Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Darth Bellious]

Moyr was actually the first to step out.

"I, Darth Bellious, accept the anointment. I was reborn in the shadow of the Blood God. In the Dark there comes renewal of both worlds and wills. The Dark brings the ultimate liberation."

[Dapper Dog]

Moyr was actually the first to step out.

"I, Darth Bellious, accept the anointment. I was reborn in the shadow of the Blood God. In the Dark there comes renewal of both worlds and wills. The Dark brings the ultimate liberation."

The High Arcanix anoints her personally.

[Aphr Ahaya]

So much for hiding

Aphr knew she wouldn't hear the end of it from Zhorrid if she didn't step out, so she also moved forward to accept a mark.

[Pipka]

Pipka was about to start dozing off when he hears the chanting. Ooo, a goat, he thinks, and it's even blue! As the goat is tied to the table he regrets not lying down on the table, he could be petting a goat right now.

The lady with the face tattoos starts talking and Pipka half listens while watching the goat. What she says makes sense. He had endured pain and come through it much stronger, he was stronger than most Chadra-Fan. Everything he had gotten had been earned with hard work and sacrifices were frequently needed.

As the attendants approached, he raises his face towards them to accept the face paint, but keeps his eyes on the goat.

[Jo'ren Rath]

Jo'ren nodded. Much as he was naturally skeptic he did agree with some of the sentiment. He indicated he was ready to accept a mark. "Bring it."

[Tethys Carrack]

Tethys's brows twitch a bit as she observes Breela rather swiftly volunteering to get smeared with the ritual goop. Mostly, though, her attention is on Zhorrid and her attendant priestesses. Is this all theater, or is there something to it?

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D2 ME--Unknowable Dark Goo? Hard Lore + base penalty: 1eP+3eA+4eD 1 success

[Lucinia Malveaux]

After a brief nod to Jo'ren, Lucinia turned her attention to the proceedings, a somewhat sour expression on her features. That was not too remarkable, really.

Her eyes narrowed as the ritual began. Sure, power and all, but being in a relationship with Jan, she'd learned a few things. The phrase buyer beware certainly came to mind. Power that came with chains was no power, after all.

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D2ME - What IS this dark stuff? Hard lore, power +1eD, Secret Lore -1eD: 2eP+2eA+3eD 4 successes, 2 threat

[Dapper Dog]

The High Arcanix gives Lucinia a glance, she sensed a non-believer.

OOC: Using the Threat for the High Arcanix to have suspicions.

[Lucinia Malveaux]

Giving one of her little half-shrugs, Lucinia stepped forward to receive a mark. Her sallow gaze continued to regard both proceedings and those taking part with something between curiosity and amusement. Including the speaker.

She didn't say anything, however.

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(OOC: One mark, please!)

[Tethys Carrack]

Tethys politely gestures for the acolyte to pass by without anointing her, then settles back into her unobtrusive spot against the wall.

Any friends and fellow Jedi who happen to look her way as the acolytes circulate will be met with a slight, firm shake of her head. I wouldn't, if I were you.

[Layne Hoshin]

Layne had been sitting quietly, contemplating the whole time. She understood the base concepts that the woman was talking about, but thought the whole religious angle to it all was silly at best. Self-righteous justifications and mumbo-jumbo. While the words were easier to parse, even Spindral seemed sane by comparison. Indeed, this was precisely the sort of nonsense she would stomp out if given the chance.

She looked around; surprised to find that Breela allowed herself to receive the mark. Unsurprised to find that Tethys quietly argued against it when she caught her eyes.

But... how twisted fate could be. She *had* to step into the deepest dark places again; her encounter with Spindral had shown as much. Not petty darkness like this, the kind wearing stupid hats and chanting nonsensical hymns. Real darkness. But, she wasn't ready. Was she? Like Spindral had said, plunging in as she was, would destroy her.

She didn't think being 'anointed' by these lunatics would be what made her ready. But if she could not face whatever this would bring, she could never be ready for the vergence, and what lay beyond it. Whatever darkness it might bring back into her heart, she could always come back from it, couldn't she?

She had done so before.

