Event Something Wicked

[Ripley Virago]

Crumbling Ruin: The Altar
~~~​

It's a mystery, secret, silent, waiting to be explored. Don't you want to find out, little girl?

"I do," Ripley muttered to herself, unaware that she'd said anything at all. I do want to find out...

A wave of sadness washed over the Arkanian as rare and unfamiliar doubts crept into her mind, slowly consuming each and every thought. Why had she never pursued her dreams? Why hadn't she allowed her curiosity and her thirst for knowledge to drive her every waking action?

A life not spent dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge was not a life worth living, and this was what she had been reduced to. A life not worth living. Her desires were for nothing, her curiosity ineffectual. Could she really say that she had accomplished anything in her twenty-eight years of life? Time was ticking away, and every second had been a waste.

This lifetime of inertia stopped here and now.

The Arkanian's mind raced, searching for answers. Surely there was something within this room of death and decay that would prove useful to the group. A way of escape or some not so-mythical object that the witch drew her power from. The Arkanian's white eyes landed on the symbols carved into the side of the altar, attempting to study them from a distance within a matter of seconds.

She found it difficult to focus as the corpses and hides that lined the walls of this sick chamber began to come to life, shaking and rattling and laughing. The entire room had joined the old witch in a chorus of laughter, unnatural shrieks piercing the Arkanian's ears and threatening to drive her mad. They weren't just laughing at her, they were mocking her, and she hated it.

Her skin crawled, tingling with fear and disgust. Gamall... this place... it was worse than a nightmare for there was no chance of waking up. They were already awake.

The only other woman in the group stumbled backward, her hand to her head as she experienced some form of invisible torture and pain unknown to the rest of the group. Ripley helped support her, if only because there was strength in numbers and because she liked the feeling of safety that came with proximity to another being.

Reanimated corpses was not the last dark twist Gamall held up her sleeve, her sagging features contorting as her body expanded to an inhuman size. Ripley watched in disgust, wanting to bury her face away or close her eyes but unable to tear her gaze away from the ghastly sight. The old woman's body finally pushed to its limits, and dark fluid burst from her organs as thousands of insects ate their way out of her body.

"Mother of moons!" Ripley exclaimed, recoiling at the sight now burned into her memory for all of eternity.

The poor unfortunate woman had served her purpose, and now these small monsters sought new flesh and and new prey. Ripley wasn't in a hospitable mood and did not wish to play host. Not when the guests looked like that.

Instinctually, the Arkanian took several steps back, pulling her companion with her as she reached for the blaster pistol she carried. Her slender fingers wrapped around the Westar 37 and pulled it out, opening fire on the creatures that threatened to eat her.

Each of the five wanderers had begun to fight back, some with blasters and others with swords and concealed amethyst blades. The woman beside Ripley reached out through the force, manipulating the fire at the center of the room to her will. Force users were fighting among them, and the Arkanian couldn't have been more relieved. At least now they had a fighting chance.

And better a pair of Sith than Jedi, she thought to herself, more concerned with survival than ethics.

@Mr. Teatime @Versok @Tulos @Tom @LouJoVi

 

[Trini Halrixien]

HUMBLE TOWN.

Trini looked away from the building when the woman spoke, raising her eyebrows.

"Really? A charming place like this?"

At her smile, Trini felt her tail frizz out a little more. Allery appeared innocent enough, but there was something about the strange... human? Something that the Amaran didn't like, now that she stopped to look.

Well I helped her. And I'm not abandoning her.

"Um... pleased to meet you."

Trini looked back up at the mansion. The darkness beyond the open door made her neck fur bristle as much as Allery did, if not more.

"And what do you mean? What happens in this place?"

@Logan @Eccles @Nor'baal @Nefieslab @Wit @DarkSaber

 

[Ashla Ti]

HUMBLE TOWN

Ashla was about to take a step towards the door that had opened for them when the woman spoke up. She stopped and turned to look at her, brows furrowing as she the smile gave her the creeps. As the Amaran questioned her about the mansion, Ashla waited near the threshold, listening.

"You saw what's back there, what the Jedi is facing." She gestured back towards the junction, from where the Jedi had yet to appear to join them. "That thing already killed someone in the square, are you sure whatever is in here is worse than that?"

@Logan @AutoFox

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Abandoned Building​

In the chapel, the priest smiled at the pair, moving up to stand behind the pulpit and looking into the book in front of him.

So you seek, salvation. Those in the infirmary have tried to deny the truth, but inside they are filled with dead men's bones, the man said in reply to Arcturus's questions. He nodded knowingly before looking down at the book again.

