#Ryali (Darth Imperius)

[mercurypilgrim]

I was tagged by @sleepswithvillains ! Thank you! 😀

Tagging: @elaphaemourra, @outcastcommander, @elvhenyoung, and @tearlessrain

A snippet from the invasion of Korriban:

- - - -

Ryali can feel the metal of his lightsaber biting into his skin through the grip, and he can taste blood and ozone.

His hands are slick with crimson and some splashes of green and yellow. He hadn't bothered to check which species he was gutting.

His boots sink into the soft sand, and rage bubbles inside his belly as he stares his opponents down.

It is, in his mind, a righteous fury.

This is his sanctum, a place of learning and history. His students, the ones too young or untrained to hold a lightsaber, are frightened. He can feel their fear. He draws on it, pulls it into himself until he is boiling with rage.

The shadows cast from the craggy ruins seem darker than they should be, stretched unnaturally long. They writhe in the corner one one's eye, and he longs to step into one and envelop himself in it, to let the darkness flow through his veins and lend him it's strength. It's been such a long time since he's wetted his blade that the thrill is lingering.

His lightsaber's dual blades cast a deep crimson glow over the sand, turning it true red.

"Stand aside, Sith."

Ryali's grim expression deepens, and he shakes his head.

"You will not touch my students." He says firmly, "We won't let you pass, Jedi."

The Jedi's mouth thins, his own blade drawn and reflecting ocean blue in his nautolan black eyes.

Ryali can feel panic tugging at his senses.

Not for the battle, no, he didn't make Darth on his academic acumen alone, but because he has no time. He must reach his students, trapped outside the academy grounds. He can't fail them.

He grips his blade tighter, his senses brushing the presence at his side for guidance.

"Master-"

Darth Nox steps forward.

He's swathed in black robes, the deep hood thrown over his head and casting what little of his face that was visible into shadow.

His presence is tightly leashed, but it still hums I'm the air when he gets close.

The Jedi and their troopers tense. Some look confused by the alien in Sith robes.

"I'm afraid you will not be fighting my apprentice," the miraluka murmurs, and his voice, deeper than his thin frame would imply, carries over the sounds of wind and far off battle. He nods sharply at Ryali, a sign to leave this to him and run.

A wave of gratefulness threatens to extinguish the rage that is topping up his energy, but it merely adds it's fuel to the fire of his determination. He begins to back away, and their opponents raise their weapons.

Darth Nox let's his power slip for a moment, and the air turns heavy.

It's subtle at first, like the air before a storm. There's a faint taste of ozone and petrichor, incongruous in the desert of Korriban.

It builds swiftly and surely, like an avalanche gaining speed. It's massive.

The Korriban day seems to darken as the sparse cloud cover turns black. The sand seems to shiver under their feet and Ryali can feel his skin pebbling as power seeps into the air.

Thunder rolls inexplicably overhead, bass and threatening, and the pressure keeps rising until it's a tangible weight on their bodies like the gravity settings on a ship are out of alignment.

It's getting hard to breathe now, like trying to suck air in through mud.

Sparks skitter from Nox' gloved hands, and lightning forks over the now bruised sky overhead.

He's a spectre wreathed in power and shadow, and Ryali can't help but find it beautiful.

He flexes his fingers, and electricity arcs from between them and up his arms, providing a sparking mantle of power.

His expression is grim and dark, and as much as Ryali loves his Master, in this moment he's almost as terrified of him as the Republic forces that look on in horror.

He's radiant in his power, and to sense him in the Force is to be blinded.

One of the troopers is hyperventilating, clawing at her helmet as her knees begin to buckle.

He's unfathomable, and Ryali can hear the hiss of comm units shorting from the static buildup.

One of the Jedi is furiously trying to raise someone on their comm unit, to no avail.

Panic tastes metallic in the air.

Thunder rumbles overhead as lightning forks through the unnatural black cloud that bruises the sky purple.

Ryali steps back and prepares to run for it, to hurry to his students and defend them to his last breath, if need be.

Darth Nox eases the leash on his power slowly, carefully.

He's a very careful man.

