Private Wayward Winds

[Beric Layne]

F R O S T H A L L
Frosthall, Vandor

The moon shone brightly over the quiet the capital of Vandor as its citizens rested before another hard, cold day of winter began. Guardsmen patrolled the walls, standing next to blazing fires, trying to draw as much heat -- any heat -- as possible to ward off the chill. And far back in the Brumal Keep, Beric Layne could not sleep.

The night air had swept a chill through the castle, though that was almost redundant for a place like Frosthall. He knew that the castle's hands would be scurrying to keep temperatures indoor from dropping below freezing, but the cold had never bothered Beric. The Force had always warmed him, had allowed him to withstand the world's brutal storms and blizzards as it had his ancestors, the Lords and Ladies of House Layne. But it was the same Force that protected him and empowered him that now prevented him from sleeping.

It had been only a fortnight since Beric and his apprentice Millu -- likely fast asleep after a hard day's worth of training -- had returned from the pilgrimage to Ashla's Grove to retrieve her lightsaber crystal. It had been a success for Millu, and as her mentor a success for him; but the visions he had seen there had left him with more questions than answers, and his faith in what he had believed in had been shaken. The atrocities of the Dark Side. . . the darkness that plagued the Confederacy. . . and Beric had stood on Vandor, blind to it all. Perhaps he had not been as ignorant as he would've believed; perhaps he had used his role as the shield of Vandor to deny any feelings of guilt that came over him when the news of the most recent battles and tragedies came in over the HoloNet.

Change had to be made. But as he stared out of the window, he simply did not now how. But then, an unfamiliar ripple in the Force washed over him as the midnight hovertrain from Fort Ypso pulled into the station at the base of the village.

Someone was here.

Valery Noble​

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[Valery Noble]

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Location: Vandor | Frosthall​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Beric Layne ​

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Valery sat quietly inside the midnight train, her orange Keshian eyes looking out into the beautiful night on Vandor. For several weeks now, she had been exhausted not just from her duties as a Jedi, but also because of her personal life. Everything seemed to be happening all at once, and despite her strength and never-ending perseverance, she struggled to keep up. ​

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So as she leaned against the inner side of the train's walls, the rhythmic hum from the engines combined with the silence of her being largely alone almost made her fall asleep. It was only when the train finally reached its destination and the arrival signal was given, that Valery was drawn out of her trance. ​

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She quickly wrapped an extra layer of thin robes around her outfit and stood up to enter the village. She had traveled to this world to explore it more, and perhaps learn about locations strongly connected to the Force. But it was late, she was quite tired and traveling alone at night like that wasn't going to be appreciated by those waiting for her at home. ​

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Someone had luckily told her about the Drunk Luftgriff, a well-known tavern where she could spend the night. So with quick steps to get out of the cold, she made her way over and stepped inside. Valery rubbed her hands together and slowly moved over to the bar, hoping not to draw too much attention to herself.​

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"Hello." she greeted the bartender with a smile.​

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"I'll take whatever you recommend as a drink, and hmm..." she looked at the signs behind the man, trying to figure out what the food options were. She had no idea but she was hungry enough to where it hardly mattered.​

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[Beric Layne]

F R O S T H A L L

Tag: Valery Noble

Beric left Frosthall's inner wall in a hushed manner, taking care not to wake the sleeping castle on his way out. He informed the two guards at the gate quietly so that his absence would not cause alarm, but the fewer people knew, the better. He did not know why the Force was calling to him this night -- but it was something that he sensed he must discover on his own.

The streets of the castle's village were empty at this hour, lanterns flickering in the cold wind that blew flurries of snowflakes from the heavily-laden rooftops. Beric's feet crunched lightly on the freshly-fallen snow. Come morning, the streets would eventually be clear by virtue of the hundreds of feet tramping through the cobbles, melting the snow underfoot, but at night there was no one to disturb the snowfall. Covered by a hood, the Lord of Frosthall was unrecognizable from any other man or woman out late tonight, and he appreciated the anonymity. It allowed him to carry out his business undisturbed.

At last, Beric reached the destination that the foreign Force presence was emanating from: the Drunk Lutgriff. Beric's brow furrowed for a moment. Frosthall's most infamous tavern was not where he would've expected to end up. Nevertheless, he pressed forward.

Although the streets were quiet, the Lutgriff was still catering to a healthy amount of patrons, though the revelry of the hours earlier may have died away. Most still in the tavern were hunched over their tankards of mead and troughs of meat and bread, though there was a trio of herders in the corner drunkenly singing a folk song, painfully out of tune. What drew Beric's eye was the obvious offworlder at the bar, a woman whose outfit was made of too-fine material to have come from Vandor. The Force swirled strongly around her as well, stronger than Beric had felt in a long time since he'd left the Knights Obsidian.

