Origins

[Darth Prazutis]

Fort Magnus, Iron Mountains
Near the Shadowlands Border...

​Deep in the charted portions of the Iron Mountains on the very border of charted Panatha sat a keep. This keep was once a great citadel that defended the only accessible passages north into the most dangerous territory in all of Panatha, the uncharted Shadowlands. The Shadowlands were so vast bathed in an eternal night so deep the sun could never hope to penetrate its peaks and natural barriers.
​This was Fort Magnus.
​One of many great works built by the Zambrano King Magnus the Great during a time when Panatha was ravaged by war. The uncharted lands of Panatha were unexplored and a great threat during their time with rumors of entire regiments of hardened Fanalis warriors that fled into the Shadowlands readying to return with demons and other monsters as vengeance for their lost war. So to defend his people from threats known and unknown the great Magnus built a great fortress staffed with warriors.
​It was considered a great honor to be sent to Fort Magnus to protect the known world, and one of the customs honored even by the son who killed him Solomon, and every King who sat the throne after them Zambrano or not. While it soon became less of a military issue and more of a rite or tradition done by every King who sent his chosen garrison to the wall upon his coronation.
After over eight hundred years time and many wars had taken its toll even on a fortress that sat on the edge of the known world. Only one section remained of the fortress and its great curtain walls and many towers cutting off the valleys and passages north. Ruins littered the landscape in this area and from the keep that remained one could see both the eternal night of the Shadowlands and many of the mountain tombs of countless deified Zambrano Kings great enough to be deified as gods in death.
​The size of these tombs were in mountains large and small depending on the King, his importance and the great deeds he accomplished in life. Out of all the peaks however none stood higher than those of the ancient Zambrano Kings whose ambition brought greatness to a once minor family: Magnus the Great the legendary war hero who won the Fanalis War, Conquered all the city states and became the first King of a completely united Panatha and Pacanth Reach in ages beloved by his people.
Solomon the Black also known as the Conqueror and a Lord of the Sith who forlong period of time as Nemeroth the God of Death, and he who successfully managed to usurp the title of All-Father from the great Nereus himself. Solomon ruled Panatha with absolute power never has Panatha seen before or every again a King who ruled with such stability, such loyalty from Epicanthix. Talia the Banshee Queen; Wife of Solomon and the second of the only two deities worshipped during the dark reigns of these monarchs. She was Selune the Goddess of Darkness, Mystery, and Trickery. The cold and deceitful woman who ruled as a Lady of the Sith at her husbands side fostering a secretive and wicked reputation as instrumental in virtually all of her husbands dark developments.
The Shadow Hand had arrived early before [member="Darth Carnifex"] to secure the keep and prepare for the journey to come. It would be the first time he would see Kaine since his transformation through the dark side. The final step his closest friend had called it in the path to power. It was the line between strength and weakness giving up virtually everything including many physical and mental sensations. The change was marked by the new Sith rune emblazoned on the Sith Lords head. Additionally there were other changes including the new hairstyle of warriors dreadlocks pulled into a ponytail. He knew Kaine would be pleased with the progress and their recent successes of late would start this trip out on a good note.
Darth Prazutis stood on the docking platfom waiting patiently with his entourage around him as he watched the Crestfallen come into view.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Crestfallen descended through the thick clouds blanketing the Iron Mountains, its arrival on the planet shrouded in secrecy through the network of loyalists who still called Kaine Zambrano Arch-King of the Reach. Pressurized air billowed and a high-pitched whine filled the air as the shuttle's boarding ramp descended to allow the Dark Lord to disembark uncharacteristically alone, the sight of his iconic Crownguard flanking his left and right woefully absent.

They were not required.

Before him was his Shadow Hand and closest confidant, Darth Prazutis, surrounded by his fiendish entourage. Carnifex approached uninhibited, his hand reaching out to clasp his uncle's in a brotherly embrace. "Braxus, my friend, my family. It has been too long since I have breathed in the fresh mountain air, what have you uncovered?"

The ancient tombs of the Zambranos held many long forgotten secrets dating back to the wicked reign of Solomon the Black, and even when Carnifex ruled over the world he had found it difficult to successfully penetrate the tomb's true depths. Much had been sealed off by earthquake, or covered up by those seeking to keep the secrets of the ancient lineage forever entombed in darkness. So when Prazutis has contacted him saying that he, at long last, had made headway against this stubborn puzzle, the Dark Lord was eager to meet with him in the ancestral mountains of his forefathers.

