Event Something Wicked

[Ashla Ti]

HUMBLE TOWN

Whatever thoughts might have been racing through the Togruta's mind upon the disappearance of their guide, they were gone when she felt the pain in her chest, her hand rising instinctively to clutch her vest where she had been marked, face crunched in a grimace. But pain was nothing new for a Sith, and for the Togruta it was an old friend, one she had learnt to lean on.

Through the pain she would glance around at their surroundings, eyes scanning the contents of what seemed to be an office of some sort. Her eyes fell on the bookshelves lining the walls, and the table at the far end of the room. The promise of knowledge was what had brought her here, and this was an opportunity to get some.

"This way," she said to the Amaran woman, not unkindly, and started making her way towards the desk, "I think we're on our own now. Give me hand." Reaching the desk she would start ruffling through the papers scattered upon it, handing some to Trini in the hopes that together they could parse through it with greater speed and maybe find something that might give them some idea of where they were and what sort of mess they were caught up in.

@Logan @AutoFox

 

[The Gatekeeper]

CRUMBLING RUINS
DARK CHAMBER
​

The group was afforded a few moments of respite, bursting from where the flooded hall led to another chamber entirely. Scents of damp stone and wood smoke filled the room. Most rested a while or planned for an escape from the place they'd found themselves in while a curious two approached the black doorway toward the left.

Their boots and shoes lacked overloud on the stone, echoing among the falling droplets and semi-distant curtain of water. Emerald flames crackled despite the lack of an obvious fuel source, providing a strange but fairly consistent light. Even right in front of the doorway, the space beyond was black as pitch and unknowable. No light penetrated the shade, not even from the eldritch flames just in front of it. No senses picked up anything at all save the vague and distant sound of airflow from deep within.

Above it was something like a symbolic mural, a mix of glyphs and vaguely spiraling shapes carved directly into the cavern stone. Virago in particular would notice some of the glyphs matched others that'd been on the altar itself. Curving lines depicted something like a maze, or perhaps a fortress. It wasn't clear from the foreign art style and she could make her own determinations.

Nothing by the upward stairway possessed the same level of intricacy or ominousness. In fact it was quite well lit from what observers could tell even if they peaked around a corner to check.

For now, however, the unwilling explorers were undisturbed. Certainly the furious insects hadn't followed them through the water. Even so, this room had an oppressive feeling to it. Like the air was pressing down on those within, trapping them in place as steel teeth bound wild animals in wait for a hunter. There wasn't a clear thread, aside from one another of course, but that didn't mean they were safe.

Would they split up, or remain together? They had time enough at least to discuss and decide.

@Versok @llamallove @LouJoVi @Tulos @Tom

 

[Arctus Friers]

[Not-so] Abandoned Building ​

Pulling the doctor camr with little to no success, but at least the poor man had been freed from the undeads' clutches. However with Charlie's Force Push and Arctus's Pull the man had been carelessly flung around like a rag doll, earning himself some damage that didn't look overtly serious. But the difficulty in breathing, the pained expression and movements, and the forming bruises where the Padawan could see brought a degree of concern for the struggling man.

Two of the undead had been successfully hit by the Force Push but the third managed to evade the blast. One (@Altaris) was left lying inert and the other (@Sreeya) shakily rose to its feet. The third undead (@Nefieslab) drew a weapon and aimed it at the Jedi and the Sith, snarling threateningly at Arctus and Charlie. The surprising display of what seemed to be sentience brought another wave of fear to the former smuggler, and he watched as it fired a blaster bolt that was intercepted by Charlie using her saber. Another bolt was flying straight for the former smuggler but without his own lightsaber to deflect the shot, Arctus settled for gracelessly ducking down in the hopes of dodging the blaster bolt aimed at him. He dropped down on all fours beside the crawling doctor. The Jedi would've fired a shot in return but more groans and shrieks came behind the first three undead.

The arrival of Clove, Felix, and Ruzaan would've brought relief to the former smuggler. But the grip of the illusions that blinded Arctus was too strong so instead of seeing his fellow Padawans, his friends, all he saw were more undead reinforcements coming his and Charlie's way.

"They're not staying down, godsdamn it!" exclaimed the former smuggler unhelpfully as he attended to the crawling doctor who was trying to slip between him and Charlie. Quickly glancing between the doctor and one of the undead facing and growling at the other, Arctus hurriedly but carefully helped the doctor up to his feet and supported the latter's full weight. "We have to find my friends, one of them is a doctor-in-training and she can help this fella!"

