Open Mandalore Go With the Flow

[Xim Zhan]

“<Ice your nuts later. Let the pain be a lesson. Its time to do what we came for.>” Xim muttered to @Wer Tracyn in Mando’a as he fished a bacta parch from his belt and threw it at his brother’s head before he turned began to walk toward the empty landing spot. The gold-plated Mandalorian’s eyes and head followed the newly arrived ship overhead as it circled in for a landing.

Xim stood at the edge of the wash as the TIE Ranger would settle, awaiting the exit of it’s pilot. Upon @Atuu Skirata ’s appearance, “Su cuy’gar ner’vod,” he greeted him as he held a closed right fist over his chest in a sign of greeting. “You have missed some of the fun already, but are well met. We are departing for the mines now.” Xim began to walk after the others, offering his name and his fellows up as introduction. “I am Xim Zhan and this nutless di’kut is my brother Wer Tracyn and we are from Clan Getacerar. The blind one,” he waves a hand in the direftion of @Dar'Manda, “is Virgo. Shes with us, believes Kad Ha’rangir sent us here. I don’t usually mettle when it comes to prophesying the will of the gods, so, here we are.” He smiled as the group would hurry after @Hauron Solus. “Might keep an eye on that one,“ he jerked a thumb at @Cremek Candorus, “some here say he is a Sith sorcerer of some sort; but a he claims to be a Mandalorian nonetheless. <And who might you be> Mandalorian, to have come this far?”

@Mythos @Narzen @Rimrald @Darasuum @allyallelse

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

"and I intend to prove it."

cremek gives a sigh, moving with the others, to be fair, if cremek truly wanted, he could probably kill most of them in a brutal surprise attack, and if he wanted to, now would be the time, but he didn't want to, so he didn't.

@yall

 

[Atuu Skirata]

Hurrying to catch up with the departing group, Atuu would give a respecful nod to the apparent leader giving the run down (@Darasuum). Hearing (@The Mad Hammer) begin to give a quick update on things he missed, Atuu would offer a chuckle and some nods along the way before responding to him. "Greetings to you both Xim, and Wer - Clan Getacerar would be proud you are here today. I am Atuu Skirata of Clan Skirata and it is good to be on Mandalore proper..." He paused to shoot a glance back at Virgo (@Dar'Manda) before continuing "Maybe the Gods did send us on this task, maybe it is time we had some faith in ourselves once more.. But who am I to say for certain, eh?" he finished before locking his eyes on the apparent former Sith.

"You must hate them as much as we do to be here Vod. What happened did they kick you out of their little dark and brooding club?" (@Hastur) He said with a snicker. It was no secret that in decades and ages past, and even recent history. The Sith have made it a point time and time again to meddle in Mandalorian affairs, go to war with and generally be a massive nuisance to the Mandalorian people since the start of time.

 

[Virgo Armegedon-Lok]

Remaining in silence, Virgo followed as the others began their decent, her excitement apparent upon her form as her gaze shifted about over the course of their trek. As previously stated, it was her first time upon their sacred world, and as a Priestess of Kad Ha'rangir's, she took in their rich and historic past like a mynock upon a ship's fuselage, soaking in each and every architectural and mosaic design that was found upon the ruined and barren world.

As the group made their arrival into the Civic Center below, Virgo would let her mind's eye expand to the limited reach of it's horizon, feeling what the Force allowed her to sense and reveal. Unsheathing her Beskad, she drew to the ready. If there were enemies here, this would be the likeliest of places for them to reveal themselves.

 

[Hauron Solus]

Sundari's Civic Center was just a portion of the undercity of the former capital of Mandalore. The place was a sad echo of what it once was. There were no Mandalorians from the city that traveled this far down normally so there was little to no sign of recent traffic. The location of the Living Waters was a closely guarded secret and one Hauron was hoping was going prove to be true.

In a quiet descent the group of mandalorians would travel beneath what used to qualify as a suburban neighborhood. The tunnels became more rough and steadily more natural the further they went. Hauron activated his visor modes to better see in the low light since there were no natural sources of illumination this far down and it was bordering on pitch black.

