Investigation [Open]

What a fascinating place. Everything about this castle, from its maze of passages and carriages to the vaulted and oddly colourful architecture, appealed to the academic curiosity that had come to define Nox's interests. He'd never been too sure whether or not to be grateful that his former mistress' fascination with the pursuit of occult secrets appeared to have rubbed off on him; however, now that he had gotten over most of the shock of being dumped in this utterly inexplicable new surrounding with no explanation as to how or why, he was in a mind to indulge his growing list of curiosities.

The creatures that inhabited the castle - or perhaps more accurately, infested it - were chief among those curiosities. They came in all shapes and sizes; small, scrabbling critters with bodies of a pure black; soaring avian beasts with maws full of triangular fangs; and hulking humanoid beasts that carried animate shields which somehow spat plumes of flame and sheets of ice. All shared the same beady, baleful yellow eyes, and the same violent response to his presence. All had proved trivial to dispatch, cut down with sweeping blows of his lightsaber or dashed against the walls with the most casual gestures through the Force; puzzlingly, none of them left bodies, but exploded into plumes of black smoke when slain.

Utterly beyond explanation - which was precisely why Nox now scoured a library that he had chanced upon. The books that he had skimmed through so far all appeared to be written in the same language; odder still was the realisation that even though he did not know this language, he found himself somehow able to comprehend it just enough to be able to read it, thanks in large part to its numerous similarities to Aurebesh. He had no clue of the why of it, but chose to leave this particular question unanswered for now.

He sat at a table, with a growing pile of books that had been read on one side of him and a shrinking pile of books yet to be read on the other. He skimmed through them swiftly, searching for any and all references to the mysterious creatures that had assailed him. What exactly were they...?

aegis of the torrent

“Developmental Physiology in the Chocobo Group -- no...Radiant Garden’s Yearly Festivities and What They Mean for You--no…”

Books and essay titles, journals and diagrams painstakingly rendered on various particulars of Chocobo raising, Moogle sociology, Cactuar feeding -- and there were, in fact, a lot of particulars. Yet nothing yielded  was remotely relevant to the Heartless.

Mikleo groused, finding it reasonably outrageous that an entire section hadn’t been dedicated to that topic alone. It was starting to look like he’d have to do a search rather than browse manually (which was, in library terms, tantamount to cheating).

Adjusting the weight of no less than four books of strange (and likely irrelevant) creatures, a resigned Mikleo stalked across the library to one of the tables, pulling up a chair as he did, when his eyes traveled to the masked gentleman occupying the same table. The man's books seemed in subject with the ones Mikleo himself carried, if not the exact same ones (and then some). As a result, it wasn’t hard for Mikleo to guess that their interests collided.

Slowly easing into his seat on the opposite side, the seraph considered saying something. It wasn’t everyday that someone shared his scope of interests in an otherwise unfamiliar world. On the other hand, he was more than aware that he was invisible to most common humans. But this one didn't seem very common though, did he?

“Are you looking up information on the Heartless?” asked the seraph. Whether he was heard or not was beyond his expectations as said seraph, but either way, it was still a polite thing to do. "I don't think you'll find anything relevant about them here. Not in a public library, anyway. I've been scanning the place for two hours now - nothing."

He hesitated.

"Any reason you're looking them up?"

Darth Nox

...Apparently, Nox was not alone. Somehow he had so engrossed himself in his reading that he had scarcely noticed the blond individual who now deigned to speak to him. He could only imagine how ridiculous he would find this in hindsight; that being said, however, he would surely have sensed any imminent danger, and so he had been relatively safe to refrain from keeping an overly vigilant eye on his surroundings while he was otherwise occupied.

“Are you looking up information on the Heartless?”

This question in particular seized his interest. He looked up from his piles of books, just enough to make it clear that in spite of the expressionless mask, he was indeed looking at the young man as he heard him out.

