Memoirs and Recollection of a Fractured Heart - Sovernus Nova

[Lord Iezkon]

Entry #10 of Horuset Chronicles:
Rivalry and Competition

***A collection of organised memoirs regarding Morgus Gra'kahn and a collection of thoughts on the acolyte competition, as well as updates for Lord Sanguinis's challenge.***

I have always loathed the necessity of sleep. Like death, it puts even the most powerful men on their backs.

The looming terror of nights are plagued with the brooding sensation of his aura. The consolidation of his presence into the waking realm are becoming known. Often the moment exhaustion has overridden my senses, Sovereign’s influence can be felt tugging onto the mental walls the second I fall into sleep.

The ongoing days has been marked by constant blackouts and misalignment in my memories. Records and trails of his activity only confirmed his capacity for free reign and independence, while depriving me of mine. Yet what concerns me most is that all within the House are not the least bit aware of any sudden shift in my personality- meaning the possibility of Sovereign flawlessly assuming my identity and imitating all my usual behaviors is staggeringly worrisome. A development in which was detrimental to my very existence.

Eternal Rivalry

Previous nights before, untainted dread flourished through my spine as my holocom flashed a receiving transmission from Morgus Gra'kahn... A man of unceasing wrath and hatred. A being that defined the unbearable struggles I endured during my days in Korriban. Verily, I cannot encapsulate fully the dark nature of our relation.

There was not a single acolyte that compelled the level of dread and fear such as him, nor do I believe I will ever meet one that surpasses him. His presence was overwhelmingly domineering even as a mere aspirant, enough to compel fear within certain apprentices, stir uneasiness from seasoned warriors and alarm Sith in his vicinity.

There were rumors circulating amongst the network of acolytes lead by Frelan Drul that became a heated topic. That he was the powerful spawn of a former Dark Council member. Regardless whether it was true or not, his raw untethered potential in the force was unquestionable, even affirming to the strictly severe Overseer Regaine that he had the makings of a future Sith Lord.

In the past I encountered his ruthless domination multiple times. The experiences left untold devastation etched onto my soul, frequently bridging it towards the realms of the afterlife to greet Death in endless sleep. The scars traced throughout my physique remains evident to this day in faded form, reminding me of days where forfeiting one’s life could not be done swiftly enough before he ruthlessly reaps it from you.

I survived. Scarcely. Over and over again.

A victim of extreme probabilities. I desperately clung to life like an evasive cancer. It was during these encounters where I felt the true wellspring of the Dark Side, reconstructing my fragmented vessel again and again…Tempering my utter resolve and abyssal obsession to live.

Morgus became perceptively aware of my refusal of death in each cycle of our confrontations. As the tensions between us became grim and menacingly exhilarating from bloodlust, each clash left me disjointed and shattered beyond recognition yet I never failed to return. More refined through the scorching furnace, more powerful through the forging process. The temperance of my existence became the source of my increasing power. Until it became evident that my blade could reach him, securing temporary victories whereas others could not hold a single second in direct confrontation with him.

Our last encounter was near the Tomb of Tulak Hord, under the colossal statue of the Master of the Gathering Darkness, away from the prying eyes of the academy. We met under the desolate frost of midnight, each with the intention to end this cycle of our warped fate that constantly crossed paths.

Morgus’s aura was unrelentingly overpowering, staring through his piercing infernal glare. His imposing physique towered even over the bulkiest of warriors. A true genetic expression of a behemoth disguised in humanoid form.

“Sovernus…”
“…Morgus.”
“Your life will end under the watchful gaze of my ancestors…by my hands.”
“Or yours will be by mine.”
“We shall see…”
“Eternal glory to the victor…”
“…Death to the unworthy.”

It was no mere bloodlust.

Nor was it a simple duel between aspirants of the Dark Side.

It was the dark collision of souls, intent in extinguishing each other’s existence- desperate with unceasing catatonic wrath consumed utterly by the singular resolve of obliteration. As though for that one singular moment, our entire being’s purpose was the annihilation of the other, stretching and pushing beyond our physical and mental capacity to that of the ends of our limits.

