Ask Plot Tython Tython to Adventure!

[Hannibal Grayza]

Shortly after his promotion to Master, which he had felt was rather thrust upon him by the Council, Hannibal had gone right back to work. The Sith had been really active lately and he felt a rather more active approach was needed. To that end he'd taken up semi-forgotten expedition, drawing in others to ensure what was needed got done. The Jedi Shadows of the Old Order were barely written about, but there had been vague references in some of the archives, bread crumbs for the Jedi to follow. So follow them Hannibal did.

He was joined on the Catspaw by on this particular trip by Jedi Knight Maxims Tionson(@Nefieslab) and Hannibal's new student Byron Ryker(@Darasuum). The latter man was something like his Padawan, but he had quite a bit of catching up to do on his training before most would count. Which is why he'd been brought along, of course. Hannibal had always been a fan of practical training, and this was the perfect time to get some in. Searching an old temple may even be a welcome break from the usual.

Besides, Max was with them too. What could go wrong?

Hannibal wore what had become his usual robes and gloves, his practical loose pants tucked into a pair of combat. He has his two blasters and a pair of lightsabers, one his original and a new silver one just next to it clipped to his belt. He'd packed a satchel full of adventuring gear for the temple, including a couple flashlights. Jedi never brought flashlights for some reason or other.

The Catspaw landed just outside the temple without incident and the landing ramp lowered. Hannibal stood up from the pilot's seat an stepped into the main area of the ship, clapping his gloved hands loudly together with a shining grin.

"Let's get down to some Jedi business, shall we?"

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Tython.

Of all the places in the Galaxy he had imagined his life as a Jedi taking him, Tython was not one of them. It was old in the Force and had been defiled, cleansed, defiled and cleansed again so many times that the Force swirled around the planet as though it was unsure if it should be aggressive or peaceful. The end result was a planet that felt like it was holding it's breath and just waiting to see which side it should plunge itself into.

He had been meditating on the ride in so that was probably to blame for his inner monologue slipping into such a strangely introspective and philosophical tone.

Standing from his meditation, he rolled his neck slightly to work out the kinks. A few pops from his neck were satisfying in the extreme for himself. Checking his equipment was in place, Max stepped down the open ramp towards the ruins of the Temple of Tython. Gods but did it have to feel so... ominous?

The last time he had visited a Jedi Temple ruin it had almost killed him just to teach him a lesson.

"This is not what most would assume Jedi business was, I suppose. But yes, let's get going and find this needle in this stack of other needles."

@Darasuum @Mr. Teatime

 

[Orenth]

So the Sith were a thing...again. After watching the holonet Byron had nothing but questions and few people around to answer them. Hannibal had insisted on just taking his ship, the Catspaw. That was fine by Byron since he needed to tweak his own ship a bit and the less travel he did the less fuel and supplies he had to restock later.

For the duration of the flight he had mostly been checking different parts of the Jedi Master's ship. He sat in the turret seat remembering all the studying and designing he had done at his old job. He had never had cause to fire a ship mounted weapon before except one time he had been allowed for a weapons test and power diagnostics on some designs but even then it didn't really count.

He pressed his lips together and blew to make fart noises and other idle sounds while he swiveled around in the turret seat. This quickly stopped when they came into view of the planet. The rest of the time he practically had his nose pressed up against the view port. When the temple came into view his eyes stared at the architecture but then figured he should be joining the others.

As usual, he still had his normal clothes. Since he was away from his ship he had a backpack with his tools though he doubted he would need them since the Temple was more of a sacred site than a vessel that needed repairs.

As Byron met Hannibal and Maxims before walked down the ramp and into the Tython air. One hand raised to touch his chest. Underneath his shirt he had his kyper crystal necklace and he subconsciously made sure it was still there. The other two men made it sound like this was abnormal but to Byron he didn't really have a baseline for normal. At least not anymore.

