The temperature rose steadily in the room. It should have grown colder. That was how most experienced the dark side, it was a chill in the air, a hollow discomfort that bit into your bones. The chilling cold wasn't there, though, no... instead the temperature seemed to rise, cloying humidity clinging to those present. Warmth basking across them. Such was the heat of
PASSION. Nwul clenched his fists and raised his head high, feeling the power build, the fanaticism intensifying. The religious doctrine that he had created and imparted upon his followers was neither wholly the truth nor was it wholly incorrect. The Dark Side was the Dark Side, it was nature, power, freedom, strength, and the unabashed reality of the cosmos.
Reality was often filled with inconsistencies and deceptions.
He bore his teeth, this was his truth, this was just a layer of his passion. While their fanaticism was built on a half-truth, an incomplete understanding, his absolute devotion to the Dark Side was built on truth. He heard its voice, understood the whisper, and ensured that it's will would be done. In exchange...
His mind drifted as he felt the Jedi arrive and he let out a breath of satisfaction, the 'humble' Sith Knight, or that's what he called himself, inhaled as if he was breathing in a delicacy. His golden eyes, untainted by the redness that came with the corruption of rage and hate, opened and an unholy golden fog trailed from them as the power built in his chest.
"Ah... they're here..." He breathed just as an eerie whisper spread amongst the priests.
Pom Stych Tivé
had kindly alerted them as well, he felt their trepidation rise, another emotion that they, followers of the Full Spectrum, faced and converted into power.
Good.
"And your coming is well met, Priestess," He responded to her telepathic call with a whisper filled with passionate flame, heat billowing from the memories of a thousand lives he had consumed the minds of, each had moments of intensity and warmth that he shared with her as if it were but a humble handshake from afar.
"Revel in the moment, play to your hearts content, enjoy."
He sensed the deep devotion and belief of another...
Quintessa
... His lips twitched. While her belief was not for the dark side, but for her chosen Sith'ari... no... it was more than enough. She believed. That was all that mattered. He let the fire of passion build inside of her as well, granting her the flames of fanaticism as his meditative mind reached out to touch hers.
He looked down at his feet and saw his dear friend in deep meditation, his powers growing.
Darth Caedes
had always been so close to him, ever since their first meeting. He had come without question to provide more than a little aid. The King of Korriban himself. Nwul's eyes softened as he felt his friend's mind reach out. The depths of his darkness becoming more intense, more amplified. It was not fanaticism that drove him, but rather, belief of another kind. The depths of concentration and intense focus. Understanding... and more importantly.
"You feel it too..." He whispered as Caedes sunk into the dark side with him.
Zal Aditi
was there, standing with him. Her presence offering another layer of protection for the coming ritual. He felt her hunger, her desire for power. He smiled in approval, though he did not look her way, his eyes turning up towards the roof. The baseline power had almost built for the ritual.
His eyes fell shut and he cast his mind throughout the city, his connection to the indoctrinated civilians granting him perspective.
Adeline Noctua
, the devourer who had met him in a coffee shop. He knew she thought little of his eccentricities, but it was enough that she'd come. More interesting was her opponent. Little
Braze
... his lips curled into a smile. He was proud of the strength in the force the young man had developed, though they had parted philosophically. He felt a brotherly swelling in his heart that he drew on for strength. His thoughts turned to the other party in the battle, while he didn't know the jedi, unfortunately, he would be party to Nwul's games. His eyes fluttered and he grinned, picking that battle as one of his targets.
His next object of curiosity was his apprentice,
Shasill Kaarte
, the young man was still a long way from being a practicioner of the Full Spectrum. But he was growing, sure enough. He grinned a toothy grin, deciding not to provide his apprentice any help for the moment, wanting to see what he was capable of without his doting master providing him with strength.
And then... he exhaled with delight,
"Valery and Cora..." He breathed thoughtfully,
"They came together... oh I see... Master and Apprentice. Oh Cora," He chuckled and shook his head with a wry smile before rolling his eyes back into his head. His whisper crossing the city in an instant.
"Vaaaaaaaal~! So glad you could make it! It's my birthday! Did you bring me a present?" His jolly voice crawled towards
Valery Noble
.
"I'm waiting... don't die."
"Cora..." Was all he said in his whisper to
Corazona von Ascania
, but with it, came the same outpouring of feelings that she knew all too well.
With his greetings done, he clenched and unclenched his fists, rolling his neck. The power necessary for the ritual at last reached the point of no return. A faint pressure washed over the ritual hall and the priests dropped to their knees as one, prostrating themselves before the central sorcerer. Nwul nodded to them as the wry smile, the halmark of his face, the coy expression that nothing seemed to dissolve, fell from his face. All that was left was a steely determination.
"Let us pray." He intoned and began the first line of the spell.
"Tapti'zuir, nu kuris sua tave xarnait'ar-jen'qyasik. Nwul. Shasot'ari."* His mouth moved, but the words didn't come from his lips, instead, they seemed to ripple out from his body in a shockwave, cascading over all those present.
"Nu byloti nuyak vadiniti'ar, ir jen'qyasik dzwol-kin."*
The profane declaration swept across the spell circle again, lightning popping and snapping in the air before it settled across the ground, energy spreading like spilled soup. From it, black tendrils rose and wrapped around Nwul's arms as flames danced across his lips and eyes. The other priests followed suit, a low drone rising from them as they poured their minds into assisting the ritual.
"Kelisas Primyn, tu xarnait iv jena'tes. Kusk iv wonosa anas kash nenx j'usta. Tik pro shasot galez j'us vykti zhol!"*
The words erupted from his chest again and a swirling vortex of power began to form in the assembly hall, he had made his declarations, called upon the dark side, and issued his challenge. The dark side heeded him as he knew it would. Its eye was focused here, and soon... madness would spread. From within the buildings, civilians struck out, their eyes filled with madness and hatred for the Jedi. In their hands were flames, an army of dark-side powered pyromancers eager to burn the Jedi to the ground.
ROUND 2 CONDITIONS (9/10/23)
-
Shasill Kaarte
's battlefield will lose some of the dark side intensity there, his master demands that he prove himself with his own strength.
- Ripples of madness have begun crashing out across the area. Visions of past failures, mistakes, and opportunities for changed choices will plague those without strong enough mental defenses for the next round.
-
Braze
and his battle against
Adeline Noctua
has been targeted, whispers of the Mind-Eater's consumed memories have begun to plague the area and psionic feedback as begun to squeal in the vicinity. Unfortunately for
Jasper Kai'el
he has been caught up in Nwul's antics and suffers along with his comrade.
- The intensity of the dark side increases another stage, the air is now hot and stifling and emotions are even more difficult to control. Watch yourself, lest you let your emotions carry you away, Jedi.
- The locals have come out of hiding, wielding pyromancy through the flames of their passions. They are intent on incinerating anyone they find in their madness.
*Come and See, I am the Steward of the Dark Side, Nwul, Lord of Passion. I speak my title and the dark side abides with me. Go now you servants of darkness. Dream of freedom that is not yours. Only through passion may you take it!