Ask Korriban Pulvis et Umbra Sumus

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Sliding down the edge of the loose sand dune, a blonde haired female dug her hand into the trough of sand in an attempt to slow down her descent. Her chestnut hued eyes narrowing as she surveyed her surroundings before running the cuff of her finger-less gloves across her sweat laden brow. In the near distance, a large sunken plateau surrounded by shattered lumps of rock and stone. The former seat of the Sith Empires long since past, had fallen into the same fate of what the former Sith Tomb world had became known for, it was nothing more than a graveyard of relics long since buried under the countless tonnes of crimson sand and dust. Whatever remnants of past structures that remained, was eroded and ravished by the shifting tides of sand over the countless centuries that the world had fallen into ruin.

The ancient Sith world had more than likely been picked clean by those who have set foot on the world before her, Acolytes of the Sith seeking to claim artefacts of power, scavengers and treasure hunters looking to secure their next big score; even Jedi setting foot on the tainted world to track down tomes and holocrons of the Darkside either to destroy or seal away so that knowledge of the dark side could be sealed away. Little hope was held of finding anything of worth, Alyse was under no disillusion that she would stumble upon a forgotten tomb and uncover the trappings of a buried dark lord to claim all for herself - as far as she was concerned, over the countless millennia that had passed since the founding of the Sith Empire, Korriban had been stripped to the bone.

Crouching down, the blonde figure narrowed her eyes as she spotted the faint glint of a small metallic object protruding from the sand. Digging her fingers into the dirt to retrieve and closer inspect the object, Alyse examined what was nothing more than a corroded strand of chromium chain, rolling the brittle and aged metal between the tips of her fingers before dropping it back down onto the sand. "Nothing but dust and ruin" the blonde murmured to herself, before raising back up to her full height and reaching off to her side to ease the cantine of water that hung from strap suspended over her shoulder. Her gaze narrowing as she looked over the barren landscape around her, before the cool liquid washed over her pallet. Pursing her lips in thought whilst she screwed the lid shut on the water vessel, her mind musing as to what reason she had decided to travel to the barren world - presuming that given the planet's historic ties to the Darkside, the planet would undoubtedly be under the observations of the Jedi Order, now that rumours had started to spread that Acolytes of the Sith were emerging from the shadows.

With nothing more to be found other than dust and ruin, there appeared to be little reason as to why she would even contemplate travelling alone to this world, knowing the risks that it had entailed, not only from the local fauna that had grown more dangerous and feral with the lingering taint of the darkside corrupting the native beasts, but from any Jedi sentinels keeping a watchful eye out for those that would step upon a world that to many would be deemed a taboo. The only reason that could spark within the recesses of her mind was that the world would be a place of solitude, a somewhat uninhabited planet beyond a few native creatures, she would be alone with herself and the lingering whispers of the darkside that if Alyse was being honest had seemingly waned over the years since the final fall of Palpatine.

The Spirits like Palpatine had fallen into obscurity, removed of any ties or anchors to this realm of the Force, presumably lost to some intangible plain of the Force and never to return. Part of her hoped that by venturing to this world, she would find a sense of understanding in the Force and the Darkside. The cult of Locura had groomed her from a young age to believe that the Darkside was the key to domination and the power to rule, the masked Eternal would have her believe that the Darkside was the natural rite of the Force and the galaxy. Yet it seemed like the purple hue of her lightsaber, her belief and commitment to the darkside was not absolute. Coming to a rest beside a small rocky out cropping, the ashen blonde took a deep breath as she set down her bag and sat down. Her hands working to pry off her boots so she could stretch out her toes and drain out the sand that had managed to creep through gaiters that covered her boots.

Reaching down for her cantine of water, taking a few sips and a moment to further hydrate herself. The cultist took a moment sit back and contemplate, the change in pace although very welcome couldn't last for long. Screweing the cantine lid shut Alyse allowed the bottle to fall down to the side, before summoning her lightsaber to her hand. Her chestnut hued gaze narrowing as she stared out into the distant crimson dunes, her fingers turning the body of her weapon's hilt within her grasp as if she were rolling a cigarette, as her mind focused in on the Force, channeling the currents through her, listening to the faint whispers that echoed within her body as the force resonated through her.