[member="Darth Prazutis"]​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​The Tomb of Solomon & Talia was one of the deadliest and most puzzling places on Panatha for looters. It was filled with monsters, deadly guardians, and wicked traps. Not to mention the mountain tomb was a labyrinthine maze bathed in dark side energy as well as many illusions. If a looter didn't die from the creatures, die through its traps, he would be lost in the false pathways as illusionary magic closed the walls around them. It was a difficult code to crack.

​But the Shadow Hand had discovered the path through the trap filled maze and the way upward. It required going through a great door hidden through powerful illusionary magic. Only one of Zambrano blood could enter by dripping blood from an open wound into a small bowl connected to the side of the door.

​"It's good to be home Kaine. It wasn't easy but I went to the Tomb of Solomon in the Shadowlands. The amount of magic and alchemy saturating that tomb is incredible. I managed to pierce the illusions and find the great door that would take us up past the fools wing to the levels that haven't been touched since those dark days." ​Braxus said as he moved leading Kaine through the keep. This was the first step to unlocking more of the memories located within the soul shard embedded into his nephew, and the first step to the origins of their family.

"I wasn't going to dare opening it without you by my side." ​He said. leading him to the exit of the keep, they needed to get to the transports.

​[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Shadowlands.

Even in the modern age they were still a mystery to the Epicanthix, shrouded in darkness and innumerable dangers. It was walled off from the rest of Epicanthix society by the practically impassible Iron Mountains, so there was no need to truly bring the region to heel in any meaningful way.

What resided within was best left to its own devices.

Though the thoroughfare of destiny now led Kaine and Braxus to that forbidden waste, to plunder the ancient past to discover all that there was to know about his haunting ancestors. It was fortunate that Kaine had Braxus at his side through this tumultuous time, his uncle was often a source of camaraderie when the Dark Lord could ill afford to place his trust in anyone else -- as had been the case frequently in the forty odd years they had known each other.

"Excellent work, my friend. Excellent work. This will be a momentous day long remembered in the annuls of our family's history, for now we uncover the origins of what makes us Zambrano." The Dark Lord's mood was particularly jubilant, a rare sight for those who had only been on the receiving end of his ire, stoicism, or outright animosity.

Kaine followed Braxus onto the transports and prepared himself for the journey into the lair of the beast.

[member="Darth Prazutis"]​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​The Valley of the Zambrano Kings was a truly dark place. It was covered in a blanket of eternal night from the darkness of the Shadowlands. A stark warning by Solomon the Black to all who dare venture into the Zambrano family's grave. The entire valley's ground was coated in a thin fine crushed bone coating everything in its white color. The great tombs were truly a work of art but none stood taller than the ancient tomb of Solomon the great. To the Lords of the Sith such as Darth Prazutis and [member="Darth Carnifex"] they would feel the black power of the dark side radiating from this tomb like a swirling nexus. Wards were embedded into the very stone that warped unnaturally by his guiding hand. The great Eye of Solomon was emblazoned in the tombs great gate of black iron proud and true. To the Zambrano family they knew that Solomon never truly intended to be buried here, he intended to live forever as an immortal god. The tomb was built as part of tradition. Little did he know that it would come to be used after all.

The very first level of the tomb was fraught with danger and death, great monsters peered out at the two Sith Lords with radiant yellow eyes their low growls echoed through the halls. There were an innumerable amount of traps and powerful illusion magic at work that turned this into an impossible maze. But after careful observation and study, piercing through the magic illusions cast by the progenitor of their line. Braxus carefully led Kaine through these piercing illusions to a hall untouched by the looters, a portion of this false level left untouched by time and "behind the curtain". There was another set of black iron double doors that marked the true entrance of the tomb. A bowl sat attached to one end where one needed to slice their hand open, only Zambrano blood would open these doors.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Dark Side of the Force was prevalent throughout the valley, the shadows so consuming that even the artificial light of their glowlamps dimmed and nearly faded. The black sodden earth was lightly sprinkled with the powdered bone of, what?

Their enemies?

Their servants?

Themselves?

It was unclear, no texts remained explaining the phenomenon that blanketed the valley floor and was up to them to speculate its origin. Kaine theorized it was a mixture of the first two, that perhaps there had been a mighty skirmish on the hallowed ground that left both sides devastated. Over the centuries the bones that remained were atomized by the oppressive energies permeating the region, thus creating the layer of bone powder that they now walked upon.

