Faction The Knights Gather in Shadow

[Jin Kyrel]

Location: Exegol, Asteroid Sanctum.
Tags: Varos Ren Anak Darkstar Surea
Katachi Ren Terraxia

Exegol! Detritus had heard of the dark evil that haunted the Unknown Regions. The place where Kyrel Ren, the World Eater himself had died for the last time. Where his father had died for the last time. He didn’t know what to expect here when The Night Vulture dropped out of hyperspace. There was nothing save for what remains of the world, a field of asteroids some big some small, some entire chunks of the planet floating about, but all he could see was nothing. What was left to feel? A void of swirling darkness, a void that didn’t lack for he could hear whispers of a different sort, ghosts perhaps? The shivers that ran up and down his spine looking through from the cockpit of the Vulture, he was in awe of what was before him. In some way he could feel him here…

What was more astonishing was he saw a piece of the planet remained with the asteroids. Albeit that piece looked more like a dying husk. Stabilized in what would describe as a walking corpse. The dark side resided strongly, and as Detritus reached out he sensed a fortress, a temple of sorts was under construction. Compelled to investigate further, he would guide the Night Vulture through the debris field. The ship roared as its engines accelerated, leaving a trail of black smoke in his wake. Since Batuu Detritus sought to gather those that heeded the call of the World Eater. Its Maw would appear to some in dreams, its swirling, fiery abyss a warning to some, a welcome to others for a new people would come to the galaxy, and they were very angry.

Clutching to the ancient scroll that showed him the way, the ship would head straight towards the strange structure built to this floating ruin of a world. The Night Vulture would slowly descend onto a makeshift landing pad, where Detritus wasted no time assembling his Knights. “Gather to me my Knights… We have received another sign in the path towards rebirth… A structure that swirls with the Shadow… The World Eater graces its very presence. Perhaps he leads us here..” He sounded as if given a vision from the dark God himself. His helmeted visage lowered down in prayer. “In the depths of darkness, we find strength, for it is within the shadows that our true purpose is revealed. Unyielding to the temptations of apostates, we embrace the chaos, for it is through turmoil that we forge our destiny. In the face of uncertainty, our conviction remains unshaken, for we are the Knights of Ren, and in our unity, we find power.” He would say as he slowly led his Knights down the landing ramp leading to this mysterious sanctum.

From the outside it looked like the dark fortress had been hollowed out close to a piece of an asteroid. There was an ash ridden surface, while fires would ignite in small crater It reminded Detritus of his father’s fondness for a similar place in Fortress Vader. He wondered if there was a reason the Knights were brought here? Slowly he stopped before a pair of obsidian doors, massive in size. Before Detritus could reach out to open the doors with the Shadow, the doors had slowly opened.

What looked like a desolate rock on the outside was not on the inside. The interior of the inside was carved out in obsidian halls, dimly lit by a red light brought forth from what caused an intense heat, as if a forge or if fire flowed through the very structure. All the while Detritus could feel the Shadow consume him, as if he wanted to fly, or if he was invulnerable. It took a moment before his eyes locked onto a hooded figure, he looked familiar. Was he a Ren? Detritus slowly pulled the hilt of The Ren out, keeping it away from the sight of the masked stranger as if not to attack him, yet.

“Greetings Child of the Dark Cosmos. Have you come to follow the Shadow. To walk before the Knights of Ren?” He would greet the man, stepping closer to him. Awaiting an answer to know he would strike. If this was a pretender he would know quickly, and in either case a demonstration of strength before the Knights was in order. His eyes narrowed through the red visor of his mask.

 

[Varos Ren]

The Shadow Sanctorum. That is what Varos Ren had come to call the project he had begun months ago. When he had come to Exegol as a pilgrim, he had found the ruins of a mighty fortress floating through the ruins of the world, somehow mostly intact. He had been drawn to the ruin. He did not know if it had been by the hand of the Shadow itself, or other means, but he had found the fortress among all the rest. He had brought in resources, his own and other contracted through less savory means of the galaxy, to pull the section of the dying world away from the worst of the spinning debris. Generators had been placed to hold the fragment in a safe orbit, and the work had begun.