"The Norgbrew here is a must-have," he volunteered quietly behind the woman. The Norgbrew was indeed a must-have, as the casks here came straight from Galersson Brewing, which was famous across all of Vandor for the drink. But he was less intent on recommending a well-vetted beer, than finding out exactly who this woman was, and what brought her here to Vandor.
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[Valery Noble]

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Location: Vandor | Frosthall​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Beric Layne ​

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The bartender was just about to recommend her a drink when she heard a voice from behind her doing the same thing. She turned, and her fiery orange gaze shifted up to meet the man who volunteered the Nogbrew. Valery flashed him a quick smile and studied him for a moment — especially his connection to the Force.​

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Was that why he approached? He likely sensed her own signature, since she hadn't done anything to hide it.​

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"I'll take the Nogbrew, please," Valery asked as she briefly turned back to the bartender, who nodded and made a move to prepare the drink for her. She took this opportunity to shift her eyes back to Beric and offered him a respectful dip of her head.​

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"Thank you, I can't say I'm too familiar with everything here." she chuckled and looked at him with a friendly smile. "You're also the first I've seen here with a connection to the Force, and I have a feeling that's what brought you here?" her head tilted while her expression showed some curiosity. She clearly didn't believe it to be a coincidence.​

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"I'm Jedi Master Valery Noble," she told him as an introduction, "But just Valery is fine."​

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[Beric Layne]

F R O S T H A L L

Tag: Valery Noble

Beric nodded. "I'll take one as well," he added after the woman, and the bartender gave Beric a stare that lingered a moment too long before moving to make the drinks -- likely wondering what the Lord of Frosthall was doing here at such a late hour.

He bowed his head at the woman's thanks, but his aloof smile quickly faded when she mentioned his connection to the Force. Beric felt stupid for not guessing that she was a Force user, and his hand instinctually drifted to his belt where, under a fur cloak, his lightsaber hung. The imposing, confident manner of the woman reminded him all-too-well of the self-important Knights Obsidian, and they tended to make a mess. She could be a survivor of the Confederacy's collapse, looking to exact a twisted form of justice on a traitor to the order.

But then she introduced herself. Not as a relic of a broken order. But as Jedi Battlemaster. And that stayed Beric's hand.

A moment of silence passed before he remembered his manners. "Master Noble. . . er, Valery," he said somewhat awkwardly. "I am Beric Layne, Lord of Frosthall, Protector of Vandor. I . . . well, I sensed a strong presence in the Force, and it led me here," Beric managed to explain in response to the Jedi's inquiry. "To you," he added, probably unhelpfully. "But may I ask, what brings a Jedi Battlemaster to Vandor?"
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[Valery Noble]

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Location: Vandor | Frosthall​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Beric Layne ​

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Looking between the bartender and Beric, Valery picked up on the lingering stare — it made her believe that the man behind her was quite important here. But as she went on to explain that she had sensed his Force sensitivity, she suddenly felt the tension in the room rising just for a moment. The man's hand shifted down towards his belt, and while she wondered if he'd draw a weapon, his hand finally froze after her introduction.​

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Are they cautious with Force users here?​

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"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Layne." Valery finally said after he introduced himself. The stare from the bartender suddenly made a whole lot more sense, and Valery would greet Beric with a more respectful bow of her head. "Apologies if my presence here disturbed your rest." her tone was more apologetic, but her smile remained kind in nature like it had been when she introduced herself.​

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"As for why I'm here, nothing to be concerned about. I was mostly just interested in this world, and especially its locations strong in the Force." Valery explained but now that she knew the Lord of Frosthall and protector of this world had a connection to the Force like this, her curiosity began to shift a little.​

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The bartender then returned with their drinks, causing her to turn away from Beric so she could take the mug into both her hands. She raised it to her lips and carefully took her first sip.​

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"Hmm..." she smiled, clearly surprised at the taste but in a good way.​

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[Beric Layne]

F R O S T H A L L

Tag: Valery Noble

Beric accepted his own tankard of Norgbrew graciously, with a couple of extra credits added, as he listened to the Jedi speak. "You have nothing to apologize for," Beric finally said as they both took a seat in the sparsely-populated Tavern. The fire in the hearth roared merrily, giving the tavern an atmosphere as if it was out of a period holodrama. "It is my duty to watch over this world. I am glad that you are not a threat; Vandor's security as of late is not as solid as it has been in years past." What he didn't include was that his sleep was fitful at best as of late. Even in Valery had not arrived, he would've been awake well past the hours of early morning.