The chamber's interior was a webwork of traps and obstacles, with the eyes of unseen monsters glaring out at them in the gloom. They were kept at bay by the duo's combined power as Prazutis led Kaine through the maze, the traps averted and the path open to the true hidden secrets of the tomb.

The set of black iron doors before them served as the true entrance to the tomb, but it could only be opened by the blood of Solomon. Fortunately that same blood ran rick in Kaine Zambrano's veins, and after slicing open the palm of his right hand he poured his own ruby lifeforce into the basalt bowl. There was a deep rumble, and the stench of magic and machinery filled the stale air of the tomb as gears and pistons roared to life after innumerable years waiting in darkness.

With a groan the doors opened, and the way laid clear.

[member="Darth Prazutis"]​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​When the doors opened something else happened. The black fragment of a soul inside [member="Darth Carnifex"] pulsed sending a sliver of soul wrenching pain through him as something long dormant was unlocked by the opening of these doors. It was like they had stepped into a different world, a different time. A sun blazed overhead as they felt the familiar breeze of the Iron Mountains all around them. But there was something noticeably missing from their home world. The nexus of dark side energy did not exist in any capacity. The first thing they saw dominating their view was a sight long lost in the annals of Panathan History. It was a gargantuan castle built into the very mountains themselves, its walls crafted by the caring hands of a long line of legendary crafters. A perfect blend of jagged rock and smooth stone with dark gold capped domes and spires that rose high into the sky. When the suns rays hit it the entire castle glistened in its light.

This was the Dreadfort; Original Ancestral Seat of House Zambrano.

Massive banners drooped down from the walls holding the symbol of the iron wolf the original symbol of the Zambrano Family before it was changed. The area the pair now stood was on the side of the castle a small valley overlooked by great statues of family figures unknown to both Zambranos. Immediately their attention was redirected to the group of figures just off near the jagged valley and what they saw was stunning. A titan easily eclipsing seven feet in height with a physique that matched the chiseled statues above with a long black beard and a hard scrutinizing look on his face. The man wore a set of ornate crimson armor bearing the family crest and a long flowing red and gold trimmed cape. The man's tree trunk arms were crossed as he stared out into the valley with piercing, deep emerald green eyes.

This was the great Magnus Zambrano himself.

Magnus had no aura of force energy rather an aura of absolute magnificence that surged all around his person. It made anyone near him almost feel both in awe and fear at the same time at the figure before them. This aura of greatness let 'the Red' dominate any room or area he stood in commanding attention and respect. The figure he watched was none other than his son Solomon Zambrano. This was the same figure both had seen in the only other flashback except he was shockingly different. The man's skin wasn't nearly as pale and his black hair was pulled up into a warrior's ponytail. The burning molten eyes were replaced with the deep emerald ones and the unbearably strong force presence was replaced with a tiny untapped ember buried deep within the surface. There was a strong resemblance to both Magnus and some features Kaine displayed in his youth apparent here. Solomon danced from rock to rock jumping and swinging through the jagged valley never once touching the ground. It was quite the dexterous feat for the seven foot titan.

"If you touch the ground once before you reach the bottom instead of a run you'll have to crawl five miles with me sitting on your back." Magnus barked at his son in a deathly serious tone. But despite his words the young Solomon dropped from rock to rock until finally he jumped off the last one, landing on his feet. As if on cue Magnus drew the mammoth greatsword and dropped into a calm defensive stance. The history books said his mastery of battle especially swordplay was unequalled. It was to such an extent that Magnus created his own styles that became the mainstream fighting tactics of his time. "You have our family's genes and we are strong. But strength isn't everything. Even the strongest warrior can easily be battered aside by a dexterous fighter who knows how to move with agility and precision." ​Magnus said as Solomon drew his own greatsword. "Deception is a warrior's greatest asset, isn't that right father?" Solomon said as he launched himself into battle the cold steel of the blades colliding with a resounding clang. But even with all of his young titanic strength and equal size the older Magnus's defense remained strong.

Solomon after several minutes of an intense barrage overextended when it looked like Magnus was wavering and attempting to move back. This was all a trap and Magnus took the chance to step in and deliver a titanic kick to his son's torso sending him stumbling backward. "It is. Your enemy will see you as a giant they will know you are strong, and they will prepare for it. Play the juggernaut for them and batter away with reckless abandon, make sure that is all they see. Hide your true speed, agility, and precise attacks for just the right time and you will crush even the strongest of opponents." ​Magnus lectured. This time he went on the attack launching in with a titanic roar. The full wrath of Magnus was a terrible sight to behold. It was to such an extent that it caught even Solomon off guard who quickly threw up a defensive stance in response. But he couldn't keep his feet grounded against the more experienced warrior who had weight on his side thanks to his armor. After a few minutes of this barrage Magnus sent his son crumbling down to the ground.

