Log:Jedi Order: What Was Lost Part 1
The Jedi arrive on Ossus to attempt to track down what a Darth had been trying to find.
OOC Date: January 30, 2022
Location: Ossus
Participants: Vhe Tenara as herself and GM, Chani Tahn, Bizz Bliptettjupp, Zandra naMuriel, Nora Frayus, Aryn Cortess, Vega, Yuun, Rey Skywalker, Jax Greystorm
Ossus is not at all a habitable place which is likely why the ruins of the old Jedi Academy and its great library have been buried and covered in years of wind swept dust and dirt. It leaves more landing places than not for the ships that follow the Cloudburst - the first to set down. Its a simple transport ship and as Vhe steps out into the ruin of what was once a beautiful world - still attempting to revive itself - she wraps the woven scarf around her neck up and about her face and then over her head to tuck it in. She glances towards the others as they disembark and makes a motion in a northward direction.
"We are to head this way, careful as the path is treacherous, take your time. Also keep an eye out for Kirruk's, you will know them if you see one." She nods to each. "Our path is going to lead us to a buried portion of the academy, we will have to climb down, I have left several ropes from my earlier excursion when I found it." Pause. "Just take your time."
She leads them, following the path by memory down a slop and into what appears to be a large trench or valley in the near distance.
Leaning in to give a conspiratorial whisper to Jedhan monk and well-traveled Jedi Historian Brother Blizz Bliptettjupp, the plainly dressed Chani Tahn asks in a low voice. "How will I know what it looks like if I've never seen one? Have you seen one?" Brother Bizz has seen a lot of things in the galaxy, and it stands to reason that he might have come acress some passage, visual, or otherwise reliable indicator as to what, exactly, a Kirruk is. Lapsing into silence after her voice carries in the giant acoustic cavern they find themselves in, Chani focuses on watching her footing and casting skeptical glances at the walls around them as if in doubt of their stability. The echoes of her footfalls carry with multiple others, and Chani draws her dark brown robe a little closer around herself.
Brother Bizz is wrapped in the extra cloth of his Jedhan robes. He has a kod'yok leather-bound journal with loose pieces of paper and flimsplast stuffed into it. "No, what is a kirruk? It is not mentioned in the texts I have read. But I did read a text about a Jedi Maven who became a tree near the Great Library of Ossus, and she put down roots and created a famous garden! Her name was T'alla. I wonder if her garden survived the supernova?"
Take their time. Zandra is feeling better than the last time she saw Vhe. The young jedi flashes a brief smile, and lets others go ahead, as she joins the party. She too has rope and a couple lightsticks. Also one of those rebreathers, in case needed. She's got sure footed boots on, and half gloves on her hands, to allow her better grasping ability. in case it's needed. "This should be quite interesting. Kirruk? I'm not going to ask. May the Force be with us." The last murmured as she takes a moment to concentrate, opening to the Force.
Nora Frayus will know what a kirruk is when she sees one.
Nora doesn't know what a kirruk is, but she does know that it's likely unpleasant. She huffs a little sigh and ties her own rose-red scarf a little tighter over the top of her head. "Well it sounds ugly. 'Kirruk'. I bet it has too many legs. Or eyes. Or both," Nora protests. She follows along behind Vhe, Zandra, Chani and Bizz, listening to the story of the Jedi Maven who became a tree. That makes Nora pause and glance over her shoulder to those behind her with a look of skepticism that doesn't last. She does, after all, have some difficult terrain to navigate.
Hmmm. Does she regret the heels? If she does, she makes no indication.
Aryn is wearing a coyote-tan poncho over her tunic, her cape pinned down beneath it. It's not clear if the Doctor is armed, but she has her med-kit satchel on the top where its flaps are fastened completely to ward off any threat of sand ruining the supplies inside. Of the topic kirruk, and any other fauna native to this world, Aryn does not comment. Ossus, despite her many visits to the scorched world, was still largely a mystery to her. What had not diminished from its sands or the onyx scorched crag-like rocks, was the presence of the Force. It radiated here, like heat waves, and this current left Aryn reverently quiet as she considered this flow of energy. Aryn occupies the rear of the group, walking easily and pulling back on the bracers and cuffs of her gloves; she did not want to get sand in her gloves. /That/ was the worst.
