Dominion The Orphaned World [Planetary Expedition Open to all ] [ DIA Dominion of Kiev'ara]

[Diarch Rellik]

Rellik followed quietly as the group made their way to the temple like structure within the mountainside. The door slowly descended and he knew his thoughts were confirmed. There was another sentient thing here and it wanted them to be held here. They were lured and now were to be food for something else. He simply slowly looked around and took in the surroundings... only for them to be changed in a flash. The ominous stale fog from before, replaced by light from Crystals and torches. The two giants formed above the Kie'varan warrior and the Diarch looked for artifacts, signs or glyphs, and just in case - technology that might hinder the power of the two.

It was not until the appearance of souls emerging from the fire tears did he stop his inspection. The one who formed with Rellik was huge, a battle hardened warrior with a giant greatsword on his shoulder. The trio that formed all talked and Rellik learned they were named Vrax, Nai, and the child was Aeris. It burdened the Diarch to hear of his fate.

Than another four Kie'varan burst through the door. Perhaps freeing them from their fate. They challenged the god known as "Saura'vix!" and as the challenge was being returned, the elder of the group was melted in place and replaced by the other god who loomed above the Kie'varan before. They came with a FLASH OF LIGHT.
- The two clashed. Relliks interest peaked at the words that followed.

"So I found new subjects. Ones who will consume this world, consume our people, and use them as fuel to wage war across existence."
"That is what we created them for,"

Than they struck each other down with spear and blade. The Diarch had slipped his saber with the force into his hand. Awaiting the confrontation - either physical or ethereal.

Vrax spoke up, speaking from hardened experience.

"The light," "I have seen it before. It was there just before... well, one moment I was in battle, and then the light came rolling over the horizon. The next, I was here, in the temple."

Rellik did not speak but he figured the light that Vrax and Nai spoke of was of Dra'Ko - the light god. He absorbed them upon their death and turned them into fire-tears and as Saura'vix said. "That is what we created them for."

Than the Diarch was snapped back to reality. Broken from the vision of the kneeling Kie'varan, the warriors who entered, and the fight between the two gods. The desolate and abandoned temple had returned. Not only the image but the gods had as well. Dra'Ko stood translucently, fading in and out of reality. Saura'vix though, he loomed as a dominating shadow in the room. It was then that Rellik heard him. Laphisto's screams in the air. His head snapped and he saw tendrils coming from Saurav'ix were uplifting him in the air.

Rellik ignited his blade. As if his blade was a quill and the stone his paper. He quickly wrote Ty, peresti esencija, kutualas iv Nathema nelaise - on the ground. "Strength, Transfer Essense, Ritual of Nathema Prison"

Dra'Ko approached and spoke of saving Laphisto but the way they went about it did not sound correct to the Diarch.

"Quickly. I need you to allow me to absorb the souls you carry with you. It will give me the strength I need to take your friend as my host. and finally put an end to Saurav'ix once and for all."

"Hear me my friends. These two gods have stripped you of your essence and transferred them to these fire-tears. To amplify their own strength, the only issue they have is how and when to use that strength. There is a difference between using someone for power and relying on our friends and family for power."

Rellik looked towards Diarch Reign and reached out his hand.

"Give me your hand brother." He looked around to the others, including the ghosts of the Kie'varans.

"And yours if you are willing." The Diarch let a small smile form on his face.

" Zara Saga or Zinayn - Check the thrones for the Fire-Tears of the gods. If they are there, bring them to us. I trust you both with my life." He nodded to them both.

" Thank you Derron Daks , if we make it out - we are in your debt friend."

With his brother hand in hand with him. Rellik approached Laphistos rising body and put his hand on him. Saying the words out loud. "Ty, peresti esencija, kutualas iv Nathema nelaise" - The runes on the floor awaited. It required the force to activate. Yet Rellik stood, taking whatever shared punishment he might. Hoping that one of the spirits of the fallen Kie'varans would put their hand on them and allow the ritual to take activate.