"I yield father. Well fought." Solomon said. The only response he received was a prominent growl of anger from Magnus who delivered a punch that looked like it could crush stone right to the cheek of his son, knocking his head against the ground like a bouncing ball, he immediately began to yell. "You won't ever use those words with me boy! Only cowards yield and beg for mercy. You are a Zambrano! Zambranos NEVER yield to anyone, or anything! You either destroy the enemy or be destroyed yourself. We never submit to the mercy of others, we never bow and scrape at the boots of others! Weaklings, cowards and cripples have no place in our family. Remember that."

Just then the flashback ended and the doors finished swinging open giving way to the true Tomb before them. These gargantuan halls were untouched by history bathed in black marble and chiseled dark rock masterfully crafted by the hands of an accomplished sorcerer who smoothed it over with magic and alchemy alike. Before them was a hall with huge spiraling columns on either side symbols carved into the rockface. Three massive crystalline chandelier structures glowed high above bathing the entire chamber in a baleful green light. There were gargantuan statues all around of the great Solomon Zambrano in both warrior and deific poses. But the center of the great chamber set towards the back wall was an equally massive statue made from some unusual dark stone with an alchemical sheen of Solomon and Talia in a romantic embrace both seemed like they were looking out over their vast domain at the time.

"Beautiful. No ones been in these halls in over eight hundred years Kaine look at all the dust." ​Braxus said his eyes passing by the many doors lining the walls as he took steps in, taking care to watch and sense for any potential traps as he moved.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Something deep within him seemed to click into place as the doors finally swung open, an ancient darkness that had slumbered in his soul finally stirring as the fetid air of the tomb washed over the pair. It awoke with a fury, sending pulsating quakes of agony shooting up the Dark Lord's body and into his mind. Images flashed before his eyes and burned themselves into his retina, eons of history passing like grains of sand through a sieve as his mind overloaded attempting to discern every fragment.

Through means unknown both Kaine and Braxus were pulled down into the sea of memories that now flooded to the surface, their consciousnesses lashing out for some semblance of stability to buoy themselves amidst the chaos. What they found was a memory of distinct clarity that set it apart from the cascade of scrambled thoughts and emotions.

In the span of a microsecond they had transcended locations, the madness fading as the Iron Mountains came hurtling back towards them. But it was not the land they had known, the darkness had receded (or had it ever been there?) and in its place the sun shone bright and the peaks were devoid of decay. The pair stumbled as their minds slowly came to grasp what had happened, and their dark eyes beheld the ancient Magnus and Solomon as they were long before the former took the throne and the latter delved into the dark magicks that had made him a god.

Kaine watched, silently transfixed on what was transpiring before his very eyes. True to what he head read in the family chronicles, Magnus was a soldier through-and-through and tolerated no weakness from anyone, let alone his own flesh and blood. History and legends tell of Solomon's tragedy during the Fanalis War that left him a cripple and set him on the path to darkness. It was rare to see any mention of Solomon from before that time, but here he was...

Tall, proud, and powerful.

The vision dissipated into nothingness as Kaine and Braxus were brought back to the present. Only a sliver of time had passed since the arrival of the vision, the tomb's door had not even fully opened in the span it took to witness the vision in its entirety. The interior was as morose and bleak as was to be expected, with all the grandeur one came to expect of the Solomon the Black. "None were worthy, Braxus, none except us. I have never set foot in this chamber once in my entire life, nor have my eyes beheld its majesty, yet I feel like... I know this place, like I had been here before. The recollection feels like it was a dream, like it was happening to someone else. I fear my mother and father kept much from me, they were so obsessed with our ancient past that it blinded them to our future. I must unravel this mystery."

[member="Darth Prazutis"]​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​It was truly rare to see anything of Solomon before his studies into the dark sorcery that turned him into a dark god. Either it had been thoroughly wiped from history or everyone who knew him before then outside of his family had been killed, either way accounts were thin even in the family archives. The legends about Magnus the Red certainly weren't lying either, a true warrior who tolerated no weakness. Even before Solomon joined the ranks of the Sith the family was already imperial at heart thanks to the Red.

​But [member="Darth Carnifex"] was right.

