Welcome Darkness

[Pom Stych Tivé]

Pom exited the realm of the Netherworld as her sister, [member="Vytal Noctura"] navigated them back to the potions’ store. It was always easy for Pom to locate Vytal. She will plan a time and day where she will locate her from off world. Vytal must know, so Pom doesn’t find herself stuck in that realm! So far it has been that Pom recognizes Vytal’s Force Signature, if that is what it happens to be. She finds her sister through the Force just as she locates the Fanged God’s essence.

Pom jumped right into the skill she wants to exhibit. She tapped into the connection straight off the bat. Interconnecting streams of glowing green light, the Spirit of Ichor, appeared and illuminated throughout the room. It connected Pom to Vytal and to every Talisman throughout. Every source likewise interconnected.

The Talismans glowed and whirred an audible sound as Pom said, “I have found him, Vytal. I have found a way to connect us to our main love.” The Nightsister smiles in way she hadn’t in decades. Reunited with her god; and she owes it all to her sister! “Think about him, to tie in to him.”

Pom let the process unfold before their eyes. The Ichor glowed throughout the room and could be felt extending beyond the room, the castle walls, stretching beyond the outer grounds, the very planet, it’s solar system, quadrant, and many quadrants across the galactic map to his presence within the very heart of Dathomir. Their god cast his eyes upon his daughters and smiled as and a virgin crystal charged with his sacred Spirit of Ichor. Pom loved the sight of him.

“I don’t know how the ability eluded me for so long! I don’t even understand how I realized how to do this now. But I sure am glad that I have been granted this knowhow. You can channel his power in this manner too! As Dathomiri, we are both born with this two fold power inherent to our genetics. Magick and this Force the outsiders speak about, these skills intertwine for us, because our very god was gifted to master these many abilities when he walked among us in life! His creation of Magick takes this Darkside Force beyond their imagination. It is limitless for those of us who can comprehend how to utilize them. So many without respect shall never comprehend the vast capabilities they shun, for whatever sake I don’t understand. Sheer prejudice; which they have taught me to emulate against them in return.”

She hopes to demonstrate the power of the Fanged God to every Mandragora resident. She wants to shout her discovery to the Holonet and welcome any seeking the truth to join her on her journey. How they fear the power of the Fanged God, the masses dwelling outside his graces! But it’s more than a power to draw fear, it regards the mysteries of life. The alignment of Darkness is different and polar opposite of the Light wielders, but that does not mean their judgement is true that Darksiders are evil! That is an entirely unjust accusation of the Light wielders, which no Nightsister can seem to crawl out from under. Light and Dark alignment is almost opposing races of humanity, in Pom’s eyes, of a different matrix. There is us, and there is them, and we are just woven differently.

Pom gripped Vytal’s hand and the Ichor which streamed throughout the galaxy, direct from Dathomir, poured from her hand, and into Vytal’s.

“Do you know how much I feel I owe you, and of course I love you?” It had been a long lonely year Pom felt beside herself with no religion within her grasp! Now she has a home, her god, and family returned to her core existence. Nobody else mattered to her as much as reuniting with the frequently growing number of gathering Nightsisters!

 

[Vytal Noctura]

Vytal's eyes lifted to regard the ichor present in the room. Pom's excitement drew the Nightsister's gaze back down curious how it came to be. Surprisingly, Pomsty appeared quite happy -- with herself, and her new found connection with the Fanged God while away from home. It was a delightful sight. Still one that Vytal felt had come out of nowhere just as her Sister's eagerness to throw herself into the deity's arms.To keep such isolation and pain to herself... Yet, now her Sister had reforged her connection and recovered some of the enemy lost in days leading to that fateful meeting. This was exciting news indeed.

Pom then led them through the mists in search of the power she had drawn upon. While technically unnecessary from where Vytal stood, learning of other techniques was what had drawn her to the Confederacy and the Mandragora in the first place. On top of that, it would appear her Sister had called upon the 'Force' more so than magick? At least as much that the Dathomiri woman received from her Sister's quickly shared description of she had discovered.

Naturally, Pom did not understand how she'd come across this ability. It was true that some or many Nightsisters might draw upon the Force as she and others had. Perhaps Pom only had a closer affinity for it from her past rather than a unique one for it. Either way, it was wonderful to see Pom had discovered one of its secrets. For too long had Force Users come to Dathomir to plunge Secrets of Magick; now it seemed Pom had turned the tables and begun exploration of the Force.

