The Witch of The Dead Forest [Open]

[Marmora]

A thick blanket of fog hung upon the air, the scent of death slowly carried upon the near dead breeze. For all the work that had been done in an attempt to prevent it, the Dead Forest had spread at the hands of the Sayormi. For countless ages they found with the Wookiees and the Dead Forest seemed to wax and wane as it was healed and corrupted. With this cycle there was a girl, disposed of, forgotten in the deathlayers of Kashyyyk. Though for some reason as a hand was about to end such a life, another snatched her from destruction. Now here we are, so many years since she was saved, the one that they called Marmora emerged from the thick fog. A small smirk upon her lips as she stepped forward.

The thick clouds of fog seemed to swirl and wisp around her, this Witch of the Dead Forest. She had spent many years learning of the power that the Sayormi held, learning how to harness it and turn it into a gift. Slowly she brought up a vial from whence it had sat upon her belt, the liquid a strange concoction of bubbling green with an eye floating in it. Carefully those slender fingers pulled at the small plug before a low pop emitted from the bottle. The strange liquid released a vapor that slowly waft up before the vial was overturned. As it hit the roots of the tree that she stood before, she watched in anticipation as the bark began to dry and crack.

Those creatures that had lived within began to rush out as the bark slowly turned black. Her smokey grey eyes watched with glee as the potion added another tree to the Dead Forest. That was all that she needed to see, and that was the last of what she was to learn from the Sayormi. She was a witch in her own right, and her home would always be that of The Dead Forest, yet the voices that whispered within her head pushed her, urged her to leave the world.

Now such an action was easier said than done, though she knew that there was always a means to the end. A smirk crossing her lips as she slowly made her way along the paths that she had so traveled before. Moving along them as the fog seemed to follow her, swirling around her as if it were a cloak. Her eyes turned skyward, looking upon the large Wroshyr Trees and all that which was held beyond them.

 

[Eros]

Kashyyyk was a world away from that Eros was used to. Yes he was one of the "Sith", but not in the greater sense of the word. He was a protector for the family Vi'dreya, for Lady Kyros and those in high power. He was a soldier, but he was also just a human.

While there was no activity on Kashyyyk for the archer to be there, Eros himself was there to search for new materials for his legion in crafting weapons tougher and stronger for battle. While a blaster was a good range weapon, Eros was more at home with his bow and arrow. With a heavy durasteel tip which could end a life in a heartbeat when shot with precision, Eros was well prepared for agile combat wherever danger would rear from. A small vial of Bacta and a vial of poison both rested on his belt and a modified DL-44 blaster hung at his right thigh.

But, for now, all Eros wanted to do was to sit on a small raised mound of earth in the Dead Forest, one that was haunting and also mystifying at the same time, too big a chance to pass for exploration with the free time he had.

The diegetic noise around Eros was also calming, but eerie...there was something, or someone, around. But that wasn't anything to be surprised about in a vast forest such as this.


[member="Esme Vixen"]

 

[Rusken Shaxx]

Such a dull, seemingly lifeless habitat served no true importance to the lone Jedi Hunter. Pathollex wandered through a thick blanket of fog with whispers of a low breeze kissing the exterior of his armor, two dark red cybernetic eyes marked the man as a predator in such an environment. He reached a clearing where twisted roots and withered plant life mingled in a mess of decaying vegetation. Pathollex shifted slightly to his left, feeling somewhat provoked by an unknown presence as he grimaced behind the blackened durasteel skull of a helmet.

Shrugging it off as some animal, he continued his trek through the dead forest with caution at the forefront of his thoughts, wary of the unknown planet.

The curved hilt of his lightsaber dangled delicately from the right side of his hip as his boots tredged through increasingly fertile soil, almost sinking into a hole where the ground had given way to a dark desecent if one were to fall in.

Perhaps there was more to this dead world after all, preferably a means to strengthen the Empire or even Pathollex's self.

[member="Eros"]

[member="Esme Vixen"]

 

[Morgaine Kimene]

It had been some time since Morgaine had been able to return to a forest of any kind. The metal jungles that were so fondly named "civilization" had nothing but depress and confuse her, and she was ready to lose herself in the wilds once more. Though Kashyyyk was not her wilds, it was a welcome change. Morgaine breathed in the scent of the air, pungent with the smell of soil and wood and leaves and plants. She had made her way down to the "Shadowlands", as they were called. She smiled. The atmosphere was dark and ominous. It reminded her of Degobah. Morgaine began trekking through the density of the underbrush, taking in everything around her.
[member="Eros"]
[member="Darth Pathollex"]
[member="Esme Vixen"]

 

[Marmora]

Seemingly it had felt as if the forest was now somehow much more crowded than it was before. Having no affinity for the Force, though it seemed as if she was capable of somehow feeling the very nature of The Dead Forest, her home. A sly smirk danced upon her lips, her muscles tugging at the edges to curl them slightly as her head lowered with an ominous thought. Perhaps one of these new trespassers within the forest could help her leave this world. It did not help that the voices with in began to whisper even more, telling her seek them out. Such whispers when ignored only seem to come louder and much more frequently when Marmora even attempted such a thing.