He raises his hands, palms up, and lightning jumps between his fingers, hissing and spitting sparks.

Small, stray forks hit the sand around him with cracks like snapping bone, leaving little glass beads in their wake.

Scars twist his mouth, and Ryali can't comprehend how anyone managed to cage him.

Nox tilts his head, ready.

"You will be facing me."

[mercurypilgrim]

Finally grabbed a screenshot of Ryali!

Honestly, his design has changed quite a lot from his in game look, but this is close enough. Yes, he’s prancing around in a Jedi set because that’s how he rolls.

(None of the armour dyes were pastel enough for me, and I do like the base colour of this set...)

[mercurypilgrim]

OC Bio - Ryali

Art by @semper-draca

Name: Ryali Fenwild

Age: 27

Height: 5'11″/180 cm

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Marital status/Love interest: None.

Alignment: Neutral Good.

Drink: Floral tea, sometimes sweetened with honey.

Food/snacks: Anything Qel makes. Also, sweets. Preferably lemon ones.

Day or Night: Day.

Pet: None, although he's fond of birds and would love to own one some day.

Favourite Colour: Purple.

Flower: Alderaanian Winter Rose.

Sexuality: Straight (although a little bicurious...)

Body Type: Slender.

Eye Colour: Violet.

Hair: Ash blonde, kept short and neat.

Background: Born into a servant family on Alderaan, Ryali was drilled in manners and decorum. He had a keen eye for politics, social skullduggery and going unnoticed, and soon grew dissatisfied with his station.

One day, he laid down his broom, walked out, and informed the a visiting Sith that he would like to join the Empire, please and thank you.

After proving his aptitude for the Force, he walked out onto the sands of Korriban and into his new life as an acolyte.

With a keen mind and a talent for moving unseen, he was eventually spotted by Darth Nox, who took him on as his apprentice. By the time he made Lord he was acting as his Masters personal assassin.

Having taken on the task of training some of his Masters newer apprentices, he discovered a love for teaching, and eventually took on the position of Head Overseer at the Academy shortly after ascending to the rank of Darth. Darth Imperius is a kindly face in the Academy, never seen without a smile and a encouraging word. Some find the pastel garbed Darth to be unnerving and nontraditional, although none can fault his impeccable manners and knowledge of Sith customs.

During the invasion of Korriban, he took up arms again to defend his students, and those who were there that day never wish to see him lose his smile again. Any shadow can be watching, and it can hide a blade you may never see coming.

He is polite, cheerful and always willing to lend a helping hand. His anger is hard to rouse but when it is, it's cold and vicious. He can be rather childish when bickering with his brother apprentice, who he cares for deeply. He is dedicated to his Master and his vision for a better Empire, and will be anything to see that dream come to fruition.

Ao3 Series: Coming Soon!

[mercurypilgrim]

Sith Charity Calendar ...

OMG, yes.

Ven would immediately be volunteering to get naked for it, and would obviously be the front cover, shirtless, shameless and leaving people wondering just how far down those tattoos go.

(He’s already got a shirtless calendar for sale somewhere, and some other merch. He’s also done nude holoshoots and one of those holos is on the cover of an iconic Kaas Magazine issue.)

Avior refuses to take part, until Ryali persuades him to. He sits in his usual black robes, high collar, gloves and blindfold, and doesn’t smile. They give him some dramatic lighting, and his month somehow becomes one of the most popular.

Somehow Jaesa gets pulled into this, and she showcases a tasteful wardrobe and striking makeup that she does herself, giving rise to a few new trends.

Ryali volunteers, deciding that it’s a good cause and will draw attention to the Academy some more. 

Qel refuses to take part, and almost bites the cameraman when he gets too close.

@darkshadeless Yon needs to be in this... ;)

[mercurypilgrim]

OC Ask Meme - 4, 16, 23 !

4. Slays everyone’s existence with their looks

Ven.

Ija.

Ija slays. Ija slays hard.

Liner, signature red lip, exudes ‘bad bitch’ energy that can be felt from orbit.