Varos had been spending more and more time in the Sanctorum, exploring the caves and tunnels that were being carved through the fragment of Exegol. Rather than a standardized construction with durasteel hallways and perfectly measured and symmetrical rooms, the Sanctorum was being carved with blade and fire, leaving unusual, and still highly dangerous passageways. Some corridors ended in sheer drops, others were interrupted by lava falls. Chaos, confusion and mystery. All tools of the Shadow, and they would be represented in this hallowed place, the home of those who swore to the Shadow.

Varos was in his personal chamber, a circular room with a carved indention in the wall that served as a bed, when a warning came to his gauntlet. A ship had just landed, using one of the landing pads that had been built to ferry in resources for construction efforts. The sensors did not recognize the vessel, and there were no scheduled shipments for at least another week. Rage shot through Varos as he turned, shooting his hand out and drawing his newly claimed lightsaber to him. The blade had been claimed within the halls of the Sanctorum, and he relished the Dark Side energy that poured from the crystal within.

Varos makes his way through the corridors of the Sanctorum, coming to the entrance in minutes. During that time, he had reached out with the Force and probed the edges of the being that he sensed approaching. A fellow servant of the Dark Side, at the very least, but it was too soon to tell whether or not they could be considered an ally or foe.

When he did eventually make it to the entrance, he was faced with another being that, even though Varos had never met them before, he could tell they were a Knight of Ren. The Shadow beat within their soul along with the tendrils of the Dark Side, and his words further reinforced and confirmed his guess. Varos was silent for several moments, his eyes narrowed as he looked the figure before him over. He had not know that other Knights of Ren survived, though he had hoped.

"My name," he said, "is Varos Ren, Knight of the Shadow." Varos's voice came through the voice grill of his helmet, distorted to give it a more menacing resonance. He lifted his hand, igniting the crimson blade of the lightsaber he held and pointed it towards the stranger, the crossguard blades activating a moment later. "I do not recognize you, stranger, yet you say you walk the Shadowed Path as I do. I sense the Shadow within you. It is the way of the Knights of Ren to know who is their superior, their leader. That title belongs to the strongest of our kind. I do not know you, and you do not know me, so let us find out who is the superior."

Jin Kyrel

 

[Lord Kizash]

Exegol. I heard the stories and history of this place. I had seen it in my "dreams", If i cant even call them that anymore, and now that I was here in the flesh...It was just another piece of rock floating in the Universe. The only thing left on the planet was pain. And pain I knew well. Didnt take long to land, not on the surface though, Inside the planet.

Thats what it felt like at least.

With a slow stride I exited the ramp of my commandeered vessel and took in the interior design of the planets bowels. Fortified with durasteel, obsidian and too many materials for me to care for. In another lifetime I would of enjoyed this more but that time had pasted. Through seemingly empty halls I strolled. The echo of heavy reinforced boots sounding, dim light giving detail to subtle features on my person.

Heavy boots, Dark blood stained trousers, A black and red cloak opened down the middle revealing a bare chest. In this dim lighting my features almost looked normal and yet with each light I passed more and more details were revealed. Slightly pale skin that was host to scars, bruises, burns, blackened veins and various other testaments to my physical condition. Which was more than I could say for the two figures in front of me.

I never liked masks. They always got in the way.

My gaze fell on Varos Ren and Jin Kyrel , Two individuals that seemed to have something to prove? This will be good. Already I could observe the tension and judging by the apparel and choice on weapon, least from one of them, I knew what these two were.

Knights of Ren. No. These so-called knights, I found to be a sorry excuse. Immaturity oozes from them as they revel in their pseudo-power. As if wielding a lightsaber makes one invincible. Pathetic. Children playing with the power they barely comprehend. Here I was, forced to endure the agony of Exegol's embrace, surrounded by fools who mistake arrogance for strength. And the best part was, Exegol agreed with me. The planets pain mirroring my sentiments.