He took a slow draught from the tankard, letting the brew warm up his insides a bit. Norgbrew was traditionally served warm, and the spiced beverage had a certain kick aimed to diminish Vandor's chills. "Indeed, Vandor does have sites with a strong connection to the Force. Albeit, they have been closely-guarded secrets of House Layne, to prevent their exploitation. I'm quite intrigued as to how you discovered them," he said finally with the tankard only lowered an inch from his lips, peering over the rim to study the Jedi's reaction. "Not that I am upset at your discovery," he reassured Valery, gesturing with the tankard emphatically, "just curious." Beric had been taught that the Grove of Ashla had been the thing that'd drawn his ancestor to Vandor and the deciding factor behind the foundation of House Layne as the protectors and eventual rulers of Vandor.
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[Valery Noble]

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Location: Vandor | Frosthall​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Beric Layne ​

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Valery sat down with Beric and comfortably leaned back into her chair. With the warm fire, the people inside and the drink in her hands, she felt this whole place create quite the cozy atmosphere. To an extent, it felt like visiting Life Day festivals but without all the craziness around it. This place always had this particular feel to it.​

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"I hope Vandor at least hasn't been under any serious threat, then?" Valery asked as he explained the state of its security. She didn't know enough about the world and its people to make assumptions as to why its protection was deteriorating, but she certainly hoped it hadn't been causing problems.​

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She then raised the mug back up to her lips and smiled at the warm feeling she got from the drink. The only thing she wondered about still was just how strong it was — not that it'd make a big difference for her, but she still wanted to be careful. "As for me, I haven't really discovered them in the sense that I know where they are exactly. I just... felt it." Valery smiled and lowered her mug.​

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"I'm not quite sure what to expect out there yet, but I came to learn more and take some time off from the war."​

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[Beric Layne]

F R O S T H A L L

Tag: Valery Noble

Beric's expression was a mix of brooding and politeness as he listened to his now-guest. Patrons were beginning to leave as the hour grew even later, though a few stragglers still remained, sitting in silence with their cups or listening to the drunken trio by the fire, sometimes joining in on popular refrains. The two's low conversation was quiet enough that it could safely go unheard.

"Fortunately Vandor has so far been nigh untouched by the chaos that has engulfed the rest of the southern systems. I shudder at some of the reports that come through," Beric confided. Vandor was not a necessarily important world. It had some refining infrastructure, natural resources, and Fort Ypso was a minor starport that saw a great deal of business, but with the collapse of the Confederacy, there were many juicer targets that had fallen prey to roving bands of pirates. The new tough-on-crime Mandalorian state in the South had slowly been expanding too, drawing much of the pirate fleet's attention.

"As for learning," he continued, "I am not sure what knowledge I could have to give to a Jedi Battlemaster, but Frosthall's archives are yours to peruse. On one condition, though." He leaned in, dropping his voice. "I have been considering it for some time. But I have always been a student of the Light, a warden of darkness. For a time I thought my path lay with the Knights Obsidian. Then I thought I could find fulfillment and duty in remaining the Protector of Vandor. Ignoring this war and the darkness that threatens to consume the galaxy, because so long as Vandor remains safe, then it is not my problem. But with recent events. . ." his mind flashed back to the vision he'd experienced at the Grove of Ashla. "Recent events have convinced me that I must choose a side. And I choose the light."

"I want to become a Jedi."
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[Valery Noble]

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Location: Vandor | Frosthall​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Beric Layne ​

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When he mentioned the reports from the southern systems, Valery briefly frowned and looked down at her cup. While she hadn't interacted much with the Confederacy while it was still standing strong, she had responded to the call for help when the chaos began. She had seen the portals over Naboo and fought there to help evacuate as many civilians as possible, but it was brutal. Countless people lost their lives in the attacks, and many more were without a home.​

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But hearing that Vandor had been left intact at least gave her some sense of relief. The more planets out there still able to keep it all together, the more places people had to travel to if they had lost their homes."I'm glad Vandor has been spared the destruction that I've seen strike other worlds. I hope it stays that way."​

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Valery offered a kind smile and looked around briefly before she focused on Beric again, "If I can make use of the archives, I'd appreciate that quite a lot." she was about to thank him but then he mentioned it was on one condition, and she'd tilt her head curiously. ​