 

[Korsak Wulpez]

Korsak had expected desolation when he came to Korriban, he'd seen his fair share of ruins in his travels with the Sith Eternals, from long-abandoned military instillations to the remains of fallen empires, and every solitary pillar in between. Ossus had been a particularly enlightening, if somewhat unorthodox encounter, and Korsak certain didn't expect to find a fellow scholar in those long forgotten halls. Not to mention how incredibly well preserved those ruins were, all factors considered. He had not expected anything so complete on Korriban, but he knew the Sith built their tombs like fortresses: to withstand anything.

Well apparently they hadn't factored their own planet's climate into those calculations, as even his orbital scans showed almost no signs of habitation. Not just on the surface, but even below it, as if the churning sands had ground every indicator of Sith presence down to powder, and cast it into the whipping wind. After disembarking, wrapping himself thoroughly head-to-paw to keep the sand out of his fur, Korsak attempted to tap into the potential psychometric echoes of the planet's surface.

The presence of the Darkside here was...unique in many ways. It was not overpowering, nor was it weak, it felt like the echo or the fading whisper of greater power. Fitting, as the zenith of Korriban's galactic supremacy had passed so long ago the timescale was difficult to grasp. It reminded Korsak of a bit of poetry, something he'd picked up from an old tome in the Sith library on Serenno: "Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair".

"I despair for my boredom, but nothing else." He grumbled and kicked a pile of loose sand in frustration, sending a flurry of dust into the wind. He was preparing to simply give up and call his ship down from orbit when he felt something, or someone, reaching out through the Force. It was a faint presence, but it was definitely there. Perhaps there was someone else on this lifeless dust ball, trying to pry Sith secrets from the dead. Well, his last encounter with a stranger on an archeological expedition had been entertaining, if nothing else, so the Amaran decided to steel himself and follow the lingering sense of presence over the next rise.

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

At long last, his search had brought him full circle. In his efforts to better understand the nature of the Dark Side and it’s more intricate secrets, Gale had taken to traveling the known galaxy, searching the husks of a bygone era in search of forbidden knowledge. He had discovered a number of small things from his journeys, most related to philosophy but some knowledge that held bearing in technique had also been uncovered. There were a number of rumored mythological sites he had yet to track down - such as the famed Inquisitor Fortress, or the remnants of Serenno.

Korriban, however, had been a joint seat of Sith power in the Galaxy. From the days of the Galactic Empire and further still to the ancient Republic, it stood as a testament to the strength the Sith once commanded. But the Sith had fundamentally failed to achieve true dominance, though Gale’s theories on the reason were best undiscussed here. The Sith were by all account incredibly powerful, and he might even have been considered among their ranks had they still officially existed. But Gale, for his part, wasn’t truly a Sith but rather a tool for the chaos of the Force, allowing it’s grand design to take fold.

As usual, he made no attempts to hide himself, propped up against the dash of his airspeeder, overlooking the mausoleum he planned on entering. His burgundy armor made an intimidating figure, contrasting with the red sun. The Chaote’s hand rose to his visor, switching it’s HUD to thermal mode. The human gently sighed in his helmet, he’d been hoping that for once he could avoid unwanted company. Here of all places would be more likely to encounter foes seeking to prove their strength over another in Dark Side territory. However, from what he could see neither were prepared for battle or even remotely alert. Good, seemed he wasn’t the only one with a level head.

His display returned to normal as he revved the engines of a requisitioned land speeder. That was a nice way to put it, as the human had butchered his way through a number of locals on his home moon to acquire it and his family’s property. The Chaote had the sense to bring it along after his last venture included long treks and another person. The CC3 was custom, but civilian, sporting a simple bronzium finish. It did, however, make travel far simpler for the human, as the speeder had the capacity to sit a number of personnel, and that space doubled as storage for his equipment and some extra rations for the heat. The Avian’s repulsorlifts brought closer to the others, who he began to feel through the Force. This could be most interesting. He raised his hand in greeting, lowering it calmly as he pulled the speeder around, keeping a gentle distance from the first being ( @Topher ) in his path.

