The Spirit's Book of Alchemy

[Deloi]

Sith Alchemy was a powerful ability that very few knew. It began back in the old days of the Republic and the Sith Empire. A Sith Lord by the name of Valerius Filon created a book of all his most alchemy secrets, and had so much teach he split them into three books. The first book was in his tomb on the planet of Korriban. Iler Uverius was the first one to find out about this fact of his current residence. Iler acquired several texts detailing hints about the Book of Alchemy and he sought to gain prestige by obtaining it. All of the texts he had, Iler was rigorously studying. He was looking for the exact location from within the tomb. The tomb itself was several miles away, and would take hours to find.

"Let's see... Commensal Force Bonding... No. The hands of lightning... No I will save that for another day. Ah, yes here it is: Valerius Filon: The Sith Lord. His manuals seem to be scattered on different worlds and there are no records of anyone finding any. It seems I would be the first to gain them. However that tomb will be rather dangerous, I could use assistance."

Iler Uverius collected his texts into a stack and carried them with him. He traveled around the Sith academy looking for helpers. Iler knew that no one would help him without expecting something in return. He had a special gift to give if someone would join him in his excavation.

 

[Zach]

Ruthric once again sat in the center of a meditation chamber, contemplating the events of the last few days. After almost a week of not even being acknowledged by another acolyte or a master, he suddenly met a group of acolytes that seem to work well together. Of course, they'd need bringing together, but Ruthric imagined that he'd found a good group of allies. They'd be dependable in tough situations.

As he thought about this and sensing out in the Force, he imagined the connection between him and his recent acquaintances. They all had a common goal; learning techniques, focusing talents, all in all gaining power. He thought about how each of them had their own goals, and how he had his own, and how they all differed. It was a neat group of spread out interests and capabilities. It was interesting, to say the least.

Feeling from the end of the corridor in the temple, he sensed another presence that was actively looking for other acolytes. For what reason, he could not tell, but he was beginning to feel like sensing out in the Force was a bit of granted gift for him. It was the only notable connection to the Force that he'd had in the past, and it seemed like those he'd sensed before would become a significant part of his future. Who was to say this was no different?

He swiftly stood to his full height from his cross-legged meditation position and left the chamber. He moved down the halls, accustomed to keeping a slight arc to the wall. Ever since he'd arrived, it seemed like he always had to have his back with the least amount of exposed area. It just didn't seem exactly safe. He trusted this instinct because of all places, where else would it be most likely to be stabbed in the back than a Sith academy?

He found the chamber that he was looking for and peeked in. he saw a single acolyte standing near the end of the other wall by a desk, rustling through some papers. Ruthric straightened up and calmly walked in. He didn't want to startle his fellow acolyte and instigate a conflict, but he also didn't want to come off like he was snooping. He cleared his throat audibly for the other to hear and introduced himself. "I sensed you. From across the hall. Not sure why, but I can tell that you're looking for other acolytes. Perhaps we can benefit each other mutually, in some way. My name is Ruthric Segra," he said, pacing toward the man as he said it. He extended his hand as a gesture of formal respect, as it was the safest approach to gaining an ally where everyone had to be cautious.

 

[Deloi]

Iler Uverius gathered his papers up to go in search of a companion of sorts to help him retrieve the artifact. Before actually going somewhere, another acolyte had already appeared. To Iler, the acolyte seemed a little too suspicious for Iler's tastes, but he did not want to look a gift horse in the mouth. It was definitely odd that the Ruthic character had sensed him and then sought him out. It was even odder that he then introduced himself to Iler; a trait that was commonly foolish in Sith intrigue. A slightly odd introduction and the expected return of hand to shake. Iler did not take the hand, but did introduce himself cautiously. The true nature of this acolyte was definitely unknown, but Iler was willing to work with it. Iler was going to need the assistance of another acolyte.

"I am Inquisitor Uverius, young one; well met. I would typically ask how it is you sensed me or knew I could use assistance, but I will not look a gift horse in the mouth. I am going on a journey several hours from here to acquire an artifact; for myself of course. I will reward you if you come; I have an interesting codex here for boosting of one's strength. It will not work on myself, but I can use it on you. That is if you come and assist me, young one."