Anybody ever tell you that your presence is bright? He threw the question towards the Knight that was sporting a decent beard. "Like...not blinding per se...but just uncomfortable to look at." He thought about his own question and brought down some sunglasses from the top of his head. It was like the inverse of a presence that was too dim to make out and instead was too harsh. Hannibal on the other hand had a good even feeling to him. Maybe that was what some of the Jedi meant when talking about balance. Maybe he was just getting more sensitive to others presence in the force. Byron just shrugged and kept walking and looking around at the alien planet.

@Mr. Teatime @Nefieslab

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal flashed a grin at Max, that telltale glint of mischief in his eyes. "Isn't anythin' we do Jedi business?" he replied, stepping out into the Tython sun and wind. The Jedi looked up at the temple they were parked in front of, tilting his head slightly. It was clearly ancient just based on the erosion pattern, but it still looked in good shape. Almost too well preserved, really. The Force was a truly ridiculous thing in many ways. Hopefully that would work in their favor today. Hannibal had a good feeling about it.

He turned around to look at Byron and Max after the former made his comment, squinting for a moment at Max. Then he shrugged and turned back to the temple. Something to talk about later, maybe. If anything it showed that Byron's attunement to things was improving. "Right, so. Temple delving."

Wordlessly he removed a cigarra from an inner tunic pocket and lit it, exhaling a cloud of smoke up and into the air. He sighed softly and then started climbing the worn stone steps up the to the temple entrance. This sort of thing wasn't exactly his usual shtick, but it was at least probably less trouble than stalking pirate gangs or slicing into Syndicate systems.

"Watch out for traps. I'd bet credits this place has traps." he warned conversationally, stepping around a loose brick. Was that a trap? Probably not, but who knows with ancient Jedi. If they wanted people to find things they'd just put them away somewhere safe the first damn time. At the very least Hannibal would be more likely to be able to track down something important since he knew what he was looking for. Vaguely, anyway.

@Nefieslab @Darasuum

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Bright huh?

Well that was nice to know actually. Out of the mouths of babes seemed to work with people who were newer to the Force as well. It was something that no one had ever actually said to him before because most people with the training to notice it didn't feel it was appropriate. Or maybe they just assumed you were able to see yourself in the Force well enough that you didn't need to be told? Food for thought he supposed.

"No, I don't believe anyone has ever told me that." he admitted with a grin, "I suppose this would be the part where we look for a deeper meaning to that but, well, that sounds like a job for a Master, not a Knight."

He smirked a little bit at Hannibal - time to see if the kid could teach.

Max wasn't going to admit that seeing Hannibal smoking really made him want one too - he was trying to quit the habit after all. Instead he popped some gum as he followed.

"Probably not on the front steps though." he pointed out as they ascended towards one of the main ruined temple structures, "Inside though? Absolutely. SO! Who wants to go first?"

@Darasuum @Mr. Teatime

 

[Orenth]

"Yeah man...it's like borderline obnoxious personally but maybe that's just me. I mean it's almost like staring at white noise like it's almost not even worth looking at because I have to practically filter it it to comfortably understand what's going on with...you." He stared at Max for a moment over his shoulder and then shrugged. He was new to the Jedi Order. wait...am I a Jedi? Hm...guess that depends... It wasn't long before he was contemplating his own status in the galaxy once again.

Byron's pace was slower than the other two. He wanted to let them lead especially after Hannibal mention traps. If there were going to be giant rolling bolders and dart shooting walls the man would prefer to not be the first one to spring it. I've seen enough holo-flicks to know better. When Hannibal made way for a brick or anything else Byron would try his best to only step where he stepped, more or less.

@Mr. Teatime @Nefieslab

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

The temple could potentially be dangerous. Beyond the fact it was extremely old, ancient Jedi seemed to like making things more difficult than they really needed to be. There could in all seriousness be traps, or beasts could've moved in, or maybe even a giant rolling rock down a suspiciously wide hallway. Any of the three Jedi could potentially die to some ancient nonsense in this place.

Naturally, Hannibal went first. He put out his cigarra when he reached the top of the stairs in his portable ashtray and moved to the front entrance. He retrieved his flashlight from his pouch with his right hand and switched it on to illuminate the hallway. He realized it was more dramatic looking to use a lightsaber, but dim coloured lighting didn't make for good scouting and it made people look poorly prepared.

