Monstrosity

Monstrosity

Information

Conflict: The awakening of ancient monsters on planets throughout the Cocytus System

Date: 39 ABY

Commanders
Xen'Mordin Vismorsus Eetherbiail Lucyeth Kell Dante	Emperor Vanis
Strength
Dark Jedi of Scholae Palatinae Palatinaean Military Praetorian Guard	Pacre Datship Forces Zombie-turned Pacre Datship Forces Antenora Sandworm Judecca Abyssal Ptolomea Forest Beast Caina Colossus
Casualties
None	Emperor Vanis

[ Source ]

Monstrosity was a Scholae Palatinae campaign that took place in 39 ABY as the final act to the Forgotten Storyline. Emperor Vanis enacted a dangerous ritual to awaken the monsters left in the Cocytus System by the Infinite Empire. Once awoken, these monsters wreaked havoc upon the system, and it was up to the members of Scholae Palatinae to both limit damage and find a way to reverse the ritual.

Prelude

Emperor Vanis feld to Judecca following his failed attempt on Antenora with Lord Onasi.

"“Breath deep my dear Pacre Datship, our Empire is born anew.”"

―Emperor Vanis during the ritual that corrupted all his followers

Believing the threat of the Evanescent and Pacre Datship dealt with, Scholae Palatinae returned to normal life. While they searched for Vanis, the failure at the Forgotten Temple on Antenora left all feeling there was no way for Vanis to accomplish his goals.

Vanis however, had a back-up plan, that of a dangerous ritual that could be done on the planet of Judecca. It was there he first gave several of his most devoted followers in sacrifice to the Old Gods as the first step of the ritual. This triggered a biological event where a mass of spores released as a red mist took over the rest of the Pacre Datship followers. Turned into terrifying half-fungal zombies, these followers made their way to the capital city of Ohmen. Vanis, unaffected by the spores ventured high into the mountain tops to the cave entrance that would take him to the final ritual chamber.

The First Operations

"Alert Everyone"

―Xen’Mordin following word of attacks in the city

First reports of the fungal zombies poured in, leading to the Clan summit issuing a call to all the clan to defend the capital city.

This Isn’t Where I Parked My Car

The bodies of the first killed Pacre Datship followers were sent immediately to Dr. Elincia Rei, for study and examination. The Empire needed to know if what was affecting these individuals was contagious.

She ventured alone from her research facility into the city of Ohmen, her shuttle crashed on the outskirts of the city, leaving her to use her wits and intelligence to safely navigate her way through the city to safety. Enroute she was forced to try multiple methods of damaging the zombie-like creatures. Water, blunt force trauma, and slashing damage all failed to slow the monsters. Ultimately she found it was fire that was the most effective against the Zombies.

Clicky Boom

Illustration of the turned Pacre Datship followers.

Delak Krennel was among the first to take a proper account of the fungal-zombies attacking Ohmen. Risking his own life to defend the city from assailants, he managed to grab several clear images of monsters to relay back to the Clan Summit.

Fall of the Infinite

The earlier events involving the Evanescent and the Pacre Datship led to Scholae Palatinae taking a vested interest in the Infinite Empire. With little known about the ancient galactic power, the Clan found one of the best resources for information was woven into the folklore of different indigenous groups in the system. One such example of information has been recorded below.

I was there the night they fell, Sonic boom, a wash of flame, The skies burning, pit of hell, Moments later, the waves came.

Our Lords of the Stars bright, Who we worshiped upon high, Their deaths split and burned the night, We could but whimper and cry.

Our Lords were our masters great, Taught us art, skill and war craft, We surrendered our fate, They the tip, we the spear shaft.

Remember now little one, This is the future they gave, Thank them for the setting sun, Under which our life pave, Thank them for our life hard won.

The Awakening

"“I would have thought Old Gods would have mustered something a bit more serious.”"

―Zagro, after being disappointed by the lack intensity in fighting the Fungal-Zombies

With the members of Scholae Palatinae fully distracted by the dangers attacking the streets of Ohmen, Vanis was able to move unhindered deep into the mountains of Judecca. It was there he found the giant ritual chamber left behind by the Infinite Empire. Sacrificing his own hand, he managed to complete the ritual which unleashed a wave of energy throughout the entire Cocytus System, awakening monsters on the planets of Antenora, Judecca, Ptolomea, and Caina.

Antenoran Sandworm

Dek Rott and Sim Vel’Potens were searching the planet of Antenora for signs of Vanis, believing he never made it off planet after being injured at the Forgotten Temple. They were the first to notice an incoming sand storm, whipped up by the wake of the Antenora Sandworm burrowing near the sandy surface of the planet.

Judeccan Abyssal

It was the use of several high altitude surveillance drones that the CSP summit was able to get a proper look at the Judecca Abyssal as it lumbered slowly to show from the deep ocean. While not directly as destructive as the Sandworm or Colossus, this massive monster was dangerous on the physical body as well as the mind.

