Into The Darkness {CIS | Knight's Obsidian}

[Adron Malvern]

Chapter I
The Dark Labyrinth

Darkness has fallen over Kaddak. A planet located in the Outer Rim it had often escaped the notice of the galactic public, until recently. The world had been desolate, nearly devoid of most forms of civilization minus a few small settlements.

In recent years, the Knight's Obsidian have chosen this planet as an Outpost world for the Knight's Obsidian. Found at the edge of Confederate territory it was the perfect choice for a surveillance world. For the first few months of building, everything went off perfectly. The Knights were able to establish an unopposed presence on the world and begin surveying nearby systems. While the Knights surveyed the systems surrounding them, it was what was happening on Kaddak that was most interesting.

Only a few miles from the Forward Operating Base, a mysterious structure has appeared. Be it from thin air or the works of the Force, no one can understand where this anomaly came from. All everyone can agree on, was it was not there before, the Knights, the locals, no one had ever seen this structure before. It stretched for miles, clouded in a thick fog and holding an eerie presence in The Force. It was a maze, a labyrinth created with a hellish intent, one the Knights were intent to know. The scouts who were tasked with verifying the origin of this labyrinth disappeared, communications being cut almost as soon as they entered the maze.

These disappearances could not be ignored, they could not go unanswered. When the reports reached Cardinal Vi'dreya, The Dominus Prime set out to search this maze himself, but not alone. No, this time the Knight's Obsidian would ride in force and bring justice and balance to who or whatever lays within this labyrinth.

Spoiler

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]
[member="Kurenai Yumi"]
[member="Ithiel Vi'Dreya"]
[member="Sor-Jan Xantha"]
[member="Marek Starchaser"]
[member="Nine Lives"]
[member="Rylan Kordel"]
[member="Scherezade deWinter"]
[member="Wrynn Wraubek"]
[member="Kwelin Orlov"]
[member="Shalita Vi'dreya"]
[member="Jarik Creel"]
[member="Aayaith Siosa"]
[member="Cerik Soloman"]
[member="Nix Scamandros"]
[member="STaCLO"]
[member="Djonas Vile"]
[member="Anastasia Vi'dreya"]
[member="Anya Malvern"]
[member="Khia Varad"]
[member="Drauchir"]
[member="Gerwald Lechner"]
[member="Isarn Apis"]
[member="Varick Lechner"]
[member="Alwine Lechner"]
[member="Darth Ivum"]
[member="Cezar Alexandrescu"]
[member="Zhai'ellev"]
[member="Taramaz Laurs"]
[member="Naedira Darcrath"]
[member="Aitir Kor'sa"]
[member="Krest"]
[member="Uthixo Nazim"]
[member="Firenne Van-Derveld"]
[member="Erin Tenel"]
[member="Hayden Va'kin"]
[member="A'Runda"]
[member="Madalena Antares"]
[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]
@Xavier Crowe
[member="Fawn Alzi"]
[member="Kasca Fen"]
[member="Veronika Fleischer"]
[member="Asher Mossa"]
[member="Pom Stych Tivé"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Kaddak | Early Morning | Obsidian Labyrinth
​

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The Dominus lowered himself to the ground, stretching his hand over the earth and Rock beneath him. As he dug his hand into the soil, he allowed The Force to wash over him. Usually when he searched the depths of the twisting nether he could see the information he searched for, in one capacity or another. However as The Force flowed through him, he sensed...nothing. He tossed the dirt back into the ground as his eyes rose to peer at the massive structure before him. The walls seemed to be made of simple stone, stretching to the skies until they threatened to push the clouds from the planet. The two stone walls had a single parting and it was drenched in shadows and darkness. The thick fog that covered the roof of the Labyrinth was just as unsettling as the rest of this damned maze.

“How did no one see this?” He demanded, standing to his full height and turning to a trio of Knights who had been stationed on this planet. Two of the men briefly exchanged glances, their faces hidden by their cowls, the third stepped forward.

“Dominus. It was not here. This area is only six miles from our base encampment and it was scouted several times. We must have had a hundred teams in this area since we've landed.” One of the Knights who had accompanied Cardinal to the planet chuckled, his tone condescending as he challenged the Knight. “So it just sprang up out of nowhere, right?”

Cardinal gazed back at the man, his eyes giving no command but one of silence. When he turned back to the Labyrinth, Cardinal exhaled softly. “You all know that through The Force anything is possible...and this place is strong with The Force.” He muttered, before turning back to the cadre of Knights he had brought. “Two of you remain here. If this is some trick it won't hurt to have someone guarding the entrance. The rest of you, let's go.” As Cardinal stepped forward, one of the scouts grabbed his arm as if to stop him. “Wait, you can't be serious. You're going in there?!” Weakness. It agitated Cardinal beyond reason. The Sandali turned to the man, taking hold of his tunic and grasping it in his hands. He pulled the Knight from his feet, his voice raising as he spoke. “You said a team of your men are in there, right? Then we will go and find our brothers and bring them back!” He threw the man from his grip, watching him slam into the dirt with a disinterested look. “Dead or alive.” He completed, before turning to the maze before him. He would venture into this maze, who would join him?

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Wearing: Armor| Pathfinder Boots | The Forgemaster's Ring | Ring of Stasis | Sofitor
Wielding: 10 Czerka knives | 2 Nastirci Combat Knives | Copero's Wail | Fire and Smoke (lightsabers) | Combat Gauntlets | Knight Obsidian Sword | 2 Dissuader K-30 Pistols with Glitter Bullets
Tags: [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] + whoever is joining

Standing with the rest of the Knights Obsidian group was Scherezade deWinter. Her body had been on many a-mission with them, though they had come to know her as Pathfinder Madalena Antares. It was only recently that she the datafiles had been updated, the proper name now showing up. Not a collection of falsified memories to cover her death, but the actual person alive and in the flesh, walking around in her new body; Pathfinder Scherzade deWinter. It had such a strange ring to it. Before her death she had walked among the Confederates, always part of more missions than what was probably healthy to handle, yet had done so with no official capacity of any kind. She had no rank, no placement, no nothing. Even with the Mandragora, her stay had been short, though the files presented it as much longer then it actually had been. And then she had sent the falsified version to the Knights Obsidian, chosen the Pathfinders for her when it was she who'd wanted to be there and… Well. It was complicated story.

