Campaign Blood in the Storm [GHW Side-story - DM First Please]

[Orn'om]

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Pamarthe
Winter- The Weeping​

Winter was a harsh season on Pamarthe. Cold fronts, heavy rain, and even snow or hail in some regions made sailing dangerous. But every 5 years or so came the Weeping and with it storms like none other. From the southern isles to the Salt Planes of Speyr Balley, storms raged on the high seas with winds strong enough to toss boulders and waves tall enough to sink even the sturdiest of vessels. Most travel during the Weeping was done by starship and even that was treacherous as the storm walls could hold hail the size of errey on top of whatever the winds had snatched up from the islands it passed over. The storms were only the beginning. The true monsters of the Weeping were the Skyeels. Ready to breed and spawn the Lesser Skyeels coalesced into a glowing tempest of wriggling, hungry bodies, devouring anything in their path be it wood, chitin, or flesh. Across the planet, these "Glowing Storms" ravaged homesteaders, towns, and the small cities that the planet had managed to build over thousands of years of colonization leaving nothing but steel, stone, and pain in their wake.

Moash knew this. He'd lived on these waters all his life and the Storm Father had blessed him with a beautiful family for it. But the Father giveth and the Father taketh away. Both his daughter and wife had succumbed to disease and left him the night before and she'd asked to be buried in the sea. She had been born on the homeworld, Mon Cala, and had even served in the Silver Jedi's navy for a time years and years ago and so she held a warrior's heart. And so she'd asked for a warrior's burial. There was no way he'd make it through the atmosphere during the Weeping with his own hunk of junk ship so Mon Cala was out of the question. He liked to think she'd found Pamarthe to be just as much home as Mon Cala had been before the monster Zambrano poisoned the waters. Their pet morray hound whined as water welled in Moash's big, bulbous eyes. Weeping or no, he would give his wife and daughter the burials they deserved.

The boat rocked with the dark, angry waves, and rain pelted his skin as he struggled to shift the body of his daughter onto the edge. He closed his eyes and tilted his head into the rain, struggling to remember the shanty his wife had taught him. It had been so long ago, back when they'd had to bury her father. Setting his webbed hands on his daughter's covered body he smiled, remembering the song.

Spoiler: Admiral Raddus sans the Raddus bits

Chorus:
Send down the Admiral,
To the rest he's sorely earned.
From the boundless deep came a warrior's soul
And there it must return.

Recall his spirit from the sky,
Send him down, lower him down.
In beds of coral let him lie.
Down into the sea.

Chorus:

In victory's channels let him swim,
Send him down, lower him down.
No Krakana's maw awaits, for him.
Down into the sea.

Chorus:

Let his admittance no man bar,
Send him down, lower him down.
To the good right hand of King Lee-Char.
Down into the sea.

Chorus:

For it's many the honored company,
Send him down, lower him down.
That await him in profundity.
Down into the sea.

As he sang the words though the hound began to growl and bark.

"Now you listen here Axl, I won't have-" There was a wet thunk, and then another. There wasn't anyone else on the boat. It must have just been the boat bumping into a shark or water dragon. That's all. Good, she'd feed the deep right away and-

Thunk.

He looked down and saw Axl had already left his side. There was a bark, a whine, what sounded like a bite, a squelch, and a whimper. Moash swallowed hard as the struggle continued. He inched his way around the cabin and pulled out his hand cannon and honor blade. It wasn't summer. The Water Dragons weren't yet agile enough to climb and he wasn't in the territory of any known Pamarthen Lion prides. Rogue lions maybe? Or just maybe a big Skyeel? Greater Skyeels didn't live this close to the Veteran Isles.

"H-hello?" There was a whine and a sickening crunch and then the struggle was over. "A-axl? Y-You there girl?" It sounded like something, several somethings, were eating, tearing at poor Axl's chitin to get at the meat below. Moash fought back tears and terror and swung around, pulling the trigger at high power. The bolts sizzled and the air smelled like a mix of ozone and burning chum.

"Neptune's beard," he shouted, staring down at three monsters. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Oh, Storm Father there were more of them? Moash screamed, pulling the trigger as many times as he could. He didn't stop and cried out when he saw some of the creatures' hands pulling his daughter into the deep and another set not waiting and simply tearing into his wife, the serenity of her dying smile at odds to her grim demise.