"I think he's been staring too hard at your head, old man. You're going hella gray." he joked with a wink over his shoulder before turning back to the hall. "Byron. Trust your instincts here. They're connected to the Force whether you're doing it on purpose or not. Don't overthink it." he instructed before heading inside. His flashlight swept over the stone walls. They were covered in a layer of dust, as was the floor inside. How nice.

Without another word he walked inside, moving at a slow but steady pace. Never knew when there might be a deathtrap. He also technically had no idea where they were supposed to go, but he followed his intuition as usual and turned left at the first crossway. Rule of go left, as always.

@Nefieslab @Darasuum

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Well alright that had been rather... blunt but Max was fine with blunt. The kid seemed to have trouble understanding what he was seeing properly and Max was fine with that - it would be something for the kid to learn by his reckoning. Max just grinned a little bit at Hannibal's addition to the conversation, running a hand through his greying hair with a smirk as he did so.

"It makes me look distinguished." he retorted smoothly before smirking, "Trust me, you'll realize that Silver Foxes are a thing when you're older, kid."

Rather than taking out his lightsaber to use as a glowstick or a flashlight, Max reached into the Force and adjusted his sight into Force Sight as well. The mixture of true sight and Force Sight banishing most of the darkness but making everything appear black and white; along with a slightly off-nature as if the contrast had been turned way up.

The fact that Hannibal went left at the first crossway was... interesting but Max didn't question it, instead following between Hannibal and Byron at the back.

"This is the part where we find some long-lost expedition telling us that a ravenous local population is coming for us, right?"

@Darasuum @Mr. Teatime

 

[Orenth]

The opposite of white was black. Fire had water and air had earth. There were inverses of other things and Byron wasn't too surprised. A equal and opposite reaction for every action. He hadn't meant the man's hair but maybe that meant the man was seeing something that even the Knight and Master weren't seeing. I'll circle back to that later.

Pulling out his own flashlight he clicked it on. It flickered for a moment and Byron remembered he had been using it extensively for the past few days. Please don't die on me now He thought to himself though the cyclopean man was dealing just fie. Byron kept scanning the ground, taking a slow pace into the structure. Not only was he looking for traps, but signs of importance or general dangers like structural integrity.

Byron chuckled at Maxims' joke. But then he looked towards him with a slightly more serious expression. "wait....you're joking right?"

@Mr. Teatime @Nefieslab

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

"Don't rule it out. Who knows what's down here? Besides dust, natch." Hannibal commented offhandedly towards Max's joke and Byron's response. Really, no one had any idea. He didn't really sense much but that doesn't count for a lot in the end. This place wasn't exactly well documented beyond the location itself after all. So instead of overthinking it, he just sorta walked forward for a while.

And then stopped as a sense of danger ran down his spine. From out of the darkness flew a large bat-like creature, screeching in response to the presence of other beings in it's area. Doubtless the three Jedi were intruding on its territory.

Quick as a flash a blaster practically flew into Hannibal's left hand and fired a bolt of blue into the approaching animal, stunning it thoroughly and resulting in it flopping bonelessly to the ground before the trio. Hannibal looked down at it for a moment before holster his weapon. "That's a big bat." He observed out loud with the same energy as someone commenting on the weather. "Think it's worth taking back with us?"

@Nefieslab @Darasuum

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Max grinned a little bit but shook his head. Fortunately for him, he had never experienced that precise set of unfortunate events... yet. Force knew there was a first time for everything and that might very well end up being the case here. He hoped that it would just end up as a rather flat joke rather than anything prophetic.

Looking at the dead bat, Max examined it for a long moment. Turning it over, he hummed a little bit as he eyed it. Honestly it looked very familiar to him, as though he had seen it before but it had changed since then. Almost as though something had caused a change in it and... yes it felt different in the Force.

As though something had left it's mark on it.

"Maybe not the whole thing." he acknowledged as he took a small vial and drew a sample of the creature's blood, "It looks like a common enough species but with differences. As though it had been changed over time - the blood work should be enough without taking back a specimen."

He grinned.

"Plus we're looking for something bigger than a new pet."