Either way, she was here now, her body, her soul, and her name all present. And she was staring at the massive structure that spread before them, her glowing green eyes gazing with curiosity. A gigantic maze that had simply… Popped up, seemingly out of nowhere. Which did not necessarily mean that it had not been there before. The blood hound could think of various ways the stunt could have been achieved, yet to do it for something the size of that thing, it would have required many people banding together; theoretically and potentially, more than the number of Knights Obsidian in their group. Either that or a terrible accident, which made the entire thing even more terrifying.

Scherezade closed her eyes and allowed her presence to stretch out forward with the Force. She knew what she wanted, knew what she needed – a drop of blood. If the people they had sent in, those that had vanished, had dropped but one before being transferred or gotten too deep into the maze, she would know. And yet despite her efforts, there was nothing. Could this once more be the doing of the Aeshma, the cult that seemed to work against the confederacy in the creepiest of ways? She wasn't sure. It didn't feel that way, yet every time they had attacked, it had come in a different shape. Or perhaps, there were new enemies that the Confederates knew nothing about as of yet.

"They might not be there anymore," the Blood Hound said as she saw Cardinal throw one of the less useful people there down to the ground, "but I will enter the labyrinth, Dominus," she added with a nod. Creepy structures, things that didn't work the way things were supposed to work, people disappearing… This was right up her alley. Eying the weapons he bore on his back, Scherezade nodded again. "If any of those who are entering this place together end up separated – bleed for me. A single drop will be enough if we haven't opened too much distance. Don't bleed for nothing. I will find you."

 

[Alkor Centaris]

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] sought answers from the unnatural land, yet the darkened dirt yielded nothing. Alkor touched the wall gently with his fingertips, stroking the bleak surface tenderly. He opened his thoughts to the nether, stretching out with his instincts and kindling his sixth sense. At the basest level, there was nothing to see, nor hear, nor taste, nor smell. To the touch, the wall was cool, almost glassy, but altogether unremarkable. It was something faint, a sensation of uncertainty that commanded Alkor's attention.

The labyrinth reeked of mystery, and the unknown was a breeding ground for terror. It gave pause even to Alkor Centaris. He withdrew his hand slowly, balling his fingers into a fist, and turned to regard the group. "It isn't simply that we can't feel anything," he said aside to the Dominus Prime, "it's that whatever... the source of this power is... won't allow us to feel anything. When I reach out, I get the strong sense that I'm not meant to understand."

No matter how he described it, what Alkor felt was most certainly fear.

He responded differently than most to the emotion, granted. For Cardinal, his displeasure and heightened resolve were the most notable reactions. For Alkor, there was an animalistic yearning. He needed to know what lay hidden, shrouded within the mists. This terrible power, the unknown energy that dared to entice him, he had to find the answers and lay it bare. It had become a game of cat and mouse, and neither side could determine who was the predator.

The excitement only thrilled the Corellian man more.

Alkor pulled his hood back and appreciated the labyrinth quietly before he spoke up. "Let's go," he said as he headed toward the maze, albeit at a slight distance ahead of the rest of the group. He could already feel the haze shifting around him as he stepped in. He spared a single look back.

"I'll take point," he told them.

 

[Zorok Rane]

​

Ghost stories never really scared Zorok in the way that they could've induced night tremors in others. Generally speaking, any sort of supernatural or beyond-the-dead entities didn't seem to ever have any possibility in Zorok's mind. However, the time that he has spent with users of the force and what he has learned since joining the Confederacy certainly worked towards changing his view on that. He had been stationed on Kaddak both before and after the mysterious structure seemed to be precipitated out of no where. One day he was looking out to the setting sun as it just was about to disappear over the horizon, and the next the sight of it was blocked by this newly-assembled structure, if you could even refer to it as assembled.

As [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] questioned the Knights that were unfortunate enough to be in the peripheral vision of him, Zorok watched from a distance today. He acted as if he was keeping lookout for anything of immediate importance, but in reality he was honing in on every word in the utmost concern. Truth be told, he was hardly happy being stationed on the world purely for the purpose of surveillance. He yearned for something interesting to happen so he could deviate from his typical routine and cherished the moments that he was able to move off-planet and somewhere else. This wasn't particularly off-planet, but it was certainly something curious that was worth investigating.

When the call to action was thrown out, he rose up from the spot he was crouched down at, clutched at his vibrosword to make sure that it was still at his side where it should've been, and hopped down from his post. He strided toward the group that already contained [member="Scherezade deWinter"] and [member="Alkor Centaris"] and listened intently to what had been being discussed regarding the mission. Bleed myself if I get lost. It was an odd command, but it wasn't his place to question the abilities of one of the more experienced Knights of the order. There must have been some sort of magic behind it that he just wasn't knowledgeable of.

"My blade is in service to you and our lost comrades," he directed towards the general group. Reaching out his hand, he took hold of the Knight that he been thrown down onto the dirt and propped him up before shoving him him back towards the outpost building. If he was too fearful to enter the paranormal structure, then he could've sat to guard and dwell and stir upon how he had left his brothers to potentially die without his sword.

