Ask By the Candle Fire

[Zessel]

”Thank you!” bringing his arm closer to his face to admire the bracelet that was now around his wrist. He moved the fingers of his other hand and traced the patterns on it, not being able to even a single strand out of place. The colors used to make also matched perfectly with each other. Zessel smiled at Prani. “You are very talented!”

He grabbed the cup with hot chocolate while muttering a ‘thank you’ to the Zabrak woman. Before drinking it, Zessel took some time to look at the object in his hands. The half-Arkanian studied the cup and the liquid inside it. The marshmallows melting inside it reminded him of how the snow melted on his hand outside, but in the case of the sweets it was sticky. And taste.

Satisfied with the appearance of the beverage, Zessel approached the group that was playing music, but before he grabbed a cookie for himself. There wasn’t anything better to eat with hot chocolate than a good cookie. At least it was his opinion. He blew the liquid inside the cup some times, making it less hot. Then he proceeded to drink it.

Suddenly, Zessel heard a voice speak inside his mind. He also saw the shadow in the window and immediately remembered what the tavern keepers were talking about early. “I hear it too! What it could be?” he said, joining his doubts with the rest of the Jedi. His mind was already making thousands of theories about what could be happening. Where they going to have the visit of the Ghost of Life Day Past?

Zessel only hoped that it wasn't the Ghost of Life Day Yet to Come. He was still too young for that.

@LilyNion @Narzen @Fine Dining Set @throwitintothefire @Wills @Sreeya

 

[Macote Hassan]

Macote played a little ditty on his piccolo to his hearts content, while his bracelet seemed to dance upon his wrist. The lively crowd quieted as the innkeeper told his story, much to Macote's surprise. A refugee, now, from two wars, Macote had seen the terrible power of the Dark Side first hand. He knew that those monsters were capable of twisting the Force into its most hideous perversions, and he knew the overwhelming power that it could bring. A chill of fear crawled down his spine as they continued.

In the darkness, images of his master being ripped to shreds by hungry abominations rolled through his mind. He saw his parents, too, rended limb-from-limb by bloody creatures with engorged fangs. Was this them? Were those monsters here? They would not catch this Jedi lacking. Their responsibility was not a joke, not some silly game; it was the most sacred thing they had. It was what he would live and die by.

And if he had to die, if he had to fight these creatures, he would do it on his feet, resolute. Like his Master had. As a Kage, his eyes were naturally accustomed to the darkness of their homeworld. He scanned the darkened room before his eyes settled on the window, where he saw a shadow pass.

Were these other padawans really so naive? Had they not seen the genocide that the Jedi faced, the strange and arcane weapons that were forged against them? "It's magic." He uttered, almost spitting the words as he spoke. He withdrew angled his lightsaber towards the window, towards the shadow. "Show yourself!" It was...an empty command. He didn't really have the means to force whatever had spoken to them to appear, nor did he really know if it was connected to the shadow. His paranoia took over.

@LilyNion @Sreeya @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi @Narzen

 

[Akari Moriko]

A'kari became a bit overwhelmed as the others began to arrive and the gathering began to send her senses running, and with a half hearted grin, she began slowly back out. In fact, she didn't even bother giving the poor barkeep a chance to utter a word as she grabbed a random unattended drink from the bar and forced down a gulp if only to calm herself down. This was her first social in truth, and having hid away amongst the Temple's Library her entire tutelage, she was unaccustomed to so many being around her.

With a deep sigh, Akari leaned back against the bar and almost instantly realized that the alcoholic beverage she had grabbed may have been just a tad bit too strong for her form. She belched, her cheeks turning red as she placed her hand up to a now smiling face as she uttered in a slightly slurring tone. "Excuse me."

Thankfully, it was beginning to liven up a bit within the Tavern and A'kari's mishappen loss of mannerisms went likely unnoticed. Looking into the mug of the ill begotten fermentation, she quirked her head in a 'meh' manner and took another. By the time the music began to flow throughout the bar, food spread as far as her eyes could see, A'kari had loosened up quite a bit. So much so, that she took centerstage in front of the fireplace, and the others, and began to dance a river dance-esque jig.

Cloak in hand, she would twirl, the clacking of her boots against the grained floor matching the rhythm of the music as her hair and robes swayed back and forth amidst her spins. For the first time, in a rather long time, this Child of Nature felt a sense of acceptance in her slightly intoxicated stupor. The Jedi Knight had let her inhibitions fly forth and away and found herself lost in the moment and unaware of the hangover she would likely have the next day.

