Ask Sign Casting With the Dead

[Alhazred]

After the events of Deepest Dark, Alhazred had gone into seclusion.

It was no surprise really. During the aforementioned events, Alhazred had encountered pockets of the Force that even a trained mind struggled against. Ghosts of the long since dead, cybernetic beings that were somehow connected with the Force, offering his own life to study the 'infinities of the force further'... all these things could take a toll on a being, and no one really batted an eye when the eccentric scholar just upped and left to 'study further'. Surely the Nu-Vaal was entitled to a sabbatical of sorts.

However, what caused some interest was the direct but brief message from, of all places, Dagobah.

Request For Assistance ASAP.
Food, Medical Equipment, Company*
*Someone experienced in tracking needed.
Alhazred.

Unsure what to make of the message, the Jedi sent someone. Someone in their ranks had expressed interest in sign casting, and Alhazred, for all his quirks and oddities, was a known expert in it . So, the Jedi sent Duma to investigate the message from Alhazred, with the hope that the padawan could either secure some information from the Nu-Vaal, possibly convince him to come back from his 'sabbatical' and perhaps learn something from him.

The coordinates that directed where shuttle would land in a clearing that was once Alhazred's camp. However, the place was a mess. Bags turned over and torn apart, papers scattered and scrawled with incoherent and alien writing, and pieces of ship debris lay around. The ship debris, mostly paneling and plates, were obviously not from any Jedi shuttle. Rather, they appeared to be much, much older, as if they had been plucked from the swamps themselves. A small astromech stood nearby, beaten and broken, with a large hook mark over his chassis.

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

Dumaagorn or Duma as he was known as more among his allies was unsure quite what to expect when he had been assigned to seek out the renowned Jedi Knight, Alhazred. By all accounts he had heard he was a bit of an oddball even among the Jedi. And ever since his return from the Maw he had heard he had only gotten stranger. And more secluded, locking himself away or disappearing entirely.

He had been gone for weeks apparently until the message came from Dagobah. This made Duma more than a little concerned then when he arrived at the campsite from the shuttle. Apparently Alhazred was a renowned expert in the field of Sign-Casting so he wasn't sure what had happened to cause this or him to flee at least he hoped he was alive and that was the case. He knew finding him had just gotten more difficult especially as there seemed to be signs of some kind of struggle. Was he injured? he wondered.

What condition would he be in when he found him.

Putting sure thought aside for now, he begun searching the camp for clues as to what might have occurred. He searched bags, tried looking at the papers, trying to find something that might offer a hint where he was and why he was here. Perhaps it would help to find him. He was curious about the panels, they were no Jedi ship. And so he was cautious in case whoever it was, was still near. Watching him.

With the Force he stretched out to see if Alhazred was close by the camp at all. It was unlikely but he checked none the less.

When he saw the droid, he paused. It concerned him greatly, especially for the safety of Alhazred as well as his own. He was here alone afterall and was still a teenager, the first time on his own was a little scary. Looking at droid, he wondered what could have done that. And so inspected it, both the marking and the droid, hoping to get the data so it might tell him something about what happened.

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

There was a eerie lingering darkness in the Force, as well as a slight melody of music in it. The melody was weak and distant, as if it was strong but not nearby.

The droid was greatly damaged. The large gash over its chassis ran deep and jaggedly, and the astromech was cold to the touch. However, the slight humming on its side showed it had a modicum of reserve power left. If turned on at the slightest touch, the droid's memory circuits would activate, and utilize the last of its power to project the holographic projector.

The blue image of the Nu-Vaal was decent at first. The Nu-Vaal appeared well kept and maintained, with his thick robes and jeweled turban being a spitting image of an self-confident academic. But as the recording continued through various days, Alhazred's appearance became drastically worse.

"Day 8 of meditation. Found remains of wreckage on planet. Approximately....oh, I'm no good with distances... um, its east of my camp somewhere. Less than an hour hike. Appears to be of star ship material. I'm no expert, but believe it may belong to a Nau'ur-class yacht. Uncertain if it is related to the darkness I sensed, but going to further investigate tomorrow. Hopefully with some swimming, I can find more material to examine."

The recording flickered. The droid moved to the next entry. The trees remained still. A slight chill began to set in. The nearby waters congealed slightly. The creatures on this life-rich planet were strangely silent.

