Hush Now

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu was looking at the show and it had her interest, she knew and had seen some move eloquently when using a saber but that was not the point of this. It was a dance but they also seemed to be using it like one would have in a fight. Slick, clean and showy but without seeming like it was completely. Their robes, dresses whatever were in the wind wrapping around them and the whole area itself as she continued to eat. The food was tasty and even with the improvements to the food they had it was different to have a fully home cooked meal as it were where someone slaved away and worked on it all day. Taking the time here though once it was done and they brought in dessert that smelled like fresh baked pies. The filling oozing out so she had a nod of her head. There was different entertainment as some others joined them. One in black robes with short hair. "Ah honored guests this is my chamberlain and investigator. He handles all of the law and order on this continents overseeing the martial forces for the day to day.." Matsu had a nod so this was the main one who oversaw the people working as police forces and was ultimately in charge of reporting it. He seemed to have someone with them who was holding their face with a cover. "We have had an incident, this traveler stumbled into one of the homes before nightfall. They were attacked by the tower by a roaming spirit."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel watched and it reminded her of her Echani Martial Arts training in a way. She’d been taught that fighting was an art – or almost a form of communication – and that was the vibe she was getting now.

And to complement the wonderful sight was a similarly awesome smell. It smelled of baking and fuit and she presumed, quite rightly, it would be some sort of pie.

But before Sorel could enjoy the new fare, she noted that two new people had joined them and one was clearly distressed. Sure enough, the chamberlain had troubling news to report and Sorel wondered how they might deal with such an attack.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu was looking at the people who arrived and the mood seemed ot have shifted as the woman spoke. "Are they dead?" It seemed strange but the chamberlain spoke with a look on their face. "No not quite, the guards managed to find them and we got a healer to them but their face was mangled." The woman seemed to think about it. "And they were going for the tower?" She seemed to get a nod while thinking about about it until she spoke. "In the morning we'll send a small team to investigate, there is not a lot we can do. They might have been trying to ascend the tower." She seemed intered in it but was uncertain and Matsu was curious. "This tower is it important?" She hadn't seen much about it or heard from them. "Yes it was, long ago it was a place where one could go and receive if they passed the trials training from some of the greatest masters of martial skills."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel listened and observed. She wanted to keep quiet and allow the locals to manage the process themselves, but she simply could not contain herself indefinitely.

So eventually, after her Master spoke, Sorel felt compelled to say something too. “If they were attacked recently, there is every chance whatever did this will be gone by the morning. Is there a reason why you cannot investigate it right away?”

Had she overstepped the mark? Possibly. But she was a Jedi and unless there was a compelling reason not to act, she wanted to volunteer to see what was out there.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

"The creatures... being that attacked them would still be out there and in the dark they are a lot more dangerous. It is why we use the metal, their allergy to it is severe same with the light." Matsu was looking at them and whatever these things are having a powerful allergy to metal could be important for the future or in case they ever encountered such a thing. "They can't touch metal or sunlight?" The one seemed to look at them with a nod of their heads. "Yes, they do not cross metal barriers for homes and dislike the high levels of salt in the sea of the world which helps in some places. it keeps them from getting to some of the continents and where we can work tot ry and get them off when they can be found." She was looking at it though before staying there in her seat. "So there are some continents that don't have these creatures?" The woman gave a nod of her head. "Yes and some do not talk about them. They are older then us, the original inhabitants of the world from before the Go Nagai came and they are nasty in many cases living underground and preforming their rituals."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel had to really try hard not to react to the apparent lack of activity. If these creatures hated sunlight, by the time the sun came up, they would be long gone and could be anywhere. She understood the perils but being a Jedi was about accepting such risks.

She looked to her Master. No words passed between them, but Sorel expected Matsu would understand her thoughts. She would not go against her Master’s advice but she dearly wanted to engage the creatures.

Lives were at stake and she felt uncomfortable doing nothing.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu looked at Sorel and she had an idea of what they would be able to do here with it. "We would be able to help investigate." They were jedi, they were trained for this but there were problems in some things. They wouldn't be able to though... she wasn't afraid but these were creatures these people understood. You wanted to be careful about looking like the one coming in and saying they were better or knew better. They knew differently, they understood differently. She was looking at Sorel and she knew she knew this as well, the balance when it came to working with and meeting people. "If possible we could move out and if these creatures are as dangerous it would be good to know about them."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel sensed her Master’s reluctance to offend their hosts. What was an offer of help from the Jedi and on some planets be seen as a tremendous act of valour, here they may be accused of calling their hosts cowards or incompetent. Or both.

Sorel nodded. The angle to play was their own ignorance. “We have encountered many creatures on many planets – some are nocturnal just like the one you have here. If we could see one up close, we may be able to identify it and if that is the case, we could share information we have on the creature’s strengths and weaknesses. That would surely help your travellers in the future.”

She kept her voice low and bereft of excitement. It was a field trip – no more and no less.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Their host seemed to be thinking about it as she sat there and stood up. "Very well, there are soe things that we do know and have learned." She motioned for the white clad woman and the chamberlain to speak while they were walking. "They are.." She started. "Different then most, iron, any metal really makes their bodies weaker and burns. The same with salt. It dries their bodies out quickly and makes them sick. It is one of the reasons why towns are located near the water and surrounded by metal. Their capabilities are usually to get you to agree to things. Be it agreeing with them or wanting to join them there is a lot that goes into their skills in talking or convincing you." She was leading the way and the darkness hanging around them became thicker it seemed looking out on the ocean and the mountains. "THey are also skilled in becoming something you trust, something that means something to you to gain your trust and put you at ease."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel listened to their hosts and the description of the creature’s weaknesses. Iron and salt? It was nothing Sorel had come across, but forewarned was forearmed.