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

​

Equipment: Operator Class Armor, Talisman, ACS-202 Vanquisher, Light Saber Yari, Shatory Reishūkaku, Mk1 Shadow Rifle
Tags: [member="Zorok Rane"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

Strange, it was what most people called this sudden presentiment the Knight found themselves in ant to an extent it was but she had seen just as many strange things in her life, today would just be another one of those strange occurrence. That did not mean she didn't understand the danger posed by the imposing maze situated in front of the group lead by the Dominus Prime, and eerie feeling resonating from the strange construct that had materialized overnight without anyone seeming to notice. Her blue gaze scanning over the nearby complex as [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] conversed with some other Knights about the issues posed by the labyrinth, it's mysterious properties seeming to send fear into the lower ranking and ill experienced members.

"I do not think we will learn anything from the outside, clearly such a complex houses it's mysteries inside, the question is that manner of magic does it employ to keep nosy individuals at bay", another question was who was behind such a building. She did not think a maze suddenly appearing on such a world was natural, something or someone had to be behind it, who knew perhaps the Knights mere presence on the world had been responsible for it's appearance. Her head turning to [member="Alkor Centaris"] as they studied the wall, "quite, this place is certainly hiding something, or at the least wants to make us think it is hiding something, honesty we just don't know", but they couldn't just sit back an ignore it.

Her eyes continued to study the outer walls for a bit until the group agreed to enter into the lair, a small shrug coming from Kurenai as she turned around back towards the new expedition. "I will follow, let me take rear for the time being, would rather not have something sneak up on us during our time in the maze, also I took have the ability to smell blood if trouble a brew any laceration will come to my knowledge". Being that they stayed together, there was no telling what effects this place had on mortal senses and recognition, for all they new smell, sight and even their force sensitivity would be effected on the inside.... only one way to find out.

 

[Pom Stych Tivé]

The Sorceress Pomsty arrived with the other knights, armed to her teeth in tinctures, relics, amulets... substances of alteration and illusion, stimulants designed to control the senses of her enemies designed of organic matter; ample fun for one generating a most creative imagination. She dressed not in the issued attire, nor armed herself with weaponry of mass destruction. It is her way, to adhere to perfected, ageless traditions of the Nightsisters hailing from Dathomir. The persona she put forth amplified her alignment to the Darkness she inhaled all around her. She lives in it, but also understands the need to nip it in the bud or to take back control of it, when it presents itself without invitation nor perceived necessity. And, this such mysterious monolith, or vessel if it may be, discovered without a hint of protocol to rest within Confederate space, is far too close for comfort.

Not understanding many of the ways of this System government, but recently finding her place in being accepted as an Apprentice to its Vicelord, Pomsty began embark on missions to explore and to correct like unexpected developments. It is a grand and much welcome learning experience for one who spent nearly their entire life up to this point, living only within the unusual covens of Dathomir. The ways of the Force, as it has been revealed to her since her arrival, she determines most peculiar. Some instances she has witnessed it harnessed and fashioned without perceivable limitations. It is most contradictory to the Art of her magick, which many associate to be simply an ancient form of manipulating the same Force as wielded by Sith. To Pomsty, there are two entirely separate anomalies at play, this Force manipulation orchestrated by one's Midichlorians, and her own Art of Witchcraft which is harnessed through her direct appeal to her deity!

Pomsty listened to the exchange among the ranks of the Knights Obsidian, then she whispered to her servant minions to venture forth into the abyss to seek out its analysis. For those awakened with similar gifts, a dark shadow would be seen parting from Pomsty’s aura which flew directly into the labyrinth.

She then reached into her vest, after scrutinizing her lot, drew a specific vial from the lining secured by a tether, and held it at eye level. Whispering words of an ancient incantation, she removed the stopper. A gleam of lime-green neon light emitted from the magical substance and formed a shaft of light extending from the vial mouth, down to her feet. It glowed vibrant at a vertical angle, and as she stirred a finger into the air, the burning light protruded horizontally and rooted into the wall of the labyrinth. As she could not see the light which extended within the monolith from her place outside its edge, she wondered what lay just beyond the barrier of where she stands out here, within the mystery of inside there. All would find her light inside, just beyond the edge of the barrier.

“A beacon to trail a path if you will, if necessary we need guiding back to our point of entry,” she explained. She plans to extend the trail of light along their path for as long as she is capable of doing so.




[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Alkor Centaris"] [member="Zorok Rane"] [member="Kurenai Yumi"]

 

[Azel Moran]

[member="Pom Stych Tivé"] [member="Kurenai Yumi"] [member="Zorok Rane"] [member="Alkor Centaris"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] [member="Eternal Avarice"]

It stretched for miles, clouded in a thick fog and holding an eerie presence in The Force. It was a maze, a labyrinth created with a hellish intent, one the Knights were intent to know. The scouts who were tasked with verifying the origin of this labyrinth disappeared, communications being cut almost as soon as they entered the maze.

ALONE IN THE MAZE


"That can't be right."

Moran's grumble rumbled through the maze. He shook his alchemical compass, something like an old Akure Korriban Compass but more complex, and eyed the needles again. They kept on spinning and offered no sense of really anything. So be it: he'd have to rely on common sense, experience, and instinct. He'd have to dig deep.

But first things first: some of these stone walls were mottled with seams of ore. Oxidized and faded, to be sure, so that only a prospector's eye would have understood the difference, but still. He pulled a rock hammer out of his belt and applied the back-end spike to the nearest seam with vigour. Hammerwork echoed dully through the maze as Moran began the long task of filling his backpack with chunks of Force-strange ore. What kind of blade would this place produce?

