Private Challenging Gods - Trip to Mortis

[Diarch Rellik]

The Sloane Naval Academy stood in its usual martial order. Cadets drilled across the parade grounds, crisp uniforms snapping with every pivot, while banners of the Diarchy flickered through the air. From the observation deck, the Diarch watched his new flagship arrive. The Rellik Class Star Destroyer came down and the man was swelled with pride as he thought about how the journey had come so far to where they intended to go now.

Mortis.

Closer than most could fathom, lying in hidden orbit beside Bastion itself. A world of paradox, verdant, dying, eternal, forbidden. Home to the Ones, the ancient avatars of the Force. And somewhere within its forests and caverns, the Font of Power and the Pool of Knowledge. Wells from which no mortal was meant to drink.

His gaze shifted to two new arrivals entering the docking bay. His apprentice Lyssara Thrynn and his brothers apprentice Ryu Jung . With a warm smile he was proud of the fact the two of them had seen challenge to friendship. Just like siblings, in a way they were not so different from Reign and Rellik themselves. They certainly had their fair share of "rival pride" for a long time.

Although he was surprised to see his brothers pupil overall. This was Lyssara's dream and Rellik had deemed it was now time to go. He trusted her strength. And although he had heard of Ryu's exploits, he was rarely given the chance to fight alongside him. He would need to take extra precaution to ensure his brothers star pupil was not lost. Yet, with that thought he realized... this was Reigns direct student. The one whom he had given so much attention, want, and love to. If he was anything like Relliks brother... he would survive.

Rellik's gaze lingered on them for a moment longer before he descended the observation deck to meet them below and begin this perilous journey.

Ryu Jung Lyssara Thrynn Kallous

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

Honestly, I laughed so hard the day I found out Mortis was right next to our territory, Bastion. This is not an attempt to make Mortis our safeguard, but symbolically, it is sheltered within us. What does this mean? It means we don't have to fight for the right to go there. And so I burst out laughing, when I realized that what I had always been searching for was there, right under my nose. This is my greatest scientific discovery to date.

Of course, I am not the one who "innovated" it, but the fact of having access to such a mythical place offers something, a special aura. A place where the Force is so deeply present. I don't know what came over me, but I proposed to my greatest rival Ryu Jung to join this legendary expedition, he is the symbol of Diarch Reign. To leave him aside would have been a mistake in my eyes. He has his place with us as much as in war. And if this expedition can serve him as well, then so be it.

How could anyone refuse such an offer at the same time? I am offering my greatest rival a source of power that would make anyone envious. What surprises me is my Master's choice to bring out the Star Destroyer for this voyage. Even I do not own such a vessel, I do have the Trident. But that is more of a defensive frigate than anything else. The Ragnarok could also have done the job.

I am grateful to him, beyond words, it shows that he takes this journey to heart. Everyone takes it to heart. Mortis is not just any destination, it is one of the cradles of the Force. Abeloth has fascinated me for a long time, and I discovered that her fountain was accessible to anyone, and that is the true objective of my journey. To claim the Water of Power of Mortis. As a Scientist, I couldn't dream of anything better.

So, preparing my belongings for this expedition, I carefully take my lightsaber, symbolic, and some standard materials. I make sure to fill my thermos with coffee, take samples, tools for analysis, and I join him under the observation deck. To explain the procedure to him. I smile warmly at my Master and bow my head respectfully toward him.

"It is an honor, Master Rellik, thank you for allowing us such an expedition. Our stakes here are great, Mortis is the cradle of the Force itself, everything there is ancient. And we are going with Ryu, it is important that he is here. I am ready to share my light with all three of you."

I indicate on my datapad that Mortis would be located inside a monolith and that we should let the Force guide us to find it. By chance, we are literally one jump away from the Mortis system. This is a rare proximity and it is what made me laugh so hard when I found out.

"We are going there for scientific purposes, but also because I desire the Water of Power. It will give us much more than a simple transformation. It is the path of an adventure. Do what you will, I am going to drink that water. You are free to do it or not. But acknowledge the fact that by drinking it, Abeloth comes within reach."

Mentioning Abeloth, she is not just anyone either. She drank from both pools, while I only intend to drink from one so as not to shatter my mind the way she did. I already have the Philosopher's Stone to give me time to explore knowledge, with the fountain now within reach, my trinity of power will be perfect and complete. I will rise along with the others.

This is not a simple voyage. It is an Initiation.