Vega is quietly trailing after the group. She doesn't feel the best about this place, but she'd have to get over that. Her grey gaze goes to Vhe as she speaks and the mention of having to climb down gets a nod of her head. She didn't have the best track record of climbing down ropes, but she'd give it a good crack!
Yuun lands his ship and as he does he sits there looking out the view port for a moment before grabbing a scarf and wrapping it about his mouth and nose. He walks down the ramp and once off, he closes the ramp and moves to catch up. He lowers his hood forward a bit more, he has on a pair of goggles on his head but not wearing them yet. Yuun scans the area the party is walking and moves quietly with them.
Rey left the Falcon moments after it touched down, with Chewbacca still visible inside the cockpit of the ship. She pulls her poncho on over her shoulders, then lifts the dark grey hood up over her head, as she joins the others. "It's never enough to explore random places, we always have to content with creatures that want to turn us in to meals." She comments to those nearby with a soft smirk.
She just files in with the others though, as they adventure onward. Her eyes do note Nora's choice of footwear, and it makes her smile, but she doesn't comment on it! It's none of her business, and besides, maybe there's something to heels in this kind of environment that she's not aware of!
The young woman just keeps quiet for the moment, as she keeps up with the others, though lingers closer to the back of the pack.
Jax's hood was pulled up to protet himself from the environment as best he could. He walks slowly taking his time as instructed. He watches his surrounding. "At least it's not Squall. But then again we can go search for them on Chandrila." He says looking around, "So what do we do with this Kirruk when whe we find it, Vhe? Get Zandra to ride it?"
The beginning of the treacherous trek is not overly tricky but it takes focus and a deft hand to catch the right foot and handholds down the embankment at its thirty degree angle. Paired with the dusty ground and sparse vegetation it means they have to use their grip and sure footing to keep from slipping and continuing their path downwards as more of a projectile. Vhe, ahead of the others glances back to be sure they are all making good progress. "Try to follow my steps and where I go. Been up and down this a few times." She's alive so that could be promising for the others. There is a distant rumble like a low roar but its far off enough that the trench below is looking to be more of an immediate danger to their group.
She glances back once more and slide steps and holds her position until they can catch up. Thankfully there is enough rocky outcroppings to offer some hope if one were to slip. Slowly the distant dark pit that is their goal grows closer.
"Did she become a tree based on her meditations? I wonder what led her to that." Bizz's regaling of the tale is short, and Chani once again spends a moment surveying their immediate space. Bound up dark hair catches at various parts of her robes, but the main tail of it remains heavy and follows in counterbalance of her motions. "This planet survived a supernova? Geographically, I mean." Her attention sets itself on Vhe's back. "I didn't know that was its history." The expression on her face settles into something somber to reflect the gravitas of the information. Chani resorts to quiet again, arms swaying too easy to disturb the large sleeves that almost reach down to cover her hands. The robe itself ruffles around her legs and boots, which continue careful, measured steps out of inherent caution.
Chani's brows hike in Rey's direction. "At least nothing tried to eat us on the Wheel. Or Fondor. ..Though they did try to kill us." Semantics, in the end, though if Chani had to pick, being pulverized by the laser cannons of a TIE are probably preferable than being eaten to death by some creature. Following Vhe to the steep angle, Chani sets herself to the task of descending and mimicking the native woman's placement with her hands and her feet.
Brother Bizz hikes up the hem of his robe to tip-toe carefully after Vhe Tenara. His simple leather monk slippers squish and crunch the ground, and his unetiwood walking stick is used as a third pillar of stability. "The Qel-Droma Epics suggested she was already a tree-like species. It suggested that they came from the moon of this planet called Nerit. So maybe when they felt like becoming trees, they just did it. Or maybe it was the FORCE."
Zandra's feet are as sure footed as her boots, it seems. She makes her way to the steep incline, and quietly starts down, following Vhe's lead. She's agile, and seems to have been doing a fair bit of tree climbing/running practice, as she seems to make it look easy. Well, as easy as any of the rest of them, at least. She keeps a watch on the others, ready to help if need be, but letting everyone work on their own, unless they call for help.
