Duel Reopening Old Wounds on Tython (Open 1-3 Jedi)

[Tythons Wound]

Tython
The Ritual Temple
Following: Birth

One By One​

Keth's most prize or hideous creation to date perhaps, was Tythons wound, born when reality was twisting into itself, at the height of a sith ritual that split this planet almost in two. The day had brought an entire moon down with it. Of course, the Sith Lord Keth tried to steal the glory from beyond the grave, and funnel all that death and woe into his own latest servant. It had failed to stand that day, but that was its shell, this was its birthed form.

Like all Kethenites they went right to the source of their power, to better understand what made them. Walking along the fault line that had birthed his creation, the chaos entity assessed how much damage had been done to the world, and how much he could do while he was here. Brazenly Tythons wound found the most strength here, walking toward their temple or what remained of it. What some considered the home of the Jedi. The pain, misery, and woe of its creation beat strongest in its heart of all places. The volcanos might have been silenced, the ground might have even begun to truly heal itself, no doubt with the Jedi's handy work.

Yet where this walking ritual walked, it could not help but wilt the flower, corrupt the roots of the tree, and feed back into the ritual that had left so many scars on this surface. It was not the only monster Keth had left here before he departed. The Scylla AI was still wrapping its way around the planetary core, and playing the very very long game of strangling this world from the inside out over centuries if not longer.

Vong crab shell armor was clearly visible around its host body, which today was a 6ft tall human male, taken in his twenties, carrying with it a vong-shaped mace. His eyes had a distinct red glow beneath the shell, and his skin was marred with what looked like black ash. In the force, you could see volcanic ash glowing around the being, and might know instantly where it had birthed from.

Its target? The local temple, or what was left of it. First the padawans, hunting them one by one. With the oversized mace in its hand, and a lightsaber in the other, it sensed a young force signature and drew forward, ready to consume the Jedi's future.

OOC: Joining Note

Spoiler

Up to Two Jedi Masters or One Master, and two non-masters is fine.
Tythons on Tython so I can be playing him as harder to kill, depending on how many want to join, i'll try to make it a match.

 

[Tythons Wound]

Tythons wound was not stopped in its course yet. While this might infuriate its Master, who was hoping to create a distraction or a sense of mistrust on the world, Tython himself was pleased. He might have free reign to paint this world in his own colors. Still moving along the fault line, where he felt most at home, the wound came to the force signatures. Four padawans at training in what should have been a lovely glade.

Passing through the undergrowth, it turned a sickly black. The glade's edge just starting to vaguely resemble the volcanic terror that he had been birthed from. The chaos entity reached them and they all froze in shock at seeing this thing, this twisted horror smile. The expression across the lips of the wound, was like another wound on a face that shouldn't exist.

Four would require assistance to subdue. So behind him moved his twisted shades, three force phantoms to assist. The visage of those they were connected to, coated in an unnatural smokey shadow. A simple bothan farmer, a human soldier, and worst of all, a young mother of three. All were linked to these creatures, and all were drained or suffered as they did. It was the vilest form of sith sorcerery that one could undertake.

All four attackers found a partner, and their dance started.

Tythons mace swung to the side, and the young Jedi facing him made a block, which to a saber would have worked well. For the weight of a mace, his training was insufficient, and the vong mace went through the block, pushing him and his weapon straight into a tree. Probably breaking every rib the young padawan had.

Others faired differently, one was holding his own against the phantom's black blade, one was already in pain on the floor, and one was trying to run. They didn't want them dead, but they couldn't have them fleeing either. Focusing on the space ahead of the runner, the air began to heat up and burn. Soon the space around the fleeing padawan followed. It wasn't pleasant.

The odds began to shift, and the remaining padawans' time was running short, facing four opponents, he soon fell to his knees bloodied and beaten.

Time to visit an old friend. An old ritual site. The group carried the three living jedi with them and began to walk that way.

 

[Solan Halcyon]

​

Tython
Near some old ruins.


