viox to his own end...
He had steered well clear of the Blackguard in its hey day, as well as the Sith Conclave that had been formed by those whom were able to see the old man's madness. But stories and rumours had floated about amongst the right groups. Reputation was he knew, but what little of it existed had been... disappointing. Many a lesson could be learned by the younger generation from the Zabrak's foolish attempts at immortality and power
You know, Dragus, a suspicious man might think you see in her only your own salvation from such a curse, if indeed you claim kinship to the Crazed Zabrak... But you are perhaps right, fate has drawn us together...
Though, not by the work of the Eye as Dragus would otherwise claim. But such a thought was not one Valefor was willing to voice within the company of the Saurian Lord. He'd spent enough time in the Apothecary's company to build an understanding of his belief in The Eye. He still didn't understand everything about this Order to which Dragus was attached in some form. But his research into Sidious' life had revealed the existence of a vessel known as the Eye of Palpatine, one of the first super weapons the Emperor had constructed after taking power. Although it had been destroyed, there had been a rumour or two of a second Eye that had been constructed in secret. This one, it seemed, was the likely object of worship for which Dragus was almost always muttering on about. Something to investigate one day, but which could wait so long as it did not interfere with his own plans much sooner
|
|
Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
Posts: 1,408
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
Traffic Light: Blue
|
Post by Dragus on Feb 10, 2024 7:42:54 GMT -8
Fragments of rat skull and rodent grey matter sprayed from Dragus' lips as the reprehensible reptilian cackled in response to Valefor's commentary, a throaty chortle that gurgled wetly as it oozed its way up his windpipe, causing him to bang a closed claw against his chest to dislodge bits of vermin that had gone down the wrong hole. He seemed to settle after a moment, speaking in his lisping lizard manner as he continued preparing much needed sustenance. "There iz no curing what ailz me, my friend." Admitted the Dark Apothecary somewhat soberly, taking a thin length of arm bone and shoving the broken tip through the open neck stump of the rat until it erupted out the carcasses rump. Not quite a proper spit, he propped the impaled headless rodent over the flames and allowed the heat to work its magic. "Sssome of uz are born damned. Try az you may, fate iz one foe you can't essscape or defeat, only delay at mossst." He shrugged, appearing unconcerned by such a pronouncement as he had come to terms with his morbid destiny many years ago. Taking some of the mushrooms he had gathered, he threaded four makeshift skewers with the earthy fungal fruit and propped them next to the now sizzling rat. The rest of the mushrooms, including the purple polka-dot ones, he diced up with his talons and added to the bubbling skull cups of rat vitae.Next he removed his signature pipe, a paw carved gift from the night ewoks of Weeping Bark Village, crafted from a broken branch of the Witch Tree at the centre of their sinister settlement. He placed the long fluted stem between his lips, clamping down on the end nub with his teeth, while he added a pinch of herb from his spice pouch to the bowl. Blue forks of lightning danced between his talon tips, immolating the content of the pipe, allowing the saurian Sith to draw smoke up through its length. He inhaled deeply, taking into his lungs a heady volume of mind altering substance. Darkside Dank, a simple recipe really. Mostly ryll spice harvested from ill fated Kala'uun, the cursed City Beneath the Mountain, mined by twi'lek slaves whose suffering and despair enhanced the overall product. The spice was mixed with a bit of powdered krayt dragon venom, far shy of a lethal dose of course, usually anyways. It often depended on which Far Squeaker was preparing the mixture. The venom took what was ordinarily a pleasant trip and filled ones mind with nightmarish hallucinations conjured from the darkest depths of the users mind. As he exhaled purple plumes of smoke from the flaring nostril slits on either side of his snout, the narcotic wisps took on fiendish winged shapes that seemed to fly around the acrid camp fire before dissolving into nothingness moments later. Dragus looked at the spice pouch in his other claw, his lips curling upwards in their devilish draconian way, then tossed the black silken bag into the fire."Viox IZ my brother." He puffed away on the pipe. "Once upon a time, he ssswore himssself to the Order. The lassst time I sssaw him, we fought ssside by ssside at Prakith in the dayz leading up to the Sssith Empire'z disssolution. Following thossse eventz, I waz tasssked with a misssion of vital importance beyond the borderz of civilized ssspace. A black crusssade." Images of conflict and strife on alien worlds materialized on the surface of the amethyst gem set in the drake lord's left eye socket, his words and thoughts invoking a reaction from the arcane device. "Ten yearz I waz gone, but I performed my duty unbegrudgingly, even if it cossst me a ssstellar regionz worth of worshipperz." He dipped a talon into the skull cups and stirred their bubbling contents, adding a few choice herbs from his alchemy satchel to flavour the mix. "Upon my return az the Covenant of Blood limped itz way back home, I came upon a mossst offending sssight. Blackguard crowz..." His lips split and his fangs bared, grit tightly until their dagger tips slit his gums and caused beads of blood to drizzle down his chin. "...fleeing holy Pzob. The Eye'z cradle desssecrated by unbelieverz. Sssacrilege."Betrayal. It was an ordinary part of being a Sith. Dragus lacked enough talons on his claws and feet to count the amount of times he had betrayed his many siblings and allies, and he felt no personal slight at their betrayals of him in turn. It was simply the way of things. However, to betray the Eye...it was, unheard of. The gravest of insults to the Order. For such a slight, there could be no forgiveness."My brother may have forgotten hiz oathz, but the Eye doez not forget itz children. Ssso imagine my delight when two of hiz ssspawn came within my reach. I had thought at firssst to flay the flesh from their bonez and make of it a new cloak or sssome form of ssstylish attire, but it occurred to me that their father'z heresssy waz no fault of their own. Family iz preciouz, Valefor, essspecially to thossse of uz born without." That was perhaps something the Demon Lord might be able to relate to. "Ssso I will take that which my brother failed to appreciate and make of them my own." His red right eye peered across the fire, lingering on Sirona briefly as she conversed with Elarinya, both absorbed with what appeared to be an awakening Xitan. "I claim them. She iz mine, az iz her brother Craxiouz." Looking at Valefor, he hissed resolutely. "Mine, Valefor. Not the Supreme One'z. Mine."Resting his pipe on the crooked corner of his lip, the Famine Lord brought his scaled palms together in a loud clap that echoed audibly down the tunnel, delivered forcefully to garner the attention of all those gathered around the crackling green camp fire."Eat, drink..." He withdrew a gamorrean skin bladder of Pzobian bloodwine from his alchemy satchel and placed it on the ground next to the fire. A fruity spirit from his personal vineyards. "...by merry and revitalize yourselvez, my companionz. We ressst here until dawn. Then we ssset out for the Under Kingdom."Dawn, difficult to determine in the lightless depths beneath the surface of the planet. For those that possessed chrono devices, they would find the time keepers acting improperly, making it next to impossible to discern the accurate hour.
|
|