 

[Zach]

Ruthric nodded to himself, withdrawing the hand and pursing his lips a little. He gazed to the ground and thought to himself, hands now clasped behind his back. "I see, I see... Well, it seems I was right the first time. The Sith will always be too cautious and secluded to accept an alliance - well, perhaps that would be too hasty to assume. Perhaps a mutually social acquaintanceship, would be a better phrase," he said, half to himself. "Regardess, cautious or not, the point is that you want help, I'm willing to give it, but of course want something in return. Your mention of strength would be a goldmine in the eyes of anyone else, but I'm more interested in merely knowing what it is you're after, exactly. Several hours away, that would imply that it lies somewhere within the Valley of the Sith Lords. Which would imply that it lies within one of the many tombs. Artifacts are a whole different ball-game from codexes.Strength isn't everything. You know it, I know it," he said, eyes pacing the room, taking in his surroundings.

If anything, there would be a mutual benefit for the both of them. If the acolyte declined, perhaps he would be able to figure out which tomb he was looking for, and perhaps be able to best the booby traps and monstrous guardians alone. "What I propose, is if there's a way for both of us to gain from this, be it a holocron, a Sith tomb, or any ancient text, we both study it. The original copy would of course, be yours to do with it as you wish. The matter of prestige, however, can be agreed upon as a group effort, or to be handled when the time comes, if you wish," Ruthric was on guard, hesitant for going on for as long as he did with the proposal. Every person is different, but it wouldn't be surprising for a fellow Sith to have anger issues at times.

 

[Deloi]

The acolyte was much more interested in Iler's sought book than on the actual direct power to be given. This one did seem more intuitive than most of the other acolytes. Iler would consider one such as Ruthric to be threat in cunning if he were not so young. However Ruthric truly saw to the heart of the matter, but Iler was not easily assuaged from his prize, obviously something he wanted alone. Iler rubbed his chin slightly and thought hard on how they should overcome the challenge, but Iler still get the book like he wanted. The Spirit's Book of Alchemy was a book mostly for one such as Iler, but Ruthric might also have use for it if he truly sought alchemy. However, Iler highly doubted it.

"I am afraid, young one, that you would find no use in this artifact. It is a text from an ancient Sith Lord that would truly be useful only to one such as myself. It is truly not for one quite so... Physically incline. Trust me when I say this, you will benefit from the power I offer far more than potential prestige. The gift I will give you is much more beneficial. So I believe it would be better if you just take my original offer instead. It will not be something one of us can over come alone as I have read of certain... Monsters that would prove too much for either of us alone."

 

[Zach]

Ruthric paused for a half-second before responding taking in the information as he received it. He blinked twice and straightened. "You may very well be right. I don't know exactly what it is that we're after. I have no idea if it will be beneficial to me in the slightest. That doesn't mean it couldn't be beneficial, though," he replied, a small smile on his lips. He inhaled sharply and looked up, holding it a moment. "Very well. I'll take you up on your first offer. Do not misunderstand me, though. I may appear to be of the brute-force type, but only from my soldier training and mechanical arm do I appear that way. As far as long-term plans for how I develop as a Sith, my primary goal is infiltration. It is understandable to want to hold information to one's self, but only certain abilities and powers will come in handy for me. Stealth, infiltration, assassination, you know the type. I aim to be a shade. Anything to disguise me," he said, clarifying so his intent was clear.

((OOC: Wanted to explain in detail because Sith Alchemy has certain advantages as far as illusions are concerned. Good thing to have up your sleeve when you're trying to avoid being seen))

 

[Deloi]

Now that the negotiations were out of the way it was time that Iler give his assistant payment. Iler moved to place some of his writings down so that he could give Ruthric the first half of this power increase. The first half was necessary on the road to increasing Ruthric's ability and it came straight from one of the codex that Iler had just placed on the table. Iler addressed Ruthric in a serious tone as this first part was crucial. To increase power, Ruthric would first have to open his mind up more to the darkside than currently held. It was something easily done and would not take very long. Iler could simply teach him how to use Force sense to hear or something more like that as what opened one's mind was not particularly specific. However, Iler was feeling more generous and would give a deeper connection to the Force by implanting it. Iler began to approach Ruthric with his hands held up, attempt to grab hold of Ruthric head. The first part would be much more easily done by implanting it directly.

"Okay, young one. First, I must open your mind more to the Force; the darkside to be more specific. Allow me to enter your mind for just a moment. I promise not to tinker with anything."