”You don’t seem hurt - you do, however, seem curious and tired. With a lightsaber no less? Lost?”

@The Captain

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Such as she had suspected, the currents of the Force on the crimson planet seemed to be devoid of clarity. The old tomes and manuscripts that she had obtained from the libraries of the Sith Eternal's stronghold out in the unknown regions as well as from the small collection she had stolen from Locura, told tale of ghostly voices of Sith lords long since passed echoing with words of dark wisdom and promises of power to lure in susceptible Force users to walk in the path of the Darkside. And, yet despite all those past records and tales, Korriban was eerily silent. The only tangible sensation she could read off of the currents of the Force was the ripples being project from other Force users, their presence only becoming known after Alyse focused her thoughts on the Force.

The closest of the presences, was drawing closer at quite a measurable speed - carried by what felt like an artificial means, the other presence whilst unknown was familiar. Feeling that it would be mere moments until the swiftly approaching disturbance in the Force closed in on her, the blonde Sith rose up onto her feet and turned her attention to the side as the speeder came to a whining halt close by, her gaze narrowing as she looked towards the dark haired male that was piloting the vehicle, as he spoke out to her - voicing his observations about the young blonde's situation.

Slowly shaking her head in response to the man's comments, her exposed toes digging into the warm crimson sand momentarily - reminding her that before she set off she would have to put her boots back on. "Only in thought" Alyse responded with a slight tilt of her head to the side, before shuffling her stance round to both face the man directly and to get the over hanging sun out of her direct line of sight. A few quiet moments fell over her as she assessed the newly arrived stranger, from what she could observe of the man's armour and fatigues he was immaculately presentable, despite the barren landscape that surrounded the pair - gave the blonde the impression that there was a degree of a military background to the man.

Alyse made the further assumption that on his ability to identify the weapon she had been rolling between her fingers, figuring that coupled with the tainted presence he carried in the Force that he was likely a fellow Sith. Yet she had learned that it would be unwise to rely on her assumptions, opting to ease her stance a little but keeping the hilt of her weapon lowered to the side rather than holstering it - even though they may be on the same side of the fence, she had grown to grant little trust for her associates on initial meetings. "Though I would presume that you are on Korriban for a purpose beyond contemplation and thought?" Alyse spoke out, breaking the moment of silence that had fallen over the pair, before her attention shifted off to the side as the second presence started to draw ever close enough to reinforce the belief that she had sensed it before. "Then again I'd imagine that we are all have our own reasons for being here" She added as her head nodded in the direction of of the approaching Amaran.

@The Captain @Aurius

 

[Korsak Wulpez]

As Korsak approached the cresting dune, his large Amaran ears picked up the distinctive hum of a repulsor engine, and another dim shadow in the Force. It seemed that another Darksider was drawing closer to his target, something that gave the Eternal some pause. He knew not everyone in the organization was sane, it was an open question as to whether their mysterious leader was a rational being, so he was unsure what to make of two figures and a speeder vehicle meeting in the arid dunes of the dead Sith fortress-world. Turning back was undoubtedly out of the question, at least in light of the vehicle added into the mix, so he decided to press on in the hopes that the stranger would not be of the 'random-sadism' persuasion.

Korsak kept his saber in his one good hand, hiding it behind his arm as he reached the top of the dune to see who else had decided to take a vacation on this lovely spot. There was a human woman who looked...vaguely familiar, Korsak knew he'd seen her once or twice before, but the armored male in the speeder was an unknown. Although considering the fact the duo were talking instead of trying to kill each other, it seemed they were at least semi-rational.

"Strange spot for a romantic liason," He barked as he marched slowly down the hill, trying to subtly slip his lightsaber hilt back on his belt. "But I suppose the endless, baking sand dunes are quite picturesque."

@Topher @Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

—Fumes of Kaos—​

Well this just got significantly more interesting. A blonde, petite girl in the middle of a haunted desert - on the Sith homeworld no less. And one who seemed both collected and introduced herself cordially. Maybe his garb gave her the impression he was stuck on etiquette - he always tried to avoid that stereotype. It was true, he probably looked slightly better groomed than most spacers, but his focus was hardly on himself.