"I prefer to educate myself on the characteristics of individuals that make an enemy of me," he answered rather flatly. "It doesn't do to be hounded by strange creatures without rhyme or reason when you're already quite preoccupied with the task of finding out how in the stars you ended up where you are." He leaned back in his seat, now looking levelly at the blond. "What at all do you know about these Heartless?"

aegis of the torrent

As he listened to the masked gentleman's situation, Mikleo smiled wryly on the realization that the Heartless wasn't their only relating subject. Mikleo himself was dumped here for no good reason. And just like everyone else, he became target practice for the Heartless...but where most people wanted to avoid any inclination to the Heartless, Mikleo's curiosity in them only grew from there.

"It just happens that I do have some theories of my own regarding the Heartless." Mikleo inclined his head in some measure of doubt, "...but they're still just theories. No one can really get close enough without being ravaged."

He recalled the first time he'd encountered a heartless lurking in the back-alleys, how its polluted aura made him nauseous. But while Mikleo had never encountered a heartless at the time, he knew he was faced with the same driving force he'd encountered many times in his own world. The only real difference between the 'darkness' of the outer worlds and the 'malevolence' of his own worlds was the name.

He became more than a little obsessed in their topic after that. (From a reasonable distance, of course.)

"I know they like to prey on normal folks just like you and me. They seem to be drawn by something inside of us. Something the people around here call the 'heart'." He gave a weak one-shoulder shrug. "Their motivations for wanting this 'heart' is beyond me. I don't even know what that really is. Is it our memories of the ones we care about? Is it the thing that makes us us? Is it what lets us know we're alive?"

Usually when the heartless attacked him and their numbers receded, instincts didn't have them bucking away for their lives like any dignified creature would. No, the heartless just fought on until they, too, shared the fate of their wind-taken brethren.

Mikleo leaned back in his seat too, but didn't feel anymore comfortable with his warring thoughts. "Maybe," he granted, "they don't have those things, and that's why they want them. Though, my theory doesn't really connect why we're here with them." He humphed quietly. "If you ask me, it feels almost conspiratorial."

Darth Nox

Theories, eh? At first, that word was a shade disheartening. To have theories meant one did not have solid information. Nonetheless, when the blond set about expositing these theories of his, it became apparent to Nox that in fact he may have had a reasonable idea what he was talking about. Certainly, it appeared as if he was devoting no small amount of effort to researching the Heartless in order to determine the veracity of his ideas.

Perhaps this young man would prove a useful source of information in the future.

"The heart?" Nox scoffed. Plainly, this didn't refer to the physical organ. "How very... metaphysical. The very idea bespeaks considerable differences in the laws of nature in this place." He reclined a little further in his seat and reached for the next book in his to-read pile. "I wish I had a tidbit to contribute. Alas, I've been here for less than a day. I know little and less of what's going on... and so far, these books have not shown themselves to be particularly helpful." Beneath his mask, he furrowed his brow in thought. "Perhaps it would be a more productive use of time to question the residents of this town. Surely somebody must have information worth sharing."

"Riiiise....Lord Vader."

At the hissing voice in his head, his blasted, ruined eyes shot open, greeted only with the terribly-familiar sight of a sky shaded and blocked out to an all too narrow field of view by the helmet that was now his face. Studded with only a scant number of clouds, it looked every bit as empty as his own mind felt. The last memories he had were of finally redeeming himself, saving Luke...and then?

Had it been a dream? Some cruel taunt by the Emperor, designed only to further push him along the path of despair, tormenting him with what he could never have? It certainly seemed like a trick that Sidious would have pulled...

The clunkiness of his armor not helping matters any, the cybernetic Sith Lord slowly regained his feet, taking nearly a full minute in his dazed state, before casting his gaze to and fro about the area. Entirely unfamiliar to him. If not for the mechanical aid that left his breathing at its constant, deep pace, he would have been breathing very quickly and deeply indeed, his heart beating uncontrollably from confusion, stress, and anger. But his heartbeat, too, was regulated by his cybernetics.

All that was left for him to do was extend his awareness out....further, across everything he possibly could. Search for anything even remotely familiar. And there it was. Shining like a dark, bloody beacon, another presence within the Force. Strong, dark...unfamiliar as to who it might have been.

But it was enough.