Diarch Rellik Ryu Jung

 

[Kallous]

Diarch Rellik and his apprentice Lyssara Thrynn had been planning this trip of theirs for a long while. And To facilitate this and ensure a safe journey, or at least make it less dangerous, the Diarch had sent his other apprentice Kallous ahead into the Maw. His goal was to find a way to Mortis through the treacherous regions of the Maw, and then come back and navigate them to their destination. A simple concept, not so simple in practice. Kallous had spent a couple of months in the Maw, learning how to ride its tempestuous currents and evade its many, unforeseeable dangers. And he'd done it, but his time in the maw had also taken a toll, and changed the young man. He'd returned from his mission a few days prior, and had kept to himself since his return to Diarchy space.

The Stingray dropped out of hyperspace above Bastion, the ship carrying the former Sith back home after a very long absence, and straight back to duty. He guided his small vessel towards the Naval Academy where his master waited for him to report in before boarding the DSS Rellik to head for the Maw, and Mortis. He pulled his ship into one of the many docking ports the Naval Academy possessed, and disembarked. His presence would be felt before he ever showed himself, and it was noticeably different than it was when he entered.

Prior to his wayfinding mission Kallous had been very much Sith, though he had developed a tendency for empathy that he'd warred with much. It had created much conflict in him, his use of anger to fuel the dark side dulled by his near crippling sense of right and wrong that he couldn't seem to rid himself of. There was no such conflict now, Kallous seemed oddly at peace, ponderous, thoughtful, distracted almost even as he made his way to the observation deck where he sensed his Master and fellow Apprentice waiting for him, as well as someone he didn't know.

Just as Lyssara Thrynn had prior to his arrival, Kallous too entered the area and gave his master a bow. "Master." He greeted, "it has been some time. It's good to see you."

His attention then turned to the other two, and gave them a greeting nod. "I trust you are prepared for this?" He asked, both all of them and none of them in particular.

Diarch Rellik , Lyssara Thrynn , Ryu Jung

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

"Hi, Kallous, Nice to see you here. Obviously I am ready for this journey, I hope it is you who are. Mortis is not a simple destination, it is the final destination. The place where everything will be decided. The stakes are at once political, spiritual, and explorational."

The fact that Kallous arrives shows that everyone is here now. We can finally depart for the journey, I will take the reins of the expedition since I am its missionary, symbolically, I step forward a little then. It is time to remind everyone why we have come. No combat is planned on Mortis, only exploration and introspection. A lot of introspection.

"Listen to me, Mortis is not a picnic. Even if we are not going there to drink tea, we will normally not have to fight, but who knows? The greatest danger there will be not to lose oneself. What we are going to do there is for us. And for me. I am going to break a Sith taboo by aiming for the Fountain of Power. The Pool of Knowledge, I don't care, I already have the Philosopher's Stone that grants immortality. Do what you want, I am not here to watch over you. This journey is important for me and I fully intend to see it through. If you have everything you need, then we can leave."

Pulling from my pocket the rainbow-colored stone, I show them that I truly possess the alchemical Holy Grail at my side, it changes metals into gold, grants eternal life to anyone who drinks it, I have already broken that first bond. I am no longer affected by it.

"Nyva and I have drunk the Elixir of Long Life, if others want it, they only have to ask. I will grant them immortality on a silver platter. That is the second Sith taboo I have broken along my journey."

The Star Destroyer has passed through the Mortis monolith and landed in an ancient clearing, everything looks old, ancient, even the trees are very old species found nowhere else, the Force is omnipresent on this planet, after all, it is its cradle. Determined to move forward, I now invite everyone to follow me as I leave the command bridge. I descend onto Mortis. No meeting with Abeloth planned, or even with the Ones, I trace my path.

Now leaving the Star Destroyer, setting foot on Mortis, I take a breath of fresh air. How to locate the nearby Fountain of Power? Simple, one only has to open to the Force, which I do. Instinctively my body turns toward a destination, it is there that the Force is purest, most concentrated, and strongest. How could one miss a Force Nexus?

"Very well, it's this way. Let's go."

Kallous Diarch Rellik Ryu Jung

 

[Diarch Rellik]

Rellik descended last from the ramp, boots pressing into earth. The air was heavy here, charged, as though each breath carried a weight. This must be the same feeling's he was getting from Kallous now. He said nothing. Not at first. Lyssara's conviction burned bright, Kallous's return carried quiet gravity, and Ryu stood as Reign's reflection, all three of them lit by their own sparks. Rellik let their voices fill the silence. His own silence was deliberate. He was pondering something deeply.

