The Deep Stone Crypt

[Leah Reach]

“Well, what took you guys so long?”

The Jedi Master had laughed at her initial welcome. Her chest ached as she did but Leah cared not. She was happy to see her students. Not only had they salvaged her from the crash and left her to heal with the native Ellorans, but they had managed to climb the mountain on their own, encountering and overcoming obstacles left only to her imagination. They were truly deserving to be members of the Jedi Order. To being her Padawans and future Knights. Because of it, Leah believed they were ready for the next and final phase of their journey: exploring the Deep Stone Crypt. Except, there was one small issue. The doors were closed and the Jedi Master couldn’t open it alone.

But she was not alone. Beside her stood Asha, the woman who saved and brought her to the mountain. Ahead of her, she saw Toland Vult and Devrim Wolfe, the men from Savareen and the reason for the Crypt’s discovery. Fey Meraska, the young and promising Pantoran she met on Kashyyyk and plucked away from Master Luy’s tutelage. Eisa Swan, growing more powerful with every passing day. Together, she believed they could open the doors and uncover the secrets inside. Already she could feel the artifacts within, even if the Force Seal on the door and the thick walls of the mountainside blocked her vision. Crystals, relics, lightsabers— hope.

“I’m still in one piece. Shocking, I’m sure, but nothing thanks to Asha here.” She gestured to the young woman to her side, proud. With a piece of the introductions over, Leah decided to skip straight to the point. “I can tell you the details later, but right now, we need to pry this door open.” The older woman turned to the grand entrance. As a blizzard battered the mountainside, intensifying with each second, she knew they needed to take shelter before it hit them at its worst. “The door is sealed with the Light Side of the Force. I’m too weak to open it alone, so I need all of you to lend me a hand.” She approached the entrance and pressed a hand to the cold stone. “Come. Hold your hand to the door. Close your eyes. Reach out.”

The Jedi had already guided them through the ways of the Force. Not as much as she may have hoped, but their combined strength should be more than enough. She hoped.

@Malon @Plebometer @Vosrik @Shalken @Fey Aadedai

 

[Asha]

Mood Music​

Asha took in the breathtaking view from the pinnacle of the mountain that concealed the site the Jedi hopefuls sought. The sun was creeping over a crest in the valley below, sending shimmering rays of light across a rolling cloud of mist that swallowed up mountain and treetops alike. A cold breeze blew through her hair as the sun rose and, slowly but surely, she felt her skin warm to its touch. Prior to this mission, she had never been beyond Ifrane; now she regretted that. The galaxy was a beautiful place. Beyond anything she had ever expected. And these misty mountains were the perfect manifestation of that sentiment.

She reached out and put a hand gently on Leah's shoulder. "Rest." Her voice was, as always, soft and soothing, as was the look in her chocolate-colored eyes. "Even Jedi Masters need rest." She glanced at the other students. She knew none of them, but felt a certain sense of responsibility over them given Leah's condition. Of course, she had no right to feel this way—they were all just students of the Force after all—but she acted on the feeling all the same. "We can handle this from here. Right, everyone?"

Asha removed her hand from her Master's shoulder and turned to face the door in question. It was old and easily looked to weigh several tons. But, in her short lessons with Leah, Asha had learned that even the heaviest of objects could be made light as a feather with the power of the Force. Remembering these early lessons, she closed her eyes and inhaled; and, as she drew breath, she also drew the Force into herself. Then, slowly, Asha raised her hand towards the door. Her breath hitched as she mentally felt each mechanism, metaphysical or otherwise, that kept it locked.

Immediately, she knew her strength would not be enough. She was not well trained enough to unlock such a complex artifact with her mediocre understanding of the Force; but she trusted the others to supplement her inability to complete the task alone. In the meantime, she simply focused on believing in and willing the Force to open the door and let them inside. @Deviant @Plebometer @Vosrik @Shalken @Fey Aadedai

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

reference threads (1)(2)(3)​

After hearing the remark from Leah, Devrim had to restrain himself more than he thought humanly possible from rolling his eyes. Master Reach had already pulled something like this before with Toland and himself on Kashyyyk after having sent them on the pilgrimage from Rowrakruk to the Life Tree with the Wookiees. Sneaking up on them, it had been an utter surprise to meet Leah again after having last seen her on Savareen many systems away. But this time, their Jedi Master had done it once again — but this time, she had made it up the mountainside somehow before the four Padawans while still recovering from her injuries of their crash landing. However, she also brought someone else with her — another Padawan, from what Devrim could sense of Asha's attunement with the Force. As always, Leah was full of surprises. Simply smiling and nodding to her comment about still being in one piece, the dark-haired rebel replied, "Never a dull moment."

Being directed to the door, Devrim stepped forward with Leah and peered up at the stone surface, placing a hand on it as well. Although clearly having been made of the same substance as the cave that surrounded them, it was remarkably smooth except for intricate patterns engraved into the stone. The markings were circular, as if part of a star system map with planets and orbit paths — but frozen solid. If this was indeed the door, there certainly wasn't any clear way of opening it. At least, until Leah Reached out and directed them all to do the same. Closing his eyes and stretching out with his mind, Devrim saw the torches of light from all Jedi present. Furthermore, he beheld the door with new understanding — through the power of the Light Side, he was able to view the metaphysical aspects of the lock that were unapparent before. With the guidance of the Force, its immensely complex components were laid bare, though little did Devrim know that should one from the Dark Side seek to do the same, it would appear beyond comprehension to their eyes.

