Fwurg

[Shebi Ajava]

Unsure of what just happened and wary for a surprise attack, Ajava kept her lightsaber active while she checks the scene. Seeing the lid of the sarcophagus on the ground where the creature had crashed it into the wall, she knows that it wasn't just a trick on her mind.

Using her lightsaber as a dim light source to enhance her night vision, she checked the insides of sarcophagus, to make sure she didn't just miss some details, or a hidden compartment. She also had another look at the writing on the sarcophagus, reasoning that, if the creature was able to take shape and change the world, it might also have changed the writing somehow. Finally, she would check the lid of the sarcophagus, to see if the inside of the lid contained anything interesting. If she found something of note, she would investigate.

((Check: 11 = 7 Force Level + 4 Vision -- looking for details or hidden compartments; ignored linguistics as it was beyond my comprehension previous time, if it magically works now, add +1 for 12))

When she is done, she disables her lightsaber. 'No point in announcing my presence everywhere', she thought to herself. With three quick flips she passed the traps again, and set out for the dark door she saw earlier.

((Check: 14 = 7 Force Level + 4 Fitness + 2 Acrobatics + 1 Force Speed -- safely getting past the traps))

((OOC: Two actions to speed things up. Break into the flow wherever necessary ^_^))

[Mercury]

Using her lightsaber as a torch, Shebi Ajava investigated the sarcophagus carefully, but finding nothing of note there.

Suddenly in the corner of her eye she noticed a flash of red coming towards her - a lightsaber blade, and it was going straight for her! With a catlike emergency dodge she only just barely managed to jump away from the blade and prevent her arm being cut off, but her lightsaber wasn't so lucky, half of it bounding on the sarcophagus and the other half still in her hand, each end with a red line where the material had been melted!

Now on the steps before the sarcophagus as part of her dodge, near the traps, the shadow moved towards her with both of its red sabers burning, slowly moving towards her and ready to attack again. This was bad. This was really, really bad.

((OOC: I cheated. This is deliberate.))

[Shebi Ajava]

'Vai!', she thought to herself. 'I should've known from the echoes -- my trick just echoed back on me.'

'I really should learn that trick, and how to create these creatures', another, more ambitious part of her consciousness, thought.

With a broken saber in her hand, two unfinished sabers in her backpack and a bow on her back her options were limited. Ajava drops the broken saber, and starts to back away from the creature. When she reaches the traps, she makes a quick series of backflips to get past them. During her last flip she twists in the air while grabbing her bow.

((Check: 14 = 7 Force Level + 4 Fitness + 2 Athletics + 1 Force Speed -- flip past traps))

Once she reaches the other side, she knocks a durasteel arrow and draws her bow. 'If I can somehow unbalance it while it tries to get past the traps, I might have a chance to get one of its sabers.', she reasoned.

She takes aim while the enemy approaches, and looses her arrow the moment it tries to get past the traps, trying to force it to dodge in an awkward way.

((Check: 16 = 7 Force Level + 4 Vision+ 5 Arkari-Renja style bonus -- 'called shot' to unbalance the thing))

((OOC: I am unclear on the position of the enemy with relation to the sarcophagus and the traps. It can be either: Traps-Enemy-Ajava-Sarcophagus, or Traps-Ajava-Enemy-Sarcophagus. I assumed the latter due to your '...as part of her dodge, near the traps...'

Don't worry, I won't call cheats on obvious ST cheating ^_^

Also, unsure about the check with the combat style -- I don't really want to drop into combat mode again, and this seems a natural way to handle called shots.))

[Mercury]

((OOC: Your presumption on position is correct))

Fleeing the scene, Ajava safely made her way past the traps with similarly bouncing acrobatics as the one she had made when she had made her way towards the sarcophagus.

Grabbing her bow, an arrow was soon sent flying towards the creature in an effort to make it dodge, but Ajava was not getting the reaction she had hoped for: not only did the creature not dodge the arrow, it went straight through it, as if it was merely a puff of smoke!

This did not hail good for her chances and the fact it wasn't setting off the traps didn't help either! The creature had actively dodged and blocked her lightsaber attacks earlier, so clearly it was vulnerable to that, but it wasn't just capable of avoiding the arrows, it seemed to be completely immune to them as the projectiles passed straight through it without harm! This was really bad!

Luckily, Ajava had scouted the temple out beforehand, so perhaps it was time to use that knowledge and get away before it reached her - even as its strikes were fast, its movement along the traps towards Ajava appeared to be slow and the Veolian was likely able to outrun it, at least until she could come up with a new plan!