He felt the Force coalescing around his Sith companion and before he knew it Charlie had collapsed the ceiling above the undead. The group of revenants scrambled away from the falling debris, with one (@SlagathorTheUnknown) pushing a wheelchaif with a person sitting on it and the other (@LilyNion) hauling away a fallen undead.

Odd actions, but Arctus was too terrified to even form a logical explanation as to why the undead were acting so strangely. Perhaps he would've deduced that he and Charlie were seeing illusions if only he'd stayed for a few moments in front of the infirmary to listen to the explanation the very same doctor he was helping.

"Charlie, we have to go and regroup with the others. Who the fuck knows how many of those fuckers are wandering about."

Though the matter of turning back was probably a moot point by now. They needed to find another path, and fast.

Spoiler: OOC Note

Edited to reply to the shot Lorcan fired towards Arctus. Thanks again for the heads up, Nef!

@Phoenix @Valen Pelora

 

[Erialex]

HUMBLE TOWN
​

Eri laughed as the Jedi stared at all the...weirdness unfolding before them. She couldn't say she was surprised, she'd already experienced...plenty of interesting events on this planet. What was surprising was the technological equipment and construction of this room; it didn't fit in at all. Someone had to have built it, it had to have some purpose. It didn't seem likely that those floating beings had done all this.

Regardless, she had appreciated that Crix was the way he was. He wasn't one of those Jedi who walked into a room with living zombie clone things and said "Gosh darn it, but it'll be okay! The light is strong! Yay!" She laughed in her mind and snorted in her body, probably not the best thing to do in this situation. She played it off by sneezing but didn't really care what conclusions came to the Jedi's mind.

Whatever happened next, Eri had the same interest not to pointlessly set these creatures off on them. She nodded at the Jedi's instructions, waiting to see what he did...or what those things did to him.

@Logan @Nefieslab @Eccles

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Abandoned Building​

The doctor was in bad shape, and it showed through in the way he groaned, his breath wheezed slightly, and he looked weak. With no one actually having grabbed him, when the ceiling started to cave in he was in the anteroom with the two hallucinating adventurers.

You... nearly killed me... he gasped, reaching down to clutch at his side and wincing in pain.

Quickly, help me get away from here, he said, reaching out for help from the one that looked like he was slightly less aggressive (@Forsythe Crowholde). To the North door, he groaned.

---​

Meanwhile at the other end of the hall, the non hallucinating would be faced with questions of what had just happened. They would be forced to either proceed back through the hall where portions - though only small portions - of the building had just collapsed or head back toward the chapel where Arctus and Charlotte had first disappeared. Or take their chances with some alternate routes altogether.

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

 

[Ripley Virago]