As quick as his cumbersome cybernetics would allow, Vader was off, the swift walking pace all he could manage. It took him several long, tedious minutes of walking — and along the way he was accosted by all manner of strange creatures, beady yellow eyes staring almost hungrily at him from each and every one of them; they were tough foes, even the tiniest of them, but they could do little more than momentarily stall him, flung out of his way without a care, over ledges and into walls — and soon enough there was only a single doorway between himself and the other presence within the force.

The most subtle of movements of the Force, and the doors pushed themselves open with a creak, framing the cybernetic Sith Lord in the doorway. Sensors in his helmet automatically adjusted to the dim light of what he quickly realized was a library of sorts. "A library..." his artificially-enhanced voice commented. "Very appropriate."

Unnaturally heavy boot treads heralded his march further into the book-filled room, the doors creaking shut behind him seemingly of their own volition as he strode aimlessly down the rows of books, taking in some of the names and subjects that were on display. Nothing stood out as anything approaching familiar, only serving to further drive in nails of agitation and make his already foul mood even more noisome. The faint sound of voices drew him onward in his aimless meandering, as did the dark presence within the Force, seeming to share its location with the conversation.

But when he finally emerged from the rows of dusty tomes to an occupied table, he slowed to a halt, only his mechanical breathing, ever-present in its function, continuing unabated. "Forgive my intrusion." he offered, in what amounted to a 'soft' voice to his constant, unyielding tone. "I could not help but to overhear your..." He paused, as if to take a breath, but his breathing had continued unabated even through his words. "...conversation. I have an interest in a similar topic."

aegis of the torrent

As Mikleo had come to learn over the months, every world had its own set of laws. Maybe that was what had the man in black intrigued, but to Mikleo it didn’t mean much; after all, he’d come from a world that interpreted darkness as humans turning into monsters and seraphim turning into dragons.

Since it always suited the seraph to be constant advisor in his former party of friends, Mikleo shook his head dismissively at the man’s regret. “It’s fine, really. It sounds like you need more information than I do anyway. I’ve been around a while longer; I can spare a few.”

“As for the other residents of this town, I can’t say I’ve met many who are informed in this subject. I’m lucky in that I found work under a knowledgeable wizard, but even with our theories, the Heartless are still one of the biggest mysteries of the worlds.”

His mind cast back to the many heartless he’d slain. “...If you ask me, I think the biggest part of not understanding them comes from the rumors that the ones who try to get too close end up going either crazy, or missing. Taking that into account, I can’t blame anyone’s stifled knowledge on them.”

Up until now, Mikleo’s conversation was spaced out, but now he was speaking directly to the mask.

“The heartless are supposedly made of pure darkness. I guess you could say that’s another...metaphysical term to keep in mind. If you want to be productive, I suggest just defending yourself against them, instead of deliberately seeking them out. I sense many here who have darkness in their hearts, and while they’re at first curious with the Heartless, that curiosity could easily turn into obsession.”

The seraph took his due breath. The last time he got this passionate about a subject was when it involved archaelogical digs and history books. In light of that, he really had to wonder how much of that last part applied to him. Maybe he should try following his own advice.

The gap in conversation was soon filled with a mechanical voice that belonged to the shadow that’s been looming unnoticed the background of Mikleo’s mega-rant. Mikleo soon found an even bigger, blacker figure looming before their table.

....This was getting weird. Was the subject of the Heartless popular among black-armored men? Should Mikleo have brought his own to join the club? Of course, the uncanny resemblance of the two guests was the only thing he found odd in an entirely oblong world. He gave a free nod.

“Yeah, sure. Feel free to sit with us.”

As the figure did as much, Mikleo remembered his manners. He’d been so busy nerding it out that it hadn’t even remembered to open with a proper introduction.

“I’m Mikleo,” he started. “I’m not a resident of Radiant Garden, but I have a great deal of work here.” Then looking between the two, he added, “I’m guessing you two know eachother?”