Nor aware of the approaching sobering moment that lingered on the edge of the fun until the words filled both her mind and her soul into a shrilling moment of absolute fear. Her dance halted, the blood pouring from her face as the shock set in and she gazed around to see who spoke so coldly, and as the encroaching darkness fell in a unified puff of smoke from the extinguishing light, felt dread become horror as a shadow moved against the wall and her gaze shot to the window.

As the chill that engulfed the room in silence began to effect her delayed reaction of chills and shivers, the voices of the others asked the same question inequivocally as the one that crossed her mind. And yet, the only words to truly escape her lips were to question their wellbeing. "Everyone alright?"

Tags: @LilyNion @Narzen @LouJoVi @Sreeya @throwitintothefire @Fine Dining Set @Wills

 

[Johanes av Holsen]

"You never built a snowman?!" Johan said, shocked. "Gonna have to change that then. We'll make the coolest snowman ever." He chuckled. Unbelievable. It was inconceivable to him; never to have built a snowman before. It was a national pastime for children back home in all but name. Then again, not all planets had year round snow after all.

His eyes glistened with marvel as Prani tied the bracelet around his wrist. The patterns! They were vibrant and colourful. Mesmerising in their own right. "Thank you! It's beautiful."

He vibed along as the other Padawans started jamming. Shame there wasn't a piano around for him to join in. His attention shifted, as the tavern keeper began telling his stories. And while he didn't care much a few minutes ago, the mention of disappearances piqued his interest. Then, out of nowhere, a chill ran down his spine as he heard the voice scraping in his mind.

Johan's brows furrowed at the sight of a shadowy figure passing by the window, his attention immediately snapping to Macote as he commanded the... Intruder? Spirit? Shadow? Whoever, or whatever it was. It seemed to respond... unkindly at the mention of Jedi, to say the least. Johan immediately tapped his hips. Both parts of his lightsaber were still there, letting out a sigh of relief.

"It doesn't seem to be happy with Jedi." He placed emphasis on 'Jedi' on purpose. Partly to see if it'd get agitated again, but also curious to see if it'd show itself and pull another spooky stunt. Whether that was foolish or not remained to be seen.

@LilyNion @Narzen @Fine Dining Set @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi @Sreeya

 

[Heidi Vulpis]

Heidi adored the music, playing along with her flute wherever she could and dancing to the beat. It exceeded all of her expectations. This party was exactly what the Jedi needed, and it was something she desperately missed from home. Everyone was so nice, funny and warmhearted. It was perfect. It was made even better by the bracelet that dangled around her wrist; as Prani had explained, it connected every Jedi here. A token that provided her with comfort she did not realize she needed. The voice then rushed through her mind, sending a chill through her body, prompting her to yelp before looking around the group with wide eyes, hoping for any clues.

________​

The shadow in front of the window had been motionless. The only indication of life was a slight sway of the head every now and then, or the sound of a deep, grunted breath. And it stayed that way, watching everyone in the tavern as they debated what to do. "Kriff- Kriff!" The Zabrak lady hissed beneath her breath. "You absolute idiot-" She yanked her apron from her waist and slapped it against her husband's arm before looking toward the back. "Grab the butcher knife, I'll go to our son." She instructed the man before dashing into the kitchen. The tavern keeper blinked, as he had not heard anything. But the freakout and mysteriously disappearing flames compelled him to listen and grab the butcher knife. Armed with his blade, he reached for the group, taking a protective stance in front of them.

For a few seconds, everything was calm, with hushed voices and a sense of suspense lingering in the air. The figure shifted abruptly, as if hearing something new, audible footsteps and grunts bringing it closer to the tavern until it vanished behind the wall nearest the door. And there it stood, sniffing.

Then it heard the word Jedi, again.

"j̘̼̹̹ͫ̆e̯͐̾̑̾d̵̥̗̍i͌ͭ" This time it wasn't in their mind. No, its croaked voice instead faded into the starry sky. It was followed by silence, another sniff, more silence...

The audible sound of claws and teeth ripping at wood, destroying everything in its path, harshly rang through the room. In a matter of seconds, the door came undone. Wood fragments of all sizes flew around the entryway, showing the brilliant cold light of the moon and the shape of a beast with six legs and three jaws. Its gigantic paws made the initial steps into the tavern, showing not two, three, or ten eyes. No. There were eyes everywhere the Jedi looked, and those eyes were gazing right back at them. The flesh on its legs pulsed, and the moonlight reflected off every strand of muscle. It was an unnatural creature that shouldn't be, carrying the scent of death.