"This is wonderful Pom, I'm so happy," Vytal clasped her Sister's hand between her own. "Look at what you have discovered. At the connection you've forged." The pale woman's black lips turned up in a smile. A connection to their god offworld was something of an egoboost for her alone to know -- at least far as Vytal knew -- but it was not something she held on to jealously. Countless Nightsister communed in the dark back home; why should it be any different out here? The material distance was what posed the greatest concern, and now Pom might have uncovered a means to cross that divide. Was it sheer willpower to reach so far through the Force? Vytal knew of some rare talents like that though they were often taxing on a body. Or perhaps some means of tunneling through the Nether? "I hope you will continue to show me more of this. To explore it fully together, and with others of home."

Personally she wouldn't be so sure about sharing this on the holonet -- Vytal was guarded of Offworlders knowing the secrets of Dathomir, and grappled with this regularly in sharing among the Mandragora -- but there would be others that could benefit. Those that would be like Pom desperate to reconnect with familiar spirits. Surely the four women that had accompanied Vytal into the stars, and so empowered their Circle Magick would be ever stronger. "With this, we may be able to form a true Circle to bolster our power together, Pom. This is just the beginning; only made possible through your devotion and love."

Tag: [member="Pom Stych Tivé"]​

 

[Pom Stych Tivé]

Pom realized her sister [member="Vytal Noctura"] gave her a genuine smile and Pom beamed in return. It had been a long time since she felt accomplished. The approval affirmed that something she is studying might make a difference for another! She never imagined her newly discovered connection with the Force would be received as well as this. How the opportunity to bridge between the Force and build upon Magick does seem to inspire Vytal as well! Pom had anticipated possible rejection, for Force wielders are known for not accepting the existence of Magick at all, let alone accept it’s historically documented limitless potential and superiority. Pom had worried her sister might have rather chastised her for her interest, and reminded her of her true nature. Of course, all this only because Pom’s own internal prejudices get the best of her, which she never minded to silence before. Now she must accept that this Force does hold a pretty amazing skill which she needs to utilize.

“Thank you so much, Vytal,” she said. “If we can both learn to master one another’s best techniques, we can witness our names go down in infamy!”

As Vytal always picked up on the thoughts which instinctively cross Pom’s mind, a sibling connection that developed when they were children, likewise Pom always just knew what Vytal was thinking in regards to her opinion. She honestly prefers her new study to remain their secret for now, at least until Vytal can understand just how she is doing this. Besides, her thought to prove her findings to a single soul born off Dathomir, and teach her secret, was only due to her misguided fleeting pride; it would be treasonous of a Nightsister to share such information outside of her own kindred!! Over her dead body shall her discovery be shared openly like some common parlor trick among lesser creative minds!

Force Sight, the ability to see the Force encompassing all life surrounding one, is habitually one of the first skills ever taught a Force practitioner. Pom mastered this very skill to its extreme here, when she traced the power of the Darkside back to the Fanged God where he rules over Dathomir. It webs throughout the galaxy, even avoided the Light Nexus. But where the Darkside Force transmogrifies over to a gray alignment, then into its polar opposite as Light, the chaos wavelength of the Darkside slowly becomes ordered and then strictly uniform. This extreme nauseates Pom to feel it. It feels like slipping into a tight conforming box. The Darkside was free form, moldable, scattered. It moves anyway she wills it, has little rules, unlike the Light.

If Vytal desires to try right now to tap into the source of the Darkside of the Force and draw the Spirit of Ichor, Pom will show her, if she is able to relay it well enough. For her explanation may be so rusty that she might actually like to hear herself describe how to perform the task aloud, so that she might better understand the process for herself!

There is no more lovely a sight than witnessing the Fanged God exist through the eyes of power alone, not the embodiment of his ethereal physical form, but igniting with life through his Darkside Force essence. She saw that all Darkside power extended out from him, and he as it’s core source.

How can any other being ever compare?!

 

[Vytal Noctura]

Vytal laughed. "Exactly," the Nightsister cried. "So long as it benefits us, it does not matter where we call power from, only that it is ours to call." The Force was a strange concept to a Nightsister; a people steeped in ancient tradition of utilizing the power of magick from the realm of the Dead. It was foreign to simply conjure power of one's own right, and certainly to the scale a Sith might. Most felt such was unnecessary. Dangerous, even, given how reckless the Sith could be -- yes, even those worthy enough to speak to a Mother. Vytal could not disagree, but neither could they afford to ignore the threat it posed. Or the threat of "technology." A dead creation capable of wanton destruction perhaps to an even swifter and greater scale than the Force or Magick could easily conjure. Entire planets. Entire planets had been destroyed by technology with the push of a button, Vytal had read. Madness. A madness they could use to defend themselves or -- being generous -- merely to better understand so they could defend themselves against it.

