Private A Stroll in the Garden

[Lady Marrow]

A childlike creature who had abandoned their home, wild, adrift, knowing nothing as the ship which housed the creature had been emptied of all life. The crew that had taken them in consumed, becoming a living vessel filled with mycetic unlife as it charted its course blindly across the universe, leaving the childlike creature to watch in wonder as the galaxy passed by, growing in the wonder of the stars. At first she had thought them to be the twinkling of a trillion eyes in the darkness watching her, peering at her as she pressed her hands against the space frosted glass. But as the destination of the ship came into view, wonder overcame the girl. Wonder turning to Awe as she could make out land, continents and seas which expanded across the face of the world. She didn't understand what she was looking at to begin with, however she had seen her old planet fade into the distance, although its colours, shapes and mysterious lay different and alien by comparison. ​

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But soon enough awe would change to anxiety, altering to become something sinister within her, what if she was unable to survive here? What if there were things here like the humans from the planet before? Wanting to hunt, kill her and set her aflame like her last garden? She had made a small garden within the ark which sailed through the expanse of space in the few weeks that they had been afloat, but this was new, bigger and far more terrifying. Anxiety finally became fear as they approached the atmosphere. The ship would begin to shake, buttons on the ship and lights would begin to blare with warning signs that she had no idea how to handle. The noise was exactly that to her, noise. All she knew was that something was wrong and she didn't know what to do about it. She had observed the other humans piloting the ship and making it move, so she soon found herself in the pilots seat, hands not daring to touch controls in fear of making it worse. ​

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Buttons blinked while sirens bleated at her, soon enough she found herself gripping controls, attempting to mimic the motions of the humanoids who had been on here before. The ship would sway from side to side and she would smile. Letting out a nervous laugh as it seemed that she was beginning to understand how all this worked. But, too little too late as she would veer the ship pulling it up too late as the hull of the freighter would slam into a lake upon the planets surface, forming a geyser as the ship would tear in two as if the durasteel plating were little more than tin. Lady Marrow's world went immediately blank. ​

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She didn't know how much later, but she would awaken under-water, the freighter had flooded as spored from the samples she had taken with her spilled into the water, escaping the ship and spreading out into the environs. Placing a hand onto the glass she would see outside of the ship, spores were floating, sinking and finding their way to the land around and beneath them. Turning back, Lady Marrow would reach out, pushing her body to alter and change, folds of her flesh would morph to fill the gaps between her fingers as she would push the water behind herself, propelling with the aid of her tails for stability. Maneuvering, moving and slinking down hallways to the rupture of the hull Lady MArrow would pull herself from the ship to stand above the lake that surrounded them, little more than a crater now that would need to be refilled with rain. Miles from civilization, miles from anything... it was likely people would be here soon however to inspect the crash, so Lady Marrow needed to get busy, drawing out a strange looking seed from her clothes she looked down at the break inbetween the two sections of star freighter, and dropped it down into the fissure between them. ​

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Lady Marrow would begin to focus on the gap there, drawing on her power in the force as she could feel the seeds of the Myceticae Infirmim that surrounded them. But the Praetorian seed was now the central mass of her power. She felt weak, away from a garden for so long. But, it was time to make a new Garden... one that the universe would recognize as the greatest work of art the galaxy had ever seen. And that this world, this strange alien planet, was her canvas.​

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Sure enough, as the power of the force flowed through the world, burrowing into the seed the water around it would begin to ripple and bulge, as the beginning of a plant would penetrate its surface...​

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The Garden was a spectacle to behold, The weight of a colossal willow tree with long hanging branches took up almost the entirety of the lake, the freighter which had crashed into the land here had been entirely sunken into the earth, consumed by the trees roots which sealed off the water, draining what was left within the ship and leaving it dry as Lady Marrow had crafted isolated walkways between the two sections. The water here had become swamp like, polluted with a substance that looked like oil kissed by sunlight. Despoiled black yet somehow holding within them a sheen of every colour of the rainbow in the right light. The fungal tree had mushroom like ridges and growths expanding from it as upon its branches the tree did well to replicate leaves as the center of its spore production. The still air protected by the branches made the poisoned water thick with the seeds and toxins from the structure as the garden was beginning to grow outwards. ​

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Lady Marrow could feel herself growing, the connection between her and her garden beginning to be restored meter by meter as her childlike anxiety was beginning to ebb. Several creatures had attempted to move in to inspect the new tree but were consumed with contact with the venom. Falling asleep withe the somnolant narcotic and devoured by the trees' tendrils as it would attempt to learn from the experience. Lady Marrow could feel the genetic information of the creatures flow into her mind as she would become euphoric at the experience of learning, pushing her to learn more about this world. Feeding things, grass, plants, insects to the roots of her tree as the proteins would aid in its growth while the deconstruction of the animals would feed the information to her through the link she shared to the garden. ​

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Within a month, the Gardens central tree stood almost five stories high, plantlife had expanded outwards almost a hundred meters in every direction creating a veritable grove which she had cultured to look pruned. It had been separated into sections, walkways that cut across each other like a celtic knot as a fur like substance had replaced what was grass. Bio luminescent fungi that shied away from the light of day populated the area spreading spored that twinkled as mycetic fireflies of every colour at night filled the air in the soft breeze. Of course however they were spores which would further spread the garden... What's more however, the spreading feel of the darkside here was beginning to take root, there was an unease, a hunger that presided in the earth now. Something that couldn't be satiated. ​

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Lady Marrow underwent a transformation, a recovery. No longer regressed into the child-like form since she was orphaned by her homeland. Standing tall, graceful yet still young she would walk among her garden, eager to explore but knowing full well that dangers existed in this world a plenty. She would need her garden to fully recover, or form alliances if she was to escape here properly... She was not to know that her sanctum had been found by those who had come to inspect the crash, taking the information back to the nearest outpost and reporting it to the authorities. That a mysterious woman had taken root, (literally) in the wilds of Kushibah and seemed to be living there now, transforming the land with structures unlike they had seen before. No confirmation on race, name or intentions due to the fact they had seen her picking up the carrion that lay about her realm, burying them intermittently throughout the garden as she moved from place to place. ​

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They'd need to call in an expert... Aaran Tafo ​

 

[Aaran Tafo]

In one way, he was thankful for the ongoing war. With the Sith armada caught up in its constant skirmishes and battles with the fleet of the New Imperial Order. It left many worlds in the Empire's territory relatively unwatched. And during the brief respites he had from open conflict with the Sith, Aaran Tafo did what he did best.

He explored new worlds. Encountered new species and learned of alien cultures. Never staying in one place too long just in case his presence may catch the attention of the Sith. While he was confident that with the war going on, he had little to fear from capture. It never helped to push his luck. Better to stay on the move tan find oneself in the path of a Sith cruiser on patrol through the system.


It was such travels that brought him to Kushibah. Not to be confused with Korriban. A horrible, dry and inhospitable dustbowl with a bloody past and filled with unpleasant individuals. Kushibah was almost the exact opposite. Full of lush plant life, and the natives were friendly, peaceful and in all honesty, utterly adorable beings.

