Hoth: Blood and Ice

Senya has gathered those she feels will be able to endure the rigors of the Force journey, Force sensitive or not, they will have to be strong willed. She trusts that her allies can buy her the time she needs to find any secrets to save her daughter.

She opens herself to the Force and guides the others through the ritual.

OOC: Open to four players, 1 should be light side attuned Force User and another Dark Side attuned Force user; if you spend Destiny and then strain to use Dark Side pips then you are light aligned and vice versa.

This is a deadly event and there will be some checks or decisions that could lead to a heroic end. This a role play and skill check event guided by the GM.

Luth, who had escorted those going to the cave, now followed Senya's guidance within it, bracing herself. She was ready. Or at least as ready as she was going to get under the circumstances.

Aphr, wrapped up warmly as she had been for what felt like forever at this point, followed after the others. She was ready, but was she prepared? Only time would tell.

He had no idea what to expect , so Galen had prepared as he usually would for a mission. Armor, weapons and gear were all in place as he joined the others.

So this is the place that had poisoned Layne’s mind and tormented her into nearly tearing out her own eyes. Tethys is grave and quiet as the small group enters the cavern.

Chaos, yet harmony.

Whatever lies ahead, she must be a steady point in it all, anchored by her trust in the Force and her promise to Senya.

Like the others, she’s dressed and equipped as she would be for any mission into the unknown in Hoth’s harsh climate.

Senya said, “I am opening myself to the Force, Vaylin will feel it and know something is happening. You’ll travel through my and perhaps her stream of memories, it may bee disorienting. Nathema is a hostile place, it suffered a calamity ages past that has made it inimical to the Force.”

“If this works correctly you will feel as if you are there and the dangers will be real, so be mindful.”

Once they begin the process the transition feels jarring, like a dream they are just somewhere else… a featureless void and then the horizon rushes towards them rushing through memories. A young girl, dark of hair with buns looking at a large holo of aa man speaking to the masses, he is their leader and brought them out of the darkness.

This is Emperor Valkorian.

The images rush past, the girl grows into a young woman begins her time training with warriors dressed in silver and gold armor, crafts a lightsaber, earns her place among an Honor Guard and serves at the right side of Emperor Valkorian. They see her sing in a lavish garden, and hold the Emperor’s hand, there is passion, an intensity in their gazes. Twins are born, it is an intense feeling, but she is resilient, motherly and caring. She watches them grow, struggle, Emperor Valkorian grows distant and seemingly uncaring.

He does not show them affection, only authority and power. Another child, this one a girl, ignored until she shows her proficiency with the Force. Then she is taken… the woman arrives on Nathema, it is a cold rainy place, misery infests the air.

She tries to save her daughter, she fails, the guilt holds her down, crushing her shoulders. An oppressive weight that never ceases. When their sense orient to the new world they are standing in a sweltering jungle, it is miserable with stinging and biting bugs.

OOC: Force users feel uncomfortable here, deaf to the Force, to use any Force ability requires 2 extra pips to generate the power and committing costs one extra die to commit, so if one needs one die it costs 2. Abilities that add Force die to the roll do not work here.

Players roll a Cool, Discipline, or Resilience check at Hard to survive the flood of memories, will flip a Destiny so 1eC+2eD for the roll.

Aphr wasn't sure what to expect, but then it all happened - and she was very quickly overwhelmed by what she faced

D5 Nathema event. Cool at Hard. Dapper flips, I flip. Touch of Fate to add 2 boost: 1eA+2eP+2eB+1eC+2eD 0 successes

So far, this wasn't a pleasant experience, but Galen had endured many unpleasant experiences. He reached out to comfort Aphr.

- - -
[Day 5 - EA to LA] Nathema, Hard Resilience, GM Flip, Player Flip: 2eP+1eA+1eC+2eD 5 successes

Pride and happiness... and so much attachment, passion, pain, despair. Tethys shoulders up under the crush of Senya's memories as if it's a physical weight, with an effort--but a practiced one. She holds each feeling for an instant, looks at each one clearly, and then, one by one, she releases them back into the past where they belong.

"Passion, yet serenity."

Tethys doesn't actually realize she's murmuring aloud, but even in this Force-blighted place there's a sense of tranquility around her for a moment that might help the others stay a little more centered.

--

D5 Nathema--Hard Discipline vs. tough memories. GM Destiny, player destiny.: 3eP+1eA+1eC+2eD 1 success, 1 Triumph


Pass. Triumph to upgrade Luth's roll.

Hilarious/gorgeous KotOR-style image edit by Katarzyna!

She watched, letting the misery, pain, and despair wash over her, accepting it. She can feel tears from the emotions prick as the corner of her eyes. She shakes them off. No time for that now. She looked ahead to what was to come.

