Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Desire and Consumption

Within his own palace. Finally, the Dark Lord rested within the apex chambers of his gargantuan palace, marred by time and gently scorched by the Imperial Uprising, which usurped the ridiculous society of former slaves living harmoniously in the name of democracy... while putting down the opinions of those who disagreed and who did not support them.

It was thanks in larger part to his own apprentice that any of this was possible. Without the existence of [member="Karn Zhakul"], Voracitos would have remained trapped within his Asylum of Gluttony, endlessly transmitting his thoughts into a siren's trap, maddening the weak while sustaining their warden and prison mate. And further, without his resources, Voracitos would not have been able to find his place on Lorrd, nor reform his former connections under a veil of fear and secrecy. It was also from his dedicated, unyielding, and loyal servitude that Voracitos was able to gather defectors and shock troops to storm his old realm of power, and reclaim complete sovereignty. Suffice to say, his apprentice had done well without the support of his own master, who provided only superficial guidance as he took his commands graciously, and his threats with wise silence and contemplation.

All these things Voracitos marked in a good slave... but Voracitos, as much as he despised the very thought, knew the Graug could not be his slave. A bond was shared between them, one of his own subconscious making, and solidified in his freedom, indebted to the aliens life. It could not be severed even by himself... and it made the warrior a liability, even for all his militant prowess. There were techniques in the force, that rendered even the strongest most resilient armor into nothing more than an obstacle, and the most masterful of bladework nothing more than a distraction. Against droids and worthless peasants, Karn was like a god... but anyone with an modicum of amateurish skill could surpass those. Against a Jedi, or more dangerously, a Sith rival? Karn was nothing, and a direct liability to Voracitos.

He could forgo the training no longer, now that his estate had been resolved.

When Karn arrived, the passageway open to him from a line of fresh slaves ready to input the correct codes to the old doors at the Graugs approach, Voracitos would eventually speak with his back turned to his apprentice sitting upon a throne facing Lorrd city. Voracitos did not entrust his apprentice with his own transmitter yet, not for fear of him maliciously searching for something he should not, but for fear he should open something that spelled out his certain doom. The Vaults was a dangerous place, containing every prototype of every mad thing which had leaked out of the Dark Lord's mind, and improbably deadly technological horrors. Keeping one's reserve fortune along with one's mad house often had the advantage that those breaking in were liable to meet at least one horrific experiment that would serve to protect his wealth from thieves, if they had been so crafty as to circumvent his palace's many defenses.

"Welcome to the apex of my former wealth, and the solitude of my authority. I must say apprentice, with our success here on Lorrd, your service to me has become clearly admirable. I have never had a servant as loyal or as productive as you," Voracitos let out a heavy sigh, "Which is why it pains me to say, the time has come to put you on the path of rebellion." The baritone voice went deeper with a drawling malice.

"Come," He spoke curtly, "Stand before me. Your lessons begin, now."
 
Imperial Palace, Lorrd
Apex Chambers...

​Finally at long last the Shadow Emperor once more sat on his throne.

​Months of elaborate planning, shuffling around in the darkness moving pawns like pieces on the board of chess that was Lorrd all finally came to fruition when the soldiers defending a palace they had no right to stand in drew their last breath. In the time since Karn Zhakul, Shadow Hand of [member="Darth Voracitos"] was busy. In his current capacity he was his masters word and will, an ominous towering shadow whos appearance struck fear into the hearts of men and instilled terror into the masses. When construction crews were brought in to repair the extensive damage to the Imperial Palace done by their battle, as well as make the new additions? Karn was there. When negotiations were made with slavers to bring in great swaths of slaves to fill the stock who had starved to death following the Shadow Emperor's imprisonment beneath the earth? The Shadow Hand was there. Each appearance of the Shadow Hand served to further build the dark reputation of the returned Dark Lord.

​All would know that even after his supposed death the Shadow Emperor sees all, and his reach extended vast distances beyond the Imperial Palace. The sight of the hooded, cloaked towering humanoid with a helmet holding the visage of a wicked demon, and a cadre of the ominous Ethereal Slaves appeared even the strongest willed, and most affluent nobles of the Lorrd Aristocracy knelt at his feet. In the arts of manipulation, cunning, and stratagem he was an expert. But in the arts of battle? An amateur at best. Karn Zhakul was a graug, his species were natural born warriors he could more than handle his own on the field of battle. But against the likes of Jedi and other Sith rivals? He was akin to a newborn babe, a weakness and an utter liability to the Shadow Emperor.

​Worse if he were to ever be bested, he would be an embarrassment to him.

​So no longer could his training be put off, no longer could it be put to the side in favor of building the Dark Lords new empire. So Karn was called back to his masters great palace.