 

[Zach]

Ruthric nodded to the Anzat, ready to comply, but was suddenly hesitant when he was told to open his mind. Deal or not, that was still the core of his being, and to expose it so blatantly would be foolish beyond all measures. "Ah... This was not included in the discussion. You offered a reward with no mention of needing to expose my mind and everything I am to your will. Don't get me wrong, I'll comply, but for access to my openness, I wish for openness in return. Explain what it is we're after, and why you want it, and we may continue," he said, attempting to keep a consistency of equality and balance between the two.

 

[Deloi]

Iler stopped and put his hands down with a bit of a sigh. He was patient but even this was growing tiresome. One such as Ruthric was possibly too smart for his own good. If Iler wanted to truly reach into Ruthric's mind and dominate him, Iler would definitely have done so already and not tell him. Doing so would only make things more difficult if they were going to traverse a tomb filled with monsters. Ruthric would need freewill to work competently at the moment and Iler did not feel like getting in a meal when he could use help.

"I am simply going in and amplifying your connection to the darkside which is the first half of your payment. If I was going to take your will for my own, I would have done so by now, and would not have lost a moment's sleep on it. Now simply give me a moment and I shall have this done in a bit. Besides you will need this and your will to help me in the tomb. Now I must continue, young one."

 

[Zach]

Ruthric narrowed his eyes in doubt. He noticed the obvious body language of exasperation, but he knew there were deeper motives. He noted that he did have a significant connection to the Force, and as undeveloped as he was, he couldn't afford to march headstrong into a battle of wills and calmness under pressure of being mentally invaded. For now, he would submit an trust in the acolyte's words. Before the end of this, however, he planned on learning what was hidden in this tomb he wanted to search so badly.

After moment of hesitation, he closed his eyes and nodded, putting his hands together in front of his, cupping the still-new mechanical fist with his remaining hand. He began to focus and open his mind, but slowly. At first he sensed out and located the aura of the acolyte.

He furrowed his brow with curiosity as he sensed the Anzat's presence in the Force, as it was different than any other acolyte he'd encountered so far. No more significantly powerful than Sogar's, another acolyte he'd met, nor at a mental advantage in comparison than Kalira's own tactical intelligence in combat, but still different. Powerful, without a doubt, but there was one thing that stuck out further than any of his other qualities. He was wise, more than anything, which was deadlier than any kind of brute force or tactical combat techniques. Lastly, he sensed no deception, which was what he was looking for. Before he could tell any more about the acolyte, he felt their auras touch as he reached out. Further opening his mind and allowing him access to his connection with the Force, he relaxed, still holding his guard at the ready in case he felt the intrusion of the rest of his mind.

 

[Deloi]

Iler had to pick and prod through multiple things in Ruthric's mind. There were so many things to go through and toss to the side before finding what Iler had gone into find. Memories that did not interest Iler and things that were simply in the boy's mind. A very young mind indeed, not like that of an elder Anzat. One thing that Iler knew was that the boy could probably glimpse into Iler's mind as well so Iler kept things specifically hidden while leaving some minor things open. The details of the artifact and its location were hidden, but also his Anzat heritage and age were kept secret. One thing that was not kept secret was that while inside Ruthric's mind, Iler could dominate Ruthric at anytime, which was something he wanted Ruthric to know. It was important that this be made a fear in the process of enhance the connection of the darkside and because Iler simply enjoyed the feeling of fear through his senses. He hoped Ruthric picked up on the emanate danger that letting Iler into his mind was. After a moment, the task was done and Ruthric's mind was opened up to the Darkside. Iler retracted and addressed the comparatively young Ruthric.

"Okay, now that we are done with this, we should get going soon. The tomb is not far and I hunger for the text inside. I have always been keen on things of antiquity which may be my prime reason for wanting it. I believe the texts are encoded as well. Give me a moment while I gather my things from my room."

Iler Uverius collected his items from the table and headed back to his room. Iler went inside and closed the door, locking it behind him. He wanted to ensure no one would disturb him for the time being. The act of reaching into his fellow acolyte's mind was something he had to meditate on. He also needed time to seethe in the darkside and all of his sources of power. It would take a short time to focus all of his energies. Iler placed his items on a desk and sat down in the middle of his room. He was silently meditating and seething in the darkside. He was opening his mind as well, but selectively to only a few, and closed to most others.