Those that chose to follow Hauron all the way to the end would find the Rally Master standing at the edge of an underground body of water. The gentle ripples of the slight current made the small waves lap at the mikkian's booted feet. Not far away was a plaque that was written in manda'a and wrought in metal for all to see and that even included the blind considering the letters were raised.

Spoiler: Translation

LIVING WATERS

THESE MINES DATE BACK TO THE AGE OF THE FIRST
MANDALORE. ACCORDING TO THE ANCIENT FOLKLORE THE
MINES WERE ONCE A MYTHOSAUR LAIR. MANDALORE THE
GREAT DEFEATED AND THEN RODE THE MYTHICAL BEAST. IT
IS FROM THESE LEGENDS THAT THE SKULL SIGNET WAS
ADOPTED AND BECAME THE SYMBOL OF OUR PLANET.​

 

[Atuu Skirata]

The journey downward and into the planets subterranean feature was a near mystical experience for the younger mandalorian. This was his first time on the planet and he was embarking on a task with such gravity as this? Unthinkably fortunate.

His head shooting from side to side, drinking in the old abandoned structures. His mind wondering what life must have been like here before it all went to the hells. As much as it was an invigorating experience, it also filled Atuu with resolve. Resolve to do better for his people, to bring about better for his people. To do whatever he could to bring those parties responsible for such destruction and rife desolation to his mother planet - to some form of justice.

Approaching Hauron, Atuu would flank the man and read the plaque over his shoulder. <"A mythosaur lair... that... that just cannot be true. right?"> a tinge of belief in this newly discovered legend could be heard in his voice. Atuu made it a point to remain where he stood, not to approach the water at this time. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

cremek remained silent, not that he didn't have anything to say, it's just that there was a near religious reverence for the sheer history of this place that simply left him in awe, for the briefest of moments, the man who cremek used to be before his descent into a blood crazed path of insanity and lust for power.. surfaced, he reads the slate, taking every word, every ancient script, every piece of ruin that remains here.

as he continues to follow, he still remains silent, the wish of his bloodstained black kamas the only sound from him as he walked.

 

[Hauron Solus]

The mandalorian stared into the dark cave, down towards the small lapping waves before him. His beskar'gam lacked a rebreather so he would have to do this the old fashioned way. The hand on either side of the Solus flexed into a fist as he inhaled and exhaled.

"I, Hauron Solus, swear on my name, and the names of the ancestors..." He began to walk down the steps. His boot splashed in the water. "...that I shall walk the path of the Mandalorian," The water level coming up higher with each step. "-and the six actions shall be forever forged in my heart." He was not a Child of the Watch and had his own beliefs he would be true to. "This is the Way."

He stood at the edge of a steep drop off. Hauron's eyes caught it just before he stepped too far. "Oya" He said to himself almost as a mutter as his looked down, head seemingly bowed in the mythosaur lair. In the next moment he inhaled a deep breath and dove into the pool, triggered his jetpack sending him flying through the underwater tunnel at high speed.

The path was dark, there was no light but the mandalorian had vision modes to compensate. The jetpack had limited functionality but it was better than swimming. The winding tunnels were extensive and the mikkian would run out of air before long. But that was when he saw it, something in the darkness ahead like a tail but it moved out of sight before Hauron could focus on it.


@Hastur @Rimrald

Spoiler: Dice

Rolled for plunge into mythosaur lair
95/100 rousing success

Everyone else who wishes to follow Hauron roll a d100

 

[Atuu Skirata]

Following Hauron's lead. Atuu would wait until Hauron finished his commitment to Mandalore. Atuu would follow suit, offering his own words. Being raised with the ideals of the Death Watch it would not come as any great surprise to anyone who had been getting to know Atuu. He began to speak the Resol'nare.

"I adhere to the Resol'nare. The core of what it means to be Mandalorian." He began, stepping slowly towards the water. "A sacred law giving us direction and purpose." Another step. "Education and armor, self-defense, our tribe, our language, our leader—all help us survive." Deeper into the water. Pausing to enable his rebreather as he began the final descent shoulder deep into the frigid water. "We must educate our children as Mandalorians, obey the commands of Mandalore, speak Mando'a and defend our clans." He concluded as his helmet began to submerge and his jetpack activated soon after. Following the trails of Hauron's own jetpack.