And I looked and beheld the fourth gate opened and in its place was written its name, and it's name was Judgment. For only those who could pass through the mouth of the lion could escape the courtyard of Judgment! he said, voice growing louder as he reached the final quotation.

Don't you understand?! This place is Judgment. There is no ship that can carry you out of the fire, only those who pass through the flames may find peace in the mother's arms, he said, eyes somewhat wild as he spoke.

---​

Stop that! You'll let them in! You can't let them get us! They can't take my patients again! he screamed at the top of his lungs before turning and rushing in the opposite direction. He began to gather medications, administering them and getting his patients ready for travel, putting them in wheelchairs and mobile stretchers as he pushed them out the back door at the far side of the infirmary.

Should the pair of Padawans continue picking at the doorway, they would manage to remove the entire barricade before being faced with another padlock over a chain between the two parts of the door. The final piece between them and the infirmary should they make an attempt to loosen it. Otherwise they would be forced to turn back.

I am a doctor and my patients need me! the man shouted, at the woman who had the audacity to ask him if he was a doctor. He hadn’t sold years of his life for nothing!

---​

Lorcan would find that his progress to the rest of the group was unimpeded. Many of the pieces of paper were indecipherable gibberish written in poor handwriting as if someone's scratch notes they had taken, disjointed with lists of symptoms, numbers, letters, and abbreviations galore. Only one of the pieces of paper appeared as if it had been printed.

"Pt. is a 36 y/o M presenting with intense delusions ongoing since childhood. Pt reports that "the mother" has instructed him to care for others, helping them reach "enlightenment." According to police reports, the pt reported that he ran an orphanage and was found with no less than 11 missing persons in his basement, many of whom were deceased due to neglect, though signs of direct physical injury were absent according to police, pt was transferred to our care for further evaluation and has been kept in solitary confinement. Treatment plans for the patient are still being discussed, will consult Dr. Perineth for further evaluation and recommendations."

@Sreeya @Altaris @christhebetrayer @Forsythe Crowholde @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab @LilyNion @Valen Pelora @Resonance

 

[The Gatekeeper]

CRUMBLING RUINS
THE ALTAR
​

Every crawling, flying, buzzing insect burned by Ryun and the armour man's flames began to scream. Like the souls of the damned and forgotten their shrieked, screeching as if she'd just unleashed waves of fire on a crowd of helpness innocents. It was deafening, echoing off the stone walls in harmony with buzzing and the endless clitter-clatter of chitinous limbs.

Still the skins laughed and laughed. Senin drew his lightsaber and found it felt strange in his fingers, heavy too heavy. When he looked he'd see not a lightsaber but a jester's rod the same length as his ignited lightsaber, the mace-like end jingling with rusty bells and staring back at him accusingly. Stray insects swarmed toward him, biting and buzzing, sinking mandibles and stingers into flesh.

Laeonas drew the sword from the flame, but this was a grave mistake. The blade was unnaturally orange-hot and the hilt burned his hand. It scorched, smoking, melting skin in an instant until it stuck to the weapon. The blade was also heavy, like Laeonas was carrying the weight of sin itself in his hand. It would drop to the floor with a thunderous clang, cracking the stone, a two-handed struggle to even lift the ordinary-looking weapon.

Blaster fire rang and joined the chaotic cacophony, but there were far too many insects for blasters to take care of. Virago was panicked, but this meagre thing was all she had to rely on beyond her new companions. What experience did she have with such things? What adventures had she gone on prior to all this?

The flames spread to Gamall's stretched and broken-open figure, fingers curled and rotten, bone piercing the very tips like crimson-flecked claws. Just as it seemed the insects wouldn't stop coming out there was a gagging, choking sound from the old woman's body. Once the swarms were cleared all that was left of her was a sagging skin draped over rotten bones, expression twisted into the shape of a cackling old woman.

It was mostly quiet. A crackling fireplace, the gentle movement of water from the altar room. At the very edge of hearing, sounds like distant, dissonant whispers that vanished the moment one tried to listen.

The way out was shut. Only forward was left for those whose names were taken.

@Versok @llamallove @LouJoVi @Tulos @Tom

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Spoiler: Humble Town

Humble Town​

Crix let out a slow breath as he called his shoto-saber back to his left hand with the Force, extinguishing it as it arrived back. That the beast was gone was of little consolation for the Jedi Knight as it had done nothing - literally nothing - to prevent its fate. And all that told him was that the creature itself had been confident that it would not be destroyed by the attacks from himself and the Sith who had showed up out of the mists to assist him.

Watching as it faded to nothing, Crix tried to calm himself down but his heart was beating an imprint on the inside of his rib cage and his left hand was shaking. His hand hadn't shaken since he had gotten several dozen hours worth of therapy and months of distance between himself and Sullust. For it to be back?

