Tomb of the Dark Lord: The Tests

[The Gatekeeper]

Spoiler: OOC

@Nefieslab @christhebarker @Malon As discussed, both of the two coming threads will be high risk. Failure to post in a timely manner or critical mistakes are likely to come with a high cost potentially including death. Best of luck in the tomb of the Dark Lord!

The tomb of Darth Kravos had sat for five hundred years, and not a living soul knew what lay beyond the door. Many over the years had traveled deep into the tunnels, but not a single one had ever emerged from the desert dwelling to tell the tale.

Nearly 200 years after the death of the first Dark Lord, a Sith Sorcerer - known for his curiosity and fascination with the past Sith Lords - had taken it upon himself to begin an excavation of the tomb. Rather than pass the many trials and tests that the tomb had to offer, he sent his men to simply brute force their way through the tomb.

When night descended, the Tikras had struck. Sith for "the faithful" little was known of this cult of Red Sith except for their worship of the first Sith Lords, and their dedication to protecting the tombs. They descended upon the sleeping workers and slaughtered them to a man, throats slit in deadly silence. The bones of the murdered could still be seen lining the passage to the inner layers of the tomb, some mounted to the wall as a warning to those who would desecrate the tomb.

Never, though, had the Tikras stopped a pilgrim who sought to pass the challenges of the Dark Lord. The tomb had a way of dealing with them itself.

The sun beat down and the sand whipped up as a hot, stifling breeze blew across the front of the tomb. The gate to the entrance had long ago been torn open, and just beyond it lay a tunnel deep into the mountain. The darkness emanating from it was an almost life-like presence though no body was present. It would tear at the minds of those who approached, and even before setting foot inside they would feel the dread of what was to come.

It was alive with the Force, and it was no friend of theirs.

 

[Darth Tagus]

All knew of Darth Kravos.

All knew of his legacy.

All knew of his tomb.

Yet unlike other tombs on Korriban, this one remained standing. It had all of it's treasures intact and it's aura of mystery had never been tainted by being breached. It was, if anyone asked, what everyone would describe when asked to describe what the tomb of a Sith Lord on Korriban looked like. Perfect in every way, including the way that the Dark Side of the Force surrounded the place as though it were some ugly blot upon the face of the Galaxy.

Perfect for a Sith of Kravos' calibre.

Tagus had arrived first, trusting his subordinates to make their own way to the tomb as they had agreed. If they arrived then that would work in his favor - if they did not arrive then he would take the challenge alone. He was under no illusion that he had a worse chance of success if he was alone but if he was alone then so be it.

There was just something inside of him that drove him here, something that told him he needed the secrets and the knowledge within the holocron of Darth Kravos in order to do what needed to be done. In order to be the one who did the unthinkable because no one else could stomach the idea. It was woven into his being at this stage and, he knew, it was becoming something of an obsession.

The never ending quest, the hunger, for more in order to salvage the Sith.

To bring them closer to the Dark Side than ever before, even in the times of Kravos.

Dressed in his usual attire, Tagus was equipped as he always was. He had little time for getting dressed up in ceremonial robes or laden down with trinkets or technological advances. No, he would face this tomb as the Sith he had become and the Lord that he had become through the time as a Sith.

Standing in front of the main entrance, Tagus held his lightsaber in his right hand but did not activate it. Instead he just stared down into the corridor while immersing himself in the Force, dragging in life and Darkness from the area to empower himself.

Spoiler: OOC

Blasters and grenades from CS are not equipped.

@Malon @christhebarker
@Phoenix

 

[Zannah]

Zannah felt the red sand crunching beneath her black boots as she strolled towards the tomb of the long dead Darth Kravos, most ancient of the Sith Lords. The tomb belched out the dark side in waves that she felt as wind brushing passed her armor. This place was alive with power. Undisturbed power. Power that did not want to be sought or found. The ancient Sith Lords were jealous of the power they had accrued and rigged their tombs with every horrific trap imaginable to protect it from falling into the hands of their ambitious progeny. But she was not one to be deterred by such.

