Open Tome of the Eyeless One: The Madness

[Fiach Dubh]

“Warrior-like men, witches — this place is all kinds of fun.”
― Anakin Skywalker


The mission was as straightforward – albeit not easy. And there was a distinction. A sizeable one. The echoes of the event on Dathomir were still being heard. The Jedi – and no doubt the Sith – sensed a need to recover the Wayfinder and the Holocron that contain the knowledge of The Entity that lives beyond the Outer Reaches of the known galaxy.

So, Fiach was en route to two (until recently) hidden chambers within the Zeffo tombs of Dathomir. Not with a specific expectation of recovering anything – but to see what was there and either take what was useful, or cross off the list the site as a possible source.

Fiach stared at the mottled, multicoloured world of Dathomir through the forward viewport. Even from this distance, she could sense both Light and Dark emanating from the planet.

Half an hour later, she stood on the parking field of the what must have passed for a spaceport. No, spaceport was way too generous a term. It was a broad, sunny field, grassy in some spots, muddy in others, with thruster scorch marks here and there. Dull grey permacrete domes, most of them clearly prefabricated, dotted the field; the largest was some sort of administrative building, the smaller ones hangars for vehicles no larger than shuttles. A tall mesh durasteel fence surrounded the complex, elevated watchtowers dotting its length, and Fiach could see the wiring leading to one of the permacrete domes that marked it as electrified.

The spaceport facilities offered little shade, so as she stood in the darkness cast by her ship, even without the heat of direct sunlight, the moist, windless air was as oppressive as a blanket.

Then she unloaded a speeder bike and awaited the rest of the party. The last part of the journey would be relatively swift but travelling through the rain forest would be uncomfortable. The air was so dense, so moist, that even roaring through it at speeder bike velocity wouldn’t bring any physical relief.

And there was a second worry on her mind. The forest teemed with life, life that poured its energy into the Force, too much to catalogue. Ancient trees and new vines, creeping predators and alert prey. And at the pinnacle of the food chain…rancors.

@Indy Sati @Felix @Altina Tiramara

 

[Indy Sati]

The Galahad landed with minimal difficulty in such an open space, the Jedi in question frowning at the viewport before unclipping, then gazing sternly at her Padawan. There was no denying a certain level of affection there for the boy, a maternal bond almost... but coming back here was surely not the wisest idea, especially with Felix in tow. She was mid-lecture with him.

"--And touch nothing in there without my approval, got it? Too many experiences with handsy people and traps, it's an awful idea," she continued, shrugging on her vest, then snagging her hat and equipment. "The Council should have kept you behind. With what happened before... I want you to be on your guard. No sneaking off."

She propped a hand on her hip, then sighed.

"Let's see what they have in store, then."

Descending from the ship and waiting for him to come out with her, she saw the fellow Jedi, and nodded once, bringing out her own swoop in the process.

No point in waiting too long, after all, there was work to be done.

@Corbeau @Felix @Altina Tiramara

 

[Altina Tiramara]

Why did I come? The thought stilled Altina to her core as the ship approached Dathomir. That was the planet she ended up marooned on not too long ago. The planet where dark powers temporarily took control of her body. It would be understandable to want to avoid the planet altogether for a while, after an experience like that. But the voices in her head drew her back to this planet.

Not that they were anything that the padawan gained from the supernatural excursion; Altina had always lived hearing voices and seeing visions of times long past. A never-ending echo of the Force that left her directionless and afraid for much of her early life. With Master Eridan predisposed for the time being, Altina was on her own for now. It was his guidance that gave her the self-confidence to face herself, but there was much more she had to learn before she could be worthy of the title of Jedi Knight. Facing her weaknesses is one of them.

One would think that meditation and reflection would help ease her, but Altina felt too restless to really feel any benefit from either. She heard the whispers of the Dathomiri whispers well before Master Dubh's ship landed. The vivid memories of her last adventure on the planet felt like daggers in her bosom, but Altina felt that there was something that she must do here. Not for the sake of the Forgotten that once controlled her, but another purpose entirely. This was no trip to protect the galaxy, or any other grandiose scheme that Altina felt she was fully unsuited for, but a smaller trip where her talents may be useful.

It took some convincing to allow the lilac-eyed Jedi to let her aboard her ship, but here she was: back on the eerie planet of Dathomir. Altina greeted Master Sati and Felix with a nod as the two joined them at Master Dubh's bike. Although her attunement did not extend to non-sentient creatures, Altina could feel the danger as much as the more experienced Jedi could. One could only hope that they avoid as much trouble as possible.