Ah, perhaps the boots were not the greatest choice. Nora Frayus does seem to have a habit of showing up to these things underdressed. That thirty degree decline isn't quite treacherous, but it's not exactly easy for her to maneuver either. Still, Lady Frayus is as light on her feet as she is outspoken about horrible creatures named 'kirruks'. "It is a bit steep, is it not?" Nora asks. It's directed to nobody in particular. More a question for the galaxy at large. Light on her feet as she is, she's able to descend by tipping her feet sideways and shambling more on the tips of her toes than a true heel-toe strike as if she were on level ground.
The distant, low roar makes Nora pause her descent for a moment and pointedly place both hands on her hips. "Ah. I take it that must be our kirruk. It sounds quite charming," she says, and continues to move again, "And perhaps we should stop talking about these creatures eating or otherwise maiming us. We would not want to give them any untoward ideas."
Eventually, that grade does get steep enough that Nora needs to drop to her hands and feet. Feet first, hands second see the young woman gradually slip her way down towards that distant dark pit that they're headed towards.
"Does that happen? The force turns people into things?" she asks, innocently enough.
Aryn hesitates when she arrives at this newest obstacle. While she may put on a front of being brave like it comes easy to her, the truth was that it did not. She has to dig deep for it, so she timidly steps out, mimicking the foot placement and such to begin her own descent. She's no expert in navigating such terrain, so when she begins to slide a rush of excitement and uncertainty rise up in waves. Arms wave for balance as Aryn goes, her knees bent and mid-section lowered. "..Wwwwoooaaaahhheeeeeeeee..."
Vega's timid around the rope, probably because she fell into darkness and ocean water the last time she went down one on Ahch-To. She goes down the rope. SO FAR SO GOOD! Until she slips a little, "Ah kriff!", almost bumping into Aryn as she does. She rights herself, gripping the rope like a sloth on a tree branch, "Sorry your highness." she whispers to the Knight before she more carefully caterpillars her way down the rope.
It's been a while since Yuun was last here on Ossus, but checkes where he is moving and adjust as he walks. Though as the walk becomes tricky, he stumbles a little bit but is able to catch himself, "Whoa." he says. A slight worried look shows on his face then a small chuckles escapes him as he lets out a breath. "Hey Vega you ok?" Yuun calls to Vega seeing what happeend. He moves up a little but not trying to crowd anyone.
Rey showed a smirk to Chani's comments before her focus went to the dangerous terrain around them. She adjusts her satchel over her midsection as she pushes her hood back off of her head. "Be careful, everyone, and Nora, you might wish to discard those heels. If we make it back this way, we can retrieve them."
Leave those fine shoes behind?! Madness!
At the descent, Rey uses only her hands and feet to make her way down, quite used to these kind of perilous declines at this stage of their adventurous lives!
Jax follows in the path that Vhe as she laid out, well enough not to die. He didn't look good doing it. He calls out to Bizz, "What is this Qel-Droma Epics? I've been studying dry meditation texts. It would be good to know a bit more historical context.I take it more than people becoming trees happened it the epics. " Then he calls out to Vega and Aryn when she nearly slips, " You alright too, Aryn?" Since Yuun had asked about Vega.
Jax looks at Rey, "Which would be worse heels or bare feet on Ossus? Actually anyone who's worn heels can answer that, they seem to be a problematic form of footware for ankle health. And before anyone says anything, yes my mother has worn combat boots my entire life."
The last length of the downward slope has fewer handholds and the grounds slips and falls, making the footing a bit precarious at best. It might even be better to slide with the way the earth gives and small rocks tumble from their presence. Despite having been here before and despite having walked the path several times over Vhe finds the change in the angle a bit too much. Her hand has hold of the rare outcropping when she is forced free of it. She skids a few feet but manages to stop herself, holding steady as she reaches out with the Force, at the same time grabbing at the earth beneath her. A rain of rocks and pebbles skips and hops down into the hole where the rope dangles down within, anchored by a massive boulder.
The rest of the way she takes with care and once she finally reaches the edge of the hole she straightens up and turns her attention back up the slope, watching as a few others find the path down treacherous. But it would seem most have managed to catch thmselves.
Dusting her backend off she positions herself with her back to the hole and grasps the rope, wrapping it around her ankle as she waits for the others.