Executes a perfect lekku flip as she destroys you and steals your stuff, your boyfriend and your heart.

16. Loves to party

Also Ven.

Ryali loves a good dinner party, with gossip and fancy finger food and perhaps an assassination or two. He’s in his element, gliding around the room and being as charming as he is unsettling. The smile never drops, and people hope it never does.

23. Loves the heat

Still just Ven.

Shalle. My bubblegum togruta Trooper loves the heat, and hotter the better. If she’s not about to combust, it’s not hot enough.

Also, bikinis.

Shalle approves greatly of bikinis.

[mercurypilgrim]

@ Qel and Ryali: Would they rather be Satele Shan's personal apprentices or eat a handful of yellow snow?

Oh, this one is easy.

Both of them would go for the first one without missing a beat.

Satele Shan is the Grandmaster and no matter their personal feelings on Jedi or even on her, she knows her stuff.

The chance to learn some of that stuff from her personally?!

Maybe even use it in their inevitable betrayal?

Abso-kriffing-lutely.

[mercurypilgrim]

Does Qel like hugs? Has he hugged Ryali or Avior (or been hugged by them)?

He does, but he’s also very wary of people getting in his personal space.

He’ll accept hugs from people he trusts, which isn’t many.

He hugs and is hugged by Ryali often, even though they’re constantly bickering. They care for each other a lot, and it shows.

Avior isn’t much of a hugger, but he has hugged Qel when Qel has been having a hard time or needs comfort. He’s all bones and awkward limbs, but he’s Qel's Master and he loves him deeply, just as he loves his brother apprentice and as they love him.

They have shared group hugs before, too!

He would also accept and even initiate hugs with @darkshadeless' Yare. ^_^

[mercurypilgrim]

16. and 17. for Ryali - if it is okay to ask, since he isn't on your OC Bios-list. Otherwise 17. for Avior, please!

Ryali is totally fine! Any of my OCs are, even if they're not on the page. I do need to commission some art for them eventually...

16. Anger

Ryali doesn't get angry often.

He feels plenty, but it's quite hard hard get him truly pissed off.

If you do manage to push him to that point however, you will need to start checking dark corners on your way home.

He's likely to smile at you, unnervingly still, before he says something cutting and perfectly enunciated. He's Alderaanian, so he's well versed in how to cut someone to the quick with just words.

Many people underestimate the blonde, pastel garbed Sith with the perpetual smile and the soft spoken, polite tone of voice.

Ryali does not snap. He does not explode in fury. He doesn't even brood.

He will smile politely at you, pour you perfectly brewed tea, and quietly plan your brutal assassination as he offers you a sweet from the tin on his desk.

17. Soft spot

Ryali has a soft spot for a lot of things.

His students are one, and his Master and brother apprentice are another.

Avior picked him up from the Academy when looking for a new apprentice, and Ryali was pleased to be picked by such an eminent Sith.

Being Sith was, after all, his dream.

Later, Avior would find Qel, the defensive, aggressive, mute Chiss with a nasty habit of biting anyone who got too close.

Avior, seeing him in slave chains and a collar at the Academy after an incident, took him on.

Ryali and Qel hated each other to begin with, but after Ryali learned Basic Sign to argue better with him, they were inseparable.

Ryali has a huge soft spot for Qel, and would tear anyone apart apart dared to hurt him. The feeling is entirely mutual.

Some people still hear rumours of the last time Ryali lost his smile, and no one ever wants to see it first hand.

Ryali also cares deeply for his students.

After a career as his Masters personal assassin, he turned his attentions to teaching. He'd instructed before and, after some applications, took the role of Head Overseer at the Korriban Academy. It caused a bit of of stir at the time, as it was considered a significant step down for the man who bore the title of Darth Imperius.

He loved it.

He's kind of a like a Sithy, twink version of Dumbledore, only he will murder anyone who threatens his students.

During the invasion of Korriban, he drew his blade in anger for the first time in years, and the invading force, as well as his own staff, learned why people at the Citadel still fear shadowy corners.