Her cape billowed behind her as she arrived alongside the Emperor. Rather than immediately acknowledging him, she stared down at the tomb door in front of them. The vault waiting to be unsealed and give up its treasures. The Sith woman could almost taste the power that was hidden within. It called out to her. Whispered to her on the winds. Tempted her with promises of glory and the devastation of her enemies in the Core. But she reigned in her anticipations. Too antsy, and the tomb could easily draw her into a trap and kill her; and she would not be dispatched as easily as some common foot soldier.

When she was ready, Zannah tipped her head slightly to the side in acknowledgement of the Emperor. "I stand ready, my lord," she said. The use of the epithet left a sour taste in her mouth. She didn't like prostrating herself in front of others, even the Emperor, and even verbally. But, such was the way of the Sith. She turned back towards the tomb. "Let us crack this egg open and rob it of its yolk." @Nefieslab @christhebarker

 

[The Gatekeeper]

The Tikras had noted the abnormal presence in their mountains early on in the day. This was their home, and they were aware of every shift of the sands, gust of the wind, and ripple in the Force. The foreigners had been tracked by two of these warriors since their arrival. The second had left to fetch 2 more. Now, four Red Sith watched the two Sith who had gathered outside the tomb. They had been standing and waiting for hours, and that was enough for the guardian cultists to assume they were up to something... and prepare to attack. Lingering further would only exacerbate the situation.

They made their way down from the hills, but it would be several minutes before their arrival. As it was, anyone attempting to follow the pair of Sith in was in for a nasty surprise. If the two Sith passed the threshold of the tomb they would find no further trouble from the warriors of the cult.

Down the long hallway, the pair of Sith would reach the first chamber. A dome shape approximately fifteen meters across, the far wall held a massive door of stone. Scratch marks and deep burns in the wall from lightsabers didn't seem to pass through to the other side, and no passageways around the door seemed to allow progression. At the base of the door and pushed off to the sides lay bones, a dozen or more devoid of external trauma. Large letters were etched above the door in ancient Sith that read "Through passion, I gain strength."

Further inspection of the room would reveal the only other item of interest: at the center of the room was a small hole no more than 10cm across. Five centimeters down the hole was a grating that was clearly stained with dried blood. Surrounding the hole, etched into the stone were the words "Peace is a lie, there is only passion." Like the door, over a dozen sets of bones lay near the hole without signs of trauma. @Nefieslab @christhebarker @Malon

 

[Zannah]

Zannah crossed the threshold into the tomb and strolled down the hallway without a word. Only her mechanical breathing kept her company as it echoed out of her helmet and off of the walls. The first chamber was utterly bland, but the shrewd Sith woman could recognize a puzzle when she saw one. She considered the massive stone door. It was far too massive to simply use the Force, and, besides, she suspected that it would be too easy a task to simply lift the door and walk through.

Above the door lay a clue. Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk. A red Sith herself, Zannah read the words with ease. Upon further inspection of the chamber, she located the hole at its center and more words. Nwûl tash. Dzwol shâsotkun. More references to the Sith Code. She supposed the bones scattered about the chamber belonged to past intruders who failed the test. Perhaps they had not discerned the meaning of the words or their applications.

It's a riddle, she thought. Through passion, one gains the strength to open the door. And the hole... She glanced sideways at it and narrowed her eyes beneath her mask. It almost appears to be a sacrificial altar. Blood fills the hole to the grating, which opens the door. Or releases... something. And the words... 'peace is a lie.' They're a warning. There will be no getting through this without sacrifice. We must allow our passions to guide us. In that case....

Zannah had nothing in the way of a knife. Only her lightsaber, which would be ill-equipped for the task at hand. She scanned the room, located a hand bone and called it to her with the Force. Plucking the index finger off of the ancient hand was easy, considering the age of the bones, as was breaking the finger bone in half to make it jagged and sharp. Afterwards, she removed the glove over her left hand and, clutching the knife-like bone in her right, cut a fresh gash into the palm in her hand.