Following the Rally Master through the water, Atuu was not concerned with the duration they would be submerged. He figures they would find breathable areas soon enough. He would keep his eyes peeled, as the light from his helmet would illuminate the Rally Master. Atuu would blink several times, unsure if what he saw was real or just his imagination playing into the mythos on the plaque above. Could it be a Mythosaur? Surely not. Right?

@Darasuum @Hastur @Mythos @Narzen @The Mad Hammer

Spoiler: Dice Roll

55/100

 

[Xim Zhan]

The gold-plated Mandalorian stood in silence as the group made entry into the hallowed halls of the ancient Mandalorians. If one could feel the holiness of a place, Xim would have sworn he felt it here; and yet, something seemed inexplicably off. He felt like a stranger; someone who had trod upon ground he ought not. And so, he silently watched the others from a distance.

Xim approached the pool a short ways away from the group. There in the dark and gloom, he could see the silent refractions of light off the water and he stood, a sentinel, regarding it even as one of their group entered the waters, speaking a traditional Mandalorian oath. The waters rippled with his presence, a sense of the ageless lapping at the stony shore before Xim. Next came another Mandalorian with another Mandalorian oath. He too parted the waters and vanished within. Perhaps this was the baptism so many stories had spoken of.

As Xim stood there, he felt no draw to the waters and yet it was if he could feel a presence filling the room, radiating from below the water itself. Fishing a flask from his hip, Xim drained the contents within, guzzling it down as quickly as he could. Then he stooped and drew some of the waters into the container, filling it to the brim with these inexplicable holy waters before stoppering it shut; the excess water running down the exterior and across his gauntled hand as he stood, the words of the Mandalorians of old, the ancient forefathers of the people Xim now called his own, echoed in his mind and whispered from his lips in ancient Mando’a:

“<Strength is life,

for the strong have the right to rule.

Honor is life,

for with no honor one may as well be dead.

Loyalty is life,

for without one's clan one has no purpose.

Death is life,

one should die as they have lived.>”

And as he spoke those words, Xim felt drawn, not to the waters or whatever lay beneath; but to a far off distant world, one beyond his home on Concord Dawn and even beyond that world of his birth, Corellia.

Notron. Coruscant, the original homeworld of a displaced people; that was where Xim Zhan felt drawn. Perhaps it would be there that he could rest his wearied soul and find peace for the conflict that raged within. These were his people and yet they preyed upon one another like jackals. No, whatever lay beyond the waters was not for him; but it did not matter, for those who were drawn he was bound to. Taking steps back up the rocky slope, Xim turned to look back at his brethren. After a moment, he turned his back to the waters and stood facing the entry from whence they had come. Whatever may come of this venture, Xim knew one thing. No Mandalorian would betray another as he stood. There had been enough betrayal for one day. Let they that had come this far partake of their oath; for Xim knew his own and it did not require water to sanctify it. It had been baptized in blood long ago.

 

[Virgo Armegedon-Lok]

To say Virgo was mesmerized would be an understatement of ignorance and bewilderment. For what she 'saw' within the Civic Center and the corridors below felt nearly sacrilegious and daring even for one as her whom sought redemption in the eyes of Kad Ha'rangir. And yet. As they stood before the Living Waters, all of that flushed away and Virgo returned to her solemn state of mind.

Virgo, a Dar'Manda by birth, was a soulless creature of undefined placement within the Culture she had been adopted into. Others may have looked upon her and saw Mandalorian, but in truth, she had never felt a part of her reborn life. And yet, her husband and her father-in-law have been completely accepting of her when they chose to make her a part of Clan Lok. And yet, with their deaths, she had been labeled cursed and resented as Dar'Manda by the very Clan that accepted her.

But here, and now, before the Living Waters, all seemed a momentarily succession of doubt not only in herself, but in those that chose to breath new life into her that day. She felt as she did when she first became a member of Clan Lok. She felt welcomed, the Spirit of Kad Ha'rangir embracing her as one of his chosen. With utter faith, she stepped into the Living Waters behind the others.