"You bastards!!!"

OOC: Thanks for the Pamarthens who said they'd participate! Please DM me before just jumping in if I haven't already asked you to join the thread! The Thresher have been unleashed by Thalia Senn Tempest unwittingly as she searched for her deepest fears to impart them on the lightsaber Domxite and bring it under her control. After having sensed a disturbance in the Force and had several days of nightmares she returns to Pamarthe to find her parents. Uknown to her, the connection between Domxite and Iris Arani has led the Padawan and her master, Valery Noble , to the stormy world in the middle of this unprecedented crisis. Together, alongside their temporary ally Tempest, the trio fight against the bloody storm.

Meanwhile, all across Pamarthe, these monstrosities of ancient dark side alchemy have sprung up. The people of Pamarthe must work together in order to survive. In Hyne, the city is under siege. The port district has been shut off from the rest of the city and those who were left behind must fend for themselves! Still in the midst of a massive storm, it is believed that the worst of nature has passed, but a glowing mass approaches...Batten down the hatches and keep your honor blade close or be chum for the Thresher.

Port District Pamarthens:
Brooke Waters
Tris
Jakk Parthas
Qellene Tyliame

 

[Thalia Senn]

Iris Arani | Valery Noble
​

The hum of Domxite, the pitter-patter of rain, the gentle creak of the durasteel home in the wind. These sounds kept her grounded as she stared at the scene before her. Her home was a mess. The dinner table she had shared with her master Khefiir and the blind Jedi Knight was split in half. There were so many memories in just that table, yet she could only think of that first night with the stew. It had been during a weeping storm too. Tempest tried to ignore the black ichor and blood splattered against the walls. Pa's cloudburst rifle was missing from the fireplace mantle and the room had the distinct sulfuric-irony smell of discharged cloudburst stone. Several limbs of the Thresher, for she knew that's what had done this, were scattered throughout the house. The family boat was gone too, though the skimmer was still around. The only thing living on the farm seemed to be the errey. Not even the Thresher's claws could get through its shell it seemed and now they meandered slowly around the property, no longer kept in by the pasture's fencing.

She had done this. Her grip tightened around the lightsaber. The red glow of her blade illuminated the home and cast dancing shadows with its unstable blade.

"Burn me," she muttered. "Where did those fools go?" She continued the stream of curses as she cut her way through her own home looking for any sign of her parents. Eventually the cutting turned to smashing, the rage flowing out of her instead of the tears she held back. In a stream of curses, she exited her childhood home. The durasteel door barely hung on by a hair. Deep claw marks ran through the thick door allowing her to see clear through to the other side.

Monsters. She had unleashed monsters on her home.

The rain was beginning to pick up. Another storm was on its way. It seemed though that it wasn't the only thing coming her way. Above she could see a shuttle coming in for a landing. Who was stupid enough to fly during the Weeping? Well, she had been to be fair, and it wasn't as if there was much other option for those on the island trapped on all sides by the Thresher. And they were surrounded. She could feel them, teeming with a hunger she had never felt before. Their hunger was almost her own. And it wasn't just the hunger she could feel but...She didn't want to think about that. Thumbing the switch on her lightsaber she slipped Domxite into one of her lightsaber holsters on her chest, her eyes following the lights.

 

[Brooke Waters]

To say that the Southern Isles of Pamarthe had more decent weather than the northern wasn't too far fetched, but Winter was still a huge problem. The weather was balmy enough to grow decent food, and the existential threat wasn't there. The storms came through, the trees and vegetation could adjust, but it wasn't until the Weeping Winters that the South even had their problems. The skyeels would make their moves, the weather would become much harsher, and everyone had to seek new ways to survive these years.

While she had been living elsewhere, Savareen for some Jedi training, Dathomir and Kattada more recently, Brooke had found herself promoted to the Elder of her branch of the Blue Coral Divers, and that meant she was returning to her homeworld much more often. She was not trying to enforce anyone on her homeworld, but if there were Force users? Why not join a tradition that could make use of who they were in their core?

She had taken up to seeing more of the world, and re-establishing what counted as her family's home. It was a small shipping office with their modest dwelling above it. Still, it was her home. But she hadn't been coming back to the world to strictly to hang around her old stomping grounds. She had taken one of the larger vessels out to Hyne, not wanting to fly, wanting to be seen as native to this world, and reclaim the Challenge of the Sea, she offered herself as crew for one of the vessels. Yes, it had staterooms, but she still was helping navigate over the Winter Seas.