Ptolomea Forest Beasts

A small strike team comprised of Archangel, Lucyeth, and Ulfsark had been exploring one of the ancient temples in the system, attempting to find information on the Old Gods when Vanis completed his ritual. They made first contact against the five Ptolomea Forest Beasts before the monsters took off into the jungle of Ptolomea.

Caina Colossus

Shadow Nighthunter and Rosh Nyine were on the planet of Caina, homeworld of the slain Lord Onasi, when the Colossus erupted from the ice. This hulking monster was preceded by the putrid smell of sulfur, peppermint, and rotting flesh, before breaking free of the ice of the plans.

The Second Operations

"This was Vanis. We need to find him and deal with these beasts"

―Xen’Mordin after seeing images of the awoken monsters

With the awakening of the ancient monsters in the Cocytus System, Scholae Palatinae had two major goals. Stop the monsters at any cost, and find Vanis to see if the awakening ritual could be reversed.

Hounds of the Cocytusville

Eager to prove himself to his new home, Lexiconus Qor was first to volunteer to attempt to find Emperor Vanis. He carefully traced back where the fungal-zombies originated from, discovering the remaining corpses of those who were sacrificed there. From that location he was able to follow the one singular set of tracks leading up into the mountains toward the ritual cave.

The Awoken and Land Wars

With four major types of monsters on the four core worlds of the Cocytus System, members were dispersed throughout the system into small groups backed by as many soldiers they could take from the divided forces. Leading strategies were offered by many in the clan. Methods incorporating both Elincia Rei’s and Archangel’s plan of attack were utilized to stop the monsters.

Mayhem

"Very well then."

―Xen’Mordin following Vanis’s refusal to talk

Vanis stumbled out of the cave through a secret wall in the city of Ohmen, delirious and losing a lot of blood. He was taken before the Clan Summit and refused to talk. Rather than waste time torturing a madman, Xen’Mordin snapped the leader of the Pacre Datship’s neck with the force.

The early phase of destruction of the Twin Towers

While this was occurring, the Abyssal had reached the historic landmark of the Twin Towers, on Judecca. These massive tall twin statues were brought down by the Abyssal as it pushed further into the mountains.

On Antenora, the Sandworm attacked the great trading dome of Nas Modeh, bringing it to the ground before setting off again beneath the surface.

On Ptolomea, the five forest beasts left the forest and attacked the City of Tetoulichican. While smaller than the other monsters, they made quick work of any civilians that they came across.

On Caina, the Colossus destroyed the great training facility of Kas’im Citadel, using the ice of the planet itself as a weapon.

The Forgotten Temple

Desperate to stop reverse the ritual, a small strike team ventured to an abandoned temple facility on Judecca, the last location known to hold remnants of the Infinite Empire. The temple was masking a massive underground facility. After facing the ancient fungal zombies that guarded the entrance they entered the facility, where they were tested through many levels of defenses by the AI left in place by the Infinite Empire, G14-D05.

Studying the Palatinaeans, and realizing they were force users, a hidden subroutine in G14’s programming activated awakening Azakel, the last remaining Rakata Scientist that went into hibernation millennia ago.

Aftermath

"It’s done!"

―Azakel reversing the awakening ritual.

Azakel was brought to the ritual cave. With limited time, Xen’Mordin used his advanced force interrogation to force the Rakata into reversing the ritual. While this was going on, Elincia Rei was onboard a shuttle, dropping a prototype firebomb, dubbed a FWEC-class warhead, upon the Cainan Colossus, melting it. On Ptolomea, Archangel managed to kill one of the five forest beasts by driving his lightsaber through its eye socket.

When the reversal of the ritual was complete. Azakel screamed out, and died. The Abyssal dissolved into a thick mist, which raced back toward the ocean. The Sandworm dove into the depths of Antenora, and the earth went still. The remaining four forest beasts yelped before racing back into the jungle.

The Monsters went back to their slumber.

The destruction was widespread in the system. Rather than rebuild the Twin Statues, The Emperor ordered a grand memorial be built with the white and black stone of the towers. It was to memorialize all the men and women who had died over the years defending the system, as well as the fallen civilians who were killed.

The Soba Karemu tribe on Antenora, hastily constructed a new trading dome, though it would take years to fully rebuild the majestic one they had lost. The city of Tetoulichican was quickly cleaned up, and the carcass of the slain forest beast was shipped to Judecca for study. The rubble of Kas’im Citadel on Caina, was largely melted due to the power of the FWEC bomb.

The Forgotten Temple on Judecca was converted to a state of the art science facility, under the watch of Elincia Rei. The ruined temple above ground remained a strong deterrent from the local population of the planet. G14’s programming was examined and after some modernization to its systems, and changing of core protocols, it was left as the facilities AI system.

With peace seemingly restored, Polis Jones arrived in the office of the Emperor. The assault on the temple on Antenora where Lord Onasi had been killed had opened up new caverns previously unknown. In those caverns he found a mysterious box. With the aid of the force, Xen’Mordin opened the box discovering a glowing holocron within. He ordered Polis to forget about ever finding it.