​Something about his nephews parents didn't sit right there's something missing that even the two Zambrano titans didn't know. A mystery they needed to unravel. Darth Prazutis stopped in the center of the great room standing before the statue of the pair together, a single giant set of double doors sat in the center of the back wall. A closer look with the trained eyes of a Lord of the Sith and magic practicioner and he saw what normal men wouldn't see. The magic runes embedded all along the outline of the door and on the door itself. There were several seals thrumming with dark magic on the front.

"I've seen those before." ​Darth Prazutis said to Kaine as he walked closer to inspect the doors. The doors were well warded, trapped, and he suspected alchemized to defend against all manner of forced intrusion. "Our ancestor warded this heavily. Any forced intrusion triggers the spells woven into the door, beginning with some sort of modified Odojinya. If were going to get through this door, we'll need to unlock those seals first. I suspect through the adjacent rooms." ​Prazutis said turning back to his friend. If there was one thing that he didn't like being at the mercy of someone else's game was one of them. But if they wanted to get through they would need to play the game Solomon wanted them to.

A look around the room showed other doors not protected by the shimmering magic, he picked a direction and set out to the door now on his right. When Kaine was ready he pushed the doors open.

Inside was a rather large empty room of the same dark design the walls covered in elegant murals and carvings dedicated to Nemeroth and Selune, ancient battles and worship blended together. The Eye of Solomon proudly displayed among it all. But aside from that an unusual darkness swept through this room as the light stopped before the door.

Unbenownst to the pair a Terentatek Mauler was the guardian of this first chamber, hidden within. The beast was awake and stalking the two Sith Lords.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Games and puzzles.

How amusingly normal for the tomb of his long dead ancestor, but I suppose that he shouldn't have suspected anything less. To open the chamber they desired, they would have to unlock the seals that warded it from their reach one-by-one. Kaine left it up to Braxus to choose the first room they would delve into, trailing behind him silently as his decision was made and the door was opened.

The air that billowed out from the opened doors was rank, riddled with the stench of filth and decay. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the tomb, whose air was stale and stagnant -- an indicator of how long the tomb had been sealed away and unopened. This, however, put the Dark Lord on edge. There would be no reason for the air to be so vile in the room if nothing still lived within, but it was. Kaine summoned his lightsaber to his hand and activated the crimson blade to illuminate the blackness.

Only to reveal the monstrous visage of the Terentatek that stalked them from the darkness.

Kaine's eyes widened in surprise, "Braxus, watch out!"

The beast swiped at the Lords, forcing Kaine to roll out of harm's way as the beast's claws shattered the stone floor where he had been standing just a moment before. A Terentatek was a terrible creature for they fed off of the blood and meat of Force Sensitives, and were known to inhabit caves and tombs strong in the Dark Side of the Force. It would appear that the Tomb of Solomon the Black was no exception, or perhaps it was left here as a guardian to eradicate any would-be graverobbers.

But it would not impede the lineage of Solomon.

Kaine unleashed a volley of Sith Lightning at the beast, charring the armor-like skin of the monolithic beast but otherwise only serving to antagonize the creature. It swiped at him again, but the Dark Lord lept back further into the room to evade.

[member="Darth Prazutis"]​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​Unlike any other chamber they'd seen so far there was a unique stench filling the air raising questions In his mind. Since the tomb was sealed and unopened then that meant something lived within this chamber but what and where was it? When [member="Darth Carnifex"] ignited his lightsaber bathing the room in a crimson light revealing the beast that lurked within the darkness the warning came to his mind a little too late of what it was: Terentatek. These were infamous beasts known to inhabit tombs and caves strong in the dark side, often put there by the Dark Lords who wanted to keep looters out. They feasted off the blood and meat of force sensitives and were designed in every way to destroy them.

But this was no normal Terentatek.

Just one look at the beast and any knowledgeable Sith could tell it was the advanced Mauler. They were a larger breed with a mutation in the form of a hard bony protrusion that took the form of a shield. They often fought with their heads down due to this mutation letting them see and defend themselves, this unique adaptation was highly resistant to many forms of weaponry and even deflecting them. But what was different about this one was the runes carved into its skin. They weren't any sith runes ever seen before this unique eldritch runecraft was clearly designed by the masterful hand of their ancestor. These runes glowed with the heartbeat of the monster each doing something different to augment the beast.