It felt like he had failed himself.

Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed the way that the gate was locked shut again with no signs he had ever cut it in the first place. He... wasn't going to throw good credits away by trying to bet against the idea that it would resist such an easy cut as before. Something about this whole thing stank to the skies of the Dark Side and with the Dark Side? Nothing was easy.

He looked back to the Sith, clad in some kind of ritualistic armour that he had no idea of the meaning behind. If there even was a deeper meaning than, somehow, managing to look even creepier than the half-naked, metal-pyramid-helmet-wearing creature that had disappeared into the mists of the town.

"Truce?" he offered the Sith, eyeing them for a moment, "This town doesn't seem to hold to sides... so why should we?"

With the smell of burning on the subtle twisting breeze, Crix had a direction to go in. He didn't know if the house was the best option or not but usually the smell of burning was a Bad Thing. And in a town like this?

Probably the source of a lot of bad shit.

So he started walking.

@vamp @Logan

HUMBLE TOWN
​

Eri stepped around the being, eyeing it carefully, hoping to escape back into the fog. She looked away and began running- only to spot it again, ten feet in front of her. She turned towards a building and tried to get to the door, but the being appeared on the doorstep. She turned to run backwards where it had been before...and it was still there. Her rasping breaths were the only sound she heard until the voice rang sharply through her mind. I am not scared of what I am...I control what I am...I am in control. I have control! She let out a scream of frustration, knowing she was lying to herself.

She whirled yet again, yet this time the being didn't teleport, it duplicated. Surrounding her in a wall of masks, she watched as their eyes began to glow red, yet another show of mockery. You don't know a damned thing about me...

But I do...Again, just let me fix this...

A dull pounding in Eri's skull made her wince as she put both of her hands on her head and fell to the ground. No...I am...control... She struck herself hard on the cheek, yet felt nothing. Con...control... control... Eri's head jerked sideways at an impossible angle as her arms contorted, dropping her lightsabers and clawing at her unflinching mask. She writhed for what seemed like an eternity before stopping. How much time had gone buy; a second? An hour?

Does it matter? Her head lifted up and she slowly straightened, picking up her sabers, somehow looking into each of the creature's eyes at once. That night, one more pair of eyes glowed a bloody red. Underneath the mask, only an evil grin remained contorted, black tears dripping down the chin. Another monster had escaped.

I HAVE CONTROL.

@Logan

Humble Town

---

The beast crumpled to dust under their blades without even resisting. It had not even had a chance to attack them. Cinere extinguished his lightsaber and turned to the Jedi.

"We don't have much of a choice anyway," he admitted. As much as he hated it, he knew they were stronger fighting together right now. And maybe it would be the only way they can escape.

The smell of burning wood filled his nose, and he turned to scan the skies. A thin line of black smoke stretched down a decent distance away, but he began walking. "We have to play the game to get out." He looked around to find that everyone else had disappeared, leaving him alone with the Jedi. Things were going to get interesting.

@Logan @Nefieslab

HUMBLE TOWN.

Trini looked away from the building when the woman spoke, raising her eyebrows.

"Really? A charming place like this?"

At her smile, Trini felt her tail frizz out a little more. Allery appeared innocent enough, but there was something about the strange... human? Something that the Amaran didn't like, now that she stopped to look.

Well I helped her. And I'm not abandoning her.

"Um... pleased to meet you."

Trini looked back up at the mansion. The darkness beyond the open door made her neck fur bristle as much as Allery did, if not more.

"And what do you mean? What happens in this place?"

@Logan @Eccles @Nor'baal @Nefieslab @Wit @DarkSaber

HUMBLE TOWN

Ashla was about to take a step towards the door that had opened for them when the woman spoke up. She stopped and turned to look at her, brows furrowing as she the smile gave her the creeps. As the Amaran questioned her about the mansion, Ashla waited near the threshold, listening.

"You saw what's back there, what the Jedi is facing." She gestured back towards the junction, from where the Jedi had yet to appear to join them. "That thing already killed someone in the square, are you sure whatever is in here is worse than that?"

@Logan @AutoFox

@Erialex - or the being that used to call itself Erialex - would find herself in a part of town she didn't recognize. Before her burned a massive pyre that was surrounded by hooded figures. The sounds of chanting filled her ears. It was some how a barely audible whisper and an overwhelming cacophony at the same time.

It was as if the hooded figures didn't notice her, or if they did, they did not care. Erialex could feel the darkside in this place like she had never felt it before. It was raw, swirling, like a vortex of pure hatred and evil. The chanting continued and the ground began to glow, blood-red runes pulsating in unison.

--