It glanced at the group for a second, each eye focused on a fresh Jedi, before hunching through its legs and springing into the air and towards the tavern keep, its three mouths snapping and growling with unnatural sounds.

---

Tag @Sreeya @LouJoVi @Mythos @Fine Dining Set @throwitintothefire @Wills @Narzen
​

 

[Johanes av Holsen]

Hearing the sounds of claws and teeth ripping at the wood, Johan jolted from the table and rushed to the front. All semblance of his jolly self disappearing in an instant. He grabbed both parts of his lightsaber, snapping them in place with a twist. The vibrant cyan blade burst to life as he assumed an offensive stance. The young Sverender hoped to take the initiative. Landing the first strike against the thing that threatened to burst through the door.

Vigilant, the padawan's gaze darted between the entrance and the tavern keeper. With a violent crack, the door buckled under the beast's ferocity. Revealing a monstrous freak of 'nature', if at all natural. Its gaze sent a chill down Johan's spine as he considered his move, taken aback by the monster's appearance. But before he could strike, the creature leaped at the tavern keep.

Acting on pure instinct, he mustered all his strength. Unleashing the most powerful Force Push he was capable of, hoping to keep the beast away from the tavern keep. If only for a moment.

@LilyNion @Narzen @Fine Dining Set @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi @Sreeya

Spoiler: tl; dr

Johanes rushes to the entrance, then force pushes the aberration before it could get to the tavern keep.

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred stumbled backwards at the sight of the beast. Such a thing was terrible to behold. A monster of hideous, possibly unnatural mutation! Abhorrent and abominable and unrecognisable.

Frightened initially, all Alhazred could do was stare in startlement at the thing that attacked. What was this thing that attacked with hatred of the Jedi? Why did this thing come here with such vicious intent? Why did its eyes gaze at him with malevolent fervor? By the stars, did his own dead god send this as a test of his faith? He had heard tales of similar beasts, and his own encounter with the Starweird had erased all doubts of such things existing, but this thing...what was it?

Alhazred's body hit against a wall. Alhazhred's mind shook back to reality and to action. He was a Jedi, not some helpless thing. Alhazred raised a hand, fingers pointed like a orchestra director's wand, and opened himself to the song of the Force. He needed a moment. If he could perhaps sense the creatures own song, he could try to restrain it, like he had helped with the Killik Queen. But he needed a moment of calm in his own head before he could do anything of the sort. The others would have to fight it first. Thankfully, Alhazred could hear that one of them (@Wills ) had already begun.

@LilyNion @Fine Dining Set @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi @Sreeya

 

[Macote Hassan]

His black eyes darted as the Beast lunged into the room. It was as he feared; an abomination had lunged into their party. These beasts had no sense of honor - anywhere the Jedi went, people were at risk. It was foolish to think that here, even in a place of winter cheer, they would have a safe party. Purple ignited from his place as he sprung at the beast, taking advantage of the opportunity Johanes had created. "Stay with your wife and son!" He called to the barkeep, hoping he would step back so the other jedi could put themselves in the line of fire. It was clearly the jedi this beast was hunting.

He lunged at the beast's yowling jaw, aiming to spear the demon wolf through the teeth. If that didn't work, he would slash again, and again, and again, trying to cut through the beast's hide wherever he could find purchase. With every wild thrust, he exacted vengeance, no, justice, for every life taken by these evil beasts and their beastly masters.

If it wanted a shot at the barkeep, its teeth would have to rip through Macote. And Macote had no intentions of going down without a fight.

Spoiler

ACTIONS:
Macote tells the barkeep to retreat
Macote lunges and activates his (purple) lightsaber to stab the beast

 

[Zessel]

The panic around him was palpable, with the other Jedi already grabbing their lightsabers and getting in fighting stances. Even the tavern keepers were nervous, but Zessel thought that the human looked like a reject of a class B horror movie, brandishing his butcher knife while surrounded by Life Day decorations and flickering light.

Knowing that danger was imminent, Zessel placed his cup on the table and swallowed the rest of his cookie. He hated needing to eat fast, but there was no choice. The half-Arkanian grabbed his lightsaber and waited for the owner of the voice to do something. When the silence fell over the room, the boy thought that he would be able to return to his chocolate.

