Private The Way of Crossroads

[Runi Kuryida]

YAVIN IV

A small camp had been setup in the jungles of Yavin. The Warmaster and Shaman Runi Kuryida had taken command from the onset and oversaw its formation. Mandalorians of all walks of life were called, but the Knights and Spiritspeakers occupied the majority of those assembled. Some cycled in and out of camp with the nearby Temple to the Manda ensuring fresh warriors and students present at all times.

What they had discovered was a transportation circle etched into the face of Yavin IV. One that might have allowed untold numbers of hostiles to bypass all defenses and instantly appear on the world. Runi was familiar with such things as she had used them here or there for the Mandokarla back on Kestri. They made transportation of those in need most efficient and avoided exposing their refuge to the warfare of its enemies -- some found the very idea of restoring the mind and soul to be offensive. Counterproductive, they'd call it, to their nefarious purposes.

The circle had nearly be complete, but lacked a key element. For now, they were safe. It was an opportunity for those that sought to learn of the Manda (Force), and one Runi exploited. To grow stronger. To understand what was possible. To help their number never mistake preparedness for insurmountable defense. There were many ways a monstrous foe might bypass what otherwise appeared the 'perfect' fortifications. This circle was one of them.

Runi stood before the massive circle that occupied a clearing in the jungle as the sun sat low in the sky above. She contemplated whether it should be completed and used to invade those that had thought to invade them first. A simple enough task considering much of the work had already been completed.

Tytos Saxon​

 

[Tytos Saxon]

S H A M A N
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Tag: Runi Kuryida

"I had thought to find you in Resa, Speaker," Tytos spoke out from the edge of the clearing. He had always deferred to Runi Kuryida as his elder in the Mandokarla order, and he continued to do so. Yet times had changed, and he observed the Mandokarla as dispersed. On Resa itself, once the mystic home in the mountains of Kestri, he had only reunited with the few Acolytes had remained to tend the Briirud. Their directions and the all-too familiar trails that Mandalorian shaman magic left behind had led him to Yavin IV.

The truth was he did not know what to make of recent galactic events, nor the Mandalorian Empire, nor the Speaker's presence on this jungle world; and at the head of an army, no less. He hoped to find answers.

 

[Runi Kuryida]

Runi turned to look back at a familiar voice. "Ah, Tytos." A small smile graced her lips. "I go where there are Mandalorians in need. They returned to Mandalor and were receptive to the idea of more than warfare. They sought to rebuild." It wasn't that the Neo-Crusaders would reject her outright, but they did favor militant solutions. Runi never advocated pacifism, but too much emphasis on battle was not good for the soul either.

"The Mandokarla endures. On Resa. Here. Wherever there are men and women that follow the will of the Manda, and care for our people." She turned around to face the man. "Though the Temple is a bit larger than I am accustomed to for our purposes. It was rededicated to the Manda under the Neo-Crusaders. Had I known sooner..."

"I am pleased to see you again. What purpose reunites us?"

Tytos Saxon​

 

[Tytos Saxon]

S H A M A N
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Tag: Runi Kuryida

Tytos looked around them. The jungle of Yavin IV was an environment in stark contrast to the frozen mountain peaks of Kestri. In the distance, he could see the temple that Runi referenced, although its distinctly non-Mandalorian architectural style. His sweeping gaze drifted back towards the Speaker. "It is good to see you again, Speaker," Tytos said respectfully. "I will always be glad to know that the Mandokarla endures, even as the galaxy shifts beneath our feet."

He stepped a pace closer, every footstep firm. "The Mandalorian Empire moves at a swift pace. Yet in it I see the echoes of the same tired cycles that led to the first Empire's downfall." He removed his helmet, revealing his long, dreaded, snow-white hair and piercing green eyes. It was a symbol of peace that he meant no harm. Yet with it, Runi would see the fierceness, the steel behind his gaze. "There are many tidings that worry me. I hear rumors that this cadre of Mando'ade is in bed with the Sith, as was the Mandalorian Empire before. And a Manda'lor? Of House Verd, of all lineages?" Tytos voice had begun to rise, but he paused, taking a steadying breath. His misgivings were better left unspoken.

"I am sworn to the protection of the Mando'ade and the will of the Manda," he said finally, his voice softer though strained. "Perhaps that is why I feel conflict. On Kestri, the Iron Covenant grows, and I feel its call. But I wanted to walk with you, Speaker, and take counsel, to ensure the spirit of the Mandokarla endures no matter what trials may come."

 

[Runi Kuryida]

"The Mando'ade have endured many hardships over many centuries. Such is the Will of the Manda -- that we find our own way, fight our own battles, and divine how to become stronger not just in war, but as extensions of the Manda."

Runi turned her hazel eyes up toward the sky with a drawn out exhale. "The Mandokarla is made of those that serve the Mando'ade. Not in battle or shaping the Way a person must walk, but in helping those lost find their Way." Her eyes fell back to Tytos. "We will endure, as our people do, whatever comes. Because there will always be a need for people like us. To help those worn by the passage of time and that do not see the nuance changes in every cycle that may one day answer the Question."

"What is it that you seek, Tytos? Not here. Not now. If you could strain but a little harder and foresee the end of all things... what do you yearn to find waiting there?" Runi wouldn't argue whether this Empire sought to find conenction with the Sith. Such was the very debate the Shaman sought to avoid. Many would speak of such things in an effort to convince one another. Her role was to help them find the means within to explore such matters, not become dependent upon her to explain what they should do as so many others often did.

Tytos Saxon​

 

[Tytos Saxon]

S H A M A N
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Tag: Runi Kuryida

"What is it that you seek, Tytos?"

Runi's words hit home, wise as ever. He thought in silence as he mulled over what the Shaman said. What she said rang true; much was certain. "Ever since I was a child, I have been persecuted for what the Manda blessed me with," he said slowly, his eyes trained on the ground. "The Mandokarla saved my life, gave me purpose. You know I have strived my entire life to guide wayward Mandalorians back to their path."

He cast his eyes upwards to look at the same sky at which the Speaker gazed. He wondered whether they were looking at the same thing. "But all my life I wanted a home. Kestri has become that home," he realized quietly, vocalizing what he had grown to feel but had never accepted. "I cannot abandon it now. I don't know if ever."

Tytos turned his gaze steadfastly to the Speaker. "I do not begrudge you following the path the Manda has put you on, Speaker. But pray, do not forget it was on Kestri where the Mandokarla was first accepted. I will always ensure you a welcoming hearth there."

 

[Runi Kuryida]

Runi smiled for a moment after Tytos had spoken. "The Mandokarla is of the People, Tytos. So long as you remember this, you will walk true on the path set before you."

"The Mandokarla will not leave Kestri so long as there are Mandalorian men and women in need for us, and as long as they are welcome. As for myself, I have always wandered. It is my calling to go to where there are kin in need. You will not find me any more absent from Kestri than the Mandokarla itself."

"But you did not answer the question." Runi's brows lifted over a smile. "What do you seek? All seek a place to call home, but no two are alike. Even shared by more than one person, each has a tendency to view it differently. It shelters them, yes, but what else does it provide? Somewhere to study? To train? To cook? Do you invite others to your dwelling and speak of philosophy, or strategy? What is it that you seek, Tytos? Know it in your heart even if you tell no other soul -- for that is the lamp that will keep your feet upon your path."

"Is there news from Kestri?" His words sounded pregnant with purpose.

Tytos Saxon​