Toe the Line

[Boethiah]

Anja walked out the entrance she came in, "Better get started.", she said.

Outside was the world of Crakull, a remote world that was just as mysterious as it was barren. If anyone lived here they were no where to be found by the looks of things. The Host Lord's mention of a cloaked figure might've seemed odd; as there didn't seem to be any value in the planet itself. It probably didn't take much thought to realize that this was a perfect world to hide on, though, but was who they were looking for someone who hid? That would be for [member="Maja Vern"] to find out.

([member="Juniper Le Fey"] ; feel free to jump in or continue another time if you can)

 

[Darth Zilti]

Where to go from here? Anja had split them up initially and it could be their paths would cross later - but for now it had all the hallmarks of a trial - and the winner took all.

Given time, Maja would have done her homework and researched the cloaked target but she lacked sufficient detail and the necessary luxury of time. So she headed out of the building and was confronted with a barren planet - which seemed to be an odd place to hide.

Heading back to the hangar, Maja was able to barter with a mechanic for the use of his speeder. OK, she could have bought one for the rental price - but in a world of supply and demand she had no choice. And a few more credits meant she was able to find a starting destination. Barren planets have few settlements and so she’d got the coordinates for a small village close to a forest.

Two hours later, Maja stood at the edge of a cliff, gazing over and beyond the forest canopy, staring in the direction of the distant mountain range. Bringing her eyes back to the foreground, she saw the tell-tale signs of smoke to her right that indicated where the village was hidden from prying eyes. So she gunned the speeder and heading down to find some answers.

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Boethiah]

Anja observed the scenery, she could sense the two had been on their way. As for the person they were looking for she was curious if either of the two would actually be able to succeed. Of course there was no way to tell how powerful their target truly was or what that would mean when the two try to capture them but the fact she didn't know was almost bothersome. Why would someone said to be a great sorcerer have little to know information on them? Luckily it was for the apprentices to figure out, not her.

[member="Maja Vern"] [member="Juniper Le Fey"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja swept down into the village. It was like any other on any given planet. A handful of wooden building, a dozen or so large tents and a communal fire in a form of town square in the middle. As she approached, every dwelling showed sings of life as she was appraised before being ignored.

But as she switched the engine off next to the largest of the buildings and lowered the hood of her cloak, a few locals started to huddle together, point and talk. And of course they chose not to speak galactic basic!

Finally a elderly man exited the main house and slowly made his way across to her, his progress aided by the two sticks he carried. His back was bent and as he got closer the lines on his face reflected the whiteness of his hair.

“I speak Basic. You Vahla.” The man said, pointing at her with his stick.

She shrugged. When on the ships, people had often joked that she was the epitome of a space nomad and had called her that. She paid them no attention at the time. But then she remembered her sister commenting in a similar vein. So she shrugged again. “What of it.”

“You…tall, and light yes?”

Yes, she was light for her height, but that didn’t make her a Vahla.

“And flexible yes?

OK, she was known for being able to crawl into tight spaces but since when did that make her anything other than flexible, eh?

“You have red hair. They see this.” He indicated to the other villagers. “But you not Sith. They are superstitious. Say you blessed by the goddess Vahl.”

She shrugged again. “What does that mean?” She was trying to hide it but he was intriguing her.

“You are Dark-side if you like it or not. We not care. Leave us alone and be whatever you want. Sith, Jedi, same to us. Leave us alone and we leave you alone.” He pointed to her face. “You carry the mark. We beg you, leave us.”

Her hand went involuntarily to the place where the tattoo had appeared - back on Kashyyk. How did he know. But she was ever the opportunist, regardless of how he’d disconcerted her. “I will leave you but I ask one sign from you that it is my destiny to move on. I seek a man. A powerful sorcerer. And he wears a cloak.”

The old man stared at the ground and finally lifted a stick, pointing into the forest. “In there. Many things to fear in there - but none like him. Make promise. Do not blame us for showing where he is.”

She nodded slowly. “You have my word.” Why on earth would she blame this man for helping her. It made little sense - at least for now.

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Ebenezer]

This poor fool, the croke thought to itself. This being that claimed to be an adept of the force could not even sense the artifice of a simple illusion, then again, it would take a master to notice the slightest manipulation of the Croke's natural tangible illusions. Indeed, it was fooled.

Ebenezer observed from a tree near the village, his eyestalks pointing towards the figure walking towards wherever that aged fool Vetus pointed her towards.