((OOC: Now you can call cheats :P))

[Shebi Ajava]

((OOC: "Cheats!", Brend called out loudly. Then he set to work on actually writing a post:))

Seeing how her arrow passed right through the creature, Ajava now concluded that this creature was some kind of force phenomena. However, force phenomena or not, it had just sliced her lightsaber in two and fear crept into her thoughts.

Ajava started running, mostly to get distance between herself and the intangible creature. She didn't put away her bow. Usually, she would have taken comfort in the familiar weight and grip of the weapon, but in her current state it only served as a reminder of her inability to overcome the creature.

Part of her mind replayed the first combat with the creature, with Ajava being pushed into the defensive right from the start with her one seemingly successful manoeuvre casually being played against her by the hollow phantom.

Another wave of fear washed over her, as her ever present mindset of veolian nobility added its note: 'If the creature was capable of doing that, there is no reason it shouldn't have crept up on me and killed me right there.' Unfortunately, her core upbringing as a veolian noble finished the thought as well: Clearly, the creature was just toying with her to demonstrate its dominance.

'Why would master Screetor send me here without any preparation?', Ajava's thoughts turned toward her purpose. 'Did he know that this phantom would defeat me? Should I have remained silent about my red sabers? Do the masters even want other powerful jedi to rise? Do they want to hold me back? Is that why they send me out with children?' Her veolian brain, awash with fear, doubt and adrenaline, jumped from one conclusion to the next.

Ajava never stopped running -- she was fleeing on instinct -- and by now she was lost in the temple. She hadn't paid any attention to where she was going, and she was roughly reminded of the ruined state of the temple. She stumbled over an uneven floor tile and fell down, hitting her head hard against an outcrop of a fallen down ceiling decoration.

Scrambling to get up and continue, her fear and doubt turned into anger, and the full weight of both veolian evolution and her upbringing reared its head.


Ajava stands up.


'I am Ajava, scion of house Shebi. I will no longer deny my nature. I will no longer be the prey. I will no longer be told what is right, and what is wrong', with fury raging through her body, she decides the world will conform to her will, 'I will take what and whom I want. I will be the hunter. I wil determine my own right and wrong.'

Her fear and doubt turn into cold fury as she composes herself. She resolves to play the part of the returning Jedi Knight when all this is done, to be able to move around and act without scrutiny. For now, she needs a place with a strong connection to the force, so she can finally finish her new weapons so she can destroy her prey.

No longer caring for dark or light, she opens her mind to the force around her. She lets the feelings of this place wash over her, and starts feeling around for a place of power.

((Check: 12 = 7 Force Level + 5 Intuition -- sensing around for a place of power where she can complete her lightsabers))

[Mercury]

Standing up and with new and dark determination, the Padawan opened herself up, entangling herself in the dark feelings of this place and sending tendrils of shadow to touch around and search for power.

Moving ahead, she soon found herself in a hall filled with pillars, the path leading to a dark door. She could feel a cold, dark power radiating from it, a fluster as if someone whispering in the distance calling to her, without ever making enough noise for her to actually hear the whisper.

Was it the monster she had fought earlier calling for her? Was it just her imagination? Or was there something else there?

Whatever it was, the cold dark power seemed to draw her in, beckoning and almost daring her to enter.

[Shebi Ajava]

Ajava recognizes the door from her first exploration through the temple.

This time, she walked towards it, and entered.

[Mercury]

Moving towards the door, Ajava could feel the temperature dropping fast, sending chills down her spine and causing goosebumps, despite her environmental suit. Strangely enough the readings suggested it was actually warm. Something must be wrong with the sensors.

Stepping inside, the room was filled with darkness, making it impossible to see. Making some light to get a better grasp, she soon realised the room she was in was huge. On the other side of the room was a raised platform with a stone table on it. Above the table, an artificial stalactite, as rich in decoration as the rest of the temple, hung down and a matching stalagmite ran up from the centre of the table.

In between the two a pair of black crystal floated, circling one another like the twin suns of Smi, black energy arching back and forth just as how the two stars exchanged matter...

Was it actually black? In the bad lighting it was hard to tell. The crystals were some five centimetres long and one centimetre wide and each had some irregular shapes. Why were they here? What was their purpose? Why hadn't anyone stolen them before now?

The crystals called up more questions than they gave answers...