"A tree-like species? That's fascinating. I wish I could have met her. Do they still live on Nerit? I mean, I guess not, because of the supernova. Well, maybe. Vhe's tribe survived here. Maybe they did, too." Chani tries to picture in her mind what Nerit and its inhabitants might look like. She tries to imagine simply transforming into an actual tree and sprouting a garden at her feet to grow and expand out. She wonders if it's a circumstance of Maven's species or her communion with the Force. Mostly, Chani focuses, panting quietly towards the face of the rock she moves with purposeful motions down. Every handhold is tested. Every foothold, too. She never commits her full weight to any of them even while following Vhe. Rock is rock, but Chani is unsure of how long these have been here, what long-term erosion they might have suffered, and complacency has never done anything for anyone but get them in trouble. She occasionally glances back up, but mostly stares down. Just not so far down that she's staring into the deepest part of the darkness.
Only once near the end does Chani slip. A nudged boottip into the edge of a crevice starts to slip. She can feel herself going before she really begins to, and there's a quick scramble of movement to readjust herself and save herself from a trip slipping and sliding down the rockface. Maybe she would have survived the rolling, but not getting to the hole that waits before them once they're finished with the slope. "Well, that was fun." She turns to find Vhe with rope around her ankle and positioning to go into the hole. She sucks in a short breath.
Bizz is slipping and sliding, but his walking stick helps somewhat with slowing him. He nearly loses his footing. "Bantha balls!" But having a low center of gravity is helpful for balance. "Be careful! By the FORCE."
Zan eyes the steepening trip down, and a brow arches. She continues to climb down like she's born to it. She's not, of course, and likely will pay for this another day, but for now, the work she's been doing with that treetop running - it seems to be paying off. "Everyone okay?" she asks, as she gets to where Vhe is. A breath, and a glance around. There's that ominous roar in the distance, but who knows what that is all about? Not yet an immediate threat, at least. "Vhe, I can't believe you've been wandering around here, all on your own!"
"Your Grace," Nora says, a mixture of amusement and annoyance in her tone at Aryn's 'weeeee' when she begins to slide down that steadily-steepening decline. Amusement overtakes annoyance, and soon Nora is beginning to slide as well. "Oh... oh... oh oh oh oh," she starts to say, laughter bubbling out of her as gravity takes her the final stretch of that slope. She's able to maneuver on her butt and feet until that slope just becomes too steep to slide. Instead of tumbling, Nora opts to push herself back to her feet and run the rest of the way down. Again, she is light on her feet. Her movements are deft and graceful, carrying her to the bottom of that slope with a relieved-sounding sigh. She dusts off her fingers on the outside of her thigh-length boots, leaving chalky little handprints on the outside.
A smile is given to Rey at her suggestion, and she lifts her left heel up off the uneven surface to inspect it. It is a subtle heel, guys! I promise!
"Ah. A wonderful suggestion, but I fear my bare feet might prove to be a touch too delicate for such sharp terrain," she says. She gives one of those rocks a nudge with the toe of her left boot and places her hands on her hip. "Besides, it seems we have made it out of the worst of it. I think," she says. "Yes. Quite alright over here," she says to Zandra. Nora maneuvers towards the maw of that cavern below, her jaw tightening as she peers into the dark abyss.
"...Ah, it would seem I have spoken too soon," she says, watching as Vhe and Chani wrap that rope around their ankles. She imitates the gesture, pausing occasionally to ensure she's wrapping it correctly. Convinced, in her mind, that this is where she dies.
Aryn loses her footing trying to over compensate for Vega's quick descent, and as a result, she nearly wipes out. "Oh no!" A last ditch effort secures herself, through some manner of instinctive foot placement, Aryn dances a bit and makes it to the bottom. "It is.. quite alright," She bids Vega, though looking at Aryn now she seems paler than usual. Dancing with death during small moments like these always left Aryn a bit ghastly. Her trembling hand is clasped by its twin, and Aryn orients them to her back to get the shake under control. "I am alright, Jax. Thank you." Aryn calls back. DEEP breathes.. and move on. Was that sand in her glove??
Vega lets out a shakey breath when Aryn is alright, "Be more careful, Vega, you dummy." she mutters to herself as she continues down. She has a white knuckled death grip on the rope. Think happy thoughts. No, thinking of Ewan wasn't helping. She continues the nerve wrecking climb without falling again though.