The beast swung its venomous claws at the Dark Lord as he blasted sith lightning into the beasts armor skin, it did nothing but blacken an area the beasts high resistance shrugging it off. While the beast charged Kaine it turned its back to Darth Prazutis. The Shadow Hand charged the beast igniting one of his lightsabers one of his lightsabers, he moved right behind the beast and swung it into the back of its leg slicing deep, he brought it back down again on the same leg. The beast roared in agony whirling on the large man, slamming into him with a hit that sent him careening into the nearby wall with a heavy thud. It charged towards him then.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

There was something special about this monstrosity.

He jumped back to avoid its venomous claws as they swiped at him, the sharp talons cutting his cloak into ribbons on a glancing blow. The beast was clearly enhanced, most likely by their long deceased ancestor, and though the runes carved into the beast's flesh should have been completely alien to the Dark Lord he found himself...

Strangely...

Understanding them?

That shouldn't have been, he'd never seen these sort of inscriptions in his entire life, especially considering that they were worn by a monster hidden away for six centuries in a darkened tomb. But there they were, clear as day. And with that understanding came an ancient language, once lost to the Epicanthix people that had been unearthed by the despicable Solomon in his excavations of the Shadow Lands. The language was again thought lost to time after his death, but for some indiscernible reason Kaine could understand the writing on the beast's hide.

Perhaps he could... recite it?

Suddenly, a flash of insight flooded his mind. He saw distant places from an era long past. He saw Solomon, now a master of the dark arts, writing an incantation on what looked like Human flesh in blood. He could read that too, and without warning words escaped his lips.

សត្វសាហាវនៃសេចក្ដីក្រោធព្រៃបញ្ច្រាសដល់អ្នកស្នងស្តេចសាឡូម៉ូន​

​

[member="Darth Prazutis"]​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​Whatever it was the magic was foul.

​It was magic of the blackest sort far darker than anything a Sith Sorcerer could whip up. A forbidden, lost eldritch magic wielded by the Defiler all those years ago that was such an abomination in the force that it brought the Jedi to his world. The incantation spoken into the air hurt the very ears of even the speaker who uttered it. The words were deep and thrummed with power that in such a yell shook the very ground beneath them ever so slightly. But what the true effect was the pain that radiated through the body of [member="Darth Carnifex"] as he spoke it. It was like the effect almost sped up the corruption within his cells, awakening a frenzied hunger to consume his vessel for the briefest of moments faster than felt before. Thankfully it was a brief incantation and the firerro DNA bred into his body was able to stave off the effect.

Every rune on the beast glowed brightly as it was said and suddenly the monster who went in for a renewed assault stopped in its tracks. It turned to face Darth Carnifex and dropped to its knees its claws slamming into the ground.

--------

A being as old as Darth Prazutis learned many things over the course of centuries, his long life let him see much of Zambrano history first hand and learn many articles of knowledge thought lost in the modern days. But the words that came out of Kaine's mouth were a lost, forgotten language that he knew of but didn't learn. There were some words he understood learned from the last wielders of such an art. The language died with the final death of the Defiler's son Dagon 'the Deceiver' Zambrano. It was called by many names over the years but only two stuck out over the tests of time: Deep Speech or Black Speech.

Most of the spells woven by Solomon the Black were done in this dark speech. Rumors even said it was an entirely new set of black magic the Defiler had unlocked after his mastery of Sith Magic. But he kept it a closely guard secret and only a few token individuals knew the dark arts besides himself. Talia, Dagon, and the greatest among his Sorcerer-Lords were privy to the black magic and speech. But it's widely believed to have died after the death of his son.

The Shadow Hand dusted himself off as he walked over to his nephew a surprised look on his face. "That was dark speech you just uttered my nephew. A long thought dead language used by Solomon the Black. Nearly all of his spells were said in that ancient language including the...eldritch magic he learned that went beyond the Sith arts. But it was thought to have died out after the death of his son Dagon."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"It is died out no longer, uncle."

The visions had faded, but the knowledge they had deposited in his mind remained. The runes upon the beast's body were as now clear to him as Galactic Basic would be to any other, and he marveled at their intricacy, their complexity. His gloved hand wandered over of the creature's flesh, gently tracing the outline of one of the woven runes. The beast breathed slowly as his hand came into contact with its skin, with only a slight rumble to signify that it was a living creature and not a statue despite how still it stood.

"The beast obeys my commands now, and so will anything else that still lurks within this tomb." He willed the beast to serve them, to act as their guardian through the rest of the tomb if it was able. "Now I suggest we continue onward."