​Karn walked through the sliding doors and right into the apex chamber of his master, as the Master of Lorrd sat in his throne overlooking Lorrd City. Immediately he knelt before him as he always had never speaking or moving unless he was directly addressed or commanded to do so by his master. Thankfully the mask over his face hid the look of surprise as the Shadow Emperor complemented his expert, faithful service so far lauding his great productivity, never before had he bestowed such words.

"Stand before me. Your lessons begin, now."

​Karn stood to his full height at his masters command and moved to stand before him. From his spires on Kador he saw visions of the future, of the power he could wield under the Shadow Emperors teachings. He was ready.
 
"I don't believe you realize it yet Karn, but you are fortunate our fates are connected to one another... I have a notorious history of destroying my apprentices before I can mold them." A sly smile formed as he gazed up thoughtfully upon the towering monster. "I can't risk that with your training... failure is not an option for me here, failure to teach you the ways of the dark side." Voracitos wondered briefly if his apprentice was confused in referencing the Dark Lord's failure to teach him, rather than Karn's failure to learn. Such was against the typical stereotype of the Sith, and was in general his own teaching style... if he had ever taught another being properly. More often than not, those force sensitive acolytes he had taken on as his "apprentices" were little more than play things for him to shatter and feed off of. Thus in essence, Karn had become his first true, real, test as a Sith Master over an apprentice.

"Show me your command of the force, I must see the clay I must work with before I lay a hand upon it. Demonstrate to me, whatever knowledge you believe you possess in regards to harnessing the dark side, so I may understand what to chisel away from the stone annals of your mind." Voracitos rose a single hand, and five wraiths materialized from the darkness, now made clear to his apprentice by an ethereal mist surrounding them. No number of Ethereal Slaves were by any means on par to a Jedi, but they were challenge for anyone pitted against them alone. These though, were not entirely independent... these resurrected shades required the guidance of his invisible hand, feeding off of his concentration in the dark side. They would make excellent sparring partners under his direct supervision.

Voracitos was curious what he had to work with...

[member="Karn Zhakul"]
 
​So did [member="Darth Voracitos"] command, so shall it be.

​Karn descended on the shadows first letting loose a gout of flame towards one, before he brought forth a piece of the ventilation above to drop onto the next just as the others descended on him. A short blast of lightning struck the other, and already the Spire Lord was moving. Although his style was crude and unrefined, his skill within the blood and his teachings from his upbringing as one of the priests of Kador empowered by the dark side that flowed through their veins.

​But still they came.

​The Ethereal Slaves albeit remnants descended upon him in rapid fashion, their minds synced and all of them on the same page. A pair of the slaves were brought down by his attacks but the last three kept coming. He brought up his lightsaber into the style of juyo in one hand, his superior height and strength allowing him to descend in a fury upon the remaining three. The Spire Lord's movements were swift as he used the force to fuel his speed. In one swift movement he brought them down, wielding the powers of Sith Sorcery to create a single illusion of himself that distracted them, before striking them down with blade and flame.

​When the battle was all said and done Karn clipped the lightsaber to his hip and returned to his master, kneeling before him.
 
Pyrokinesis, standard telekinesis, rudimentary 'sith' lightning, and a touch of proficient illusionary sorcery... with some lightsaber play that was beyond Voracitos' interest. To see such variety in an apprentice who was relatively untrained was impressive, but natural talent could never be up to par with mastered skill. Karn may produce fire through the force by natural gift alone, but a Sith acolyte who learns it through their master has a far greater potential to increase the power and ferocity of that ability, than one merely born with it. Telekinesis was unsurprising, and the lightning by his apprentice earned a scornful face of its inherent weakness. That scowl softened slightly when he saw the surprising potential of Sith Sorcery. Sith Sorcery was considered a rare trait few Sith were capable of producing. It was often something that one could do, or one could not.

And Karn could, which pleased the Dark Lord.

The Ethereal Slaves one by one would withdraw and kneel upon defeat, as one after the other threw themselves against his apprentice, who burned them, electrocuted them, crushed them, deceived them, and cut them down. There wounds would heal, no matter how severe, and they had a whole city to draw from in order to give them the energy... they also had Karn standing before his master, and if the master willed it...

"Hmmmm," Voracitos thought out loud, with a naturally scornful face that was set neutrally. After a pregnant pause, Voracitos finally spoke down to his apprentice. "You have much natural talent apprentice, with great variety, and you may have some exploitable potential, but... do not think for even a moment that is enough to satisfy me." Voracitos hissed malignantly as he leaned forward over his distended stomach. At that moment, Voracitos wordlessly commanded the kneel Ethereal Slaves to unleash their hunger upon Karn, to drain him (as well as Voracitos through his bond) and show him the power of consumption. Voracitos would suffer only slightly, while Karn being the focal point would find pain to be a beacon within him.

There were techniques of the dark side, which could only be learned by experiencing them... and today [member="Karn Zhakul"] would learn that which made Voracitos so powerful.
 

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