"There are many among the Mandragora that could learn this skill, Pom, if or when you are prepared to share it. Many Nightsisters that have come far from home. I can only imagine how many lacked their Mother's assent, and have felt torn from the dark embrace of home. This may restore a sense of connection and knowledge they are not abandoned." It was true other beliefs or methods had been found for power by those that'd come before. Something about Three Spirits of Ryloth -- the religious Witches of the world had spoken of such. Vytal had never been comfortable with such talk; certainly not of becoming branded or connected with such strange entities. The Fanged God might cherish Dathomir above all, but he was not helpless. Had he chosen this? Had it been forced upon him? There were surely other deities out there that would oppose the ruler of Dathomir. Together, Pom and Vytal might be able to begin extending the Fanged God's reach among the stars...

But not at the expense of learning the other techniques. Knowledge was what had drawn Vytal to the stars. Knowledge she would seek. Though she would not turn her back on furthering her deity's own agenda should something arise.

Tag: [member="Pom Stych Tivé"]​

 

[Pom Stych Tivé]

"They may have the Talismans, but not the method; not just yet." Honestly Pom wants to know them, truly know them. At this point there are certain things she teaches which everyone should know. Its universal knowledge. Yet there is just something about wanting to protect Nightsisters as the most feared beings, she cannot share everything with just anybody. She must first know where their true allegiance lies. And the answer, isn't exactly here with the Mandragora. This place is wonderful and all, but its like a fairytale land. Something about it is just too good to be true.

Why does the CIS invite the witches and warlocks from afar? What are they gaining from doing so? Is the extent of the exchange of knowledge a ruse to hide some sinister plot? At what point will the witches and warlocks who live here become far too dependent upon the CIS to provide for them?

Pom thought about all this. [member="Vytal Noctura"] is different. "You are the only one who dwells here whom I trust with my life. Let me show you how to see him through the Force," she said.

Pom tried to explain. "The physical realm is in a three dimensional space. A great big sphere with length, height, and depth. I have always viewed the Nether Realm as a thick flat plane which pivots upon its center axis, around any given direction to intersect a point in the physical realm. The Nether Realm is aware of the Physical Realm, but the Physical Realm for the most part does not sense it, without putting forth an effort. The Force is a webbing which ties everything together within both Realms. It doesn't care which you are in, it is all the same and accessible from both. Force Sight is the easiest skill. To see it as far as I have however, is just not typical. I think, you can use the Nether Realm to see it as far as you like too."

Pom found it a fascinating sight, to see the power stretching across the galaxy. "That is precisely it though," she finally realized how it is that she does it. "I do take an Astral Walk when I go as far as to see him. I only just suspected before, but now I am certain of it!"

 

[Vytal Noctura]

Vytal did not complain at Pom's decision whatever its reasoning. Just because all were welcome and expected to share did not mean everything was shared. It was one of those inevitable contradictions that arose from the nature of involving people -- creatures who themselves were walking contradictions. Even Vytal had not shared all her knowledge. It was something she reflected on regularly. How much should she share? What should she expected if she was unwilling to share? Pom hadn't refused, but deferred until another time -- whether short or long.

She listened to Pom's explanation, and agreed that something to that effect was at play. It was difficult to say if it was as Pom believed or something different, but the Nether was not a point-to-point association with the physical. A world equal but separate from their own. Both near and far. Such Vytal believed was how the two of them could traverse distance in such a short amount of time; that realm was as much one of thought or being as it was form. Such was the source of its risk -- the unprepared would be helpless before the onslaught of what lay Beyond.

"Do you often leave your body and walk among the spirits, Pom? That is a rare talent if so. It carries risk of the body being injured in your absence, but may carry with it boon as well." Vytal wondered if something like that had happened in the garden on that day. What had been a simple sharing turned into something more when the potion's magik connected with the anchor within Vytal, or perhaps it had been an excuse to invite Pom in. "Such talents are the things of oracles and prophets. I can think of many that would be jealous of your accomplishment." A soft laugh followed, as Pom had no reason to fear her Sister being one. Not everyone possessed the same talents or aptitude; there was no shame in that. Each grew stronger and then they came together and put the Mighty to shame with the power they wielded as one.