"I can see it now," he spoke, doing his best to wrap his head around the puzzle before them all. As with Leah and Asha, Devrim realized that individually they would not be able to complete the difficult task. "Who could have made something like this?" he wondered aloud. Working from both instinct and the concept of the power, Devrim reached out with his senses and touched the minds of all who stood before the door. Perhaps they could not all do it alone, but if they all melded themselves together in a bond with the Light, it could be achieved. Channeling the Light Side, he began to unlock a small part of the artifact. Opening his eyes, Devrim found he was able to continue seeing the material and immaterial aspects of the door — and the previously immobile planets and circles began to move across the smooth surface like it were water. It was beginning to open.

@Shalken @Plebometer @Fey Aadedai @Deviant @Malon​

 

[Eisa Swan]

As she reached the crest if the summit, the tge fiery haired teens gaze narrowed in confusion. A raised eyebrow crossed the young teens features as her bright emerald gaze settled upon the Jedi master, accompanied by another new face. "wait,...How'd ya..." The look of confusion was evident the teen as she peered towards the two Jedi and then back over herself looking down tge mountain path they had just scaled. Just how the Kriff did Leah and the new person get up here, not only faster given Leah was out cold when they left aft the break of dawn and there was no sign of this new person, who the Jedi master introduced as Asha.

Looking around her, the teen cast a curious glance around the immediate surroundings. If Leah and Asha were here, then just where was her droid that she left to look over the unconscious master? "Where's Ditto?" she added after a brief moments silence to reground her thoughts from flailing over every impossibility as to how the two other female Jedi could hsve made it to the summit first.

Eisa's attention did eventually move towards the large ornate looking door that sealed the crypt away from the outside. Once again the teens features contorted into a look of confusion at first, processing the fact that the door was locked through the Force. Although the teens growth in the Force has been at a rapid rate as more and more of her mind was opened to the sensations of the eternal energies, her understanding of it all was still extremely limited. Whilst having the raw potential, the teen severely lacking in the knowledge of how the Force worked.

All she had known so far was what Leah had spoken to her about, as well as the soft guiding whispers from the disembodied voice that reached out to her, now with and increasing frequency. Something that perhaps the teen mused she should talk to Leah about when they get some time to speak in confidence, not really wanting to openly discuss the fact that she was hearing voices in her head. Especially when those around her where unaware of the mysterious presence within the Kyber that hung around the teens neck like a pendant.

Still as like the others where doing the fiery haired teen stepped closer towards the door and held a hand out as she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, reaching her mind back into the Force and stretching out into her surroundings. The teens brow furrowing as she could feel the inner workings of the crypt door through the Force, there were multiple layers of intangible energies that resided within, all of which were arranged into an intricate and complex mesh. Choosing not to dwell on the strange oddity that she had just encountered for the first time, the teen cleared her musing thoughts from her mind before allowing her hand to touch upon the large stone door.

As the teen continued to concentrate, and pour more and more of her mind into the Force to reach through to the seals placed upon the ancient Jedi crypt, the soft ice blue glow of the teens Kyber crystal flared up before dulling down as the light that radiated from within the crystalline structure that started to pass through the unknowing teen, presenting her as being shrouded in a strange ethereal glow that resonated with her aura in the Force. The ethereal glow lingered around the teen for a moment longer before flowing into the door, concentrating in the space around the teens hand before snaking it's way up to the large carved arcs that looked to mimic planetary orbit paths. The light ice blue glow spreading throughout the seems, in time and in line with the fiery haired teens mental visualisation ans tracing of the ornate features that adorned te front of tge crypt door.

 

[Toland Vult]

Toland panted lightly as he climbed up to the landing. Initially expecting to have to climb up to the summit of Felwinter Peak, he was pleasantly surprised to find an entrance only about halfway up. More shocking to him, however, was the presence of the previously-injured Master Reach, now impatiently waiting for the group as if nothing had happened and that they had all taken the longest route possible. Brow furrowing in confusion, Toland glanced back and forth between the two at the door and the slope behind them, utterly baffled. Simply shaking his head in disbelief, he then observed the newcomer that had been waiting by Leah's side. Toland had never seen her before, but that frankly wasn't really that surprising; it would have been foolish for him to think that their small group were the only students under Master Reach's tutelage. However, what did confuse him was how this 'Asha' knew where to find them and the Crypt. Though the ex-Imperial was eager to know why, he put aside his questions for now as Leah directed their attention towards the entrance.

The door itself was utterly unique, unlike anything Toland had ever seen before. Shaped entirely of stone, it was perfectly smooth except for the circular ridges bored into its surface — none of which looked like they could open. "How does it even open?" Toland asked, running a hand along the flat rock. Putting aside his misgivings, he trusted in Leah's guidance, closing his eyes and opening his mind to the energies of the Force. The effort was no longer a new experience to him, and did not require nearly as much exertion as it did on Savareen or Kashyyyk; however, as he began to sense the others around him, Toland inhaled sharply as he suddenly felt the presence of the great mechanism that stood before them. It was infinitely intricate, and at first Toland despaired at the thought of comprehending it. But the Light Side of the Force granted him understanding, showing him a path through the maze and guiding him to the answer. The solution became clear in his mind, but he could feel the vast toll of energy to unlock it. Remembering Leah's words of guidance, Toland began to channel energy into the mechanism just as the others were.