Turning from her spot, in which the tree before her had decayed away and slowly made her way through the thick fog. Which of those should she approach first she wondered and mused to herself. It might be imperative to come to see each of them before she made a decision, or perhaps it would be much more enjoyable in the sense to her to push them towards one another and watch what happened. Of course there was always the option that the Sayormi might happen upon them first and decide that they needed a new totem or sacrifice for their dark rituals, of which Marmora was well versed in.

Moving down the path before her, she allowed a hand to run along such a totem. The decayed and broken body of a Wookie, the memory of which remained fresh in her mind, hung upon the marker. Smirking as she moved towards the small clearing with the hill, Marmora stopped just before stepping out. Allowing the fog to surround and cloak her, as if it were a living being attempting to hide and protect the denizen of The Dead Forest.

[member="Morgaine Kimene"]
[member="Darth Pathollex"]
[member="Eros"]

 

[Morgaine Kimene]

Morgaine could sense the presence of other, less sentient beings that resided in the forest. There were, however, the presence of others who seemed to be on the same humanoid level as her. She smirked. How nice to have company. She made her way to the edge of what appeared to be a clearing. There was someone out there, just outside its borders. Though Morgaine could see no one, she felt that they were there. It was just so foggy. Morgaine took her staff from her back and lifted it just above the ground. Channeling her Force energy, she pulled all of the fog in the clearing toward her until it swirled above her like a dark cloud. She could now see a woman of some kind. "My my. What have we here?" She said with a mischievous grin.
[member="Marmora"]

 

[Teslar Rantarus]

Having recently became an apprentice Teslar had been training vigorously the past few weeks, finally getting time off he decided to go to Kashyyyk to hunt. As he stepped of his ship in a secluded area of the Shadowlands he reached out with the dark side feeling the presence of several creatures many of which he skipped when he felt beings like him. Cautiously he began to make his way toward the two beings wondering what it was they were doing as he approached in the shadows with his vibrosword unsheathed.
[member="Eros"] [member="Marmora"] [member="Morgaine Kimene"] [member="Darth Pathollex"]

 

[Eros]

His hearing was good enough to alert him to another voice in the forest - a softly spoken female. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes scanned through the trees and fog around him, but there was nothing.

Curiosity should never get the better of him, but he couldn't help himself. He pushed himself up from the soft earth beneath him and pulled his strong wooden bow from over his shoulder, holding it tight in his left hand, just in case.

Stepping forward gently, his boots careful not to step on any small pot holes or forgotten Wookiee traps, Eros took in the tall reaching trees around him and his senses were heightened as he felt there were more beings around him in this area.

[member="Teslar Rantarus"] [member="Morgaine Kimene"] [member="Marmora"] [member="Darth Pathollex"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Eros"] @Marmora @Morgaine @Kimene @Darth Pathollex

"What do you smell boy?" Colap whispered as Solar crouched low. The Corellian wolfhound snarled and his ears slicked backwards, as if an incoming threat was meters before them. Years of adventuring with Solar had led Colap to share his instincts and trust his companions judgment.

Clad in grayish armor, salvaged from spacer suits and other materials he glowed a dull silver sheen in the white and misty woods. Colap crouched low with Solar, straining to hear something. Anything.

SNAP

The sound was loud, whoever was walking nearby had little presence of mind to be fleet of foot. Colap drew his Westar-35 and crept closer to the sounds, coming up right behind a strange fellow with an enormous bow. As he neared he crouched lower, taking care not too step on any branches and alert the man to his presence...

 

[Eros]

His fingers tightened around the bow, tight and hard in his fingers and never failing to feel an extension of his body. Gently, he brought his right arm up to gently drift over the quiver strapped to his back.

Stopping in his tracks, he turned his head slowly.

"My friend you forget that the wind is your enemy. I could smell you the instant it changed and brought you to me."

Keeping his voice calm and peaceful, he slowly turned to face the imposing sight of the armoured man, complete with an even more imposing Corellian wolfhound.

"I may not be a match for your armour, but I assure you I can drop your pet here before you'd know what hit him. I am not here for trouble."

Eros looked into the void where his face should be, and didn't break his stance or gaze. He learnt from his time with the Legion that you never backed down from an enemy. Never.


[member="Colap Ticon"] [member=Marmora] [member="Morgaine Kimene"] [member="Darth Pathollex"]

 

[Rusken Shaxx]

It'd appear that Pathollex was all but alone in the fog laden forest. The presence of other living beings was made clear through the Force as the Jedi Hunter suddenly found himself within the proximity of two other peculiar figures, halting in his tracks to observe them and what was taking place. A man with a bow and another with a companion aren't things you find on a day-to-day basis; infact, Pathollex had hardly seen the use of such a weapon aside from the Wookie's bowcaster or the Templar's variant of said firearm. The Jedi Hunter crouched slightly and continued to stare the two down- either wait for them to gun each other down and move on, or intervene.

