Maybe it's the strange aura on that one armored guy. Perhaps it is being cut free from his teacher. Perhaps it is the weeks of failure in his work with the crystal, perhaps all three, but Solork cannot resist returning to the Swamp

"Alright Hutt Slime" Sol announces to no one in particular. "Maybe you don't want me, but I have a feeling that I have something you might like!" Sol holds up Arwen's crystal, still a dark red in spite of all of his attempts. "And you need me closer to get a better look, don't you?"

Sol moves forward, using the crystal as a lodestone of sort, trusting his instincts

Moving through the swamp is difficult, more difficult than the rest of the Grave Thorn thus far and harries him with everything it has to bring to bear. Yet.. he pushes forward, best as he can tell, all the while a nipping sensation creeps at the back of his neck.

[Roll Athletics vs Average, 1 Setback]
[Roll Discipline vs Hard]

Solork can feel his own frustration mounting as he gets stuck. The Force doesn't come, and in the first time he can remember, he forcibly wills what is supposed to come naturally. He can feel his hard fought discipline slipping


Heart of Darkness-Athletics/BRAWN- TWO difficulty upgrades and setback from environment, Enhance passively used: 4eA+2eD+1eS+1eF 5 advantage, 2 Dark Side, PASSED


Flipping destiny and taking two conflict and strain to add 1 success and 1 Advantage. Using advantage to pass 3 boost
Heart of Darkness-Hard Discipline-2 enviro difficult upgrades, 3 boost passed from last check: 2eP+3eB+2eC+1eD 1 failure, 3 advantage


Going to use advantage thematically at GM discretion

As he pushes through he feels the darkness inherent in this place lick at the nape of his neck, infecting him slowly. A being infused with the energy of the light in this place suffers and becomes infected by the animosity which is so strongly felt here. This is something he notices instinctually, feeling the coldness creeping into him as he pushes forward.

Yet.. as he pushes forward he doesn't feel turned around or back as he had prior. For what it was worth, despite the cost, he was making progress here.

[Outside of combat scenario Boost don't get passed between rolls in that manner, but we'll leave it as is for now.]
[5 Conflict gained]

"I have to keep pushing onwards" He could keep seeing Cartess' face, again and again. He would face this darkness, one way or the other. Perhaps he would fail, but he wasn't going to just stop and give up.

"People say that they want a knight in shining armor. Well, that kind of knight never had their metal tested. What you really want is one whose armor has been dented and repaired, scarred but maintained. Someone who has faced their fears and demons and survived."

The Gank pushed onwards.

Why.. the voice creeps into his mind from the back, a chill coming with it and working its way down his spine.

[Perception vs 2eC + 1eD + 2eS, as the Darkness here clouds your vision]

"Because it's not enough." The Gank keeps plodding onward, trying to follow the tug of the kyher. "Years hiding myself and what I was, attempting desperately to isolate and starve the past. A year, training with a Jedi and running to the light as hard as I could, seeking every bit of knowledge I could. Meditating, centering, focusing, meaning mindful and it isn't enough" His voice cracks at the last words.

"I can't be whole running to the light. That is just running away. Even if it is where I want to be, I cannot just pretend that a part of me doesn't exist. I need to face it. That's why I keep coming back here. Why I can't stay away."

Heart of Darkness-Perception-GM difficulty: 2eA+2eC+1eD+2eS 3 failures

You want more..

I can give you more..

Evade the Guardian. Come to me..

There was a presence directing him forward, deeper into the swamp.

"The Guardian, eh? I thought that's what I was"

Maybe he should have been turning back, but the presence calling him offers exactly what he wants

Suddenly there was a rustle in the flora, a presence...

[Roll Vigilance for Initiative]

Sol has only the briefest of warnings

Heart of Darkness-Initiative-Vigilance: 1eP+1eA 1 success, 3 advantage

The sound behind him alerts him to action.

A large wolf-like creature, bigger than him, jumps out from the swamp background. Standing tall and proud it snarls at Solork's advance and snaps its jaw.

[Solork can't perform those actions after Initiative has been called for and before his turn where he can spend Maneuvers and Actions. He will have to make a judgement call on what's more important during his turn.]

Heart of Darkness | Guardian Initiative: 2eA 1 success, 1 advantage


[Combat:]

Wolf starts at Medium from Solork.
Wolf has Adversary 3, and 2 Melee Defense.

Solork acts first.

The first instinct is to fight. After all, that's what he's good at, isn't it? But something about the words from the voice resonate with him.

Evade the Guardian. Come to me.[

This creature was acting out of instinct, defending its territory. Sol was the intruder here.

"So...evasion" The gank does draw his sword, but instead of fighting, chooses evasive action, trying to move diagonal to bypass the creature

Action: Enhance power activate
M1: Draw Ancient Sword
M2: Move to bypass the wolf (I assume this means going to short for now)

ST: 2/12
WT: 0/14
Defense 2
Soak: 8

As Solork runs toward the feeling, the pull he feels from within the swamp the large wolf-like creature gives chase. Moving with leaps and bounds through the swamp, rustling the trees and disturbing some of the smaller creatures heard scattering away through the flora on the ground.

[OOC:]

Direction would be away from the Wolf, so Medium +1 for now]

Action to Manuever: Medium +1 to Medium
Maneuver: Medium to Short

"It wants to chase me?" For some reason, the Gank smiles. Half of a fight was spacing. He keeps moving, pocketing the crystal, knowing that the creature can keep pace with him...unless he changes things up on it.

Incidental: pocket crystal
M1: Move from Short to Medium
M2: Aim maneuver

Bounding forward the wolf-like creature jumps clear over Solork and lands in front of him, now blocking his most direct path away. Lashing out with it's maw the teeth snap shut just in front of Solork. A low rumbling growl emanating from the beast as it holds its ground.

[OOC:]

Solork moves from Short to Medium and then pockets the Cyrstal.

Wolf
Action to Manuever: Medium to Short.
Maneuver: Short to Engaged.

Let's hope the gamble pays off

The wolf had taken the most agressive route...which is what Sol had been preparing for. His metallic hand has now free. His sword might have seemed the most obvious threat, but as the wolf closes Sol swings a hook at the beasts head.

It collides, but the ricochet of repulsor energy the Gank hoped for doesn't happen. He continues on, now expecting a counterattack

Punch the wolf with repulsor fist-Brawl-Engaged two upgrades and setback from swamp-enhance active boost from aim: 1eP+4eA+1eB+2eC+1eS 1 success, 1 threat


Action: attack, hit for 9 damage before soak
M: defensive stance
ST: 7/12
defense 2
Soak 8

Stopping to attack Solork remains blocked from his path forward, his repulsor-fist going wide as the creature snarls in response. With a growl it lunges forward, jaws snapping shut just as Solork manages to dodge out of the way.

[::]

Maneuver: Aim
Action: Attack

Wolf-beast vs Solork, Defensive Stance, Aim: 2eP+2eA+2eD+2eS+1eB 1 failure, 2 advantage


Solork Difficulty: 1eC+1eD+2eS 5 failures


Remember:
Wolf has Adversary 3, and Melee Defense 2. This is in addition to the swamp setback and Light-side User upgrade.

Advantages to give an additional Setback to Solork.
Strain damage from Solorks previous threat to Solork.

"Nope!" With the near miss the Gank flees, trying to pick territory to slow the wolf down

---
Ooc

(Athletics to gain distance?)
Maneuver away from wolf as far as possible
ST: 8/12

[Gimmie an Athletics check vs Average: 2eC + 4eS with Deep Swamp conditions]