 

[Adron Malvern]

​

​

Darkness...​

​

As the team of Knight's entered into the Obsidian maze, the light was drained from the world around them. The walls surrounding them, were flushed with darkness as they passed the threshold into this mighty structure. While the maze had seemed large on the outside, it was now clear that this creation was far more massive than they had initially believed. The walls seemed to reach to the skies, as the blanket of shadow and mist seemed like clouds in the night time sky. When the team turned back to the entrance, they would find it sealed. In an instant, silent and unseen, a wall had formed behind them. It was solid and impassable, locking them within this hellish maze.

That was when it began.

The laugh was sickening, echoing from wall to wall, down every hall of the labyrinth. This voice would drift over the Knight's errupting for darkness and leaving with the winds. silence ensued. The Knight's took up their positions, preparing to advance through the maze. The fog above was thick, making the skies unreadable. Even through the Force it was impossible to ascertain one's direction. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as seconds began to turn to minutes and minutes turned to days.

click click click.

The sounds were deliberate, rhythmic as they surrounded the Knights. What was this sound? This clicking? It kept on for some time until finally...silence.

A loud, piercing screem errupted down the path the knight's followed. The darkness before them almost seemed to part, and with it's seperation came the beasts. Birthed from the pits of hell, they seemed groteque in their nature. Crimson insects, each one a meter tall and from their maw dripped a black ichor. They had thin, spider-like legs that stabbed into the ground, making that insufferable ticking. As they came closer into view it became clear they were blocking the path....and the walls....there were hundres of them and they were hungry.

​

 

[ToKola Bakari]

​

​

Cardinal's eyes scanned the walls that rose to the skies with a silent gaze. It was unsettling, but still he said nothing as he led the group into the maze. The moment they stepped inside he could feel the chill wash over him. This place...It was almost as if it had been cut off from the rest of the galaxy. The Force had segregated it for some odd reason, but he could not understand exactly what it was. His sunburnt eyes glanced around before his hand went to his back. The short spear that had been slung over his shoulders was smaller, easy to maneuver in tight spaces. Although the the first path in this maze was massive, there was no guarentee the rest of the structure would be so kind.

It was [member="Scherezade deWinter"] 's words that pulled the man from his own thoughts. They may not be there anymore. Cardinal clenched his teeth tight at that thought. A reality, they may soon have to face. "Then we'll find their bodies." He said, simply as he tested his spear's weight in his hands. In the back of his mind he hoped, truly hoped, there were bodies to be found in this cursed place. When Scherezade spoke of her blood houn abilities, Cardinal nodded at her. "We need to stay together. No matter what. Hopefully we won't need your abilities." Something, whether it echoed out from the depest parts of his mind or called him through the Force, something told him he was wrong.

Cardinal did muse over [member="Alkor Centaris"] words. Could it be The Force itself willed this? Willed that they remain oblivious to what they were dealing with? Perhaps. However, now was not the time to know as Alkor was already pressing forward. Cardinal reached out, grabbing the man's shoulder as he gestured behind him. "Stay in the center of the formation. I'll lead the way, if something hits me you hit it harder." His orders were crystal, even in the darkness the certainty of his words were easily read on his features. When [member="Kurenai Yumi"] stated she would take the rear, Cardinal nodded back at the woman. "Then watch our backs. Try not to enter into a fight unless necessary, stay alert and trail behind." He warned her, not wanting the woman to fall to some trickery or injury without their knowledge. As they advanced, Cardinal's spear remained at the ready. They maintained an even pace, however it was not long after they were in the maze that the Dominus paused. It was all gone.

He turned back behind him to see that their entrance, the very place they entered the maze, was gone. Now it was merely another wall, reaching to the skies as if it had always been. This was not good. "Damn it..." He muttered, before a brief smirk came over his face. It's a good thing we have no plans of retreating. His smile soon faded when a clicking noise began to ensue. It was loud and distracting yet no matter howm uch Cardinal looked around, he could not see it. He held his hand up, a silent order causing the group to pause in their advance. Sweat bled from his temple as he eyed the darkness before them. This made no sense, his eyes were keener than this. Of course the mystery did not remain such for long. In seconds there were hundreds of creatures, crawling towards the group with a staggering speed. Cardinal flourished his spear before looking to [member="Zorok Rane"] and [member="Pom Stych Tivé"]. "Defend the left!"

Then his eyes flew to [member="Scherezade deWinter"] and [member="Alkor Centaris"], "The right!" Leaving [member="Kurenai Yumi"] to be sure their ranks did not break, the Dominus charge forward. He was large and as his feet slammed into the ground he calledo n The Force to bring him speed. His blade sliced through the first of the beast's with ease. They were fast and their legs held deadly spikes on them, but they were not warriors. Cardinal made short work of the first, and soon turned to the next, slicing it in two with a quick swipe of his spear.

[member="Azel Moran"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Wearing: Armor| Pathfinder Boots | The Forgemaster's Ring | Ring of Stasis | Sofitor
Wielding: 10 Czerka knives | 2 Nastirci Combat Knives | Copero's Wail | Fire and Smoke (lightsabers) | Combat Gauntlets | Knight Obsidian Sword | 2 Dissuader K-30 Pistols with Glitter Bullets
Tags: [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] [member="Alkor Centaris"] [member="Zorok Rane"] [member="Kurenai Yumi"] [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] [member="Azel Moran"]

"You're assuming there will be bodies remaining, Dominus," Scherezade said quietly. It was not an attempt at sassing her superior – merely pointing out that bodies might not be the worst thing to happen to those who had walked into the maze before them.

Scherezade remained quiet as the rest of the people gathered up began to speak. She had no particular preference as to where in the group she would take point; front, back, center, it was all the same to her. It was the comments about the source of power or what others could or could not feel that interested her. [member="Alkor Centaris"], a Knight she had worked with before, albeit while she used Madalena's name, commented that he could feel nothing. The Dashade, [member="Zorok Rane"], had nothing to add to the eerie feel of the place, but gave his blade in service. Under different circumstances, that would have made Scherezade smile. [member="Kurenai Yumi"] echoed some of Scherezade's thought about not learning anything from the outside.