As she arrived in the port of Hyne, the winds and rains were high, pulling up her cloak, she was doing what she could to protect herself from the weather, a collapsible hunting trident under her cloak, with her Jedi lightsaber in her messenger bag. The only real weapon that was obvious was her honor blade. It was good to around the world again. It felt alive. A challenge, but alive. Having been here for a few days, she was enjoying the stories of the elders of Winters past, and the Weeping.

It was… what, day three? She had tasted the fare, found herself some new contacts, made a few dates to get on some newer vessels, and to take a tour of the northern fjords because the Southern Isle women should always see what we deal with on Real Pamarthe. She was going to let the tone slide, because it was important. What she didn't expect was to hear the security horns.

She was among the first to make their way towards the docks themselves. If there was a threat during this time of year? It was coming from the sea. Her honor blade in hand, but her own senses extending to ensure she knew just where her other weapons were. At the docks, that's when she saw them.

Fething Threshers? She came face to face with one of the Threshers herself. Her honor blade in hand, she moved quick, knowing that these things hated light, and whispered a spell, her hand light up in a much more concentrated flash than the lightning strikes that were occurring around her, causing the beast to retract its advance for a moment. She wasn't happy with having to blast her night vision either. One fish to another, she was not a fan of these ones.


Tris
Jakk Parthas
Qellene Tyliame

 

[Qellene Tyliame]

Something's A Brewing
Tris , Jakk Parthas , Brooke Waters
[OPEN TO INTERACTION if anyone wants to play hero]​

---

The gangway was bathed in a heavenly light, an angelic halo following the plank as it fell, like a mallet striking a drum. The twang, the sound of of leaping vibrations dancing across the metal, resonated in her ears, rolled the drums. And amidst the angelic hum, there was a whine. A loud, deafening whine. Scaling down the gangplank, bathed in the blue glow of blaring repulsors-- a tapering hexagon, clad in wood, thrown together as if assembled by a desperate carpenter. A coffin. Its lid clambered into the dark depths below and a dark, yet deathly pale, face shone from within.

Qellene's tears mixed with the flak storm of rain that surrounded her. In no rush, the angelic glow of the world entered the gates of oblivion, and left her with the darkness. The cold, wet darkness that she'd grown to expect from her home.

Time spent wrapped in the Core's light hadn't dulled the familiarity, the odd comfort of the docks-- the whirling smell of salt and rust.

"Gorgeous as ever, old girl..." Qellene's vision wafted gently over the Adrennia's hull, scanning from the vessel's tarp-covered cargo deck to her towering superstructure. Against the stirring rain, she appeared shrouded in fog and gloom; but the glint of a spotlight nonetheless cut through the storm, defiant to the thundering heavens that bombarded the rest of Pamarthe.

The woman's trickling tears had vanished, the droplets of liquid on her cheeks now entirely the product of the rain's onslaught. Despite the cold air delivered by the sea, a feeling warmth remained steady in her blood, softening the tension in what used to be woven fists.

Then a crash. Cutting through the tapping of the rain was the splitting of glass, shattering and falling across the Adennia's deck. Qellene's eyes turned cold, her fingers curled and wrapped, as a shadow burst from the bridge tower and landed on a buckling shipping container. As the vessel's spotlight swiveled, its glow lit the Thresher's face in silver flame; and for a brief moment, Qellene looked into its distant, toothy maw, watched the monster snarl as it leapt.

"Mother fething-!" She patted desperately at the soaked fabric of her coat, eyes widening and mouth gulping at the absence of her sidearm. Fear returned her gaze to the spindly shape flying her way, and instinct sent the pilot tumbling to the side as the Thresher's deathly talons cut through a stream of rain- and ripped across her cheek. With a yelp, Qellene hit the ground, sliding across the deck and wrapping gloved hands desperately around one of the pier's support beams. The red streak on her face turned a darker, thicker shade of crimson as she clung to the alloy, dangling just above the ocean's lunging claws. But the sea was the least of her problems, a fact evident as the pilot's eyes locked on the wrinkled face of the snarling beast above.

A deafening, piercing scream erupted into the air as Qellene screeched for help.