The pain brought with it a fresh flash of anger, but this was good. Zannah allowed the anger and pain to fuel her connection to the dark side of the Force. She would need its strength for the tests ahead. Holding her wounded hand out over the hole, she let fresh blood drip down inside. Of course, her blood alone likely wouldn't be enough to fill it up to the mark. She looked sideways at the man who had accompanied her and hissed at the Emperor, "Now you. Peace is a lie. Getting through here without pain and sacrifice is impossible. But that pain will give us the strength—" She eyed the words above the door again. "—to open the door." @Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[Darth Tagus]

Tagus strode forwards along with Zannah - he wasn't going to linger outside for any reason. Hesitation was not a factor and if his other ally was late to arrive? That was on her and it might be best for her not to see him after keeping him waiting. Stepping into the first chamber of the temple, Tagus looked around and couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips beneath his mask.

This was the kind of thing the Sith of old had accomplished and still it stood. This was the kind of thing that could be accomplished when Sith weren't forced to act as politicians and businessmen.

Such a pure representation of the power of a Sith... he enjoyed it despite the way his heart sped up, the Force telling him that Darkness awaited him.

He observed the riddle for a few moments and watched as Zannah acted. She seemed to have a good idea if he was being honest so he decided it would be worth following suit. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a tiny slip of metal. The tiny slip of metal was his wedding ring, which he had kept with him even after killing his wife.

Using the Force, he crushed it down into a small slither of sharp edges and used it to cut himself down the length of his left forearm (the parts not covered by his gauntlet anyway) and used the Force to channel it into the hole, dropping the remains of his ring with his blood. There was a spark of pain and a rush of anger and even hatred as he watched the metal disappear underneath the blood.

Pain from the wound.

Anger from the pain.

Hatred for both what he had done to something he cherished and at the test itself.

"Then we shall proceed."

@Phoenix
@Malon @christhebarker

 

[The Gatekeeper]

They had chosen the way of self sacrifice. As soon as the first drop of blood struck the grate there was an awakening deep within the tomb. The spirit of Darth Kravos felt the shifts in the Force. Another person had dared cross the threshold of his tomb and pursue what he had created. He was the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith Empire, and he would suffer no fools taking what he had made.

The darkness requires great sacrifice. The words wouldn't be heard or even felt, but the Sith would know that they were doing the right thing in their souls. It was inexplicable and spoke to an unfathomable power that resided in this tomb to toy with the minds of those who entered it. The blood flowed freely from the two Sith, but the door did not quickly leap open. Kravos waited and watched invisibly from just beyond the veil of the Force.

They would begin to feel faint and tired as the blood drained, and it wasn't until they had both drained a half liter of blood that the door creaked. Its enormous bulk began to retract upward as the former Dark Lord manipulated the internal workings of the lock. He knew every inch of this tomb, and the two Sith were now allowed further access. They had passed the first test, but at a cost. Already their bodies would feel the effects of the bloodletting they had just undergone.

But the passage was open.

The next hallway was far larger, longer, and more ornate. Like a trench running 10 feet high on either side, it opened above into a much larger room whose ceiling spread out above the pair. On the walls of the trench were hundreds of ornate totems stuck into small, circular alcoves. Threshold of the trench was etched the words: "There is Power in Emotion. Emotion leads to Passion."

As the two Sith advanced forward, the massive stone door once again closed behind them, and the way was shut: kept by the dead.

As the two Sith exited the trench, the rest of the room came into view. Pillars were scattered throughout and at the base of each was a single, six-inch block with a letter on it: t, d, k, q, m, n, ts, dz, s, z, h, ch, j, sh, r/l, w, y, i, â, u, û, o, and a. The room was large and circular with ornate carvings depicting the early days of the Sith etched into the stone of the pillars. It was a veritable history of the Sith from the early days of the Exiles as Jedi to the trial of Andraste. The conflict of power at Prakith and the rise of the Sith Empire. It was etched into pillars all throughout the room.

If the two Sith went to the far side of the room, they would find yet another door of massive proportion. It opened inward, and had a single slot 1.5 meters off of the ground that was two feet wide. Above the door was once more etched the word "Midwan."

@Nefieslab @Malon

 

[Zannah]

Zannah was pleased with herself for the span of an instant for solving the puzzle before a cold presence awakening from deep within the tomb wiped the smirk that had begun to form underneath her mask right off her face. It was unlike any dark presence she had ever felt, accompanied by a coldness that bled through her armor and stung her very bones. Zannah felt herself break out into a cold sweat and she knew that this presence could be none other than Darth Kravos himself—the spirit of the dead Sith Lord still lingered somehow, and all she could think of was how utterly unlike the current Emperor the dead Dark Lord felt.