Crumbling Ruin: The Chamber
~~~​

Lips slightly parted, Ripley stared up at the mural etched across stone. Some of the glyphs matched those that had been on the altar, but some she had never seen before a day in her life. It was strange that she should not recognize them, since a good part of her life had been spent studying the history of ancient civilizations. Whoever had built this place, whoever had once lived amongst these damp walls had long been forgotten to history.

Why? What happened to them? Where had they gone? Did they abandon this place? These questions and more haunted her.

White eyes traced the curving lines, eventually resting on those that formed either a maze or a fortress of some kind. She would have given the glyphs more scrutiny had her attention not been drawn away by the other woman in the group. She spoke of splitting up.

Ripley had a feeling that splitting up here in a house of mysteries and death was not ideal, but neither was sticking together. Look where that had gotten them. She was sure that no matter what they decided, more trials and hardships laid ahead of them. She just hoped she was mistaken.

Of one thing the Arkanian was certain—if they were to split up, she would not be paired with that raven haired brute. Clearly, he was missing a few screws, and she didn't like the idea of wandering around dark hallways alone with him. He'd already turned on the Mandalorian once, even if it wasn't of his own volition. Who was to say he would not do it again?

As the other woman approached the dark passageway, Ripley turned toward her. "It's possible that this leads to a maze or... more traps." She sighed and tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear, aware that it wasn't much to go on. Her white eyes drifted to the lightsaber hilt that hung from the woman's belt. "Do you think your blade could light the way?"

The force user could just as easily have manipulated the ember flames that lined the room as she had in the altar room, but Ripley was not about to suggest that herself. Who knew how that would end? It hadn't ended well for the raven haired man, that much was certain.

Whatever the group decided, Ripley was anxious to move. Although the chamber was large and spacious, she felt trapped. Smothered. She wanted to get out of here, quickly.

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

 

[Lorcan]

Bloody Sith blocked his stun bolt and that was fine - but what happened next he was very much not okay with. Namely, she decided that they were clearly not dicked over enough because suddenly the bloody ceiling was falling in places! Cursing, Lorcan tried his best to avoid the debris as it came falling down but, unfortunately, he didn't have the aid of the Force to warn him of threats coming down at him from an angle he couldn't check while watching his footing.

Caught off guard by a chunk of the ceiling, Lorcan was sent spinning to the floor by a heavy hit of the stuff to the top and back of his head. Dazed, the Sith trooper without his helmet had far less durability when it came to head trauma. Falling at an odd angle, the front of his head slammed into the wall, sending him sprawling to the ground face first, out cold.

@Phoenix @Sreeya @Altaris @LilyNion @SlagathorTheUnknown @christhebetrayer @Valen Pelora @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

Crumbling Ruin
Dark Chamber



The pain the man who'd been wearing black hadn't stuck for long. There were no aches in his muscle, and the chill in his bones faded out over the minute that followed his escape from the water. The man had only just begun to refocus his attention on the others, and he immediately noticed a difference in reaction to their experiences. Laeonas had been the only one shivering like a nude vacationer on Hoth or vomiting like a man who had more alcohol in his body than water. Than again, he'd also been the only one to go off the wall.

It didn't take a detective to figure out that his negative reactions to what had happened and his reactions to his own force usage were related. The implications caused the man’s brow to furrow, and even as he remained soaked, beads of sweat began to roll down his forehead. The force was an integral part of his defensive style, and it had been the only thing that had kept the horrors that had attacked the group of off him. But this place was making it’s use a practical impossibility, one that endangered him, and the entire group. Abandoning it would leave him in a hostile environment with unexpected threats, while using it was a risk that could spiral out of control.

But the ultimate decision could be made later. The group seemed to adjusting to their new surroundings, and thus, so should he. It was only now that he came to notice the oddities of this room. Where there had once only been a candle of mysterious green flame, there were now lit braziers and torches throughout the chamber. The water hung unnaturally back, defying gravity by not flooding the room in which they now stood. There was an odd looking doorway in one direction, a path through some water, and a stairway up ahead of them. Three possible exits, any of which could lead to escape-- or doom.

"Do you need some help?" A muffled voice asked. Laeonas turned his attention to the harlequin, grimacing at his question. He felt the temptation to throw a harsh jab at the man's idiotic words, but he held his tongue. He'd just threatened all their lives by losing control; he had no right to start throwing insults as well. "...Yeah, but Ai don't think ya'll be of use; no offense." He'd reply, standing up a bit straighter. "Usually Ai'd meditate and let tha force do some of tha me-meta- metaba-- fuck it,'ealin', but it seems whenever Ai draw on it things just get worse." He'd explain.