 

[Iris Arani]

The first time she felt it, she broke. Despite everything she'd said to Arlo Renard , despite truly believing Domxite could resist Thalia Senn 's wrath and help the fallen Padawan, the Force left Iris with the echo of her friends corruption. There was no longer a choice. Waiting and seeing, hoping, had only irreversibly gotten her friend scarred and broken. Even now she could feel the echo of that pain, calling out to her. Domxite calling out for help.

Aboard a shuttle with Valery Noble , Iris stared out at the storm. The colors were.. Dark. So dark here. What had happened? What was happening? A part of her wanted to go and help, but she couldn't. Not without Domxite. Putting them behind helping others had only gotten them hurt. Her grip tightened on her saber. They would get Domxite back, then help the others. That's what they had to do.

A flash of red in the storm caught her attention. The cry, the echo of help. A rage filled her gaze as she stood up, went to the ramp of the shuttle. She said nothing to her Master, just hit the button to lower the ramp. Rain and wind hit her immediately, but she didn't care. She walked to the edge, staring down as the ship landed. Glaring right at where Thalia was.

"You."

Without a second thought she thumbed on her blade.

"Give them back."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Pamarthe​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Iris Arani Thalia Senn ​

​

Despite the heavy rain and deafening thunder, Valery piloted the shuttle through the storm without any fear of crashing, a result of years of experience. Her Keshian eyes pierced through the darkness and with Iris' connection to Domxite providing direction, they were closing in on the location of the sentient Crystal and Tempest rather quickly.​

​

But while she wasn't nervous about the journey to get there, she did feel somewhat worried about her Padawan. From the moment the young woman had sensed what was happening, her demeanor had changed greatly. She was determined to save her friend and help the people of Pamarthe, but emotions swirled chaotically around her through the Force.​

​

She was as much a storm as the Weeping that had struck the planet and called them here.​

​

"Be calm, Iris," Valery said as the flash of red plasma in the storm had drawn the shuttle into a descent. From the cockpit, Valery could hear the ramp in the back of the ship lowering while the shuttle was still touching down, and she knew there was no point in calling out over the powerful winds and heavy thunder. So instead, she formed a bridge between their minds and reached out.​

​

<T> "You can't help your friend if you lose yourself." ​

​

There was so much more she wanted to warn her Padawan about — her attachment to Domxite had shifted her priorities, and that wasn't something Valery stood behind. But more than that, she didn't want Iris to lose herself in her anger and rage. What was the point of saving a friend if they no longer recognized you in the end?​

​

Finally, the shuttle touched down and only a few moments later, Valery emerged from the shuttle herself, the two hilts of her lightsabers drawn into her hands and her fiery gaze focused on the Padawan and Apprentice in the rain. But while Iris demanded her friend back, Valery remained the Eye of the Storm and reached out into the environment with her mind. There was great danger that lingered in the depths around them, and she wasn't going to allow anything to harm those she had sworn to protect.​

​

 

[Thalia Senn]

Iris Arani | Valery Noble
​

On instinct Thalia pulled Domxite from its holster and ignited the saber, its crimson thin-edged blade coming to life an a low, moaning snap-hiss. She didn't have time for this crybaby.

"I don't have time for you," She took one step forward before realizing that she was here with a master, likely her master and she swiftly changed her mind. She had fought Masters before. Both times in anger though, even she realized that, and she'd barely made it out of the fight with Romi Jade. She had no idea who this master was, but her golden eyes caught her off guard. They were like her own, but unlike Tempest there was no darkness there. She could feel that much. Even still, those eyes were the eyes of someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill and she very much needed to be alive in order to find her parents. Tempest crouched as if to make a run for it.

"I can't let you take it back," she said coldly. "But I really don't have time for you. Why are you here? Get off my farm." The last bit was a bit childish. She knew they wouldn't just up and walk away from the dark Jedi that had been tormenting them. Had they come for revenge?

A dark sensation prickled the back of her neck, interrupting her thoughts. Lightning flashed, revealing a writhing mass of dark bodies on the roof of her family homestead. They were eating...something. Two somethings. Chul, the family Jialgheer and...an arm with a familiar-looking knife gripped tight. Dark skin like hers. A blood-stained blue farm shirt poked out. How could she see all that beneath the writhing mass? She was going to be sick. She was-

One of the creatures lifted its head and cocked it at the three newcomers and roared. The others roared and some began to crawl cautiously down the sides of the house. Others simply jumped, their webbed feet landing with wet smacks on the muddy ground. They hissed and chirped at them as they inched closer. Tempest was still in shock. One of the creatures leaped for her, claws out jaw open. She couldn't move.

