Ask Tempestuous Experiments

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Even if he was staying more in Umbara these past months, Caerllion still compared the planet with his homeworld. While Annwfyn had entire days and nights, this Dark world never received the sunlight, being in a perpetual state of darkness. This also affected the local plants, which ended up being forced to evolve to survive in such conditions.

For some reason, the Annfyn didn't mind being on the planet anymore. He came to appreciate the darkness and the absence of the sun, which left Umbara in a perpetual dusk. Perhaps his appreciation for the dark planet came from his growing power in the Dark Side, or because his family had always been associated with the dusk. Whatever the answer was, Caerllion liked to work there.

Yes, because this time he didn’t come to Umbara for a visit. He had once again started his genetic and alchemical experiments. The Annfyn had requested an installation in this world where he could develop them. His work was still in the first steps, but he was already going to present for the Dark Lady.

After all, she was the one supporting these experiments and the presence of this secret installation in the Umbaran jungles.

While he waited for her arrival in the courtyard of the laboratory, Caerllion mused about how low it was since he had interacted with her. She seemed to be so busy these times that he didn’t want to disturb her. It was amusing how some years ago he thought of her so lowly because Tempest was a half-Annfyn. Now he couldn’t care less, because he came to admire her rise to power.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

In truth, Tempest was surprised to hear that Caerllion had survived the exile of the Order. For months, the Sith had been forced to evolve from decades of philosophy and practices, adapting to their vulnerable position within the Galaxy. It had not been an easy transition, and there were many who sought to forge their own path going forward. The half-Annfyn was perfectly aware of the close relationship between Wodan, Altair and Caerllion, and largely expected the Champion to remain closely associated with the Empire.

Moreover, the Dark Lord wasn’t ignorant to the elitist views of Caerllion and the Annfyn nobility he represented. She had sensed it from the moment they were introduced on that party bus - felt every bit of vitriol and disdain that her inferior bore during their missions and interactions. Whether he followed out of fear or newfound loyalty, it mattered little to Tempest. She had little tolerance for disrespect, and any expression of his previous views would be met with swift retribution.

Already conducting business on Umbara, Tempest opted to meet with the Champion - inquired by the promise of whatever fruits his research bore. Though the Dark Lord had largely begun to rely on a certain Pureblood as an authority on the Arcane, she wouldn’t discount the contributions of others within her Order and encourage rivalry between them.

Tempest didn’t waste time - stepping into the chamber where Caerllion waited. The Dark Lord was adorned in her signature armor, cloak billowing with her every step.

“I trust,” She said, hands neatly tucked against the small of her back. Her voice was mechanized and modulated beyond recognition, completely masking the tinge of her Induparan accent. “That you have something to show for your efforts.”

Caerllion didn’t have the benefit of Tempest’s favor. He would be judged on the merits of his project. Or lack thereof.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion maintained the composure when Tempest arrived. Her presence in the Dark Side was enough to make the Annfyn feel fear. Even her armor was impressive. However, he would not curl in a ball or act nervously. This would show that he was a coward, when the Champion wanted her respect.

"My lady." he said, kneeling before her and lowering his head in respect. Once upon a time, the Annfyn would have felt sick by doing it in front of a half-blood like Tempest. However, he wasn’t the same foolish princeling from before. Neither was he going to do intensive pleasantries. With how little she appeared these days, Caerllion was sure that she had more important things to do. "I'll show you my work."

He would rise from the floor and walk toward a nearby door. Behind it was a long corridor with white and clean walls. The Annfyn would never walk in front of her, staying next to her during the entire walk, even if he was the one that knew the place. It was common in Annwfyn for an individual of a low rank to never walk in front of a superior. He was only reproducing it.

When they crossed the last door, the two would come in front of a laboratory. It was full of machines and large tubes filled with suspicious fluids. "I had been using alchemy and Sith sorcery to develop useful familiars." he gestured with his hand and a small blue bird flew from somewhere in the ceiling and landed in his arm. He immediately touched its head, pouring the Dark Side on it. The animal's eyes became red briefly.

"Creatures like this one look like the ones that someone would find in the wild of Annwfyn, but this variant I created from the genetic material of the original and with alchemy. They have great affinity with the Dark Side, making bonds with them easier." he gestured and the small bird flew around the room. "Through this bond, we can hear and see through them. With your support, I plan to add venomous characteristics to some individuals."

"I hope that with them, the Order would have spies and assassins that no one would notice." he released the bond and the small bird flew away. "Rats, loth-cats, dogs, small passerines and even aquatic animals. The Sith would be able to have eyes everywhere, and all of them would serve their Dark Lady." he thought that she would need to distribute these familiars to individuals that she trusted.

Did she really trust someone?

"There was another thing that I wanted to show, the most important part of my work." he pointed to four tubes that became illuminated after Caerllion pressed a switch. Resting inside it were four embryos, connected to the machines through a tube that looked like an umbilical cord. They were growing and even in this small form, the two Sith could feel the Dark Side growing on them.

"These four are the prototypes of a new species, born through the DNA of wolves, loth-cats, Arkanian dragons, vornskrs, vipers and other things. All of that mixed with my own sorcery." he got knocked out three weeks after doing each of them due to the strain, but these details weren’t necessary to this conversation.

"The projections say that when they grow up, they will become predators with the ability of secreting venom, besides being able to bond with them through the Force. I already did it in one of them." he showed her in a nearby monitor what the creature would look like as an adult. "My intention with it is to have the Order release them on planets where they will spread fear through the Dark Side, while we arrange for the Exalted to be blamed and the Jedi to be drawned to deal with them. With the Jedi busy dealing with it, we can act without being disturbed elsewhere. This would also make them hunt the exalted, which is good for us."

"However, since they are prototypes, these creatures have limitations. This is why I wanted your permission to send other Sith in missions to help with the project. One of them would be seeking a weakened exalted." he grabbed a datapad, before passing it to her. "Without Raze, some of them are weak. I wanted to study them, dissecate them, split their DNA and use what I discover to improve the abilities of the…" he looked at the embryos, they still didn’t have a name. "I was hoping that you, if interested in my project to continue, would be the one to give their species a name."

@Altaris