Darth Nox @darthvader

...Something approached. A presence in the Force, wholly unfamiliar but possessed of enormous strength, easily on par with his own. It reeked of the Dark Side. How could it have escaped Nox's notice until now, unless its owner had just now come to arrive here? With this fresh distraction, Nox suddenly struggled to remain focused on the conversation. Though he kept the face of his mask turned towards the blond, whom introduced himself as Mikleo, his eyes swivelled to and fro as if waiting for this mystery Sith to appear into view at any moment.

Soon enough, that moment came, heralded by heavy, thudding footfalls and the metallic rasping of a voice constrained by rebreather apparatus. Not unlike the treacherous Malgus, who in his younger years during the war had come off markedly worse from a confrontation with then-Jedi Knight Satele Shan. The figure who presented himself towered at some six feet plus, clad head to toe in jet black armour, complete with a floor-length cape and imposing, angular mask. The fear-inspiring philosophy of Sith armour aesthetic, taken to its logical conclusion. But that console on the chest, and the rather restricted flow of the Force through the man's body... Life support, Nox concluded, and extensive cybernetics. This man had suffered greatly on his path to the power he had obtained.

Nox turned his head towards Mikleo to acknowledge him, then back to their new companion.

"I'm afraid we don't," he answered. "Though I would hazard a guess that we share the same... homeland. I am Nox, councillor of the Sith Empire."

"Yeah, sure. Feel free to sit with us."


With only that invitation, the crippled Sith Lord merely gave a short inclination of the head in acknowledgement. Sitting down was always a chore, with the cumbersome, bulky Sith armor he was virtually entombed in. With but a thought, the chair nearest him slowly slid out from the table to wait for him and with much labor and a faint creaking of servos and his prosthetics, he slowly lowered himself into a seated posture, seeming to sit unnaturally straight-backed with a posture so refined it looked....almost comical, or exaggerated.


Careful ears might pick out the subtle sounds of servos hissing and shifting as his posture slowly relaxed.


His helmeted gaze went from the figure he could now readily identify as one steeped deeply in the Dark Side to the other, who was brimming with a wholly different type of energy. It was clear they had already been involved in some sort of discussion. He didn't fare to probe into the thoughts of another Sith who may very well have been a Lord in his own right — not yet, when he was still so frazzled of mind. But he was confident enough that he could safely pick over surface thoughts of one who was likely to be entirely ignorant of the ways of the Force.


As the seeming youth introduced himself — Mikleo...such an odd name — Vader sent out feelers through the Force. At first he was repulsed by what he felt on a more thorough examination of his mind, the simple strangeness of it. He was not as human as he appeared to be. But thankfully his mechanically regulated breathing and the rigidity of his posture concealed his surprise all but perfectly. A more careful approach sent tendrils sweeping across Mikleo's mind. 


In mere moments he had gathered the entirety of his surface thoughts. His confusion over the similarity of two unrelated entities clad in such similar attire. His enthusiasm and enthrallment with the subject of these...'Heartless'. And many other such things. He did not risk probing any further just then, but he instead turned his helmeted gaze toward the other Sith. 


"I have heard the name Nox...but we are not familiar," his synthetic voice rasped out in response. "I am..." He paused, wondering whether it would be wise to include his actual role as the Emperor's second, or for that matter, whether he should introduce himself as Darth Vader at all. "...Vader. Lord Commander of the Galactic Empire." His breathing rattled in....and then out again, before he added, "Formerly."

Sol hated putting forth effort of any kind, especially when it came to cramming stuff from books into his head about something that he absolutely had no knowledge about, but the bounty hunter knew that it was necessary. Even after long hours of forcibly locking himself in the library, the Gear thus far found almost nothing about the shadowy creatures that he had encountered back in Traverse Town not too long ago. There was not a single reference of them, not even pictures. It was almost as if someone wanted to blotch out the information to keep it from being a public knowledge, and with a hint of irritation, the male closed the thick tomb in front of him.

Perhaps it was time for a cigarette break. It's been too long since he had a smoke. 

With that in mind, the bounty hunter rose from his seat and made his way through the hallway of books that lined before him. As he neared the exit, however, he couldn't help other than to notice two different voices - something about heartless', which was a subject of interest to Sol. To get a better hearing of the conversation, he drew himself closer towards the silhouette of two men before him.