“Aren’t we all a little broken inside?”

This girl was apprehensive and cautious. She spoke readily enough, but her posture told him she was nervous, and Gale would have been shocked and disappointed if the woman was not. The former Lieutenant shook his head and sighed gently as her weapon remained in her grasp. To assuage her as she questioned him, the Legionnaire raised both of his hands to his helm and removed it completely, so this one could see his features. It was rather curious to him that she would have a lightsaber in the open - likely a Sith akin to himself. Jedi never flashed those things around without being arrogant about it. He ran both gloved hands through his hair for a moment as he answered, chuckling.

“No, if I wanted to do that I’d be lounging at home...” Gale lowered his left hand and rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a pack of mixed tabac and marcan-herb - sparking it with a gentle flick from his lighter, “...with a lit cig, acabush or rankweed. I’m here for the structure over there, and whatever might be inside.”

The Chaote barely flinched as the other being he’d seen on his thermals approached from his eastern flank. The being was far different from a human, appearing more animalistic but maintaining the bipedal bone structure. Gale had never seen or heard of their kind before, he was most interested to ask heaps of inappropriate questions and pry into every aspect of this new subject. But the Chaote didn’t, because this newcomer ALSO had a lightsaber drawn. That amount of plasma was likely to leave somebody hurt - and that person likely wouldn’t be him. So far, he was the only one without a weapon in some way visible - and that was how he liked it. Neither of them knew where he stored his lightsaber (in the folds of his cloak), nor how he could acquire it in seconds, gently pooling the Force around both of his hands obnoxiously. Gale wanted both of them to be very aware that if anybody tried to attack him, they’d receive a crippling amount of electrokinetic chaos made form.

“...that’s a mood. Not exactly what’s going on but close enough for me. I’m Gale, by the way. You two are the first who’ve greeted me like a sentient in kriffing weeks. The more the merrier.”

@Topher @The Captain

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

OOC: Well that was an unexpected song choice for the post !!

Alyse's gaze narrowed slightly as the scent of a rather distinct herb touched upon her nostrils as the armoured figure ignited his self rolled cigarette and brought it to his recently revealed face, the scrutinising eyes shifted away from the man and his vice over towards the gestured structure that was barely visible amongst the endless tides of sand dunes. Her brow furrowing in thought as she processed what Gale had revealed, that his intentions was to survey the interior of the structure, her eyebrow raising into an inquisitive arch as she turned her gaze back towards the well groomed man. "What makes you think that the carcass hasn't been picked clean like so many of these tombs?" She inquired, before her gaze turned off to the side, as a third voice rang out from over the crest of the dune she had earlier slid down.

The barked voice despite carrying words of sarcasm was all to familiar, enough for her to make the connection that the small furry figure was the Sith who had been in attendance at the playoff finals on Bakura. Her eyes regarding Korsak momentarily as she finally put a face to the presence, before a sigh escaped her lips. "Perhaps someone should pull the fire alarm?" she commented with a playful smirk curling on the edge of her lips. "I'm sure it would bring some life back to this dead world" she added dryly before casting the Amaran a knowing wink.

A slight twitch pulled on the corner of her senses as she could feel the dark energies of the Force being channelled, forcing her to look back towards the armoured figure in the speeder. Alyse stared at the man for a moment, before looking down at the lightsaber still held in the palm of her hand - seemed that it was not just her who was being cautious. Slowly and openly the blonde moved her saber hilt round to the side of her hip, before clipping the weapon into it's magnetic binds stowing it away shortly before Gale made his introductions. Her expression lightened a little as despite the initial air of apprehension and caution eased into a air of civility, but then again the bulwark of her experiences with Darksiders had little to put her at ease with. "Alyse" the blonde offered as she gestured to herself, with a slight nod of her head, before sweeping her hand to the Amaran, "And, I believe this is Korsak" she added, before returning her attention back towards the human male. "Now as for this structure, what do you know if it's history?"

@The Captain @Aurius

 

[Korsak Wulpez]

Fire alarms?