So naturally, this was one of the worlds that Aaran decided to invest just a little bit more time in. Certainly not because he found the native Kushiban people to be among the cutest creatures he'd ever seen.

Where in the world would you get that idea?

But such times would eventually pass. Rumours had a nasty habit of circulating. Tales of people going missing in the woods. Of strange sights and unnatural plants appearing in the wilds. Of a mysterious figure wandering through the strange foliage and collecting the dead for unknown purposes. Few were willing to approach such a being. Few except a Jedi who many would think had more bravo than sense in him.

But he would approach none the less. Out of both curiosity and an attempt to safeguard the peaceful natives of this world from any threat. He would undertake the journey alone. Making sure to equip himself as needed for such an undertaking. His own minimalistic nature simply ensuring that aside from his face, all exposed skin was covered, a breath mask was acquired in the off chance than any of the spores may be toxic. Capping his preparations off with an injection of an anti-toxin to bolster his own body's resistance to anything that might harm him.

He was confident in his proficiency in the Force to purge himself of anything that might harm him. But there was no point in taking chances so far from home in case the worst occurred.

And so with that he set off. Making his way through the wilds of Kushibah towards where a rather particular garden stood. The xenologist in him was excited at the prospect of encountering a brand-new form of life. Curious as to what mysteries it might hold. While the Jedi stood in silent contemplation, slightly worried over what damage might be done to the natural ecosystem by such an intruder.

Eventually he made his way to the edge of the Garden, stopping just shy of where the ground began to have the most marked change from forest to fungi. Slowly crouching down, he held out a hand towards one of the towering mushrooms. Not touching it directly but reaching out with his own mind. Empathy was one of the virtues that the Jedi taught after all. And with the Force aiding them, they could enhance their own to supernatural levels.

So his mind reached out. Brushing against the consciousness of the mushroom. Slowly spreading out in an attempt to see if there was any intelligence behind all this design. A slow probing that Lady Marrow could clearly feel.

 

[Lady Marrow]

The day had been a fair one so far, Lady Marrow had been moving about her garden working on some of the more interesting fungal formations, roots were getting tangled in the undergrowth which was causing some of the gardens' direction to go a little aloof. Also, it seemed that a couple of the more sentient members of the natives had been caught in her web. Two Kushiban lay sleeping amongst the beautiful garden that sprawled out around them, some of their furry features seemed similar to one of the small ones that had managed to slink in before being consumed by the Fungi... after Lady Marrow planted it there. These two were likely parents or family, they'd tracked the young one here in an effort to reclaim it, ultimately succumbing to the toxic spores that hung in the open air. Somnolance would have taken hold. Thankfully the poison wasn't one that was dangerous, but it was strong enough to ensure that unless a person was removed from it, they would enter a sleep from which they would not wake up... it seemed peaceful really. ​

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Too many deaths here of a sentient people would see others trying to make their way here, send rescue parties and gather an amount of attention that Lady Marrow really didn't want to have to go through again. Unlike her previous home, this garden was far more in plain sight. Not hidden away in a crevice or cave network to remain cloaked from mortal eyes. Though, Lady Marrow did appreciate the open air as well as the breeze which cascaded through her newly created hair plats. The strands looked odd to her, but she was proud that she had found a way to replicate hair on her person. She had experimented with covering herself with it like the Kushiban, however while she remained in humanoid form it didn't seem to suit her lithe dancer like features. So, scooping up the two small creatures in her tails, ensuring the barbs would not penetrate their flesh with their toxic stings. She would move to the edge of her garden, drawing her hand across the shrub formations as she went, cacophonous plumes of bio-luminous seeds took flight before her touch, spraying the skies with a dose of colour which brought a smile to her face. ​

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Exiting the garden she would place the two creatures down on a nearby rock, it seemed that her garden had stretched a little further out from the Willow like hanging tree than she had thought, almost a hundred meters. Thankfully, her garden had developed in such a manner that it was able to build high and compact. A hundred meter radius of garden to her Marrow was exponentially more dense than others of her kind, meaning that it was maturing nicely, another three hundred meters or so and her field would be done with width, but progress was slow for now...​

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It wouldn't take long for the mental ping in her mind to awaken her senses to the presence of something else as it approached her garden. Her own senses beyond a level of advanced intuition were trifling, but she didn't like the feeling of someone announcing themselves through the force when it came to invading her garden. Not to mention that she seemed to be recieving this call through the connection to the marrow garden itself! Lady marrow would turn on her heel and begin running back into the maze like pathways, darting as quickly as she was able, her twin tails flitting behind her as within minutes she would be seen exploding from the long vine like tendrils of the Willow Shroom that towered in the center of the area. A youthful face was furrowed in something not quite anger, but showed the possibility of hostility. It was territorial as she stalked the newcomer, smart enough to mask himself against her marrow-fields' spores.​

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"Yyyyou there! Whhhho are you?" Her voice struggled to get the words out, not totally formed vocal chords meant that she was talking in a light feminine rasp. Almost as if a child were struggling to breathe... which totally had nothing to do with those she had taken in the past and fed to the garden. Her stern look would speak far more to the empath than her words would, apprehension, fear, distrust. The defensive walls not unlike the response of an animal rising, a mother wolf who realized that a human was nearer her cub, not wanting to be the one to spark aggression in case the cub be harmed in the crossfire, but waiting to see what the human was going to do in the mean time. ​

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From her fingers her nails would begin to grow into claws, as the power of the force would swell within her, manipulating her form to transform and alter rather than it be a structural part of her being as her long barbed tails would raise behind her coiled and poised to strike or more otherwise if they'd need to. But as she looked at the creature, he seemed to be the kind of human she'd seen hundreds of times before. Yet she could feel something else coming from within him, humans weren't able to communicate with the Marrow the way that she could, although it wasn't exactly the same it was close enough to make her question, to lower her guard just a little... emotions of curiosity beginning to seep through the initial reaction. Intrigue and questions would soon undoubtedly follow. ​

 

[Aaran Tafo]

As Lady Marrow rushed to confront the intruder. Aaran's own empathic probe searched deeper. She could feel it no doubt. A tendril of thought observing, categorizing. And the Jedi was mildly irked with what he felt. Whatever this ecosystem was. It was touched by the Dark Side. Predatory, hungry and possibly uncaring about the potential threat to the local ecosystem it posed. And an invasive flora. Especially one of this nature could be disastrous if left unchecked.

When the Lady of the hour finally appeared, bursting from the nearby mushroom. Aaran was taken aback for a moment. Head tilting to the side. Speech did not equate to intelligence. But the emotions he felt otherwise did imply true sentience. "You." He began, taking a step forward. Seemingly unafraid of the threatening motions that the plant creature was making. Through the impromptu link, she would feel no hostility from him. No fear or apprehension that the creature may have typically been used to feeling from those who stumbled upon her garden.