[member="Darth Prazutis"]​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

There was something about that speech, that ancient language that resonated well within his very being. There were little differences between he and [member="Darth Carnifex"] and their blood ones that others wouldn't ever understand, only family would. While Braxus wasn't a pureblooded Zambrano like his nephew was he was from a generation far older. In turn his blood ran thick with the power of the dark side, a closer purer connection to the ancient line of Solomon the Black. In some ways that made him just as pure as his nephew. He received the same memories from their ancestor and was able to access tombs like this on his own, as well as becoming familiar with Black Speech in the moment.

​"I didn't see it before. I understand it now. My connection to Solomon's line is deeper stemming from my birth not too long after that time. Let us continue." Braxus said gesturing towards the door with a small glowing seal on the front of the large door. As soon as the Shadow Hand touched it the symbol let loose a light pulsed its unholy glow dissipating. But what came after for him and Kaine was much like before. Everything went black and for a moment they saw darkness, the vastness of the force and the great beyond before them. But quite suddenly they saw brief glimpses of thousands of memories before them as if they were looking through a kaleidoscope never getting a good luck at any one before they were sucked into one particular memory as if they'd stepped directly into another time, another world...

​The sun blazed overhead on this particularly humid day they stood in the center of a road just running through a huge military forward camp in the Lasian Riverlands the tents of crimson sat in perfect rows, the flag of Cropis sat next to the personal lion sigil of King Desiderius. The camp was a storm of traffic as troops scrambled, men passing by the seeming invisible pair muttering words like "Get ready to move out, were marching soon". But they were drawn into the sight of Solomon Zambrano in all of his glory, dressed in an armor of black and silver, the ancient wolflike sigil of House Zambrano emblazoned on the armor.

Solomon moved into a large military command pavillion, the main war tent for the camp and the one directly attached to that of King Desiderius's tent. There was a vast war table in the center of the room surrounded by large chairs with a throne at the one end. All around the table sat Generals from the various city states, the most prominent families on the world sat in the King's court. The King himself paced around the table slowly listening to his generals debate, but the Zambrano chair was noticeably empty.

"They outnumber us five to one here and they're on the move. They've brought in veterans from across the sector. The Lasian Riverlands are the staging area for this war. We need to pull our troops back to Canthar and regroup." ​General Luctacus said as attention was diverted to the newcomer in the room. "What is it boy?" Luctacus said the arrogance seeping from his high voice. "I am to meet my father here for the meeting, Lord Luctacus." Solomon replied back to the man. This seemed to vex the General Luctacus and it showed on his face "Your majesty this is a closed meeting and the Lord Zambrano isn't even near the region he do-"

​Just then the tent flaps were thrown open and every single general sitting at the table stood when Magnus the Red swept into the room wearing his trademark crimson armor. "I am right here Luctacus, I did have an incursion to put down in the west and just arrived now. My son is here to see how a true Lord holds court and I won't hear any arguments." ​Magnus said moving to a chair closest to the throne. The very aura of command, the legendary supreme confidence radiating from Magnus was overwhelming even among his fellow p​eers. This was to such an extent that a General even moved to another open seat allowing him to take a position of power next to the King's throne. "Now where were we?"

Solomon stood a few paces behind his father's chair as the man allowed the King to continue. As if the King and his court needed his permission if they were to continue planning. "As I was saying were greatly outnumbered and in over our heads in the Riverlands your majesty. I don't know what the Lord Zambrano was thinking when he convinced you to pull troops across the warfront to the Lasian Riverlands but it's our enemy's stronghold we need more to pull back." ​Luctacus said smugly. All around the table there were Generals chiming in many agreeing with the Lord Luctacus, the King himself finally chiming in "..You just might be right Lord Luctacus we n-".

Boom.

A massive fist crashed down onto the table from Magnus engulfing the room into a moment of silence as he briefly roared "SILENCE." Magnus stood up then, the fury was visible on his face and utterly terrifying to behold. So much so that even the King himself visibly quivered. "No you don't know what I am thinking Luctacus, how can a spineless coward understand the thoughts of a warrior. We are not pulling back, we are pushing forward immediately into the enemy force." Magnus rounded the table and grabbed Luctacus by the chestplate pulling him closer "If I hear you open your karking mouth one more time about this running away I'll break you in two and feed you and every coward who agreed with you to my dogs. Is that understood?" ​Magnus said, watching the man to make sure he agreed before pushing him back into his chair. "If any of you think about taking your troop​s home see how many flock over to my banners when they hear Magnus the Red is marching against the enemy, and we'll march on you after this war is over. Now if you excuse me Your Highness but I'm off to win your war for you." Magnus swept out of the room his son behind him, brushing past the King as he left.