 

[Tris]

A blaster bolt cut through the night, slamming into the Thresher's head as it stood over Qellene Tyliame . The body fell with a thunk and thrashed twice before falling past the woman and into the sea below. The sea though was hungry as well, as when the body hit the surface more of the black gnashing jaws of the creatures frothed the water, coloring it with the sickly yellow ichor that spilled from the monsters. One adventures creature began to crawl up a post leading up to the pier.

Leith and two others, a human male with red hair and a thick red beard, and a quarren wearing a mechanic's suit, burst onto the scene. Leith held the smoking blaster, though the other two were armed as well.

"Salt and bloody spray, what are you karking doing out here on your own? Are ya stormin' crazy lass?" He reached doown and offered a hand to help the woman up.

"Boss..." The bearded man said, concern heavy in his thickly accented voice. The quarren's face tentacles were writhing uncomfortably as well as he muttered a stream of his native tongue. The other monsters were crawling up. There were dozens of them. Leith had thought most of them had already gotten to shore. Occasional blasterfire from the dock checkpoints that had been set up told him that the city was largely keeping them at bay. Still, they wouldn't let anyone. It had been days and the bodies were piling up, likely drawing more of these...freaks.

Brooke Waters
Jakk Parthas

 

[Iris Arani]

The cries of Domxite's pain filled the air as Thalia Senn turned them on, and Iris jumped. It didn't matter. What Valery Noble said didn't matter. Iris had chosen to be kind, to try and help Thalia. And in return, she'd done this to Domxite. Bled them. The blue of her saber flashed as the night sky lit up with lightning. But, she didn't strike at the apprentice. Instead her blade cut through one of the creatures as it leapt towards her.

Even now, as angry and spiteful as Iris felt, she couldn't just strike someone down. Even if it was Thalia. She still glared at the Apprentice.

"You will give them back." She spoke with more venom than she wanted, but she turned, lifting her saber up to stare at the incoming creatures. They were mad with hunger, she could feel that much. See that much through the colors.

"What are these things? What did you do?"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Pamarthe​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Iris Arani Thalia Senn ​

​

Valery hardly paid any attention to the back-and-forth between Iris and Thalia, as her focus was drawn to something else. Through the rain and darkness that shrouded the area, her Keshian eyes had locked onto the heat that radiated off the bodies of the beasts that were currently still devouring... someone.​

​

Feeling their hunger, Valery frowned and readied herself to move as the first jumped out towards Thalia, who seemed frozen in place from how shocking the scene was. But before she could get there, Iris struck the beast done and turned to Thalia to ask what these things were.​

​

"No time to talk." ​

​

Raising one of her hands, Valery caught several of the beasts in mid-air as they jumped out towards the three below, and held them in place so they couldn't attack. She then lifted her hand to bring them up higher and slammed them back against the ground in an attempt to cripple them completely.​

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"Thalia, move!" Valery called out as two blades of violet plasma lit up the air around them. Without any further hesitation, the Jedi Master then charged to meet the beasts head-on, cutting her way through the two that were leading the attack against the fallen Padawan and Iris. But no matter how many she cut down, there only seemed to be more and more of them.​

​

 

[Thalia Senn]

Iris Arani | Valery Noble
​

Tempest didn't hear what the Padawan said. She barely registered the hatred in her eyes or the shout of the Jedi Master. Her vision was focused on the arm holding her father's honor blade, the palm slick with blood. She swallowed hard as the realization began to set in that her father might be dead. She fell to her knees and vomited. She hadn't eaten anything in a while though so it was more like spittle and wretching. Her master's words infested her mind.

​

One of the monsters screamed as it stood over Tempest. A red blade sliced up its middle as it bent over to take a bit out of the apprentice. A golden flame filled her eyes with the power of the Sith.