As @Crix Aran and @Darth Veles walked toward the source of smoke, the air would thicken and become obscured. On the wind they would hear the low hums of chanting, though they would not be able to discern the language they were speaking. As they moved through the smoke between broken down houses, the chanting would grow louder and the heat of flames would press against their faces, though the source of smoke still wasn't visible.

Eventually, Crix and Veles would find a break in the smoke and the sight of the pyre would come into view. The runes on the ground were growing brightly and Veles would recognize some of them vaguely as Sith. Though they would still seem somehow.. foreign, wrong. Like they were written in a long forgotten dialect, ancient and primal.

--

No one knows what happens in there, Allery said to @Trini Halrixien. There was something off about her voice as she spoke, like there were shadows hiding between each word. An eerie light bounced behind her eyes. But if you want to go in, I will take you.

Waving Trini and @Ashla Ti along, Allery would lead them into the manor, her gait almost forcibly trepidatious. Once they were all inside, the door would snap shut behind them and Allery would turn to face the the two women.

We need to be quiet, She said, putting her finger up to her lips. Things creep in the dark here, and the paths shift and move.

The light inside of the manor was dim and the air was cool, but damp like an old cellar. Allery would lead them forward down a hall, though many paths shot off along its sides. Where they went was anyone's guess, but Allery would follow Trini or Ashla if they wanted to lead.

Though they couldn't see it as her back was facing them, a devilish smirk creased Allery's lips as they went further inside.

 

[Charlotte Le'Anna]

OOC: Abandoned Building

Charlotte was a devote servant of the Darkness. Her eyes flicked to the presumed Jedi. She did not hate the Jedi as much as they simply stood in her way. The Darkness could not thrive if constantly rebutted by the Light. However, in this moment she was extraordinarily glad she was not alone. Didn’t the Jedi have some fancy way of banishing the Dark side? That was true, wasn’t it?

She carefully tracked the priest as he walked. The fear creeping up her spine growing. Fear was a powerful emotion. She fed it to the Darkside. Pretenses be damned. He was yelling now. Charlotte took an involuntary step backward. Her hand shaking slightly. The priests’ eyes were psychotic. Who was the mother? They needed to get out of here. She shot a look at her companion and shrugged. “Get on with it...show us the flames then.” How bad could it possible be? She was certain the Jedi had faced worse.

@Forsythe Crowholde @Phoenix @Sreeya @Altaris @Nefieslab @LilyNion @christhebetrayer @Resonance @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Arctus Friers]

Abandoned Building​

The smile the priest gave the pair was as unnerving as when Charlie – if that was really her name –dropped whatever pretenses she held and revealed that she was a Sith. She didn't need to make a verbal declaration, the familiar grip of the Dark Side was more than enough to speak for her, the Darkness that firmly rooted itself within the Padawan stirring even further like a spider catching movement from it's net. Arctus didn't choose to react so as to keep himself steady, grounded – Clove, Felix, and Ruzaan needed him sane and steadfast.

The Padawan mustered every happy memory he'd experienced and remembered the smiles of the people he held dear, a technique he'd learned to better anchor himself in the Light. Even if there was a wielder of the Dark Side behind him he shared her sentiment, though they both did not know of it. With the priest's proclamations growing steadily louder Arctus had come to another realization that this place was beyond messed up, and even with Sith presence he felt that this was something Charlie nor the trooper upstairs never anticipated.

There seemed a darkness in this place, one that even his current Sith companion had no idea about.

Immersing himself deeper in the Light within him and drowning out the sounds and whispers of the Dark Side scratching at the barriers he'd locked It in, Arctus regarded the priest and took a step forward in time with Charlie involuntarily stepping back.

"Mate, I meant my questions in the literal sense. Not expecting a sermon or summat," the former smuggler deadpanned before a grin crossed his face. "Though I think it's kinda sweet of you to assume that we seek salvation. I, for one, have already been saved. Twice. Would be embarrassing if it happens a third time, eh?"

He glanced at Charlie over his shoulder when she spoke, her words a challenge to the head of the congregation. Arctus shot her a surprisingly friendly wink, wordlessly commending her bravery (or the general "I don't give a shit" attitude).

Mother? Heh. Arctus was a mature gentleman, he wouldn't stoop too low to snarkily say "Your mum" or something even more offending.

"Judgement, huh? So, are you and your brethren over here being judged as well? Because I've got just the right little verse for you, Father: 'There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands.' If me and Charlie over here are to 'pass through the flames' so we may find peace in mother's, arms, then I guess you gotta go with us. Bet you wanna find peace in mother's arms, too, huh?"

There he went again, running his mouth. It almost felt as if he was buying time – but for what? The others were still in the infirmary, and it was either they'd already got the doctor to say something helpful other than what Arctus just heard from the ramblings of a seemingly mad man.