@Mr. Teatime @Darasuum

 

[Orenth]

Hannibal's response was not encouraging. The sudden appearance of the winged creature made him jump and then exhale to calm himself. His eyes looked Jedi with a hint of embarrassment on his face though he hoped the darkness hid it. Byron had felt the danger but didn't have the muscle memory yet to react the same way as Hannibal. The flashlight centered on the leather-winged animal. It wasn't a species he recognized but Byron had a feeling that was going to be a running trend when it came to traveling.

Maxims grabbed a sample of its blood while Byron held a light on it. But didn't do anything else except have an expression that was equal parts confusion and curiosity. Once he was done the padawan would continue on. This time he pulled out his own blaster, making sure it was charged and set to stun. Part of the reason he had it default set to stun was because he wasn't sure about his own instincts. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally injure something harmless or one of the other two Jedi with him. Plus the stun rounds wouldn't damage the structure either.

"So how do you know what to look for in an old place like this?" He asked openly towards both of the more seasoned Jedi. Byron had been told to 'feel' more but he couldn't help but try to rationalize and think rather than feel. At least they weren't getting shot at but the man still didn't feel safe. Hands on experience...it's the best way to learn. His inner monologue lacked some enthusiasm.

@Mr. Teatime @Nefieslab

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal shrugged in response to Max's opinion on keeping the bat. Samples were probably good enough here seeing as it wasn't exactly their primary goal on Tython. They were here to look for mysterious Jedi secrets that would assist them against the Sith. Hannibal was fairly certain it wasn't in the form of a bat.

"One doesn't, really." Hannibal responded to Byron's question. They didn't exactly have a map, more just their instincts. Hannibal was fairly good at finding things he was looking for, but it really helped if he knew what it actually was rather than a vague idea. While they weren't precisely blind, they were more or less relying on chance and the Force to get them where they needed to go.

"We don't know precisely what we're looking for, but because we're looking for it, we'll probably find it. Jedi are funny that way." To that end he went around a bend and then turned left again down a hall, a wide, dusty stone affair with writing along the walls. The hairs on Hannibal's arms stood up and he found himself moving forward down the hall, still cautious, but with the feeling he was moving in the right direction.

@Nefieslab @Darasuum

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Well he was glad he didn't have to put up with the bat-thing flapping around in his ship on the ride home at least. Even if they had decided to take it though, he was quite certain it would have spent it's time in Hannibal's ship rather than his own but still. Making sure the vial was secured, he followed along with the pack. He had a flashlight of his own and he made sure to examine even the plain walls as they walked, noting the signs of construction and excavation.

He kind of like watching archaeology programs on the holo when he was in hyperspace, was that so wrong? Chuckling a little bit at Hannibal's response, he agreed but still.

"Look for things that seem out of place - things that would make sense to be there but aren't any longer due to the passage of time. Try and imagine what this place would have been like when it was new, alive, and you'll start to see things that should be there." he advised with a small shrug of his own, "What we are doing right now is a mixture of archaeology and grave-robbing."

Harsh maybe but true.

"Follow your instincts, trust in the Force alone, and you will likely find what you are looking for. A grave-robber always finds the body after all." he continued with a small smile, "But keep your brain engaged, constantly searching, and you'll find things you otherwise would have missed. An archaeologist rather than a grave-robber."

Max pointed to the walls.

"I'm going to read the walls - shout out if one of you gets shot."

@Darasuum @Mr. Teatime

 

[Orenth]

He listened to the input from both of his betters. "Uh-huh." He replied simply, not really sure he grasped what they were saying or if they were just giving him vague advice that they probably received from their own mentors when they were padawans.

Still walking behind Hannibal, Byron began to notice the Master pick up the pace. For now he was just going to keep his eyes peeled and just try to stay on his toes. The padawan didn't feel like he had the needed senses to search for a change in the force yet. Besides, he was pretty sure the other two more experienced Jedi had sharper senses in that regard.

A few moments would pass as he kept heading through the darkness towards Hannibal. But he couldn't see him any longer. "Did you find anything?" He would say. But the Jedi Master wouldn't hear it nor would Byron hear a response save for an eerie echo. "Master Grayza?" He said the man's name hoping to hear something. Nothig.