Kravos reeks of power, she found herself thinking. And this is just him dead. What sort of monster must he have been alive...?

To expound on her problems, Zannah was beginning to feel the effects of blood-loss. She was light-headed and she felt shaky from weakness. The red Sith woman steeled herself, using her anger and pain to focus on the dark side, which helped to stave off the worst effects of having lost half a liter of blood. She retrieved her discarded glove, dusted it off, and put it back on; then, she strolled out of the chamber without waiting for the Emperor and head towards the next room—the next challenge.

The second chamber was more visually impressive than the first. She recognized some of what the carvings along its walls depicted. This was the history of the Sith—both the Order and the recent history of her people. But it was the blocks at the base of the room's pillars that really held her attention. She noticed the glyphs on each, written in the ancient Sith tongue. She didn't know how much the Emperor knew of the old Sith language, but, being fluent in it, she immediately began to put the pieces of the next puzzle together in her mind. Zannah glanced up at the walls and the words etched into them. Then, from under her mask, her red eyes fell upon the door.

Midwan. Zannah turned the Sith word over in her mind like a flavorful candy. The word was pleasing to her. And then it all clicked. Aloud, she said, "Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength." The words from the first chamber. Now, she eyed the door again. "There is power in emotions," she said, now remembering the door etched above the trench. "Emotions lead to passion. And passion leads to—" Through the Force, she called the blocks she needed to her hand: t, y, û, k. "—strength."

She pressed the blocks into the slot on the door. They were a perfect fit. Then, she stood back away from the door and put a hand on her lightsaber. Zannah was still feeling the effects of blood-loss, but she coiled the dark side around her, prepared for the blocks to unleash some trap. Some other test. But, secretly, she hoped she would gain the approval of Kravos' spirit instead. Under her mask, she glanced at the Emperor. With any luck, the two of them would be enough to ward off whatever the chamber would unleash were she wrong. @Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[Darth Tagus]

Onwards.

The cold dragged on as he felt the effects of the blood letting take hold of him. With a grunt he ran his right hand over his cut, using the Force to seal the wound with heat. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he mentally latched onto the pain to sharpen his mind, his wits and his will as he pushed onwards.

Into the darkness and into the cold.

It felt as though he were standing before the last four Emperors combined almost. A distilled sense of wrongness deep inside the Force that sang to the darkest parts of him a song of longing and a lust for more. A lust for violence and for more blood to be spilled. The blood of the unworthy by preference he assumed.

He walked on, into the realm of the dead and the buried and those with power beyond what had been encountered by those yet living. It was humbling in a way, as was the way the entire corridor was arranged. An artisan he was not, but Tagus could appreciate the effort and the cunning that had gone into constructing the puzzle.

The history was not new to him but his ability in the old Sith tongue was... lacking. Despite his recent dive into researching the occult of the Sith, he still had yet to truly learn much of the old Sith tongue. What he had learned was mostly related to specific rituals in Sith magics and the like so not much of it helped her. Thankfully it seemed he had chosen well in his accomplice as Zannah was someone with far greater skill in it than he.

Drawing the Force into himself, strengthening himself with the borrowed power to offset the weakness of the blood letting for the time being, Tagus enjoyed taking control of it from the almost living atmosphere. He wrapped it around himself and Zannah as well, almost as though he was encasing the two of them in a cloak of his power to keep away the chill of Kravos' own.

If this turned sideways, he would do his best to weather the storm of Kravos' discontent.

@Malon
@Phoenix

 

[The Gatekeeper]

From beyond the veil, Darth Kravos continued to watch the two as they progressed. It seemed that they were putting together pieces of the puzzle, and as the final block slid into place the door crackled and rumbled. It was the deep rumbling of heavy gears beginning to turn, motivated by the Force itself as they strained against the multi-ton door and began to pull both halves inward.