Ah yes, Bakura, that incident with the riot at the blitzball game. The scars from glass cuts had just started to fad, just like the stench of sweat and stale beer, and he somewhat resented Alyse for reminding him of that near-debacle. At least he knew she was a rational actor, so that only left the snarky human smoking the oddly pungent cigara, the unknown factor in this encounter. Between the scruff, the armor, and the smoking, the man hardly looked like a scholar or student of Sith history. In fact he looked like the type of raw, expendable recruit Legionnaires tested their strikes on. That might actually be why he was so unaccustomed to a friendly, non-violent greeting.

"Knowing the ancient Sith, their fire alarms are more likely to set you on fire than save you from it." He replied as he reached the bottom of the dune, turning to Gale. "As for you, if you'd like me to climb back over the dune and address you as a sub-sentient mongrel, I'd be happy to oblige."

@Topher @Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

-Morganson (GAWM)- OOC: This char is little fast and loose :)​

”That, and then you draw a lightsaber and start screaming how much better you are than me. Bloody two-shoes everywhere these days. Not a moments peace!” @The Captain

He smiled as the two introduced themselves. Though he’d said it jokingly, he’d meant it truthfully. Many of the beings of the Galaxy he’d met had elected to attack him on principle, because of what he believed in and aspired to be. If they knew their history as he did, however, they’d know that not all Sith were abhorrent dictators, they would know that the Dark Side also had the capacity to protect and bolster those who trust in it. Though the Darkness wanted domination, it was up to the user to prevent it from overtaking them, not for another religious order to determine.

Even at that, the Sith were now gone. Alyse and Korsak were right in most everything they’d spoken. The tomb was likely already picked clean, but from the information he’d garnered, only Force-sensitives could truly unlock its secrets. Specifically, only those who have steeped themselves in the font of abhorrence and chaos and emerged in control, and powerful. They alone had the right to walk the path of the Sith before them, and they alone inherited the destiny of absolute power. It was here that there were three, a most mystical number, and the Chaote knew at once the Force was again at a play.

“If the corpse in my trunk is to be believed, and he really seemed to want to live... that structure is home to several burial crypts. Most people would only be looking for treasures, but there’s always more to those places.

There will be something there, I can feel it. The two of you being here only makes me more sure.” @Topher

As he spoke, he motioned to his trunk. Inside was not visible and it didn’t smell like a rotting corpse, however when it opened a humanoid form was made visible, larger and more muscular yet covered in a cloth wrapping. The trandoshan commoner had tried to cheat him for the information he paid to receive, and had learned the price of that deception pretty quickly. Inhaling some more of his roll, he also proceeded to motion to the seats behind him.

”If any of what I said piques your interest, please take a seat! It’s been... a long time since I’ve spoken to another of our kind.”

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Wait, what. Did this armoured figure really just say what the blonde thought he had just heard? An undeniable expression of bemusement crossed the young woman's features as she processed the revelation that the corpse in the man's speeders trunk had revealed that the buried structure contained possible secrets that hadn't been scavenged. Though it wasn't the burial crypts that had thrown her, it was the dead Trandoshian that was now being pointed out to the wider group. Blinking for a few moments, somewhat dumbstruck by what she was witnessing, her mind filling with so many more questions than what she could perceive to be getting for answers.

The biggest of which was just for how long was Gale carrying around this corpse? Korriban for the best part was inhabited, as far as she was aware, no one in their right mind would set foot on the Sith tomb world giving all the horrors and twisted creatures that the planet had became known for. Shaking her head as she snapped out of her thoughts, least she get a headache from trying to figure out just what she was currently witnessing. Dealing with liars and deceivers was one thing, so to was making an example of them, but to carry their body as a grim trophy? Well either this armoured sith was perhaps of the more morbid persuastion of her kin, or there was a purpose behind the the man's choice to bring the body along for the ride.

"I wouldn't turn down the opportunity to explore and possible uncover some lost secrets" Aylse answered with a sigh as she snapped herself out her thoughts. Before her gaze returned away from Gale and back to the cadaver "Though is the corpse necessary?" she added with an inquisitive glance before moving closer to the speeder, and casting Korsak a curious look to see whether the Amaran was going to join them, before she attempted to board the speeder, or even see whether the furry sith was even the remotest bit phased as she was.