Shani had already been ready before the other Jedi in the area had been alerted - her training as a shadow and attunement to the force allowed her to feel the overwhelming tide of darkness approaching one of the outbuilding temples and the slight disturbances in the world's climate were readily felt through her Montrals - the barefoot knight immediately broke a sprint in the direction of the rising turmoil, hoping to meet whatever threat had arrived before it could threaten any of the Padawans undergoing trials or training on the scarred yet unbroken Jedi homeworld. Behind her came another pair of knights, sentinels she believed, with bondar-crystal lightsabers already drawn.

Crisis​

Nearing the end of her all-out sprint, Ashla pushing her past her normal limits, Shani discarded her cloak, withdrawing her Bo Staff and lunging towards one of the Force Phantoms, feeling the life force of an innocent being channeled and drained by this ungodly magick, not waiting for her back up to catch up. Pushing the absolute horror that such a disgustingly evil power induces out of her Mind, Shani swung her stunning staff towards the phantom envisaged as a young woman.

Planting her feet on the ground, she stared down the violent and vile entity that appeared to be leading these shadows, spinning her staff into an offensive stance, her orange eyes burning with determination. Making a short glance to her swords - ready to draw them from their scabbards at a moments notice, she spoke to the being, her calm voice hiding a most unsettled mind with a burning desire for justice. "I can't allow you to take these Padawans any further. And I cannot allow you to continue to twist Ashla's will as you have. If you surrender now, I will show mercy. I cannot promise your survival if you continue down this path"

Tythons Wound

​

 

[Tythons Wound]

Location: Near the old temple ruins.
Enemies: Solan Halcyon and Ashla.

The Phantom she struck felt the sting, as did who it was connected to. It was a mercy because the shadowy mother fell to the ground, stunned for now. Her injured padawan lay in her arms, much the same as she would have once carried her own children. A black mirror and mockery, like all of this was.

As the others paired off, black blades clashed against Jedi weapons. The wound looked at Shari Tari, and it felt something, familiar. Faith, that taint within her, Ashla. Its bane. Confirmed when she said the name.

"The shield and light," it repeated, remembering the feeling.
You will not lose yourself, never. This is your reward. - Words of Ashla

When the walking ritual had been defeated by the light of Ashla and the electric strike of Jedi Master Caltin Vanagor . The shade had bled the ritual toward the light of her force gods avatars, its champions and chosen. Attempting to taint them, to make them suffer. The souls contained within it burst outward in a chaotic madness, which summed up that day on Tython well.

What was left was what she saw now. A twisted chaotic shell.

"Do they suffer," its eyes flashed. Then it looked at the phantoms, and their connection to Tython's people, the same way it was connected to this place. A chain of suffering that went back to its creator and his Master. The heavy Vong mace rose up and smashed the ground to unsteady her, trying to force her back.

Living Fire

Like the volcanic madness it was birthed from, a ball of living fire started to coalesce between them, warming the air.

"What can you promise me?"

What could this walking wound ever be?

With a burst of flame the living fire rushed at her, trying to consume Shari as one more victim within the many that had died here. A simple entity, single-minded but dangerous to connect with. Tackling it might prove interesting.

 

[Solan Halcyon]

​

Tython
Near some old ruins.

Feeling the warmth of Ashla flow through the planet, Shani planted her staff into the ground, focusing the Force outwards and sending a burst of energy towards the living fire - hoping to knock it off course, if not destroy it. This thing was most certainly dangerous, and very powerful. While Shani still wished - oh so much - that she would be able to somehow serve as a gateway to redemption, its continued attacks on her proved its intentions - and gave her a level of clarity.

Finally stopping to pay attention to her surroundings, the Togruta realized now what was not apparent in the chaos of her arrival. Standing before her wasn't just another lost soul given unto oblivion by the temptations and tortures of life but in essence a black hole in the force: feeding off of the life-force of the land as it wandered, plunging all life around it into the darkness of chaos and death. While she wanted to hold out hope - her instincts and feelings told her this... thing was incapable of being bargained with. "I can promise that I will do what I must. I will grant you merciful death."