This is not fun at all, though Yuun can't help from keeping a slight smile on his face. As the steep incline comes he watches the others before moving down, not wanting to crowd the others. He starts to make his way down, moving slower then he would normally, "...." he starts to speak but just lets out a breath as he focuses on his footing.
Rey descends with an annoying level of ease. She drops down on to the outcropping, and looks to the others, moving to help where, and who, she can. She releases a light sigh then as she dusts her hands off by brushing them together.
"The history of this world is utterly fascinating. Though I... wish I could have seen it before the cataclysm that made it like this..."
She looks to Vhe then, showing a smile. "But hey, at least there is good to come from even that." Rey trying to be all nice and stuff!
"Vega, we've all nearly died before climbing stuff or rather I have more than once." Jax says finishing the leg of the journey sliding down the hill. Jax drops down to the ground, "Alright, Just wanted to make sure I didn't need to try to help with a foot hold or something using the telekinesis." He looks around for a moment, "I would too like to have seen it before the supernova."
There's no jumping for Chani. Securing herself with the rope by looping it around her foot and pinning it there with the sole of her boot, Chani controls her descent with careful movements while staying as relaxed as she can to avoid the rapid build of lactic acid in her muscles. It's still slow going. Each new handhold is secured before the last, just like with the slope. Chani pants, exhaling each time she eases herself down and then sucking in a breath in the moment between preparing to lower herself again. Her extrasensory perceptive bubble is stretched out around her, prepared to hopefully react should anything go wrong. It does, but not with her, and Chani waits for a few moments to ensure Brother Bizz is indeed safe before continuing down. She slips off the rope at the end, exhaling heavily and flexing her fingers repeatedly to try to erase the sensation of the texture of the robe that's left imprints in her hands from the grip all the way down.
Brother Bizz wraps his ankle in rope and secures his unetiwood walking stick to his back. He also stuffs his leather journal into a satchel and starts to descend. But then his grip slips, having neglected any training at the Jedi Temple's rock climbing gym, and he falls! "AHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhrggg," he hollers. Papers and flimsiplasts fly out of his satchel as the fat little monk twists and tumbles. "My notes!" But his fall is slowed and he manages to scramble back to a jug hold after his wild dyno.
"I got rescued once by someone reaching out a hand and catching me as I fell," Zan notes, a bit wryly. And she says that, just before she starts to lower herself down the hole, following after Vhe. Now she does concentrate, making sure she doesn't take a mistep. It's a slow steady process that Zan makes look reasonably easy, down to the bottom. Now she too looks ready to help the others.
Nora Frayus' descent to the bottom of that chasm is slow and deliberate. She uses a combination of the wall itself and the rope around her ankle to aid that downward drop and lets out a sigh of relief when she feels the impact of her foot on solid ground. Toe, heel. She steps back to clear room for others and turns to look up towards the commotion above. Bizz's slip causes Nora's attention to shift to him. While his fall is stayed by Vhe's use of telekinesis, Nora concentrates a moment in an attempt to gather up those papers and flimsiplasts. Her use of THE FORCE may not have saved a life, but she does guide each of those flimsiplasts and papers back into the protesting Brother Bizz's hands. And she doesn't chuck him across a room or knock a rock onto his head. I see this as an absolute win!
"Your notes are safe and sound, Brother Blitz," Nora says with a proud little nod of her head. Hands on her hips, she turns to take a few tentative steps away and explore this new space with immense trepidation.
Vega gives a look to Jax, the Echani a little whiter than she normally would be when her feet touch the ground, "I just worry." she whispers to him. But look, the ground! It's great! She feels better with her feet on the ground. Then she's wandering on after the group again, her black robes making a quiet rustle as they go.
Yuun does take his time as well, there was no rush. Looking up at Bizz and seeing the papers and fimilisplast going every where. He sighs as he sees Bizz is safe. Propelling himself down, Yuun lets go of the rope and moves so that others coming down after him has a place to land as well. He takes this moment to look around, "Is everyone ok?" he asks.
Rey is touching down quite quickly and swiftly. She steps back to look up at the others, just in time to see the fat pudgey round Bizz starting to fall. She's about to intervene when someone else saves the Monk. It makes Rey breathe a sigh of relief.