Stopping himself from walking any further he turned back around and directed his flashlight behind him to see if the junction he had followed Hannibal around was still there. But there wasn't any sign of it. It was just a single, silent, dark hallway which he couldn't see the end of in either direction. Still he would call out and get no response. "Knight....Tion....son?" The grip around the light tightened slightly. This had gone from casual temple delving to twilight zone quickly and Byron was sure it wasn't going to end anytime soon.

@Mr. Teatime @Nefieslab

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal wasn't terribly surprised with Byron's vague response. He tried to normalize some of the Jedi mysticism in general, particularly since Byron had come to the Order later in life, but experiencing it was definitely an important step in getting the hang of the Force. In the meantime he kept his eyes open, looking down the symbol-covered hallway and trying his best to follow the guidance of the Living Force.

Almost automatically he looked behind himself, flashlight sweeping over an empty hallway. He could've sworn he'd heard someone say his name, but there was no one there. Also, no one being there was a problem. The other two had definitely been more or less directly behind him a few moments ago. Seriously? Crazy space magic is such a crock of-

"TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!" Hannibal yelled into the darkness in lack of a magic missile of some kind. He projected the general idea of his words out into the Force in the hopes it would get to the other two, but he couldn't sense where they were so he couldn't really get in contact with them that way. Oh, wait, hold on. He reached down to his belt and retrieved his commlink, depressing the button and speaking briefly into it.

"Y'all alive?" he asked before continuing to move down the hallway, tingles traveling their way down his spine as he did. Something was absolutely off about this place, and he couldn't tell if it was a warning of danger, he was heading in the right direction, or both. So he figured he might as well just keep on walking. The beam of his flashlight swept slowly left and right in order to look over the symbols and writings on the wall. He couldn't read them, but convenience never seemed to be the point of old Jedi writings.

What a fun adventure this turned out to be. Why couldn't it just have been bats?

@Nefieslab @Darasuum

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Max wasn't entirely sure why he wanted to check the writing on the wall except as a way of actually doing the bare minimum level of archaeology for this whole thing to (probably) not be counted as grave robbing. Things went quiet as he walked over to the side of an open chamber but that was to be expected.

Neither of the other Jedi were interested in the writing and he was so they were going to go away and that was to be expected.

His fingers came into contact with the wall and he walked along it's length, running his fingertips along the smooth stone and the grooves that had been carved into it so long ago. Grooves that meant something to someone once upon a time but for now remained a mystery to himself. All he needed to do was spend time here and he knew that he would be able to figure out what the writing had to say about this place and that was... to be... expected...

Wait.

Max paused in his walking, despite an increasingly insistent urge for him to continue to do so. To dedicate his life to understanding what the words said, what they meant. There were things to be learned here and they could only be learned by him spending more and more time here. Perhaps it would become his life's work but that was to be expected - no!

Pulling his hand back sharply, Max bit his own tongue viciously. The pain jolted him, allowing him a second of clarity with which to break through the compulsion that had been placed upon the walls. Spitting out a touch of blood, he eyed the words with the Force protecting him against the ancient Force trap and he spotted it. The trap had been designed to make someone dedicate every waking moment to uncovering the secret of the writings, until they dropped down dead from exhaustion, starvation, thirst or all of the above.

The words were literally nonsense.

Turning, he found himself alone in a large chamber. His com link spoke with Hannibal's voice but it was faint, as though it were coming from far away. He answered.

"This place has some defenses alright." he admitted over the link, "Not Dark per-say but... not great."

Probably meant they were on the right track.

@Darasuum @Mr. Teatime

 

[Orenth]

It wouldn't matter how loud Byron or the others shouted. Neither would hear the other. The cold darkness seemed to almost intensify as the padawan realized his sudden isolation. He continued to walk forward, deeper and pulled out his comlink. But the tool didn't show a signal or indicate it was able to connect to any other comlink.

When he pocketed the device he looked up and down the hall again. It seemed it had yet to change or bring him to a room of some kind. How long are these hallways? I definitely should have passed Master Grayza by now. Maybe he had taken a wrong turn or Hannibal had been dropped down a trap door.

