A planet of extremes

[Jantar Keltainen]

“Another armed occupation is not a free Ryloth. How long before I am fighting you, Master Jedi?”
― Cham Syndulla

The tortured surface of Ryloth spread out before Jantar. Black basalt mountains thrust up into a dusky red sky.

Because the planet rotated on its axis once per year, the same side of Ryloth always faced the sun. But due to Ryloth's elliptical orbit, the planet did have seasons, though most humans could not tell the difference between summer and the cool season since both were unbearably hot. In truth, half of the planet broiled under sunlight hot enough to soften rock, while the other side crackled with a cold so intense it would make a glacier shiver.

Impressive and impressively treacherous in equal measures. Especially when heat storms were thrown into the mix.

The Twi’leks, the only sentient beings ever to make a long-term home there, had settled in the narrow band of shadow between daylight and darkness. In this twilight region, surface temperatures above ground remained hospitable enough to support life, but the Twi’leks preferred to build shelters by burrowing into the mountain ranges.

They'd carved great warrens, cities beneath the ground, where their clan system had evolved into a complex male-dominated political structure that had remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Jantar took her ship though a canyon. Harsh winds had smoothed the stone to the consistency of polished glass in some spots, and had torn away huge dagger-like slabs in others. Smaller areas of damage to the rocks—some graced with a splash of paint or metallic debris —gave mute testimony to the need for care in negotiating any approach to the planet’s surface.

Jantar was here to seek out Erin Tenel, Keeper of Records for the Knights Obsidian. And if she was to be found anywhere, it would be here.

[member="Erin Tenel"]

 

[Er'in Tenel]

Ryloth had become the home of many members of the Confederacy of Independant Systems - not a good people, perhaps, but a free people, determined to stand against tyranny.

Which made it an odd place to find a Sith, even odder to find her within the Order sworn to uphold and protect the freedoms of those people.

Unless of course, you were a student of the Sith Code - in which case any of it's more extreme interpretations of personal freedom might lead the wise to understand why a black sheep Hapan princess had somehow found her way here.

Or alternatively, you might put it down the Vicelord having the charming name of Darth Metus, and Er'in being his apprentice.

Either way, deep within the twisting plains of the night side of Ryloth rose a twisted tower, hidden by ancient sorceries greater than it's present owner and surrounded by a near eternal electrical storm. The nearest Rylothian settlements could point anyone in it's direction - ever since it's recovery, the Crystal Forge had been acting as a defacto home for it's owner Er'in Tenel and had recently been upgraded to temporary archive, while the Knights Obsidian sought a home.

The ancient landing pads had been cleaned and refurbished, and despite the bone-chilling cold a pair of service droids trundled faithfully out to attend to the landing craft. If there were any defences, they were not in the form of turbolasers. A narrow, slightly unsafe looking bridge of stone ran across to the structure of the upper levels of the tower proper, which glowed with artifical lighting - and the occasional spark of magma from the ancient geothermal forges that powered the structure.

Sith or not, the figure that might or might not be Er'in Tenel, here to greet her guest, was stood in the shelter of the archway leading into the structure, warm light and not a small amount of steam streaming past her. Even for such a brief exposure, she was wrapped in a furred cloak. That wouldn't normally look terribly ominous, if her eyes didn't flicker with the purple fire of someone who had perhaps gone a little too far into the corrupting stream of the dark side.

"It's perfectly safe." She called, her voice carrying unnaturally to the landing pad - clear, clipped and perfect Hapan royalty. "There are shield protectors to shelter you from the wind."

If she was worried about a strange guest, she did not seem to show it. But these things had started to happen a lot in her life, it must be said.

[member="Jantar Keltainen"]

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

It made perfect sense. If Jantar was going to find a Sith sorceress anywhere on this planet — it was always going to be on the dark-side!

Many would have wondered why Er’in was here. Jantar was not counted amongst them. She would have travelled anywhere to meet anyone who could further her understanding of Sith magic.

Jantar knew very little of the Hapan that called Ryloth home. She knew a few facts. She was a Sith of course. And she was a Knight. And by all accounts she was an alchemist too — not that this aspect of the dark-side interested Jantar. In her mind, she had only so much mental capacity and she wanted to keep it all free for Sith rituals and associated dark arts.