On a side note, neither of them appeared to have any connections to the Force or were just rather skilled at masking their potential. But when a challenge were to be present, the Jedi Hunter felt almost obligated to display his own brand of strength. He straightened his posture and casually walked out of his cover, revealing the appearance of a darkly armor-clad warrior with an equally menacing build and helmet that gave way to two blood red cybernetic eyes which shifted between the two men. His affiliation would be quite obvious to say the least, shifting the bladed fingertips of his right gauntlet down to the hilt of his curved lightsaber.

He stood there in silence, allowing either of the two strangers to make a first move.

[member="Eros"] Colap Ticon Marmora

 

[Teslar Rantarus]

Teslar watched with curiosity as the men confronted each other and it seemed another walked out this was one he had sensed for he to was one with the dark side. A smile played on his lips as the lizard thought in his mind "This could get interesting". With his vibrosword in hand he climbed a big rock some that he would have a better vantage point the fog hid him from anyone.
[member="Colap Ticon"] [member="Eros"] [member="Marmora"] [member="Morgaine Kimene"]

 

[RC 212]

@Marmora @Morgaine Kimene [member="Darth Pathollex"]

Colaps hand lowered the pistol to his side, but he kept it close, ready to fire. His eyes darted back and forth between the archer and the newcomer. Red fiery eyes, and saber at his side.

Got to be a Sith. This could go bad.

Solar Turned and growled as the dark force user approached. His fangs bared and saliva dripped from them, making a menacing scene.

"Solar, sit." Colap commanded in a stern voice.

He reached for his faceplate and flipped it up to behold the Archer and the sith with his own eyes. A plume of smoke exited as he dragged deeply on his cigar, burning the cherry red hot and illuminating the misty fog between them.

"Well I aint fixin for a fight. Name Colap, was just doing a little salvaging 'round here. You two gentlemen fancy a drink?" He asked in a cheery voice. In his extended hand appeared a flask. It was all on them now. If things went sour, it would be quite a sticky situation.

 

[Eros]

Eros kept his cool, his eyes flicking between the armoured man known as Colap, the wolfhound and the masked warrior. He was in the middle of something very interesting, but it couldn't have anything to do with the Sith...could it? Surely he would known about it...?

His fingers rested on the fine end of his arrow, hand tight on the bow. All he needed was just over a second to fire. He nodded towards Colap, thankfully one far more human than he had expected; a welcoming site in such an alien world.

"I am not here to fight either. My name is Eros, Guardian of Vi'dreya and the Sith Order. My battle does not spill over onto innocent planets and involve those I haven't heard of before."

His eyes moved to the masked warrior, his dark presence evident in his stature.

"You carry a frame of one who is well trained in battle my friend. I assure you we are not your enemy today."

Eros brought his hand up from his quiver, holding it palm outwards to show his intent of not taking arms. But he was ready just in case.


[member="Colap Ticon"] [member="Lord Pathollex"] [member="Teslar Rantarus"] [member="Morgaine Kimene"] [member="Marmora"]

 

[Marmora]

"Indeed. What have we here?"

Marmora's words seemed to dance upon the wind as her hands slid to her sides. Cupping two small round flasks before she pushed the tops from them. Turning them to spill out behind her as she stepped forward. While the other woman may have pulled the fog around them above her, there was always more fog within the Dead Forest, or more to make. As she stepped forward, Marmora's figured began to be enveloped by the fog, the liquid pouring from the flasks seeming to be part of it. The ichor that it produced seemed to aid in the creation of more fog, allowing what little was left to rapidly reproduce and fill their small clearing again as Marmora moved closer to the curious being before her.

"Not many would venture into my woods."

She said with a slight hiss upon the words as she approached. Her hands lightly tapping the air as if she were playing some instrument or was other wise preoccupied. Her eyes darting back and forth as shadowy figures began to rise from the mist. Of course she had no connection to the force, nor any type of force power. The shadowy figures were something entirely all together. With a quiet motion, a simple bringing of her hand up into the air, the figures stopped.

"Not many would venture into the woods that the Sayormi call home."

Spoiler

• [member="Eros"]
• [member="Colap Ticon"]
• [member="Teslar Rantarus"]
• [member="Lord Pathollex"]
• [member="Morgaine Kimene"]

 

[Morgaine Kimene]

Morgaine smirked, cocking a brow. "A most impressive feat. My mother would have been enchanted by it," She said mockingly, walking forward into the fog. She could sense the presence of this woman, as well as others within the forest. It was odd that this woman did not secrete a Force signature. That made her all the more intriguing. "Pardon me for the intrusion, but your home reminds me of my own. It has a similar aura. But enough of my babbling. tell me your name, and I shall tell you mine." She was now face to face with the woman. she did not offer a hand in greeting, as it was not her preference to touch people.
[member="Marmora"]