It was [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] 's actions though that took her attention from the moment. An ancient memory within Scherezade, one that did not belong to her, knew what the woman was doing. It was her grandmother's memories that were burned into the Blood Hound's mind, and her grandmother had trained for years on Dathomir, making alliances with the woman who made herself the Mother of all Clans prior to the Gulag years. The specific ritual that Pom was creating was unknown to Scherezade, but there were enough parts within it, enough colors, to make it feel oddly familiar, and the spirit ichor that sent chills down her spine for reasons she did not even begin to understand as of yet. Electing to say nothing though, Scherezade had no reason to speak against something that the woman was obviously doing to help them all out.

Another stranger was with them, [member="Azel Moran"], another one she did not know. And yet, the accumulation of all those gathered there brought a feeling of comfort to Scherezade. A mixture of old and new faces alike; the Knights Obsidian were not stagnant, and they would do whatever it was they needed to be doing.

"Bigger on the inside," Scherezade commented as they all walked in, looking around. In the darkness, her eyes shone almost like beacons, but it didn't help her actually see anything. And now their exit was entirely blocked. She should have felt creeped out by that, she knew. Yet after the months in the space between dimensions, she couldn't say that she was. Uncomfortable, sure, but out right creeped out or even with a shred of panic, no.

But the clicking? Definitely uncomfortable. Grabbing one of her knives from its sheathe, Scherezade held on to it for pure comfort. Her blades almost always helped her focus.

And then came the monsters.

Scherezade and [member="Alkor Centaris"] were ordered to defend the right side of their group.

All her blades flew into the air as the Blood Hound sprang forward. Normlly, her dozen knives stabbed into the air, but now two of them ensured to send kinetic strikes forward, moving some of the spiders to splatter against the mazes's walls, why the normal Czerka blades began to shop in sushi-preparation like motion, coming to hack the spiders to pieces. Scherezade herself grabbed her lightsabers and rushed forward, ready to split any eight legged critter that thought it was not a stupid thing to come near her or hers.

 

[Ek Vilibro Griz]

(OOC: first post here so It's a little longer. All Ek's gear is linked in his Character Bio )

Ek Vilibro Griz had only been awake for a month. When he went into stasis a decade ago he was a citizen of the Techno Union. Now, there was no Techno Union, and he found himself, after a week of questioning on his identity and jumping through bureaucratic hoops, a citizen of the Confederacy. After learning he was a member of the old Obsidian Order, he was given a crash course in recent events, which was mostly a blur, and sent to join the Knights Obsidian. He did not have to of course, but the Obsidian Order was what was most familiar to him, and so he thought he ought to find out what it had become.

Ek stepped off of the shuttle and made his way to the offices of the Knights Obsidian. He was a man with white hair that is close cropped on the sides and longer on the top and swept to the side. His Golden bionic eye searching the room in tandem with his natural grey one. Of middling height for a human so that when his features are hidden, he stands out very little in a crowd.

Ek has a minimalist modified version of the old Techno Union's Obsidian Armor with some aesthetic allusion to his brief but formative Sith training.
He wears a steely grey armored mask that covers the lower half of his face as well as the back and sides of his head, leaving his eyes, forehead and the top of his head exposed. the front of the mask has a grill similar to the ancient imperial scout trooper helmets. Over top of his Obsidian Armor, he wears a Black sleeveless hooded robe with White trim that is mid calf length. He cinches this robe at the waist with a wide leather belt that has several pouches, over which he wears his old standard CZ-830 Utility Belt. Ek always carries two lightsabers on his belt, a curved hilt regular saber with an S shaped hand guard and a straight hilted Obsidian Lightsaber. Strapped to his thigh is what appears to be an oversized pistol. Strapped to his back is a very long rifle.

Ek arrived on Kaddak in the midst of a panic. Apparently, The planet was a new base for the Knights, and just as they were getting comfortable there a massive labrynth had appeared from nowhere according to what he could gather. Upon arrival he had been directed to a registrar. The officer blinked in surprised upon hearing that the man before him, who appeared to be in his mid 20's, had been a Savant in the Obsidian Order and trained under it's Archon no less. He was then granted a planetary ID to show his membership and rank in the Knights Obsidian, given it's roots in Ek's order. He had had trouble choosing between Pathfinder and Executor. Ek was not exactly a spy, but nor was he a warrior. He was a stealth operative, a sniper, a guerilla fighter, an agent of the order, and a field strategist. In the end, since he spent most of his time in combat zones he went with Executor.

Immediately following his legal induction, Ek was surprisingly sent out on search and rescue assignment right away, before he made it to Kaddak. Now that he was here though, his assignment was to set up a perimeter area around the labrynth with a team of droids. While he and his team were going about the work of setting up the perimeter, Ek watched as a group of Knights led by a large Bronzed skin man with a stong aura of authority about him and a strength in the force that Ek could sense ([member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]). the 3 women, one of whom was Scherezade, who he had worked with on his first assignment since his return, and 3 men entered the Labrynth and vanished into the dark. Ek got a chill down his spine as the force presence of the leader vanished so suddenly it was jarring.

Ek ordered the droids to finish setting up the perimeter and went closer to the entrance to investigaste. Ek switched his bionic eye to night vision. Nothing. Infrared. Nothing. The whole structure appeared dark but the entrance particularly was a cold blackness. UV. Nothing. Ek picked up a rock and tossed it through the entrance. It was as if the shadow of the threshhold was where reality ended. Fear. This felt unnatural. Ek reached for his Obsidian Lightsaber, his offhand weapon. He edged closer to the darkness and pointed the lightsaber at it. With a thrum the brilliant white blade ignited. There was an almost imperceptable sensation when the tip of the blade passed over the threshhold. A flash of something in the force, but it passed so quickly Ek wasn't sure if he'd imagined it or not. When he looked down, he could see the end of his blade. He let out the breath he did not realize he had been holding. He took a step forward. The moment his foot fell, he suddenly was filled with a conviction and a dread. He had felt something earlier. Ek took a step back. His boot heel connected with cold stone. "No." He spun around and was face to face with a wall. His hand moved to touch the wall. Solid. Ek turned back around. Up ahead he could hear noises. He gingerly made his way to where the sounds were coming from.