The battle initially left me bloodied and bludgeoned with fractures, bruises of violet shades and veins illustrating darkened lines from twisted electrical currents. Initially it was predominantly one sided, with Morgus mercilessly smashing me against hardened debris and subjecting me to shocks of relentless fury.

Yet I stood again and again, with darkened blood dripping from my mouth and opened scars. Channeling in a perverse and twisted method of harnessing the perpetual pain within me. The abyssal wellspring of dark emotions overridden any rationality of a functioning shattered body as ceaseless adrenaline filled me with endless ferocity. The tides of the confrontation gradually turned into an incomprehensible display of Morgus being subjected to my relentless vigor.

That malevolent night of bloodshed concluded with his bloodied colossal body slumped against the withering sands of Korriban. An improbable conclusion. I had done the impossible.

Now a year later. My holocom screen projected his ID. I could recollect memories of his presence near the end of my days in Korriban, overlooking with the other spectators at the tragic event… where I extinguished the lifeline of the one I loved, that culminated my time there…A confirmation that he survived. I could only wonder where he had been all this time and what accomplishments he had achieved. Recomposing myself I opened the channel.

“Sovernus…”
“Morgus.”

There was an expression of disdain painted across his intimidating visage as he glared at me. Cladded in heavy centurion-esque armor reminiscent to Sith who committed their entire existence to warfare, which augmented the presence of his overbearing juggernaut stature.

There was a deafening silence. Seizing a better view of me, his piercing gaze reflected a disquieted astonishment with hints of disappointment. He sneered derisively cocking his chin upwards.

“You’re still an acolyte...”
“I am.”

There was an underlying sense of humiliation and shame. I lowered my gaze, deducing that he had already been elevated far above my current position. His lips twisted in anger and rage, as his eyes narrowed with a tinge of disbelief but shifted into a stare of obscure fortitude. The dark heavy tone of his voice commandingly spoke.

“A month from now. Korriban. Under the statue of Tulak Hord. Be prepared.”

With that he disconnected the channel, as if he could no longer tolerate the sight of me. From that short exchange I was made unbearably aware of how far behind I was. I was fuming with endless frustration as I impulsively threw my holocom across the room.

That night, I was left with nothing but hatred and self-loathing.

Acolyte Competition

I treaded my path towards the library to conduct further research on other advanced abilities I have yet to add to my repertoire of skills. When I arrived however, the interior was filled with narrow eyes and disapproving auras. Apprentice Annabelle subjected her disdain towards Alencia, whereas Lord Kalkoran was subjecting his brand of displeasure towards Leive by means of the telekinetic nature. Uldrinn maintained his silence whilst the punishment of our contemporaries ensued, as though he did not want to experience a sudden spillover of our superior’s judgement.

These displays of punishment were frequent and I have grown weary of witnessing such. One can almost expect these acolytes to have a measure of awareness of social cues and courtesy as to not cause self-harm caused by their own insubordination. It is even more astonishing to know these were graduates from the trials.

Shortly thereafter, Apprentice Annabelle declared an acolyte competition which consists of a series of challenges akin to the Trials. One can infer the purpose of such was to provide an opportunity to gain further recognition in hopes of attaining an apprenticeship.

The first assignment was given, a simple and straightforward task of detailing the ranks and level of authority of the Sith. It was clear to me that this was an assignment to evaluate the nature of our mindset. There will always be information that coincides with others, all of us will no doubt write similar ranks with their respective description. Much can be inferred from our writing styles and the narrative we choose, and a testament of whether we will fall in the crevice of settling with the same mindset of the masses. 

Though there were complications.

I realized time passed by without my knowledge, as though several days fast forwarded while I was in a blissfully unaware condition of an autonomous state. My heart raced attempting to recall memories within the gaps of my mind but found nothing at all of my activities in the last couple of days.

Except for a transmitted report to Apprentice Annabelle.

Before I fully grasped the entirety of the current predicament, a holocall was directed to all acolytes to meet her in the dorms.