Split right down the middle, the door opened to another path for the two Sith. This one instantly appeared more dangerous than the previous paths. Shattered skeletons and bones lay scattered throughout the path and even three corpses that were far more fresh: still decomposing. The stench was revolting, and the bodies that lay about shattered were not just humanoid. Other creatures that could have been nothing but abominations lay on the ground, their carcasses unrecognizable as whatever their original species had been.

The hallway was long and perhaps ten meters wide. Besides the bones, however, the first and perhaps only thing the Sith would notice were the prison doors in the walls. Dozens of rooms each about the size of a prison cell built into the wall, but instead of people they were filled with twisted creations whose species couldn't be identified. The first several on either side were open and empty, presumably having once held the corpses of the dispatched abominations.

The Sith also may notice that not a single body lay on their side of a single sentence inscribed in the ground: Through Power, I gain Victory. A simple victory? A simple battle? Darth Kravos watched invisibly, his lips turned up and it would have been difficult to tell if it was a wicked smile or a sneer of disgust, and he shook his head as he moved down the hall, looking upon his old creations. Hundreds of years old but unchanged: sustained by the Dark Side itself.

Come and get me, he thought to himself, knowing that what they truly wanted was his knowledge hidden deep within, but it was a gift reserved only for the truly exceptional. They had yet to show their power: whether strength, speed, or intelligence. Their victory was far from assured. @Malon @Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Well there was absolutely no doubt that this next corridor was basically a trap. The cells on either side of the corridor were there and they were harrowing but they weren't the main focus; the main focus had to be the end, the goal and how they would get there. If they allowed themselves to become bogged down in the tests themselves then their chances of getting through them would be diminished.

But with the test arrayed before them, Tagus frowned slightly.

Through power, I gain victory.

There were many different types of power and their applications were all cherished by the Sith. The beasts in their cages were formidable certainly but he was certain between himself and his ally that they could crush them with brute force if needs be - but that would leave them weakened for the future tests.

Already with the blood-letting their physical selves were weaker than when they had arrived at the entrance to the Tomb and Tagus had no intention of weakening himself further in the same way considering they likely had more to come. Instead he drew on the power of the Dark Side even more, utilizing his power with the Force but blending it with his cunning rather than his brutality.

He had already wrapped the Force around himself and Zannah like a shroud and now he was manipulating that shroud, weaving illusions around the two of them that had two functions. First was to remove them from the physical sight of the creatures looking upon the area he effected, second was to muffle the sounds that escaped that same area to almost nothing, giving them little to go on.

"Layer the illusion." he suggested to Zannah, "Remove our scent as best you can - we shall use our strength and our cunning to pass without weakening ourselves."

With their layered protection, Tagus would begin to walk through the corridor. He still had his lightsaber in hand and he was vigilant in case the illusion gambit failed but he had some semblance of hope that it would hold.

@Malon
@Phoenix

 

[Zannah]

Beneath her mask, Zannah paused and grimaced, though to the Emperor it would only appear that she had hesitated momentarily. The black helmet she wore was both useful for protecting her and from concealing her most immediate reactions. It was just that there was no such application to the Force. The Force could, for a powerful enough Sith, conceal one's presence within the Force. Likewise, it could also render a Force-user nearly invisible, erasing all sight and sound.. But the Force could not erase scent. If such a technique existed, it was unknown to the Jedi and Sith Orders and was certainly beyond the scope of paltry illusions.

Still, there was some merit to the Emperor's plan. Zannah had also seen the inscriptions. The corridor was meant to test their abilities—either their martial abilities or their cunning. Darth Tagus had chosen cunning. He must have suspected Darth Kravos' abominations would surely weaken them against the other challenges the Sith Lord's tomb would undoubtably bring. So, Zannah obliged by deciding to show both the Emperor and Kravos the extent of her cunning and her power. From the archives on Moraband, she had learned some little Sith alchemy.

The alchemy was best preformed in a brazier and with ample preparation; but, as she was now, she could cast some minor Sith spell that could amplify the Sith Master's illusion. From what she could gather, he had concealed them from sight with his Force illusion. A useful cover, but it would not fool the scent of a Sith abomination. So, she would have to give them something more tempting to go after. Something more tasty than potentially invisible Sith infiltrators. She removed the glove of her left hand, which, handily, was already stained with the blood she had shed during the earlier test. She also took care to take some of the spilt blood from Tagus's earlier test, as well.