Assuring herself that her staff was solidly planted in the Ground, Shani removed from its scabbard her katana, Maksur. As soon as she adopted a Shien stance, the sword held in front of her head and parallel to the ground, the darkened metal began to glow with its signature aura - a whirlwind of flower petals dancing around it, glimmering in a soft rose-colored hue. Allowing the apparition and the crystal within her blade to ease her mind and focus on Ashla's will, Shani immediately entered an almost eerie state of calmeness, all of her energies being dedicated to the task at hand. Quickly retrieving her other blade, Maksayr, the Jedi stared right through her opponent, allowing him to make the next move as she tapped into Ashla's wellspring, steeling her resolve as the Force strengthened mind, body, and soul alike.

 

[Tythons Wound]

Location: Near the old temple ruins.
Opponent: Solan Halcyon

Shani made a good counter to the acolyte's living fire, not touching or striking it was wise. The entity flicked, convulsed, and looked like it was going to hold together. Slowly beginning to consume itself, it still rushed the Jedi but all that was left when it reached her was a warm refreshing breeze. It was a technique that might get more powerful for the acolyte in time, but not this day.

Once this place had been bathed in lava, cutting only small islands for survivors to cling to. Seeing one such scarred marking on the ground. Tython's wound did something unexpected perhaps, it knelt down and pressed its hands against the marred ground. Old ruined history beneath their feet, its birthplace.

~More generous than I will be.~ It spoke through the force to her.

Drain Force

Ruins blackened and cracked further. The wound smiled its sickly red expression. It was goading the Jedi. While she had Ashla's wellspring, he had Tython's black mirror, a complete opposite in polarity. Taking a feed out of the force's energies to bolster himself. The second she flinched or moved, even blinked or made any act whatsoever to stop this, was when he fired.

Sith Barrage

Condensing the energy through the earth, static betrayed what was about to happen. Given her distance, the wound made the most of it. Three bolts of force lightning leaped out of the ground from between them. Bolts hurtling toward her, not a stream. Intended to strike like a storm might, each discharging their energies in a blast.

~I am tython.~ It claimed.

It would be again. To consume all of its birthright.

 

[Solan Halcyon]

​

Tython
Near some old ruins.

A premonition of a bolt of lightning flying towards her appeared in the Togruta's mind, just seconds before she raised her sword and the lightning itself raised out of the ground striking towards her. Leaping into the air and stabbing the tip of her sword into the ground, she launched her elbow towards the lightning while placing just the tip of her thumb on the back of the blade, the pain causing her to clench heavily on the sword as the bogan-infused bolts of lightning went to ground. Landing on her feet, the knight immediately launched herself into a dead sprint toward the assailant, praying that Ashla would give her the strength and resilience to defeat this adversary, one way or the other.

With each step, her feet made deeper marks as the steps became heavier and she sped up to a blazingly fast speed. Using the final split second of her sprint to center herself in the force once more, she threw her smaller blade toward Tython's mace arm, hoping to distract him as she brought her Katana down and across his shoulder, aiming to separate his lightsaber-arm from his body entirely, hopefully driving him to surrender, though if he insisted on continuing this fight, one less weapon would make her task far easier.

Tythons Wound

 

[Tythons Wound]

Location: Near the old temple ruins.
Opponent: Solan Halcyon

Having knelt gave his opponent her advantage, his way of connecting with the force was still in its infancy, needing tactile touch or direction. Pushing his visor down and rising to meet her, if anything too confident in his abilities. Her small blade found its mark, chipping the Vong Crab shell at the right elbow, and turning him into her next attack. With his twisted momentum, she hit home well. Tython felt the string of the blade coming down forcefully against the left shoulder, almost cracking the outer vong crab shell.

There was a distinctive grunt of pain.

Moving the shoulder to pivot to her left against and around the blade, his sickening red smile continued behind the mask. The wound brought his rightside vong mace down in a smashing blow, aiming across her left knee and foot, attempting to take some mobility or unsteady her.