Unfortunately, whatever had been trying to scare them decided to claw through the door of the tavern. This completely eliminated Zessel's hypothesis that they were being hunted by a Ghost of Life Day, unless said ghost was really pissed and decided to make a cosplay of werewolf-like aberration. He really doubted that was the case. Life Day spirits seemed to be peaceful most of the time. Unless this one decided to act as part of a horror movie.

The sound of the creature breaking what remained of the door made Zessel return to reality. He had once again lost himself in his thoughts. He activated his lightsaber, the blue color joining forces to the rest of the Jedi. The white-haired boy watched the creature jump inside the room and move against the tavern keepers.

He wanted to help, but the Padawan was the youngest in the room. Zessel wasn’t delusional to think that he would be capable of fighting that thing directly. Due to that, he tried to Force push the creature, adding his strength to Johanes’ forces (@Wills ).

@LilyNion @Fine Dining Set @throwitintothefire @Narzen @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani had just put her hallikset away when the massive creature burst into the room, tearing the doors clean off. A burst of cold, icy air filled the room as the beast charged. While the monster lunged at the barkeep, Prani was thrilled to see the padawans jump to action.

Prani may have been an outcast, but there was a reason people teased her for being the ‘nature freak’. She had honed the Force in a specialized way along with other members of her gypsy caravan. Those efforts would manifest now as Prani thrust her hands up and the very ground outside and behind the monster began to rumble. The trees came to life, churning and twisting.

Without warning, deep roots shot out from behind the beast, rapidly coiling around its legs with enough force to slam it down the down and briefly hold it if successful. If the hold worked, the beast would be dragged out of the tavern and away from civilians. Prani may not have been good with a saber or other aggressive forms of combat, but she was good at this.

@LilyNion

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw was frozen in his seat. Not because of the unexplainable cold breeze that had swept the room but because of the monstrous... dog? Wolf? Whatever. The Cerberus looking thing that stalked into the room and leered at all of them. It could do that since it had a bajillion eyes.

The silence that followed was almost palpable. Or was that just the beating of his own heart? He didn't know. All he knew was the sinking realization in the pit of his stomach. He felt like he was right back on Coruscant being chased down by those monsters of the force.

His first instinct was to look for a back exit, but then a few of the other padawans stepped forward—the one in the splashy overcoat and the one that had brought cookies and—and Macote. The older padawan threw himself in front of the tavernkeeper like a human shield and swung his lightsaber at the creature. Once. Twice. Three times. He wasn't giving up.

My man! Shaw thought to himself, more than a little impressed and inspired. It was a real main character video game moment for Macote.

Tearing his eyes away, Shaw looked around. He'd been in plenty of scraps before. Why should this one be any different? He could think of at least three reasons why, but he'd try not to focus on that. He didn't have a lightsaber yet, and he certainly didn't know how to use the force after a lifetime of suppressing it, but he sure as kritt wasn't going to let Macote face whatever that thing was alone. You wouldn't catch Shaw lacking and playing NPC for long. He could at least be a somewhat helpful or possibly very annoying companion.

Shaw jumped to his feet and grabbed hold of the first thing at hand: the container of cookies. He hurled it across the room toward the creature's heads. He didn't care which head it hit so long as it hit something. Then he grabbed anything and everything he could reach. Plates, a turkey leg, cutlery, empty mugs of hot chocolate, a decorative hog's head, and a rat trying to scurry away from the fight—whatever his hand found and hurled it at the monster. Now his adrenaline was pumping!

Vines and roots snuck up from behind the three headed beast to catch it by surprise, and that just gave Shaw all the more courage. Now they had a video game protagonist and a souped up comic book character on their side.

 

[Akari Moriko]

----^v----^v----^v----

As the prelude began to resound onward, A'kari stood upon an uneased precipice, the pit of her stomach churning not from that alcohol, but from fear as her heart began to hasten. It was the same feeling she felt on Rago with the Killik Queen, a momentary pause of both reaction and thought as time seemed to stand still. And then reality came back in a snap of the fingers, as the figure first moved from the window's pane and then began pawing and nibbling as the beast beaconed at the door.

---^v---^v---^v---^v---

It was a moment that lingered far too long for A'kari's naturalistic liking, but as it grew more feverishly, the door broke down in pieces as the metaphorically mirror of one's fear shattered to reveal the truth behind it's frame. A'kari's eyes widen in their fright, the young lass biting upon her lip and gripping tight the whitened form of her Ashen Tree Stave across her bussom, as she stared across it's entirety, rotted flesh, eyelets maws, and it's piercing gazes that were too numerous to truly comprehend. And for a brief moment, as the reality of the abomination before her flowed from a mere datapad to flesh and bone, A'kari felt herself freeze. And I mind you, it wasn't the wind as chilly as it may have been.