Jantar headed for the tower she’d been indicated to reach and appreciated the instructions — as the building appeared to be hidden by some magic of its own and if you threw in the electrical storm, Jantar could have spent a lifetime seeking the tower and still never found it.

Jantar allowed the auto-pilot to take her to the landing pad and once she got close to the tower, she was aware the buffeting from the wind ceased. Sith magic or modern technology? Jantar hope for the former, but appreciated the effect regardless.

Having set down, Jantar pulled her cloak tight around her body and stepped from the ship’s ramp. Despite the elements being kept at bay, the atmosphere was disconcerting — added to by the stone bridge that looked as though it would topple at any moment and the eerie glow of the artificial lighting — punctuated by the occasional spark generated by what Jantar presumed was magma.

Soon she was in ear-shot of her host and noted the woman sported a fur coat. Jantar, for her part, pulled her cloak even tighter around her body. Even without the wind to contend with, it was bone-chilling cold.

“Thanks,” Jantar called as her host looked to put her mind at rest. “Nice place you have here.”

[member="Erin Tenel"]

 

[Er'in Tenel]

Er'in stepped back fully into the hall as Jantar approached, giving the other woman space to enter into the lee of the wind, out of the lashing icy rain. But also keeping a safe enough distance incase this was an assassination attempt she hadn't sensed. That wasn't really a hard trick, after all.

"Thank you. It used to belong to the Brotherhood of Darkness, just before Darth Bane introduced the Rule of Two - we recovered it some time back, and no one else wanted to live here."

As Er'in moves, she reveals a long flowing gray and purple dress under the robes, along with the click of impractical heels on stone - although she glides with a grace that speaks of someone born to the impractical. She's not trying to impress or dress to high fashion - this is just her wardrobe. Her left hand holds a small battered book, a slender ribbon marking her place. Practically enough, she has a lightsaber belted at her waist. Her eyes do in fact glow with a level of corruption that seems... excessive for her reputation, although the degredation does not appear to have spread further.

"Apparently, the Witches of Ryloth prefer to play their dominance games in warmer climates. So their Nightmother agreed I could have it and my Master wanted me out of his hair."

She smiles warmly, then offers a formal... Jedi bow? Or something close to the curtsey-bow that Jedi offer, rather than the salute of a Sith or a warrior - to her credit, it's much more classy to do that in a dress.

"Pelin’a Er'in Tenel of Hapes, Knight-Arbitrator of the Obsidan Order, at your service, mysterious stranger." The smile quirked a little. "Your message was... a little vague on why you might want to speak with me. But I imagine it's on a fairly narrow set of subjects?"

Behind her, inside the door and out of sight until you get to safety, one of the reasons for her sense of security becomes visible - a pair of lightsaber armed Jedi Hunter droids with feminine frames, who any onlooker would swear were lounging with boredom against the walls.

[member="Jantar Keltainen"]

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Jantar stepped forward, as her host stepped back to allow her respite from the wind and the freezing rain.

Jantar nodded at the description of the former residents, and also the fact that it was not a popular choice of home. As much as she despised Coruscant, she would not swap her apartment in her ivory tower for this place — regardless of its history.

The corner of Jantar’s mouth curled upwards slightly. The woman had style in abundance. Jantar’s choice of clothing was expensive but entirely practical. Predominantly hand crafted shark leather died black — but utterly comfortable and allowing combat movement. She could not envisage wearing a dress as an every day item, let alone heels.

Jantar’s eyes were drawn to the book and wondered if this was part of the reason she was here, or if it was just a coincidence. So she drew her eyes away from the tome and back to her host’s face.

“It has space — and potential,” Jantar nodded, by way of a positive response to the prospect of living here.

“Jantar,” the young Sith responded. She was not one for titles or formalities, although her accent denoted the finest schooling in Coruscant. Her frequent use of expletives were always delivered with cut-crystal diction. “And I’m here to discuss Sith magic. Sith sorcery. Anything you can share would be gratefully received. I never believe in understanding a subject a little. It’s all or nothing with me.”

“Nice droids,” she added as they continued to walk.

[member="Erin Tenel"]