"Heheh. Guess I call next." I said. Coming closer I couldnt help but feel a chuckle escape my breath before crossing my arms and leaning on a nearby wall. A chuckle that turned to a light laugh interrupted by a cough, then a hack that brought a spray of bloody droplets to the floor. A simple action that caused me to wipe my mouth and wheeze on inhale.

 

[Cairan Shannon]

Location: Exegol
Tags: Jin Kyrel | Lord Kizash | Varos Ren | Anak Darkstar | Surea | Katachi Ren | Terraxia ​

Exegol.

A shattered world radiating with the powers of the darkness, a shattered world radiating with hatred. So much death and destruction had takrn place on the broken planet, so much loss and sadness. For most people, it would likely be too much to bear. For most people, the hatred and sadness would likely send them insane before they even got close to the ruins of the planet.

Cairan thrived on it though. He felt at home, a place that finally matched the thoughts in his head. For so long, he had been alone with the thoughts, thoughts of hatred and now he had found an entire shattered planet that matched those thoughts. He felt comfortable surrounded by the feeling of death and destruction, for he had caused much of it himself.

Yet he was around Exegol for a different reason. He hadn't visited to feast upon the darkness radiating from what was once a planet. Instead the madman was answering a call from the force. He had felt a tugging, almost as if the force was guiding him to where he was meant to be for the next stage of his journey. He wasn't sure what he would find in orbit of Exegol, but he was truly excited to find out.

The ship he had stolen had been abandoned the other side of the asteroid. The butcher had decided to walk the rest of the distance, trusting in the force that it would lead him exactly where he was meant to be. It would allow him to be slightly more discreet as well if he opted to approach on foot.

He stood in the shadows.

Walking had taken time, but he had gotten on with it and moved. He had followed the guidance and the will of the force and had come across a group of people gathered around. He had heard the speech from the person whom Cairan assumed was the leader of the group. He had stood in the shadows and watched as a second male pointed a lightsaber towards him.

He stood in the shadows. And he studied.

 

[Anak Darkstar]

The Dark Star hurled towards the fragment of Exegol like a shadow comet, the tendrils of Typhojem shaped vessel moving through the blackness of space slowly. As it made for the surface, the tentacles of great squid shaped ship shifted forward and as the thrusters reversed, the serpents of shadow plunged into rock and tethered the vessel to this splinter of the once hollowed world.

Descending the ropes was shadows in shapes of men, though features altered to fill the nightmares of the living.

A capsule began to descend like a coffin, and once it met the surface, the shell opened with such violence as a torrent of blood red tentacles came forth and began to craw across the rock earth towards The Gathering. The Shadows followed the Red Serpents which carried its center like a chariot, inside was the form of a man, a mask emerging with visor made of tendrils as it peered ahead, and saw the conclave of the Knights of Ren.

Here the parasitic first knight of the reborn Knights of Ren came upon the scene, the Master Jin Kyrel being challenged for lordship. The tentacles of Anak Darkstar reshaped into bipedal legs, and he stepped out with a black cape, and hood from his own serpentine carriage which folded into his back like recoiling veins. Darkstar then took a knee before his Supreme Leader, the only one who both he and his nightmarish symbiote would submit.

 

[Jin Kyrel]

Location: Exegol, Shadow Sanctorum
Tags: Varos Ren Lord Kizash Anak Darkstar Cairan Shannon


Detritus would stand before the masked figure. Approaching slowly, and while greeting him in his holy mantra, he didn’t intend to back down without a fight. The others had gathered to him, many who had answered his call to follow. The Knights stood behind him, and all would watch expectantly as this man before him would answer. The one that called himself Varos spoke devotedly, but obviously he was behind the times. There was one to embody the will of the Shadow, and that was himself.

Detritus would stand before the man, yet before he could speak he could feel eyes watching them. Someone would observe the two, perhaps in curiosity. His Knights and the Shadow would watch waiting to see what would become of this contest. “Yes, the Shadow surely favors the strong. As is custom among the Ren one cannot ignore the challenges for leadership. If words will not resolve this… Then I believe there is only one way.” Detritus would pause as he clutched the hilt of his saber tightly to his grasp.