"Are." It was probably an unfamiliar sensation for her to experience. Not fear or revulsion. But genuine curiosity from another form of life. If nothing else, an appreciation for something unique that the Wanderer had never seen before.

"Gorgeous." He finally finished, stepping even closer, with surprising speed, he was right up in her face. Well within slashing distance of her claws. As if not noticing the warning displays being shown. But the Lady of the Garden could feel the sincerity radiating from him through the empathic link. A plant-based lifeform, tied to the local environment in some form of symbiosis. Such a creature aroused nothing but fascination in the Jedi. It was unclear where the body began and the garden ended. Or if they were one in the same. Considering the touch of the Dark Side on the creature, Lady Marrow could have been a Sith experiment gone awry. Or some new form of life that evolved from exposure to a tainted Nexus.

But that did not mean she was inherently evil. Dangerous? Perhaps. But it was only natural for any form of life to attempt to spread and find its place in the natural ecosystem. The only worry Aaran had was the local wildlife being disrupted beyond repair. But he would not blame the Fungal woman for this. She may not even be aware of the damage she had the potential of causing.

Perhaps some kind of solution could be found. But first communication would need to be made. Inwardly he wondered why the creature in front of him took a feminine shape? Such a decision would imply a higher form of reasoning. Either it assigned itself a gender or it took this form based on a sense of aesthetics. So it may be safe to address her as such.

"Apologies for the intrusion Madam." He finally said, one hand going over his chest as the Explorer gave a polite bow. "The locals got a bit worried about your recent changes to the area. They asked me to investigate." He raised a hand, gesturing to the various fungal structures. "But I must say, it is quite impressive. How long did it take to grow all this?"

Lady Marrow

 

[Lady Marrow]

The Lady of the Garden would stare in wonder as his empathy reached into her mind, she could feel the presence but still felt uneasy about the whole thing. Soon enough he began to step forward, pushing Lady Marrow to raise the poisoned barbs at the end of her tendril like tails that spawned from a bifurcation at the base of her spine. As he would begin to speak he would draw closer, and closer, before his final word Lady Marrow would have had enough, lashing out with one of her claws... not to initiate combat, but like a mountain lion swiping at the air warning the creature off who had backed it into a corner, batting with light cuts to an arm deep and hard enough to draw a bit of blood and illicit some pain. It was an animistic showing of 'I'm dangerous!' Predatory posturing... however as the last word landed, almost all hostility would fade from Lady Marrow... confusion. She hadn't heard that word before, yet, through the link they had established she could feel something odd, admiration? ​

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Her tails lowered, her claws poised to strike again would move to her sides she would blink, the emotional spectrum she had been feeling smothered by a wave of curiosity and confusion. ​

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"Gor - jus?" She struggled, mouthing the words, not sure if she was getting them right, repeating them to herself in an attempt to mimic the sound the man had made, but in the voice she had created for herself. It was a difficult task. The Jedi would be able to feel the power of the force well within the girl for a moment, centered on her throat as she would make small amendments to her form as well as the rudimentary vocal chords she had created. It was like tuning a fine instrument be it a violin or piano wires, however after a couple of attempts she would look back to the man, no longer focused on what she was attempting to do as she would begin with saying. "What does gorj-" A frustrated look flashed across her face. "gorgeous mean?" ​

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Happy with the replication of the difficult word, she would finally move her attention to the man in question, so long as he remained still. She would worry about the placement of his feet, ensuring that he was not treading on her garden and that no fire had been bought with him. Any steps forward deeper into her garden would be met with an absolute sense of apprehension. Becoming very apparent that the territorial nature of the creature he was dealing with was in the extreme. She would contemplate his answer, nodding affirmatively before she would look around at her garden and associate the word with her feelings for her work around her. Smiling to herself in a not so subtle manner. Then attempted to reflect on his other question, he'd used smaller words, words that had objective meanings which Lady Marrow was more able to understand and comprehend. Well, other than that first bit, he spoke quickly and lost her utterly when it came to his apology. But Lady could feel the remorse, so she suspected his words followed something similar with the combined bow, a symbol of subservience.​

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Lady Marrow was pleased. She looked around her garden as it stretched and grew, in some places almost visibly if one were to sit and watch for an hour. "Long?" She would wonder, combining the words long and take implied time, sorry i took a long time, why did you take so long. It took some computing, but after she understood the question she needed to consider an answer. The days and nights of any world seemed to be used for time that people understood. "About... four-ten sun ups." Would be her initial reply, meaning about forty days. "It's young though, not finished. That would take... many more sun ups." She nodded. But after his questions were asked, it was time for her to be able to ask one. ​

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"So, what kind of garden do you have? Is it -gorgeous- too?" She would utter, figuring that as he was able to talk to the Marrow, he was something the same as her, although he looked human, she had not come into contact with another entity that was able to do what she did. So, as far as she could surmise, he was the same as her. It made sense really. But it could provide a crucial opportunity for trust, or rapport. ​

Aaran Tafo

 

[Aaran Tafo]

As the claws lashed out, looking to give the Jedi a minor scrape in retaliation for intruding. Lady Marrow would find something strange. The minor, glancing blow did not pierce his skin. Despite how sharp her claws were, there was something strange about the way the way his body reacted to the blow. As if his skin contained some property that made it resistant to those kinds of attacks.

And upon hearing her question the specific words he used, he realised that here lies a rather large issue when it came to facilitating communications with unknown species. This creature in front of him did seem to possess a rudimentary grasp of Galactic Basic. But she had no context behind a great deal of his words and phrases. It seemed that he would have to rely on either simpler terms or provide greater context to the meanings of the phrases.

Hand coming to tab the breathing mask. Aaran et out a low hum. He could provide content. His understanding of the language from his own experiences with it. Offered freely through the Force instead of it being absorbed through the consumption of others. Closing his eyes, the Fungal Female could feel his consciousness brushing against her own. Memories freely offered were there for her to inspect. "Gorgeous is this."

The sight of a blooming flower, the peace of an undisturbed valley, the sight of an alien world as his ship dropped from Hyperspace. A flash of other sensations all describing one thing. An admiration for what Aaran found to be aesthetically pleasing. He was standing in front of a creature that lived in perfect symbiosis with their environment. She could feel that such a thing was something that Aaran could appreciate.

Her second question however gave him a momentary pause. Of course, given the context of the situation, it was fair to assume that she was referring to his home. "My garden is...." He began, once again calling up memories for Lady Marrow to inspect. ".. not like yours."

Flashes of memory. An entire world covered in metal structures, reaching into the sky. Bustling with activity, life, but not in forms she may be familiar with. Slowly they would be offered to her. The Jedi not wanting to overwhelm her with so many stimuli. But slowly he would offer her visions of his home on Coruscant. Of the temple. She would see it in all its grandeur.

But most importantly, she would feel the emotions tied to it. Flashes of faces that brought Aaran peace. She would understand the memories in the context of which Aaran knew it. Community, family, harmony with each other. A sense of everyone there being separate and distinct but working towards a goal together in order to strengthen them all. No one saw themselves as the master of their Garden, instead each of them doing their own part to make it stronger.

