Ask Ghosts and Echoes

[Brekis Rath]

Planetoid in The Unknown Regions
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Clawed feet made their way up a subtle slope under a darkened sky. Brekis had been walking for a few minutes, leaving his borrowed Impetus interceptor behind as the slope up to the his destination was too steep to land closer. The brisk wind of planetoid whipped his cloak behind him as he climbed though he walked tall through the dust that blew off the dry sparse grounds ahead. A darkened structure loomed ahead of the Kaleesh champion, his destination on this in this long dead place.

Rumors had reached far to the his ears that an ancient Sith cult resided here centuries ago. The stories claimed that some long lost knowledge still resided within. Brekis' and one other ( @Phoenix ) were curious enough to seek out whatever it was. Whether it be a technique of the force, forgotten histories of the Sith, or some kind of artifact that still held power, Brekis aimed to discover it and see what use it could have to the Empire. All he had were the rumors to go, so for all he knew it could well be a trap, designed to lure knowledge seekers to an untimely doom, but the mystery was too great for the Kaleesh ignore.

He came to a stop letting the hood of his armorweave cloak fall back so he could take in the full scene that laid before him. He'd come to a break in the earth, a ravine before him, from natural aging or some great calamity he could not tell. Either way what remained of the entrance to this ancient haven of the Sith lay in ruins now. He figured this was a good a place as any to wait for his fellow Champion. He didn't know much about them but it was decided to arrive separately due to the dangerous nature of travel through the unknown regions.

"Fascinating....what secrets do you hold I wonder my long lost brothers and sisters."

 

[Arla]

Arla had rented out one of the Imperial shuttles for this particular operation. She needed to travel there, and the investigation had been sanctioned by the higher ups, so the request had been approved.

She'd arrived before her partner, but hadn't done much more than climb the cliff ahead of schedule. She sat with her legs hanging over into the crevice, eating a granola bar as she waited. She'd brought her normal entourage of weaponry, notably with her energy bow slung over her shoulder.

Though there was a cold to this place in the Shadow, she could still sense the approach of the man that was supposed to be her partner in all this. She couldn't say she knew him or even knew of him, but hopefully he would prove competent.

She cast a glance over her shoulder as he made his way over and then pushed herself to her feet.

Brekis? she asked, though she didn't imagine there was anyone else out here. We'll have our work cut out for us in this place, she said.

There's a lingering scent in the Force here still. Some old magic that's still alive, she said. She didn't know if he'd sense it, but she'd grown up around magick, and though her mother hadn't taught her much of Sith magic, it still had similarities to the magick of her people.

@Okoju

 

[Brekis Rath]

Ah so it turned out he was running a bit behind his partner. He appreciated the fact that she was as eager as he was and joined her by the drop off into the ravine. "Arla I presume. A pleasure." Brekis would take in the crumbling building and let his feelings flow out from him. "Hmm yes indeed...I sense the force, but it far more ancient than anything I've felt before. Fascinating."

Brekis would offer and hand to assist the female up if she desired it and would walk closer to the entrance. "I assume we shall face obstacles ahead, but the force will see us through, it's led us this far after all." He would say in response to Arla's comment about the challenge ahead. "You seem to have a better understanding of the nature of this place. Magic you said? Like that of the Nightsisters?" While Brekis wasn't a practitioner of the magics of Dathomir he'd seen the spread of their teachings through the current sith. It granted interesting abilities to be sure and Brekis was curious what the girl knew of it, in a hope to get an understanding of what they might face ahead.

Brekis elected to walk while they talked, and headed closer to the darkened archway of the entrance. As they approached they would see that while mostly destroyed on their current side a bit of the ground remained intact. It was enough to get a foot hold but they would have to go forward with their backs to the wall and the drop into the jagged ravine to their front. "Suppose it's time to get to work then yes?" With that Brekis would step forward unto the narrow ledge and begin to sidle his way forward.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla pushed herself up, looking for a moment at the hand he had extended. The intention was completely lost on her with an entire society of women that typically looked down on malelings.

