Ask Getting a Big Head

[Ervius Xann]

BEGEREN

Location: Outer Rim / “Sith Worlds”
Planet type: Desert planet

Begeren, a forgotten world, features deserts, beds of blue crystals, and sith colossi. Once home to sith priests, warriors, and sorcerers, it has been abandoned for millennia. Many sith empires scoured the world for its lore, yet more secrets remain hidden in plain sight.

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The Octano touched down on the rocky overlook of Begeren. It towered over the surrounding deserts and hills. Knowing the ancient sith who lived here, it appealed as much to their paranoia as their ego. Ervius allowed himself a chuckle as he left the yacht. A wave of dry air washed over him — a welcome change from the stale atmosphere aboard the Octano.

“Well… ‘You can’t miss it’ indeed,” Ervius chuckled, looking at the towering spire before him. It was the gem in the crown of a colossal face. Ervius presumed it featured the temple’s owner. Time, sand, and winds whittled down the duracrete that comprised its walls, but the hints of the former splendor remained.

Ervius recognized sigils etched into the walls around the entrance. His eyebrows rose, as his memory provided the meanings of the symbols.

“How imaginative,” his gaze trailed over the patterns. “And annoying… This will take time.”

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

On the other hand, an unnamed scout ship had been doing its best to follow the Octano undetected. It was far from a stealth ship, but apparently this yacht wasn't on the look out for a tail.

Such an oversight was to Rya's benefit. She had been trailing behind the vessel since she came across it in neutral space. It felt off, an odd sensation coming from the Great Presence. Like a danger than one would move towards instead of fleeing.

It had never steered her wrong before so she followed the path it had laid out as always. Eventually the intended destination came into view, a planet the Jedi didn't recognize. Not that there were many she did, to be fair. She was extra careful to touch down a ways away from her target, keeping her arrival discreet.

Trekking towards the spire that seemed to be the goal she started to get a sense of what she had gotten herself into. It didn't look like anything she'd seen associated with the Jedi. As she got closer and could begin to make out the shape of the figure ahead of her it became obvious: this was a sith world. She still knew little of the Jedi's rival faith or more importantly on this day their borders.

She'd need to take a different approach than she originally intended. Thankfully she still held little resemblance of a Jedi in her appearance. Her clothes were of a pilot, no robes in sight. Nor did she own a lightsaber, only a military grade blaster of foreign appearing design. Once within earshot but far from conversational distance she shouted "Identify yourself!"

@Keisen

 

[Ervius Xann]

”Hm?” Ervius turned his head in the direction of the noise.

He had gotten sloppy, having written off the prior sensation of vague alarm as the ambient background of the planet. Begeren had many a phantom buried under its surface after all, and the ancient sith never shied away from mass murder which left distinct imprints on their worlds. The Force hummed under the touch of his will and settled as tutaminis over his skin.

“What do we have here?” Ervius frowned and faced the intruder. The Force carried the echoes of the chiss’s emptions and a barely noticeable but highly distinct tune of her presence. He allowed himself a small smirk. “A fellow force sensitive — and not of the sith variety. How quaint. I would advise you to turn away and leave me to my studies, but you are not going to oblige my request, are you?”

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

She stared back quizzically at the man. She didn't even have a chance to bluff before he did. That was unusual. It was a lucky guess that she was also force-sensitive, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of letting him know he'd guessed correctly either. Motioning to her weapon she said "You're mistaken. I'm a surveyor. A scout in layman's terms. I don't belong to any such faith."

She didn't take her blaster out yet, but did start walking in the man's direction. She had been in the military for the majority of her life and trained as such by her father for the entirety of it giving her walk an air of practice, confidence and authority. Looking past him at the spire she asked "What kind of studies are you planning for in such a place? Hardly seems like the approved kind." It wasn't a threat, but nevertheless a pointed statement at the mystery man.

@Keisen

 

[Ervius Xann]

Ervius allowed himself a smile and a pointed look at the intruder when she denied her force sensitivity. That she described being sith as a faith spoke volumes of the chiss’s origins and upbringing. No wonder: he had heard the Ascendancy had quaint views of the Force and those who used it.

”Being sith has little to do with faith,” he said with the same smile, “it’s more of a philosophy. Some have indeed built cults around its principles, but no true sith would ever allow themselves to get entangled in the trappings of religion.”

Currents of the Force swirled around Ervius like an invisible halo. One could only sense it, if they had the ability. He softened the edges of his presence. Ervius had never liked fighting all that much; if he could resolve the situation without the hassle of combat, he would. As the chiss approached him, the currents of the Force stabilized and formed a thin blanket over his body.

”This is a tomb of a Sith Lord,” Ervius replied. “Darth Altegos, to be precise. He was a ‘paranoid old fool’ in the words of his contemporaries, but his alchemy made them weary of resolving the issue of his continued existence.”

He let the implications of his words hang in the air.

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

Whoever this person was happened to be very forthcoming with information. More open than even some Jedi that she'd spoken to before. To be frank it was a nice change of pace. Even should the proceeding events turned hostile, she preferred an enemy that was straightforward with their intentions to one that tried to hide behind deception.

"I'm not privy to all the inner workings of the organizations you speak of, you'll have to excuse me." Sensing no immediate hostility she gave a purposeful relaxation of her stance. Enough to make it visible to the Sith but not so much so that she could be caught flat-footed if things went south between them.