@Corbeau @Killa Ree @christhebarker

 

[Felix]

Felix let out exasperated sigh "Yes, master." After last time he wasn’t going to do anything without caution and his mind guarded, he didn’t really like the feeling of being influenced by some spirit.

Felix followed Indy down the ramp, he was surprised to see Altina here, she seemed to have had a worse experience than the rest of them that had been there. He raised his hand in a shy wave accompanied by a soft smile.

He sat himself on the back seat of indy’s swoop ready for when they make their leave for the Zeffo tombs.

@Killa Ree @Corbeau @Lavi

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach had memorised the brief – as well as reading up on everything she could about the planet, the Chambers, the Zeffo. So she also knew who to expect and how they’d most likely arrive. So she smiled as the Galahad arrived – with two occupants no doubt. And Altina rounded out the group, so they were ready to set off.

Fiach gave each a small bow – the shortest of the three she used – and by definition the least formal. Confident they were ready to set off, she led the way initially – as the oppressive humidity of the plain gave way to an even greater humidity of the rain forest.

At speed, it felt as though you’d been hit around the face by a sock that had just been boiled.

Every now and then, Fiach closed her eyes momentarily and connected deeply with the Force. As they progressed, she regularly checked for any danger and steered the group away from what she perceived to be rancors.

Distantly, she felt animal life across a wide area grow alarmed and alert as they detected a deep rumble in the ground; but it was only a minor tremor, a natural occurrence causing no damage. She gave a little shake of her head and turned her attention elsewhere.

Finally they reached their destination, and Fiach dismounted and turned to the group. “So, do we have any planners amongst us? I tend to…uh…go with the flow. So, if someone has a good idea about how to approach this in a structured way, it would be good to hear.”

@Killa Ree @Lavi @christhebarker

 

[Indy Sati]

Felix had gotten progressively more and more sulky as time went on; truth be told, she was never the greatest with kids. However, spotting Altina, she nodded once with a brief smile before their wet, almost insufferable journey made itself known.

By the time they made it to the temple, a slick sheen of sweat already glowed on her skin, tendrils of light violet hair sticking to her cheeks and neck. At the mention of a plan, she propped her hands on her hips.

"Standing out here won't be planning," came her quiet reply. "We enter. The challenges will be difficult, but this is the way to go. We go in, we find our answers... and make it out alive. The Order relies on this." She glanced to the two Padawans, then the knight, squaring her shoulders. "Have faith in the Force." Easy words to say, but spoken with calm, unshakeable conviction. Following on the heels of it was calmness, a steady resolve.

She would face this mystery head-on. After all, it was the Forgotten's call that first lured her here, and she always made good on her promises.

She was here to protect the galaxy, and part of that was entering this tomb.

She began to descend inwardly, senses attuned and hands empty for now. The hushed stillness of the Temple loomed.No time like the present.

@Corbeau @Lavi @christhebarker

 

[Altina Tiramara]

The humidity was less discomforting than the wildlife that stalked them. She could sense their gazes and feel their hunger. It was best to get out of the open as soon as possible. Altina opened her mouth to add her answer to Master Dubh's question, but was distracted by an unfamiliar voice. It was too difficult to make out, but it was not like the Dathomiri witches. Unlike the Dathomiri whispers, this voice was thunderous. Are these the Zeffo?

An echo turned her attention away from the others. A glimpse of movement: was it the wildlife or another unsolicited vision? Altina closed her eyes and focused, realigning her thoughts and piecing together the reality and the ocean of visions in her mind. Someone walked past her: a figure much taller than Altina whose head was shaped in a way that Altina could only describe like a cross.

A Zeffo. She looked back at the others, but it seemed like they did not notice it. A vision, then. The way it walked past seemed ceremonial, like a monk or sage going about its duties. Perhaps it was heading inside: Altina kept an eye on it as she did her best to focus on the present again.

"Inside first is best," she agreed. "We should avoid dealing with the local wildlife, given the last time we were here."

The unpleasant memories started to boil beneath the surface, but Altina shook them aside. It will take time to come to terms with what happened.

@Corbeau @Killa Ree @christhebarker

 

[Felix]

Felix held onto indy as set off to the temple, his robes flapping in the wind as they crossed the brutal landscape that was this planet, had been saved by from worst of the humidity due to Indy being his windshield. stepping off the swoop, he stared at the structure, The doors carved into the rock face were arcane – dark, gothic... other... an artistry that only served to strengthen the sinking feeling in his gut.

He was partitional listening to Indy's words as he absorbed in the tomb, he just nodded in agreement to the words, his eyes came down once he saw Indy move in his peripheral vision, following in step behind her as they descended into the tombs.