Rounding a corner there was a dead end. Byron's shoulder dropped and his expression showed a little of frustration. But all the same he came up to the dead end since it seemed to have a mural of some kind. Furrowing his brow, Byron got closer, the surface seemed less worn, almost pristine compared to the rest of the walls.

A chilling breeze came from behind him. The padawan shivered and reached out to touch the mural for a moment but then stopped. There had yet to be any airflow in the tunnels since they had entered the temple. Suddenly tense he slowly turned around to see only darkness. But something was in the darkness. He waited, and waited, but nothing was coming into view. It was the only way back and he didn't have the the other Jedi there to help.

Taking a deep breath he clenched both fists together. Byron turned off his flashlight and took a step so he would be standing with the wall to his back. Next he sat down in a kneeling position and placed both hands on his lap while closing his eyes. Byron wasn't entirely sure what to do in this situation but he had a feeling that was partially the point.

@Mr. Teatime @Nefieslab

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Clicking his tongue in an irritated fashion, Hannibal sighed and made his way further down the hallway. With the other two having vanished, the young Jedi suspected he was probably in some kind of situation of his own. Relying on the Force to guide him in the right direction he slipped into a winding passageway of smooth stone, the only sound his own soft breathing and the gentle thump of his boots on the hard ground.

At the end of the hall, after who knows how many twists, turns, and seemingly random direction changes, lay an open room. It was perfectly circular, with a series of worn murals of writings around the walls depicting an ancient Tythonian conflict. Hanging from the ceiling was a crystal that glowed with a white gentle, casting illumination over the room along with strange shadows. Hannibal switched off his flashlight and placed it back in his bag.

He looked around the room, slowly moving around to get a better look at the paintings on the wall. He was no historian but they certainly looked ancient, old enough for the participants shown to be wielding swords of blue and red. It was interesting to look at, and he would have continued if he hadn't heard the sound of muffled breathing behind him.

He turned quickly around toward the source in the center of the room. There stood a figure, threatening and familiar. Hannibal frowned for a moment, than transitioned into a soft smile. He recognized the figure from not too long ago, though why he was seeing it here had yet to be determined. Some trickery or test from the temple, perhaps? Nothing could ever be straightforward with these people.

"You've already passed on, Sol. Why are you here?"

@Nefieslab @Darasuum

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Max continued on in a straight line.

And left the round chamber he had been in to find himself walking back into it through the door he had originally entered the first chamber through... he paused for a moment. Deciding to test it out, he marked the wall with his lightsaber blade before walking straight ahead through the exit... only to walk right back into the same chamber.

Which either meant that the exit to the chamber had some special ability to pin him in a single place or he wasn't actually moving anywhere and everything he could currently see was a figment of a trap he was currently in. Deciding not to indulge the creators of this little trap, Max took a seat with his back leaning against one of the walls.

He sighed contentedly as he settled down, his saberstaff resting across his lap deactivated.

"Always lovely to just have a nice sit down."

Dropping into the Light, he enjoyed running his mind through it's healing presence as he just waited. There was always some trick to traps like these and it was easier to find the trick when you were mentally prepared. Running through the doors was hardly going to help since it was the entire purpose of the trap.

To keep the enemy perpetually moving.

So, being smart about it, he denied the creators what they wanted by simply just sitting down to rest and gather himself and his wits.

As he was waiting the secondary defense came into being with a swirl of Darker energy. It was hardly the darkest he had ever felt but it felt... off for a Jedi. If he had to put a finger on it he would say it was kind of what he would have expected to feel from a Shadow. Opening one eye, he saw a Sith glaring down at him with it's red saber active.

He rolled his eye before closing it again.

"Go on then."

The Sith snarled and thrust his lightsaber into the centre of Max's chest - the blade going clean through without leaving a single scratch as the illusion fruitlessly tried to impale him. Without opening his eyes again he waved a hand dismissively.

"Get it out of your system - I'm thinking here."

Spoiler: Dice

Added for flavour

@Mr. Teatime @Darasuum