She stopped, blinked for a moment, and then slapped his open palm with her own as if giving him a "low five." Yup, she'd nailed it, that was exactly what he was doing. It was probably a Kaleesh greeting of some sort. No doubt about it. She'd heard about the Kaleesh, and though she didn't know much about their culture, she found them interesting. A warlike and hunting culture based on a tribal society. That definitely sounded familiar, though the fact that they let their men run things just told her they must not have had a strong connection to the Shadow as a whole.

Not like the Nightsisters, no, she said. It was different. Certainly not older, but it resonated with an energy that was just... different. It was a difficult thing for her to describe, but she knew. In her soul she could feel it.

It's not as old, she said. But it almost feels like... her face twisted up slightly as she tried to parse through it ...like a ward or something, she said. She wondered if this place was a prison in its own way. If it was designed to keep others out or something else in. It was unsettling, she realized, and that was what had her so off.

She nodded as he said that it was time to get to work and moved over to the ledge, watching as he dropped to the other side. She waited for him to shimmy a good distance before dropping herself, landing on the stone and dirt on the other side.

Unfortunately, while it could take the weight of one, it didn't seem to be the case for the other. The stone gave way, tearing free beneath both of their feet before sending them tumbling down the side of the ravine.

It was a rough fall, but fortunately the wall curved toward the bottom, dumping them to the center of the ravine below. She groaned as she rolled over, bruises and small cuts covering her body. She felt like an old woman, trying to move herself so she wasn't just lying on her back but ultimately finding she just wanted to... lay there for a second as she recovered.

 

[Brekis Rath]

Before he moved on he would arch an eyebrow at Arla's strange greeting, but he assumed it may just be how she greeted people. Maybe a thing she'd learned as a child as he had yet to meet another Sith offer a slapping of hands. Regardless he didn't let it linger in his thoughts too long as they walked toward the entrance.

A ward? Even more curious he thought as the entrance loomed over them. Regardless Brekis would continue forward, going slowly on the ledge and could look back to see Arla follow. At least she was until she, no actually, both of the Sith champions were falling. The fall was too sudden to catch himself and he tumbled down with Arla wincing as he felt his arm impact the side of the ravine sending him into a roll. Though that was probably for the best as once he hit the curve he was already rolling and absorbing most of the impact from the fall.

Dust settled around them and a few more tumbling rocks would harmlessly roll into the pair at the bottom of the ravine. Brekis groaned softly into the dirt as he'd found himself face down at the end of the fall. "Well...we're off to a good start....oof." He winced as he stood up, his arm would be sore tomorrow no doubt but for now he didn't suffer any permanent damage, except maybe to his ego. Brekis simply stopped over hands on his knees and couldn't help a chuckle. "Hmm I suppose one final warning from those long passed no doubt." He stood finally to his full height and looked ahead into the darkened ravine. "Though what kind of Sith would we be if something like that stopped us." He would wait for Arla to recover in her own time, he was the patient kind and after that fall he wanted to proceed with a bit more caution regardless.

Once Arla had joined him Brekis would pull the glowrod from his belt pouch and light it and continue on. The ravine curved back and forth as they went until it turned into a gradual incline. They would need to do a bit of climbing over the rough rock but it wouldn't prove too difficult. Once at the top they would look ahead to see the darkened dust covered interior of what could best be called a enclave. Statues of hooded figures could be seen lining the walls of the antechamber before them. Crumbling pillars littered the floor, more than likely caused by whatever created the ravine they just climbed out of. "Hmmm fascinating, yes the force clings to this place like a festering wound. What could've taken place here I wonder."

Using the force he would lift the glowrod into the air and have it slowly float around the area providing more of an overhead light for the pair. With that extra light, a central dais could be seen at the center of room. Still intact and with several runes carved into the top. When approached it could be seen that layers of the dias could be rotated. "A puzzle perhaps?" Brekis would look back to Arla. "The chamber could hold the secret....if it hasn't be reduced to rubble."

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Everything hurt, and Arla found herself more angry and annoyed that this had happened than anything. Maybe it was sheer stubbornness that was going to drive her forward at this point, but now she just had to find out what this place was hiding.