He moved his maroon red lightsaber defensively outward ahead of him, held from left knee to right shoulder, forcing the issue of space. Attempting a measured lunge against her blade, looking to lock or hold the main weapon in place. A careful fighter, with no innate or discernible form yet, the beam did provide an obstacle to overcome or use. The creature's style was still establishing itself, like its identity, if it lived long enough to create one.

"Give Ashla my love." An echoing, hollow voice proclaimed. As if it was lining up for a killing blow.

 

[Solan Halcyon]

​

Tython
Near some old ruins.

A last second slack of the knee kept the mace from doing permanent injury to the knee, but knocked Shani just off balance enough that had barely enough time to pull her blade between herself and the saber - force pulling the smaller blade to her right-hand to strengthen her block. Channeling her presence in the force, she pushed herself and her assailant back and away from each other. She adopted a Jar'Kai Stance with her swords as she planted her feet in the ground.

Using the force to achieve lightning-fast speeds, she launched herself back at the enemy, unleashing a quick flurry of cross-body and cross-neck slashes with her sword, looking for any way past the enemy's defenses. As she did so, she was completely unaware that, while it wasn't fully injured, her knee was starting to buckle - still reeling from the impact it had absorbed earlier. If her enemy noticed this, it would be a perfect opening to unbalance her again - and perhaps do some lasting damage that would make this fight even harder on the Togruta.

Tythons Wound

 

[Tythons Wound]

Tython overconfidently still didn't have a clearly defined form or style, or the deep and necessary training to rely on. Only glimpses of history and the dead that he was made out of it, it was chaotic, wanting subtle Makashi but being unable to balance it. Wanting Djem So but being too cautious in his follow-through. Caught between the lightness of the saber, and bound to the weight of the mace.

Shani's slashes found penetration against a wild mace counter rising upward, trying to knock the blades clear. Slicing and cutting the armor across his torso and glove holding the weapon. Clawed pieces of the crab armor were clearly damaged around the chest, almost ruptured, and left it further weakened at the connecting points to the left shoulder. Each blow brought the wound closer to the reality of the fight, and the shell coming off his naivety.

Her opponent staggered under the hits, unable to take conscious advantage of her knee, only indirectly for an attack. Jamming the heavy mace forward to her torso, then sweeping it up toward her chin, away and stepping backward for further space to consider his next move. The adhoc style fell into a series of lunges with the saber, content on pulling back and keeping his opponent at range. There was a timing to it and he might maintain distance but that's all there was so far.

Rallying himself and looking for the right moment, he punched the mace forward again. This time moving his saber along the underside like a cutting board, slicing it along toward her waist, the real danger from below.

Solan Halcyon

 

[Solan Halcyon]

Tython
Near some old ruins.

Lunging to the side while using her blades to block the saber and mace from impacting her, Shani was shocked as both of the swords flew several meters away from where the two force-users were presently clashing, releasing a powerful force push to separate her and the Wound. Trying to force the issue wasn't working - it was time for the intrepid knight to try something a little different.

The Togruta shut her eyes - feeling the living force around her, letting her feelings to drain out of her heart and her mind to empty of all apprehensions. Crossing her arms over her chest, she gestured her fists downward as she channeled and focused the warm of Ashla through her body and unleashed a sphere of raw Force energy at her opponent, unconsciously raising her fists in an attack stance afterwards, as her eyes became steely and her determination fierce.

"I will show you mercy once more — Leave this planet now, or face the full force of Ashla's justice."
Tythons Wound

 

[Tythons Wound]

The past is always a weapon - A Kethenite Law.
Tag: Solan Halcyon ​

With a great pulse of energy, the shockwave hit him center mass, sending him flying back into a nearby tree with a crack. The armor took a lot of the impact but he was dazed, and there were the first visible ruptures in the Vong Crab armor across the torso. It was a wise attack to use against him, and the bonds that held the chaotic entity together were tested. There was a visible static energy effect on the creature for a time.