Next, she focused on the dark side and floated the glove towards the door the two Sith had just come from. In short, they would be moving towards the objective while the glove floated in the other direction... only it would not look like a glove.

"Takoi vie shu-ma-tuka!" the red-skinned Sith woman chanted.

The bit of Sith magic would do exactly as the Emperor asked, layering his already powerful Force illusion with dark strength of Sith sorcery. To the abominations in the cages, the glove would appear to be the two intruders. The blood she had smeared on it would cary their scents, as well. She would float it into the previous chamber, where she hoped Kravos's tomb would close as it had before, trapping them inside and freeing the two Sith to press on ahead unabated. If that didn't work, the trick might at least confuse a few of them, making the ensuing fight less difficult. @Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Kravos watched as they grappled with what it would take to cross the path to the other end of the abomination tunnel. To their credit, they had chosen something other than a direct fight, but had failed to determine the path that would bring them away from all conflict. He knew that the history they would have had to know was likely buried and overlooked by the common Sith, but that was why this tomb wasn't for the common Sith.

With a wave of his hand, Kravos opened the doors to four of the cages, and out rushed the contestants. The scorpion was the quickest of the four and tore off after the gloved illusion, leaping past the two Sith and upon the glove, tearing tail and jaws into nothing but air. The spewer began flinging spikes and needles down the length of the hall at the height of the chest, but without successfully finding a target yet. If they struck home they would hit like a slug thrower, easily able to knock a combatant off their feet and even pierce partially through armor.

The brute was the largest of the four and began beating wildly at the air with its two massive arms. With a heavily plated carapace along the limbs, it was clear that it would not be so easy to bring down. It beat at the position in the walkway where the combatants were standing, swiping at the Emperor with enough energy to break his sternum with one of its arms. It was only coincidence that he struck at the right spot, but it would be more than enough to shatter the illusion of the two and force them into active combat.

The final beast was the pregnant. At the furthest end of the hall, it would block off the path of anyone trying to run for the far end. With the pair inevitably visible, the spewer launched three spikes at Zannah, one at the right thigh, one at the left lower quadrant of the abdomen, and one at the right shoulder.

OOC: I originally forgot to list the requirements for passing the DC but I edited them back into the rolling post. I had originally told them to Painus before rolling, so I promise I didn't just make it up after rolling lol @Nefieslab @Malon

 

[Zannah]

Zannah had no time to be frustrated at their failure to avoid the abomination. In the back of her mind, she had almost expected it. But, rather than ignite her lightsaber and leap into the fray, she decided to be more... practical. The Sith woman reacted on instinct, allowing the dark side of the Force to guide her actions with precision. The spewer had fired three shots directly at her once the Emperor's illusion had been crushed, but three shots were more than generous. She had half a mind to thank the beast, but decided to do so in the most Sith manner possible.

Reaching out with the Force, and with the flick of her wrist, she altered the trajectory of the first two shots—reflecting the first (the one aimed at her lower abdomen) back at the spewer; its ugly head was close to the ground and venerable to return-fire. If she succeeded in hitting the beast, she had no doubt it would be a killing blow. The second shot, the one aimed at her right thigh, she bounced upward at the brute looming above herself and the Emperor. Its carapace looked thick, but perhaps the weapon of another abomination would pierce its armor.

As she did these things, she pivoted and allowed the third shot aimed at her shoulder, to sail passed her towards the scorpion. She made no effort to alter its trajectory—only gave a slight push with the Force to increase its momentum. Once this was done, only then would she pull her lightsaber free of her belt and ignite its crimson blade. If the Emperor had not dealt with the remaining threats, she would stand ready to join him in dealing with them in unison. @Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[Darth Tagus]

Okay so the beasts were released but there was no need to panic... wait... okay so they knew they were there. It wasn't just the gates being opened, the beasts were at least somewhat aware of them. That was fantastic in a way only, perhaps, surpassed by having red hot iron nails driven into his skull.

The most fantastic.

Still, no need to panic.