Varos would activate a crimson blade. This crimson blade was followed by the reveal of the Crossguard vents. This man had adopted the ways of the Ren in both weapon, name and trappings. Did he have the strength? That was yet to be seen. Detritus would finally activate his saber. With a crackle his fiery orange blade emerged. It wasn’t at powerful as Varos with pure Kyber cutting quality. No, his saber “The Ren” Had a wicked nature. Able to cut into his enemies only to leave nasty burns and cuts. His saber was equipped with a Crossguard, yet he didn’t activate the secondary function, not yet. His saber produced a strange hum, like that of its color the hum sounded like a fire crackling.

“Now under his watchful eye, let us pray..” Detritus would say with snarl, raising his fiery blade would he move to launch the first strikes. His first attempts were to probe Varos. Aiming to know his weak spots, there were elements of power into his strikes, as if one were to wield a hammer bashing against nails. His movements while ferocious didn’t show his anger, not yet while the orange and crimson blades clashed violently against each other.

 

[Varos Ren]

GATHERING SHADOWS

Others had come. One after another, moving in from the darkness. He sensed their coming, felt their presence in the Force and through the Shadow draw closer, but he paid them no mind. They were not his focus, not his priority. His focus was the being before him, the one who claimed to the mantle of leadership through his words, though not spoken quite that plainly. He was a threat, a power to be reckoned with, and a tool to be utilized if Varos proved to be the stronger of the two. One could not waste the gifts of the Shadow when presented.

When his foe moved, Varos was prepared. Long years of training before he had ever fallen to the Shadow kicked in, and his blade swung in a series of defensive strikes. He had cut ties with his old life, but the training of a Jedi was not so easily discarded, nor should it be entirely. As the duel began, Varos watched his opponents movements, allowing muscle memory to guide his blade in deflecting and redirecting strikes. He watch his foes muscles tense and move, glanced down at his footwork, and reached out with the Force to probe his mind and thoughts to see if any edge could be gained, any weakness found.

After a minute of defensive work, Varos decided to change things. After deflecting another strike, he changed his posture. His grip tightened on his blade, and in the same move that pushed his foes blade away, Varos launched forward into a series of rapid strikes. His offensive style focused on fast moving, constant aggression. Every strike flowed into the next, all while a defensive screen was maintained. He pushed hard, attempting to use his foes larger, heavier strikes to throw him off balance with two or three quick cuts for every blow sent Varos's way. Varos was unrelenting, never ceasing, pushing forward at the expense of all else.

"You never told me your name," Varos said in between strikes.

Jin Kyrel

 

[Cairan Shannon]

Location: Exegol
Tags: Jin Kyrel | Lord Kizash | Varos Ren | Anak Darkstar | Surea | Katachi Ren | Terraxia ​

He watched as blade stuck blade.

Crimson had always been the associated colour of the darker aspects of the force. Whilst blades shining blue, green, yellow, purple, white and so on and so on had always been wielded by the Jedi and the followers of the light it was always the followers of the dark left with blades of crimson. Something about the darkness corrupted crystals, as it had with Cairan's own and left them that way.

There was a feeling about the asteroid meeting place. Cairan was almost certain that the force was guiding him to the specific location, that the force wanted him to meet with the group of so called Knights whom had gathered. Cairan was almost certain that the force wanted him to encounter this group and watch the duel that was destined to take place.

He could be felt through the force, of that much he was certain. Whilst the shadows could hide his physical form, there was very little that could hide his presence in the force. Cairan was aware of force abilities that could themselves mask one's presence in the galaxies binding power, however it was not an ability that he himself had ever bothered to master.

When the words from one of the combantants were spoken, in his head they confirmed his theory that he could be felt in the force. He was indeed watching the ongoing combat out of curiosity. He didn't much care as to who was the winner, that didn't much bother him. The combatant had made a statement previous that had peaked the interest of the former Jedi.