Waves of Darkness

Waves of darkside energy began to rise from her feet. Confusion. Doubt. Even compulsion if left long enough. Lacking some veracity, this was an acolyte, not a Lord. Just enough to perhaps tempt her. Taint. Calling to her more emotional impulses in faint voices. Some voice she might even recognize that had passed, was it a shadow of them, or were they trapped somehow? Could she free them? Was that her duty?

Finish him. Kill him. Cleanse this world. He's a blight. Protect the others. Show no mercy. You are the sword. The light. Ashla needs you. We need you. Help us. There is no redemption. Only pain. Suffering. Help. Kill him. Please.

The darkness whispered, tugged, and called in a multitude of dead voices. Lies. Betrayal. What was truth? What was real? Did she see their silhouettes, their fading images? The sensation might be confusing, off-putting, trying to unsteady her. Behind his helmet, the wound smiled as the many dead souls that had birthed him, were twisted into voices emanating from the Jedi's most sacred of planets. Whether they were real or shades, images of what was...

And this was only the beginning of the black mirror this thing could evolve into.

I will show you mercy once more — Leave this planet now, or face the full force of Ashla's justice.

"Kretjck asjke nkeona kutrnla" He began reciting his own sith ritual under his breath. A ritual from a ritual.

Sith Barrage Take Two

There was a fair distance between him and her after her attack. While that was going on, trying to cloud her mind, giving her reason to doubt. This time static pooled either side of Shani. From the ground, a Sith Barrage launched three bolts from both directions in a pincer attack. It was less intense than a single direction, but the confusion was perfectly Kethenite in its execution.

Could she ground two attacks at once?

A faintest of force suggestions might find root here, within a redeemer's mind. What might it take to redeem a wound?

 

[Solan Halcyon]

​

​

As the Waves of darkness started to fall over Shani, she could hear - no, feel - a chorus of voices screaming out at her demanding she kill this being. demanding her anger and hatred conspire to destroy him. A twinge of her heart could recognize some of the voices - the vague feeling that they might have been people she had killed back in her childhood - but the memories of those voices just weren't there, and she had to defend herself from these feelings of impending doom.

Placing her hands out and gesturing around her, she erected a barrier of force energy, removing her Shinobue from her belt. Allowing herself to fall into a meditative trace as she began to play. Focusing the Barrier on incoming waves of dark-sided energy, she was able to turn them back, and was even able to defend herself from two of the incoming bolts, though the last struck her in the side - causing great pain as she tried to direct it down through her feet and to the ground.

Focusing all of her power in response, she would release a part of her energy in another burst of raw energy, while focusing the rest of it into a cascade of stunning energy, attempting to render her opponent incapacitated - If she could at all save him, this was going to be her last attempt. As soon as this quick two-part attack was released, she fell even deeper into her trance, unleashing her valor and fighting spirit and adopting an Echani fighting stance.

If this failed - she would have no choice but to cleanse the Galaxy of another poor soul imprisoned by Bogan.

Tythons Wound

​

 

[Tythons Wound]

No defensive means to block meant Shani was seriously wearing the entity down. Taking half the cascade, all he could do was pull a bit of old temple rubble in front of himself to partially block the rest. The being's nervous system was severely tested, a dulling sensation gave away and her opponent fell to one knee. Curiously its host's head began to sink, the entity which inhabited it was almost pulling at the seams. That was the static around it, you could see the creature wrenching to try and get up against the host. The difference between the creature and the human Tython inhabited was becoming clearer.

It leaned forward, swaying back upright, then fell again with both hands flat.

And it began to FEED.

Feeding like it had never hungered before. The ground blacked further around it, running out of life energy to take. There was only so much. A dead tree lost all the offshoots that were trying to grow, and a small animal collapsed. Thankfully Shani was far enough away but maybe even she felt the drain. Keth had created or shaped two who fed off the force, and obviously, both hated each other.

This one also….