--^v--^v--^v--^v--^v--

No. It was the abomination she beheld before her eyes. The moment in which she stood. The Jedi that she was coming in to being, but not yet reached. And yet, as the others bravery and selflessness brought her back to reality, A'kari's face turned from frozen fear to a stone cold glare. For the briefest moment, she smirked as she called upon her lifelong ally and kindred friend, the Force as she struck the beast's center head in it's initial attack. And yet, as she stepped back and centered herself, driving the stave's tip into the the floorboards beneath her, A'kari did not go directly offensive afterwards. Instead, as she turned internally, her power would flow into the others and strengthen them.

---^v---^v---^v---^v---

Alhazred, Heidi, Prani, Zessel, Johan, Macote, and yes, even Shaw; would all feel her strength flow into them and it's warming embrace would clear their minds of anguish, urging for their focus to sharpen and their thoughts harnessed fully. She had used this skill once before on Rago, aiding her comrades there in crippling the Killik Queen and it seemed the best option to begin with here. She would once again fall into the position of support.

----^v----^v----^v----

Spoiler: Intended Actions

A'kari uses battle meditation after smacking the abomination with her stave

Tags: @LilyNion @Narzen @Wills @LouJoVi @Sreeya @Fine Dining Set @throwitintothefire

 

[Heidi Vulpis]

Thanks to Johanes'(@Wills) Force Push and Zessel's(@LouJoVi) boon, the beast had no chance of tearing into the tavern keeper's flesh. No. It struck the beast squarely in the chest, altering its path in mid-air and sending it crashing into a grand chair. It rose to its feet immediately, as if unconcerned by the splinters that had pierced its skin. It glanced towards Johanes, its lips lifting to reveal its long fangs.

But it could not do much. An onslaught of attacks were launched at it. Macote's(@Fine Dining Set) lightsaber found its target, piercing, no, burning the beast's jaw until it hung open without resistance. The remaining mouths opened, letting out a scream right in the Padawan's ear. Strands of spit and what appeared to be blood flew at Macote's face as it charged forward, attempting to bite down on his shoulder. But before it could strike, the beast was struck again by a justice-filled purple strike, this time in the cheek, sending the scent of rotten burned flesh and fur into the noses of those near it.

With another wave of hatred-filled snarls, the beast took a few quick steps back, crushing whatever wood was beneath its paws. It looked around, deciding to seek out a new victim because the Padawan with the purple blade was clearly too dangerous. That was the sign for the tavern to continue listening to the Padawan's words. "Yes! I- Thank you!" He began to back away with shivering legs, toward the kitchen, where his family was waiting. But as he retreated, he took one last look ahead: a group of Padawans and a young Jedi Knight fighting for the safety of his tavern and family. A sight he would never forget.

At that point, Akari's (@Mythos) Battle Meditation began to spread throughout the room. Every Padawan affected by her Force felt a surge of strength in their muscles, as well as a sense of calm and clarity in their minds. Even though there was no light in the room, it suddenly felt less dark.

This burst of the Lightside that swirled into the room enraged the beast. Without focus or aim, it crept to the ground before attempting to jump again. Only to be greeted with a jar of cookies (@throwitintothefire) against its head. The beast froze before it could jump, perplexed by what had just happened. Only to have more and more items thrown at its heads; cups, a piece of roast that looked almost too good to pass up, plates, and a... rat? In its confusion and rage, it snapped at the next item that flew at it: another cup. The cup shattered thanks to its brute force, with porcelain shards piercing the flesh in its mouth.

The distraction was enough to allow Prani's(@Sreeya) roots to capture the beast. The roots curled up around its body, grasping its torso before slamming it to the ground with such force that the beast whimpered. The roots began to pull it away from the Jedi and civilians and into the safety of the night. Its claws desperately tried to grab anything in its path while resisting the pull. In an attempt to drive the roots away, the beast began to turn its head, the unharmed jaw reaching for any root it could find and tearing at it to free itself.

Heidi, who had been standing to the side to avoid disrupting the other Jedi's attack, began to channel her Force into the pouch of seeds dangling from her belt. It discovered the seeds she was looking for and began to envelop them before a strand of thorns emerged from the pouch and grew towards the beast's two functioning mouths. The strand wrapped around the mouths, forcing them shut while the thorns dug into the flesh, acting as hooks to keep them in place. She quickly unhooked the pouch on her belt, sacrificing both it and the seeds to avoid getting dragged along.