"That. Is what my Garden is like." He said, smiling slightly at her. Giving her a moment to process the information and context that was freely offered.

"Your Garden. How big will it be when it is finished?" There was a slight note of concern in his voice. Aimed at both the Lady Marrow and the natives both. Continual expansion without proper communication with the locals could result in hostilities from both sides. And outcome that the Jedi would much rather avoid.

Lady Marrow

 

[Lady Marrow]

The Marrow girl listened intently, although as something began to probe the side of her mind she would withdraw both physically and mentally from him in a very sharp way. He was moving on dangerous ground now, the Dark side of the force would well up within her, drawing on the power of the Garden that surrounded her as a windless breeze would cause every fungus within sight of the garden to shudder in a wave expanding out from the girl. Exerting control on her surroundings, ensuring that her Fungi was there for her at a moments notice to attack the intruder should it attempt to harm the Garden! A Marrow Born was a dangerous creature within the confines of its garden, surrounded by substances which empowered it, much like a Jedi or a sith sitting within a nexus of the force, this was something... deeply personal, a font of power that the Marrow could tap into in order to defend itself if need be. If not far more limited in its applications. ​

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However, the empathy and calm of the images which did manage to flash by her eyes in the brief moment she saw them intrigued her, curiosity would quickly overwhelm her danger sense. So, for the first time she would feel the force begin to be used in her own mind to feed her information. She would watch, and desire more, she was seeing images of far away places, memories as he talked. Soaking in the context within moments the Marrow which surrounded them would creep outwards an entire inch in the span of a moment, growing in tandem with the learning and rapid expansion of Lady Marrows' mind. Whether the Jedi noticed however, would be something else entirely...​

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"I see..." Lady would once again rasp at the images of beauty that would flow past her mind. "Gor-geous is like... pretty?" She would offer, hoping to get a confirmation, she had a feeling she understood the term now, pretty was a shy word, one that people said when they were also nervous about what other people thought. Gorgeous was not shy at all, this man wasn't anxious about saying it at all, not like the boys and girls that called each other pretty back home. However, when it came to the second set of images, tall buildings, grand vistas of Coruscant a Jedi temple and more. The Garden would begin to push forward again, another inch and a half of growth in a moments notice as other structures around them were beginning to climb, creeping up, a fungi in the shape of a monument, not unlike one of the buildings in Coruscant erecting from the center of a garden feature to stand stalwart within it. ​

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This time however, the Jedi would begin to feel a pull at the memories, it would be very light at first. But he would begin to feel an overwhelming desire to know more emanating from the creature, as the images has been fed to her, he could almost feel psychic claws digging into the memories themselves, attempting to force them to linger longer in place so that she might be able to study them deeper. It was instinctual, unknowing that she was able to almost touch the memories like this, but the Jedi would be able to feel the insatiable desire to know more which possessed this child like a hunger at the sight of the images. He'd fallen into the veritable cat exposing its belly, only to have its claws latch and pull on his hand, digging in deeper if he attempted to pull away. It was as though he had sparked something deeply primal within her mind. It wouldn't take much effort for the trained Jedi to wrench the memories back and end them after he'd made his point, she was after all, young... or recovering? It was difficult to say. ​

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Lady Marrow would pout a little at the ending of the psychic images, not having the skill nor the knowledge or training to attempt to recreate the link that was being shared between them or to forcefully pull them from his mind. But even she after blinking a few times would realize that this was a distraction of sorts. She didn't quite understand some of what he was saying, but she began to understand that these places, were his home and the people he saw very often... they were like... family to him. They were close. Which gave Lady Marrow an idea!​

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"OH! So they're all like you!? It is a very good idea to work together like that, together you would be very strong. It must be a very big garden to hide in a building so tall." She would state in reference to the image of the Jedi temple building, it was massive, and far taller than she would have expected. She could not see any fungal life there however, and there were many creatures of all kinds of life, some of which she had seen before, and many of which she had not. The sheer sum of questions that flooded her mind almost short circuited her ability to speak in the moment... it would be his question that would stop her murmuring about what to ask next... but, she didn't really have a way to answer it. ​

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At first she would begin making vague measurements with her hands, which there would be almost no method to explain her bizzare metric to the new-comer to. So, instead one of her tails came out from behind her body, extending one of its toxic barbs and moving to the ground between them and beginning to draw an almost cave painting rendition of the large tree that towered over the middle of the garden. Small stick figure pictograms of herself with tails and the Jedi man underneath it, vaguely to scale. To the side of it she would draw a bushy uneven circle. "This circle, is inside... no, like, its heart. No... uhm... " She would stutter as she was obviously having trouble with a word, looking for a method to explain that the tree was the center of the garden. Her face would furrow in frustration. ​

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"All my garden come form here, yes?" She would say, looking deeply for his understanding as she would indicate towards the bushy uneven circle that was the tree. When he indicated he understood she would move on, pointing to the circle that surrounded it about a foot in every direction she would say, with some excitement as this communication was obviously working. "And this! Is how big garden is now!" She would affirm with some sense of pride in her accomplishment for getting this far. But, finally would come the final measurement. Moving another two feet outward, she would begin to draw a circle that would encompass around where she and the man were standing. Almost skipping happily in a rush to prove her point as she would create a circle about a meter in radius out from the point of the tree. ​

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"And this, is how big it was before!" She would proclaim, meaning that her garden was only about 1/3 of its intended size. Meaning that it could very well span up to approximately a mile in total width should it be able to continue to grow at that pace. Her species was an odd one however, it grew inward, smaller almost like a bonsai tree. Starved of space in its infancy it had to learn to make its roots infinitely more complex simply so that it could grow. While other marrow gardens would expand to almost 5 and a half miles in total length, it was unlikely that hers would ever reach that large, simply due to its efficiency in growth. Getting half that large would be a chore for her garden, not that she knew that, that was the case. It would be easy to ascertain that this garden was going to become something like a small forest eventually, taking up a large section of the land that surrounded them, although it would take years. ​

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However, the energy that The Marrow-Born would give off would be something of excitement, anticipation and childlike glee, she was an artist who could not wait to finish their project so that they could reveal it to the world. And all she had to do in order to accomplish that, was learn.​

Aaran Tafo

 

[Aaran Tafo]

He probably should have expected hostility, even if it was the unintentional sort. Something touched this deeply by the Dark side of the Force probably did not even comprehend the idea of the memories being given willingly, instead resorting to taking them by force as an initial reflex. An unfortunate product of the creature's birth. But it was not like Aaran was going to hold that against her.

Her? Yes, it was probably safe to consider the creature female. If nothing else, it seemed to assume the form of a female figure over a male one. And it adopted a humanoid form to begin with. That did imply at the very least some concept of gender identity, even if it was just on a level of what was considered appealing. But the fact that it could find things appealing did imply some level of development and sapience.