BURNED EVERYTHING

Underground air heated up, and pressure built, emanating from the earth like most of its techniques. A crack parted, pressure continued to rise and fire erupted like a match was lit. Flames began to burst out of the ground, trying to recreate the volcanic act of its birth. It was a small localized act, not lava so much as an inferno of superheated air and dust. Air pressure pushed toward Shani, the stream was held in place to burn her out of existence.

Still on the ground. The entity was tiring badly, and despite its techniques to drain, was beginning to look unsteady. The inferno was weakening, its force connection feeling strained. Still, it was a dangerous place to be. As if any Kethenite knew when to stop….

Solan Halcyon

 

[Solan Halcyon]

So Be it.

Her opponent had rebuffed any attempts she made to spare him - and this overuse was wearing her thin. Despite all of her misgivings, the Shadow was resigned to do the one thing that she had avoided here. Releasing a wave of force energy outwards to push the inferno away from her - it still bringing enough heat close to her to leave painful scald marks up and down her arms - Shani recalled her katana to her hands, leveling it at her enemy.

"I've offered you nothing but mercy on this battlefield - now I must end you. I pray Ashla has mercy on you in the next life."

Using its natural ability to channel the light into it, she focused all of Ashla's warmth that she could into the blade and put all of her own energy into it as well - its Rose sheen of its aura becoming brighter until it was blinding golden light. Welling up what strength she had left - the battle having taken her to the brink even with the force within her - Shani planted planted her feet into the ground, digging her toes into the scorched dirt for an even better grip, and pulling herself into an Ataru stance

Sprinting forward at an inhuman, breakneck speed, the Togruta raised her sword above her head as she approached the opponent, bringing the sword down upon him like a bolt of lighting striking from the sky. Digging the light-infused sword as deep into her opponent's armor as possible, she would finish this attack by channeling the force through her feet - kicking off of the enemy and falling to one of her knees a few meters a way, pulling her Wakizashi to her hands in a feeble guard - offering some weak form of resistance in case he found the strength to attack again.
Tythons Wound

 

[Tythons Wound]

Forever in the shadow till their use ran out.​

Flat on the floor, mercifully for the force entity, her attack came down on his back, probably the only place he hadn't yet been struck. What wasn't merciful was the overcharged use of light, that seared him more than her piercing wound. The tip of her blade did enter his back, lodged into bone.

Shadowy wispy voices, echoes of what was screeched and wailed. Falling silent.

All the arrogance of a newly born sith apprentice had gone. Not dead but brought to reality fully in the most painful lesson possible. There was parity, a realization, and understanding like many of Keth's creations found at the end. Was it the end of the Kethenite? Or was there a sacrifice here that could be made to grow stronger? Another high kethenite law.

The immense pain of having that light-filled weapon, even the tip of it cutting into him was beyond words. Beyond the rational understanding of the host's mind. He couldn't pull it out because he couldn't touch it. Like an animal stuck in an electric fence, feeling pain and constantly shocked if it moved to do anything.

Somewhere from a distant ridge on Tython, a Dead Sith Lord watched this creation, to see what would happen next. Death or sacrifice would be decided in the next few seconds. There was a pressured concentration on them both.

"You think you've won." The echoes of voices crackled, forming static around the entity. "That any of this matters." The breaths were growing shorter. "He'll send another, and another and another…" Reaching out a hand to try and find a weapon but none were close enough.

Death it was, and the host passed quietly, the pain subsiding. Shadow separated from host. Rising up to its full height. Perhaps this is what it always was to be. Towering over her and looking down. Entirely incorporeal. It recoiled fully from her blade's light. Lingering, waiting for any question or action. The pull to its plane of existence would not take long.

"I will grant you one request and one question." The entity's cold voice stated. Strange to offer this but not so strange if you understood its nature. Neither here nor there, torn between worlds, created out of something that it or anyone else could never understand. Certainty or permanence were not words it understood. Free of a host and malleable as this entity was, the request was only limited by her imagination and Keth's ever-reaching grasp.

Binding itself here for as long as it could. She would have any truth it knew, and any request she wanted it would try to grant.

Solan Halcyon