The lock began to twist and turn metaphysically, and only the Light Side along with the Jedi Master's immense presence in the Force helped Vult guide and direct his efforts. Even the very surface of the rock itself began to shift in conjunction with its inner workings, and Toland began to realize just how little he understood about the Force and the mysteries of the galaxy. At the top of the large slab, a new slit suddenly appeared, splitting the rock in half and working its way down the center. "So it is a door," Toland murmured in awe, his former doubts now completely faded away.

@Vosrik @Fey Aadedai @Plebometer @Malon @Deviant​

 

[Fey Meraska]

The summit was in sight, and Fey was happily transfixed by the beautiful scenery that surrounded the travelers in their wake. Snowcapped mountains were visible through the blizzard that was falling around them, although the woman was only slightly chilly to it- she considered it a pleasant temperature to make the hike up the peak in.

Upon reaching the top and taking up the rear of the group, Fey was the last one to notice that none other than her master was awaiting them. "Oh wait what?" She halted in her tracks, taken aback, her mouth gaping for a moment before the words spoken by Leah and her companions registered in her ears. It didn't make sense to the young pantoran in all, but it was good to see Leah and a warmth filled her at knowing that she was alright.

At the introduction of Asha, Fey smiled and immediately sensed her resonation in the force, as she did for all of her companions. Anyone that Leah trusted would be a friend to her.

Fey's golden gaze was drawn to the massive stone door that encased the crypt. Almost as soon as she laid eyes on it did she feel th distinct need to open her mind up to it as it towered over the group. It felt ancient, and it felt wise. Almost as if it had a tether connecting itself to fey, she needed no further instruction than to follow her companion's lead and be the last to wander up to it.

The pale blue woman hesitated before touching it, opening her mind to the force as she had been taught by her first teacher, Master Luy on the beaches of Rishi. It was an easy thing for Fey now, like a language she had known her whole life. Fey felt all of the people around her, their feet rooted firmly in the force as it rippled throughout all things that surrounded them.

Content with this, fey let her hand slide against the smooth stone. The wave of energy that pulsed between everything was so much at once for her, she almost stumbled back. But Fey didn't, she braced herself against the door and the power and the feeling of everything.

Fey was alerted in that moment to just how little she actually knew of the universe, of the force, of herself. It felt like a connection to everything. With a little more time, she was able to sort through the jumbles of energies to feel the mechanisms of the ancient door. It felt like a map, it was spectacular. The pantoran began running her metaphysical energy along the crannies that made up the ornate door, pushing out with the force with as much of herself she had to give.

She felt it beginning to ease open with that, and the split was opening more with each given second that they were combined in the force together. It would not be a barrier between them for much longer.​

 

[Leah Reach]

“No, I can do this. I will see this through.” She answered the young woman, resolute and steadfast before the door. A sign of warmth simmered through her meditative appearance in the form of a wry grin. “You may have saved me but that doesn't mean you get to tell me what I can and cannot do, Asha— still, thank you.” The Jedi Master knew she was weak. Her scars, injuries and weary mind was catching up to her. The high altitude, piercing winds and overwhelming presence of the Force weighed heavy on her and crawled beneath her skin. She shivered, less from the cold and more out of growing uncertainty. Her confidence was wavering and Leah did not know why.

She ignored her gut feeling and followed through with her original intentions. As the others pressed their hands to the door and extended themselves through the Force, she noticed cracks between the entrance. The doors were opening. They were doing it. Everything continued as the Jedi Master hoped and more. Together, they could wrest the doors open to them and then to the rest of the Order. Clinging to the thought, her backbone restored, Leah held the palm of her hand even tighter against the stone. Like the others, she closed her eyes. The Force followed soon after, flowing through every bone in her body and into the sealed door. That was when she saw it.

The puzzle of the doors was likewise laid bare to her. Unlike the others, however, it was no simple task. Leah believed herself to be the most experienced among them given her many years of discipline and understanding of artifacts with similar locks. Now was different. Since her dark visions, a tiny blemish festered inside her. Nightmares of her husband, death and destruction. She never dared to turn to the Dark Side and neither was she consumed with revenge, but she was imperfect. While the doors recognized for who she was, they saw more than righteous light. Immediately, Leah fought to prove her value and virtue. Not only for her but for her students.

The Jedi Master pushed one last time. Above her, the small crack in the door began to shift into a complete opening. Suddenly, the Deep Stone Crypt was opened to her and the young men and women around her. What they came for was finally revealed. When her eyes opened to see the chambers inside, Leah ultimately collapsed to the ground. A bead of sweat trickled down the back of her neck. She could barely breath, completely exhausted, and fought once more as she stood on the verge of unconsciousness. The Jedi would not miss out on their moment of triumph. Not after everything.

@Malon @Vosrik @Shalken @Plebometer @Fey Aadedai

 

[Asha]

Asha was the first of Leah's students to pass through the threshold into the crypt. The chamber it opened up into stank of stale air, as though it had not been disturbed in many centuries; but there was a twinge of rainwater scent that suggested the cavern might be leaking somewhere deeper inside. Pillars and braziers lined the walls in front of her, and, at the back of the chamber, she could faintly make out the weathered statues of four Jedi. Truly, this crypt—this hidden temple—was a work of art that must have taken many years to complete.