@Phoenix @Valen Pelora

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Abandoned Building​

Ruzaan, with the help of Clove and Livi, made quick work of the barricade as the doctor ran screaming back into the infirmary. The final obstacle was a padlock and chain preventing entry, and Ruzaan hesitated before pulling out his lightsaber. The Ranger was conscious, did they need a doctor's help anymore? He was also beginning to suspect that this was not an appropriate time to have a wheelchair race with Clove.

Then his spine tingled in fear again, and the decision was made. "Hold on" he said, gripping his double-bladed lightsaber vertically so as not to impale anyone. It had been locked on lethal mode since Felucia, something he had been unable to reverse, and while he was fairly confident he could ignite just one side he didn't want to stab anyone behind him in the hallway. With a snap-hiss, a single blue blade beamed into existence and the padlock (but not the chain) was carefully cut. This accomplished, Ruzaan led the way into the infirmary; his lightsaber deactivated once again, but still in his hand.

@Sreeya @LilyNion @Phoenix @christhebetrayer @Altaris

 

[Lorcan]

Abandoned Building​

Well the paper made for grim reading but what else was new? The paper always made for grim reading these days. But what it did do, however, was give a little bit more context as to why the Jedi children were trying to tear down a barricade that seemed to have been erected defensively.

And gave him a clue as to who the Doctor was that they seemed intent on bullying their way past.

"Wouldn't happen to be a Doctor Perineth would you?" Lorcan called out as he approached, eyeing the Padawans the way people did explosive devices, "Think I met one of your wilder patients upstairs - looked like he cut off someone's fingers?"

But the doctor was already trying to hurry his patients away out a backdoor, only lingering long enough to get butt-hurt over his medical licence being called into question - which only seemed fair to Lorcan, med-school sounded hardcore. The former Ranger ran a hand through his hair after stuffing the papers he could read into a pouch in his armor. He looked around the rest of the group, frowning and, for once, not actually entirely lacking in care.

"Can someone tell me why we're cutting our way through defenses that were clearly needed?" he demanded of the group as a whole, "Anyone? Cus from what I'm able to gather and from what you've told me, this place is an asylum where the inmates are loose. Making a barricade seems like a pretty good idea for someone who is sane, ya know?"

Was he missing something? Was the Doctor refusing to co-operate or had he implied something he hadn't been around to hear? Or was this a case of Jedi too young to know better using their lightsabers to try and solve the problem of a witness who didn't trust them enough to talk?

@Phoenix @SlagathorTheUnknown @Sreeya @christhebetrayer @Altaris

 

[Crix Aran]

Humble Town​

Well the Sith didn't seem too happy about working together but, oddly enough, that convinced Crix that they were being genuine about wanting to co-operate as much as they did. If the Sith had been happy about it, Crix would have been suspicious immediately. Strange that a natural aversion to trusting one another made him actually more inclined to trust the Sith on a temporary basis.

"Until we get a chance to flip the table." he agreed, "Then we flip the table, fuck their game and stab our way out of here if we have to."

Crix didn't like being here - it was putting him on edge and it was beginning to show in his words and actions. It was going to take a lot of time for him to calm down and cool down from this whole thing. So much meditation was going to be required for this... plus some therapy.

Chanting and smoke on the wind were bad signs on their own but together they were nothing good. As the two Force Users stepped through the fog it clung to them like a wall until they stepped far enough - and suddenly they could see.

And Crix really wished he hadn't.

"Fantastic." he muttered, his left hand shaking slightly as he tried to take in their surroundings better, seeing if he could see the people who had been chanting, "Recognize any of the writing? It looks like something a Sith would study."

Certainly wasn't binary so his studies weren't useful here.

@vamp @Logan

 

[Drak Vúlfur]

Crumbling Ruins​

Drak stopped the burning after all the bugs were dealt with, the screams of agony piercing his head more and more, it was a good thing he was wearing a helmet because his face was that of a kid who felt as if he had done something truly, truly horrible, as his burning weapon went silent, the lost Mandalorian took a look at the corpse of the old lady before turning his head back to the others, finally noticing that there were sith among them.

...He did know he currently worked for the sith, he did know that, but he also just knew that he didn't particularly like them and he recalled that many of the horrible actions he did were done in their name...Just why would he do such atrocities in their name then? He was definitely not forced to join them or anything like that, just what were his choices in life? What did he forget that tormented him so much?

"We should keep moving." Drak simply muttered with a concerned, yet decisive tone, slowly making his way forward and towards the altar, deciding to put the flame projector away and holding his blaster pistol with one hand and his beskad with the other as he didn't want to use flames anymore if he could help it...His other weapons did bring him unpleasant memories as well, but they were much more bearable in comparison to the roar of the flames.

