Private Arise Ye Wretched Dead

[Darth Nefaron]

The boy has grown strong. His power is no longer restrained by simple morality.
​

From his shadowy corner, Nefaron watched with great pleasure as the horde of rushing Sith spawn was brought to heel, their minds twisted to the service of the Corpse Lord's Apprentice. It seemed Veradun was an eager student, for his use of Qâzoi Kyantuska was not suggested by the Dark Lord but employed through Veradun's own quick thinking. Though the creatures resisted at first, the will to dominate was not something that could be easily overcome, especially by these beasts whose minds had been degraded over centuries of inbreeding and cannibalism. In the end, the knelt before the Apprentice while the Master slipped from the shadows, pale and applauding the work of his most practiced student.

"Well done, my boy. See how our lesser beings bend to our will, eager to carry out our every command. In time, you will be able to control even the strongest of beings, but this rabble will suit our purpose for the time being."

Nefaron stood at his apprentice's side, admiring the horde of Sithspawn now in the service of the Sith once more. Though the Corpse Lord had his suspicions, he knew with some certainty that this tomb was the place they had been looking for.

"Tell me, my young Apprentice, what do you know of Darth Krayt and his Empire?'

A simple question of history, of course, but an important one. Darth Krayt's Empire was short-lived but key to the survival of the Sith as an order following the Death of Sidious. Some believed the true Sith to be annihilated with the end of Bane's line, but such a claim was hardly accurate. To be Sith is a commitment to certain ideals, not a single bloodline or lineage that one needs to adhere to. That being said, the link to past Sith had been used to great success by Masters who sought to renew an Apprentice's commitment to the Dark Side. Veradun did not require such simple things, but a touch of destiny would only lend more credence to the idea of Nefaron's omnipotent power and ensure the boy remained loyal for as long as the Terror Lord needed to carry out his grand design.

Nefaron pressed forward as Veradun spoke, the crowd of sithspawn parting as the pair walked further into the tomb. Great carving and statues remained, images of Sith Lords and events that had been long lost to history or were hardly worth remembering by current Sith. As they walked, Nefaron unleashed torrents of lightning to ignite braziers at the side of the tomb, providing light as they continued on.

"Though the One Sith failed, they were not wiped out as our Order often is following the consolidation of power by a single Dark Lord. Krayt had his loyalists, those who remained on Korriban and other important worlds, who fled into hiding. Of course, they also occasionally threaten the galaxy, but most were eliminated as the years went by. Yet a mystery remained concerning the most loyal of Krayt's servants, one who ensured the Sith survived to this very day."

As Nefaron finished, the pair arrived before a great door, etched with symbols and emblems dating back to the era of Darth Krayt. Most were unrecognizable, but a single name could be made out in the ancient script.

Darth Nihil
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"Long have Sith historians sought the resting place of one who heralded in the rebirth of our Order. We are not the first to come to this place, but we will be the first to leave with its secrets and our lives. This door requires a blood sacrifice, but the blood of our corrupted servants will not do."

Nefaron drew a blade and held out his hand, palm up, looking expectantly to his Apprentice.

"Only the blood of a worthy heir to Nihil's legacy will do. Let us see if you pass the test, my Apprentice."

TAGS: Veradun Sharr ​

 

[Veradun Sharr]

Veradun continued to pour his will into the silent command issued over the charging Sithspawn - if this didn’t work, then he would have to resort to using his blade, until he either killed them all or he was dragged under the depths. Fearlessly, the young Sith Apprentice stared down the charging horde…and then…they all froze in place. In an instant, he felt the spell connect him to their minds as it took hold and brought them all into his service.

Just like that…he had a small army of Sithspawn slaves to do his bidding. A cold and cruel smile slowly spread across his face as his hand lowered back to his side; a silent, mental command ordering them all to bow before him was sent across and he watched in dark glee and satisfaction as it was obeyed without question or argument.