"Every single one," she said through clenched teeth and a snarl. Her fist shook with how hard she held domxite, the blade reacting to her emotions by glowing a brighter red. The sudden bright light so close caused all of the monsters to recoil and freeze, giving the Jedi and Tempest their opening. Tempest took advantage of the lapse and flowed around Iris, her two red blades slicing and cutting, she didn't even remember taking out her other lightsaber. Thick yellow ichor leaked from the monsters where her cuts were too fast to cauterize. There was a brutality in her movements, like she meant to snuff the life out of every living thing around her if it stood in her way. She would rip and tear until her bloody work was done.

 

[Iris Arani]

There was too much danger around. But this close to Domxite, to hear them scream in the Force every time they were swung, Iris was bristling with anger. The fish creatures kept coming, kept trying to find their next meal. Why did she keep being helpless to save her friend? Despair, loathing. They stained her colors as she turned to cut down another of these monstrous things.

She was too angry to see them as anything else. In the way of her trying to save her friend. The sooner they were all dead, the sooner she could deal with Thalia Senn and get Domxite back.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Pamarthe​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Iris Arani Thalia Senn ​

​

"Move back towards the shuttle, both of you!" Valery called out with a more commanding tone. Out here, they could easily be surrounded by the creatures and with their ship this close, it simply wasn't an advantageous position to be fighting from. The current emotional instability of both the Padawan and Apprentice almost made them more of a liability as well, so she wanted to get them to move towards a common goal.​

​

In this case, survival.​

​

"I'll cover the way!"​

​

There was a risk in trying to have those two move away together, but there was no option without risk in the current situation. So without any further hesitation, Valery jumped up into the air and straight into the largest group she spotted, the Force empowering her as she came crashing down towards them. ​

​

Hitting the ground, Valery released a powerful wave of energy to blast the creatures away. It certainly took a bunch out of the fight but most of all, she drew a lot of attention to herself with the sudden flash of power lashing out at them. So when she got back up to her feet with her blades drawn, the fish creatures jumped at her from several directions.​

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They were all met with a whirlwind of violet plasma.​

​

 

[Thalia Senn]

Iris Arani | Valery Noble
​

There was no way in hell that Tempest would fall back to the Jedi's shuttle. But she was right, they did need to fall back a bit. The metal door to the barn where her family had kept the Orbaks at night banged int he wind, giving Tempest an idea.

"Follow me," she hissed at Iris. Without waiting to see if the padawan would follow she fled the courtyard, cutting through any of the monsters that got in her way. The Master would handle it, right? The barn smelled like moly blood and wet fur. Her eyes found the source quickly, an Orbak half-eaten lay in a corner, its ribs clearly exposed. Tempest held back a gag and turned to see if Iris would follow her.

 

[Qellene Tyliame]

Something's A Brewing

Tris , Jakk Parthas , Brooke Waters ​

---

A strand of light rocketed from an unseen source, its blazing glow washing over Qellene's face, for a second illuminating the the stream of blood on her cheek. In the night, wide, shocked eyes were made clear, sapphire irises locked on the falling shape of the Thresher. Her hands tightened against the railing as the creature buckled and fell, a blistering plasma-bored tunnel driving smoke from its lifeless head. A splash came soon after, as the oceans snatched the corpse from view.

Panting, Qellene's gaze trailed away from the awful sight beneath the water, to three figures in the night. On their approach, the being at the center stepped ahead of the others, offering her a hand from the deck of the pier.

"Salt and bloody spray, what are you karking doing out here on your own? Are ya stormin' crazy lass?"

"Wouldn't be much of a Pamarthen if I weren't stormin' crazy." The relief in her voice was ultimately masked by rapid shivers, fractions of deep breaths breaking apart. She gripped her rescuer's hand tight, rising from the water's surface until she collapsed against the deck.

Face planted roughly against the wood, her eyes caught a haunting glimpse of the city beyond. Even in the rain, the charcoal night, the rough contours of inhuman figures were visible-- rising from the water's depths, climbing onto shore. "No... no.... no...." A pang of terror in her heart forced Qellene to a shaky, clumsy stand. Now, she saw more of them, clawing up from the ocean's surface, mouths widening and teeth gnashing as they paddled for the pier. Wafting to the side, her gaze found the stirring, uneasy faces of the other three.

She looked again to the swarms rising from the water, then to the massive freighter on the edge of the pier. "Addrennia's got a secured cargo compartment for dangerous cargo... There'll bound to be some weapons or-... something we can use."

