Yridia II

Castle Tarentum

Footsteps.

He heard them, but they did not break his focus. Every footfall was amplified by the acoustics of the mostly-lifeless throne room, each step received by inhuman aural faculties.

The monolithic Pau’an peered into the darkness beyond the throne, the shadows casting an opaque gloaming with matched the blackness of pupiless eyes. He watched empty latitudes with a pensive scowl, as if seeking something in that space which might be considered, by inferior creatures, “impossible.”

Alas, he did not feel that cold, familiar probing. He did not sense his Master.

Acquiescence? No, it couldn’t be - the burgeoning Sith was not nearly so powerful, yet. Apathy, perhaps? Or even satisfaction in oracular design.

“Herr Quaestor,” the voice rasped, having broken the silence of most terrible reflections. It crept from the quivering jaw of some unfortunate wretch, one of numerous aspirants belonging to House Mortis. He must have performed some vaguely useful duty, the completion of which granted him the honor of announcing audience to his liege - who now lingered wordlessly in his black armor for what felt like eternity.

Thanadd savored the tonal flavors of his speech, each syllable saturated by palpable fear. His deference was tantalizing, a sensory delicacy ultimately defined by the kneeling posture worn by the man’s rather unimpressive figure.

Finally, Thanadd regarded the vassal openly, having tasted his reverence.

“You bring word, young one?” he croaked, an electronic wheezing the backbone of deliberate, baritone sibilants.

“I do, Herr Quaestor,” he admitted, triumphantly. His confidence began to swell, a little. Thanadd nearly grinned against the humid metal interior of his prosthesis.

“So she is here?”

“Indeed,” he answered, obviously speaking as succinctly as possible. “The Death Walk was... completed, as you requested.”

Thanadd did not budge, planted to the fore of the throne like a tombstone.

“You led her successfully?” he inquired, an aloof curiosity coloring the question.

The man paused, dropping his head and revealing the back of his skull. He hesitated.

“She….she led me.”

An awful cackle escaped the Pau’an’s vocabulator.

====

The weight of the galaxy bore on the shoulders of the Togruta as she waited, her lithe limbs hidden within the elegant draping of her robes. Her posture would not have revealed such foreboding, had any onlookers been present. The demands of her ambitions had carved an immaculate comportment, derived from quiet solitude, relentless training, and a talent for subterfuge which many within her clan yearned to leverage.

Tahiri Drakon Night-Thorn was a veritable ghost, an entity reflecting the ancient Sith tradition of Shadow Hands. The denizens of Yridia spat her myths, and like the berserker which now led her people, she had become a central figure in the local folklore. Her talents levied a high price, and her preference for blood or power as preferred currencies lived in whispers throughout the black halls and dark corners of Castle Tarentum.

This night, remuneration was due.

A dreadful groan heralded the opening of the massive pair of doors which guarded the portal to the throne room, and Tahiri awaited what might emerge. Her sulfuric eyes dilated in the low light, the shadows which escaped from the chamber ahead obscuring the creature which approached her.

There was no sign of the terrified man who had been charged with escorting her here. It made little difference - there was more promise in discovering for what purpose she had been mandated to roam the castle expanse.

It seemed that time had come. Instead of the stranger, the gloaming parted to reveal the dimensions of the Quaestor of Mortis. The polished stone beneath her strained against the clambering of the abominable Pau’an, her lekku twitching at his proximity. She said nothing, meeting Mawgath’s gaze with peerless defiance.

“Rise, Herr Aedile.”

Hey guys! So, as you can see, I have chosen my Aedile. Congratulations, Tahiri Drakon Night-Thorn!

I appreciate every application I received for this post. A single week is short notice, so I want to sincerely thank everyone for their interest, and also for acting on it in such a brief window. As I said in my first report, I strongly believe that we have got all the talent we could want here in Tarentum. Despite this, I could only choose one of you, and I thank you all for your efforts.

I’m really looking forward to working with Tahiri. With all of the updates and restructuring we’re facing, I’m happy to have somebody as creative, intelligent, motivated, dedicated, and friendly as Tahiri at my side. We’ve been given a lot of leeway to implement new visions and ideas, which is something I appreciate receiving from our Summit. I know that Tahiri and I will work as peers to fully develop House Mortis and implement our ambitions. We have a fantastic future ahead, and I hope you are all looking forward to it!

Tahiri, thank you for accepting this responsibility. You are a great credit to your Clan.

Everybody, please take a moment to congratulate Tahiri on her appointment to Aedile of House Mortis!

Lastly, I just want to plug an easy competition we currently have running for the House. I really enjoy the game, and as a celebration of my chance to serve Mortis, I’d like to share it with you guys!

https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/competitions/12726

I’m keeping runtime short, as we’ll soon have other developments emerging. I look forward to those submissions, guys!

So, to recap:

• Tahiri is the new Mortis Aedile! Yaaaaayy!
• Play my game for crescents!

Aaaaaaaand that’s all, folks! Thanks for reading!

In Darkness,