---

D5 Nathema - Discipline+Upgrade: 2eP+1eA+1eC+2eD 1 success, 2 advantage

Ahead of them as they get their bearings they see two people talking by a cliff’s edge overlooking a wide valley of harsh jungle and craggy spires of rock. It is hot here, perhaps well over forty degrees C.

The woman looks like a younger Senya and the man is the same from the holo in the memories. Aphr feels a trickle of blood from her nose from the transition.

OOC: Aphr suffers 1 strain, what does Luth want for the two advantages?

[OOC: Boost to the next person's roll]

Aphr wiped her face, and looked at her hand.

"The blood seems real enough" she said quietly, her head still pounding from the experience. Trying to get her thoughts in order as she looked ahead.

Luth frowned, glancing over Aphr. Unfortunately, it wasn't like she had medical training to know whether it was more than just a nosebleed. "I guess we'll have to be extra careful," she murmured.

Looking forward, she moved quietly, trying to get close enough to at least hear what was being said between the two. They should just be memories and not notice them, but it was worth taking care.

Tethys, too, frowns at the sight of blood on Aphr's skin, but only nods assent.

((Are we close enough to hear the two, assuming they're speaking?))

As Luth approaches she moves from the hot outdoors into an opulent and modern bedroom overlooking a magnificent city from on high, perhaps even near orbit with much of the planet below visible.

The woman, a younger Senya said, “I understand you have to be hard on Thexan and Arcann, but Vaylin, I thought you could just guide her help her use the Force responsibly. Why do you have to take her away?”


Emperor Valkorian replied in a deep voice, “She needs more guidance, control. She is dangerous, too dangerous as she is and even a beautiful flower must be pruned to retain such beauty.”

Senya said, “She is our daughter, not a flower, I didn’t want this. I just wanted you to guide her, help her. Not change her.”

Valkorian said nothing and turned from her and walked past the group, or through them and into the hallway behind them.

Galen handed a cloth to Aphr, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze as they watched the scene.

Aphr accepted the cloth with a nod to Galen, looking to the scene then speaking to the real time Senya.

"Is this before Vaylin was sent away?"

She turned to watch the Emperor walk away, then back at the group. He seemed to be the one they should follow in her mind.

"Before he took her away," Tethys responds to Aphr under her breath.

So this is... him. It? The father of Senya's children, this 'eternal Emperor,' perhaps now a disembodied consciousness in the Force? Tethys steps warily out of the way as he turns and walks past the four explorers, but he doesn't seem to react to any of them, at least not as far as she can tell.

Her sense of the Force is unsettlingly muffled here, but as she turns to follow, she tries to sense what sort of presence he has in it, what 'color' he might be. Or perhaps he has no presence at all, if he's just a figment of Senya's memory.

--

Is Mr. Val a presence in the Force at all? In the basic way Force-sensitives often tend to kinda sense other Force users?

Tethys sees a dark hallway, almost like a temple with stone and torches lit to light the path. If she looks back she see the room and a balcony that leads out to a rainy path and a building. Impossible architecture leading away from the room in two directions.

As for the Emperor…

OOC: Perception or Vigilance check at Hard.

"This is where they separated." Galen said, looking at the two paths. "But, I wonder if she saw Vaylin before she left with him."

Dapper Dog wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:26 pm

Tethys sees a dark hallway, almost like a temple with stone and torches lit to light the path. If she looks back she see the room and a balcony that leads out to a rainy path and a building. Impossible architecture leading away from the room in two directions.

As for the Emperor…

OOC: Perception or Vigilance check at Hard.

D5 Nathema--Hard Vigilance on ye emperor.: 4eA+3eD 1 success, 1 threat

Senya’s voice echoes, “This… was before. Before he took her, I will remember that night always.”

Tethys Carrack wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:54 pm

Dapper Dog wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:26 pm

Tethys sees a dark hallway, almost like a temple with stone and torches lit to light the path. If she looks back she see the room and a balcony that leads out to a rainy path and a building. Impossible architecture leading away from the room in two directions.

As for the Emperor…

OOC: Perception or Vigilance check at Hard.

D5 Nathema--Hard Vigilance on ye emperor.: 4eA+3eD 1 success, 1 threat

Even I this memory she can feel his presence, overwhelming and indomitable. For the briefest of moments he glance back but continues.

Did he see her?

Can memories do that?

OOC: Threat used.

"As far as he's concerned, children are an extension of one's will," Luth observed quietly. She followed Tethys, looking back and forth between the directions.

"... There's two ways to go, but splitting up seems like a potentially bad idea."

"It would make more sense to follow him, wouldn't it? Senya remembers what happened to her, but we don't know what he did. Makes sense to learn what we can about him" Aphr offered. It made sense to her at least.