The appearance of the Nu-Vaal was drenched. Water dripped from his robes. Only his turban seemed to be dry, as if it was taken off before diving. The data the droid held must have been corrupted over time, for now both image and audio flickered in and out of distortion.

"Day...Definitely a starship of some kind. Believe the source is ins....flickering lights surround the area after diving. I... unable to breach further. Will try..."

The recording ended and continued onto the next. This time, Alhazred looked almost haunted. His eyes were large with sleeplessness. His face tendrils were slightly curled at the tips. The once decent looking robes appeared more disheveled than well kept.

"Those thi... not what I initially believed..." The recording started. As it flickered in and out, at the edge of the treeline, several small fist sized glowing flames began to appear and vanish intermitenly. The melody in the Force Duma sensed would be stronger now, albeit, different; like a poor imitation of what the the harmony really was.

"they...warning. I didn't... they're out. I opened it, and they're ou-"

The recording changed. Alhazred, for all his attempts, looked absolutely devastated "...it has my spawn. I don't...sent message to Jedi. Hopefully, they...I can't spare much time, but will..."

Finally, the message ended, and proceeded to the final entry. The Nu-Vaal was almost beyond recognition. His entire body, haggard and shriveled, shivered when the recording stayed focused long enough.

"...Spreading, roaming further and further. Going back to the si...can't wait longer...to the void with them, I will...hopfully I can get inside... If i am not here know...my spawn is...whatever happens, don't let them touch you!"

With the last of the message delivered, the astromech's power gave out.

The darkness in the area swelled. In the nearby congealed murky waters, small things began to move. The flames at the edge of the eastern treeline hovered silently while watching.

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

As Duma inspected the droid, he had a feeling of dread. He could feel the Dark Side here, the slight chill in the air of darkness. The planet was saturated. He could feel for now it was weak but lingered, trying to claw at him. But he remained a bastion for the Light here in the darkness. Even here he needed the call of the wild and nature. In the Force he settled him as he looked at the droid.

At his touch the droid activated and Duma got out his EZPhone, recording everything as the hologram activated and the image of the Nu-Vaal Jedi Knight appeared. Standing proud and in his full glory. A beacon of the Light and a academic of renown if odd. He looked and listened as the journal played, retelling events as they happened and explaining what had happened. It appeared Alhazred had found a ship and gone to explore it only to find something he didn't intend. Something not good. Something potentially dangerous.

As he listened he could feel the Force change and see the wisps mentioned in the log.

He wondered were they sentient, we're they harmful or harmless. And could they be reasoned with. He felt the chill, the strange difference and imitation. As the droid finally gave out and having recorded everything, Duma put his EZPhone away. Then he felt the darkness swell which made him extra cautious and a little scared. Concerned. He knew something was watching him, waiting. He could see them hovering. He could feel them. And so he called out as he allowed his Light to shine bright. A Light against the Dark.

"I know your there! Please I mean you no harm, come forwards, I only wish to speak with you." he continued "I am looking for someone, a lost friend. The one from this recording. Can you help?"

Even despite this, Duma was cautious just in case they were not friendly.

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

At the greeting, the little things of flame flickered brighter and for a moment, as their own presence in the Force intensified.

It was just for a moment.

Then the small flames then began to dash wildly through the trees as the darkness swelled furthermore.

A deep chill set over the entire area, to the point where the warm air of breathing could be seen. The rippling waters, partly congealed before, began to freeze over. Even as small particles of frost began to form over, fingers began to emerge from the cold waters, followed by tattered clothes and broken weapons wrapped around gaunt, starved forms. Bodies, perfectly preserved in rime, stood up and shambled forward, hands stretched out towards their target. Eyes, frozen over in perfect stillness, shined pale blue with unnatural life.

The three dead pirates lumbered towards the living thing. One of the gaunts was forced to stop and pull its leg from the freezing waters, but they all worked slowly towards the Orcalon.

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

Duma waited for some kind of response, yet little was he prepared for the response he got. As the flames he saw intensified, he felt a shift in the Force. If only brief, as if they were considering his words. But it appeared they had little affect as the wisps darted away and Duma felt the Dark Side swell around him. Sending a chill down his spine, he didn't like it at all.