And she considered how effective the creatures would be against two people from the outside world. There was nothing here they naturally trusted and to imitate something from outside of this world would appear too easy a ruse to see through.

And in addition, Sorel was an Epicanthix. Genetically she was immune to mental tricks, influence, domination and mind reading.

But she listened and stored every piece of information in case it came in useful in their encounter.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu was walking with them while they had a number of things, the thicker night was quiet when she could see the lights around the city itself with the statues they had seen before covered in tributes. There was much more that was missing now where she could see and feel it was a lot colder. The people with them that were going pointed to the ground with the unbroken bars in the ground that surrounded the statues. "They do not cross the lines as long as what the people offer the is there and acceptable." Matsu stepped over it and she could see something there but there wasn't a lot, more of the people moving in the city watch who wanted to close the gates now that everything had been taken. The dirt showing some foot prints as they were heading out and everything seemed to get more quiet once outside of the city.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel pulled her cloak around her shoulders and kept pace with her Master, walking half a pace behind and to the side of her. It was a mark of respect she’d fallen into and maintained to this day.

She listened to the advice given and stretched out with her senses, wondering what she might feel with the Force. She was equally as interested in gaps in the Force. Sometimes creatures were Force dead, but the space they occupied was as visible as a person, it was just black to her Force Vision. But if it moved, she would have reason to be concerned.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu was looking at them there, she could see out here now and there was something on the air while they were going. A lantern activating as the crystal appeared to show them the way and what had looked normal during the day now seemed thick and heavy. The sounds of the city dying away and the oceans as they continued deeper through the mountains until it reached an area of the mountains surrounded by forest. There were some soldiers around as she could see the bodies and they looked more peaceful laying there. It was a strange thing that you would be able to see but she was uncertain about all of it. Standing there as she looked at the tower and at the images on it. "Well what is this used for?" She was curious as it could be jsut as important to the reason as anything. "It is an old legend, those seeking to become stronger there is.. was is supposed to be a god at the top of the pillar who would train you." Matsu got the idea while she was looking at the body laying there and it was slashed but the bleeding was minimal. "The body was dead when it was cut, no blood was pumping though their body to bleed out."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel kept her cloak pulled in tightly and the Force tighter still. She wanted as much notice as possible should anything sneak up on them.

The place was, as was to be expected, entirely different in the dark. It was always a child’s view on life that light equalled safety and darkness equalled danger. But here and now, as a fully mature adult, Sorel could not help but shake the self-same feeling.

She followed her Master’s questions and train of thought and agreed. Not that it necessarily got them further forward. “So how were they killed?” she mused and looked upwards, wondering if they’d possibly fallen from a height.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu followed Sorel's look up towards the sky and if there was something up there then it would be something that could have killed them. They weren't looking at all of the wounds themselves. "hey might have made it to the top, the legend and second hand accounts of those who have supposedly went up the pillars state those who fail or even fall will essentially perish. Something else could have come along and slashed it up or it could be he fell victim to and trusted one of the creatures." The chamberlain seemed well less interested in the reason why which Matsu could guess made sense. The cause of death was important but the who, the what might have killed them could be even more dangerous if they were nearby or in a way set to endanger them.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel looked around, looking at plenty of clues but no answers The darkness didn't precisely help but even with the Force, there wasn't much to see. “Maybe they’re left here as some sort of bait? Killed and then cut to allow enough blood to flow to entice something here? I mean, why else attack something that was already dead? Unless there are two perpetrators to consider.”

She looked at her Master. “Should we do a sweep of the area or wait for something to come to us?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Hmm Matsu was thinking about ti and trying to get some of the better ideas for them, investigating in the dark even with their skills as jedi was still not an easy thing. She looked at Sorel though at the idea of it could be bait and she was now thinking about what could be lured here on the planet aside from... them. "That is not a good thing possiblly the only thing that might come out here to it would be..." Matsu stood up and was preparing herself so that she could look over at all of it. She was sticking around here with her hand going towards her lightsaber as the sound and the air shifted but there wasn't the ping in the back of her mind that screamed hostile.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel sensed it too. Something was not quite right, but whereas the Force typically sounded a clear warning claxon - as long as you were listening properly - this time it was felt more like a nudge that she should be aware.

So she continued to look around and listen and use her Force Sense to ascertain what might possibly be worthy of consideration. There was definitely a shift in the air but she still could not ascertain what it might be.

She saw her Master too was on edge but neither of them appeared to understand yet what was causing the concern.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu stood there when she heard a sound, clapping and turned motioning for Sorel before she had her eyes looking for something that wasn't there and it came. The small figure with moldy green skin, worn and leathery looking. White hair and brown robes but the three nailed hands and feet. Large pointed ears when she could see the others were reacting with confusion. "What is that?" The jedi master knew what it was... kind of... the species didn't really have a name which was sort of difficult in the long run. "Hmmm welcome, welcome. It is difficult to read your minds. So different from the others, so closed and protected." he was speaking while the jedi master looked there prepared for anything that they might be able to do.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel immediately recognised the figure – or at least what the figure was supposed to represent. If she were looking to trick a Jedi and choose a personification, she would have chosen the same likeness. It was an enigma as far as Jedi went – only a few were known of this species – and the name of the race lost to the annals of history.

“It is someone we would be expected to trust,” Sorel said by way of explanation to the question posed. And to the creature she added, “We are from another place. We are here to help, so please tell us, what do you seek?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]