[mercurypilgrim]

@ Dating Route Meme: ... Feral Inquisitor Apprentice. Qel iirc? Any of your Inquisitors really. It would be Ven too, but he likes sticking his cucumber everywhere, and I'm not about that life. 😂

Dating Sim, Inquisitor Edition! I'll do all of them, because I love them. ;)

Avior is AroAce, and his route would start off cold and snooty, but he would warm to you. The goth nerd would become attached, be genuinely surprised by this, and would enjoy sharing books and studying lizards with you. Very cute.

Ryali is weirdly normal. Suspiciously so. His route would be so mundane most people would switch, but they would miss out on the secret agent subplot and the madcap schemes the revolve around it. Ryali is not normal. His route is a bit crazy, but it would be very sweet.

Qel. Well, Qel’s route would be... something? A lot would be about gaining his trust, and navigating some heavy feels. If you managed it, his romance would be exceedingly sweet and innocent. You’d find yourself crying when he finally holds your hand for the first time, and you don’t even like to acknowledge that there is a bad ending for his route.

[mercurypilgrim]

Do you have a picture or a screenshot of Ryali? I'd love to see him and I'm curious about how he dresses. What was his return to Alderaan like? Did anyone rememeber him?

I don’t have a screenshot of him to hand and all my sketches turned out terrible, but I can provide a written description. ;)

-------

He’s a young man who looks to be in his early twenties, but in reality is around thirty by the current timeline. He has a baby face. ;)

He’s of average height and quite slim, and could be described as rather delicate.

He’s fair skinned and has ashy blonde hair, worn in a mid-length,neat style. He has beauty marks under his right eye and on his chin, and his eyes are a dusty shade of violet.

He dresses in muted, pastel colours, often shades of grey, purple and blue. His style is formal, conservative and elegant, and he has a tendency to veer towards silks and more delicate cuts. He likes to wear tasteful jewelry and has been known to wear makeup for special occasions.  He’s immaculate at all times, and even his lightsaber is beautifully crafted with carvings and pretty lines. To the surprise of many, his blade is pure Sith crimson.

His demeanor is very controlled, although expressive. He uses his hands a lot to talk, and he is never seen without a smile on his face. Indeed, while his constant smiling unnerves many people he works with, eventually they worry what would happen should he stop smiling.

He’s painfully polite in his manners, being prim and proper to the point of extremes.

Despite his adherence to social protocol, he’s a bit of a political maverick, just like his Master.

He absolutely loves Sith and Imperial culture, and studies it extensively. His favourite topics are the social rituals such as tea ceremonies, which he takes great pains to learn. He speaks Basic, Huttese, Basic Sign and Kittat.

He’s very passionate about education, and after serving as Nox’ personal assassin and occasional diplomat for many years, a role that he took great joy in and excelled at, he decided to forgo a prominent position in the Sith hierarchy to instead see to the education of the next generation. He trained Nox’ cadre of younger apprentices before taking the role of Head Overseer at Korriban Academy, which caused a few whispers. An apprentice of a Councilor, recently promoted to Darth, choosing to take a position which was clearly below his station was very interesting news.

Naturally, he handled this with grace and a smile.

As for his return to Alderaan...

“Now arriving at docking bay six, Alderaan Orbital flight 77912.”

Maveria Thul stood stiffly in the arrivals hall, her guards similarly tense.

She was a Lady of House Thul, and as such she was afforded some of the more interesting duties.

Duties such as greeting the Sith that they had been informed they would be entertaining while he was planetside.

The Sith were fascinating, albeit terrifying. She hadn’t spoken to one of seen one for more than a fleeting glance, but the image of the red skinned woman held fast in her memory.

As people began to filter through the arrivals bay, she wondered why a Sith was taking the public shuttle, even if it was first class.

They wouldn’t even put a baronet on a public shuttle.

She scanned the crowd for their elusive Sith, keeping a wary eye for red skin or the distinctive intimidating armour.

“Excuse me?”

She frowned, turning as someone addressed her.

“I’m waiting for someone,” she started before she came face to face with a young man, smiling at her.

She blinked.