The air got colder, the temperature dropped.

It didn't bode well, and Duma knew it. Although somewhat afraid he knew he had to stand his ground at the moment, especially when he saw the three undead pirates walking towards him. Perversions of life, twisted and mutilated. Unnatural. He felt a sadness for the man they may once have been in life, and at meeting such a fate as to die here in this swamp. To never see their families again. He hoped the Jedi Knight, Alhazred hadn't been killed by them and that he was safe.

He ignited the lightsaber he had and stood defensively, as he called out a warning. He didn't want to harm them, but he would act if they assaulted him. He was scared but knew as a Jedi sometimes you had to face that which scared you. To face the monsters.

"Back away foul perversions of life! Return to the shadow from where you came! I wish no harm upon you, but I will protect myself if provoked." He said.

Finding that they continued regardless, ignoring him. Duma sighed, he had no choice and so waited for the closest first, with the Force he attempted to Push the undead pirate into the one behind it. He recalled what the message said, that Alhazred had headed east, he wondered if that was where he now was. He would try and make it there if he could get past the dead first. So if successful he would attempt to run east towards where the message indicated.

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

The blast of force sent the pirates reeling backwards over themselves. As slow as they were, they weren't the most sturdy of creatures. However, they didn't seemed damaged by the push either. Even as the Jedi began to run, they were already picking themselves back up to follow.

As he ran east, Duma would find the flickering flames of light appearing and disappearing alongside of him. They would slowly go towards one side, almost as if they were trying to get his attention to guide him. They would still lead east, but ever so slightly try to correct his course.

Eventually, Duma would find himself before a massive stretch of water and lake. Broken down and snapped trees could be spotted everywhere, as if the entire section had been carelessly carved out by some terrible long forgotten entity. The thick mud, the the dead grass, the brackish waters, the entire place was a gruesome place to behold. And the cold was relentless. Frost clung to the edges of grass blades and tree bark like children would cling to their parents. It even began to snow slightly in the area, a previously impossible feat for the swamp planet of Dagobah.

One of the flames reappeared next to Duma. A wispy hand emerged from the flame, pointing across the way.

Nearby, a large section of water was completely frozen. On it, a singular form stood, striding back and forth on the frozen water much akin to a cat anxiously awaiting something. The figure, like the others that were chasing duma in the far distance, bared the same uncanny resemblance of life. Unlike those figures, its attire were more regal and well-kept; A thick red coat partly encased in frozen barnacles and moss, a tri-corn black hat with gold trim covering his lifeless face, and where its right hand should have been, a large, wicked and sharp hook.

The Captain paced about a few more times. One of the flames that had helped guide/followed Duma appeared before it. The Captain turned and swung its hook at the flame, narrowly missing the small sprite-like thing. As it stepped forward, the water before it froze, granting the captain solid footwork. And yet, the Captain didn't stray far from his spot. Rather, he quickly returned and angrily stomped and stamped at the frozen ice.

Behind Duma, the sound of breaking branches could be heard. The Dead were gaining on their target, ever so slowly. If Duma focused into the Force, the sound of harmony was much stronger now.

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

Duma ran as fast as his let's would allow in such a swamp and the ice. Attempting to be cautious as he went forwards while keeping his senses in the Force later for the threat still behind him getting closer. He could hear them behind him, fear momentarily gripping him but he kept going. He couldn't stop until he found the Jedi Knight.

As the flame appeared next to him, it startled the Orcalon for a moment, causing him to briefly stop as he looked at it.

Noting the wispy hand, he grew curious but still curious. Nodding at it he followed, this one appeared to be friendly. He felt he could trust it. He hoped he could. He was slightly shocked by the fact there was snow, it made him extra wary. And then he saw the Captain. He looked like something from an old book or cartoon. As he stomped, Duma stood back.

He was angry. A angry ghost was not a good thing he imagined. Deciding it wouldn't do to remain scared like this, he needed to act like a Jedi, Duma spoke although maintaining his lightsaber defensively in case the other two got too close. He could feel the harmony and so he drew upon it. With Harmony and Light he hoped he prevail over this apparent evil that was corrupting this area.
And he would find the lost Jedi Knight.