Ever since that stint that he had with a trader it seemed that word had spread of this Sorcerer of Crakull, a mighty conjurerer of many forms. Or whatever the feth spread through their communications. The truth was the "old man" the woman had just spoken to was probably more adept with the force than he was. As the woman walked closer to the forest, Ebenezer quickly crawled down from the tree and scuttled into the forest. If anything he would look like he was another member of the alien wildlife as he retreated further, a slug about the size of a hand but with a hundred insect-like legs. The luguubra that had made this place their home hundreds of years ago during a civil war ran through the forest unchained, their older sentient members wearing improvised armor of abandoned metal hulls and wood with simple spears of sharpened metal strung to their backs as the younger, less intelligent members charged forth behind them. They were off to settle a score with another established tribal family.

Crakull had become a planet of unending conflict and tribal war after allf of these centuries. The dominant sentient creature had become the blind species known as luguubra, a worm-like creature with boneless arms and appendages that ended in tendril-like digits. Crokes had become little more than a separate animal, often disguising themselves as humanoids who were more than willing to trade with off-worlders.

[member="Maja Vern"]
[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja looked into the forest. Here she could easily negotiate the trees but she knew that further in they would become denser - and finding the bike somewhere in there was a lot harder than finding it back out here. So she reluctantly left it behind and started to walk. The forest appeared to be a few kilometres across and finding anything in her was a monumental task. Locating someone who didn’t want to be found? Well it wasn’t like a worthy challenge was going to be to go to the local shop and buy 20 deathsticks, was it?

As she progressed the canopy grew denser until what appeared lush green soon became an umber-brown forest. All she could see was wood - and insects. Slugs about the size of a hand but with a hundred insect-like legs abounded and almost seem to track her progress.

And as she moved further towards the heart of the forest, the soft foliage underfoot gave way to crackling leaves and crunching twigs. And a wind picked up from nowhere and the aged trees creaked and sighed in defiance at being moved. These guardians of the forest’s secret seemingly talking to each other - perhaps informing someone or something of her presence.

She shook her head - now she was allowing her imagination to run riot. But every now and then she looked up - remembering her experience on Kashyyk and those giant spiders.

[member="Ebenezer"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

It was a forlorn hope but she had nothing else to try. She needed to locate someone who didn't want to be found in a forest a few kilometres across and he may even be using the Force to hide himself.

She considered her options. Firstly she could simply keep walking. Sometime in the next ten years she was likely to bump into him. If she had to have a back-up plan, this would be it. She could try calling for him. This option was lamer than the first and she immediately discounted it. Or she could try to use the Force. This sounded weak but given the options was possibly her best bet.

So she sat on the ground, ignoring the creepy-crawlies and closed her eyes. She remembered Zannah’s journals. How she’d discovered to use the Force with the minimum of coaching from Bane. First she needed to tap into her emotions. There were plenty to choose from - her love for her sister, her hatred of those that had preyed on her for most of her life, her parents who abandoned her as a baby yet gave her sister a privileged upbringing. She focused on these and allowed them to fill her senses, feeding each other, building layer upon layer of emotion until her mind was almost too full to hold them all in.

And then she focused on what she wanted. There was little to work with - he was a sorcerer and he wore a cloak. In fact he could even be a she. But Maja knew he didn’t want to be found, so she added this to the mix. In her mind’s eye she could see herself, sitting on the ground, surrounded by trees. And then, in her mind she sent out ripples and saw herself at the centre of her own map and each tree was touched by her mind until she reached the forest’s edge.

But she found no sorcerer, no trace of anyone hiding. Frustrated, she reviewed the map in her mind, turning it over, looking here and there until…yes, that was it. It wasn’t something she’d missed - as there was nothing to see. She hadn’t found someone, she’d found nothing. But precisely nothing. A gap where her map couldn’t see. She seemed to know instinctively this was where she needed to go.

She stood and felt slightly weak. Her use of the Force had drained her mentally - but she knew she needed to go on - and so she did, picking up her pace and heading for the null spot in the hope of finding what she sought.

[member="Ebenezer"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Ebenezer]

The Croke went ahead of the woman as she sat on the forest floor, getting about forty or so meters ahead before she continued her walk. Ebenezer had hoped that she realized that he was merely playing a game with her by this point. Most would have been ambushed by lugubraa by now, the girl was lucky so far.