In a way, it was almost cute. The creature in front of him was simply innocent. She was probably unaware that her attempts to simply have the memories stay in Aaran's mind for a moment long were causing him such distress. Thankfully, the Fungal creature was lacking in terms of skill and training. While her raw strength was impressive. The Jedi was able to muster up a defence after merely a moment of concentration. Breaking the link.

If Lady Marrow's intrusion into Aaran's mind was a cat raking its claws along his hand. His defence was a disciplinary spray of water to the face. But in those brief moments she would get more snapshots. Random disjointed memories. The taste of spicy food as his teeth sunk into a burrito and the endorphin rush that followed. The pulse of music and flashing lights around him as his body moved in rhythm with a pink-hued woman pressed up against him body and emotions going wild from the sensation. The adrenaline coursing through his veins as blade clashed with the red-hued sword of light held by a madman with yellow eyes.

"No need for that." Aaran grumbled, pulling back slightly as the link was broken, fingers moving to massage his temples. It was a good thing that he had managed to break the link so quickly. At worst he would deal with a mild headache for the rest of the day. Had he allowed the plundering of his mind to continue, chances are he would be suffering from far worse conditions. Auteme had shown him what happened to some people whose minds had been ravaged by Sith techniques. It was rarely a pleasant sight. "If you want to learn, I am happy to teach." He said, hoping that at least the potential for her to learn more would pacify her. "So, if you have more questions, just ask. I'll be happy to answer."

"And yes, Gorgeous is like pretty." He confirmed, giving a slight nod as he turned his full attention back to Lady Marrow. "And they are like me. We work together, learn together and become stronger for it. Then we go out and help others so they can be strong." He paused for a moment, attempting to convey the rather complicated duties of a Jedi in a way she would understand.

"We.... do our best to try and protect other people's gardens. Their homes. And we give advice on how to make your garden better." Hopefully, it would be enough to help her understand. But there was only so much that could be conveyed right now.

Settling himself down, he observed as Lady Marrow slowly gave the explanation for how her Garden would grow. All coming out from a central point. Slowly expanding onto the local biosphere until it finally stopped. The aftereffects of such rapid ecological changes were not something he could predict right now. He had no knowledge of how the local environment interacted with each other. What native species that she might be consuming in her own attempt to grow.

Granted, even when fully grown it was still far from any settlements. But there was still a risk of people wandering in and getting hurt by the territorial fungi. "That is very impressive. I bet it will be very pretty once it is fully grown." Aaran mused, tapping the chin part of the breathing mask. "The locals..... have you talked to them yet?" He asked posing the question.

"They might get a bit worried if they see your garden pop up. Its not exactly native. They might get the wrong idea unless you're willing to show them that its not hurting anyone."

Hopefully, he could slowly acclimate her to the idea of a mutual co-existence with the world around her. If he could somehow establish a relationship with the natives of friendly neighbours over hostile invaders. It would go a long way towards helping shift Lady Marrow’s territorial and potentially harmful nature.

 

[Lady Marrow]

The knowledge, the intrigue and the learning was like a child staring up at the moonlit sky for the first time, stars dazzling as new worlds once closed or never conceptualized before opened for the creature. It was beautiful, intoxicating and addictive the rampant need to know more as the images flashed past as she attempted to invade the mind of the Jedi was uncontrollable to her, yet, untrained in that skill all she was, was a blunt instrument. With a snap the link was severed, which caused the Lady before him to appear stunned for a moment, to be standing before the jewel of the universe, staring at the open sky for it to be stolen away in a heartbeat left the creature... dissatisfied to say the least. She'd let out a little growl of disapproval, but as he would chastise her she would tilt her head sideways, unsure of what exactly he meant. 'did i do something wrong?' she would think to herself musing upon the interaction.​

​

When her ideas were confirmed that there were, in fact, other Marrow Born that had formed their complex societies into some sort of colony, she seemed excited, bubbly even. She'd never heard of Marrow-Born acting in this way before, she'd never even seen another one of her own kind on the planet she came from. Which seemed odd, but, the nature of them being there and the creature who hunted her kind along with their allies were legion. The thought of so many being in the same place, sharing one gigantic garden within a singular massive building she was almost bouncing from foot to foot. Prior hostilities seemingly forgotten entirely to the winds of whimsy. But when it came to the idea of them attempting to serve their community, the gardens of others, she would ponder the thought of such a council.​

​

"Hmmmm, if you all work together, you could stop the angry people from burning down all the gardens. I could never find anyone to help me defend my garden, the people where i came from were mad whenever they saw me." She said in a nonchalant manner, perhaps a little too nonchalant. "They came with fire and light once they knew i was there and hurt my garden, really bad. So I snuck on a ship, and came here. The people on the ship were really nice too!" She would exclaim with glee, neglecting to mention the fact they were the first fertilizer that allowed the new marrow to grow and sustain itself in this manner, her seemingly incapable of existing in the periphery of her thought processes.​

​

"Oh! I know how to make gardens better, look!" She would almost yell, bounding backwards, poking out a tongue in concentration as she would run a short distance to one of the sculptures of a Kushiban that had been made out of fungal matter. Beginning to concentrate on the plant, she would feel the force flowing through the living entity, as the structure would pry itself from its perch, and begin to frolic almost as one would in the wild. The image would bare a couple of the distinctive features of one of the several that it had taken that would make it a little more like a death-masque, the Garden attempting mimic its DNA or compute it into formations that could be useful. "See! This way the plants can be moving around the garden, it looks much nicer, and it keeps the spores moving when there's no wind! I used to have lots of them, but its a little hard for me at the moment when the garden is this small. And it hasn't eaten enough yet." ​

​

The slightly unsettling idea of the Garden being able to eat, could be unsettling to some, but likely to those learned in nature, fungi were saprophites, consuming dead matter be it from animals or plants was part of their natural life cycle.​

​

"Thanks! You're welcome to stay if you like! Or come and see it when it's done! OH! You can bring your friends from the other gardens!!!" "As it would seem that from the communication, she was developing her speech processes faster and faster. Although she wasn't able to see the man speak, she could hear him, and she had managed to finally find a calibration that seemed to fit the higher sweet tone of the female figures she had admired. "You're the first person I've met here so far, I don't know where any of the people are around here, I haven't gone looking yet. Aaand the last time people found me they wanted to burn me, so I need to make sure the garden is big and strong before I can do any of that." ​

​

She would frown, gaining from context alone that worry was a bad thing, it sounded something like sad to her, she couldn't quite remember. Memory damaged, she could feel that the word worry meant something she knew. But she could remember being scared and sad very well. "I- I don't want to worry people... what can I do?" She would ask, not entirely sure of the process, her interractions with anything more than a child were often... less than desirable.​

Aaran Tafo

 

[Aaran Tafo]

Slowly the pieces were fitting together. Through her explanation of how she got her, he could gather a better idea of what was going on. It seemed the locals of whatever world she was on before did not take too kindly to her intrusion into the environment. He let out a sharp exhale upon seeing the emergence of the fungal imitation of life. He could not imagine the locals taking such an impression and mockery of their dead that well.