He asked the Captain "What is it you want? Why are you so angry at me? I don't want to harm you but continue to attack me and I have no choice. I am looking for the one who came here. The Jedi."

He briefly turned to see where the other two were, and turned to his right. So he had all three within his view and he could keep an eye on them. If they got closer and took a swing at him he would use Telekinesis and attempt to lift the undead pirate to his left and smash it into the nearest tree. Hopefully breaking the undead apart to leave just one more and Captain Barnacles as he decided to name it.

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

Captain Barnacles turned at the voice. Each turn of the bone crackled as iced over joints broke apart. The darkness that emanated from this thing was strong. Consuming even. Under its tricorne hat, cold heartless eyes stared out. It may have been a human once. Perhaps even someone distinguished. But now, all remained was rage.

"Jediiii...." The Captain breathed hauntingly. Then it laughed hoarsely. "Frozen below....bloated soon...like you now....

The undead ghouls rushed forward. It seemed they had not learned, or were incapable of learning, as the force telekinesis picked up and crashed one of the crew. Brittle, the thing's parts fell apart as the tree cracked under its weight.

At this, the Captain raised his hook and pointed at Duma. It spoke, though no discernable words came out. Instead, it was a screeching bellow. as the thick congealed waters around the frozen platform the captain stood on stirred.

"All hands on deck! A land dweller needs a drownin'!"

The other crewmates didn't seem to mind. Fearing neither blade nor Force, the 3 new crewmates and the remainder began to close the distance. Two lurched forward suddenly to grab the Jedi in attempt to drag him into the water. If any of them connected, the area touched would suddenly begin to freeze over. While the shocking numbness would eventually fade, it would take time and rest, something these things were unlikely to give.

Even as this took place, the harmony in the Force grew stronger for a moment. The ice below the captain's feet shook violently. Shaken, the Captain turned his head downward, knelt, placed a barnacled covered hand over the ice, and laughed while the ice solidified.

"Freeze below... no dredging for you..."

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

Scared though he was, Duma knew he had to hold his ground against these perversions of life. Of unnatural life that spat in the very face of the wild and nature. Disheartened that Captain Barnacles chose violence, to be consumed by his anger and rage, Duma acted as more unread appeared. He could feel the Dark Side strong upon the hooked unnatural life.

And yet he could feel the Harmony. The Light.

Duma noted that he was outnumbered, but he was determined. He would let Life prevail here and the Light not the Dark Side. At hearing how Alhazred had been frozen below, he gasped slightly. How long had He been there for he wondered? He didn't have time to think further as two lunged at him. Quickly jumping backwards, he again used the Force via Telekinesis in a attempt to bring a large tree down upon them and any others further back. Crushed under it, and perhaps it would also he hoped crack some of the ice and allow the Jedi Knight a chance to escape his icy fate to get back into the fight. Although he was sad he had to do it to the tree, it was the only way. He would say a small prayer later for it.

"If that's how you want it Captain Barnacles, so be it! Allow me to put you to rest."

He attempted to use the Harmony and Light he did feel to after the tree if successful attempt to nudge and call upon Alhazred following anything he sensed and awaken him from whatever slumber had him. Even as he watched around himself for threats, both behind or in front with his lightsaber held ready to slice apart any who decided to try touch him. The aim to disarm or slice them in two vertical or diagonal whichever was the more viable when they struck. He would be a beacon of Light and preserve Life here. He would return the Harmony of the world and return it to nature not the dead.

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

The tree that came crashing down surprised the captain and his undead crew. The captain was crushed easily and his bones and hook were sent scatterring apart. The crew itself hesitated, if only for a moment.

True horror began to reveal itself further when the blade came out and sliced off limbs from the undead.

There was a screaming in the air. The balls of flaming light that guided Duma to this place reappeared, billowing and shaking about violently as pained and terrified visages showed inside their flames. Those undead, who's limbs had been separated, quietly picked up their lost appendages and simply reattached them like it was nothing. The crewmates who had been shattered by force blasting and tossing aside, their frozen bodies began to slowly reform together and stand up slowly. Even Captain Barnacles, body decimated by the tree, began to slowly reknit itself, hook and hat and all.

Darkness and Harmony, tied together.

There was a phrase Alhazred had discovered a short time ago in the Jedi order in a hologram. While he deemed it blasphemous compared to his own species beliefs, it seem suited this situation .