Tag: [member="Pom Stych Tivé"]​

 

[Pom Stych Tivé]

"Vytal, it is no such great feat! It constitutes extensive training in meditation only. It is true however, what you mention about the risk, but my minions protect me when I am at my weakest. Sometimes I see this life as if we work together towards a common goal, rather than serve one another." A Sorceress knows full well, what she accomplishes comes as a cost; while she is exalted by angels or demons, her price is to merit them at some point, in whatever way she might not have yet paid their price.

[member="Vytal Noctura"] did not seem interested in learning the technique Pomsty had posed. It is all good. She understands everyone has their thing, it is not common for one to concern themselves with learning the ways of others. Everyone has gifts particular to their vibration.

"Goodness, Vytal, what you do is no mere child's play!" Pom wondered if Vital understood just how remarkable Pom felt her sister's own unique gifts. Even Pom herself has yet to master it, while Vital seems to have complete control in and over it.
"We always did have this special way of working off one another's talents." Pom grasped hold of a flower and broke it from its stem. she enjoyed the fragrance, and thought it incredibly rare, that it held absolutely no medicinal value. She slid it into Vytal's hair over her brow. "I remember how much our Mother's would be frustrated at how we got into mischief and they could never manage to find evidence to pin against us. I pray we never lose that!" A future with Vital at her side, she never dreamed possible, and here is that opportunity.

Pom looked out over the garden and tried to lose her thoughts in it, but found it difficult to accomplish. "Sometimes, I just want to go home again; you know. And forget that all this is here. I cannot even say why it is exactly that I want to. I just get to feeling it sometimes. Then there are other times, that I also have no idea why I feel the way I do, but I just kind of cringe at the whole idea. I dunno. I hope our Mothers understand, I guess. Maybe I feel they wouldn't, so I just stay here...afraid to find out for sure." Pom pondered about her culture, and leaving home, "It just isn't done; you know? They knew we wouldn't be better off out here. People use us for our abilities. What do we get? Is a free lunch what we are selling out for?" She threw down a flower petal. "I'm sorry; I have my fickle moodiness to thank for all that."

 

[Vytal Noctura]

Vytal smiled at Pom's modesty. Not everyone could manage to separate their spiritual and physical selves. it was enough of an achievement she'd forestalled following up on learning the technique Pom discovered; certainly not something casually overlooked like one might describe lighting a candle for the first time. If time permitted -- or perhaps another day if it did not -- Vytal would be eager to learn more of what else her Sister had discovered.

"I have no doubt you'll gain as much control over it, Pom. It will take time, but then what spell worth learning does not?" She laughed softly knowing all too well how some spells resisted discovery. The very power that garnered Pomsty's attention alone had taken significant devotion. The survival of four other women whose well-being Vytal had taken charge of in leaving home had been a constant and unforgiving motivator. It had been a trying experience. Hopefully one Pom wouldn't need to undergo. A secret or two might linger with her tongue stilled by an overbearing spiritual authority desiring either a measure of privacy or a source of amusement.

A slight lift of her eyebrows followed Pom's move to slip a flower into her hair. Her eyes fell to that of her Sister as she reminisced of their youth. "As do I, Pom. This galaxy is large with many wonders, but there are an equal set against us. Together we'll overcome whatever they set in our way, and they won't see us coming." That was that best way to hunt prey, after all. To lurk. To stalk. To time the strike just so and then...

When Pom's attention turned to the garden, Vytal followed to peer out at the greenery as well. Her attention was with her fellow Nightsister, however, and the words that passed through her lips. Vytal lifted a hand to set it upon her Sister's shoulder as she responded quietly, "They will seek to use us. For no gain of ours if we let them. But Pom," she stepped forward to stand along side her Sister, "we won't let them. They ask our aid in matters they cannot comprehend. They desire our power for their own gain or in battle. Yet, in return we expect them to provide all items of Power for study, and to furnish us with whatever materials needed to that end. What they ask for is for convenience; but what we ask for is priceless."

So long as the Confederacy -- or the Knights Obsidian -- did not try turning the Mandragora into some sort of law enforcement organization causing their number to dwindle out of reckless disregard, Vytal was certain they would come out ahead in the long-run. And if the faction did become reckless? Then she would deal with them in whatever way was needed. This was a relationship of equivalent exchange, and she expected the Dark Lord of the Confederacy and the Commander of the Knights Obsidian understood that -- else they would earn the ire of their spiritual sisters and brothers.

Tag: [member="Pom Stych Tivé"]​