"Blessed be, those who follow the path of Kad Ha'rangir..." She spoke, letting the warm waters engulf her to her waist. "Blessed be those whom adhere to the Taung's Resol'nare..." She took another step, as the waters engulfed her to her excited heart. "Blessed be those who fight Arasuum and Hod Ha'ran within the Ani'la Akaan...." Her voice resounded within her sealed helm as the water rose to her nostrils. "For in Kad Ha'rangir, the unwanted become his Crusaders, and through them, the Galaxy changes."

With that, she felt the water rise above her head as he form sunk beneath its tide. She would not struggle as the current took her form deeper, feeling the pressure begin to grip her. She held no retreat her nor jet pack to retrieve her. Only the limited supply within her sealed helm and her mind's eye as a glimmer of hope protruded in the distance. Gazing upon the Mythosaur's form as she struggled to breath, a moment of time was blessed upon her mind.

It wasn't a memory she could openly recall, nor was it a memory associated with her time as a Mandalorian. No. This was from before, a time from her forgotten childhood. She had once stood before another great beast, one similar in size to the great Mythosaur she glimmered here within the place behind her struggle to breath. And like then, she was frozen in the moment as the sands of Tatooine threatened to swallow her then.

She closed her blinded eyes and felt the pull of her soulless powers intermingle with her own heart, the moment shown a surprised blessing of Kad Ha'rangir. And as her heart began to slow, she felt the need to breath slowly subside just as it had back then. Mythosaur, Greater Krayt Dragon, beasts of massive sizes and presences within her mind, always present at the turning of her life's pages. Opening her eyes, Virgo began to swim, her form cutting through the currents as she attempted to trail behind @Atuu Skirata and @Hauron Solus within its clear water.

Spoiler

D100: 47

 

[Hauron Solus]

Where is it?! The mikkian's eyes strained even with the air of the low light capabilities of his helmet. The water obscured infrared sensors and pockets of thermal vents and gases in places made it difficult to discern details. The Solus Rally Master chased after the mythosaur but could not see it anymore. The currents made him believe he was still behind it for awhile but even after a few twists and turns it was unclear if that was still the case.

Hauron did not relent and pushed on to follow his instinct. The next thing he knew he was bursting through the surface of a pool in an underground cave. The mandalorian was traveling at high speeds and moving in the dark. He nearly slammed into a stalagmite before he course corrected safely.

Skidding to a stop, the mandalorian looked around quickly. He inhaled after such a long time, gasping for air audibly and causing his shoulders to heave. The armored mikkian saw the subterranean surroundings. A few things caught his eye.

First, there were signs of structures fashioned artificially from stone. They were unnatural formations and placements clearly indicating some group had been here before. Above an archway Hauron saw familiar writing, mandalorian script but he could not read it at this distance.

They had ended up somewhere deep underground if his personav was any indicator. Their exact location was unclear but currents and their jetpacks had carried the group further than Hauron had expected. He wanted to study the planet's subterranean waterways almost immediately but it could wait. He needed to come better prepared.

Last, and not least, was a series of large claw marks. Paw prints, gouged pieces of stone at heights way above the head of a normal being told a story of a monster entering this chamber. <"Amazing"> He muttered to himself in awe of this discovery. <"Did...anyone know this was down here?">

There was no sign of the one creature he was seeking. But Hauron was still convinced he had seen it. <"Did any of you see it? Did you see the mythosaur?"> He asked those that had followed him and gestured to the marks. The current discovery of a new underground structure was nothing to scoff at.

@Mythos @The Mad Hammer @Rimrald

OOC: I'm think I'll end this thread soon and we can continue exploring in a new thread since this was posted awhile ago and open to a lot people.

 

[Atuu Skirata]

<"I didn't even know there was anything like this inside the planet itself..."> Atuu responded to Hauron's question with a sense of amazement. Pausing to deactivate his rebreather and jetpack as they had now made landfall.

<"Wait... You saw it too? That wasn't real... Right?"> He stumbled over his words in near complete disbelief of the earlier experience. But it wasn't just him who could attest to the sighting, he trusted Hauron wasn't pulling a prank on him in the moment. No, this was serious.