Alencia was questioned as to her reason why she did not hand in the assignment. She associated it to her being predisposed in an investigation regarding a recent attack on Th’Asidra, that she was busy with a report that was intended for Lord Kalkoran. As if on cue, the domineering Sith Lord himself entered the room as though his mere presence quailed the floors. It was revealed that she had not provided any updates to him, nor given any new reports. She blamed it on her position as an acolyte, that it inhibited her from progressing through with the investigation, whether or not that was the case- it only displayed her limits of creativity and resourcefulness.

It was here Lord Kalkoran chastised her, detailing the accomplishments he had done as a mere acolyte. Describing certain experiences one after the other before emphasizing on one singular truth.

“Those who push the boundaries of their station will live to survive it.”

A decisive statement. Followed by an intense telekinetic blow directed towards her as she flung several meters back towards the door. There was a strange noise when the impact was made, and I theorize that she was wearing a form of armor underneath her attire to minimize the damage. But I was drawn to another discovery.

Lord Kalkoran previously spoke of one of his accomplishments, that as an acolyte he and another buried a holocron they procured through unknown means from a Sith. It confirmed to me that the holocron still existed and that the other acolyte he was referring to was none other than the current Lord Sanguinis. My deduction derived from the vague comment the metallic masked Lord made after Valkara credited me for assisting her during the lighter test. He suddenly spoke of two acolytes that once buried a holocron in an unknown location, as though it was a poetic verse from scripture.

Valkara was confused at the time- and I at the time thought it was more of a metaphor. She asked what that meant to the masked Sith Lord in which he merely replied that the reward was that we gained a spotlight. However now, putting two and two together I realized that it was not a figure of speech and the two acolytes were none other than the current Lord Kalkoran and Lord Sanguinis and that somewhere out there, the holocron still is within their possession. This provides an interesting and noteworthy point to one day inquire or investigate further.

The second round of the competition involved less people than before.

We were tasked to explore a certain tomb in Korriban, accompanied by Apprentice Annabelle. The group consisted of different acolytes and it was verily a mixture of lively individuals I have crossed paths in the past. The accounts of the exploration I would not delve into in much details, it was a series of vague and abstract riddles that were inherently designed to indulge in the whims of its creator, exemplifying the requirement for teamwork and direction. I detailed the individuals of the group below.

The blue Rutian Nobrcer, a generalized and stereotypical example of what a bothersome alien is through the lens of the traditionalist Sith. Characterized by his ineptitude, his incompetence and flagrant disregard of authority. What irks me most is the constant and perpetual shouting in an effort to stake his own voice to be heard. There was an underlying desperate need to be the leader of the group, barking orders and demonstrating his frustrations when it was obvious we were not wasting a single moment in indulging in his childish tantrums. Impulsive without a single hint of caution, a need to be detrimentally proactive that resulted in multiple backlashing injuries. A dangerous risk taker is one that does not even consider the risks. During the trials, he displayed the same sense of self-importance and incompetence as he did here. It is as though his plump blue lekku is filled with nothing but steam, complaining incessantly to Apprentice Annabelle that it was negligent of her to send us to our ‘deaths’ in the first place. It speaks volume of how utterly unprepared he is to be Sith.

The human Natellia, a cooperative and conservative soul. She has an underlying sense of pride and disdain underneath the guise of her amicable personality, as though she inherently views the people around her as beneath her. Some of her speech patterns shows displeasure and irritation when things do not go her way, yet she has never forcefully enforced nor expressed such in a more aggressive and visible manner. Her observant mannerism is clear cut, often lingering to dwell in her thoughts as well as practice such towards her surroundings, one can even suggest she has a well-rounded aptitude. Through the blend of her charisma and expressive sense of cooperation, she progressively lead the group ever forward- something I had wished to see during the trials instead of unproductive squabbling. Though there were moments she resigned to silence, when another voice expresses their opinions in the opposite manner that she herself has repressed. Should she be more forward minded with her sealed opinions and improve on her communication skills, she may be a competent leader one day.