The man didn't use the force to heal, so to speak, but employed a similar technique that was used to hold his breathe. The force would speed up his metabolism, helping take the slightest of edges off his injuries. Practically it could help with long term recovery, but right now, the technique was useless-- and Laeonas highly doubted that he could use it effectively. The albino would quickly walk past him, commenting about the fowl pile of vomit he'd left. "Didn't mean fer th'at ta 'appen." He'd mutter, turning away from her and back to the harlequin.

Before he could say anything else, the mandalorian he'd accosted from earlier would come upon him. Instinctively, he'd take a step back, glancing at the vibrosword he'd left on the floor. Before he had any chance to prepare for the possible retaliation, the man in beskar began to speak to him. His words were simple, and they got their point across rather well. The tension would dissipate, muscles relaxing, but he'd shake his head. "Mae choices were mae own-- it was everythin' that followed that Ai didn't decide on." He'd answer, referencing the complete loss of physical and mental control just minutes ago. It was as close to an apology as the mandalorian would get.

It was than the Sith woman's chance to speak. Her words played off the Mandalorians, and they seemed to line up with Laeonas' own position fairly well. It was their foolish decisions that had brought them into this madness. What she'd suggest next, however, only seemed to prove that they were fools. They'd barely survived the last few attacks with all their strength combined; if something of equal caliber attacked one or two of them, they'd be torn to pieces. Yet they had to keep moving; nobody was coming to rescue them, and to choose one path might mean a fatal mistake. Only by exploring all their options could they be sure of the way out.

"...yer right about it goin' against all judgement." He'd state, glancing over the room again. Ignoring his instincts had gotten him into this situation. But at the same time, his gut reaction had endangered the lives of the entire group mere minutes ago. He couldn't trust his own decision making process, but he also couldn't trust the decisions of the same people who'd sprung the last horrible trap. "...damnit. Each new room presents worse and worse kriffin' options." He'd hiss, clenching his hands into fists. "Ai'd 'ave rather taken mae chances out in tha forest, 'ad Ai known where this was goin'." He spat, gritting his teeth in frustration.

He'd look at their options again; the dark pathway, the waterfall, and the staircase. "But dividin'll give us all tha info we need ta escape. We should divvy up and explore, as..." He'd begin, before pursing his lips. "Raight, fergot tha names." He'd mutter, before glancing over at the albino. Pointing at her, he'd say, "Ya seem ta know about old shite; goin' down th'at path makes sense. Tha other woman should go with ya fer protection." He'd finish, before glancing at the harlequin and the mandalorian.

Turning his attention to the mandalorian first, he'd say, "Yer expertise seems best fer all tha bullshite we've 'ad ta deal with so far, so goin' up tha most obviously kriffed path out of 'ere makes tha most sense. Though, Ai dunno if yer gonna grab any flames again." He'd say, pointing over at the staircase. Turning to the harlequin, he'd add, "Ya can 'andle yerself, but Ai dunno if there'll be any levers ta grab through that waterfall-- or whatever it is, Ai dunno." He'd go on, scratching his head.

"Kriff... in any case, Ai think th'at if we find an exit, or nothin' at all, we should all come back 'ere. If somebody 'asn't come back, we can go and grab 'em before any witches, or bugs, or whatever other karkin' monster rears it's ugly head can skin 'em or eat 'em or whatever." He'd finish, the outline of the very, very rudimentary plan out on display.

"...Ai dunno which of ya Ai should go with, just be ready fer all tha pretty feathers and piles of shite that come with keepin' a bird."

​

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

OOC: @Charles here's ur novel

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Abandoned Building​

((Edit: Updated Ruz's positioning to be correct))

Pulling the wheelchair backwards as the hallway ahead of them collapsed, Ruzaan managed to back himself and the patient up before either could be harmed; however, the abrasive Sith Trooper was not so lucky and was knocked out cold. A mischievous grin spread across Ruzaan's face; he hadn't forgotten the Sith Trooper's rudeness towards Clove earlier, and an idea formed in his head as he left the sedated patient turned around back towards the unconscious trooper.

Ruzaan grabbed the Lorcan's limp left hand, giggled, and softly whacked it across the man's face. Slap. "Stop hitting yourself."

Slap. "Stop hitting yourself."

Slap. "Stop hitting yourself."

Slap. "Stop hitting yourself."

Then, he grabbed the man's other hand and slowly dragged him backwards away from the rubble, grunting in exertion as he did so. The man, in all of his armor, was heavy. "Can anyone help me out here?" he asked to those remaining in the hallway.

@Phoenix @Sreeya @Nefieslab (sorry) @LilyNion @Forsythe Crowholde @Valen Pelora @christhebetrayer @Altaris

 

[Livi Cross]

Abandoned Building​

Livi still had little idea what was happening, but she knew when to avoid a collapsing ceiling. She glanced back and forth between the ceiling and the two figures at the end. With a sinking feeling, she began to assume somehow they were causing this. It was magic like she had never seen before, and it made her suddenly panic.

Nimble by nature, she rolled backwards and towards the path she entered from, having little desire to give chase. If the two people wanted to deal with the doctor, so be it. Livi rose to stand, beyond furious as she spun and began to make her way back. On the way, she spotted the togruta kid hunched over Birdshit’s body. Livi’s eyes widened as he picked up his hand and moved to slap him.