Though, even as she found her determination growing, it seemed to deteriorate just as quickly. Something in her mind told her this place was not something to be trifled with and that she shouldn't disturb it. Whether it was her own intuition as a magick user or an actual warning from the Shadow, she didn't know.

She groaned slightly as she stretched out her neck and shoulder but gave him a nod that said she was ready. From the looks of things, he wasn't any worse off than she was. A little beaten up, but functional. Being Sith wasn't for the weak.

As they headed upward and into a darkened area she utter a quick incantation and thrust her hand upwards. Three small, flame-like orbs of green shot out of her hand and began to circle around a few feet above her. They cast a strange, green hue on everything, but they were hands-free and provided her with ample lighting of her own as they proceeded.

Coming to the altar - because that was exactly what the thing looked like - she looked at the runes etched into it. She was not as well-read in ancient Sith as her mother was, but she knew a few things. Scattered words that she recognized.

I think it's talking about... a summoning of some sort? Some being that can be summoned? I don't recognize the name... or word that seems to be a name, she said, a chill running down her spine as she read it.

Something about a high cost as well, she said. She knew that many of these rituals were the results of people sacrificing blood - either their own or someone else's - but she wasn't sure she wanted to summon this individual at all. She'd heard the stories about the Entity both on Dathomir and in the Unknown Region. They weren't things to be toyed with.

@Okoju

 

[Brekis Rath]

Brekis would also take a closer look at the dais and nod. His ancient sith was maybe slightly better than Arla's and he had the same chill run down his spine. "Hmm yes...it's less of a name and more a title....The...Keeper...Yes The Keeper. Interesting, but of summoning this...being I doubt we could even accomplish...and a being is not quite what I sense resides here." Brekis stretched out with his feelings once more and could feel that same...presence. If it was a being it was unlike anything he'd felt before. He focused and the presence came into clearer focus, it laid deeper in the temple.

Brekis would open his eyes and look past Arla as she stood by the Dais. "That way...." He would not over here shoulder into the darkness. He would move his own light source that way and with Arla's globes an archway could be seen through the gloom. Brekis would step around the dais and approached the archway. As the light approached hall beyond the arch didn't brighten, almost like shadow itself emanated from within. Around the arch were more ancient Sith runes, some now decayed with time and dirt. Brekis would reach out with the force and clear as much of the writing as he could. "The...Keepers knowledge....only earned...power...tests...no trials. Darkness....the way." The rest was just too weathered to make out and Brekis would turn to Arla and shrug.

"Seems this is the only path forward." His voiced next to the archway seemed to echo more than in the wider chamber. "I've not come this far to turn back now....shall we?" He would look back to Arla with a grin that she would only just see under his mask. The Kaleesh champion would turn and shroud himself in force letting the darkness wash over him. "May the coming challenges make us stronger that we may better serve the force," he would quietly pray and whether Arla heard him he didn't much care. He then would step forward into the shadow beyond the archway into what awaited on the other side.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

She was surprised when he seemed to read ancient Sith as well. It was quite the rarity among most Sith. The ones who went to the academies tended to have a higher fluency, but even then it wasn't generally great. Her face remained unwavering, but she was certainly surprised and a bit impressed.

She looked to the path that he indicated and she went along as well. The green of her magick cast an eerie glow on the surroundings, but its light still infused her with a sense of calm and familiarity. It was a constant reminder of where she came from and the power that resided within her.

Nevertheless, she clutched her bow just a little bit tighter as they proceeded and while Brekis opened himself to the Force more, she kept herself guarded. Not all power was friendly, and she was wary of foreign magic. She heard his quiet words to himself, but her own views on the Dark Side were... different. Such was the nature of her people.

Did you read anything else about this place before we came here? I wasn't able to find much about it in the archives, she said. She doubted he'd had much more luck, but they could dream. The fact was that she was wary of what they may find here. They may be Champions, but many a Champion had perished doing what it took a Sith Lord to accomplish.

@Okoju