Another human was present by the name of Uldrinn of House Yurad-Tol. A family whose corporate empire monopolized the luxury industry in Iziz, with rumours regarding their influence on the nobility in Onderaan- in that respect, our families have similarities. Verily my family has records of purchasing the Onderaniaan products in large volumes, and thus I was preemptively aware of his family name before I met him. There are many facets of his personality, depending on the environment and social context given- hints of a royal statesmen during our conversations, a tinge of brutish mercenary flavor out during combat, an overbearing militant within the fields, yet blunt and direct towards our peers akin to a military grunt. Adaptive and versatile seems to be his profile, though he leans towards the aggressive end of the spectrum. The one constant I observed is his lone wolf demeanor, as though he believes his strength alone can carry him through adversity- which I theorise may derive from the struggles of his past. Initially like the others, he had intended for his voice to be heard as the leader of the group but adapted to the necessity of cooperation and separating objectives and tasks- which only further illustrates his adaptive tendency. I see the makings of a stalwart politican with a penchant for war in him.

The final one is a Sith Pureblood by the name of Utahis of House Aayu. This particular individual I initially had reserved a modicum of attention on. Valkara has mentioned him before, someone she trusts and can depend on during the trial- and may even extend beyond that. Our encounter within the tombs during the competition was one filled with tension, as he often expels his frustrations and threatened me at every turn. His blatant disregard of others became increasingly evident when he sought to lead the group in a style that was starkly contrasting to Natellia. Aggression with hints of violence, his method of insults is often indirect to show superiority, layered by hints of a rebellious and provocative side of him. The span of his patience is thin as temper flourishes freely, an exploitable characteristic to say the least. His aptitude with the saber is remarkable, even showing a distinctive appreciation to sequences of techniques which evokes an image of a predisposed warrior. He has a penchant for antagonizing his fellow peers, allowing him to be the mark of all our scrutiny as though he regularly paints a target on his back. Naturally the fact that trust was placed on him by someone as amiable and agreeable as Valkara posed different inquiries in my mind and only confirmed to me that I have yet to see the entire facet of his personality. As with other impressionable notes I will reserve my judgement for future analysis.

Updates on Lord Sanguinis’s challenge

Nedhorroc contacted me via holocom, revealing more information about Lord Sanguinis which he acquired from conversing with Apprentice Siors. The fact that Apprentice Siors was not suspicious in the Zabrak’s inquiries nor see it as anything more than an inconsequential conversation between the two, proved to me that the Zabrak succeeded in gaining intel without attracting any attention. More importantly, the information could never be traced back to me.

From the information given it illustrated the metallic masked lord’s preferences and personality. As Beastmaster of the House and his authority on animals and exotic creatures, one can infer that his penchant for collecting varieties of curiosities is strikingly high. Yet the appeal of gifting him a creature does not resound well with me.

Cast aside the complexities in identifying a creature of note, subjecting and capturing it based on its danger levels, acquiring personnel to transport it in a cage or cargo and sending it to the House- the point is that the level of creature I can personally obtain would pale in comparison to the ones he already has at his disposal and would sink many credits into different underworld services at each step.

It had to be meaningful and practical for his endeavors, I was inclined to search for a pragmatic item that would consolidate and assist in the process of obtaining the beasts- rather than the beast itself. At first my mind considered more technological solutions yet considering the limits of tapping into my original resources it was nigh improbable.

I had to be more resourceful in my limits, more creative in my restrictions. Then my mind processed through data at an alarming rate, and I pinpointed a direction. First Lieutenant Meria Rose provided me a list of imperial contacts, one of which was an expert in the Imperial Reclamation Services by the name of Felisia Nel. The consideration of acquiring artifacts or relics that may provide a different approach to the challenge made itself known.

I contacted her that evening to establish a rapport and connection, to provide a bridge for the upcoming endeavor with her guidance and knowledge in her respective field. She was a difficult person to approach, cautious and paranoia describes her demeanor but she remains stalwart and strong. I infer that she has had her share of bad experiences with dealing with Sith, hence I approached her as a more knowledgably and academically attuned person rather than an ambitious Sith with an ulterior motive.

For now, I must end this entry abruptly as I have no doubt exhausted a considerable amount of thoughts poured out incessantly from the weigh of concerns and plans in my mind.