"My name is Liva, and what of you, Sith? To which trespasser do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" She was hoping pleasantries would encourage the Sith to reciprocate her calming demeanor so they could move forward amicably.

Looking to the ruins once more as he spoke she nodded thoughtfully. Once he was finished she said "Alchemy you say? Is this another use of the Force your kind wield? I hope you don't plan on defacing such an ancient and therefore immensely valuable site for personal gain." Her words indicated one thing, but her tone was heavily implying that she was intrigued.

@Keisen

 

[Ervius Xann]

“Ervius Xann,” he inclined his head, accepting the implicit offer of truce. “And I’m sure you will agree: one can only trespass upon someone else’s property. None live these days who may lay claim to this tomb.”

He nodded at the vexing ritual scheme.

”Sith Alchemy is a science and an art. It deals with creation and alteration of life itself, and I do intend to study the knowledge of the late Lord Altegos, esteemed navigator,” Ervius smiled again. “You can of course leave me be, but I suppose I could use some help. And I don’t expect to gain it for free…“

Exposing another soul to the marvels of sith alchemy was a nice cherry on top as well. Ervius believed that knowledge existed for sharing. This knowledge in particular was a test in and of itself. Should the chiss remain in one piece both physically and psychologically afterwards, she would become a powerful force user indeed, no matter her alignment. Ervius, on the other hand, would be able to explore the tomb in peace, without fear of the entire sector arriving here in force to kill him. The spark of interest in the chiss’s eyes betrayed her curiosity… It was a trait that made many a force practitioner question their loyalty to their orders.

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

She nodded along to his words, normally she was a stickler for the rules, but on this occasion she was far too curious and didn't believe the Great Presence would've guided her here simply to start a fight. She had to learn more.

Now closing the distance fully into casual conversation range she said "I don't believe your line of thinking would hold up in a court of law..." then tapped her holstered blaster "Lucky for you I'm officially off duty for today."

She turned her attention to what Ervius had been studying before she interrupted. "Am I reading the situation correctly or are you not trying to figure out how to find your way inside?" She laughed internally at the notion that someone had come all this way only to get stopped by a door. "If you'd like, I'm sure the lasers on my ship could cut through that door with ease."

@Keisen

 

[Ervius Xann]

Ervius scowled at the suggestion.

”Some people,” he muttered and turned to the chiss. “This temple dates back all the way to the time predating Tulak Hord, which makes it unspeakably ancient and culturally valuable.”

The last phrase gave him pause. Most Sith would consider the age of the structure and indeed the structure itself trivial, they would have cared only for what they could plunder inside. Ervius, however, was an archaeologist and thus always valued the site as much as the artifacts found there. In hindsight, Lisa thought more in line with the general Sith sensibilities than he did. He could only shake his head at the irony.

”Potential destruction of ancient monuments aside, a Force ritual protects the entire structure and its entrance in particular,” Ervius continued. “I doubt the lasers of a scout ship can muster enough power to break through. Not that I want to test that assumption: a forced removal of the barrier might trigger total collapse of the temple. Sith Lords of old were that petty.”

“Not that much has changed since,” he muttered under his breath.

He walked up to the entrance, beckoning the chiss to follow. Approaching the barrier too closely was out of the question, of course, but Ervius stopped just shy of the safe zone’s end. The Force twisted and coiled around the rocksl always probing, always hungry. The gaping maw of the protected entrance beckoned the unweary to take that one extra step. What a simple yet insidious means of defense.

“This is a tricky barrier,” he explained for the chiss’s benefit. “It is, as I said, an ongoing ritual. Satisfy all its requirements, and it will let you pass. Fail, and… I’m sure you can guess.”

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

Rya took note of the fact that she seemed to have struck a nerve of some kind. She herself was far from the sentimental type and always valued progress over the needs of those long since past. Given that she wanted to one day be remembered as one of the greats, it was a rather hypocritical way of going about things. "I've never heard of Mr. Hord. And as far as culturally valuable..." She gave a dramatic look around at the desolate land around them before ending "I don't see any culture left to bring value to."

Even with her rebuttal, she raised her hands in a sign of conceding the point. If what he said was true she didn't feel like walking all the way back to her ship in what would prove to be a waste of her time and calves. She watched from where she stood as the man approached the entrance, curious as to what exactly his plan was.

The mention of ritual made her equal parts excited yet also eye-roll inducing because it sounded like more hoops to jump through. "What are the so-called 'requirements' of this barrier? Is this a ritual you know?"

@Keisen

 

[Ervius Xann]

"Old cultures are valuable to the new ones," Ervius replied, nonpulsed by Liva's statements. "At any rate, this is an example of ancient architecture not seen anywhere else in the galaxy. That alone merits its preservation."

He paused, contemplating the chiss's question regarding the barrier. Ervius had no intention of taking part in whatever charade the ancient Sith Lord had cooked up. For all its uses and an impressive durability, the ritual belonged to an older, more primitive time.

"It could be anything, from a trinket to being able to sing while walking on one's hands," Ervius shook his head. "I have neither the time nor the disposition to try finding the key. But there's a reason these barriers fell out of fashion - they are easy to unravel."

He took out an amulet that glowed faintly. The nasty little trinket projected a disporportionate amount of malice in the Force now that it was out of its containment case. He placed the amulet before the gate and took a couple steps back.

"This little thing contains an essence of a particularly vicious beast from Dantooine," Ervius explained. "It's quite good that you're here, actually. I'll need you to damage this amulet on my signal. We'll apply a crowbar to this door."

@Pazaakly