@Mr. Teatime @llamallove @LouJoVi @Tulos @Tom

 

[Trini Halrixien]

HUMBLE TOWN.

Trini blinked and looked around apprehensively as she and the others were ushered into the manor. The Amaran's nose twitched as she sniffed the cool, damp air inside; her apprehension redoubled as she walked across the moldering carpet.

"Hey, maybe we should-"

The door abruptly snapped shut behind them, and Trini whirled.

"What the kriff?!"

She whirled back to the group, jogging to keep up as Allery led them deeper into the house. She looked around fearfully, her tail fully frizzed out behind her.

"What-... what do you mean, things creep in the dark? What do you mean the paths change?!"

She jogged up to Allery, reaching up to put a hand on her shoulder.

"What kind of a place is this?!"

@Logan @Eccles @Nor'baal @Nefieslab @Wit @DarkSaber

 

[Senin Ravelo]

Crumbling Ruins


Senin was prepared to hit the insects with his lightsaber when he felt it was different in his hands. Looking at it, he finally noticed that the saber had become a Jester staff. He stared at the object with wide eyes. This place was really starting to annoy him.

However, before he could voice his indignation to his lightsaber becoming a staff, some bugs arrived at him. They began to bite and sting his body, leaving painful marks in those places. Senin used the scepter to ward off the insects, with little success in doing so.

After what seemed like hours, the insects were finally destroyed, largely thanks to the fire one of the women manipulated through Force and to the Mandalorian's flamethrower. Senin was furious with this place, his mask was still uncomfortable on his face and now he also has several bites left by these bugs, which are making his skin tingle and burn. He hoped that it would not leave marks on his perfect skin. The Acolyte looked to where Gamall was and saw her unrecognizable corpse. His face contorted in a grimace with the vision of it.

The Acolyte nodded in agreement to the Mandalorian's idea. "Yes, the better option that we have to find a way out of here is if we continue moving." he looked at the hanging skins "I don't want to stay there waiting to see what this place will throw at us next." after having put the Jester staff in his belt, Senin walked behind the man in armor toward the altar.

@Mr. Teatime @Versok @Tulos @llamallove @Tom

 

[Felix]

Abandoned Building​

Felix let rangers and the other padawans clear the doorway of the barricade and open the door, he would watch their backs as they set to work. he would watch the sith trooper find them asking his questions.

"Because it's the only way we know of and the doctor himself might not be exactly sane himself with him call us 'illusions' trying to 'lure him out'." he would explain to the sith trooper "and from what else he's said 'somethings' took his patients, what you found might be the end result whatever these things do to people." Felix had been listening intently to the doctor, he was currently their only source of information on what was going in here so every word could be key.

Once Ruz had opened the door Felix would enter the infirmary looking for any more notes the Docter might have left behind in the room in his hurry to evacuate the room, any scarp of info could help.

@Phoenix
@LilyNion @SlagathorTheUnknown @Sreeya @Nefieslab @Altaris

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Abandoned Building
​

Clove burrowed her eyebrows, while her lips straightened into a polite thin line. The Doctor's frantic reply rendered her brain useless, and she had no clue what to do. So, when in doubt, follow the rest of the crowd. The crowd being Felix and Ruz, and the Ranger who helped them.

She headed into the infirmary, feeling somewhat odd. On one hand, it felt familiar. Almost like home. On the other hand, something in the back of her head screamed she was in danger and something was wrong. It made her more nervous than she already was, and far more on edge. Her hand idly brushed through her curls as she glanced around the infirmary, trying to find anything that seemed out of place.

---

Tag @Valen Pelora @Sreeya @Phoenix @Forsythe Crowholde @Altaris @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab @christhebetrayer @ ​

 

[Ashla Ti]

HUMBLE TOWN

Ashla was more than a little suspicious of the woman when she suddenly went from requesting them to not go in to willingly leading them into the manor. But she remembered the voice and said nothing, following quietly as they entered the manor. The door slamming shut behind them was just adding to her slow realization that she was very much in a horror movie. She just hoped that if it had to end badly for anyone it wasn't her.

"You said people who go in don't come out," she asked Allery as she lead the way, ignoring the desire to walk down on of the side corridors to explore, despite what she had experienced earlier, and her own desire to learn more, she did feel enough fear and discomfort to not want to split up, "how did you get out earlier? What changed?"

@Logan @AutoFox

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

Crumbling Ruin
The Altar


The biting attacks of the bugs were such a uniquely painful experience for the man. He'd been shot, stabbed, battered and bruised in all the ways one could think of. Yet never before had he been accosted by hundreds-- no, thousands of foes at once. Foes so small and numerous that to focus on any of them was impossible. The pain itself was from not a single blow, but dozens, every single second. They were small, but they hurt, and it was making him furious.