Strength - empowering the ritual
Transfer Essence - If Laphisto needed to hold a fire tear to take its strength, than if one of the fallen Kie'varan joined; Rellik could transfer their essence into Laphisto and strengthen him. Along with Rellik and Reign giving his essence to help his friend.
Ritual of Nathema Prison - Vitiate was the first to use a mass life essence ritual to strip a planet of its force abilites. This planet seemed to possibly share a similar fate but the transfer of power did not flood into Vitiate, it flooded into the fire-tears. It would hopefully either free the tears or stop the gods.

Derron Daks Laphisto Zinayn Zara Saga Diarch Reign

 

[Laphisto]

Dra'ko stood waiting, his hand outstretched expectantly, as if he truly believed the mortals before him would obey without question. That they would offer up the souls without hesitation, without demanding a second thought. But when Diarch Rellik simply walked past him with Diarch Reign at his side, the ancient god faltered. Turning slowly, Dra'ko watched the two approach Laphisto. His golden eyes flickered with confusion, glancing toward Saurav'ix, then back toward the Diarchs, and once more to the souls of the Kiev'arians.

Nai drew her twin blades, dropping into a low, ready stance. Beside her, Vrax stepped forward, planting his feet with the weight of someone prepared to make a final stand. Aeris, trembling, took several steps back, his ears pinning tight against his skull before he crouched low, fear plain on his young face. Of the three souls, only Nai and Vrax stood ready to fight. Dra'ko hesitated, the scene before him forcing a pause, before he finally spoke. His voice was not angry, but edged with something almost like sadness. "So willing to protect someone you do not even know," he said, watching them intently. "To trust your salvation, to place your lives in the hands of strangers, not of your own kin."

It was Vrax who answered first, stepping forward with defiant purpose. His voice was steady, unwavering. "We are not just some power source to be discarded when convenient," he said. "I would rather die fighting you myself than see my soul used as a pawn." His words cut sharply through the heavy air. "Of the two of you, I expected better from you, Dra'ko. But the moment you saw an opportunity to take power, you reached for it without hesitation. You are no better than Saurav'ix."

With a snarl of disgust, Vrax made a sharp motion as if spitting at the god's feet. For a long moment, Dra'ko simply stood there, silent. His body sagged slightly, some unseen weight settling upon him. His gaze shifted once more, this time to Derron Daks as the scientist raised his rifle and unleashed a cold blue shot toward Saurav'ix. As the bolts struck against the near-corporeal form of Saurav'ix, he hissed out a guttural snarl, twisting around to face the interlopers including the two Diarchs with a low, snarled laugh. "I knew I felt the life essence of other souls," he rumbled. "Though I didn't expect them to be attached to... less desirable specimens."

As Deks continued firing cryo rounds into him, the old god growled in visible annoyance. "You're a bold one, aren't you?" With a flick of his wrist, Saurav'ix made a gesture as if to hurl the man bodily through the air. Instead, several blackened tentacles writhed into existence, lashing toward Deks with violent intent. His hand remained outstretched as he shifted focus, pulling at the energies of the souls connected to the Diarchs and Zinayn .

The souls reacted instantly, writhing with cries of pain, collapsing to their hands and knees under the strain. "While these lesser souls hold less power than your friend here," Saurav'ix sneered, "they still contain enough energy to be worth my effort. Should have designed these souls to gather energy even after death. At least then, the souls trapped on this planet would have several millennia worth of strength to harvest, rather than just a few hundred."

He turned his gaze downward toward Laphisto, a low, melancholy chuckle rumbling from his throat like grinding gravel. "You are far more lived. I can feel it... what is it? Eight, maybe nine thousand years of energy accumulated within that Fire Tear of yours? It might take me ten years to drain you dry. Ten long years of hearing you scream, watching you writhe, crying out for a mercy that will never come." Saurav'ix leaned in slightly, his voice darkening.

"I might even leave a portion of you alive... just enough to hear your torment, trapped within your own mind. A slave, forced to watch as I consume everything you have built, everyone you have ever loved or cared for." His burning eyes flicked toward the Diarchs with a snarl. "Starting with these two!" With a vicious thrust of his hand, the tendrils snapped forward toward the Diarchs, seeking to drain their power and seize control of whatever ritual they dared to attempt.