A bolt fired off inches away from the Togruta’s head, hitting the wall behind him. It was very clearly a warning shot, Livi glaring at the teen, “Cut that shit right out right now before I shoot your montrals off,” She hissed, ice in her tone, “Pick him up and make yourself useful,” She would wait till he hoisted the man up. Livi had no tolerance for someone acting batshit in a building already filled with loonies. If the kid did anything else sketch, she would pop him right in the head.

Livi moved to grab Birdshit’s other arm, helping support him as they walked. The ranger in training sported multiple injuries and scratches from the collapse and the side of her head was bleeding. She was covered completely in soot and debris. They couldn’t see Clove or anyone else just yet.

“Anyone there?!” She called out, “Darius?!”

@SlagathorTheUnknown @LilyNion @Altaris @Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[Arctus Friers]

[Not-so] Abandoned Building​

Arctus didn't bother hiding the wince that crossed his face, the yellows in his eyes receding a smidge as the doctor gasped and weakly chastised him and the Sith for their actions. To be fair the former smuggler tried not to let the man in the white coat get caught between Charlie's Push and Arctus's Pull. The damages had been done, though, and no amount of justification would help ease the guilt he felt as he helped the doctor when the latter reached out to him for help.

Carefully and gently hauling the poor man up to his feet, Arctus glanced at Charlie and quietly beckoned for her to follow. Turning to face where they previously came from, the Padawan half-carried and half-supported the doctor towards the North door.

"Sorry, sorry," Arctus told the doctor sheepishly, gaze scanning the area for any other threats. Collapsing the ceiling might have put both distance and barricade between the three of them and the undead, but he wasn't taking any chances that no more of those kriffers lurked around. We, uh–" he gestured between him and Charlie with a free hand "We've got to put some distance between us and those freaky revenant shits that were trying to kill you. Not to mention me and my current compatriot are sure as Corellian hells were– are panicking, you know. 'S not every day you see non-AMS zombies an' all..."

Arctus and the doctor now stood in front of the North door after a few laborious moments of walking towards it. He risked another glance at Charlie and would awkwardly but subtly give her a shrug should she follow after them.

"Pardon my eloquence, Doc, but... what the fuck were those things? The undead, yeah, sure, but what the hell? And what's with that creepy priest in the chapel?"

He had zero clue with regards to the Force's healing applications, so what was there to do? Ask questions, that's what.

@Phoenix @Valen Pelora

 

[Senin Ravelo]

Crumbling Ruins


Laeonas answer to his question didn't offend Senin. The older man was right, the Acolyte couldn’t do anything to help the other. As a Sith, he wasn't capable of doing Force healing like a Jedi could do. Even if he was, the Force on this place was acting so bizarre that this could be dangerous to even heal someone.

Then he heard the white haired woman comment about Laeo's vomit. Yes, it was disgusting, but the Brentaalan wasn't feeling well, she didn't need to say that. Even him being a Sith wasn’t that aggressive without reason. Senin was already hating this woman.

He looked at the stairway that went upward. It seemed to be a more normal path, but the Acolyte wasn’t sure if they should go through there. Remembering of what happened early with Gamall, Senin was starting to doubt if anything in this place was normal.

The Acolyte had no idea of what path they should follow next. He only wanted to leave this place. He was going to kill the guy that rented that ship to him. Senin really hoped that if they needed to split, he would be away from the white-haired woman. Because if they stayed together, the G’weneen was certain that he was going to murder her.

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

 

[Charlotte Le'Anna]

OOC: Not-So-Abandoned Building

Charlotte tried to get control of herself. Fear gripped her rapidly beating heart. Any semblance of the cold Sith gone. All she wanted in life was to get out of this place alive. Thankfully, the ceiling collapsing seemed to by them some time…pushing the dead out of the room. Charlotte breathed heavily. Her lungs fluttering in rapid succession. The Sith’s saber deactivated and flew to her belt. As Artcus moved, she slumped with her hands on her knees. Get control.

Her breath came in ever ragged beats. Charlotte growled and stood, her left hand flying into her face…hard. “Get it together! Fuck!” She slapped herself again. Her ears rang but her mind slowly pulled out of the death spiral. She regained just enough sanity to follow Artus to the north door. She’d follow him through it when the time game. Her eyes bore into the doctor.

“Speak quickly, doctor. You see my friend here is a Jedi and they have a certain code…” Her saber hilt pop back into her hand. Charlotte rested her thumb on the ignition switch as she pointed the hilt at the physician. “I on the other hand do not. So, get talking.” Her heart still raced. Her breathing too fast but it was better. Barley but better.

@Forsythe Crowholde @Phoenix

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Very-not-Abandoned Building
​

Clove was at a loss for what to do because there was so much going on; luckily, she didn't need to do much more than drag the potato Ranger into the hallway while the roof collapsed around them.

The last bit of ceiling collapsed not far from Clove, creating a cloud of dust and debris around herself and Darius and disorienting her to the point where she lost her location in the hallway. Her lungs became itchy from the dust, and she coughed in her arms before pulling the collar of her shirt over her nose. And while it made her look like a turtle, it also got her thinking of something.