 

[Zach]

((For future reference, the part about domination is purely speculative and egotistical (in the regards of point of view, not arrogance). Realistically, we're both still only acolytes and have only trained for so long. On a comparative level to the Jedi, no padawan would be able to 'dominate' even another padawan, not having come near the completion of their training to master any certain ability. Also, the age and development from adolescence to adulthood in the Anzat species doesn't grant certain mental privileges as far as powers go, as was mentioned in the profile.))

Ruthric felt the merge of their thoughts for a brief moment and sensed the closing off of certain memories and knowledge. It was understandable, of course, even expected. He couldn't push through the block while opening his own mind, but what he could tell from his affinity to sensory than any other Force powers, was what the hidden information was about. He could tell that the Anzat was without information about his past, but nothing specific of what was included. Nothing that interested him too much, though. What did catch his attention was that he actively hid the information of the temple they agreed to explore. Regardless, he would learn soon enough.

Lastly, before the connection was broken, he sensed that Iler was inserting certain thoughts into his mind. He smiled to himself and scoffed after realizing that it was an influence of fear and claims of dominance. He did not doubt the acolyte's prowess in the Force, but when it came to sensing and protecting with the mind, it seemed like it was the only abilities he had natural talent in. He could very well try to penetrate his mind by force, but he would by no means go down without a physical and mental fight before breaking through. After all, as he stated before, he wasn't so much into the physical brute strength as some of the others were. If he attempted anything, Ruthric trusted in his own skills and reflexes enough to retaliate and break the acolyte's focus before succeeding with anything.

When they broke apart, Iler gave a short speech and entered a smaller room, locking the door behind him. At least he knew a little about their target now. It was a text of sorts, and obviously very ancient to be considered an antiquity. To be hidden within code is an expected obstacle, but between the two of them, should they come to an agreement of inclusion, they would be able to decipher the information.

Just before he closed the door, Ruthric replied, "Very well. I will return shortly. There are some things I must gather before we depart." He quickly turned and left the room, heading back to his quarters and gathering his equipment. After equipping his gear and attaching his newly constructed lightsaber to his belt, he reached for a blaster rifle and vibrosword. His lightsaber was currently missing a focus lens and a primary focusing crystal. Perhaps he would come across a fallen acolyte within the tomb which he could rummage through for extra parts. Before leaving he grabbed a few papers, scrolls and one of the books he'd taken from the library, stuffing them in his pack, in case they ran into any obstacles that needed reading up on. He quickly returned to the room he'd met Iler in and awaited his return.

 

[Deloi]

(The domination of mind is not a force related thing, that's the main arsenal of an Anzat. At that close range, and with physical touching he could have basically stripped your free will for a while to engorge in soup. It is standard Anzat abilities that any Anzat could have done, not simply a specialty of my character. This is serious stuff here about the Anzat. Their mental domination abilities are strong indeed especially at kissing distance lol. The development of Anzat mind control grows in power with age and use which my character has both of btw. It is an entirely different ball game with the Anzat here. I assure you that Iler could have completely dominated your mind at that distance and situation specifically. The Force actually just makes it stronger. I'm serious that there would have been no defense just a few minutes ago.)

The seething had taken only a few minutes and gathering energy from all of his sources, new and old, was very refreshing. His Anzat abilities felt heightened and although he truly wished that he could feed off Ruthric's soup, it would have been counter productive. It would have been so easy just to simply sap his will and claim his soup to strength Iler's own abilities. Iler gathered his one codex again and left the several unrelated codex locked away in his quarters. Going forth, Iler walked out of the room and returned to where he and Ruthric met to see that his companion was ready to go.

"Okay, I have finished what I needed to do, and now it is finally time for us to go, correct? Now, young one, we must head to the tomb and retrieve this codex from what seems like a monument next to the sarcophagus. It will not be hard to ascertain the codex and I will be able to decode it myself in all likelihood. The hard part will be getting past the wraids and a terenatek that has been the dormant guardian. This will prove most difficult, but I have gained my power in hand so let's continue."