[Shebi Ajava]

'The creature might be a guardian to protect these', she thought to herself. 'Or a filter, to select those worthy to find these...'

Being careful to check for traps, Shebi Ajava walks towards the table, intent on getting a close look at the crystals. If she makes it to the table, she plans on checking for scripts on the table, and to have a close look at the crystals themselves.

((Check: 11 = 7 Force Level + 4 Vision -- trap checking and generic carefulness))

((Check: 11 = 7 Force Level + 3 Reason + 1 Linguistics -- translation if needed))
((Check: 12 = 7 Force Level + 5 Intuition -- to feel the force effects around the crystals (normal inspection is 11 as the vision check above)))

[Mercury]

Moving in, Ajava found herself alerted to several traps by her various brain parts, which noticed that the energy streams coming from the crystals themselves seemed to feed partially into the stalagmite and stalactite, which in turn seemed to be rigged to some internal mechanisms. Unfortunately without any engineering skills, it was beyond her to know what it would do to take them away. It might be an alarm, or it could trigger a huge explosion...

On the table itself, a text was inscribed which Ajava found difficult to translate. Fortunately her linguistic skills allowed her to get part of the meaning:

Twin Crystals of Tinnu

She was pretty sure Tinnu was the name of a place, though she was unsure what place it could be. Maybe it was this temple. Whatever it was, they seemed to radiate dark feelings. Maybe they were even the source of the darkness she kept feeling - or one of the sources, because that creature sure seemed dark as well.

[Shebi Ajava]

These two crystals seemed to be lightsaber crystals, and powerful ones at that. Unsure of the amount of time she had before the creature caught up with her, Ajava evaluated her options.

Quickly evaluating the crystals by sight to confirm her hunch that the crystals were indeed lightsaber crystals, she reached out with the force to pull the crystals from the orbit and claim them. She trusts the force to warn her of impending dangers such as explosions or other traps.

((Check: 12 = 7 Force Level + 4 Vision + 1 Lightsaber Construction -- Check whether they are indeed lightsaber crystals))

((Check: 12 = 7 Force Level + 5 Energy -- Pull them from their place))

[Mercury]

((OOC: I'm about to go into an action scene again, so I decided to hold the post until you are back, otherwise I'll have to reread the situation again to get a feel of where I was going with stuff again.))

[Mercury]

The crystals were not designed as lightsaber crystals, but they would do very well for the purpose. As she grabbed the crystals using the Force, she could suddenly see a black smoke enter the room slowly moving to form into a humanoid shape - her opponent had found her!

[Shebi Ajava]

Ajava quickly grabbed her unfinished sabers from her backpack. Unhappy that she doesn't have time to do this more slowly, she hastily puts down the components on the table. She puts down the finished hilt exteriors as well, as having only cores won't do in an actual fight.

Letting the force guide her construction, as she always did, she once more assembles her new lightsabers. This time using the crystals she found instead of those she got from the Jedi order.

'I'll reassemble them properly after I've dealt with that creature', she tells herself. But deep down she knows that the sabers won't need any reassembly after this: they'll either work perfectly, or she dies.

((Check: 13 = 7 Force Level + 5 Intuition + 1 Lightsaber Construction -- assemble lightsabers))

((OOC: This post made from the Northlink M.V. Hjaltland. I can't guarantee any further connectivity to the Internet, but I will try to get some Internet every once in a while. It will have to be limited to this thread though, and will probably be around once per week, if at all.))

[Mercury]

Fortunately Ajava had taken the time to learn how to build lightsabers properly or this would have been the end of her. Just as the black smoke completely formed itself, blocking the rooms only exit, she finished placing the crystals into the sabers.

As the creature slashed its blades towards her, she jumped back and out of the way, pulling her new weapons into her hand. For a moment all seemed lost as she activated the weapon but then two dark red blades came on, a split second before the creatures weapons came down on her again and just barely in time to block her opponents attack.

But this time the exit was blocked by the darkness, and there would be no escape - like her hastily assembled sabers... it was on!

((OOC: Post when you're ready and able, or when you're back ^_^ I'll keep an eye on the thread when I can!

Also: Round 0, pick a combat style and defend yourself!))

[Shebi Ajava]

Ajava felt Like an animal pushed into a corner. With no options open to her, she flourished her blades and prepared for a vicious fight.

((Combat, round 0: Shii-Cho + regular+dagger blade (regular hilts)))

[Mercury]

((OOC: Round 1: remember you suffer a -2 penalty on attack in the first round of combat!))