When the others join her at the base, she nods softly. "Well done. Not too bad, right?" She asks with a soft smile for them all.
Jax moves to grab the rope and goes climbing down when it's his turn but nearly falls to his doom and only his access to the force saves him. His hand moving quickly to re center himself and correct his pat he finishes his jump. Then looks back to see that the others made sure that Bizz don't die. "Trust in the force and yourself Vega. Be mindful of worrying. It is fear." Jax calls out, "I'm alright.
The light reaches further once they are within the yawning pit. Beneath them marbled floors aged and dirtied but when brushed away will show their beauty. Tall columns line the central hall and several dark openings with their own branching hallways await them. There are several lanterns in a group, three to be exact. The air is heavy, as if the weight of ages were physically present and captured forever in the very foundations of the building. The colums are carved with symbols and sayings, pictures of Jedi in various positions around their circumference - possibly lightaber forms. There are doors at one end that have been buried for ages and are unusable that would have led outside. No more.
Their voices echo off the ancient stone as if the very walls were talking back to the group. Vegetation has made a home here in cracks and nooks, some where the dirt has gathered enough. A few glow and offering some illumination.
Those Jedi who were unlucky remain here, but their bones are nearly gone and what few remain are found in small piles where they collapsed. The Praxeum they have entered is a tomb of memories. A tomb held in place despite the ages and speaks of the strength of the Jedi and the order that once was.
Vhe looks to the rest as she nods to each, smiling at Bizz. "Are you well?" She asks of him before making certain that he can tend to himself. Her eyes track to Nora who she gives a nod to. "Ages ago the Jedi flourished here and in this place is some of that lore. Reach out and feel it...the darkness we drove from that crystal, it belonged to the Darth who was searching for this place. She found it...but could not find exactly what she was looking for and I suspect it is some sort of knowledge left from long ago."
She takes up a lantern and turns to the others. Though she pauses for a moment and narrows her eyes.
Reaching out to the Force like Vhe suggests, Chani communes with the midi-chlorians within to communicate with the midi-chlorians that are woven through the very fabric that makes up their universe. Touching the great current of energy is enough to make every pore on Chani's skin want to contract. A sense of uneasiness expresses itself not just through every fiber of her being, but in the way her brows knit towards one another and the bridge of her nose wrinkles. "Danger." Chani states it as a simple word for a simple fact. Her own skills with the Force are in their infancy, leading her to simply accept the broad sensation for what it is without being able to hone her focus so much as to identify it or what it might belong to. Still, Chani's gaze is on the roam. She eases her centy of gravity a hair lower.
Brother Bizz collects some of the precious papers that flew out of his kod'yok-hide satchel. "Yus. I should not have had that second Bantha Breakfast Biscuit," he replies to Vhe Tenara. He doesn't smell any danger but the scholar monk seems to recognize some parts of this. "Perhaps this is the praxeum. The old books claimed it had five separate levels. This might be the training level. I wonder if any writings of Odan-Urr remain!"
Zan smiles as she listens to the conversations, a glance over to Jax and a nod. She reaches out with the Force, just about the same as usual. And then she stiffens a bit. "I feel like something is watching us," she says. As she continues to turn in a slow circle, she then starts to move forward a step, then another. Before she comes to a halt. "I can't decide which way to go."
Nora's trepidation and light steps while exploring the dark space seem to have been wise. There's something... out there. Watching her from the dark. Chani's declaration of danger seem to confirm what Nora Frayus was afraid of. What happens next is instinctual. The sound of metal sliding against metal as Nora draws her blade in the dark. Its tip is angled down towards her feet, but the turn of her wrist indicates she is poised to strike. Her jaw clenches and she takes a few purposeful steps back towards the rest of the group, a breath of air in through her nose.
And then out through her lips. The sound of music in her head -- distant and dischordant.
"These shadows feel unnatural. I do not like this," she says.
This is not Aryn's first time being in the presence of something dark and foreboding. It eases over her senses like a blanket being drawn above her, saturating her with discomfort and webs of paranoia. She can feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up, like an instinctive warning sign that something is wrong. Zandra confirms it with her suspicion that someone is watching them, and Aryn turns about, cautious but confident all the same. "The Force is strong in this place. I wonder if echoes of the past have been burned to the stone.." Aryn has a mind to pull her glove off and touch the stone, but the paranoia keeps her rooted in place for now, wary. "Relax. Trust in your instincts.." Aryn says softly at the familiar sound of steel being drawn.