 

[Zach]

((I've read the page on Anzats. "The Anzati were also telepathic, growing more adept at the talent as they aged, allowing them to dominate someone's mind to give them a chance to feed. " The term growing with age all throughout the page is comparative to elder Anzats, who were were gauged by eons. At 170 years old, that's barely a young adult. Being connected to the Force may increase it, but it by no means makes you a master at certain abilities, racial variables or not. As far as physical touching is concerned, to have enough time to render a fellow Force sensitive immobilized to use the tendrils to suck out or influence the brain directly would be unlikely, not to mention the mechanical arm which isn't a direct part of the body (which would have been the first thing to attack with). On both accounts, rank and species, it's generally the lowest of the chain of power. There might be a slight advantage, but by no means could you completely 'dominate' a mind of equal rank. Persuade, influence, etc., maybe, but not dominate. If it's -that- serious of an issue, I'm pretty sure any admin or moderator would agree.))

Ruthric nodded in agreement of being ready to depart, having already gathered his things. He'd read a bit about the wildlife on Korriban, cautious of what to expect should he venture out of the academy. The wraids were common beasts that resided on desert or wasteland planets, and while Korriban wasn't nearly as much desert as Tatooine, they had still found the planet to be to their liking. The Terenatek he had mentioned could prove to be problematic, but between the two of them it shouldn't be anything they couldn't handle.

((Sun is starting to come up, so I'm gonna stop for the night. Up to you, but if you wanted to wait for anyone else that signed up, now would be a good chance.))
EDIT: ((just saw your post in the acolyte gathering thread. My mistake, I thought this was the thread you were referring to. In that case, I'll just pick it up in the morning.))

 

[Deloi]

(Alright so where were we?)

Iler walked to the exit of the academy, presumably with Ruthric close by. The artifact was on his mind with the possible secrets of the book. Not only that, but it would be great to add to his collection. The Valley of the Sith Lords was not far from the academy and they would be able to reach it soon. It was a simple walk through the barren of Korriban. Most of the monsters that they would have to hand were within the tomb, but some would be outside the tomb. Iler was still slowly drawing power from his sources while they walked to prepare himself for a potential fight. There would be Tuk'ata, Shyrack, Wraids, and the Terenatek to take care of. Terenatek could not be underestimated even by two Sith as they were powerful enough to take on even three Jedi. Iler had to gather all the power he could before hand.

 

[Zach]

Ruthric followed Iler through the wasteland-like terrain as they traveled to the Valley of the Sith Lords. As they neared the entrance to the courtyard where some of the tombs were located, Ruthric began to have an itching sensation in the back of his head. He furrowed his brow, trying to sense what it was he was detecting, but couldn't pinpoint it. One thing he'd been frustrated with was that he was not able to sense many things unless he was meditating on it. He thought about it a little more and the sense turned into an image. Perhaps it was the power that Iler had unlocked in him beginning to unfold.

The image of a lizard-like creature came to mind, one with short front legs and a round torso and head. He believed it was called a wraid, one of the many beasts that inhabited Korriban. Perhaps they would encounter these creatures when they neared the tomb. Another creature that he'd heard of that wandered the deserts was a Hssiss, another serpent-like creature that was akin to the Dark Side of the Force. Since he'd heard of the creature, he'd had a certain fascination with them. According to the texts he'd read about them, they were semi-sentient creatures that fed off strong dark side presences on planets. Korriban was one such planet. With luck, he might be able to connect with one of the creatures, as they've been known to have been tamed through the Force as a companion.

 

[Deloi]

Iler soon stopped in his tracks and looked off into the distance. He saw huge reptiles off in a clearing. There were scaled and spiky looking with almost pink undersides. They were Hssiss native to Ambria but born on Korriban. The animals looked rather large in comparison to some of the other species living on Korriban. Iler curiously studied them for a short time before dismissing the thought of them. Iler turned to his companion, Ruthric, to tell him of the Hssiss in the clearing. It was not wise to get too close to them as they were untamed. Iler was going to simply suggest getting around them somehow. Iler motioned for Ruthric to come closer in and observe from where he was standing.

"Look, I believe those are Hssiss off in the distance. I think we should go around them before they spot us."

 

[Zach]

Ruthric nodded once to the Anzat, having sensed them from just beyond the ridge. He looked over the rocks and saw a number of reptilian beasts in the distance, climbing over rocks and feeding on a shyrack corpse. Ruthric could sense the creatures from where he stood, feeling some of their own senses and emotions. He could tell they worked in a pack-like formation, and that they hungered. "I've read about some of the native species of Korriban. The Hssiss are semi-sentient creatures. You're right, they're not tamed, but they cold be dangerous if we allow them to surround us. We could pass them by over the side ridges, or try to go through them with the element of surprise. It's your choice," he said, offering an alternative to assess how Iler evaluated the situation.

