Nivalis' Journal

[Nivalis]

(Not available IC)

Apprentice renascent


The Echani would enter the frame, once again, after years of silence. He was different. Silver hair now falling way past his shoulders, a stark contrast to his blood-red armour, repaired and re-painted a thousand times over. Even though his face possesed the same porcelain complexion, paler than pale, and his eyes the same corrupted sulfuric yellow, his expression and the way he stared at the viewer betrayed torment experienced and things seen that should have best been left unseen. And yet when he spoke, his voice held the same melodic cadence, same manufactured yet flawed Imperial accent as the boy from so long ago.

"I don't know why I am doing this. There is no point. But perhaps confiding to a machine is preferable to someone living. The machine will never betray you, never belittle you--" 

He stops, looking away bitterly for but a moment before he turns back

"What is there to say, really? I am still an Apprentice, after all this time. My contemporaries have ascended, had their own families, died, and yet here I am, eternally inadequate..."

He pauses, a soft smile on his lips

"Yes. They died. But I still persist... and I continue rising. Perhaps it's not that bad. Perhaps Viren was right. And I have my very own project now. It's not something I would have considered back then, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

He sighs

"I don't want a repeat of the...incidents that occured on Anx Minor, and if I have to ensure obedience by any means possible, then so be it. It's prefferable than...whatever happened there.."

His words trail off, eyes locking at no point in particular

"Well. Lord Kalkoran believes in my project and so does Lord Vipion and that's the only thing that matters right now. If I can pull this off, perhaps I will finally gain their approval. He gave me land on Sernpidal, and a ship, for the service I did for him so now I finally have the means to pursue my projects, this one and the others."

He chuckles

"Isn't it funny? The first morsel of approval I have ever gotten. My Master proud of me for the first time...ever. And someone that seems to be affectionate towards me, even though our relationship does not go deeper beyond us finding comfort in each other's embrace. For once...things are going well. And soon, I will have my hands on that madman's research. Maybe. Surely there must be something that can be put to practical use, in-between all of his..."experiments"

He grimaces

"We'll see about that. The only thing I do not like is owing something to a Vipion. Like a deal with the devil, these people are...But if the result is my ascension I say it is worth it. I -will not- be stopped. Not now."

For the first time in years, the man seems proud of himself. He smiles in satisfaction, before the recording stops

[Nivalis]

Ever Rising

The figure of the pale man would enter the frame of the holorecording, sporting a different kind of armour from his usual blood red one. Dark in colour and almost skintight, decorated in belts and studs, and upon his belt buckle a painted image of a coiled snake, ready to strike. He seems tired. Really tired. Glassy eyes staring at the hypothetical viewer.

"It's been a while, has it not? A lot of things have happened since my last entry. Not all of them worthy of recollection, of course, but some are more important than others. My projects, first of all. The most important thing on my mind right now. We finally have a formula, four of them in fact. The only thing left to do now is to find which one is the most appropriate and perform large-scale testing."

He chuckles

"I thought I would have to resort to testing it out on an innocent populace. Thankfully I have found a better target. A gang. Traffickers, spice pushers, criminal scum. Perfect target to test out the component's aggression-diminishing effects, really. And when it has taken hold of them completely, I will gather a force to wipe them out. Showcase its effectiveness."

The Echani smiles, quite proud of himself

"And the other projects...The cybernetics research has halted for now as I await the response of Lord Carnifex. Perhaps I will source the components on my own anyways, I want this project finished already, it's not ambitious enough for my liking. Sarias held me back...But now the structure of the Powerbase has changed and Lord Vipion controls the Bestiary. With enough persuasive power, perhaps I can convince her to take me in as her Apprentice and let go of Caltrys. What use does she have of her anyways, her place is among nobles, spinning her little webs. Perfect candidate for Iezkon's Sphere, I keep telling the Lord..."

He scoffs, his expression souring 

"She does not listen. But she will, lest she wants to lose me. My ambition will not be fettered. Not anymore."

There is a long pause as the man looks down in contemplation, twirling a lock of snow white hair around his finger

"I had to help Viren. I owed him as much. But in doing so I inadvertently sabotaged the Lord Vipion's ally in their competition for power. I hope I haven't done much damage... Not that he has any real chance of winning, of course. Hazlem is a true heir of Lord Sanguinis, in resolve, mindset and tactics. And an effortless confidence in herself that Viren simply lacks. For all his posturing, I can just feel his desperation...his desire to fill in shoes far bigger than his feet. I know it because I see it in myself first."

The man smiles, bitterly

"Perhaps he needs some humbling. It will be sweet to witness, after all the torment he has caused me..."

"What else...ah yes, that red clown, Veilak. I cannot, for the life of me, understand his motives. He has helped me, however, and he seems to admire me. Finds me inspiring, even. I have never had anyone express something like this before. I hope I will not have to take him down in the future, he has started to grow on me. Well, if his Master refuses to teach him proper etiquette, I will do it myself. Were I Sith already I would have stolen him from that wretched man, but alas I am not. Not like that will stop me--I will make sure he does not end up like Syllel..."