A voice seemed to suddenly come from the deep heart of the forest, or more or less so from the forest in front of Maja.
"I'm a little surprised the lugubraa haven't found you by now. Quite vicious creatures indeed, yes. They enjoy fresh meat like nothing else, quite a shame really... Now, for more... pressing matters. I need you to turn around now, missy. You're wasting your time here... Also would you be so kind as to drop whatever supplies you have on you? It's just a little bit hard to get a decent meal out here. Especially with those overgrown leeches running around."

[member="Maja Vern"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja was walking in a determined fashion when the voice began. It seemed to be coming from directly in front of her.

Lugubraa? She looked around. She wasn’t aware they were meat eaters. She looked in her bag. Supplies consisted of candy bars. She unwrapped them all and one by one threw them a short way behind her. She took a big bite from the last one before tossing it where the rest went.

But that’s where her decision to take advice ended. Shaking her head slightly she pressed on. People only wanted you to stop if they were worried. She’d clearly got someone rattled and there was only one way to find out how much. But she drew her blaster and looked around for any killer slugs.

And as for those candy bars? They’d better eat them, because they were – without a doubt – her favourites.

[member="Ebenezer"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja walked and walked. Every now and then she would close her eyes and ensure she was walking in the correct direction. Assuming where she was heading was indeed where she wanted to be - but she had limited options and so persevered.

If her recent exploits had taught her anything, it was patience. And of course, she always had her saber. She kept it clipped to her belt, on her left hip and - as a rule - kept it hidden from view. It was a last resort - as she didn't have any tricks up her sleeve other than the use of the saber - but it wasn't the worst last resort to have.

[member="Ebenezer"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Ebenezer]

(sorry for not getting back to this for so long, been busy with school and other things)

"I can't convince you otherwise, then? Perhaps a display then?"

The croke willed the leaves around him to flurry into the air as the woman continued walking forward. He designated himself as the right hind leg of a great shambling beast to this woman. A creature on four legs like that on an animal, but its body seeming to be made of twisted wood and a 'fur' of moss. It would be about ten feet tall from the top of its head when standing upright. Indeed, it was probably foolish for him to assume such a form without better protection himself, but it mattered not. The common folk, or so Ebenezer thought, would be running a way in fright from shambling monster as it appeared in front of them. However, from this woman he sensed only a slight tinge of emotion. A hard nut to crack, but one that would be cracked none the less.

​

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Source: http://lindseyburcar.deviantart.com/art/Treant-Quad-stilt-Costume-Concept-305298219​

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[member="Maja Vern"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja wondered how long it would take to get to the place she knew existed in her mind and was so focused on this that the sudden voice made her jump.

"I can't convince you otherwise, then? Perhaps a display then?"

She stopped walking and looked around. She heard the wind rise and then the leaves began to flurry and ahead of her was a four-legged creature that seemed to have morphed out of the very forest. Its body seeming to be made of twisted wood and its 'fur' was moss. Standing tall, it was unexplained but not necessarily worrying yet.

She finally decided that she needed to act and unclipped the saber from her belt. She held it horizontally with both hands on the hilt and with a unique snap-hiss the twin crimson blades ignited. She closed her amber eyes and drew on the Force. When she opened them a few moments later, they were yellow and crimson ringed the irises.

And then she started to twirl the saber – it’s blades were shorter than normal, but this allowed her to generate significant momentum as her hands kept up an ever quicker rhythm and she started to walk forwards – towards the creature.

Spoiler

http://starwarsrp.net/topic/51678-a-personal-saber-for-maja-vern/

[member="Ebenezer"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Boethiah]

The Host Lord could sense that [member="Maja Vern"] found the one they were looking for... Who the person was still remained a mystery, however. Approaching from the forest Anja found herself at a distance -- out of sight but still within a distance capable of sensing what was going on. The moment the woman's lightsaber activated the witch knew all too well that a trial of combat would begin. So quick to react, it seemed. Many resort to the blade for power -- it indeed offered much to those who could use magic and thus became a principal tool in the art of swordsmanship. Lightsabers were beyond the expertise of Anja, she knew some of the forms but favoured the vibroblade.

Indeed this was an interesting situation, to watch as a learner began to understand that there are bizarre things in the galaxy and that even the masters know little of them.