As he got closer, he sensed battle. He picked up his pace and came to a corner. he peeked around it and saw the same group that had entered earlier fighting swarms of large insectoid creatures. Ek wanted to deploy his droids, but there was no time. They needed help now. Ek ignited his curved hilt lightsaber in his right hand, its purple beam extending then travelling down his hand guard. With his left hand pulled what looked like a massive revolver out of it's holster on his thigh. Ek rounded the corner and rushed through the group to an open spot and took aim at where the creatures were closest together an opened fire. The recoil travelled up Ek's arm and a shockwave one meter in diameter issued from the gun along with a scatter of maser blasts blowing a good sized hole in the swarm. He then started laying into the remaining groups of creatures with his purple blade.

No time for introductions, he thought to himself.

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

Equipment: Operator Class Armor, Talisman, ACS-202 Vanquisher, Light Saber Yari, Shatory Reishūkaku, Mk1 Shadow Rifle
Tags: [member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] [member="Azel Moran"] [member="Alkor Centaris"]

To say things went south straight away would have been an understatement for most, even with her eyes kept focused on the entrance, force tendrils connecting with the outside Kurenai suddenly felt such a connection vanish. Almost as if no entrance had been their in the first place. A small cruse escaping her lips while the expedition continued, no going back now, even if they wanted to, which she was certain no one had in mind, their goal would be to always move forwards no matter what, but once again the labyrinth sough to hinder their process.

The sound of ticking, shuttling, strange echos from the black void in front and behind, that familiar feeling in her stomach... "Ambush"! In that moment the group was assaulted by a wave of odd looking spider like insects, charging forwards without relent, behind, to the sides and front. "Crap, looks like I have my work cut out for me". Wasting as little time as possible Kurenai sprung into action, thrusting her hands forwards, ethereal like spears of darkness shooting from her palms, flying towards the coming hordes.

Each dark side produced lance skewered several insects before sticking to the ground, Kurenai trying to form a V shape and funnel the rushing tide of enemies into one major kill zone. Little by little they seemed to back up a bit, flowing to a singular point, as the walls of spears became hard to vault over for the deadly beasts. "Right where I want you", a smile creeping along her mouth as Kurenai crouched down into a kneel, grasping her ACS-202 Vanquisher and unleashing a torrent of blaster fire into the chock point. Cries and squawks of pain resonating behind the wave of blaster bolts, the smell of burning flesh slowly wafting from the pile of corpses at the groups rear.

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Location: Into the Howling Dark
Allies: Knights Obsidian
Enemies: Uncertainty

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] urged Alkor back and he nodded once, quietly. It was strange to not be treated as expendable and thrown headlong into the face of danger, but it was not altogether unwelcome. A reprieve from the danger in this situation was hardly any reprieve at all. What he couldn't feel, inspired his mind and body to create their own opinions.

What he did feel was when the maze started to shift. Impregnable fog coiled around their legs and rushed in to fill the voids ahead and behind them. Unnatural night set in as the sky blackened, and he felt his stomach sink. They were like caged animals with an abusive owner, and it was torture hour.

Click click click click click...

...and there was the torture, right on cue. Cardinal was out ahead, raging toward the enemy line and carving through chitin like heat through milkfat. The skittering sound echoed through his mind as everything else emptied out, and his body screamed out his sole instinct.

Slaughter.

The Dark Side of the Force had power here, and Alkor's body was suffused with years of residual damage from drinking it in. His limbs felt called to move, his mind heard whispers beckoning his blades. His rational thoughts lapsed as he shakily obeyed his order.

Defend the right, and so he did. Alkor's orange blade ignited in a fluid motion, snapping through the soft layer of meat underneath the closest bug's carapace. Black viscera leaked out toward his hands and cauterized around the blade, which exited promptly with a hideous slurp. Alkor whipped his weapon around and down toward the bug to his left, and the plasma seemed to glance off its armor.

His boot came from beneath and overturned the creature, exposing its soft belly. He drove the blade straight down, and the creature's legs spasmed before clenching up into a frail corpse. Alkor yanked his blade free and turned to regard the wave of creatures that was nigh indiscernible from the stygian darkness behind them.

Breathe.

He had to control himself. Alkor had to remind his entire being to remain cool and collected, even as the miasma seeped into his being and tempted his thoughts with violence.

Control it. Do not let it control you.

He grunted sidelong toward [member="Scherezade deWinter"], who he had been grouped up with. "They're weak on the underside," he told her. He heard [member="Kurenai Yumi"] call out a warning, and he closed his eyes.

...and this is only the beginning.

 

[Zorok Rane]

It was impossible to say with a dull certainty as to Zorok's feelings as he entered the odd maze. He was never one to scare easy, although there was easily an eerie atmosphere that enshrouded them often. It was easy to make the claim that they were being watched from all around at all times. If it wasn't the simple fact that the maze couldn't have just appeared as a natural disaster from the planet, it was the maniacal laughter that shot out seemingly as soon as the entrance was sealed. When we escape this disgusting place, it'll be a pleasure watching it get dive bombed to the ground by our ships. Time would tell as to the actual capabilities of the so-called operator of the maze, but for now the voice bouncing on and off the walls amplified it to a great extent.