Unable to tear at the roots or struggle, the beast was successfully dragged out of the house. A window of opportunity came for the Padawan( (@Narzen), who had been charging his Force throughout the battle. Regardless of what the Padawan did, the roots continued to drag the beast through the woods and the snow after it was out of the structure, creating a trail. The roots eventually came to a stop, as did the beast. And there it lay in the snow, tied by the roots, battered by the several items flung at it, and scarred by the lightsaber blade.

 

[Zessel]

Zessel smiled when he saw the creature crash against a chair, splintering it in a ton of pieces. Without any doubt it must have hurt. “We worked well together.” he said to Johanes, giving him a quick thumbs up. The white-haired boy turned his attention back to the thing. He couldn’t lose his focus while it remained alive.

It was with excitement that he watched the other Jedi attack. Macote viciously using the lightsaber to cut the creature looked like a scene from a holomovie, with the hero delivering blows against the monster. Next came Akari, using the Force to increase everyone’s strength. Zessel could feel how his own powers were augmented and immediately thought that he could fight an entire army of those things.

His attention was drawn back to the creature, which was now being assaulted by a rain of objects, Shaw’s courtesy. Zessel smiled at the flying plates, cups, cookies…

‘Wait, cookies?!’ the Padawan watched perplexed as the plastic container that he brought hit the creature and scattered the perfectly decorated cookies on the ground. The half-Arkanian’s pale face got pink, which could make some think that he had metamorphosed into a Zeltron. He had baked it and spent hours making the decoration perfectly. Only for a moron to waste them as ammunition against a monster.

The only one that liked it was the rat, who collided against the creature and fell to the floor. Once there, the creature squeaked, perhaps praising the murine gods for its survival, grabbed a piece of the fallen cookies and rushed away from the scene with its prize.

Deciding to maintain his vows of vengeance for the fallen cookies for another moment, Zessel turned his attention back to the creature. Thanks to the Plant surge made by Prani and Heidi, the thing was now being dragged outside.

@LilyNion @Narzen @Wills @throwitintothefire @Fine Dining Set @Mythos @Sreeya

 

[Alhazred]

Tapping into the Force is easy enough with training and constant meditation. Alhazred's experiences on the Jedi Temples had taught that fact over and over. True, at first tapping into the Force was difficult: The Nu-Vaal's synesthesia had made it extremely annoying when tapping into the Force resulted in hearing a cacophony of random instruments who's song was impossible to discern. But with training and practice, Alhazred had begun his long journey of understanding the song of the Force.

The hard part was manipulating the Force. Everything in the universe made its own song in the force, and in order to affect other things, one had to identify which song belonged to which creature and object. Some beings were easier than others. The fellow Jedi's songs were a bit more cohesive and resonant with the Force's song. Despite their differences, their own training in the Force made them all similar yet unique. Others were more difficult. The Tavernkeeper, his wife, they had no formal training, and their songs were more soft but chaotic, making them harder to discern in the heat of the battle, but theoretically easier to manipulate.

This beast's was chaotic and aggressive and loud; Sharp stabbing flutes, overbearing horns, booming bases. It was easy to identify it, but also harder to work with. In Alhazred's experience, the louder the creature's song, the harder it was to manipulate it. The more focused and determined willpower in the thing, the harder it was to alter their song in Alhazred's favor.

Still, Alhazred would try. It might not have been possible, had not the sudden peace of mind that settled in his brain from that one's battle meditation. Raising his pointed hand, he waved it back and forth like a director's baton, trying to match the tempo of the beast's song. His form of sign casting was as unique as it was strange. Once in time with the beast's beats, Alhazred's body stiffened and froze as he attempted to pause the beast's song. Not stopping it, but merely keeping the note values going indefinitely.

The beast, now being dragged outside by various plant life, would hopefully feel Alhazred's work as his Force Stasis came into effect.

"I....believe I have it..." Alhazred whispered as he struggled to focus on speaking and keeping the beast restrained. "tie it down or something!"

@LilyNion @LouJoVi @Wills @throwitintothefire @Fine Dining Set @Mythos @Sreeya

 

[Macote Hassan]

The beast reeled back from every strike, as Macote channeled his grief into every blow. Each strike, a strike against the Sith, who had stolen too much. As the other Jedi intervened, he lunged forwards, stumbling on a root. He disengaged his lightsaber as he tumbled towards the beast caught in the viney growths sprouted by the other Jedi.