Abominations may cause panic in the minds of civilians or weaker Sith but that was not a luxury he had any longer. Panic wasted too much time so instead of panic or fear, Tagus instead pushed forwards with practicality and, if he was honest, anger at his illusions being undone. Igniting his lightsaber in his right hand, Tagus moved to his right, flowing around to the side of the Brute's attack even as it shattered the illusion.

Even as the illusion was breaking, Tagus slipped around the creature to it's left. With it's arms still extended in it's strike, it would be hard pressed to offer resistance to Tagus' ligthsaber as he swiped it horizontally across the back of it's legs, looking to cut through the weaker, exposed, muscles of both hamstrings with one swing of his blade.

At the same time he reached out with the Force to momentarily arrest the movement of the scorpion, just for a second, so the third shot of the spewer would not be easily avoided. Still, he kept himself vigilant to the brute and the beast to his far right, almost out of his sight, the pregnant... thing.

Force but they were beautiful in their way.

@Malon
@Phoenix

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Death still hung in the air from the previous people who had been slaughtered here, and more would be added today. Whether abominations or Sith.

Kravos watched with amusement as the two began their fight. His abominations were deadly, and could easily overwhelm most people. It was time to see whether these two were actually capable of holding their own. Did they deserve the right to be able to create such horrible lifeforms as this? Corrupted and twisted by the Dark Side itself in a way that few could imagine.

The brute didn't abandon its attack or even defend itself. It wasn't a creature of defense, but a creature of bloodthirst and death. Offense was the only thing it knew. It continued its swing with its left arm, which had found nothing but air at first. It's momentum caused it to continue, however. The Emperor moved to its left, and the creature continued to swing, not leaving enough time for him to actually attack it. If the Emperor actually took the time to either swing at the brute's leg or try to grab the scorpion he would find his hip fractured by the impact of the continued swing. The arm extended outward from its bent in half position, cutting off the opportunity to simply run away. Even if the Emperor struck at the leg, the momentum of the arm would not be diminished in time to save himself.

The scorpion wouldn't find itself in a position of being grabbed (since either the Emperor would have done something to defend himself and thus be interrupted or he would have been cracked like a walnut), and it had no trouble clearing the way from the last pellet. In fact, it was already leaping through the air by the time it happened. Its front claws lashed out low at both of Zannah's ankles while its tail sat ready to attack or defend.

The spewer was actually successfully struck, and a spine went through its head, slumping it to the floor.

The pregnant was undeterred, coming in from Tagus's right and swinging its left claw diagonally from its own upper left to bottom right where it would cleave easily through the Emperor's lower back while he still contested with the brute. @Malon @Nefieslab

 

[Zannah]

Zannah was a crimson whirlwind. Her defense had been successful, but there was no time to celebrate or gloat. She saw the scorpion-like creature leap towards her with blinding speed and moved to defend. She held out her double-bladed lightsaber horizontally in front of her and spun its twin crimson blades like a fan just as the scorpion lashed out at her. Unless its hide was made of lightsaber-resistant material, it would find its pincers cleaved off the moment they made contact with her whirling blades.

The defense had a second purpose too. Zannah's gaze was on the scorpion's own beady eyes, but she could see its stinger hovering, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The fan of light between her and the creature would give it no opening to do so. If it struck from its current position, its tail would meet the same fate as its pincers. All the while, she gathered the Force to her, prepared to either lash out or put it into her muscles to evade depending on how the scorpion reacted to losing its pincers. @Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[Darth Tagus]

Tagus reacted rather than thought - it was probably the only reason it actually might work.

Instinctively he reacted to the incoming attack by changing his left-handed Force attack on the Scorpion into a Force Push against the incoming attack of the Brute. With the weight advantage in favour of the Brute and the instinctive nature of his attack meaning he didn't have time to brace his feet properly, Tagus was flung backwards by his own attack, out of the range of the beasts swing, his lightsaber turning off as he removed his finger from the ignition to avoid his blade cutting himself in the landing.

He hoped for a soft landing but it was slightly... rougher than that.

Or rather, he was flung back-first into the oh-so-loving grasp of the Pregnant creature before it's attack was completed. His back would slam into the creature's front, bringing him too close into it's effective range. Because it's left arm was coming from up high he was able to slip into it's personal space before it could fully bring it's swing down. Unfortunately for Tagus, the swing was in motion, meaning the bladed arm came down like a closing vice, almost like being given a one-armed hug by a pair of scissors.