Of course, it was at that moment that his Master stepped back out of the shadows, applauding with delight at the quick thinking of his Apprentice. A strange surge of satisfaction filled the Nagai youth when he heard those words from Darth Nefaron: well done by boy. He stood a little straighter and lifted his chin ever so slightly in pride as he turned his triumphant gaze back to the Dark Lord as Nefaron declared that, in time, he would wield enough power to have influence or control over even stronger beings than these meager Sithspawn.

For a moment, Master and Apprentice stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing upon the kneeling servants that would do anything that Veradun told them to. Veradun mused that, not so very long ago, he was like them…a slave forced to kneel at the master’s feet. Forced to obey or face punishment…or even death.

And now look at him…an enslaver himself. Another bridge burned that separated him further from his beloved family and his morals.

"Tell me, my young Apprentice, what do you know of Darth Krayt and his Empire?”

The Nagai was thoughtful for a moment as his Master pressed onward, the Sithspawn parting ways to allow the Sith Lord to pass by them, sinking lower in subservice as Veradun followed alongside Nefaron. “Not much, I am afraid. I know that Darth Krayt founded what is known as the One Sith during the Vong invasion, and he fashioned himself to be the Dark Lord of the Sith, abolishing Darth Bane’s Rule of Two. He gathered others to serve him,though under his rule there could only be one Dark Lord at a time…though his Order allowed for other Sith to exist, unlike with Darth Bane’s philosophy.”

Deeper the two of them went into the structure, this tomb, the Sithspawn trailing behind them like obedient little pets. They were entirely under Veradun’s enthrallment now, the spell and his own will having ensured their total subjugation. He mused as they pressed further inward just how good it felt to have such control, such dominion, over others. He watched as his Master lit cold and dead braziers with crackling streams of lightning, which cast their glow over the tomb and provided light for them to see by.

As they continued, Nefaron shared a bit more history with Veradun about the One Sith, noting that despite their failure they were not wiped out entirely. In fact, one being alone was responsible for the preservation of the Sith Order…and this mysterious being was the very reason why the Sith Order still existed today, nearly a thousand years later.

Both Master and Apprentice came to a stop directly in front of a great door, and Veradun’s pale eyes traced over the structure. There were symbols and markings etched upon its surface, most of them unreadable from the ravages of time…but something, a name, did stand out amongst the rest of it. Veradun tilted his head slightly as he read it: Darth Nihl.

"Long have Sith historians sought the resting place of one who heralded in the rebirth of our Order. We are not the first to come to this place, but we will be the first to leave with its secrets and our lives. This door requires a blood sacrifice, but the blood of our corrupted servants will not do." Nefaron stated after a moment of silence, drawing a rather curious and suspicious gaze from Veradun.

The door required a blood sacrifice for entry…and yet the Sithspawn wouldn’t do? What was their purpose here then? How did Nefaron think they were going to succeed where others had failed in getting beyond this door?

Pale blue eyes fell towards the blade that Nefaron suddenly produced, his confusion only growing deeper as he heard what his Master said to him next: "Only the blood of a worthy heir to Nihl's legacy will do. Let us see if you pass the test, my Apprentice."

Did…did Darth Nefaron truly think that Veradun had any sort of relation or tie to this long dead Sith? Was the Corpse Lord crazy?!

Those white, dead eyes were staring at Veradun expectantly and so, despite his immense disbelief - he took the offered dagger into his own hand. For a while, the Nagai youth did nothing but stare at the door, then at the dagger in his hand. Was…was it possible? Could it be possible? He didn’t think so, but there was really only one way to find out the truth.

Without further ado and without so much as a flinch, he draw the blade across his other palm and watched as dark red blood immediately welled up from the cut and began to drip down from his hand and to the darkened floor. Then, as if guided by some unknown intuition, he smeared his blood directly over the etched name of Darth Nihl, painting it crimson with his own life essence.

Darth Nefaron ​