And so, she allowed herself to receive the mark.

[Remmington Balmung]

This seemed pretty normal to him, so Remmington went up to receive a mark as well.

[Jub'Lub]

What was this madness? Sacrificing goats, recieving a dark mark? Breela, Pipka, this was getting out of hand. "I have a bad feeling about this," Jub'lub said under his breath.

When the parishioners came to him to place the mark, Jub'lub raised his hand, "i will not recieve this," he said firmly, shaking his head sternly, lekku swinging. He looked around and watched as he quickly became outnumbered by those willing to recieve. Jub'lub began reciting the jedi code wordlessly in his heart.

someone must speak up. By the light, grant me courage master.

Before he knew what was happening, Jub'lub was standing and he heard the words leave his lips. "Only pain and suffering comes with the Dark."

His heart sank. Target firmly placed, Jubbs, great.

[Dapper Dog]

someone must speak up. By the light, grant me courage master.

Before he knew what was happening, Jub'lub was standing and he heard the words leave his lips. "Only pain and suffering comes with the Dark."

His heart sank. Target firmly placed, Jubbs, great.

"No one is forcing you to stay, Master Jedi," she said narrowing her vision on him.

[Breela Po]

~sic~

Breela shook her head, "Forgive him. He forgets himself." She motions her head towards the back of the room.

'No ignorance, knowledge.' She mouths

[Galen Panteer]

Galen was familiar with a few of the other Force traditions practiced outside of the Jedi and the Sith, from the witches on Nal Hutta to the newly formed Paladins of Alderaan. With the exception of the latter, he had remained an outside observer. However, observation may not be enough to better understand whatever was coming.

He accepted the mark.

[Jub'Lub]

"No one is forcing you to stay, Master Jedi," she said narrowing her vision on him.

Jub'lub saw Breela's words and he grasped her meaning.

"I'm..I'm staying for my friends. This alliance is uneasy for me. Forgive my outburst... There is no passion, there is peace." More to himself than anyone else, "I must be hungry..."

Just then, a lesson from his master wormed its way to the forefront of his conciousness. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, suffering leads to the Dark Side. A lesson he was apparently still learning.

Adressing the Arcanix, "I do not wish to take part in your baptism, but if you would allow me, I would stay. I shall try to keep my emotions in check, Arcanix."

Jub'lub sat back down, uneasy but staying his actions. The weight of his saber hung heavy on his hip. [No ignorance, knowledge as Breela reminded him. Deep breath in; one, two, three, four. Hold. Deep exhale; one, two, three, four, five.]

[Garth Thul]

Garth watched the Arcanix move through the crowd, he saw no ill effects and had in fact performed similar rituals with the Aznuri.

He was not afraid of the consequences, but he did trust his mentor and followed Tethys's lead.

"This one's bin claimed by 'nother tradition, but ah thank y' fer th' offer." He answers, showing his Aznuri tattoo.

[Pipka]

Pipka was oblivious to the moral dilemma his friends and the others were going through, he had locked eyes with the goat and was busy making faces at it and uttering little noises (most of them above the range of hearing for those present) at the creature, to the exclusion of the going-ons around him.

He did catch some things like pain, suffering, forcing, forgiveness, ignorance, knowledge, baptism, and tradition. They didn't mean to much to him, not while he had the attention of the goat.

[Tethys Carrack]

Tethys tries to catch Jub’lub’s eye and give him a ‘you’ve got this’ look. She doesn’t know him well yet, but they’re both Jedi on the same expedition, and she recognizes his reaction even though her own mind is disciplined differently.

A trace of visible relief crosses her expression when Garth declines the goo. Pipka, on the other hand, gets a worried glance. A Jedi should not choose fear… but a little part of Tethys is definitely afraid the tiny spacer is in for a nasty shock about that goat.

[Jub'Lub]

Jub'lub sees Tethys' look of encouragement and he suddenly felt less alone. He returned her look with a smile, perhaps tinged with a touch of shame. At least there were others who refused the mark, hopefully this congregation wasn't looking to spill Jedi or republic blood, at least not at this time.