He could do nothing for those already consumed by the Garden. But one way or another, he would ensure that no one else found themselves consumed by the creeping expansion. Be it by convincing Lady Marrow to have peaceful co-existence with the locals, Aaran relocating their village safely away from the Garden. Or, if all peaceful options failed. If this creature was insistent on being hostile to a foreign biosphere and refusing any attempts at co-habitation. Well, he would simply have to deal with Lady Marrow himself.

"I think a few of my friends would love a chance to meet with you." Not an inaccurate statement. Chances are there was a dozen other Jedi who would be much better suited when it came to rehabilitation. There were others in the Order who would be better suited to slowly coaxing the Mushroom Woman around to a more harmonious way of thinking. But if it was a creature that was born of the Dark Side, it would be an uphill battle.

Thankfully, he had the advantage of the lack of Sith in the area. If another Dark Side adherent had wandered in on this creature. Chances are it would end disastrously.

Judging by how hungry she was for knowledge and at how quickly her cognisant abilities and language skills were developing. Leaving her unattended could lead to extremely rapid growth. Which if left untended and allowed to drift further into a predatory mindset, could mean disaster for the balance of this world. And possibly others if she ever set her sights upon travelling through space again.

He made a mental note to properly decontaminate himself before he left. The possibility of this being spreading further as it was right now could not be left to chance. But he might ask for a sample from her garden for further study. Understanding this creature would be necessary to properly deal with it. And it would require minds far more scholarly than his own to properly uncover every secret it had.

"I think they'll be worried because they don’t understand why you're here or what you're doing." He said, wincing slightly. "Your garden did feed on a few of their family. So, they probably got the wrong impression." He said, holding out a hand. "I know you're probably not looking to hurt anyone. But they might not see it like that. There was a bad first impression."

"And you mimicking their dead would make them pretty upset. It would be like me burning your garden and then taunting you with a fake copy." Hopefully, he could instil just the slightest ideas of empathy upon her. The idea of treating others as one wished to be treated in turn. "Not that I'd ever want to burn someplace so pretty." He said, hoping to placate her.

"So. I think, it might be a good idea to possibly open up communications." He said, smiling as he held out a hand, offering it for her to take. The memories she had plucked from his mind were enough to tell her that it was meant to be a gesture of friendship and comfort. "You clearly know a lot about botany. And your garden seems to put people to sleep. Maybe you could start growing plants that had medicinal properties and give it to the locals."

"Aside from growing your garden. What else do you want that you think they could give you in return for that?"

An act of trade. She would provide something for the environment and in turn, the environment would give back to her. Living in harmony with one's surroundings. She would not need to fear the locals coming to her if they saw her activities as a positive thing over a negative one. And maybe slowly coaxing her around to the idea of seeking out such mutually beneficial deals for herself in the future with others.

He would just have to be careful she meets the right type of people and her innocence was not taken advantage of.

Lady Marrow

 

[Lady Marrow]

Her eyes would glisten at the thought of meeting other Marrow, friends of this person might be the kind to share more information and memories with her, the thought was enough to sate her desires for now, hope blooming a plenty with the infinite possibilities of tomorrow. Though that raised an immediate concern, if more people were going to be coming to her garden, she would need to get it ready for them. The man she was with had claimed that it was gorgeous, yet in her heart of hearts the young Lady could feel that it was unfinished, unrefined and amateurish in the scope of things. She'd lost so much in the destruction of her old garden, and though it had been a challenge to recreate it, she felt as though she had done her best.

Yet with good news the bad would always follow, looking to the animated Kushiban that was frolicking amongst the multicolored myconids she would allow her grip on the creature to end as it would simply take its pose and lose itself back to the eternal grip of the garden. Letting out a dejected "Oh..." at the criticism of her creation. She'd look a little anxious on her feet now, looking at several of her other emplacements, doubt had begun to creep in when it came to the tastefulness of her creations. "I...I guess I always saw it as a way of, I dunno, saying thank you? That they're living on as part of the garden forever, after they'd given all of themselves to it... The garden remembers everything..." She would veritably mope, not looking happy at this new development in the slightest.

Yet as he continued to speak, worry would turn to fear as the idea of the part repeating itself came to mind, Lady Marrow would begin to tremble, nervous shakes and anxiety spiking at the thought of her having to defend her home. Her tails, agitated would begin to flick to and fro, striking at things nearby her with their barbs trembling in such a manner that they could possibly strike someone with the toxin that welled within them. She'd move a little closer to the stranger as he would confirm that he wouldn't do something like that. Not quite getting close enough that she could reach out and clutch at his attire, but enough to lean close, wordlessly asking the question of what she would be able to do to ensure that could happen.

Meeting with people was a cause of distress for Lady Marrow, the thought of going into a village and attempting to make contact, who was to say that there would not be another repeat of last time?

"Well, um, I don't suppose you would be able to help me with that? I, last time I met people in a village it went rather bad, they chased me... it wasn't very fun. I wouldn't know what to say... and, what if they don't understand me? Some of the people that were in that village spoke words I couldn't understand..." She would ponder, now stepping forward to hold the man's hand. But she would think about the things that she was able to do, she was able to grow almost any plant she could think of. No matter how rare or difficult. The thought of working with rare myconids turned her slump into immediate excitement reinvigorating her as though there was nothing that had upset her in the first place.

"I can grow almost anything as long as it's a plant or Mushroom, maybe they have people who can't do that?"

Aaran Tafo

 

[Arctus Silmar]

The Shaper

The Iron Crown|| Whilstone of Prowess|| Whilstone of Acuity
Whilstone of Power|| Acharn|| Urfael|| Mithralian
Voice Sample

"The pursuit of knowledge should be a measured thing, a craft honed to utter mastery, a forge meant to temper the mind and soul to utmost perfection. Should one rush such a prospect they will find their minds shattered like a misshapen blade, burning eternally, in a hellish madness a mind can only inflict on itself." - The Shaper


Unfortunately for the brave Jedi Aaran Tafo their snooping around Sith space had not gone as unnoticed as they would have no-doubt wished or hoped. Imperial agents had made note of the growing grove belonging to Lady Marrow, the Dark Side anomaly that it was, and the Shaper saw fit to investigate. Fulfilling his duties as Paragon of Knowledge in a bid to research and potentially cultivate whatever enigmatic force had given rise to this mycelial growth of Dark Side energy.

So it was that the Shaper approached the source of this.... disturbance. In a sole, lonely shuttle, accompanied by naught but a single squadron of troopers and a duo of acolytes of Pyramid of Knowledge. The shuttle itself equipped with ample cloaking technology to mask their approach while the Shaper and acolytes worked to hide their descent from whatever being harnessed the Dark Side below. The Shaper was, after all, always more comfortable on his own feet than in the sky. The idea of being shot down never having appealed to him all that much. Never mind the unfortunate loss of resources that would cause and the inconvenient walk back to civilization.