Her opponent did not wait for her to be ready, but immediately moved in to attack, rage fuelling it's strength as it continued coming at Shebi with harsh force. There were no tactics behind it, not even thought, just blind anger and rancour (noun, not proper noun).

((Combat, round 1: Sticking with Shii-Cho, the shadow moved in aggressively, not relying on trickery, but simply on anger to press the attack (no action)

Attack: 10 / 10 / 8 - Shii-Cho+dual wield regular blades, regular handles
Defence: 12 / 13 / 11 - Shii-Cho+dual wield regular blades, regular handles

• First round of combat -2/-2/-2 on attack

))

[Shebi Ajava]

Her previous encounter with the shadow taught Ajava that the creature's fighting style was not at all sophisticated. It just rushed and pressed its attack whenever possible. Deftly dodging and blocking its first onslaught, she sought to gain a defensive advantage by using the creature's straight forward strategy against it.

Manoeuvring the table in the room between herself and the creature, she incorporates the table into her dodges and weaves, forcing the creature to break its assault.

((Combat, round 1: Defensive advantage action: use table as impromptu cover ((Check: 14 = 7 Force Level + 4 Fitness + 2 Athletics + 1 Force Speed -- dodge and weave to keep table in the path of the onslaught))

Attack: 8 / 8 / 8 - Shii-Cho + dual wield regular+dagger, regular hilts
Defence: 11 / 12 / 10 - Shii-Cho + dual wield regular+dagger, regular hilts

• First round of combat -2/-2/-2 on attack

))

((OOC: Could you give me a little more information on the room? Right now, I am OOC aware of: 1 table, 1 stalactite, 1 stalacmite (maybe in the table, a bit unclear to me), and 1 door. As I understand it right now, the door is currently blocked by the creature's bulk that is made of shadowstuff, with the front of the creature forming a kind of heads+arms+torse thingy to attack (a bit like a Genie from a bottle, with the door being the bottle, and the genie being a kind of black dark-sider genie with red sabers, instead of a easy-going blue Aladin style genie with a goatee.)))

[Mercury]

((OOC: For your convenience, here is a map of the (seemingly mostly empty) room. Note that I did not place you behind the table as this represents the situation at the start - you will be repositioned at the end of this post. The Genie shape is roughly how I imagine it. Though the trail from the door to the creature is not solid and can be passed through, the fog at the door actually blocks access. Also keep in mind the room is mostly dark.



Taking cover is a valid defensive advantage, and your check is more than sufficient. Your Defensive Advantage Action is APPROVED.))

Shebi easily set herself up with cover behind the table, finding safety behind its stone bulk. She was easily able to keep the creatures attack off of her, but no easier than it was able to keep off Shebi Ajava.

The creature pressed the attack, sabers slicing through the stalactite and stalagmite like they were butter -- an analogy about lightsabers being hot knives would of course be superfluous. Pieces of rock exploded in all directions from the might of the blow, sending shards out that Shebi would have to block.

((Combat, round 2: Offensive Direct Combat Action +0/+2/+0 - breaking stalagmites and stalactites and sending shards flying

Attack: 12 / 14 / 10 - Shii-Cho+dual wield regular blades, regular handles
Defence: 12 / 13 / 11 - Shii-Cho+dual wield regular blades, regular handles

• Offensive Direct Combat Action +0/+2/+0

))

[Shebi Ajava]

As the creature continued its assault, the shards of rock whizzed around Ajava. Instead of trying to defend against them all, she vaults into the air towards the table!

As she flies towards the creature, she parries the creature's two blades in such a way that her parries allow her to use the energy of her opponents swings to throw herself into a twist. As she twists, her leg suddenly snaps out to kick back one of the larger rocks. This forces the creature to divide its attention while she lands on the table and follows up with two quick strikes to press her advantage!

((Combat, round 2: Offensive advantage: combine distraction of creature by returned rock with high ground: ((Check: 14 = 7 Force Level + 4 Strength + 2 Acrobatics + 1 Force Speed -- kick back suitable rock))

Attack: 10 / 10 / 10 - Shii-Cho + dual wield regular+dagger, regular hilts
Defence: 12 / 13 / 11 - Shii-Cho + dual wield regular+dagger, regular hilts

• Defensive advantage: +1/+1/+1 on defence

))

((OOC: There's no need to update the map every turn, I think. Up till now the textual descriptions worked well, and it was just a momentary confusion due to the large amount of changing things (and unclarity about the actual opponent)))

[Mercury]

((OOC: I was about to deny the action as a single act distraction wouldn't give an offensive advantage. Then I noticed you landing on the table. Because the table can indeed provide high ground, I will approve the action. The 14 is certainly high enough, so APPROVED))

Rocks flying towards the creature which flinched a moment but not enough for Ajava to get a hit in! The creature roared loudly, the entire room seeming to shake and echo from its anger! Both sides pressed the attack, leading to a lock-down of blades, each pushing with all their might against the other, hoping to overcome them, though their strengths seemed evenly matched!