The Force here pressed differently against him than it did against the others. Not the steady current he once commanded, but something jagged, broken, echoing. The wound left by Darth Prazutis's throbbed faintly. Reminding him of its soul stealing sting. The scar down his eye prickled.

His golden eyes swept the clearing, from the monolithic trees to the shadows between them. Mortis was no mere world. Balance, Dark, Light, the trinity of the Ones had walked here. The Whills had written their endless war into its very soil. The war the Diarchy vowed to end.

He folded his arms within his cloak, letting the others take the lead. For now, he would watch. He would listen. But deep within, unease stirred, a whisper that somewhere beyond this clearing, something waited.

And perhaps, when the moment came, he would have to step aside from the group and face it alone.

Ryu Jung Kallous Lyssara Thrynn

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

The Force is so vast and potent here on Mortis even on Dathomir, it wasn't this disorienting. I must be careful not to let myself become contaminated by it. When I say contaminated, I mean allowing my mind to wander too far and lose myself entirely. We're moving through this ancient forest now; everything here feels ancient and eerily calm. Needless to say, Mortis exists within a giant extraterrestrial monolith that mirrors this inner stillness.
It matches what the books and images I've studied describe, though documentation on it is sparse. Navigating Mortis isn't particularly difficult for the simple reason that the power basin I'm targeting is a Force nexus you just let yourself be drawn toward it, heading where the light shines brightest. Within the Force, it's like a gigantic illuminated bulb.

Crossing various hills and steep cliffs, I finally arrive before what appears to be an ordinary lake at first glance. Yet the Force explodes here not in a lethal sense, of course but metaphorically speaking, it signals we've found our first objective. I approach the water and gaze at its surface; it's clear and tranquil. I don't know if there are marine creatures lurking beneath it would be surprising, and if so, it's better not to disturb them. Even in my current state, I'm not powerful enough to confront them, at least not yet.

Pulling out my rainbow philosopher's stone from my pocket, I extend it above my palm using telekinesis as a symbolic gesture. As if connecting it to the lake, I submerge it into the water without touching the surface directly. Once fully saturated, the stone regains its stability and vibration it's now calibrated specifically for Mortis.

"To think I searched for this for over a year, and it was literally right at our doorstep."

First, I don't drink immediately; instead, I take a flask with me to collect a water sample for later analysis. I secure the sample meticulously, making gestures that are almost sacred and ritualistic given the significance of this place. With the philosopher's stone in hand, it will help me channel the power of this Force nexus. To be precise, this is a primordial nexus the very first one. The power surge after drinking this will be exponential.
I crouch near the water's edge and place my hand just above the surface. When it's time to act, you simply act.

"According to my research, this should go smoothly."

The moment has finally arrived to taste the water of power. The very source of Abeloth's power lies here before me, and now I take a generous sip I gulp down a large mouthful of the water.

The excess power is absorbed by my firmly gripped philosopher's stone. I feel my aura surge dramatically, as if every pore of my skin has opened to something entirely new. My perception has expanded far beyond what I could sense before I can now detect the ship itself without much effort and unconsciously notice the absence of the Force within my Master.

This sudden aura, swollen by Mortis's power water, grants me the ability to levitate under my own power. Floating in the air, a few centimeters above the ground, I let this force permeate and do what it must. I'm not trying to dominate it but to accept it and that makes all the difference.
All my senses are heightened and my Philosopher's Stone took a hit, serving as a catalyst to avoid the corrupting effects. With such power in my possession, it makes me want to go to the Pool of Knowledge to study it too.

Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

Rellik moved closer to the lake's edge as Lyssara's power settled into the air. The ripples spread out slowly, carrying her radiance across the surface until it brushed against his boots. The water stilled again, reflecting the sky. He watched in silence. Her Philosopher's Stone pulsed faintly in her hand, threads of color sliding through it like molten glass.

Without thinking, Rellik reached into his cloak and felt the faint shape of its twin against his palm. Bringing the other stone that Lyssara made. The two had come with a plan. He moved closer to the water's edge, the air still humming from Lyssara's act. Uncurling his fingers, revealing the twin stone, the one Lyssara had crafted for him long ago. Its surface caught the faint glow spilling from hers, reflecting muted tones

He extended his hand and, as Lyssara had, guided the stone forward through the air. The water rippled as it lowered into the lake. The Philosopher's Stone did not blaze to life as hers had; instead, it absorbed quietly, drinking from the Font without protest or spectacle. When he drew it back, faint tendrils of mist clung to its edges, fading quickly into the air.