Instead, as the shuttle brought itself down to the earth it was powered down completely, the pilot remaining with the ship, while the squadron of troopers flanked the boarding ramp for the Shaper and his acolytes to depart. The troopers would not be going into the wilderness with them but rather would simply be occupied with establishing a landing area for the duration of their mission here. The Shaper would then hoist the Iron Crown before him, struggling to mask the potent artifact's presence in the Force until they were well away from the shuttle before, with a grimace, he placed the artifact upon his brow and dropped his attempt to veil himself or the acolytes.

The Iron Crown would surge to power as it was donned upon the Shaper's brow and heh encouraged it as it radiating potent, malignant Dark Side energy out into the wilderness of Kushibah. The acolytes with the Shaper drawing their weapons in preparation as they trod deeper and deeper into the verdant garden of the Marrow. Rich with the fulfillment of life and the promise of death in equal, cloying, choking measure. With his senses flaring like the trio of miniature suns upon his brow the Shaper could sense the very heart of this place. Could sense it's source, it's origin, and as his gaze in the Force poured over their surroundings his mind already had a singularly inspired idea as to just what this being could do for the Empire. She would grow a garden, a garden like no other, and behind the mask of his armor the Shaper smiled a slow, cool smile. He was only too happy to reveal this future to her.


Lady Marrow Aaran Tafo

 

[Lady Marrow]

As they talked, Lady marrow would begin to get the sense that something was different about the air, she could feel her spores being disturbed as her garden was met with the force of repulsar lift engines from a landing craft a little distance away from the edge of her residence. She would perk up, standing adroid and twisting to immediately look in that direction, unsure of what this force was. She had experienced the push of smaller craft, she'd even been in one but it was a new sensation to have the wind forcing its way through the grove like this, spiralling her spores away in vast sheets. She had not expected this Jedi Marrow to call on friends so soon. She would question him whether or not he had called more from his garden here, but when she received a negative answer, she became especially on guard. The fibrous hairs on her body would stand on end as her claws would grow again, tails whipping to and fro, quivering in such a manner that they would reveal the barbed and hooked bladed rows at their ends as the toxins within them would begin to purify. ​

"Hide! I'll see them..." She would order a snap hiss in her voice commanding in her rasp as she would feel her body crack, forming an additional joint below her knees allowing her to form a quadrupedal stance and bound into the garden as something less like a woman and more like an animal. Sure enough, she could feel a huge pulse in the dark side of the force, something like she had never felt before, calling her. Lady Marrow would stop in her tracks, deciding it better to alter her coloration to blend in seamlessly with her environment, stalking around mushroom growths until she would come across the new set of intruders. ​

There was not many, three in total, two acolytes and another creature who wore some sort of black metal crown on his brow. The pull, the feeling was coming from that. It was like this man was an entire marrow garden on his own... Well, she had a marrow garden too! And they had bought weapons into her abode. They were threats, threats to her, to her garden. She would call to the Marrow fields as the statues she had created of creatures that had been eaten would begin to animate, prying free from their bonds as bone-like Keratin fangs and claws would permeate on their beings. The Feral Mycetic Kushiban numbering about a dozen, each just over a meter long would bound to surround the intruders. Clawing and ripping at the earth, baring their teeth in warning hoping to stop them all in place.​

"Who... are you!?" A voice would emanate from each of their mouths, far more rasp as the replicant vocal cords strained to draw air across them in order to make sound. Barely discernible words barking commands while the puppet master still hid in the wings. Silently stalking, her signature in the force would stand out to masters who would look for her, though the impressive masking of her signature here, as hers was rather difficult to discern from the plant life would become apparent immediately. Camouflague within camouflage stacked upon one another on a small rise no more than thirty meters to the right of the trio. ​

"No... weapons!" Would be the second demand, a test to see how these beings would act. Would they stand defiant against the Sapient forest of Mycetic life? Or would they allow themselves to bend, for the sake of something akin to diplomacy. The force could be felt surging through the Fungal simulacrums, and in turn the entire garden itself served as a font of darkside power. Lady Marrow certainly did not enjoy the prospect of fighting in her garden so soon after its creation. It was far smaller than she would have liked it to be, giving her slim resources in combat against something that she could almost compare to the height of her former power. ​

But she'd show them. She'd show them exactly their mistake if they thought it wise to fight a Marrow in her Garden. ​

Aaran Tafo \\ Arctus Silmar

 

[Aaran Tafo]

"Medicine would be a good start." He offered; release a breath he did not know he was holding when the Fungal Female began to show something resembling regret for her actions. She was ultimately an innocent creature. Perhaps pre-disposed towards the Dark Side. But that was due to a lack of understanding more than any inclination towards sadism or other unhealthy habits. A product of her upbringing and instinct. Not choice.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. He was hoping to have more time, but Lady Marrow was not the only one to sense the intruders. Both through the Force and from the disturbance of their craft landing "No friends of mine." He said, tone now levelling out from friendly, to an icy calm.

The Sith were here. And judging by the pulse of power he felt. A particularly potent one. Letting out a soft hum, he did not feel fear or panic. But simply began drawing up avenues of approach. Violence was hardly something he wanted to perform here. If the Sith was attempting to seize the Mushroom woman's power for his own, Aaran would step in to defend her. She might be tainted by the dark, but she was still alive, willing to understand her own faults and grow. That alone was enough for him to lend his aid to her.

She asked him to hide. So he did. But perhaps not exactly where she was expecting. As he made the decision to follow her. Calling to the Force, he let it flow into him. His own presence scattering like dust in the wind. Any Force nexus, dark or light tended to muddle one's visibility in the Force unless you made an effort to announce yourself. His own unique presence may have stood out through intensive searching. But now trying to pick him up with supernatural senses was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Lady Marrow probably could, but only due to her unique connection to the land. But the visitor would probably have some trouble picking him out.

"I would advise you to be wary." Came his voice whispering next to Marrow's main body, hidden just out of sight. Figuring that the best way to hide himself was to be closer to one of the main concentrations of power present. Hiding from a predator by staying just underneath murky water.

"I do not believe he has your best intentions in mind. I have met others like them. I feel he would try to make you grow your garden for his sake. Not your own." His word of warning given, Aaran would remain obscured. Watching, observing, learning. Curious to see how the newcomers would react to their host's demands.