<"What do you all think is down here? Buried treasure, lost secrets, big ass cannon?"> He asked with a bit of a joking tone to break the tension as he ogled at the design and composition of the chamber wondering what lay ahead,

@Mythos @The Mad Hammer @Darasuum

 

[Virgo Armegedon-Lok]

There was a shifting change in Virgo as she rose from the water moments after @Atuu Skirata, a spiritual cleansing per se as the water that enveloped her form rushed from her in her emergence and her lungs gasped from the returning air with its removal. And as she pulled herself from the depths, she felt the spirit of Kad Ha'rangir dwell within her. Had she been blessed rather than cursed this entire time?

Standing up, her blind gaze shifted about the room as she took in the sight with her mind's eye before settling upon the claw marks lingering above their own heads and she smiled. What she had saw was true. Her gaze was not wrong, nor was the moment a figment of her imagination amidst a moment of panic and near death experience. The sentience of the Mythosaur was alive. And Mandalorians like herself were true to their just cause. Tears hidden by dripping water wept at the notion.

"Kad Ha'rangir has truly blessed us, ner'vod." Virgo spoke in excitement, the giddiness and excitement of the moment expressed in her body language as she threatened to nearly jump for joy. Reaching up, she ran her fingers across the lowest of the claw marks in mezmeration. "A Mythosaur truly still lives amongst the Living Waters. And we've seen its evidence."

Beneath her breath, she chuckled. She wasn't cursed. She wasn't the Dar'Manda she once believed herself to be. No. She was far from it. Kad Ha'rangir had chosen her to be his voice, to speak the truths of his existence and his teachings. She knew that as she upon the precipice of this hidden realm nestled beneath the planet's surface, forgotten and neglected. Virgo Armegedon of Clan Lok had truly found herself this day.

Beneath platinum hair and silvered eyes, she looked upon both @Hauron Solus and @Atuu Skirata with an accepting smile. Her soul had been cleansed. But what was this place they had found? What world hidden by the Taung of Old had they stumbled across within their cleansing? Her desire to know more grew with each lingering moment as the blessing of Kad Ha'rangir settled from fantasy into reality. She stepped back, taking it in in all of its regality and glory, her thoughts escaping her lips. "What is this place?"

Spoiler

@Darasuum @The Mad Hammer @Rimrald

 

[Hauron Solus]

It was no surprise that Hauron was not alone in his ignorance. This was a massive discovery, world changing even. <"
It was real."> He said with all certainty and sincerity. His visor panned across the clawmarks and the formations before resting on the distant doorway.

Each of the mandalorians had bathed in the living waters by descending to this location. By traditional creed they had each been redeemed for past wrongs. It was their fresh start and a chance to do better, for each of them, be better. Their vows to themselves and their people were renewed and despite the excitement Hauron did not forget this and felt Virgo was close to hitting the mark. He felt utterly blessed with this discovery.

The rally master's heart rate was settling, he was quickly catching his breath and began to walk around. The Solus approached the archway and squinted to read the engraving. At the height it was at, each letter was probably nearly a meter in length but it spelled out a word, or phrase in Mando'a. But even after making out the lettering Hauron could not help but cock his head to the side. The wording was odd, lettering off from how he knew words were spelled. Maybe it was an archaic form of mando'a.

"Be’Demer’tran....Vorpanyc....Mercer?" The first part sounded like a person, or a group and mean "sun sculptor" or "star butcher". The second half was more likely "lush safe", maybe "green cage" or something more catchy like "verdant vaults". That actually sounded somewhat familiar but maybe it just rolled off the tongue better in GSB.

<"Whatever it is I say way we find out...safely. First, let's see if we can get back to the others. I have a feeling this is a bigger find than we realize. Let's not let them think we drowned."> With their jetpacks and Hauron's personav they would be able to navigate their way back through to the entrance of the Living Waters.

End Thread​

@Mythos @Rimrald @The Mad Hammer

 

[Atuu Skirata]

Quickly snapping a picture of the scrawled script Atuu would stow his device and nod in agreement with Hauron's words.

This was truly a rebirth, and something he would not waste. <"Agreed. Let's go get the others and see what lies deeper.">

/Exit Thread​