That is not dead can eternally lie, and within the Force, even Death itself may die

However, Duma's actions were not without merit. The tree cracking the ice and momentarily disabling the captain, alongside Duma's own reaching into the force, Alhazred acted.

The ice below the captain exploded upwards suddenly. A hot eruption of steam blasted out, with a small robed figure shooting out. The small Nu-Vaal crashed into the nearby waters. A moment later, his body emerged from the cold waters, crawling onto the icy land while coughing out a lungful of water and brine.

"Quick, get away! They can't be slain!" Alhazred tried to call out. He spun onto his rear and made a few signs with his hands, bending webbed fingers in croocked but practiced positions. A huge gust of air shot out from his palms and sent the tree, some of the undead, and the now reformed Captain backwards. With that, Alhazred picked himself up and began a mad dash into the jungle back towards his torn apart camp site. He would not stop until he made it there, to which he would collapse, still concious, in a fit of exhaustion.

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

As the tree came down, Duma was slightly more relieved as the unread pirate, Captain Barnacles and his crew were crushed beneath the tree he had felled. Although he still felt a pang for what he had to do. As others got closer and he sliced them up, he sighed, and hoped the horror he had fallen into was over. But it was not to be.

He looked in shock as they reformed, and he heard the scream, seeing the faces in the wisps of flame that had guided him. He was scared, alone and out of his depth. It was then hope appeared in most unlikely of ways, as Alhazred shot out of the ice and obliterated Captain Barnacles. Duma ran to Alhazred side, checking to see if he was ok.

As he made the signs, Sign Casting, Duma looked in awe. At least until hearing the unread would come back, taking the hint he wasn't going to stick around. And so he ran as Alhazred did, following back to the wrecked camp and hopefully some temporary safety. Although they would still need to find a way to stop the dead for good. And restore the natural state of the swamp. Return the Harmony and Light to balance the Dark here. Such was Dagobah.

"Don't need to tell me twice!" he called out as he ran. When back at the camp, Duma finally approached the Jedi Knight. Trying find some type of food for him, to get his strength up again from the exhaustion, he rummaged and then brought it to him.

"Take this. Good to see your alive Knight, Alhazred, you had alot of folks worried for a while." he continued "I don't mean to pry, but...what is going on here? Why are the dead running around? And what can we do to restore nature to it's correct state."

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

Gasping, Alhazred looked up and took the bit of food and began to munch on it

"My gratitude..." Alhazred thanked between breath and swallow. He did not look much better compared to his holorecordings. Pale clammy skin, slightly shriveled tentacles, creases around the eyes indicated sleepless nights... Alhazred was a spitting image of a tired and exhausted Nu-Vaal.

"It wasn't my intention to make people worry, but had others known what was going on, there would be more worry warranted. You're a new one in the order, aren't you?" Alhazred asked randomly. Eyeing the large Orcalon, his memories of being taught by the Jedi Master Kharang flashed back.

"Its... a bit tough to explain, but I'll shall attempt. Theres an old artifact of power below those waters....no wait, I need to start from the beginning. You see, I've always been fascinated with Force Nexuses, and after my recent experience at the Maw I... gah, no..."

With his mind stilling running a sector a minute, Alhazred had to stop and breath a few moments to get his beating hearts and head tendrils in order.

"The Tython Table. Do you know of it at all? While I was here meditating and trying to commune with the Infinite of the Force, I happened upon the wreckage of several ships and those 'wisps' you've probably been seeing. Bothersome then, but those wisps were more of a warning then I realized. One of the wreckages I identified as the fabled 'Glass Eye', the last known carrier of the Tython Table. I figured finding it and returning it to the temple was the ideal quest at hand. I spent days trying to dive into the wreckage, mapping out the swamp as best as I could until I found the section that housed the table, all while trying to study and get rid of those wisps harrying me. I eventually found it. A frozen mass of metal, perfectly sealed from the outside waters. With no hesitancy, I made my way in and disturbed the wreckage...