As the tendrils lashed toward Deks, Dra'ko surged forward, his hand thrusting out to intercept the attack. With a surge of force energy, he deflected the writhing black limbs, slamming them against a nearby wall and shielding the man from harm. His golden eyes flicked down to Deks briefly, then lifted toward Zara Saga and Zinayn .

"Go!" Dra'ko barked, his voice sharp with urgency. "Grab the jewels from both mine and Saurav'ix's chest. Your friend has become a catalyst from the moment he stepped foot on this planet. Thrust the jewels into his hands he will absorb them both. But keep your hands away from the fractures. If you touch the cracks, the jewel will instead drain your life force." He turned back toward the battle with grim determination. "I'll distract my brother. Finish what I started all those years ago."

Without waiting for a reply, Dra'ko stepped between Rellik and Reign, throwing up a shimmering shield of force energy against the draining power that still lashed toward them. The barrier held, surprising even Saurav'ix, who narrowed his crimson eyes. "Is that you, brother?" Saurav'ix sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Come to kill me again? I'm afraid you're far too weak. You should have let the Kiev'arian drain one of those Fire Tears while you possessed his mind like I did. It would have given you enough strength to face me."

Dra'ko only snarled in reply, extending one hand outward. A spectral image of the sword still lodged in Saurav'ix's chest materialized in his grasp an astral blade of swirling golden energy. In Saurav'ix's hand, a projection of the spear driven into Dra'ko's own body formed in return. With a roar, the two gods clashed, their astral weapons meeting in a shower of vibrant, searing sparks. For a brief, precious moment, the draining force that had gripped Laphisto and the souls around them ceased their torment held at bay by the gods' renewed battle.

As Nai and Vrax slowly rose to their feet, they shook themselves off, steadying against the lingering tremors of pain. Their eyes immediately turned toward Aeris, whose form appeared almost lifeless. The Fire Tear in Reign's possession flickered faintly, its light weakened to a bare ember. The soul had been young, not yet tempered by time, and lacked the strength to resist the draining assault. Though the Tear still glimmered weakly, the image of Aeris faded from existence, vanishing like mist on the wind. The crystal itself seemed to slip into a dormant state, its energy curling inward, hibernating.

Vrax let out a low, guttural growl. Without hesitation, he launched himself forward, Nai close behind. The two souls hurled themselves into the fray, their weapons drawn as they crashed into Saurav'ix with the fury of fallen warriors seeking final justice. The chamber blazed with battle once more, sparks and force energy erupting with every strike. Every second mattered. Now, Deks, Zinayn, Rellik, Reign, and Zara stood at a crossroads. The choice was stark, unforgiving. Destroy the Fire Tears end the gods once and for all or place their trust in Laphisto, allowing him to absorb the fractured power of both

 

[Zara Saga]

​

Zara flinched as the astral weapons clashed again, the golden flare of Dra'ko's sword throwing jagged light across her face. Her breath hitched, and she pressed herself back against a fractured pillar, heart jackhammering in her chest. The world had officially gone full mythic meltdown, and she was somehow still here - still standing, still mortal, still not holding a Fire Tear. Yet again, she'd avoided the worst of the horror show by sheer, stubborn refusal to touch glowing objects.

But now? Now there were instructions. And her name was in them.

"Go" Dra'ko had said. Like this was her job. Like she was prepared for this. Like she had a resume that said "Soul Retrieval Specialist for the Divine Dead."

She didn't move right away. Her body tensed, arms still locked across her chest like armor, jaw tight. Her eyes flicked from Laphisto - suspended, screaming, broken - to the thrones. The Fire Tears. The cracks. The chance to do something that wasn't just standing around looking haunted.

And gods help her, she wanted to help. That was the worst part. Somewhere beneath the sarcasm and perfume and expertly curated layers of defense, Zara cared. Laphisto was her friend. Her weird, brooding, terrifyingly ancient friend. And she was watching him die by inches.