Vega gives a look to Jax and there is a soft nod, "Aye." she tells him. Then there is a look to Zandra to see how she is doing. She was about to ask something but she also feels the unnaturalness of the shadows. She makes quick work of igniting her lightsaber and bringing it up in front of her carefully, "Something is definitely watching us...and it doesn't want to give us a treat." she frowns as she peers into the darkness.
Yuun looks to Jax, "I'm glad you're alright." he says and he turns to look at the others. He takes a deep breath and he too begins to reach out with the force. When he touches it, he feels calm and reassured, and as he attunes himself to the Force, he allows his awareness to expand and as he does so, he feels something dark. Hearing Chani, then Zandra, Yuun takes a deep breath as he focuses, "I feel it too. Aryn is correct, focus and relax." Yuun says. His hand doesn't go to his weapon but he looks in the directions that he feels the pull of the darkness wanting him to go. "Keep together and be vigilent, trust in the force and in one another."
Yuuns posture is relax but he goes into a more defensive pose though as he scans the area, his lightsaber isn't in his hands but he can quickly snatch it up at a moments notice if need be. For now though he didn't feel the need to have the weapon in his hand.....yet. Scanning the area for now, keeping a watch out to make sure nothing tries to sneak past him.
"Five levels...." Rey repeats what Bizz says of the Praxium. "This could take a long time to explore." She adds before she looks over to Nora. "Something is unsettling here, but don't let it get the better of your judgement. Stay calm, and let your connection to the Force feed you the information you need to decide what best to do next. We're here, to help you." She says before starting to walk forward.
If she feels any of what the others are talking about, she doesn't comment on it, and as saber light helps provide illumination, Rey just lets her eyes wander the area. "We should find a better way to get here, safer. We may not be able to explore all of this... within short order..."
Jax looks to Zan, "I feel it too." He says pushing back his hood. His hand movign to his saber. Then it falls away. "There are many things, not all of them can be defeated with physical comfortation. So trust in the code and the force." He then looks to Bizz. "Any other historical data that would be worth reading?"
Vhe breathes in and the dust settling in the air from their touch down slowly falls. The uneasy feeling continues to also settle around them, like a thick presence that dampens some of that which they sense in the Force. "History, ages...and from what I have read in bits and pieces there are those that used to be of great power here that fell to the dark side. I am sure there are great many good things about the Praxeum but there are likely just as many unsettling ones. Walk with care...but my suggestion is we split into groups, three of us. We find what we can and return here. I think whatever we can come up with, important to us or not should be saved. This is part of our history even if we are no longer the same."
She looks to the dessicated remains for a moment before turning to the group. "I brought three lanterns down with me the last time I was here. But that is all I had on the ship. I figure its safter in groups of three and no more. Better to not be alone here. Could be cave ins or something worse."
She looks to Rey and the other Knights. "I need those of you that wish to take lead, to takelead of the other two groups. I will take one."
Vhe explains the lantern situation and Chani folds the large sleeves of her robe together in preparation for waiting for the groups and their leaders to be figured out. Her shoulders may seem relaxed and back and her posture straightened instead of hunched and ready, but her gaze is constantly floating from one spot to the next in the oppressive darkness. Her senses are stretched out the most, relying on the Force as much as her own eyesight in preparation for dealing with anything that might try to take the opportunity to attack them. Anything cunning would wait, most likely, howver. Wait for the group to get smaller, the opportunity for success larger. She glances back up the way they came, wondering how much ground exists above their heads. That glance does not last long.
Zan takes a breath as she listens to Vhe, and the others. "There are several places calling to me," she notes. "To us. I think splitting up a bit seems like a good idea. I can take one direction." She'll offer, at the least. It seems to make sense to her anyway. "We've enough of us to do so somewhat safely." Her voice is calm as is her posture and tone. "I also think that Rey has a good idea, we should try to find another entrance, as we explore."