 

[Korsak Wulpez]

A legionnaire to be sure, as 'two-shoes' could only be a reference to the Jedi and Sector Rangers that many of Korsak's comrades had a problem with. Granted they were trying to kill each other, but Korsak was neither a cultist nor an Eternal patriot, so that mattered little to him in the long run, assuming his goals were not impeded. Although what gave the Amaran more pause was the mention of a corpse in the trunk, which prior to its current state of unliving had revealed some information about the tombs on the planet. This seemed...improbable to say the least, since most non-Sith were unaware of the planet's existence, let alone the contents of its ruins. Still, there was a chance Gale had caught some cultists or historian who knew of the planet, and at this point Korsak was willing to take even a farfetched lead and a speeder over trudging through the sand like a bantha.

"Ugh...what this means is that you're victim is likely an especially keen liar and my luck has yet to substantially improve." Still, he had no better plans for Korriban, and he'd learned not to look a gift-fathier in the mouth by now. "But at the moment curiosity outweighs all other concerns, lead on."

Korsak, ignoring the presence of the corpse, made his way over to the speeder, leaping into a back seat which might seem comical compared to his child-like size.

@Topher @Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

”That entirely depends on whether we need him to enter. If he wasn’t insane, then it’s possible his body could still be used to pass any traps meant to trigger on new presences. Make sense?” @Topher

Gale nodded gently to the Amaran as he joined the pair aboard the speeder. The former airman’s foot gently began to push down on the peddle as soon as his fellow Sith were aboard. Assuming they were actually Sith, he hadn’t asked nor clarified yet, but in the end it didn’t really matter. If these two proved reliable, maybe they could be counted as allies or at least contacts within the Eternal or the Galaxy as a whole. The more networks of communication Gale could open, the better he would be able to pinpoint and uncover whatever secrets of the Dark remaining to be discovered.

“This poor fool definitely wasn’t lying. He was manic when he told me about this place, and attacked when he realized what I was - tried to escape.”

Gale’s voice grew dim, the joy seemingly disappearing from his entire body, his very spirit turning cold. His eyes momentarily glassed over.

“It was a real pity. He seemed like a useful being. But in the end, he was a threat to everyone including himself and I.”

The tone changed back to normal just as quickly, the strange and energetic nihilism returning to his form as though it had never left. A stark contrast, but whatever his fellow Sith had observed, for all intensive purposes Gale was once again normal.

The speeder has already careened to their destination, his hands knowing the turn of the vehicle and his mind aware of the intended destination. The “crypt” appeared to be nothing more than a mound with a archaic, carved door no larger than a single human. Still, it emanated something very strange. Not darkness. Just curiosity.

@The Captain

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Well this was truly curious, the Tomb that Gale had taken the two guardians to emanated with a long untouched imprint on the Force. It seemed completely untouched by the ravages of time, not to mention the scavengers and those that would plunder the contents for their own gain. Though the more she regarded the entrance that stood before her, the closer that she came to the understanding that whilst it was far understated when compared to the likes of the ancient monoliths that housed Sith lords of millennia long since passed. This crypt was like a mere gravestone when compared to the fabled Temple of Exar Kun .

Climbing out of the speeder, the blonde Sith stepped closer towards the red stone door to the crypt in front of them, her eyes narrowing as she cast her gaze over the ancient Massassi runes engraved into its surface. Her lips pursing in thought as she tried to call upon what fragmented knowledge she had gathered on the ancient Sith language. A few words she was able to translate, however most was lost to the ages.

Sighing in resignation, the blonde turned her attention away from the crypt's entrance back towards the two male Sith, her eyes looking towards the Amaran first, offering a slight look of intrigue and excitement towards the promise of the hidden secrets behind the door. Before falling upon the dark haired man. "So did the corpse give any indication as to how we are to enter?" Alyse inquired, before her gaze turned back to the stone slab covering the entrance. Figuring that there would be more to opening the way into the crypt than just using the Force the brute force it wide open.