"I knew not touching that crystal was going to bite me." she muttered, voice half-whisper, half-whimper.

Her boots scraped the stone as she pushed away from the wall, slow and deliberate. Her spine stayed straight - never hunched, not even now - but every step toward the thrones was measured like she was walking through a minefield laced with emotional explosives.

She paused by Zinayn, her voice low, brittle around the edges. "If I die doing this, I want it on record that this was your fault." She didn't wait for a reply, but she made sure he heard it, even if her hands were already moving.

She eyed the embedded crystals like a girl eyeing a wild animal that might either cuddle her or bite her arm off.

Zara's fingers hovered over Dra'ko's Fire Tear first, glowing bright but whole, almost... welcoming. Her mouth pressed into a thin, uncertain line. She did not want her life force drained. She wasn't a warrior. She wasn't a chosen one. She was a pretty, petty politician's daughter who had been pretending to be brave since she was twelve.

And yet, here she was.

Her voice shook, but she said it anyway. "Laphisto, if you go all god-possessed and decide to burn the galaxy down, I will haunt you."

And then, careful as she'd ever been in her life, she reached - not for the cracks, not for the edges - but for the core. The living, pulsing heart of a god's last hope.

Laphisto | Zinayn | Diarch Reign | Diarch Rellik | Derron Daks​

 

[Zinayn]

Through the visions that were given to him, the Diarchs' dark side rite, the clash of the gods, and the ever-present background noise of Laphisto screaming, Zinayn felt as if he was back on Csilla. Like he was looking up at the sky, seeing the bright flashes of turbolasers lancing back and forth between the invaders and the Defense Force. Just as he was helpless back then, he felt helpless now.

When Dra'ko spoke, commanded even, he felt some purpose again. There was an opportunity to be useful, and he was going to take it. He barely noticed his Fire Tear apparition launch itself into the fray, or the disappearance of Diarch Reign 's Kiev'arian. His gaze was locked on the strong crimson glow of Saurav'ix's Fire Tear. And the haunting skeleton that held it in its chest cavity. Zinayn heard Zara Saga 's remark, but didn't reply. The crystal filled his vision with red. He walked across the battlefield and came to a halt before the throne.

Dra'ko's warning echoed in his mind as he reached for it, avoiding the cracks. As his hand closed around the Tear, a sense of evil rushed into him, threatening to overcome him. He fought back, remembering Laphisto's bloodcurdling screams just seconds ago, using the High Commander's fear and pain to fuel his own sense of determination to defeat these gods and save his friend. The crystal's attempts to corrupt were pushed back, and Zinayn turned back to Laphisto and jogged over, moving past the gods. Saurav'ix glanced back, eyes wide with rage. He looked like he was about to lash out at Zinayn, but a quick slash from Dra'ko made the god focus on the battle at hand.

"Here: Saurav'ix's Fire Tear," he said, holding the pulsing gem to the recovering High Commander.

Diarch Rellik Derron Daks

 

[Brakkus]

With no response from DDSI, it would be the Ando Mining Collective who would have to bear the brunt of the risk for this expedition into the Tomb of the Forgotten Kings. Naturally, this meant that they would also reap all the rewards.

Fortunately, the civilian cultural experts had arrived from orbit and were prepping to enter the underground labyrinth. They would work alongside droids outfitted with an array of scanners and sensors. These droids would be able to effectively map much of the tomb and reduce the danger posed to the personnel entering afterward if any traps were present.

The first teams entered cautiously, guided by the steady hum of the mapping droids. The tomb's interior was cold and eerily silent, its vast corridors carved from ancient black stone, smoothed by time but cracked by the planet's slow tectonic shifts. Faint carvings adorned the walls, worn glyphs and symbols whose meanings had long since slipped into obscurity. An oppressive stillness clung to the place, broken only by the soft whirring of equipment and the low murmur of experts recording their observations.

Soon enough, they would find the first burial chamber—an antechamber vast and circular, its ceiling lost in shadow. Six sarcophagi stood in a ring, ornate with precious metals and carvings. One had shattered, its stone face cracked open violently, scattering ceremonial weapons and armor across the dust-choked floor. The air carried a strange chill here, and even the droids hesitated a moment before moving in.