There were other doors, likely leading to elsewhere in the crypt, including a large, spiraling staircase that disappeared into the dark space above. It took her several moments to wrap her mind around the place, but the thing that struck Asha first was not the beauty of the architecture or the curiosity of what the other chambers might contained, but rather how effortlessly she could feel the Force in this place.

Asha could barely call what lessons she had received thus far "training," and, yet, she could feel the Force here passively. It carried through the room, floated out the crypt's massive door, and rolled down the mountain in waves like the mist that coated the valley below. The Force was alive on this world and particularly in this place. Here, she thought, she might finally take her first steps towards finding out her place in the galaxy.

Once the awe and wonder of the place in front of her began to finally wane, she turned and sought out Leah's gaze. She was perhaps the only student that didn't know their true purpose here, having been a late arrival; so, while she was amazed with the site, she was confused as to its purpose. The confusion was apparent in her own gaze when she finally located and met Leah's. "What is this place?" Her voice was hushed, as it always was, yet it still echoed deep into the chamber. "You never did tell me why you wanted me to come here." @Deviant @Plebometer @Vosrik @Shalken @Fey Aadedai

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

theme​

With the combined efforts of the six Jedi, the door finally opened and swung open. Exhaling from the exertion, Devrim's breath was also stolen away upon seeing the interior of the sanctum. The hall that they found themselves in was much like a hall that led to a circular area at the furthest end. Lining each side of the chamber were unlit braziers and pillars that supported the ceiling above. Unsuccessfully, it seemed — Devrim could not guess how old this place was, but part of the ceiling had collapsed, leaving large boulders and chunks of stone strewn around the otherwise spacious chamber. Asha's voice echoed as it carried not only to the end of the hall, but also through the three passageways that led elsewhere within the Crypt. Devrim, on the other hand, remained speechless. All this was kept secret, somehow, through the ages. As far as the dark-haired rebel knew, the only knowledge to its location was kept within the azure memory crystal that still hung about his neck. Turning to see his Master, slumped to the ground in exhaustion, Devrim stooped to her side to help her up as best as he could. Then, out of the shadows that gathered at the back of the chamber where no light currently touched, a strange whirring noise was heard.

Devrim flinched, utterly unsure what they would face. However, after a moment, an extremely worn and rusted protocol droid stepped into the light. "This," it replied, "is the Deep Stone Crypt. Greetings, newcomers. I am designated 10-NT, but you may call me Tennant." The droid made audible whirring noises as it bent in a short bow, then shut down momentarily. Devrim peered at it closer, thinking the poor, ancient thing had just died on the spot. However, its mustard-yellow photoreceptor flickered back on again, and Tennant continued on as if nothing happened.

"Why, you all must be the first visitors in over five hundred —" Tennant jolted in shock, his head lowering sadly. "Ah, Felwinter has passed, then. Such a shame." Perking up once more, it observed Leah and rushed as quickly as a breaking-down droid possibly could. "I am a D-0-C Medical Droid, allow me to assist," he asked, reaching the Jedi Master's side. Continuing to observe 10-NT, it occurred to Devrim that this curator would be able to answer their questions about the place. The only problem was the rebel didn't know where to begin.

@Plebometer @Shalken @Fey Aadedai @Deviant @Malon​

 

[Leah Reach]

The Force was everywhere. Her mind was a blur. Settled on the floor, she looked up to see the face of a man bathed in light. Not her close apprentice Devrim Wolfe, but the familiar face of her husband. Several times she blinked, unsure if what she was seeing was true. As the light faltered, she could catch his smile and hear the softness in his voice. “You did it, Leah.” He reached out a hand to her, fingers straining to touch her, and her own to his. “Come on. Rise. Guide your students forward. Show them, the first of the Jedi Order, their new home.” Her chapped lips ached as she tried to respond. She took his hand, he pulled, and she ascended. The light vanished and she was left staring at Devrim. Hiding her loss and confusion, her attention followed his to an unexpected guest.

A tattered and well-worn droid stumbled into view. Exposed wires, rusted plating, a barely lit eye. How the mysterious droid still functioned was a shock to her. How long had he been inside the mountain? As the stranger finished his introductions, Leah likewise pieced the puzzle together. It was without a doubt that the Deep Stone Crypt was left unopened for five hundred years. Her husband, and no other Jedi before them, had ever knew of the Crypt. If they had, it would have long been unearthed or recorded in the archives of Al’doleem. They were first in centuries. What artifacts that were contained were affirmably untouched since the final days of the old Jedi Order. It was everything she could have hoped for and more.

“I’m fine. I’m okay.” She tried to raise her head proudly as if there was nothing to fear or worry about. “There is more here. So much more. I can sense it. Please, Tennant—“ She continued, referring to its personal name and now beyond curious. “A vault, or archives. Can you show us the way?” The droid looked at her, half-concerned about her health but perking up at her question of need. Anyone would be uncertain of newcomers, but opening the Force Seal should have been more than enough for the droid to trust them. There was also the case that in its barely functional condition, Leah doubted it would care. And to her satisfaction, it didn’t. With a nod, Tennant stepped back and gestured them down one of the passageways. “Why, yes, of course. Just this way.”