Rellik regarded it in his palm - Balanced -

He crouched by the lake, filling a small flask from his belt.

The water shimmered faintly as it met the glass, the same silver-blue hue that rippled across Lyssara's reflection moments earlier. For a breath, he stared into it. Then, without ceremony, he brought the flask to his lips and drank.

The Force struck him like a hammer to the chest. His breath caught, eyes widening as a gust of energy came towards him. Every nerve, every scar, every memory lit like veins of gold beneath his skin. The world sharpened in an instant; he could see every grain of sand on the shore, feel the slow thrum of life in the trees, hear the pulse of the others' hearts as if they were his own.

And then came the break.

Where Lyssara's power had flowed outward, radiant and whole, his collided with the emptiness left by Prazutis. The Force rushed into that hollow like floodwater into a collapsed chamber and it hurt. He steadied himself, the pain subsiding into something else, neither peace, nor corruption, but equilibrium. His aura did not blaze like Lyssara's; it pulsed, faint and steady, a heartbeat returning to rhythm.

When he finally looked up, the lake was still again, its surface calm as glass. The air around him shimmered faintly.

He capped the flask and rose slowly to his feet, the Philosopher's Stone cooling again in his hand. The power of the Font still coursed through him, but his scar burned colder than ever.

"This will be an interesting trip Lyssara Thrynn - lets continue to be careful and trust in your research. I follow your lead."

Lyssara Thrynn

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

A detail catches my attention, enough to make me turn my head toward Master Rellik. I didn't know he had taken the other Philosopher's Stone for himself the one I am going to create as its twin. I'm actually quite pleased that he's the one using it. I'm even honored that he chose one of my works; it means I did a good job and managed to convince him.

Even more surprising, I see him doing as I did stabilizing the stone at the bottom of the lake so he can attune it with the environment. That pleases me, and I display a small, knowing smile, a sign that I fully approve of what's happening.

When he drinks the water of power, I step back a little to let him have that solemn moment to himself, and I'm genuinely glad he's doing it. The emptiness I felt earlier has been filled by the source of Abeloth's power the Water of Mortis, that nexus of primordial Force, the cradle of power itself.

Once he finishes his transformation or rather, his restoration I approach him with a warm smile, not angry at all, quite the opposite. I give him a small, friendly hug.

"Welcome home, Master. May the Force serve you, For ever."

Once that's done, I step back again and listen to what he has to say. He entrusts me with command of the expedition, but this moment belongs to everyone. There isn't really a strict order, no specific ritual; everyone does what they wish. As for me, I'll simply fulfill my destiny—my personal goal—to reach the ultimate level of Abeloth herself.

I told myself that unlike her, I am prepared. And I have the Philosopher's Stone with me. I have already achieved the quintessence of alchemy. I am ready, and so I walk alongside my Master and the others, if they choose to follow us, toward the Basin of Knowledge.

When we arrive after a short walk, locating it is easy it shines even more brightly now that I've tasted the passage of power. And so, here we are before the Basin of Knowledge. This time, I have no intention of drinking from it, but of immersing myself entirely in its waters. I take care to dive in fully clothed; at worst, I'll dry myself with my flames afterward.

This unlocks the final door of my mind that was still closed, and I must be careful not to get lost in this continuous flow of information. I am truly meant to see this transformation through to the end. Now, I can claim to have reached a higher level of understanding. It will take some time to calibrate everything, but now, I think the real fun begins. As I rise from the water, I have reached the quintessence of my potential. I am now ready to do whatever I wish.

"This journey now comes to its end. Without your help, it would not have been possible, and I want to thank you. I gift you this Philosopher's Stone that you took, Master Rellik. Thank you, truly. Accept my gratitude and my loyalty."

I must say, the Diarchy is my home. No matter how powerful I've become, I need a moral compass. And that moral compass—to keep from breaking, to keep from going mad is the Diarchy. It is my home now. Nyva, Rellik, Ryu, Reign, and all the others. Without them, I am nothing. Even though I am strong in the Force, it's better to belong to a group than to be alone. As a sign of respect, I bow my head to Rellik, then rest my hand on his shoulder without any aggression.

Diarch Rellik