[member="Ebenezer"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja was unsure how to progress - the creature seemed inert - and she wondered if she should tackle it, or simply skirt around it. And was this simply a malevolent force in the forest or a manifestation of the one she sought.

So many questions and so few answers...

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"] | [member="Ebenezer"]

 

[Ebenezer]

(crap, sorry, I forgot all about this thread)

The "creature" lifted up its body on to its hind legs before slamming them back down in a territorial display. Faint quakes along the ground did resound for only a few meters, belaying a false sense of mass from the illusions from what little other pieces of the force Ebenezer himself knew. Ebenezer forced his form to begin charging forth wildly towards the force-user ready to bring them down in a full tackle.

[member="Maja Vern"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja had been shown how to perform one Ability - but her hit and miss efforts to connect to the Force meant it was at best illogical to use in a life or death situation. And the current circumstances fitted that bill.

Yet when she held her saber in her hand, the Force seemed to flow naturally through her - and so she kept to what she did best. By now she was generating significant speed as she spun the blade in her hands, creating a circle of power that she hoped would deter this creature from coming too close. It wasn't that she didn't want to kill it - but she saw no value in killing it.

But it seemed intent on charging her, so now she stood still but kept the blade twirling.

[member="Ebenezer"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Ebenezer]

Ebenezer, in fact, had never seen a lightsaber in his life, only heard of them. This woman seemed intent on making a dashing display with it too. From what Ebenezer knew from his own experience, however, those that needed a grandiose display only belied their inherent weaknesses. Such was the nature of the Croke. Or by chance this woman was preparing to fight. It mattered not, to be honest. Unless she knew what she was looking for she wouldn't find it. So Ebenezer would play this game, he would deceive her to his heart's content, maybe even attract some of the Lugubbra.

So he charged in that hulking form without an artificial sound, only the rumbling and crunching of dry leaves and grass under foot and attempted to tackle the woman with a synthesized brute strength.

[member="Maja Vern"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja stood her ground. Her use of the saber was predominantly against other wielders. To date she’d not had to use it against any beasts. So she stopped walking and allowed the blade to keep twirling, keeping it in front of her. It would have to go through the twin-spinning blades to get to her and she was relying on the fact that the dark crimson energy would make short work of what appeared to be twigs and leaves.

Of course, as she was up against something she had no concept of whatsoever, she wasn’t entirely sure. But she had one other trick up her sleeve if it came to it. Her time with her sister had unlocked an ability to draw on her emotions and in travelling she’d picked up a few things she could use if necessary.

Would it be necessary? She had no idea. And without knowing it, her amber irises were changing colour. Lightening to a deep yellow but ringed the same colour as her saber. “Come on then…sticky. Let’s see just how flammable old leaves are, eh?”

[member="Ebenezer"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Ebenezer]

The front of the form barreled through the lightsaber, but of course, Ebenezer could not feel its pain, only the lightsaber attempting to cut through and doing a little to stop the artificial mass's movement but shoving it to the side. For that little split second he did not react. A split second that, perhaps would reveal the artifice. He forced it to appear as if the wood had been blackened and made a sound a quiet creaking. It sounded as if the head had fallen off the of the beast, but nothing landed in the foliage. The form toppled over before suddenly dissappearing. A small scuttling form diving into the foliage and crawling towards the treeline and climbing up the side of one of the trees. Ebenezer looked from his stalked eyes towards Maja Vern, this sorceress before speaking into the forest again.

"Fine the, go as you will. I won't try to stop you further. But I promise this: You will be disappointed once you find what you seek."

[member="Maja Vern"]
[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja had no way of telling what had happened. Of course she could see plenty but the Force was sending her all sorts of conflicting messages and she wasn;t sure if she should believe her eyes or not.

Certainly the creature’s forma appeared to be affected by the saber. It made all the right noises and its colour changed but something in the back of her mind said it didn’t add up. Except she had no way of telling what was the potential issue, so she simply accepted what she saw. The creature appeared to be defeated, toppling over and finally disappearing.

“Fine then, go as you will. I won't try to stop you further. But I promise this: You will be disappointed once you find what you seek.”

Had it been all an illusion? A test? Had she passed? She put her hand in her bag for a candy bar before realising they’d all gone. Scowling, she continued to walk in the direction the Force had indicated. “This had better be worth it,” she grumbled as she travelled. “And trust me, going the rest of the way without any candy bars is disappointing enough for me.”

[member="Ebenezer"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]