"Yes, the Shadow surely favors the strong. As is custom among the Ren one cannot ignore the challenges for leadership. If words will not resolve this… Then I believe there is only one way."

The Ren meant nothing to him, of course. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that it was why the force had dragged him all the way out to an asteroid near the ruined planet where the Sith had made their supposed final stand years upon years ago. It was one of many Sith final stands of course, but it was one of their supposed final stands none the less.

Was it possible that the force wanted him to meet The Ren. Cairan wasn't stupid, he had already linked the name The Ren to the group of those who had chosen to gather within the asteroid. He wasn't stupid either, he'd already made a connection that those who belonged to the group were referred to as Knights. He'd made that link from something said previously by the apparant leader of the group. Was it possible the force wanted him to integrate with the group?

Cairan watched as blade struck blade. Cairan studied as the two opposing forces danced around each other in a flurry of strikes and blocks. He had always enjoyed a good duel, always been a fan of a good melee. He'd spent so much of his time within the ranks of the Jedi Order training in combat with the weapon that it was nice to step back and watch others engage in the art of lightsaber combat.

Eyes trained on the fight, he stepped back into the shadows and watched.

 

[Anak Darkstar]

The Typhojem like spawn raised back to his feet as the duel unfolded. The Parasitic Knight stood in his red vein armor, and watched as each stroke broke forth. A memory stirred in coils of his mind, when Arkryion Malachar and he tilted in the aim of rising in The Sith Order. “They had such dreams then..” Now his once brother was gone, and he no longer a singular entity. Inside he felt the symbiote beckon, it had simplistic needs, to feed and defend its host. The voice of his new companion was like whispers that echoed in his consciousness.

The tendrils that were invisible allowed Darkstar to divine the minds of those about him. However, out of respect to his potential Knight Kin, he did not cross the threshold, though his parasite wanted morsels. This was the challenge, to remain master as Host of this unholy sacrament that would cleanse the galaxy in the Name of the World Eater.

 

[Jin Kyrel]

GATHERING SHADOWS

Tags: Varos Ren Anak Darkstar Cairan Shannon


Detritus would let out a low growl as he would face his foe. Among the shadows was a glorious display of crimson and orange as they clashed against one another. One could see the eyes of Detritus, and all that Varos would see was a bestial like display as they fought against each other. At first Detritus would be the one to keep up the offensive, although to his trained eye he knew the way that Varos would move. He moved similar to that of a Jedi, always focusing on the defensive. At first Detritus would have chalked it up to an easy win. Though for the warrior in him, the Master of the Knights of Ren had expected a little more than an easy win against someone trained in the Jedi Arts.

He could feel Varos creep into his mind, trying to study him, who he was, how he fought. Even as Detritus would keep on the offensive, his blade hammering against another all the while he could feel eyes on the both of them. At first Detritus was clearly confident in his skills as a duelist, but he learned just as quickly from the next steps that confidence could be an adversary in it's own right. The duel slowly began to shift, as the Jedi defensive techniques quickly turned into that of an offensive take. Detritus snarled again as he found himself backpedling. His saber would be pushed back against him, and he found himself forming a defensive wall with his blade, although Varos's own power strikes were close to knocking his blade from his grasp.

Each attempt to strike back in retaliation led to Varos striking twice as hard. The blades crackled, and the Sanctorum was filled with the ionized air of the blades clashing. Detritus would grit his teeth, digging his heels into the Obsidian floor. He attempted to stand as still as a statue, tightening his grip onto his hilt, he engaged Varos in another deadly blade lock. The man asked for Detritus's name. Gritting through his teeth, as he attempted to stand his ground he would reply begrudgingly. "I am Detritus Ren... Son of the World Eater, and follower of the Shadow path. I am the rightful heir to the Knights of Ren, and I will see this wretched galaxy consumed by his Maw!" He shouted, for a moment breaking his composure with another button press would the Crossguard vents activate. The orange blade would crackle as Detritus would attempt to counter with a flurry of strikes. All intent to knock Varos off balance, if not to disarm him entirely. Let's see how aggression would respond with aggression.