But the Table... well, to put in simply, is a powerful conduit to the Force. It is said it can induce powerful and potent visions into Force users, and call upon the memories of those in the Force. It connects those of us here in the material into that of the ethereal Force. The previous owners must have tried using some ritual with the Table to merge themselves with the Force directly, but it got interrupted. I found their corpses, perfectly preserved and frozen, but with their throats cut out, and the body of the Pirate captain nearby. With the ritual incomplete, those caught between the Force and the material remain tied to. Those corpses we witnessed, and the spirits of the original owners in the form of 'wisps', are caught until the ritual in complete. "

Alhazred's eyes shined slightly as he recounted the information and his own conclusions on the Tython Table. It was obvious he had taken a deep fascination with the situation. However, it quickly died away as cold realization rewashed over him.

"In my...opening of the chamber, I released the ghosts and bodies of those trapped. And in my haste, my spawn was left behind. He is still alive, I can sense him, but I worry for how long his heater will last. Thus, once I regain some of my strength, I will be returning to get my spawn and to complete the ritual... and with the help of another Jedi knight, I'm sure we will be successful.

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

Duma observed as Alhazred munched, and was more than a little worried for him, considering his dishevelled condition. Standing over him like a tall green giant next to a dwarf in comparison would have been a funny sight usually but it wasn't the time for humour. Instead Duma was forced to look way down as the Jedi Knight spoke.

More worry? What had Alhazred got himself into he wondered.

Although from what he had heard, by reputation he had a habit of getting himself into these types of situation. As he was asked if he was new, Duma nodded as he spoke "I am, only been with the Jedi a few months now. Been trying find someone to teach me some Sign Casting, didn't have much luck until I was pointed your direction and assigned to find you. Didn't exactly expect undead on my to do list though."

Duma continued to listen as Alhazred briefly went into a kind of non-sensical mumbling. Speaking about Force Nexus and the Maw just to change his mind. It was very confusing. As he asked about the Tython Table, Duman shook his head, he barely knew anything about Jedi relics, on account of the fact he was very fresh. And his focus lay elsewhere usually.

Despite this and the monologue, Zuma attempted to listen as best he could even if certain parts went entirely over his head.

From the sound of it, the table was probably better left to rot, or destroyed it was too dangerous in the wrong hands. As had been the case with the pirates. It now looked like he had been roped into some type of ritual and a potential rescue. Especially when he heard Alhazred had some type of child. A child he had been forced to abandon.

As the elder Jedi made his plans known an idea sprung to mind, considering the circumstances.

"I have perhaps a better idea. In your current condition, I don't see you being much help no offence, and in no condition to retrieve the spawn." he considered further "Perhaps while you recover here you can research the ritual, and I may retrieve the spawn but head directly back after. I won't allow a child to be left alone like that."

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

"Absolutely not!" Alhazred almost snapped at the Orcalon. "There is no way I am sitting and researching while my spawn's life support is slowly failing. And even if I wanted to do that, there is no way you could get in there alone. Not unless you can both hold off the undead without getting touched while simultaneously swimming for your life down into the murky cold depths of Dagobah's deepest lake-swamp. Do you even have gills or webbed hands to help you get to where my spawn awaits?"

Alhazred calmed himself. He looked into the air and closed his eyes, opening himself to the Force enough to sense his spawn's thoughts and feelings. The power on the container was still functioning, so his spawn was still warm enough to survive.

"But...there may be something I can do to help our chances." Alhazred stated, almost apologetically. "Sign Casting is an difficult and abstruse practice, but a rewarding one. And in this particular case, something that might be helpful for you. While I sit and recover, I will teach you some basics. Don't fret, the undead can't wander far as of now. The pirates are tethered to the ghosts, and the ghosts are tethered to the table. As long as the 'wisps try to restrain the undead, the pirates will be mostly unable to get here. As the undead eat more life, they will be able to drag themselves and the ghosts further from the table, but that will take some time. Enough time to at least enlighten you some."

Alhazred instructed Duma to sit across from himself. As he did, he began to ask a few questions. "Tell me, why do Jedi and Sith use lightsabers? Or more accurately, why do Jedi utilize Kyber crystals, even without the lightsaber hilt?"

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

As Alhazred practically yelled at him, Duma stood back in shock momentarily. He wasn't expecting it from him, especially a Jedi Knight as well. He thought he would be more controlled although given the circumstances he guessed he could understand the frustration, with his spawn so vulnerable and he was not so much. And he did make some good points, Duma didn't have gills or webbed feet. But what he had were very big fists, a bond with animals, nature and a fascination with sign casting. Although He did hope for an apology but it seemed unlikely.