He caught his eyes wandering over to the Hssiss again, and he attempted to reach into the creature's mind. He felt consciousness, to be sure, along with active trains of thought. He felt the beast become aware of his presence in its mind as it tensed from across the open sand. He felt the aura of the Hssiss, it's connection to the Dark Side of the Force. It possessed a surprising amount of power through that connection, as well. It almost seemed as though the creature was feeding off the dark Force signatures of the planet. Perhaps with a little practice and research, he would be able to calm and communicate with one of them at close range through the Force. He would look further into this when he was able, but for now he would speculate. It was possible that the two acolytes would run into the creatures within the temple, so it would be wise to plan a defensive strategy to avoid being overrun.

 

[Deloi]

Iler looked carefully at the beings that simply existed by feeding off the energy surrounding them. Iler noted the similarity between himself and the Hssiss. Iler also fed off his sources including people. In fact, he was feeding off of a few sources as he thought about it. The best route to get past the creatures were simply to go around them. There was little to gain by fighting through them, but then Iler thought about it. It may be tactical to remove them at the current moment so that they are not troubled later. It would also be a good test of skill for both Iler and Ruthric, but Iler sensed that perhaps Ruthric would be better at the direct killing. Iler made his judgment and spoke to Ruthric about it.

"I think perhaps we should cut through the creatures using the element of surprise. In fact I have a plan. Draw them to you, and I will have a surprise waiting for each and everyone of them once I flank them. There is a rock obstructing their view that you can get behind. Once you start the distraction, I'll be able to sneak behind them."

 

[Zach]

Ruthric listened and nodded in agreement, his own plan already in his mind. Fortunately, their plans didn't clash with each others', so it would be easy to execute. Ruthric scurried over to the rock and waited for Iler to get into position. Once he saw the brief nod, he swung the blaster rifle from around his shoulder and fired at the serpents over the ridge of it. Once he got their attention, he fired another series of rounds at them, grazing the leg of one climbing a stone pillar. It toppled to the hard rocks below and twirled around, back on its legs. It turned to Ruthric and snarled with a hiss, beginning to charge. Ruthric ducked behind the boulder again, reaching through his pack as he fired blindly over the edge of it at the creatures.

Not knowing if he'd hit them or not, he dropped the recorded hologram projector behind the boulder and made a break for the opposite side that Iler was about to flank them. He crouched behind the ridge, curving to the side and hanging over the exposed area, ready to spring their trap. The hologram was a simple recording of himself crouching with a blaster rifle, occasionally leaning over to fire a few rounds, overlapped with the sounds of blaster fire. It fooled the beasts as they continued to charge and sprung his own trap, ready to look at Iler's handiwork and compare.

As the creatures approached his previous hiding spot, he began to feel out with the Force, trying to touch the minds of the Hssiss and calm them, convince them to relax and remain still. A few of the serpents slowed their pace and eased their snarling, but continued their advance. One creature stopped all together and lied down peacefully, relaxing beneath the warm sunlight. Another, however, kept up the charge and continued to leap over the rock and tear apart the empty air where the hologram covered.

Having calmed some of the beasts, he closed his eyes and focused, imagining lifting some of the much larger rocks and boulders from the ridge to the open plain where they ran. The boulders flew and made contact with the lizards, crunching them against the solid ground and surrounding walls. Unable to see the results of the attack from the rising dust, Ruthric immediately pulled out his vibroblade and climbed to the top of the boulder, glancing down where his hologram was. The Hssiss swatted at it in confusion and took notice of the footprints, looking to where Ruthric had gone.

Just as Ruthric peeked over the edge, it looked straight up at the view of his feet descending into its face. When Ruthric jumped from the top, he lunged out with both legs, pummeling the creature's face and thrusting downward with the sword in his left hand. It punctured the creature's back, sinking through the stomach and piercing through the other side. With his right arm, he pulled back for a solid punch of steel and slammed it into the creature's neck, extending the short sword built into the forearm of his synthetic limb. The blade pierced the rough hide of the beast and pinned it to the sandy hill they stood upon. The beast died within seconds after landing, so Ruthric turned around the corner to see what his fellow acolyte had accomplished.