Dust falls to the ground, and Mr. Potato Ranger was on the floor. He'd breathe in a lot of the dust.

Clove knelt next to the man and slung her leather bag on her thighs. She fished a somewhat see-through vest out of it after a few mutters in her native tongue. She had intended to wear it when Arctus, Ruz, Felix, and her arrived on her home planet, but for the time being, it would suffice as a makeshift mask for the man, at least until he awoke or until they found a clean area.

Unless Darius awoke and stopped her, she carefully wrapped the vest around the lower side of his head, ensuring that there was enough room to breathe while also acting as a makeshift filter. It wouldn't get rid of the tiniest particles, but it was an improvement over nothing.

A voice bounced through the hallway not long after she tied a tiny ribbon. It was the other lady.

"Hello?! I'm here! Not sure where here is..." She called back. "Is Darius the man you almost shot a while ago? He's here with me!"

---

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

 

[Felix]

Not-So-Abandoned Building​

see Livi pick herself and begin to help Ruz with the unconscious sith trooper. He would move with the group but with the dust and debris he too had lost sight of the others, covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve, it would work to help ease his breathing. but it seemed he was somewhere between clove and the others.

it would a lot more helpful if they could see and breathe easy. bring the force around him and begin to move the air around him, its speed increasing until he channelled it down what was left of the corridor, a gush of wind would move down it going towards clove, the dust gathering at the debris, it would eventually spread out again but for now, the air was far more clear that it was previously was.

Felix would rush to clove to help her with the unconscious Darius, "I've got him" he would speak to clove before putting him in a fireman's hold over his shoulder and carrying him to the others and into the infirmary and placing him on an empty gurny.

@Valen Pelora @Sreeya @Phoenix @Forsythe Crowholde @Altaris @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab @LilyNion

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Crumbling Ruins​

As Sah’ra advanced towards the darkened doorway, casually listening to the responses of the remainder of the group, she came to a halt at what felt like a safe distance from whatever laid beyond the shadows. Much like the Arkanian, Sah’ra was relatively well versed in some ancient texts but she was without a doubt overcast as the expert. Her own time had been spent studying Sith ruins and all she could reasonably ascertain thus far was that this was nothing like she had ever seen or experienced before. For now, it seemed that the most useful companion she could elect thus far was the woman she could not identify as Ripley and as such she decided sticking with her was the most fruitful choice.

As the raven haired man began mulling over their options and trying to decipher a path to take behind her, Sah’ra simply rolled her eyes as he suggested she follow the other woman ‘for protection’. She had already made her choice, him suggesting that she do what she was already doing was unbearably redundant. ”Oh, absolutely. I’ll keep her safe, don’t you worry,” Sah’ra called back over her shoulder to the others with a smile that quickly faded into an exasperated glare as she turned her face away from them once more.

“Do you think your blade could light the way?” The question was a reasonable one but even as Sah’ra contemplated drawing the weapon and igniting the blade, she was immediately reminded of the searing pain she had experienced earlier when she touched fingers to steel. It was a sensation she was uneager to repeat but the memory began to form a new theory. Glancing back towards the others and ensuring they were a good distance away, Sah’ra returned her attention to the Arkanian.

”The deeper we go in these ruins, the less useful our weapons have become,” she whispered to her partner, being certain that she wasn’t overheard. Even the Mandalorian's flamethrower was likely to be compromised until it had the opportunity to dry out. Looking to each of the torches that lined the room, the same emerald flame as the candle that had sat upon the altar above, she pondered at what was keeping them alive as well as why they burned with such distinct coloration. To her, they truly were beautiful in their uniqueness. Almost… magical.

She had a gut instinct on how to proceed, but she wasn’t certain of how this would play out. Swallowing her anxieties, she moved past the Arkanian and began to reach forth for one of the torches that lined the chamber. ”Stay back,”

Apprehensively, Sah’ra would attempt to wrap her fingers around the torch at it’s base and lift it from the support that kept it in position. Mentally, she attempted to steal herself for what may follow but if all proved to be well, she would move into the next chamber with the torch held high. If not? Well, at least this was her own choice; her own doing. Just as she would have wanted.

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

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Spoiler: Humble Town

HUMBLE TOWN.

Trini had no hesitation in bolting after Ashla to the door ahead of them, sparing a look over her shoulder at the swirling shadows before the door slammed behind them. She caught her breath for a moment, before looking around at the strange office.

"Allery. What is this place?"

There was no reply.

"Hey! Don't clam up-"

Trini turned around, and saw the featureless interior surface of the door. She looked around frantically; no Allery, indeed, no other way out of the room.

The Amaran edged closer to Ashla, still clutching her stingbeam.

"Well kriff. Now what?"

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