((Combat, round 3: Offensive Direct Combat Action +0/+0/+2 - breaking stalagmites and stalactites and sending shards flying

Attack: 12 / 12 / 12 - Shii-Cho+dual wield regular blades, regular handles
Defence: 12 / 13 / 11 - Shii-Cho+dual wield regular blades, regular handles

• Offensive Direct Combat Action +0/+0/+2

))

[Shebi Ajava]

During the saber-lock, Ajava shortly wonders why the creature exhibits such anger. Regardless, as long as the creature seems intent on killing her, she is happy to exploit its single-minded focus.

The creature and Ajava are evenly matched, so both opponents exert great pressure on the other. As a passing nod to her recent training in a new saber style, Ajava suddenly disables her regular lightsaber!

The sudden removal of pressure makes the creature stumble forward. As the creature smacks into the table, Ajava is already in the air, vaulting over the creature.

With only her dagger active, she tries an experimental cut at the creature's 'umbilical cord' before she expertly weaves past the creature's regular-bladed sweep range to end up very close to it. With the creature's movements constrained by both the table and her closeness, Ajava launches a series of brutal jabs.

((Combat, round 3: Offensive advantage: constraining the opponents movement by quick mirroring of movements and backing it against the table ((Check: 14 = 7 Force Level + 4 Fitness + 2 Acrobatics + 1 Force Speed -- ))

Attack: 11 / 11 / 11 - Shii-Cho + dual wield regular+dagger, regular hilts
Defence: 12 / 13 / 11 - Shii-Cho + dagger, regular hilt

• Defensive advantage: +1/+1/+1 on defence
• Offensive advantage: +1/+1/+1 on attack

))

[Mercury]

((OOC: You combine two actions in this post, cutting the umbilical cord and forcing the creature. Unfortunately, you can only do both. For this reason your action is DENIED. That said, I think you got the better end of the deal, so no complaining :P Your saberswap btw is excellent and fully approved of course.))

The slash on the creatures umbilical cord went through smoke, dealing no damage and not seeming to have any effect beyond momentarily displacing some of the smoke.

Or did it?

For a moment the creature hesitated, frozen in place - frozen long enough to create an opening! Ajava pushed in, using her forward offensive to take advantage!

((Combat, round 4: No Action

Attack: 8 / 8 / 8 - Shii-Cho+dual wield regular blades, regular handles
Defence: 8 / 8 / 8 - Shii-Cho+dual wield regular blades, regular handles

• Special: Affected by attack on umbilical cord

))

[Shebi Ajava]

((OOC: I'm not complaining, mind you; but "Unfortunately, you can only do both." is rather cryptical :P Anyway, on to taking advantage of the fact that my first 'action' was actually an action!))

With the creature suddenly freezing in place, Ajava quickly executes a traditional, albeit sligthly modified, Shii-cho kata to cut and stab at all four of the six traditional Shii-Cho attack points. Her only modifications are skipping the left and right leg, as the creature appears to have no actual legs.

The kata quickly slices both right and left arm, followed with a stab through the heart and closing with a cut to the throat.

((Combat, round 4: Attack: 9 / 12 / 12 - Shii-Cho + dagger, regular hilts
Defence: 12 / 13 / 11 - Shii-Cho + dagger, regular hilt

• Defensive advantage: +1/+1/+1 on defence
• Offensive advantage: +1/+1/+1 on attack

))

[Mercury]

With a slash and a slice, the shadowy figure was impaled on Ajava's blades, falling to its knees, then to the ground. Suddenly the shadows seemed to be taking on a physical shape and the Jedi could feel the weight of her opponent falling down face forward.

As she withdrew her blades, the shadows around her opponent withdrew as well, seeming to dissipate into the air. What remained was a body dressed in a black suit closely following the shape of the body except the helmet through which blue flesh was visible. It was a Veolian, Ajava realized.