No longer relying on Devrim for support, Leah followed after the droid. As they walked, Tennant would commence a makeshift tour and review of the Crypt. There was a massive cavern that housed the remains of the supposed dragon that guarded the mountain and acted as a hangar for visiting ships. The underground complex also contained many amenities, be it small living quarters for a prolonged stay, a private meditation chamber and a high-grade medical bay. The Deep Stone Crypt was not just a vault full of Jedi artifacts. It was a near sustainable sanctuary and refuge. A temple on equal level to that of Al’doleem, but even farther from the prying eyes of the Empire. The powerful Force nexus of Ellora was another rare benefit. The Jedi Master could already feel herself growing stronger the longer she stayed.

“Here we are. The Archives.” Tennant rasped, his voice fading into static for a moment. Leah glanced over to Eisa, the former scavenger and rebel mechanic, with a raised brow. When the time came, she figured the girl could repair the droid back into pristine condition. In the meantime, as she entered the hexagonal stone room, the Jedi Master noticed a statue. At its feet was a plaque and words engraved into the stone. “In memory of Master Austin Wolfe and Master Galahad Vult…” It took her a moment to process what she had read. Her eyes widened. It couldn’t be. It had to be mere coincidence. But the memory crystal, their force-sensitivity, everything she believed about in the Force? It had to be more.

She turned to Devrim Wolfe and Toland Vult. “I always knew there was something else about you two.” A small, fully realized smile tugged her lips. Now faced away from the statue, Leah noticed more around her. Lightsaber parts in mahogany drawers, a dusty chest left ajar and full of hundreds of unattuned kyber crystals, a hardcover tome on a stone mantle, a multitude of memory crystals with knowledge lost for centuries. Everything they could ever need.

@Vosrik @Shalken @Fey Aadedai @Malon @Plebometer

 

[Fey Meraska]

After a moment the door opened fully under the touch of the combined effort of the padawans and Leah, and Fey was left to follow the others into the crypt. Her feet carried her along, and the young woman was swept with the awe of beauty that transcended anything she had ever seen. The light filtered wonderfully in behind the companions and shone gently on the decrepit stone of things left untouched for centuries.

The voices of the padawans physically voiced the questions Fey herself couldn't bring herself to speak as she wondered at the sight. Sure, she knew they had planned to come to a crypt. But one of this magnitude? And age? It was beyond the pantoran who had spent the better part of her life focused on what she would do to find her next meal. But even beyond that, Fey wondered at the way she felt effortlessly connected in this place. To the walls, each pillar and mass of boulder left to decay, and to the people who she called her companions. She could feel them, their wonder, and their minds.

As if on impulse, the pale girl reached out and let her fingers rest on one of the pillars closest to her that was cracked down its middle; her fingers tracing the grooves of the architecture and feeling the cool stone that had not been such touched in generations.

+Fey+

The girl whipped around, eyes wide at the passageway closest to her. Her hand dropped from the pillar. She had heard that, right? It sounded like a whisper, but almost sounded musical, like something had sung her name. It was far off, yet close, and she glanced back around to her companions to make sure it hadn't been them. But they were all doing the same as her in the hall, just wandering.

Fey's eyes touched back on the many passageways that meandered out from the hall in which they stood, as well as examining a snaking staircase that reached up towards the hangar above their heads. Something was down one of these halls. The whispers went in and out, like a buoyant welcome that she couldn't place. It touched every so often a part of her mind, like she was standing off to the side of it and just had to make her way to face it fully. The pantoran tipped her head slightly, turning to look at her Master across the hall. She wondered if she should call out and ask if there was anyone else here, if that were possible.

Changing her thoughts, Fey couldn't help but jump slightly as the confident voice of a protocol droid appeared before the group, breaking the echoing silence and immediately introducing itself, along with the crypt they stood in. She watched as eagerly Leah addressed it, and asked it to take the group to the archives. Fey found herself following the group with a reserved pace through the atrium and down one of the passageways. +fey fey fey+

The disembodied voice grew louder still with every step the group took. The pantoran could hardly hear the voice of Tennant as they crossed the threshold of a hexagonal stone room. Fey's heart was beating now as she followed Leah in. She couldn't help but feel anxious. Could they hear it too? She kept glancing at the faces of her companions, looking for any sign of confusion across their features that could be a sign they were hearing things as well.

As they stood in the room, fey hardly saw anything but her golden eyes fell directly on a dusty chest near a bench across the way of the entrance which they stood. She glared at it for a moment. Were her eyes tricking her? The contents of it seemed to glow slightly. Maybe the altitude of the mountain was making her hallucinate. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth in thought.

+FEY FEY FEY+

She had had enough. The chest was the thing doing the talking, she knew now because it had just practically yelled at her. "Okay, do you all hear that? That chest just sang at me." The blue woman whipped off her outer robe so that she no longer had her long sleeves in the way of her hands, and began to make her way towards the chest across the room. Upon reaching it, she would kneel before it. The singing was deafening. As if not her own will, fey closed her eyes and felt her hands move without her own bidding. She felt herself remove it's cover entirely, and then her hands hovered over it's contents for a moment. Fey felt the flow of the force through her fingers. It felt like water between each of her knuckles, fingertips, brushing along the skin of her wrists. She felt her hands flip the opposite side, so they were palm-up.