[Dapper Dog]

Zhorrid allowed the disturbance to subside and continued by walking to the altar and revealing an ornate blade. She spoke, “The ancient Sith were masters of their world and through them and the Exiles we have the Sith Code, the path to true freedom, that leads us to the Unknowable Dark.”

“This blade is treated in the old ways, nearly indestructible,” she said admiring it.

The goat bleated as she gutted it and pulled out the innards and spilled them into a waiting bowl. She held her hands high and said, “Unto you Umbral darkness, that which birthed our Empress into this reality we give this sacrifice.”

She then held the blue goat up and poured its purple blood into a waiting chalice. Then she mixed it with sacred oils and ingredients from the altar and mixed in some Bloodwine. An attendant removed the carcass as she continued, “This is the vehicle, drink and be given focus, allow the Dark Side to make you Strong and see the Great Mysteries.”

“Now come unto me and drink deep of the bosom of the Dark,” she offered.

OOC: Taking the Mark for Force Users no matter alignment costs 3 Conflict, drinking the of the Chalice one must make a Resilience or Discipline check at Average and may add Force Dice to it, but can only spend Dark pips as successes or threat.

Drinking the Chalice is another 3 Conflict, if they have the Mark the difficulty of the check for drinking is reduce by 1.

If successful they can either gain a free reduction to any one future skill check by two so Hard to Easy or they can gain a one time use of a free Triumph on a roll of their choice once but the next roll will always generate two Despair.

Those of the Light take Strain and additional Conflict for utilizing the dark pips in this way.

[Aphr Ahaya]

Aphr was first to step up, perhaps unsurprisingly. She'd seen Zhorrid do these so often, so it didn't bother her anymore. She found them fascinating, and as Zhorrids apprentice was often the first forward to encourage others to do the same.

SHe took the cup, and drank deep of the liquid

(ooc:
Drinking the drink: D2 ME Sermon of the Unknowable Dark event. Discipline + force dice. Average difficulty, increased by power then lowered again by having the mark: 2eA+2eF+2eD 2 failures, 2 advantage, 2 Dark Side
using Channel Agony spending 2 wounds to add third Dark side pip. Using all 3 as successes. Final result 1 success, using 2 advantages to help with clarify of seeing the great mysteries
Taking the "free reduction to any one future skill check by two"

[Garth Thul]

Garth moved closer to Tethys and shook his head, offering her one of Miyi's scented handkerchiefs. It wouldn't completely block the smell, but Miyi had insisted he take some with him.

"How th' other half live? Amirite?" Garth asked curiously.

"Ah've seen th' rituals o' the grey an' the light. This just...it's wrong t' me." He whispers to try and avoid interrupting the ritual.

[Layne Hoshin]

She *had* to delve deeper first. It would all be for nothing if she didn't, after all.

But... she could come back from this. From all of it. Couldn't she? Did the others even know what she'd done yet? She assumed Baesal must've at least; but she wasn't here from the looks of it. Tethys might've been told. The others? Well, she weren't sure they *cared* at all. And none of them would understand it, anyway.

It really was the only way. She would sacrifice her own peace for that of others. There was no turning back now. Not until she'd see things through.

Screw the religious nonsense, she didn't care a damn about any of that. But, she did come forward to take the chalice.

It was *necessary*. No matter what the others had to say about it. But who cared anyway? None of them had even gone out to try and find her that morning. None of them had bothered to talk to her when she'd come back. Except Daz... but... even he couldn't have just trusted her.

She drank.

The Light still clung to her, not willing to let her sacrifice her peace entirely, perhaps. It was perhaps, some small comfort. But she was strong enough without the Force to be able to drink the vile liquid down. Strong enough to take *anything* that fate might send at her, it seemed.

And she would make sure it was all worth it.

Resilience (Enhance) Reduction from power stuff/Increase from Mark: 1eP+4eA+2eF+2eD 2 successes, 1 advantage, 1 Triumph, 3 Light Side


+3 Conflict for taking the mark, another +3 conflict for drinking. Triumph for... some additional benefit or plot shenanigans maybe? (edit: idea in my pf).