Tagus caught the blade's edge with his gauntlet, the lightsaber resistant artifact stopping the arm from cutting him in half by halting it's movement but it was still digging into his left shoulder and upper left chest. It wasn't down to the bone or anything but it still hurt a lot. He would live to find out the extent of the damage later, hopefully.

Using his right hand, Tagus turned his lightsaber around and ignited it again when the emitter was pointing over his right shoulder, his blade igniting right into the skull of the Pregnant creature before it could capitalize on having him in a demented bear hug.

@Malon
@Phoenix

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Like the brute, all the scorpion knew was how to attack and kill. It had been bred with nothing but pure hatred, and it felt no pain. It existed for the sole purpose of destroying who or whatever Kravos told it to eviscerate. When its hands were lost, it took its opportunity and the tail struck immediately after like a striking snake. With the blade still all but passing through the hands, it wasn't in a position to snap back in time to block the strike to her left leg above the ankle, and the other half of the blade didn't have time to swing around either.

As for the Emperor, things weren't going much better. He'd managed to avoid being crushed outright, but the pregnant had him now. That left blade dug into his shoulder, tearing easily through muscle and shredding the gauntlet on his arm, but it saved him from being bisected. Unfortunately for the Emperor, the deltoid in his shoulder was all but severed, and he would find it nearly impossible to even lift the arm greater than 15 degrees away from his body in the future, but at least he wasn't dead yet, even if his arm was virtually worthless.

The saber ignited and through the pregnant's head it went, but that didn't mean the Emperor was out of the woods yet. He was still in a half-bear hug from the pregnant and the brute was swinging again. Once again, it was ready to slam into his belly and rupture all his internal organs, but this time dodging was made all but impossible as he was tangled up in the other dying abomination and his saber was already occupied with stabbing the pregnant. Death seemed ever closer on the horizon. @Malon @Nefieslab

 

[Zannah]

Zannah had to hand it to Kravos. The Dark Lord had made some mindless killing machines. The stinger of the scorpion was fast and its instinctive strike was fast enough to pass through Zannah's fan of light while her blades succeeded in severing its pincers; but the tail of the creature wouldn't get far. Zannah's blades passed through the creatures pincers like butter and she did not stop spinning them. The bladed tip of its tail struck her leg, just above the ankle, but did not make it deep enough to cause debilitating damage before it too was caught in Zannah's rotating blade.

Zannah felt the sharp stab of pain and the hot trickle of blood. She winced beneath her mask, but the fresh pain only strengthened the connection to the dark side she had been building. Deprived of both its weapons, the scorpion abomination was defenseless. Zannah stopped spinning her weapon and stabbed it forward like a pike towards the creature's exposed head. If she was successful, she would have killed two of the abominations sent to kill them, a great triumph for a Sith of her rank.

The red Sith woman threw a glance over her shoulder to see how the Emperor was fairing and was immediately disgusted to see that he was barely clinging to his life. He had only managed to barely kill a single one of the abominations she had entrusted him to fight. For a fleeting instant, she considered letting the abominations have him and continuing on without him. It was the way of the Sith, after all. But she also knew there was little hope of leaving this tomb alive if she continued on alone. In short, she had to help.

But this was fine too. It meant she had more than earned her place in the Sith Order.

The Emperor was presently locked into a half-bear hug with a dead pregnant thing. His arm was practically hanging from its socket. He wouldn't be using it to defend himself. The lumbering behemoth he had been fighting was bearing down on him with a finishing blow, and Zannah had only a split second to react. Instinctively, she knew it was stronger than she was. Playing a game of strength with it would only tire her and kill the Emperor in the process. So she went for the better option. She picked up her blade and hurled it at the creature's exposed backside like a javelin.

At the same time, she used the Force she had been building to guide its trajectory. With the abomination mid-swing and unaware of her, the blade would almost certainly plunge itself through the creature's back, severing its spine and ending its life before it could kill the Emperor. If she was successful, once the creature was dead, she would use the Force to recall her weapon to her hand. (She would preform the same action if she was unsuccessful.) @Nefieslab @Phoenix