The first challenge approached the group quickly, as the methodical clacking of multiple feet scuttling towards them halted them for the slightest moment. Large insects came into their view from all sides, coercing him to unhook his vibrosword from his side before igniting it at his side and watching the approaching opponents. "The little maze maker thinks that he can stop us with...bugs?" Arrogance was never a positive attribute to bring into battle due to what it can do towards composure and guard, but he was built on pride as a warrior and it wasn't easy to shake. Even [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] looked to tense up at one moment and lose his cool with the clicking getting louder, although it was hardly noticeable to most of them.

With the orders being given to handle their left side, he turned towards the approaching creatures alongside @Pom Stych Tivé with his blade now in hand. As one approached him with teeth ratting and legs bent to leap onto him in the soonest instant, he swung downward and tore through it with ease, leaving a sputtering and shrieking beast as the life drained from it. He turned his attention towards another group that were preparing to operate together after learning from the singular one that tried to fight. "I've fought more powerful beasts than you on Malachor V. I've devoured more threatening monsters for sport, none of you scare me."

Taking a glance at his vibrosword, a bout of hubris sparked into his mind and he deactivated it before returning it to his side as it was when they entered the maze. He turned towards the nearest creature to his side and dug his claws into its side. It weakly attempted to rip into Zorok's skin with its own legs, but its energy was already diminished that it didn't appear to do anything more than minor scratches. He continued to twist and turn his claws inside of it before it stopped struggling and he tossed it to the side. Onto the next.

 

[Azel Moran]

[member="Eternal Avarice"] [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Ek Vilibro Griz"] [member="Kurenai Yumi"] [member="Alkor Centaris"] [member="Zorok Rane"]

As events escalated and the maze grew crowded, Moran shouldered his prospecting pack. Half a load of ore, maybe twenty pounds, wouldn't yield much good metal. A knife maybe, but a strange one, and strange meant good. He hefted his rock hammer and focused on the here and now. That meant large red insects.

On the plus side, thick chitin could make excellent scales for the grip of a weapon. With that in mind, Moran got to work.

The rock hammer's head had two sides, a maul and a pick. Both proved suitable for smashing large insects as their pointy extremities tried to punch through Moran's heavy clothes. Spines sank deep, and Moran roared. Impalement always felt deeply wrong, not just painful. He smashed and kept smashing. He brought to bear the implacable grip he sometimes used to shape metal. The challenge was killing these things without ruining all that useful chitin. And the moment didn't allow for finesse.

Moran ignored the other Knights Obsidian. The moment didn't allow for sociability either.

 

[Pom Stych Tivé]

Inside the element which seemed like nowhere, Pomsty drew the magic she generated just moments before into her fingertips. It would remain tethered between herself and their point of entry.

The darkness was all encompassing, seeming more than physical; it felt like it would snuff out one's very soul in time. She could hardly see herself let alone anyone around her, she, clad in her black patent leather, her preference over uniformity. Any light emitted by the uniforms of her fellow knights found nothing around them at all to illuminate, only their faces…until little sparks of light appeared creating a myriad of set shapes. It took but a moment to see that these shapes were caused by the reflections of the lights emitting from the other knights' uniforms. These tiny lights ended up being hordes of eyes gazing upon them.

Ordered to defend the group to their left caused Pomsty to turn and face the horde with her comrade [member="Zorok Rane"]. The alarming number of creatures fell all around them at the receiving end of their weaponry, and they did not seem to be depleting enough.

The Sorceress scrambled to uncap a vial. She quickly blew into her potion and fumes emitted. She opened her mouth and ingested its contents. The creatures most nearest would be sprayed by a perception altering mist as she spewed the potion from her mouth.

The primitive creatures nearest her, immediate victims of her malady, began to frantically draw back from their attack while emitting a piercing cry of warning. Others closing in behind them soon turned to follow them, and they all joined in leading the rest away, off into the shadows from whence they came.

Her comrades would hear her softly singing her incantation in her native tongue, driving her allied minions, ethereal forces which support her Will. She reinforced her incantation that the creatures fear the knights as the predators, not perceive the group as prey.





[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Ek Vilibro Griz"] [member="Kurenai Yumi"] [member="Alkor Centaris"] [member="Azel Moran"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

​

​

The Horde was endless.

These insectoid creatures seemed to function as members of some greater thought, a hive mind of sorts. As Cardinal carved through them, he could see how the mass shifted to receive him. They were attempting to draw him from his lines, encircle him, making it easier to defeat the Sandali warrior. He held his ground, no longer pressing the feigned advantage and merely keeping these creatures from overtaking him. His eyes flashed to his side. Where he could see [member="Scherezade deWinter"] knives floating in the air. They were drenched in an orange glow that came from [member="Alkor Centaris"] own lightsaber. They held the right, easily so it seemed. These creatures, while massive in number were easily dispatched.

Perhaps Cardinal had gotten used to the flow of the insects, however he had been caught off guard by what happened next.

They fell from above.

Many of the insects were climbing the walls, to leap down on the prey beneath them. One of the creatures came down on Cardinal's shoulder, sinking it's gnarled teeth into his skin. The Dominus Prime let out a howl of anger and pain before his hand reached the creature's maw. He found flesh and pulled, ripping the insects teeth from his skin as he threw it into the wall of the creatures before him. The black ichor that dripped from their mouths burned, hot as boiling water in the open wound, still the Dominus did not falter. He brought his spear high into the air, before slamming it down into the ground before him. The Force sent out a powerful shockwave, throwing the creatures away from him and giving him the briefest moment of pause.