It was why he hadn't even registered the scalding pain in his left hand. Overwhelmed in every sense of the word by pain from any place where flesh was exposed, the burning in his palm was hardly even noticeable. It was only brief, as pretty soon the nerves would be scalded so badly that he wouldn't feel anything. Anything besides the now crushing weight that the whole of his arm registered. The physical weight carried with it the feelings of guilt that he had driven out of his mind seconds earlier, and while the blade did fall from his hands, that feeling stayed with him.

The concussive blasts radiating from the man slowed as the insects went from a blinding horde, to a few stinging, crawling nuisances. Coming off the adrenaline high he'd just gone through, the aggression that had defined the past few minutes slowly disippated. Filling the gap, the fear that had been within him would take up his still scattered thoughts. The man's entire figure trembled as he stood there. The room was filled with the smell of smoke, as the tiny, roasting bodies of insects filled their senses.

Shaking, Laeonas finally decided to look down at the blade he'd dropped. Reaching for it again, he'd look down at the hand that reached for it. To say that what covered it was flesh wouldn't be fair. It was a half liquid, boiled mess of meat. For awhile, he just stared, transfixed. He'd probably need to have surgery done if he ever wanted to use the hand again. Hell, he'd probably need to clean it as soon as he could if he didn't want to have it amputated.

There were no more words from the man. After... everything that had just happened, all he wanted was to leave. There was nothing here for them, nothing but death, horror, and for him, the weight of his actions. That weight which he again and again tried to shrug off found it's way back to him, no matter how hard he'd try to forget it. That, more than the terror, more than the pain he was in, pushed his desire to escape.

Seeing as there was only one way to go from the room they were in, Laeonas would turn and enter the altar room, following after the mandalorian and the masked man.

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@Mr. Teatime @llamallove @Tulos @Versok @LouJoVi

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Crumbling Ruin​

Thousands of tiny shrieks of terror echoed across the chamber as the flames cast forth from both Ryun and the armored man transformed each individual insect into miniscule scorned husks. These cries may as well have been a bell rung beside Sah’ra’s ear. Already she was experiencing a searing pain behind her eyes, the symptoms of attempting to simply touch her physical weapon not yet fading, the culmination of death throws from every bug only amplifying the agony she was forced to endure. While they had succeeded in both melting away the horde of vermin as well as bringing Gamall to a rather grim and mysterious demise, she was scarcely able to appreciate such a gift. A gift... Hardly appropriate given their circumstances but she remained alive and that was nothing to be scoffed at.

Between the throbbing pain in her head and the panic that resulted from the sudden attack, Sah’ra’s breathing soon became rapid and shallow. She would withdraw her arm from the porcelain woman’s shoulder and allow herself to drop to her knees, if only to gather her wits and ease her panting, and look out across this collected group of survivors. She had remained physically unharmed, as did the Arkanian and Mandalorian. Fortunate, yet two others were not quite so lucky. The screaming one’s hand was a bloody mess, burned and scarred until it was hardly even recognizable as such. Such things could be fixed, given time and extensive care. What was far more worrisome was the swollen red bite marks that flecked the skin of both him and the masked man. During her time living underground on Teth, the Sith Champion had discovered quickly that death did not always come in the way of razor sharp teeth and cleaving claws. While the dangers of dragons devouring one’s body were real, just as threatening is the barb of a wasp. Kneeling on the ground, staring at each of these men with caution as her breathing began to return to normal, Sah’ra made a note to observe them carefully lest their condition worsen.

Of course, she had no inclination to save them should that become their reality. This planet, these ruins, had provided them all with nothing less than a mysterious and equally perilous journey thus far. Nothing was out of the realm of possibility. Should these two men and their afflictions become a threat, then she needed to be prepared to end the danger they presented her.

It was this caution that caused Sah’ra to hang back as they both followed the Mandalorian into the altar room, only standing on her feet when they had put a good dozen meters or so between her and them. A reflection of suspicion was not hard to notice as she took carefully measured strides in pursuit, cautious to not close the distance. Before she crossed the threshold into the second chamber, the woman’s eyes fell to the floor. At her feet laid the rusted vibroblade that had been so unceremoniously uprooted from it’s bed in the embers of the firepit. Pursing her lips, she turned her attention back to the others and carried on.

@Mr. Teatime @llamallove @Tom @Versok @LouJoVi​

 

[Ripley Virago]

Crumbling Ruin: The Altar
~~~​