 

[Brooke Waters]

The light went off from her hand and she was not totally expecting it to throw them all back the way it did. The blonde shook her head. What she was shocked with was the sheer number she was seeing. That and the scream. That was when she changed her direction. The Witch grabbed the lightsaber from her bag. It was going to be one of those days, she could already tell.

Moving through the dock, she was doing her best to keep away from the Threshers, and what she was seeing was that they were going for too many people. Lucky for her she was about a block or so away from where Qellene Tyliame was screaming. What she saw was a few others.

"There are Threshers all around!" Brooke shouted, barely recognizing that Tris was among them. "They don't seem to be doin' well with th' light." She held her hand up and muttered the spell when another came near. Brilliant blue light went off.

"Got flares? Or torches?"

Jakk Parthas

 

[Iris Arani]

The shuttle. That made sense. Iris's blade flashed through another of the creatures, the point of the blade thrusted through it's chest, ready to double back as Valery Noble suggested. But Thalia Senn had a different idea. No, no. No no no. Iris bit her lip as she watched Thalia run the opposite direction. Then ran after her. She was only here to get Domxite back, and if she let Thalia run away, would she ever get a chance like this again?

Her blade flicked around, tracing through the arm of one of these creatures before thrusting through it's neck. She slipped around it's dying body before getting into the bar, glaring towards Tempest.

"You're going to give them back." Iris was single minded in that pursuit. Well, as much as she could be with another creature rushing over. "When we get out of this, you're giving them back!"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Pamarthe​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Iris Arani Thalia Senn ​

​

Now surrounded by the beast horde, Valery couldn't really focus on her Padawan and Thalia anymore — she had to use all her energy to dance between the attacking creatures and strike back at them at the same time. They were falling rapidly, cut down by the blades that flourished through the darkness and rain, but it hardly seemed to thin their numbers. The beasts just kept on coming, and Valery kept on fighting while she lost track of where the others were.​

​

Deep down, she hoped that Iris would remember their talk in the apartment about helping people who needed it but refused it. Or this whole situation could end in disaster really quickly.​

​

"Come on, this way ugly." Valery taunted the beasts after making a series of jumps to create some distance. Her plan was to lure them away and keep moving to avoid being totally surrounded. Then when the time is right, she was going to strike back with all of her strength.​

​

But first, she had to be certain that there was enough distance between herself and the others.​

​

You can do it, Iris​

 

[Thalia Senn]

Iris Arani | Valery Noble
​

"Shh!" Tempest didn't have time for this petulant girl right now. She needed to- Something cold gripped her chest. The smell of sea brine filled her senses and darkness wrapped her.

"Return..."

She could see it. The shores of the Salt Planes of Speyr Balley. A sunken ship. The bones of a woman wrapped in chains and cloth. The skeleton's eyes flashed green. A Drake on black wings. The ghost of Speyr Balley himself playing a familiar tune on an organ surrounded by the wreck of his ship.

Shri ka rai ka rai...

Where was she? Tempest started, her eyes wild. She was back in the barn, the stench of the poor orbak replacing the salty stench of the deep. She absently wondered if any of the other orbaks had gotten away.

"They're gone," she said. She didn't explain, but she walked out of the barn and into the dark and rain. They weren't gone, but they were leaving. They scrambled across the courtyard and down to the docks, some of them simply leaping with incredible strength from the edge of the bluff her family's homestead sat on and into the dark depths below. A few hissed at her as they passed, pausing as if fighting with their command and their hunger for more flesh.

Tempest heaved a sigh of relief.

 

[Tris]

"Wouldn't be much of a Pamarthen if I weren't stormin' crazy."

"That much is true," Leith said with a wry smile. He nodded his head to the ship. "That the Addrennia?" If it wasn't they'd have to do with just the three blasters they had. Before she could answer though a familiar face came into view.

"Brooke?!" he said in surprise. Then his eyes found the lightsaber glowing in her hand. "You're a JEDI?" The shock overwrote most of what else she said about light. One of the creatures had finally managed to climb up though and landed with a thud on the deck.

"Kriffing hell," He raised his blaster to fire but the beast tilted its head as if listening to something, looked back at them as if pondering if it could take just a single bite, and then jumped back into the waters below.

"What...?"

Brooke Waters
Qellene Tyliame
Jakk Parthas