They reached a chamber with two archways, stood alone from each other on opposite sides of room, one appeared to be open with a tight hallway wide enough for one person to squeeze through into a dark cavern but this archway was not connect to any wall or structure but the ground,

"That’s... weird" He spoke as he circled arch baffled by its seeming physics bending, he knew the force could do many thing but this he hadn’t seen.

@Killa Ree @Corbeau @Lavi

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach appreciated Indy’s approach to the matter in hand. It was reassuring to know that others did not focus on detailed plans, but instead simply pressed ahead and dealt with whatever life dealt them as they progressed. And the notion of trusting in the Force was a further re-enforcement that she was not alone in this approach.

So, she followed her companion into the tombs – whilst keeping a watchful eye on the Padawans, She nodded at Altina’s input that waiting outside only attracted potential threats – and made a mental note to ask about ‘last time’ and what happened then.

Like Felix, she was struck by the anomaly that was the archway. It may have been the Force at work, or some rift in what was perceived as normal physics. Such was the galaxy, always throwing up new discoveries. The opening could be a gateway they sought, or could transport them half-way across the galaxy.

Given they were in broad agreement that they would deal with each challenge as it came up, Fiach stole a glance at Indy, and raised an eyebrow. The time for their first choice was now.

@christhebarker @Lavee @Killaree

 

[Indy Sati]

She caught the Knight's glance, and nodded once, lips firm. "Stay with us, Padawans," she spoke up quietly. "We don't know what's ahead; these tombs are ancient and undisturbed for a reason. Be mindful of your training, and remember; the Force is your ally, the Light is your guide. Have faith in yourself and in the Light."

With that, she took the lead. At first... nothing seemed different. Small objects hovered in the air, suspended in a moment's time it seemed. An arc of lightning, blue, patterned fernlike in glowing ambiance; an overturned table, with its' contents scattered and frozen. She walked, mindful of her feet... but then there was suddenly nothingness.

What seemed like sturdy ground beneath their feet suddenly vanished, and the light faded from all that were in the tomb.

They all would begin to fall into the darkness. She flailed wildly, trying to grasp onto someone. Felix. Altina. Even Fiach. But blue fingers grazed against nothingness, and the Pantoran would disappear from sight.

@christhebetrayer @Corbeau @Lavi

 

[Altina Tiramara]

As the team approached the gateway, Altina felt uneasy. Was it her own paranoia? It was never easy to tell. Her natural instinct was to stay away from it, but Master Eridan had been trying to teach her to face those fears. With Master Sati taking the lead, Altina felt some comfort, but it was short lived.

They all started falling. Altina yelped in surprise, thinking it was another trick on her mind, but she quickly saw that the others were falling too. She looked about frantically, searching for some kind of hint on what to do, but there were none. She tried reaching out with her senses, but it was impossible for her to keep her mind focused. Just as Master Sati disappeared from sight, Altina did as well.

The padawan felt her body hit something, causing her fall to evolve into a tumble. She rolled to a stop and stayed put. The endeavor left Altina winded and she took the precious seconds to catch her breath before looking up at her surroundings. Her anxiety balled into fear as her gaze took in the dark stonework of the large hall she found herself in.

It felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest, but Altina found the willpower to get back on her feet.

"H-hello?" Altina called out, her voices echoing through the hall. "Is anyone there?"

Her heart almost skipped a beat as the vision of a long-dead Zeffo walked right through her. Her vision was already bathing in whatever happened her in the long past. The single entity gave way to tens, then hundreds of similarly garbed beings: a ceremony of ancient history, most likely.

Altina wanted to ignore it and push it aside. Under normal circumstances, she could, but the padawan was still shaken by what just happened minutes before. She tried to make her way out, but the sheer number of Zeffo made it difficult to find her way in the actually-empty room.

@Corbeau @Killa Ree @christhebetrayer

 

[Felix]

Felix followed after his master, at first things were normal, well as normal as small objects hovering in the air for no seeming reason can be. Then the world seemingly disappeared from view into disorienting darkness as they fell. Felix hit his head on something in the inky darkness, losing conscious for a short time as he continued to tumble.

He awoke to the feeling of cold stone against his cheek and the throbbing pain emanating from his head. picking himself up

"Hello!" he shouted his voice echoing amongst the stone passages that surrounded him. "Indie! master!" his only response was that of his echo.

His eye tried to adjust the darkness but there was so little light. He activated his lightsaber hoping it would help cut through the darkness, it's light helped but only a little, he would still need to look where he placed his feet.

Choosing a direction, he began to follow the stone passage in hopes of finding the others

@Killa Ree @Corbeau @Lavi