Lady Marrow
Arctus Silmar

 

[Arctus Silmar]

The Shaper

The Iron Crown|| Whilstone of Prowess|| Whilstone of Acuity
Whilstone of Power|| Acharn|| Urfael|| Mithralian
Voice Sample

The Shaper paused as the faintest flicker passed his senses, like the smallest bubble or imperfection marring an otherwise perfectly uniform painting, his movement stopping as abruptly as the sensation crossed his senses. The two acolytes joining him halting as well and, though confusion marred their features, they did not question the Sith Lord as he his gaze swept calmly over the garden that had come to erupt from the Marrow. At the Marrow's insistence The Shaper would hum, his senses leisurely probing ineffectually against the concealment of those watching him. The acolytes, preparing to defend their lord, were only halted by The Shaper calmly handing Urfael to one and Acharn to the other. A simple command passing his lips "Go." The acolytes, bordering on hesitation, bid as they were command before The Shaper knelt in place. His hand extended to the Marrow garden as he spoke to the still unknown forces watching him. "This place is rather beautiful and you have done well in hiding yourself from me. " His masked, armored gaze fell to the Marrow Garden as he extended his presence in the Force and, perhaps to the Marrow's surprise, entwined several applications of the Force into one smooth motion.

With his armored mask enhancing his ability to pierce Force stealth and the Whilstone of Power surging to further amplify his abilities, The Shaper did not simply seek to reach out and touch or commune with the Marrow. No. He was at a disadvantage, one he sought to smash to pieces in order to bring this.... confrontation to more even ground. Using Lady Marrow's own garden to his advantage he channeled his now highly enhanced Force Detection through the Marrow Garden. Blindingly powerful, burning expressions of power wiping away reality as The Shaper's physical form vanished and the gleaming white light of the Whilstones collapsed into themselves like three imploding stars into a flaming, lidless eye that bore down on Lady Marrow and Aaran Tafo with calm malevolence. The Dark Side pouring from The Shaper into the Marrow Garden as it gazed at them. His voice now thunderous and echoing as he stated.

"But I see you."

The gaze of this eye through the Force would be akin to staring into a star, heat tangible on the flesh of Marrow and Aaran both as Dark Side energy pulsated over the Marrow Garden, feeding it, bathing it like a droughted forest experiencing a titanic rainfall. After a hhandful of seconds The Shaper would end this display, standing himself upright once again, and letting out a low, long exhale as he flexed his fingers. The exertion not having been an easy one, though not entirely exhausting with his tools of artifice aiding the action. The cold, grey steel of his eyes calmly resting on where he knew Aaran and Marrow to physically be. Making it clear he expected them to reveal themselves.

 

[Lady Marrow]

Lady Marrow at the disarming of the creatures that had entered the hallowed ground was a little more at peace, there was to be no violence here. His compliment however was not made to deaf ears, all the while Lady Marrow would begin to sleuth her way closer to the creature, about a hairs away from getting near enough to be distinguished visually by someone who was a little more visually keen than most. Her camouflage otherwise absolute, merging with the Marrow Garden around her seamlessly as she would hope to gain further insight into the dark steel clad creature. It seemed that beings in this part of the galaxy liked to wear armour...​

​

But as the force power welled up within the creature, threatening to overpower the stealth within the signature of the Garden that Lady Marrow benefited from, it would still be difficult for the Lord, while not impossible to discern her location. The fact was, that Marrow and the Garden were two sides of the same coin, it would be like feeling the individual force signature of a creature's living heart while it was still within the same creature's body. Not impossible, just difficult and even with it in sight it would be annoying to discern where the creature ended and where the marrow around it began. However, as the font of power grew, Lady Marrow could not help but feel mesmerized... it was like the creation of another Marrow Garden, massive and dark. He was powerful enough to overpower her adolescent garden, but soon enough it would be expansive. ​

​

The visions of the eye and the words that would speak into her mind would meet the barbs of the creature that had spoken with another mentally once before. She would feel the heat on her skin, warm and comforting to her arid natured alignment as it would expand two fold over her body making her squeak just a little as the goosebumps which would overwhelm her for a moment would ebb. However, as he had sought to enter her mind he would begin to feel the tendrils of her own mind attempt to cling to it reflexively like it had with the visions from the Jedi earlier. A little more practiced now as it would attempt to use this link to learn as much as it could from this stranger in a tit for tat transaction by force, drawing the colossal creature's focus in like a gravity well likely prompting him to pull a little harder as his presence fled from her mind to break it, as she was now reinforced by the power of the Marrow here, who had just been bathed in the dark side, enhancing her while she was within it considerably. ​

​

However, no doubt Lady Marrow would gather little from the transaction, pieces, fragments, but enough to push her newfound curiosity to greater heights as she would step closer, her colours returning to those that she had often chosen for herself, cocking her heat inquisitively to one side as she would attempt to take in this lord from another angle. Moving closer to reach up and touch the iron crown with one of her tendrils while her senses were drawn to it, mystified by the power and energy it gave off. ​

​

"This thing... what is it? It's like a... tiny garden..." She would ask, ignoring the obvious first points of order there were in a standard conversation, bypassing greetings and the like and moving precisely to what her whimsy would deem necessary for her to learn immediately. She wanted it, or something like it for herself. Something like that in her possession and she would be able to grow her garden twice as quickly, energized for growth as she could feel her control over the plant structures amplifying considerably with the empowerment of her Marrow. She would flex her control along with her muscles, feeling the entire Marrow sway as though a subtle breeze had moved through it... it felt, amazing. She would need to begin shaping soon to seize on this opportunity. There was no doubt, but for now she had a guest she needed to deal with. ​

​

"You still haven't answered who you are though, Are you a Marrow too?" Her questions were base, childlike and brimming with the naivete of the tabula rasa that was her newly forming mind, although it had been supplemented by the thoughts of the Jedi here, her persona was still in the process of repair, who knew what she could become if she were to dedicate herself to alter the course of the repair. Pure potential.​

Aaran Tafo \\ Arctus Silmar

 

[Aaran Tafo]

If the pressure bearing down on Aaran made him anxious. It was not something the Sith could detect. It seemed nearly ever Sith he encountered had this incredible desire to show off their strength. To force the universe to acknowledge them as something significant. And the Jedi had met them so often that they simply stopped having any kind of effect on him. Was this newcomer powerful? Certainly. But it was not intimidating. He was either far too good at controlling himself, or he was simply far too jaded to react to such displays anymore.

The more cynical and biting part of him figured it was the latter more than the former. The mind could only hold the fear response to certain stimuli for so long before it stopped registering them as threats. Aaran had fallen over that threshold long ago.

But he did still walk out into the open. Cool and calm as a frozen winter lake. Following Lady Marrow out to confront the Sith. His face placid, but there certainly was some disdain buried under his calm. Annoyance at this individual for simply showing up and disrupting any attempts at rehabilitation. It was a rather unfortunate they showed up. But such were the way of things. It was merely an obstacle he had to deal with one way or another.

"No, I'm afraid neither of us are Marrows." Aaran finally chimed in, moving to stand beside Lady Marrow. Within distance of the Sith. Seemingly unafraid of being close enough to strike. He offer a slight shrug in apology. "I was simply using familiar terminology to help you understand what I showed you." He explained, making it rather clear that he had no deception in mind. Merely looking to help better provide context to the information he provided. He sought to enlighten, not deceive.

His eyes drifted to the Sith interloper. Eyes narrowing, dealing with them was going to be an utter pain, he just knew it.

Lady Marrow
Arctus Silmar