He spoke "No offense was intended, I am sorry Knight, Alhazred. I was only trying to offer a solution and my help rather than stand around."

At the mention of Sign Casting, Duma eyes visibly lit up. It caught his attention, and the fact he heard some information about the extent of the ghosts and undead ability, and how they wouldn't get to the camp. At least for now. As Alhazred questioned him about what he knew of Kyber crystals, Duma considered it a moment. He didn't really know that much about them just yet, barring a few basics. So he stated as much.

"That was partly why I got sent Knight, Alhazred. I have shown a interest in Sign Casting, I would like to learn more about it. They said you were the expert, but couldn't find you so some smart person among the council thought to send me to find you. A Master calling themselves Ferro. Said you sent a message from from here and assigned me to pick up the trail as I am a tracker...of sorts."

He considered as he spoke more "Most I know about Kybe r are the basics the Jedi temple taught when I arrived. They are used in lightsaber construction and we use a lightsaber to defend ourselves. Why they use it without a lightsaber, I have no clue. Beats me."

He said, hoping his answer would be adequate enough.

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

The Nu-Vaal sighed slightly. His message did indeed request someone with tracking skills, but that was back when he needed help finding better ways into the ship and before he had gotten encased in ice. Why someone believed he was the expert was beyond him, since he was not a Jedi Master, but that was no matter.

The answer Duma gave was indeed correct, but not as detailed as Alhazred preferred. If anything, it was ignorant for the scholar.

"Hmph. The answer is more than strict combat. It is like many things. It is alive. And like all living things, it is connected to the Force, and more importantly, a conduit for the Force."

Alhazred gestured to around himself. "Many things in reality are conduits for the Force; places or things that have powerful connections to the ethereal Force. Nexuses like the one here on Dagobah are certainly the most potent, but not the only ones. Artifacts like the Tython Table are also conduits, as are certain animals or monsters, like mythical Loth Wolves or Akk Dogs, or even the gruesome starweirds... "

Alhazred shuddered as he involuntarily recalled his starweird experience.

"Like them, Kyber crystals are powerful conduits" Alhazred continued. "Jedi, and of course Sith, use them to aid our connection with the Force. They help center us, open us to the Force's ethereal powers, and focus our own energies into influencing the Force's actions. But..."

Alhazred raised a webbed finger. "It is unnecessary. The Force was utilized long before Kyber crystals were discovered, and will be used if Kyber ever runs out. And why is that? Because we, as Jedi, are conduits for the Force as well. The Force runs around us, into us, and through us. We don't call the force with our kyber crystal as our aide. We let it flow through us, and guide it with gesticulation."

At this, Alhazred clapped his hands suddenly before making a sigil with his hands. One hand gestered to the side, twisted at the wrist, while the other moved forward and bent the fingers into opposing directions. By making the sign of the Burning Snake, Alhazred invoked the Force something similar. Between the two, a piece of Alhazred's torn sleeping bag had a small flame erupt from it.

Alhazred then clapped his hands again before making a new sigil. Grabbing his own wrist, Alhazred's free hand opened up and began to make circling motions with a finger. Around the flame, a small whirlwind began to form at Alhazred's sign of the Flying Mynock, sucking out the oxygen and killing the fire before it could spread. To emphasize his ability, Alhazred repeated the process of conjuring a flame and then a whirlwind over and over again about ten times. Halfway through, Alhazred wasn't even clapping his hands and was simply making the sigils. Such a task might have been draining for most, but with sign casting, Alhazred could repeat between the two easily.

"Of course, doing this means discarding the lightsaber. The signs we make with our limbs are often complicated, uncomfortable, and require both hands. Guiding and channeling the Force through oneself requires intense focus, and either your lightsaber's kyber will disrupt your focus or handling the blade will get in the way of your hands making the correct signs. There is a reason why most don't pursue sign casting very long."

Alhazred leaned forward with a sudden intensity of a mad scholar. "So I must ask you...are you capable of surrendering completely to the Force? To trust both its will and your own skill so much that you will discard your weapon?"

@Akheron