Humble Town​

The doors opened and Crix was kind of unhappy that they actually did but... he didn't really have much of a choice did he? He needed to keep on going forward if he wanted to escape this place. If he wanted to help the people trapped within this place then he needed to keep going forward. Every time he went forward he faced more and more in the way of opposition and that? That just meant that he was on the right track.

Finding themselves in a room that appeared far more modern was not what he had expected but the moment he saw the vats and the symbols everywhere, he knew that this wasn't about technology. This wasn't about things going well, this was about a darkness within the town and things getting much worse before they had any hope of getting better. He swallowed thickly as he walked onward, doing his best to appear undaunted.

Of course that was when the bodies within the vats, row upon row of copies of the woman (Allery) from before, decided that Crix and his allies were worth watching.

While they just floated there, suspended in their disgusting embryonic-like fluids.

"Fuck."

Summed it up rather nicely he thought.

"Alright they're awake and they're aware... we just need to make sure we don't make them awake, aware and angry."

There was a flurry of ghostly whispers at the back of his mind, indistinct and infinitesimally small when he tried to lock them down. It was an itch within his mind, one he was aware of and one he had enough training to recognize as probably being a very bad thing. He moved on ahead to the doors at the other side of the room. As he did so, he looked around for any sign of a control panel, access panel or computer. The door showed all the signs of being technologically advanced for this backwater planet and that meant they might need a tech solution to get out.

@Eccles @Logan @DarkSaber

HUMBLE TOWN

Whatever thoughts might have been racing through the Togruta's mind upon the disappearance of their guide, they were gone when she felt the pain in her chest, her hand rising instinctively to clutch her vest where she had been marked, face crunched in a grimace. But pain was nothing new for a Sith, and for the Togruta it was an old friend, one she had learnt to lean on.

Through the pain she would glance around at their surroundings, eyes scanning the contents of what seemed to be an office of some sort. Her eyes fell on the bookshelves lining the walls, and the table at the far end of the room. The promise of knowledge was what had brought her here, and this was an opportunity to get some.

"This way," she said to the Amaran woman, not unkindly, and started making her way towards the desk, "I think we're on our own now. Give me hand." Reaching the desk she would start ruffling through the papers scattered upon it, handing some to Trini in the hopes that together they could parse through it with greater speed and maybe find something that might give them some idea of where they were and what sort of mess they were caught up in.

@Logan @AutoFox

HUMBLE TOWN
​

Eri laughed as the Jedi stared at all the...weirdness unfolding before them. She couldn't say she was surprised, she'd already experienced...plenty of interesting events on this planet. What was surprising was the technological equipment and construction of this room; it didn't fit in at all. Someone had to have built it, it had to have some purpose. It didn't seem likely that those floating beings had done all this.

Regardless, she had appreciated that Crix was the way he was. He wasn't one of those Jedi who walked into a room with living zombie clone things and said "Gosh darn it, but it'll be okay! The light is strong! Yay!" She laughed in her mind and snorted in her body, probably not the best thing to do in this situation. She played it off by sneezing but didn't really care what conclusions came to the Jedi's mind.

Whatever happened next, Eri had the same interest not to pointlessly set these creatures off on them. She nodded at the Jedi's instructions, waiting to see what he did...or what those things did to him.

@Logan @Nefieslab @Eccles

As the began rifling through the papers on the desk and in the drawers, Trini and Ashla would find a lot of them were long manuscripts in a language they couldn't decipher. The script was some kind of bastardized version of Aurebesh cut with old, strange runes.

The pages all seemed old, they would feel stiff in their hands, and each of them got the feeling that if they were to handle them too harshly, the pages might simply crumble into dust. Not to mention, it did strike the two as strange that they existed as actual physical pages over some sort of datapad filled with the passages.

In the margins of some of the pages they would see loose translations attempted by whoever usually occupied this office. There were many that were written and scribbled out in frustration, but the ones that did remain offered at least partial insight.

Summoning ritual? Catalyst unclear.. Read one, scrawled in dark red ink.

Failure rate astronomically high. Situations must be more than ideal, they must be perfect. Need to find the right soul... Read another.

As they neared the end of the paperwork on the desk, Ashla would find a small page that seemed different than the rest. It seemed like a diary entry torn from its home. It was written in a scrawled script that was different than the notations they saw on the other papers.

The ritual succeeded but we did not bring forth the Queen, but a monster. A demon haunting our dreams its voice echoes in my head even when I'm awake. I woke up with a strange mark on my chest this morning after a particularly vivid nightmare. What does it mean?

Oh Allery, what have you gotten yourself into this time.

--

As Crix looked around for a panel or some other way to interact with the door, he would come up with nothing that seemed obvious. As he ran his hand along the door, Crix would be able to feel the thrum of the force pulsing near the center of the door.