“Can I help you?” she asked, taking in the immaculately tailored silk robes in the Alderaan style, and the delicate jewelry on his wrists and ears. His clothes were elegant and pale, dove grey and heather making the silver of his adornments shine.

His smile widened, violet eyes seeming to curve in cheer.

Something about him was unnerving.

“I hope so,” he said sunnily, “Are you Lady Maveria Thul?”

She nodded.

“I am, ser.” she greeted politely, hoping this noble son or dressed up diplomat would leave so she didn’t miss her Sith. He had a distinctive Alderaani accent, but had a slight crisp twang that she had a hard time placing.

He beamed, brushing a lock of blonde hair from his brow.

“Lovely, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” he greeted formally, executing a perfect bow. “Darth Imperius, at your service.”

In a fatal breach of protocol, she stared for a second. His smile widened, and she let her eyes flicker to his belt where a carved silver hilt hung innocuously, half hidden by his travelling cloak.

This was her Sith. He looked around the age of her youngest son, and like the guards at her side could snap him in half.

“I- Welcome to Alderaan, my lord.” she managed, returning the bow, off balance.

He smiled again, looking around at the spaceport fondly. “I must say, it’s nice to be back.”

She didn’t know what to say to that.

“I’ll escort you to House Thul, my lord.” she assured, well and truly thrown. She indicated for him to walk with her and he did so with an easy grin, falling in step.

He chuckled.

“It’ll be an experience to walk the floors I once cleaned.” he murmured, his expression sly. “I wonder if instinct will take over and I’ll start scrubbing?”

Why did he keep smiling?

“I... I’m sure it won’t, my lord.” she managed, trying to wrap her head around that statement.

He glanced at her and she cringed, finding his presence unnerving, like killik larva were crawling over her skin. The way he looked at her made her feel like she had failed some test, like she should be sorry for disappointing him.

Something about him reminded her of a snake, although she wasn’t sure what. He had been nothing but cheerful and pleasant, and hadn’t even berated her break in protocol.

Still, something about that wide smile and watchful violet eyes made her skin crawl, and she walked a little faster as she led him through the corridors he already knew, where the shadows seemed a little longer in his presence and the lights burned a little less brightly in their strips. Every time he stepped into an area of the corridor that wasn’t brightly lit, a strange stab of fear lanced her belly, as though she would blink and lose him in the shadow. She got the feeling that would be bad.

She couldn’t wait until they were out in the sunshine.

[mercurypilgrim]

tag oc: 8, Ryali, please!

8. What’s it like inside your oc’s mind? (Literally, or metaphorically.)

Literally:

A rolling field of wildflowers, soft colours and long grass. A storm is brewing on the horizon, turning the sky bruise purple. There’s a chill in the air and the grass is rippling likes waves. It’s hiding something but you can’t tell what. The only sound is the wind, and there is nothing on the horizon.

Metaphorically:

Ryali is weird for a Sith, in that he’s so... normal.

He was raised by a normal family on Alderaan to be a house servant, a respectable position of little hardship. He grew up and was educated, had friends and did his job well when he was old enough to take on duties.

Then one day, he set down his duster and mop, found a visiting Sith and informed him that he would like to be Sith too, please.

He has no traumatic backstory, no mania and no instability.

He’s so average that other Sith find him creepy.

His mind, should anyone go rooting around in there, is much the same.

It’s so ordinary.

There’s not much to poke at, not much that will drive an advantage. It’s calm and banal. He’s thinking about boring things like his to-do list or what he’s going to have for dinner, or perhaps the holoseries he’s currently into. 

When people find out that this blonde, pastel robed young man with the perpetual smile and the polite, perfect manners was Darth Nox' personal assassin for many years, there’s a bit of confusion. Perhaps a laugh or two. He would smile with you, and offer you a sweet from the bowl on his desk.

When the rooting around gets a bit deeper though, those storm clouds loom over them and there’s a hint of thunder in the distance. The smile starts to look a bit sharp, and shadows start to look longer than they should. There’s something there, not hidden under the banality, but omnipresent. 

He’s calm, cheerful and kind, and he would end you without dropping his smile if you crossed the line.