Artifacts were carefully collected and sealed in stasis capsules, ready to be returned to the surface where they could be studied in a more controlled environment.

---

Meanwhile, the forward operating base continued to grow in size and scale. Personnel had been exchanged, and the mining efforts had begun to ramp up again. Now, the heavy equipment had also been transported planetside. There was a mix of machinery and vehicles, however the some of the largest equipment would be the Ando Mining Collective's own M-1 Hauler and M-2 walker excavator. The largest, however, was the sole M-3 Snowcrawler, dropped to orbit via a heavy VTOL transport. This behemoth would traverse the surface for months—perhaps even years—singlehandedly surveying and harvesting the planet's vast mineral wealth. Completely self-sufficient and capable of refining resources on the go, it was the perfect tool to uncover Kiev'ara's natural bounty.

Massive mineral deposits had already been located and, fortunately, they were far from any of the important excavation sites. This meant that mining efforts could begin immediately once equipment and personnel arrived at the designated zones.

In orbit, Brakkus continued to oversee the operation from his command post aboard the flagship. He kept a steady eye on both excavation progress and surface conditions, his mood measured—cautiously optimistic. Yet, the lack of response from DDSI lingered in the back of his mind like a splinter. Silence, in his experience, rarely meant nothing.

Laphisto Derron Daks ​

​

 

[Diarch Rellik]

The Diarch watched the ghosts from the tears leap into the fray. He admired their beliefs and warrior spirits, yet there was one missing. Something Rellik would discuss with his brother after the battle. - As Dra'Ko and the others clashed against Saurav'ix, Zinayna and Zara did their friend justice and grabbed the souls of the gods, placing them for Laphisto to absorb.

Laphisto had hopefully begun to overtake them with his living soul but the Brothers Diarch were doing their best to help. With the force energy erupting from every strike of the battle of the dead before them and Laphisto becoming empowered. Rellik and Diarch Reign held tight in their ritual. Feeding off of the residual force flying around and hoping to help their friend overcome the two new inhabitants of his very being.

There was the hope that one of the ghosts would bring themselves and their tear over to empower Rellik but they were keeping the tendrils at bay. Allowing the god tears to be grabbed and keeping them all safe.

The God-Tears looked like they were beginning to blink in the same fashion as the ones that Zinayn, Rellik, and Reign held before. It appeared they would take more time to mold to Laphisto than the first one he touched did. There was no telling how much of Laphisto would be lost as Saurav'ix fed. They needed to find more power.

Rellik looked at his brothers. Both Laphisto and Reign. Speaking to them both. "Don't give up, there is no death. Only the force."

He decided there were two more things he could try. - Get a Fire-Tear of his own or attempt to stab Saurav'ix with the weapon that he used to kill Dra'Ko before. For the Fire-Tear it would come at the cost of possibly killing one of the ghosts or possibly joining with them forever.

As he scanned the room he found the spear, it was still within Dra'Ko. Rellik removed his hand and left Reign to help keep their friend Laphistos soul intact.

Dashing through the combat within the temple turned tomb he made his way to it. Now within his grasp he could see the intricacies of the weapon. The spears material was completely different from anything he had seen before, yet as an alchemist he did notice the Phrik head.

He picked it up, the spear sending a shock throughout his whole body. He heard a voice and saw another Kie'varan. A Warden, one that defended and did not run from death.

With spear in hand, the Diarch straightened his back and planet the haft into the ground. Standing tall with the weapon at his side.

Calling out to Vrax - Rellik offered up himself to save his friend. Even if Vrax lived within the Diarch there were many ways to possibly transfer his essence once the fight was over. It was worth a shot.

"Vrax! I offer a vessel, join with me so we may strike Saurav'ix down together. Let us lead until the end."

Rellik did not wait for a response or action. Getting into a deep stance, the Diarch leapt at Saurav'ix in a hope to finish him.

Laphisto Diarch Reign Zinayn Zara Saga Derron Daks