A moment passed. When she opened her eyes, two crystals were hovering slightly above the palms of each of her hands. They idled there in the air, a pale yellow color emanating from them, almost resembling the light amber color of the end of a day, the light cast by a setting sun. To Fey, she felt feelings of intrigue and pursuit radiating towards her. In unison they fell against her palms. Fey felt their part of her connect like water released from a dam, allowed to flow freely with the rest of the river. ​

 

[Asha]

Mood Music for Me

Asha watched close by as Leah dusted off the old tome but quickly felt her attention tugged beyond them. There were crystals in these drawers too. Why would Jedi save crystals? And these crystals were small too. Without knowing it, the young Padawan took a step towards one of the drawers. And then she heard the singing too, like a myriad of voices that seemed to softly rise from the crystals. She recognized the voices, some more than others, like ghosts singing from the past. Responding to the voices, she slowly, delicately, reached in and pulled out the crystal that seemed to be the source of the phenomenon.

The crystal itself was unappealing to look at. It was small — barely larger than a coin — and mostly transparent. Yet Asha felt the same magnetic attraction towards it that she had to the cave on Ifrane or to Leah herself when the two women had first met, and she knew it to be of the Force. The crystal was also warm against her skin. She had no idea that crystals could be so warm. She closed her palm around the tiny stone and took a step back to examine the rest of the drawers' contents.

There were machined parts everywhere. Most of them were made of metal. There was also circuitry, wires, screws, and switches. Even though Asha had only seen two lightsabers in her life and had not the faintest clue how they were made, she recognized what she was looking at.

"This is a lightsaber forge of some sort," she said, more to herself than anyone around her. Then she glanced back at the book Leah had found and the memory crystals surrounding it. "Whoever built this place must have been afraid for the Jedi Order. This is not a place you go to learn. The storm... The seal on the door... All of these supplies... It's a hiding place." The puzzle was beginning to fit together neatly in her head. "The Jedi who hid these tools knew the Order was coming to an end. They must have hoped it would be opened when it was time to begin again."

Revelation in mind and crystal in hand, Asha stepped back to allow some of the others a chance to look around. In the meantime, she found a stone slab to sit upon and reflect on the words she just spoke. If her deduction was true than that meant this was that new beginning. The Jedi had been in hiding for five centuries; but it was time for a new generation to rise, and from this crypt would come new life to an Order that had been sleeping for hundreds of years... @Deviant @Vosrik @Shalken @Fey Aadedai @Plebometer​

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[Eisa Swan]

Following the Jedi Master as the droid lead the group through the depths of the revealed ancient Jedi sanctuary, Eisa's arm wrapping her clothing tight around her body. Although she was still shivering from the winter storms of that weathered the mountain range, the fiery haired teen was glad to finally be out of the icy wind that seemed to cut directly through her clothing right down to her the marrow of her bones. As the Jedi entered into the archives, the teen cast a wondrous gaze to her new surroundings, the place seemed to have been filled with countless artifacts, tomes and articles that seemed to pass the young teen's understanding and comprehension.

Her attention was brought back to the interaction between the Jedi master and the droid, as it seemed to glitch out after centuries of running. A light knowing grin crossing the teens features as she caught sight of Leah looking in her direction. Eisa knew all to well why the Jedi's attention had turned to her after the ancient droid had started to show its failing condition, and truth be told the thought was running through the teens mind to give the droid a well over due service and repair, hopefully to bring it back to it's former glory. But that would wait for the time being, there was a reason that they were all here.

As the names of the two Jedi masters were read out aloud, the teens brow furrowed in thought at the recognition of the offered surnames. Before her gaze moved over towards the two male Jedi in realisation, her features were plastered with a mixture of surprise and confusion. Where the two aware of their heritage? Her thoughts soon shifted to the Jedi heritage of sorts that hung around her neck, her gaze moving towards the origin of the light ice blue glow that emanated from her pendant. The fiery haired teen's lips pursed in thought as she mused over the possibility that there might be something that would identify the original owner of the Khyber crystal that she bore, something that would grant a clue as the name behind the disembodied voice that reached out to her at times.

With a thoughtful expression plastered over her gaze, Eisa stepped away from the group and walked along the various shelves. Her emerald hued gaze scouring over the books and tomes that rested undisturbed for centuries, covered in a thick layer of dust that had collected over the half millennia that the Sanctuary had remain untouched, forgotten to the distant memories of the galaxy.

As she regarded the various works that marked the spines of the books, the teen's attention was soon pulled away from array of books and brought over towards a chest that the others had gathered around. Slowly the teen walked over to see for herself what had caught everyone's attention, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the various parts and components that had been set out within various trays and containers within the chest. Reaching down for a small component, something that appeared to the teen to be similar to a a beam focusing emitter. Eisa narrowed her gaze as she closely inspected it, the component looked to have been engineered with a precision that seemed to have long since been lost. As if it had been crafted with the utmost of care, rather than an assembly line like most mass produced components she would install.

Turning her attention away from the component, something had managed to draw her attention back towards the chest. Curiously the teen's attention was moved towards the assortment of Kyber crystals, there was something that was drawing her towards them. Whether it was just a strange instinct, or just that moment of seeing something out of your periphery and knowing it was meant to be. But despite the strange sensations the teen knew it was much more than that, all belief of coincidence and certain luck had long since moved away to the understanding that it was the Force.