As he fell, Shake’s cookie barrage found purchase against his face, covering him in a sweet, warm chocolate cookie that exploded on impact. This guy had a strong throwing arm. Couldn’t be mad at that, right?

He sat collapsed across the floor for a moment as he regained his breath. The beast was, well, a beast. It must have a master somewhere, right? The one who was whispering the spooky shit at them?

“Good teamwork, everybody.” He raised two thumbs up as he licked cookie crumbs off his face. His eyes turned to the nature-y Jedi: Prani, Heidi, and seemingly Alhazred. They had real Force power - Macote just had his lightsaber. “Could you, uh, magic his mind or something? See if he has an owner or friends or something waiting to kill us?”

He had seen people use the Force to calm beasts in the past, right? Or was that just a Holomovie for kids about friendship and trust? Sometimes it was so hard to separate these things.

Spoiler

Actions:
Macote trips and gets smacked by a cookie.

Spoiler

Macote asks fellow Jedi to reset the wolf’s mind. [/spoiler]

 

[Akari Moriko]

Battle Meditation was a pretty straight forward task in of itself, A'kari's ability to pull the very essence of the Lightside of the Force and imbue it's energies into allies left little room for diversion or complexity. Each one of them would feel it's embrace and know it's Valor, A'kari included.

And yet, with each striking blow that tore at the beast's form, A'kari could not help but feel pity and dread in the same breath. This creature had walked into a room of experience which it's self had never known and the challenge seemed almost too insurreal. Was it a crude conclusion by the Force's Will that this creature befell so easily against their strength? Or was it a mere pawn of a puppetmaster? She could not be entirely sure.

As the beast was dragged outside and tied down by Heidi and Prani's use of Plant Surge, A'kari let her mind approach that of the Beast's through the Force, if only to glance. Her mind would be guarded, but there could still stand the chance of clash between wills if she pushed too far. She would certainly need to proceed cautiously, and recoil, if there came any potential damage.

But this also left A'kari torn between two actions, the prevailing Battle Meditation she still poured through herself and her allies, and her search for a potential puppetmaster. She knew full well what to expect, as she knew her mind would be peering into the very existence of evil, into the heart of the darkness, the abyss of primordial chaos. But it was a task that needed to be done, if only to succeed in knowing the extent.

Focusing herself, she readied for the task she was intent on performing. It would be a taxing and dangerous journey, but one of information and clarity. And as the only present Knight, it was her duty. Her mind would drift forward, crossing the distance from where she stood within the now remnants of the Tavern to where beast had felled in defeat amongst the snowy forest in mere moments and would drift upon it's mind in search of memories of a Master.

Spoiler: Intended Actions

While still using Battle Meditation, A'kari attempts to cautiously probe the Abomination's mind for it's Master.

Tags: @Narzen @LilyNion @LouJoVi @throwitintothefire @Sreeya @Wills @Fine Dining Set

 

[Johanes av Holsen]

Charming. Johan winced as the beast flashed its fangs, readying himself for a counterattack. One which never came. He watched as Macote lunged forward, shanking it into oblivion before the Sverender could do anything. Damn. Couldn't have done it better himself.

He watched the other padawan's onslaught with amazement. Feeling the effects Akari's battle meditation. Strengthening his body, clearing his mind and bolstering him with resolve. Though, evidently he wouldn't find much use for it.

A hail of items flew past him. Cookies, plates, cutlery, mugs, a hogs head, even a rat— all of which aimed at the aberration. Johanes bit his tongue as he watched the spectacle unfold. Kriffing brilliant. THE COOKIES, of all things, and a RAT.

Unfortunately, the show was cut short as a bundle of vines summoned by Prani dragged the beast outside, out of Shaw's reach. Shame. He could've watched it get pelted by objects all day long, like a bad jester at a king's court.

Then a look of realisation washed across his face as he remembered Zessel. He turned to face his friend with a suppressed grin, acting as if he didn't just find his cookies being flung across the tavern absolutely hilarious. "Yeah we did! Great job." He offered him a thumbs up before turning to face the creature, just in case.

It laid in the snow, battered and restrained. For once, Johan held his blade up defensively, figuring he'd wait for the others to do their things as Macote suggested. Mind probing, or something. Whatever Akari and the more experienced Padawans felt suitable, it was bound to be beyond his expertise.

@LilyNion @Narzen @Fine Dining Set @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi @Sreeya

Spoiler: tl; dr

Johan tries very hard not to laugh himself to death.