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"I want to become a Jedi."​

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Valery blinked and leaned back a little while her eyes remained focused on him — he wanted to become a Jedi? That was likely the last thing she was expecting, but she met his request with a smile. Perhaps this meeting had a larger purpose than her exploring a planet she had never visited.​

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"You have training with the Force already, I assume, so that will make it easier. But the Jedi likely act quite differently than the Knights Obsidian, and our view on the Force is something you'll have to learn about thoroughly too. If it's something you want to do, then I'd be happy to accept the offer." she said with a dip of her head.​

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"While you don't have to officially join any Order, I can help guide you into one or offer any other help you might need. Whether that's training and discussions or just a nudge in the right direction, I would be happy to offer my assistance."​

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[Beric Layne]

F R O S T H A L L

Tag: Valery Noble

Beric nodded slowly, doing a great deal to appear attentive as Valery began to list off the necessary requirements. He did not suspect that adapting to the Jedi Order's teachings would be a necessarily hard part; after all, he had been a champion of the Light Side in the predominantly dark-leaning Knights Obsidian.

The joining of an Order was not as clear-cut as he had hoped it would be, though. Beric was not as educated on the Jedi and their history as he could've been, but he'd hoped that Valery would've been able to provide a clearer path with herself being a Jedi Battlemaster. "I confess that I do not know much of the different Jedi Orders," he admitted. "Any guidance you could provide would be of great assistance. But I was under the impression that the New Jedi Order on Coruscant spoke for all Jedi; is this not the case? I know they have been leading the charge in the war against. . . the Maw, and so my attention was drawn there first."
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[Valery Noble]

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Location: Vandor | Frosthall​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Beric Layne ​

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The question he asked was luckily one she was able to answer quite well — after her return to action, Valery had traveled between all the active groups of Jedi and now she was even in leadership positions within some. "That's about right, yes. There are two major Orders — the Silver Jedi and the New Jedi Order. The latter is most active in the war against the Maw." Valery explained with a dip of her head.​

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"I personally sit on the New Jedi Order's Council, so it's the order I'm most active with. But outside the NJO, there are smaller Enclaves out there as well, such as the Ossus Praxeum. I wouldn't consider that a separate order though, and most Jedi who go there regularly also work for the NJO."​

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Valery offered a smile and finished up her drink.​

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"If you'd like to become a Jedi of the New Jedi Order, I can take you with me to the Prosperity. After the Coruscant Temple was destroyed, the mobile Temple became our primary hub. But the Ilum Temple was recently rebuilt as well, alongside my old Enclave on New Cov. So there are options where you can stay and train at."​

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[Beric Layne]

F R O S T H A L L

Tag: Valery Noble

Beric nodded, listening intently as the Jedi Battlemaster spoke. He made a mental note of the significant names she mentioned; he was aware of the Silver Jedi and New Jedi Orders, but names such as the Ossus Praxeum and New Cov Temples were new to him, among others. He sensed a daunting road ahead of him, full of unknowns, but was appreciative when she offered to take him to the New Jedi Order's mobile temple headquarters herself.

"I am thankful for your offer, Master Jedi," Beric nodded. "And indeed, I'll make the journey to Prosperity, but matters will need attending to before I take such a long journey away from home. A castellan must be appointed to rule over Frosthall and Vandor in my stead." And figure out what to do with Millu, he thought, although he did not speak about his apprentice out loud. For now, he would keep Millu out of this until he had decided the right path forward. She had enough to focus on with her training. "But none of that should concern you. If you wish to wait, it should only take a few days to set my affairs, and then I will be able to make the journey with you, and you'd have full access to Frosthall's archives to peruse at your leisure. But I can understand if duty requires you be elsewhere, in which case we can arrange a rendezvous."
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[Valery Noble]

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Location: Vandor | Frosthall​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Beric Layne ​

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Valery nodded in understanding when he talked about the arrangements he needed to make before leaving behind this world. To leave it in a good place was something she could respect a lot, so waiting a bit longer wasn't going to be a problem, "I'll take a few days to read in the archives and maybe explore a little out there," Valery said as her gaze briefly shifted down to the empty cup in her hands.​

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"When you're ready, feel free to contact me and I'll bring you to the Prosperity. I can get all the paperwork done there, and even offer you the famous New Jedi Order leather jacket," She rolled her eyes at her own comment and smirked while she brought up her wrist to tap a few buttons on the integrated computer in her vambrace. It brought up her contact info, which she then offered to him.​

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"If there's anything else I can help with, you're always more than welcome to reach out. It would be my pleasure to help."​

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