As he approached it, a small panel seemed to react to the force that swirled with in Crix and snapped open, revealing a small pad with nine buttons - three across and three down. None of the buttons were labeled, not even with numbers.

The crimson eyes of the tank girls all rested upon Crix now. If he called upon the force to guide him, he would find little answers. Luck would be his savior now.

Or his damnation.

@DarkSaber @Nefieslab @Wit @AutoFox

 

[The Gatekeeper]

CRUMBLING RUINS
DARK CHAMBER
​

Deliberation, choosing the path to walk and wander, black caverns and pounding falls, ordinary stairs that surely lead to home. Defilement, corruption that sank deep into root and mind. Disaster, as every choice led to another foul dead end with new choices predestined by who, or what, had built this ancient place.

Behond worry one individual made a new choice. Was it obvious? Was it unexpected, unusual? Or the opposite of anxious angling for a simple sense of control? Ryun's fingers closed around the torch to lift it from its perch.

Nothing else seemed to happen. The object behaved much like any other torch save for the light it shed and a distinct lack of any obvious fuel source. In fact, as the flame would breach the archway and black beyond, it shed a meagre light that allowed the traveler to see where others could not. At first, peaceful, quiet. Each breath resounded in the dark, symbols dug into the walls scratched through by marks like long and iron-hard claws.

In the black, a shape revealed itself. A thousand legs snapped clitter-clack, foul jaws cracked snicker-snack. Its eyes were milky white and luminescent, reflecting light even though it was clearly blind. The beast crawled on the ceiling above, six meters long and dripping with foul fluids that smelt of sulfur and rotting blood.

A centipede of unusual size crawled toward- and past those in the hall, heading instead past to the chamber they'd come from. Assuming it wasn't somehow intercepted, of course.

Within the chamber itself, three still sat, staying put to decide their fate. Stairs, falls, door. Which, where, and why? Paralyzed with the prison of decision they'd simply lingered too long.

In the far distance water suddenly sprayed wildly away from the waterfall, slim-coated flesh that glowed in blues and yellows whipping free from the icy water. Behind the water still was a maw of teeth and terror, gurgling madly. Jaws that bite, claws that catch mounted on many-fingered limbs with far too many joints reaching slowly into the room.

On and on they stretched toward those that lingered in that place of rest, every bone crickle-cracking like breaking twigs, the snapping filling the air like staccato gunshots. Tentacles reached toward all within while slow limbs followed lazily beyond. Even those who were not sensitive to the Force would know-

One should not touch this thing. It radiated madness, chaos, and the defiance of all reason.

@Versok @llamallove @LouJoVi @Tulos @Tom

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Abandoned Building​

Arctus and Charlotte continued to make demands of the doctor, but his skin was already beginning to go pale. Whatever had happened to him, he had not endured it well.

The only way out... is to stop her. Nothing... is as it seems, he said, breath becoming all the more gasping. He seemed entirely unfazed by the saber hilt pointed at him because he was already on the verge of death. The reality that they had killed him would be something they would both have to live with, though one was more likely to be shaken by it than the other.

It was only now that the pair might begin to wonder if the revenants they had seen were in fact as they appeared. They might wonder what the mist they had walked through had done. Or perhaps they would not.

---​

In the infirmary, those who had retreated from the falling ceiling were only just now recuperating when something would catch their attention. A low growling sound from the hallway leading back to the lobby could be vaguely heard and when they looked that direction they would be able to see a faint glow as if torch light lit the hall from just around the corner.

More than that, though, they would feel a sense of utter dread. A fear and knowledge that whatever the source of that growl and light, it would mean the death of them.

They would be forced to choose between leaving their unconscious comrades behind and escaping in the direction of their possibly hostile colleagues, scrambling over rubble and ruin in order to avoid facing this creature or remaining behind to face whatever this new devilry was and suffer the consequences.

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

 

[Drak Vúlfur]

Crumbling ruins​

Suddenly, something unexpected happened as from the waterfall emerged a strange...Thing, it was indescribable, madness incarnate, even Drak himself felt fear taking a hold of his heart as tentacles began coming his way, the warrior using the jetpack to back away as quickly as possible...If it worked, if not then running would be the next best option as he pulled out his blaster pistol and tried to use it to take shots at anything that got too close to him, but he was more than ready to try something else if his sidearm failed him much like his beskad.

And chances are, if he managed to get away, the poor Mandalorian would stumble upon a giant centipede heading his way and trying to get out of its way as fast as humanly possible, hopefully the centipede would not care about him much like it didn't care about the ones that left already, but Drak didn't know that, that thing had killed everyone else for all he knew! His situation going from bad to worse if he didn't manage to get past the centipede, which would mean he would be stuck between two very horrible monsters...What fun!

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