When Cardinal turned to [member="Zorok Rane"], the Dashade was tearing through his enemy with a frightening effeciency. Having never seen a Dashade in action, Cardinal had to say he was impressed with the ferocity behind the man. He glanced back to the insects as they charged once again. His hand rose, his palms aimed for their lines once again. He drew from a place deep within, calling on the Force in it's simplest form as [member="Darth Metus"] had showed him long ago. For a brief moment he closed his eyes, allowing the burning nether of the Force to well within him.

It was silent.

The line of beasts before him flew into the air, all of them flying meters away as they were met with one almighty push of The Force. Cardinal opened his eyes and there was a noticeable exhaustion there. The exertion of using the powerful Force Repulse would be overcome, but only with time. They fled, not from the power that Cardinal commanded, nor from their own wills. No, the Force shifted and churned eerily as [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] worked her darkest magics. The insects saw the Knights as predators, eager to drink from their ichor and feast on their flesh. What was born in the mind of one, reached all.

The beasts relented. Some did not move fast enough and were cut down by the Knights, however all of the creatures fled from the magic of the Nightsister. In this moment Cardinal watched the retreat, not yet breathing a sigh of relief. He glanced back the path they had come from, where [member="Ek Vilibro Griz"] had joined them. The path was still blocked, and so far all they had met within the labyrinth had been these odd creatures and [member="Azel Moran"]. He'd spotted the man during the battle, but had said nothing, not entirely understanding who the man was. He glanced over to [member="Alkor Centaris"] and [member="Scherezade deWinter"]. "Anyone injured?" He asked, before looking to the others in the group. As it stood, they were all alive, none had fallen.

Cardinal glanced over to his shoulder where his wound had been. It was slowly mending itself, the skin working to bring itself back together at a slow rate. It was the black liquid that concerned him. He leaned over, using his finger to dig into the wound, draining what ichor he could. He winced at the pain, but quickly exhaled as he corrected himself. He looked to the others before turning his attention to [member="Azel Moran"]. "You're not one of mine. What are you doing here?" He looked to the man expectantly before turning his gaze down the maze. The clicking had finally subsided, yet Cardinal was unsteady. "Let's go. We can't stay here." He looked to the group before making his way deeper into this maze. As they began to walk once again, Cardinal turned to [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] "Stay by [member="Alkor Centaris"]. Your magic seems effective here, we may have need of it again. Centaris, watch her back." Cardinal had the feeling it was going to be a very long night.

 

[Azel Moran]

He looked to the others before turning his attention to Azel Moran. "You're not one of mine. What are you doing here?" He looked to the man expectantly before turning his gaze down the maze. The clicking had finally subsided, yet Cardinal was unsteady. "Let's go. We can't stay here." He looked to the group before making his way deeper into this maze.

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

"Me?"

Moran wiped ichor off his rock hammer and adjusted his pack, which now held a good thirty pounds of ore and chitin.

"Azel Moran. Blacksmith." And Sith Lord, and new Adjudicator of the Knights Obsidian, but Moran left it at that. He didn't have a solitary clue who his questioner was. And as the Knights Obsidian moved on, Moran strongly considered just splitting off and getting back to work.

But being part of the Confederacy meant being a team player, in theory. He shrugged, hiked his pack a little higher on his shoulders, and followed with rock hammer in hand. He kept an eye out for more veins of ore in the stone walls of the maze. Sometimes he tapped the pick of his hammer at the stone, cracking open likely seams with casual ease. Not that he needed much more ore, but it was the principle of the thing.

"Who're you people, then?"

 

[Ek Vilibro Griz]

Ek lowered his weapons as the insectoids started to scuttle away in fear. Ek turned to watch the petite witch casting her spell. He had never seen the force worked with in that way before. Of course, even in his brief, unwilling apprenticeship to Darth Nemo, Ek had learned of, or at least heard about darkside rituals and Sith alchemy that allowed for feats un achievable for an individual and their will alone. It must work on a similar principal. In any case, she's one to watch out for.

Ek turned to face the leader when he spoke. "No injuries here." Ek had joined the fight late and was more heavily armored than most of those present.

Ek then turned his attention to the man being addressed, A stocky gruff looking older human with several visible tattoos. Ek had not seen him enter with the others. Is he with the order? Where did he come from? The man responded. A blacksmith? What is a blacksmith doing down here? Ek decided to remain silent on the matter, sure that someone else would ask. Ek then turned to the group and gave a short bow. "I am Executor Griz. I only arrived planet-side very recently. I was assigned by HQ to set up a perimeter around the labrynth. As my team and I were finishing up, I saw your team enter the labrynth. Such a group of Force sensitives gathered together, even with my somewhat below average Force sensing ability, I could feel your group. However, as soon as i watched you all enter, I felt the Force cut off suddenly....disturbingly suddenly, so I decided to investigate the entrance. I did several tests and was fooled into entering when one test appeared sucessful. When I turned to leave, i found myself trapped. That was when i heard the sound of your group fighting and came to help."

While he waited for a response, Ek took the chance to take in the group. The leader was at least a head taller than Ek, with bronze skin a powerful build and orange eyes. He had an air of confidence about him, but also rage. The witch he saw was almost comically shorter than the leader with pale skin and dark hair. A malaphore came to mind: What comes in small packages could kill you. Then, there was another woman with black hair, this one tall. Taller than Ek by about 3 fingers and stern looking, but not in a mean way, in a somewhat expressionless way. The Dashade caught Ek's eye next. His species was uncommon. Ek had never met one. He was large and powerful looking. and Ek had seen the way he tore into the critters earlier with his bare hands. The last two, Scherezade, the only one he knew, a woman with Green eyes that seemed to glow, and a man with an orange lightsaber, the only other saber weilder in the group. A motley bunch indeed. this new Knights Obsidian is even less uniform than the Order i knew....Adapt and Overcome.


[member="Azel Moran"] [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] [member="Zorok Rane"] [member="Alkor Centaris"] [member="Kurenai Yumi"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]