"Spiness cowards every one of them. Let your sister know were moving out soon." ​Magnus ordered, not said to his son. Solomon nodded and made his way through the encampment then to the large tent that was in the Zambrano sector of the camp, just after his fathers and his own. When they entered the large tent and its lavish interior there she was.

Talia Zambrano. True to the legends Talia Zambrano was a sight to behold standing tall like her brother and lithe, like an Amazonian goddess with famous milky pale skin, deep emerald eyes and white-silver hair that was a rare trait in Zambrano women. Talia wore armor herself as she was a legendary fighter in her own right. The woman's face lit up as Solomon entered the room, and his lit up seeing her. They came together and embraced but not in the way siblings should this was something else, something romantic. "Not here Sol father can show up-" Talia moved to say a smile on her face but she was cut off by the man's kiss. It was long and deep true to the love they were rumored to have held for each other. "Fathers marshalling the troops were moving out Talia. We'll crush the enemy and then father will send us home to man the Dreadfort while he remains in Canthar for a time. Father's losing his patience for King Desiderius you should've seen him. I know him Talia I think Desiderius's days are numbered when this war is over. One last battle and we'll be together again back home where we belong." ​Solomon brushed a few hairs affectionately away from her face then.

Talia smiled "That's great Sol truth be told I didn't expect father to even last this long with them. How could a sheep like that possibly remain on the throne with a lion in his court. Father practically ran this entire campaign himself." Talia said. There it was the true Talia coming out as sharp as a knife's edge. "We'll get to be fully together without father watching over us Sol. I just need to kill that last suitor father's trying to set me up with first." History said she was brilliant, ruthless, cunning, and just as calculating as her husband it was always a marvel to known public panathan history that she wasn't married years earlier if it weren't for her suitors dying in mysterious circumstances. What was known only to the Zambrano records of history was that Talia's devotion and love for Solomon was so great, that she killed every suitor set for her choosing never to be with another.

"One last fight slaughtering these felines, together, and everything falls into place for us."

​The vision ended just then with the two passionately in embrace when they were brought to the site of an open door. The large hallways was carved with images of Sith Lords from the past and images of great Sithspawn beasts and dark side creations from magic and alchemy alike. Above all some of the ancient and greatest creations of Solomon the Black were depicted on these beautiful walls. There was a door at the end of this hall and it also continued down a right passage.

This hallways was lined with hidden explosive blue flame runes etched in the dark side, hidden in the nexus of this world. Inside this long hallway were four sentries made from a black iron metal, large and extremely resistant to forms of attack through its alchemical creation. A form of runic etchings similar to the ones on the Terentatek were etched into the stone would only become evident when the beasts revealed themselves, but they app​eared to be statues.

Unlike the previous black speech neither Braxus nor Kaine fully understood and fluently read or spoke this dark language, it was an eldritch language of the blackest accord neither had the occult mastery to use it as effectively as Solomon in a stable way.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The vision came and went, leaving the Sith Lord's mind awhirl with questions and speculations as to what he witnessed.

This time they had born witness to what had to be the twilight days of the Fanalis War, where their ancient ancestor Magnus the Red had driven the Epicanthix spear into the heart of the Fanalis threat; establishing their servitude under the Epicanthix for all time. According to the ancient texts still held by the Zambrano Family, it wasn't long before the final battle that the young Solomon faced tragedy and was reduced to a bitter cripple; disavowed by his own father and sent into exile to die a pariah.

Of course, Solomon found power beyond reckoning in his exile and came back a powerful sorcerer.

It was the blood of Solomon that ran through both of their veins, a legacy of darkness.

But the sight of Solomon enraptured by his own sister, Talia, disgusted the younger Zambrano. He had been born of such a coupling, and had forbid the practice upon his ascension to the head of the Zambrano Family. He voiced his thoughts to Braxus, "Perhaps if Solomon hadn't sought out such revolting affections in his sister our line could have been spared centuries of weakness. There is no such thing as blood purity, mingling in that manner only brought about tainted genes and deformities. I am fortunate to have evaded such gruesome maladies."

They entered another chamber characterized by four sentries wrought from black iron, a similar aesthetic found in the architecture of more modern Zambrano estates. Kaine remained wary, for if the previous obstacle proved anything...

The Tomb of Solomon was laden with danger.

[member="Darth Prazutis"]​