Reaching out towards the assorted crystalline gems, the teens hand hand moved as it on autopilot towards a solitary crystal, the Force calling out and guiding her towards the small crystal tucked away towards to the back of the pile. Picking it up the teen's eyes narrowed as she regarded a light shimmering green glow spark up within it's core as if a pilot light had just been ignited. Holding the crystal in her hand the teen could feel a similar sensation emanate from the Kyber crystal, it felt almost the same as the one that hung around her neck, but this one was fresh, unknowing and ex-hued a degree of innocence from it. It felt as if it were a reflection of herself, young and niave to the path of a Jedi but had the potential to grow and become something, someone much more than she could imagine herself becoming at this point.

This is your true pairing within the Force A familiar presence and voice spoke out to the young girl's mind, causing the girl to nod in understanding before casting a glance over towards the Jedi Master, partly to see if she had also clocked onto the presence of the spirit that seemed to inhabit the ice blue Kyber. Carefully the teen pocketed her new crystal before returning her attention over towards the various parts and components that had started to be spread out as the others sifted through the collection. Closing her eyes, she reached out and allowed the Force to guide her hand towards the various components and articles. Collecting them and tucking them into an empty pocket within her tool satchel, conscious that the feel of various components seemed to repeat themselves in nature, as if she was doubling up the materials to make two light sabers.

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

Even as his Jedi Master could feel it, Devrim could also sense the latent energies of the Force throughout the sanctuary. Though it may have lain dormant for five hundred years, it was now awake and flowing freely. The rebel could feel his sore and cold muscles beginning to relax after the arduous journey to reach the Crypt. After taking Leah's hand and helping her up, Devrim thought he saw a strange look on her face, but he ignored it as she shook off whatever had overcome her for a moment. Politely declining the D-0-C droid's medical assistance, instead she inquired if there was a vault or archive within the Deep Stone Crypt. This surprised and somewhat confused Devrim that she would know to ask for such a thing, seeing as there certainly was by Tennant's response. However, he realized that the existence of Archives must be a common thing within Jedi Temples and sanctuaries — hence why Master Reach would know to ask for such a place. The broad-shouldered rebel, ever the combat specialist, would have first thought to ask if there was a weapon room or a training facility. More than content to follow Tennant as he ambled off toward one of the stone doorways, Devrim remained silent in awe of the place.

Before exiting the main chamber, Tennant halted and lifted a creaking arm toward an ancient-looking panel on the wall. Pressing a singular button, a few seconds passed before every brazier within the Crypt was ignited, one by one. They cast a warm orange-red glow onto the walls, fully revealing the intricate handiwork of the sanctuary — as well as the damage that the multiple cave-ins had caused. "Come along," Tennant motioned as he continued down the now-lit passageway to the Vault. As they followed the creaking and wobbling thing, Devrim murmured, "What's inside this place?" Hearing the question, the droid answered readily and cheerfully. "Well, you have seen the central chamber. At its far wall are four statues representing the four Councils — First Knowledge, Reconciliation, Mastery, and Command. This space was designed to be a possible training ground as well." Devrim was immensely pleased to hear this, and listened eagerly to hear more. Fey began acting strangely, staring at the passageway around them as though she was hearing something, though the dark-haired rebel was only aware of the gentle crackling of the fires in the braziers and the patter of their footsteps on the stone floor. In the meantime, Tennant continued as his audio receptors clearly detected nothing unusual either.

"One passageway leads to a large cavern near the peak of this mountain. It was the roost of the great defender of the Deep Stone Crypt, Felwinter, where I am sure he now rests in peace. The last passageway leads to the amenities of the sanctuary, small as it is. We have a few spacious living quarters, a meditation room, and a full-suite medical facility." Tennant's inner mechanisms wheezed and whirred as his processing could audibly be heard. "Alas, they are so old that I am afraid they have ceased to function." Having arrived at the Archives, the final section contained in the Crypt, the medical droid announced their arrival and remained standing at the entrance. Devrim's eyes widened at what he saw.

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Before them lay a hexagonal room with a stone centerpiece. His eyes drawn to the engraving, Devrim approached it and ran a hand along the ancient stone. The inscription plainly read:

In memory of Master Austin Wolfe and Master Galahad Vult, who established this Crypt to preserve the memory of the Jedi Order and with the hope it would be renewed once again.
In memory of Felwinter, the great defender of this sanctuary.
In memory of the thousands of Jedi that lived and died in service to the Order.​

Devrim heard Leah speak, but only barely. His head was swimming — how could this be? It was impossible, a coincidence like this...that both Devrim and Toland were possibly related to this Master Austin and Galahad. "Ouch!" Devrim flinched as he felt a sharp prick in his arm. Tennant had approached both himself and Toland, using one of his tools to take blood samples of them both and run it through his database. "By the maker!" the droid exclaimed. "You are truly the descendants of Austin and Galahad." Tennant made a weak, reverent bow to both Devrim and Toland. "Masters Wolfe and Vult — welcome home."