The man nods with a resolute expression, waving his hand as the recording ends

[Nivalis]

Disillusionment

The figure of the man enters the frame of the holorecording. His hair is cut shoulder-length, and he is wearing a delicately embroidered sleeping robe. On the backround, antique furniture are lit by the reflection of neon lights outside. His right arm, made out of metal and bolts rises a slender gilded cigarette holder to his lips. The pale man takes a drag, exhaling smoke that shimmers as it catches the light.

"I need to update these more than twice a year. Look what they did to me, turned me into a cyborg."

The man's lips curl in an expression of disgust

"I used to consider cyborgs abominations. Perversions of the perfection of biological creation. What man can create is only a pale imitation of it. I looked down upon the cybernetic creatures I modified as unfortunate, but necessary, monstrosities and yet here I am, now one of them, my beautiful arm replaced with rusting steel, my flesh with petrochemicals and my blood with oil. It cannot feel like it used to, and when I hold the cheek of my lover all they feel is the touch of cold metal, the smell of oil. I hate it. I hate them."

He hisses, briefly walking out of frame. The Echani returns, having dressed himself in a white silk shirt with tailored black pants, speaking to the recording as he is fastening the buttons of his blouse.

"But it was my own fault, wasn't it? I grew too bold and in my hubris I did not consider the possibility of punishment. I suppose I am lucky she did not do worse. She could have, and I saw it in her eyes, like she wanted to tear me apart until I was no longer recognizeable."

He shakes his head, reaching for a hairbrush from outside the frame.

"I keep thinking about the Darth...what he said to me. It has been festering inside my mind for weeks now, and I am beginning to think his offer might be a good idea. Especially after losing her...But that is...that is a last resort. For now I am back where I belong, I suppose. I still have -some- things left here. I should not have left the Sphere in the first place for one-- one can easier trust a wingmaw not to bite than a Vipion. I had to...crawl back, like a wimpering dog, my tail between my legs."

The Echani grimaces in disgust.

"I'll be more useful here, at least. I know when I am unwanted. Perhaps the Nam'ta situation can be a good opportunity for profit. That is unless Madros gets to it first, the greedy bastard. I am not looking forward "collaborating" with him, that's for sure." he chuckles, as he starts applying an almost chalk white shade of concealer to the dark circles beneath his eyes. "I like Sith Leive, although I am fully aware of what she is capable of. Perhaps more than most in the Powerbase. Unlike others, she never fully shows her hand. Never makes grand displays of power. And that is in her advantage. It's a powerful weapon, to be underestimated. And I think I feel a kinship with her that I had not felt with Lord Iezkon, even though she is family. I really hope this works."

The man would finish applying his cosmetics, turning off the recording as he leaves the room.

[Nivalis]

The Alsolun Campaign

The pale man once again appears in front of the holorecording. He looked much the same as the last time, silver hair cropped to his jawline, eyes luminescently reflecting back at the viewer. And yet this time his demeanor looked slightly different. He did not look as bitter or cynical as he did in the majority of his recordings, despite looking positively exhausted. He looks up at the sky, towards the horizon. The wail of winds can be heard in the far distance-- it seems as if he had climbed up to a remote place for this, away from the hustle and bustle of the Imperial Garrison. His eyes drift back to the viewer, and a small smile appears on the man's thin lips.

"I didn't really expect we'd be deployed here of all places. It's so similar to Anx Minor, isn't it? Yet it couldn't be more different. For once, I have the feeling that we are doing things right, learning from the last campaign's lessons. We are meticulous here, searching every little nook and cranny, lifting every rock. I myself have done my best to contribute to information gathering, as part of Insight. And yet...there's still a lot of questions left unanswered."

The alien rubs his chin, the wind tangling his hair together like a mass of rogue spiderwebs.

"The Governor died. I have my own theories regarding that, but I think it was for the better interest of everyone here that he did. I still don't fully trust that Supervisor.."

He taps his cheek with his two cybernetic fingers.

"The twilek is working very hard in this campaign, utilizing the Acolytes and such, gathering information. He's Leive's Apprentice too, now. I bet he's trying to make me look bad in comparison, but I won't let him. Two can play that game, Veilak..."

"I got him in trouble the other day. I don't think he'd ever believe me that it was an accident. But maybe it's better this way. Maybe it's better if he hates me."

The familiar melancholy appears on the alien's expression just for a moment, before it shifts back to his pale mask of indifference, like sands shifting in the wind.

"Speaking of twileks, I met a very strange one today. Pale creature, sickly, but feisty in temperament. I like her already...I have a feeling she'd be a great asset to Insight."

The man hums, then looks up at the horizon again. The howling of winds is getting closer now, along with the sound of thunder-- static electricity trapped within the volatile clouds of sand

"Looks like I have to get going now. We'll see how this campaign goes. Who knows, maybe it won't end in planetary destruction this time."

A smirk flashes across the Echani's face before he turns off the recording.