 

[Shaw Amaris]

The three headed monster probably never knew what hit it. Literally or figuratively. Between the eight of them, they'd thrown everything but the kitchen sink the creature's way. Inanimate objects, invisible blows through the force, lightsaber strikes, and literal vines and roots that snaked around the creature's legs. Shaw knew about a Jedi's ability to lift rocks and stuff like that. Everybody knew about that, but he had never realized that the Jedi's repertoire included mastery of plants. It was admittedly kinda cool. Everyone here was kinda cool actually, in an unexpected and overwhelming kind of way.

So imagine Shaw's surprise when he felt some invisible force that he had no control over flood his body. The room didn't seem so dark, and the air itself felt lighter somehow. He felt stronger, sharper, more focused. Like he was connected by some invisible string to every other Jedi in the room. Like he could do anything. Well not anything, but suffice to say he felt something he had never felt before. It was hard to put into words.

"Did everyone else feel that?" he asked the others, looking down at his hands and stretching each finger in the moonlight. Or had he gotten hit on accident by some force wave that had missed its intended target? Did he have superpowers now or something? Or was this just what it felt like to actually feel the force when you couldn't ignore it? What the others felt every day?

He'd asked the question softly. It would probably go unnoticed, but that was alright. He didn't really expect an answer at the moment. They had bigger fish to fry. Bigger dog to fry.

 

[Heidi Vulpis]

While the Jedi watched with a slight celebration lingering in the air, Alhazred's(@Narzen) stun crept over the beast's body before settling into its muscles and locking it in place. And so it lay there, eyes fixed on the Padawans and Knight, hearing everything but unable to defend itself or break free from the roots. A small rumble, a growl, emanated from deep within the beast's throat, audible to anyone nearby.

Thanks to the stun, Akari(@Mythos) was able to approach a little bit and use her Force to reach its mind. There was no resistance, whether due to the stun or the beast's lack of mental protection, and Akari's Force had no trouble probing its mind. A flurry of images flooded her mind the moment her Force entered its consciousness. The images were not clear, they were quick and snappy and filled with darkness. Inbetween it all there were snippets of what seemed to be some sort of cave with ice and snow everywhere, as well as a clearing in the woods with shadowy movements. A feminine voice was waved through the images, whispering commands in a delicate voice.
₦ØⱤ₮Ⱨ. ₳₱₱ⱤØ₳₵Ⱨ ₮ⱧɆ ⱧØɄ₴Ɇ. ĐØ ɎØɄ ₴₥ɆⱠⱠ ₳₦Ɏ₮Ⱨł₦₲? JɆĐł? ₮ⱧɆ ĐØØⱤ. ₲Ø ₣ØⱤ ₮ⱧɆ ĐØØⱤ. ₲ØØĐ ฿ØɎ. ł'₥ ₴Ø ₱ⱤØɄĐ Ø₣ ɎØɄ.

But, while the voice was gentle and delicate, the emotions in that beast's mind were not. There was nothing but hatred, enough to take Akari's breath away and make her angry if she wasn't careful.

While this was going on, the Padawans behind her noticed something else: in the back of the tavern, the sound of cutlery and plates hitting the ground rang through the structure. A loud-pitched voice screamed "YOU PROMISED!" followed by the tavern keeper's heavy footsteps as he ran over to the Padawans. He stuttered as soon as he came into view. "I- Our son-" He got even closer and deep burnt slashes on his arm and cheek became visible. Lightsaber slashes? "She took our son- ... My son!" He looked at the group before running past them, through the broken door, and into the snow. "We have to help him!" He began yelling out. And so he kept running until he reached the main crossroad the Padawans came across as they arrived.

The Zabrak quietly entered the tavern's main area as well, but unlike her husband, she was unharmed. Her eyes were glazed over as if she was in a trance or in shock. Her upper body swayed slightly as she looked at her husband in the distance, who was now calves-deep in the snow. She didn't move. She didn't say a word. She just stared.

The tavern keep eventually came to a halt, his gaze flitting from left to right. Which way? Which way?! The east led to the mountains, while the west led to a forest. He placed his hands on the sides of his head, knuckles white, terrified by the decision. If he was wrong... He abruptly spun around to face the Padawans, wherever they were at the time. "Please, help me!" He pleaded frantically. "I- I don't know- ... I didn't see which way- ..." His voice eventually went away, and his lower lip trembled.

tag - @Sreeya @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi @Wills @Fine Dining Set ​