Nora's hand clutches grip of her blade tightly. "I should think that I am trusting my instincts, Aryn," Nora says pointedly towards Aryn, but she seems to heed the woman's words. Yuun chimes in as well, and Rey's calming assurances that they are there to -help- make Nora pause. Nora's hand, steady as ever, slowly brings that blade back into its sheathe. "Very well," she says. It feels somehow wrong. Everything in her head screamed at her that she was in danger moments ago. A premonition of death and a feeling of malicious intent in the dark. And now she's putting away her means of self defense. It is not her instinct. But, perhaps, it should be. Vega's lightsaber provides some illumination, though, and Nora's eyes scan the area.
"I do think it could use a bit of a sprucing up. A fresh coat of paint can rejuvenate a space, or make it seem entirely new altogether," Nora says. "I could see pops of greens and, ohhh, perhaps a bit of blue," she says, gesturing here and there. Finally, she turns towards Aryn and places both hands on her hips once again.
"Would you accompany me, your grace? If our party is meant to separate, I would prefer to remain with you. We do not need Her Highness falling into some sort of deep, wretched crevace," Nora says.
She pauses a moment and closes her eyes. The sound of... whispers in the dark. No specific words forming, but definitely whispers. She turns to look towards the front doors of the main hall, and the whispers abruptly spot.
That hand drops back to her blade, but this time, she doesn't draw.
"I heard whispers. From over there. They stopped the moment I looked in their direction," Nora says. 'We're being watched' seems obvious, so it goes unsaid.
Aryn steps forward tugging her glove off to press her bare hand against the stone. She closes her eyes a moment, /believing/ the Force would talk to her in some way, maybe by conceiving images in her head that would tell her the story of this place. She achieves no success and only hears the movements of her companions as they speak on the Force and lore of Ossus.
Aryn recalls seeing something from the archives of Obroa-Skai, and lifts her poncho to pull off a tracking orb. The orb is not much different looking from a grenade, but it radiates a sonar sound once activated that can be picked up by datapads and monitoring equipment. With the right gear, someone could map out the catacombs using the echo-location, but Aryn lacked that particular set of gear. Had she known, she would've brought her scout armor to interface with the orb. "I recall reading something about this praxeum a year or so ago when Ban and I were visiting Obroa-Skai with Elrych and a few others. There was a rough sketch of a map; however.. this mapping orb will remain here and put off a signal we can all pick up on if you brought your datapads. If you get lost, follow the signal." Aryn shares a glance with Vhe, nods, then activates the orb and it begins to hover in place putting out the high frequency sound that went unheard with the naked auditory senses. It hovered in place, occasionally scanning its location with a blue like laser.
Nora's reaction had left a grimace on Aryn's face, like the pointed comment stung a bit and made her recoil. She recovers though as others begin to make sense of what Nora was feeling, and Aryn wondered if that helped calm her nerves.
"If you feel you must accompany me, I would welcome your presence. I imagine dark crevices may be all we find if we do not watch our steps." Aryn brushes her sleeve back and produces a bright light from a wrist device she is wearing. She aims the cone in the direction Nora indicates, yet.. there is nothing there. "Curious," is all Aryn comments, not wanting to discourage her friend from using her senses or question her perception. The Force was the pathway to many abilities, afterall; some were still considered unnatural.
Vega keeps the lightsaber up for the moment, the ghostly green washing over the walls as she takes a step, she was going to spook herself if she wasn't careful. "I think they have the right of it with finding another entrance." she states with a nod of her pale head.
Yuun didn't move to do anything yet, he looks around taking a moment to see what he could see from his vantage point. He looks over to where the greathall, nothing sticks out but he turns in the direction of one of the dark preceneses. "I will head that way." he says as he looks to the group, "IF anyone wants to come with me, please let me know so we can get started. We all better keep in contact with each group." he says as he looks at the group to see who is going where.
Rey steps away from the main group, her steps carrying her tenatively toward the dark. She pauses though, and looks back to the others. "Be mindful of your directions. Let the Force speak to you, it is strong here. You all can sense it. Help each other. Stay close, and stay on coms too." She says before starting to walk back in the direction she'd chosen, the satchel at her side being moved to let her pull something out from within it.
Jax remains queit as he looks around, "If that is indeed where we are. There will be more holocrons. If they're still here. So that's something to be on the look out for. You know might shine some light into the dark creavices. See what's there before adding yourself to the collection.' The Corellian says with a grin.