 

[Korsak Wulpez]

Korsak paid little attention to Gale's moment of emptiness, Eternals often had strange ticks or quirks and this one seemed far less violent than some of the other habits Korsak noticed among his "comrades". So long as Gale didn't try to flip the speeder, attack him, or start talking to the dead man in the trunk, the Amaran could handle a brief thousand-parsec stare.

What interested him more was the remarkably small structure that the trio pulled up to, which was little more than a mound of carved sandstone with a doorway cut into it. Such a small tomb was strangely austere for Korriban, as most Sith tombs were laid out like small cities, spreading far in all directions with every surface honoring and glorifying its occupant's life. A structure such as this might be a broom closet in the likes of Exar Kun's legendary tomb, yet the fact that it was still standing was miraculous. Between the constant infighting, the hostile climate, and the looters, there wasn't an unmarked grave on Korriban that hadn't been desecreated in some way.

"The lettering..." Korsak narrowed his eyes on the etchings over the doorway. "It's ur-Kittat, a very old form. I can make out a few of the words, something about death and journeys and strength."

He took note of the giddy excitement in Alyse's eyes as she turned back to the doorway, and he could not help sharing some of her curiosity and enthusiasm. An unspoiled tomb on Korriban was a rare site, and the apparent simplicity of the structure had Korsak's mind whirling with questions, the first of which were directed at opening the door.

"Many ancient Sith sites rely on two or more Sith to be activated. That way no one Sith could violate the sanctity of a sacred place without help." A guess, but an educated guess, as Korsak had known of some Sith structures that relied on multiple Darksiders to unlock their secrets. Since most Sith had the social skills of angry Gundarks, forcing potential assassins or graverobbers to cooperate was an ingenious security system in Korsak's opinion.

@Aurius @Topher

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

—Midnight Paradise—​

“Unfortunately, the corpse is rather tight lipped with its secrets... but I have an educated guess.” @Topher

Gale was pleasantly surprised. This was obviously a Tomb, and one apparently small enough to have avoided detection. Whether or whether not the tomb itself was as small as it appeared remained to be seen, as appearance were always deceiving. What puzzled the Chaote for more than the door marking was the strange feeling of curiosity coming from the tomb itself. As though it was beckoning them to come inside, wondering what visitor had happened upon it.

Gale set to work gently, recording the hieroglyphics and entrance with his data pad to the best of his abilities. The rudimentary sketch complete, he placed the device back on the dashboard and rose to his feet. These two were clearly excited, and he couldn’t deny it was a good opportunity. Of course, the Amaran knew his own educated guess as well - it was likely the Sith required a pairing of members. Since the Rule of Two’s inception, it made sense that no one Sith would have direct access over the other, so that their perceived cycle of strength would continue.

“Korsak’s right. The corpse was only necessary if I was alone, and when I got inside. Something tells me we will have to move this... wait.” @The Captain

Gale’s eyes scanned the doorway again. All the lettering was Massassi, granted, but it was written in a strange manner, angling downwards ever so slightly. It almost looked like a stream of energy... as though he would have to pour his own life into the tomb to gain access. There was, however, another possibility. That is required massive torrents of energy from sufficiently powerful Sith before opening.

“What say we demonstrate the power of the Darkness within us? If nothing else, we’ll melt right through it. I’d give me a little space.”

Regardless of the response, Gale wanted to see how the door would react to a direct attack. Chances are, it might not do anything at all. Or it might have some unseen effect, or an obvious one - that remained to be seen. Taking a deep breath, Gale began to delve deep into his subconscious. Finding the memory of the first time his fingers burned with the power of pure unadulterated rage, remembering the familiar pain of voltage traveling through himself to end another. Both his hands began to crackle and hiss with concentrated energy. A spark, then an arcing beam, and finally two orbs of multi-hued lightning. The Sith didn’t stop there, pouring his own unique chaos into the electricity, and feeding off the Dark Side of the planet to maintain it as best he could.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Demonstrate the darkness within? Such a curious requirement to gain access to the sealed crypt - where they to exhibit the deep rooted evil that lay within each sith, well according to the Jedi at least who seemed to believe that all wielders of the darkside were evil incarnate. Or more likely where the gathered Sith to display their connection to the Darkside of the Force, a display of power none the less.