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This was altogether too much for the rebel to bear. He had been through the hardships of war, the terrors of being hunted and living in the shadows all his life. But nothing could have prepared Devrim for a revelation as profound as this. Destiny had been thrust upon him, and tears welled up in the corners of his eyes as he looked upon the chamber with renewed reverence. Circling the statue clockwise, he saw his fellow Padawans discovering kyber crystals of their own, one among the hundreds that lay in the chest provided for them all. Turning his head to view the large tome that rested on a stone pedestal across from the entrance, Devrim's heart raced as he saw a figure standing beside it who had not followed them in. A large, ghostly white bird blinked and bowed its head reverently toward the dark-haired padawan. Though no sound escaped the beak of the robed figure, Devrim distinctly heard a powerful voice resound through his mind. "Welcome, Wolfe. Take up my Glîr'uin Calad, this Song-Poem of the Light, and restore the Jedi Order." The image of the spirit faded, and Devrim stumbled in a daze toward the tome. Wiping away the layers of dust from the hard cover, he saw the gleam of gold from the name engraved onto the spine. "Caladglær..." he murmured, turning to face the right walls of the hexagonal chamber.

Interestingly, there were in fact no books or tomes other than the one Devrim held reverently in his hands. Instead, the entire right side of the Archives were filled with row upon row of azure memory crystals. Running his hand along the gems slotted into the stone walls, the dark-haired padawan immediately recognized them as the exact same design of his own heirloom that he wore. Reaching the end of the rows, Devrim saw a single empty slot. A smile crept up his face, and with a single hand he pulled the memory crystal from its place on his neck. Holding it up, Devrim gently returned it to its place in the wall. A light chuckle escaped his lips, and he wiped the tears of joy that had now fully formed on his eyes. Tennant was right — he was home.

@Shalken @Fey Aadedai @Plebometer @Deviant @Malon​

 

[Toland Vult]

It took several moments for Toland's eyes to adjust, but once they did, he could hardly believe what he was seeing. The Crypt is actually real... he told himself in near-disbelief, eyes wandering about the central chamber in awe. Despite the large chunks of the mountain that had collapsed from the ceiling, the wide space and the four tall statues at the forefront held an air of ancient beauty and reverence about them.

At first Toland believed that he couldn't be any more bewildered than he was right now with the crypt's revelation, but little did he know that there was far more to be uncovered. The group was quickly approached by a run-down droid that introduced itself as 10-NT, and at Leah's request, promptly began to show them to the Archives held deep within. It made sense for the builders of this place to have installed a caretaker of sorts, but Toland was still surprised that the droid had lasted for so long without completely degrading. While en route to the archives, Tennant explained in detail the facilities that were contained within Deep Stone Crypt, including a hangar up above that also served as a 'roost' for the mountain's defender. "Who was this 'Felwinter' you speak of? What was he?" Up until now he had only heard of this defender by name, but they were so important that even the mountain itself was named after them.

"Ah, yes! Felwinter was an Arkanian Dragon, covered in scales of pure white," Tennant informed. "Fully grown, his wingspan reached up to 250 feet in length. Like all Arkanian Dragons, he was intensely territorial of the mountain; anything living that even set foot on the slopes far below would almost immediately feel his fierce wrath, when he lived. Alas, he has certainly died of old age by now, and likely has lain to rest in the roost above." Toland's eyes widened in marvel. That was why the natives by the beach had warned them of the mountainside and flapped their arms the way they did — they were referring to Felwinter, unaware of the fact that he was long dead. But what was more surprising to Toland was that the creators of this place had managed to bring such a beast to Ellora from Arkania in the first place. He had little time to dwell on this, however, as the group soon reached the archives ahead.

Though the room was filled with marvelous things, his attention was drawn to the engraved plaque beneath the statue in the center of the hexagonal room. His eyes traced and re-traced the words over and over again, almost failing to comprehend what he was reading. "That can't be right..." he murmured, his heart feeling like it froze in shock. His reverie was only broken by the sharp pain in his arm where Tennant drew some of his blood. Running a DNA test, the caretaker D-0-C droid removed all doubt in their minds. Centuries ago, Toland and Devrim's ancestors were Jedi Masters, and they built this place so as to preserve the Order for years to come.

In a daze, Toland walked about the room, seeing the others gather around the chest that held hundreds of gleaming transparent crystals. On another wall were shelves upon shelves of casings and wires for building lightsabers. At the far end stood a pedestal upon which rested a large, well-preserved tome, and next to it stood the ghostly-blue figure of a birdlike being, which bowed respectfully before disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared. Too bewildered to bother wondering what had happened, his eyes were instead drawn to a strange item that rested against the pedestal. Upon further inspection, the item looked like it used to be a staff once, but had long since decayed and was no longer of use. Tennant wobbled up, having noticed Toland inspecting it. "That was the staff that Master Galahad Vult once used. He was crippled for the majority of his life, but that staff helped him bear the burden of his ailment for many years." Nodding feebly, Toland lifted it up, causing half of it to break and crumble away into dust. However, what intrigued him the most was an item at the top that seemed to...resonate with him. Squeezing the top and breaking it off, Vult opened his palm to reveal a blue Kyber crystal that slowly pulsated in his hand, still perfectly intact. It was a crystal that Galahad had attuned centuries ago, and now it would pass on to his descendant.

Hearing Asha's statemet, Toland nodded in agreement. "This place is not a Crypt — tombs hold things that are dead. This is a sanctuary filled with life, and it will help us restore the Jedi Order once again."

Fin​