The chorus of a thousand chirping, skittering insects faded to silence as one by one they burned to death, curling up and dwindling to ash. Scattered across the stone floor, they lie still and unmoving. Dead. Yet Ripley couldn't help but wonder if they would somehow be reanimated as the skins that lined the room had been, if life would return to their exoskeletons and hunger to their maws. It sent an unnerving shiver down her spine.

Instead of inventing new ways to frighten herself, she needed to turn her mind to the issue at hand: finding a way to escape this place. The Mandalorian was the first to speak, and he was right. They needed to keep moving if they hoped to make it out of here alive.

The only other woman in the group collapsed to the ground, relinquishing her hold on Ripley, but she wasn't the only one whose physical side-effects continued to linger. The masked man was acting strange, fidgeting and tugging at his mask as if he wanted to be free from it.

Gamall's malicious touch had not spared any of the group, but perhaps it was the raven haired man that had suffered the worst. The sword he had pulled to himself during the fight had left his hand burned and deformed, and bits of his flesh still clung to the blade's handle. It was a grotesque image, and the Arkanian even managed to elicit some pity for him.

Ripley crossed the room, her steps wary and her movements methodical as hundreds of half-burnt insects crunched beneath her boots. Passing the bloody skins that hung from the ceiling, another shiver shot down her spine.

This had been too easy. Had they truly seen the last of Gamall or whatever that thing was? Or was it lurking somewhere in the shadows, biding its time?

The historian crouched down beside the altar, running her fingers over the symbols etched into its side. There had to be some way out of here. A secret door, a hidden passage... something.

Chewing on her lip in thought, her white eyes scanned the room. Eventually her gaze landed on the discarded blade again, darting to the Mandalorian the very next second.

"Mandalorian," she spoke, unable to recall the name he had given. "Would you be so kind as to return the blade to where it was taken?"

The rusted handle had already shown itself to be hazardous, though whether it was by magic or simply the heat from the fire was unknown. Ripley didn't care to be the next one to find out, and of the five people gathered, only the Mandalorian wore gloves and gauntlets of beskar.

Her white eyes wandered over the three Force users, lingering on the woman the longest. "Or perhaps one of our gifted friends would not mind?"

It was nothing more than a hunch, but right now a hunch was all they had. Standing around would accomplish nothing.

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@Mr. Teatime @Versok @Tulos @Tom @LouJoVi​