What was it with the ancient Sith and their obsession with power? The blonde guardian had to silently for a moment. At times she felt when reading the various tomes and scriptures of the darkside, the view points of many a past sith lord seemed to be nothing more than centering around a glorified dick swinging contest, to state and show that my hatred is more intensive than yours.

Sighing as she shook her head at the thought, those were the failing of sith long since condemned to dust and Ash, most of the sith she had encountered so far, for the best part were grounded in the belief that they were agents of change. Taking a deeo breath Alyse followed on Gales lead and started the channel the force through her focusing and harnessing her deeply seated bitterness and anger, controlling and manipulating her pent up emotions so that were could be used for something productive rather than lashing out for the sake of it.

As the blonde Sith advanced closer to the crypt doors,the chestnut hue of her irises faded, her eyes replaced with a deathly milky white pair of orbs - the concentration of the Force that was flowing through her being made evident through the turbulent ebbs and flow of the currents of energies that radiated out from her. It was raw, cold and oppresively thick. Like the corruption that had taken over the young sith's ghastly and darkening features, the Force that flowed around them was dripping with the darkside. Swelling and building within the young blonde like a tempestuous sea, before it suddenly fell still, small crackles and sparks forming between her fingers as she held a hand forwards, before releasing a stream of electrical energy towards the crypt entrance.

 

[Korsak Wulpez]

Korsak had barely begun committing the intricacies of the doorway to memory before Gale said something that profoundly baffled the Amaran. Yes, there were some post-war tombs that needed a strong burst of raw, dark energy to open them, or at least to blast them open, but this structure was far older and simpler in construction. Throwing a storm of Sith Lightning at the door could have unforeseeable consequences, ranging from damaging this valuable archeological find to unleashing some kind of archaic defense mechanism. Korsak was not ready to face either outcome, so as Gale began charging electrical power the Amaran aimed his organic hand at the human and prepared some lightning of his own.

"I suggest you put your arms down before you hurt-" The sound of crackling, arcing electricity stopped Korsak mid-sentence, as a wave of lightning from Alyse struck the door frame. The searing bolts lashed at the doorway like the tentacles of an angry Sarlacc, leaving smoldering trails of carbonized rock in their wake. A few even managed to lick at the edges of the etchings, scraping yet more ancient ur-Kittat off the walls. There was a brief, but profoundly weighted pause before the door began to fall backwards, landing with a thunderous crash that sounded like more than just stonework shattering.

"-yourself." If looks could kill, Korsak's seething glare would have turned both humans into smoldering craters.

@Aurius @Topher

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

Gale was slightly confused. He hadn’t even had the time to unleash his own barrage - not that it mattered in the slightest. It seemed Alyse had done the work for him, enabling him to allow the energy to course about him instead of lancing forward. The Chaote had been expecting something more profoundly mystical than a simple stone door. He’d seen mechanisms that required multiple uses of Force Push, rooms that required incredibly attuned senses to escape from the oncoming traps. Never something so mundane.

What Gale had not expected was the Amaran to raise his arm toward the Vahla. That was not how this was going to go. It was his information that led them here... if the pint sized dark sider wanted to bring division, he could try. And die like everybody else who’d attempted something so stupid. The ever-changing hue of electricity began to coalesce as he turned to face Korsak with a look of utter disappointment.

“Lower your hand. Or enter the tomb alone. I will not fight you.” @The Captain

Unlike his two companions, who’d obviously not been attacked at every turn, Gale was in no jesting mood. If this was some form of ego contest, it wouldn’t matter, Gale’s pride meant nothing compared to the knowledge that could be contained therein. And like anything else that threatened him, he would take the threat down without hesitation or remorse. Gale did not want that to become their new reality.

“You’re angry. Good. Anger gets kriff done. Channel it for better use.”

The lightning disappeared all at once, as Gale turned to open the trunk. Once the metallic hatch had revealed the corpse, he unceremoniously lifted it telekinetically, before gently guiding it through the entrance. If there were any traps, the corpse would receive the brunt of the damage instead of any of them.

@Topher