"- Like to prey on normal folks just like you and me. They seem to be drawn by something inside of us. Something the people around here call the 'heart'. Their motivations for wanting this 'heart' is beyond me. I don't even know what that really is. Is it our memories of the ones we care about? Is it the thing that makes us us? Is it what lets us know we're alive?"

Heart? The theory in itself sounded almost comical enough for Sol to burst into a small chuckle, but he kept himself from doing so in order to make his presence known to them. Nonetheless, he couldn't deny the theory. These things wanted something, pretty damn desperately enough to sacrifice themselves in seemingly desperate suicidal attacks, but nonetheless, it broke Sol's theory of them being completely mindless. They were driven by something, a goal big enough to make them work in a swarm to overwhelm their opponents in sheer numbers.

"Well, ain't that interestin'...."

As Sol leaned his back against the wall, the Gear felt a presence - something unnatural enough to turn his attention towards it. It was enormous, perhaps not as big as some of the things he had faced, but it was plenty heavy enough for the bounty hunter to recognize it as a potential threat. The energy that he felt wasn't magic. It was something much fouler, aggressive, untamed, but contained much like his own powers. The man eventually entered his sights, and it went without saying that his appearance was quite foreboding. Tall, dressed and armored from head-to-toe in a jet black material that Sol wasn't quite familiar with. It was alien, hell, everything to Sol was quite alien at this point. The way the man walked though, was awkward and unnatural. Almost as if impeded by something that prevented the natural movement of his body. Was he a machine? No, he could hear the heavy breathing, even from where he was at. Eventually, the man introduced himself as a Vader, a former lord of the Galactic Empire. 

Great, psychopaths.

"Yea', an' I'm a goddamn Queen of England...." Sol muttered as he shook his head. He could feel that almost nothing good would come out by staying anywhere near those three, and so he made his way out towards the exit. If he was curious, then it was more likely that he'd get more information out of the locals instead of listening in on the conversation.

aegis of the torrent

...A whatpire? Sure, Mikleo had the feeling he was interacting with some pretty big deals of people, but he didn't think they'd be a part of some regality or other. Still, whatever was going on between those two was clearly beyond Mikleo's duties as a non-suicidal person. Not to mention their presences alone was foreboding in itself. Mikleo wasn't even familiar with their type of magic and even he had felt an invisible force emanating from the one called Vader.

With the three settled on the table, and one clearly looming in the background who seemed like he wasn't sure whether to intervene or pick a fight with them, Mikleo mostly tried to get back on topic. Hopefully the two knights were mature enough not to take the bait. 

"I was just sharing some insight about the Heartless to Nox, mostly what they are and how it's best to handle them - at least, from my personal experience. I tend to get carried away with the subject though, so I hope I've been at least some help to you, Nox?"

Next, the seraph's words extended to Vader."So, what's this similar topic you mentioned? Maybe we can help."

Darth Nox @darthvader Sol Badguy

This library was getting more and more cramped. Nox observed the new arrival as he took his time settling into a chair; the faint whirring and hissing of servomotors had not escaped his notice. Clearly, this fellow's cybernetics didn’t enjoy the most accommodating range of motion. That would surely be useful to keep in mind.

The lurker hiding a distance away, likewise, had not gone unnoticed. Nox glanced in the individual’s direction, while keeping his mask pointed towards this Vader; and while he briefly studied their quiet observer’s presence in the Force, he pondered Vader’s announcement of his former position. He had never heard of a power calling itself the Galactic Empire, though he could safely guess that it was similar in organisation to his own Sith Empire judging by the lofty title that Vader – perhaps Darth Vader – had given.

He heard his name called, and turned his attention back to Mikleo. For now, he pushed his musings of his ostensibly Sith companion’s identity to the back of his mind, to be returned to at a later time.

”You’ve been most useful,” he agreed with a subtle nod. ”Now that it’s been made known that they’re a more… ubiquitous threat than I first imagined, I know what to expect when dealing with them in the future. My thanks.”