Malachor: Sith Temple Ruins

Wars long past often leave their mark upon the present, but never in such a way as it is found on [Malachor](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Malachor). Upon the surface, only a white, barren landscape exists with dark spires reaching towards the sky from beneath. A steady wind carries the light dust across the flat terrain like a steady mist. The surface, however, hides the true world beneath it. Cracking like a shell, the ground gives way to the remnants of battle beneath.

In the darkness below, perforated by rays of light shining through cracks in the surface, lies the image of conflict frozen in time. Warriors of the Light and the Dark remain as statues of dust, undisturbed for countless cycles since the [Great Scourge of Malachor](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Scourge_of_Malachor). The spires themselves give way to grand Sith architecture in various states of disrepair. The ruins of a once fully functional Sith Temple can be found within this second layer of Malachor, once used as a battle station but more recently brought to ruin by trespassers.

The multi-leveled landscape surrounding the ruined temple provides a veritable treasure trove of obstacles and cover. Arches and other partially destroyed structures sprawl as far as the eye can see. No color, aside from ashen gray, and the faintest of red accents breaks up the monotany of the architectural design. It is evident that the dark side permeated the culture prior to the Great Scourge, even if it only now exists as ghostly remnants of a time long past.

The darkness of the planet is multifaceted and threatens to engulf all who stand upon it. Light is scarce beneath the surface, and the dark side itself hangs heavy upon it. The sense of cold and maliciousness is never far from the mind of even the most subtle of Force sensitives. Malachor itself embodies the death that comes with conflict, and all who trespass risk joining the grim sculpture it has become.

Alt GDoc format (Ignore if edit dates are inconsistent with closing time. I might be copying things from this for actual integration and/or clumping them with the ongoing Venues 2.5.2)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U-ySvXV9YpzndlSu9uGs_kLmgQXCiEtBtkZW2iLt7m0/edit?usp=sharing

4 Venues.

Please find attached my entry to the May 4th Venue competition.

Lothal: Westhills.
The once idyllic countryside of Lothal Westhills is now a past to the natives who lived there long enough. Now a days it's being harvested for it's resources by the mining operations of the Imperials. Factories, foundries and warehouses have now replaced the spine tree forests and is never silent. With the industrialization complete, most of the wildlife has disappeared. Only Loth-bats can be heard squeaking and hiding under the dark bellies of the machinery.

Westhills was an area which had several orchards and lies now on the dried and polluted Barchetta River. Several rotten jogan fruit trees can still be seen through the smog of fuel emissions and exploding debris clouds your vision. Mining equipment, seismic surveyor droids and transports work tirelessly in the deeper pits of the mining quarries, the sound deafening when getting to close.
Careful where you step, Westhills might infect you.

Moraband(Korriban), Valley of the Dark Lords:

The staple of the barren wasteland that is the home world of the Sith, the Valley of the Dark Lords is the burial place of history's most powerful Sith Lords, among the ancient Sith who were buried there was Darth Bane who established the Rule of Two. The Valley itself is littered with the tombs of Sith Lords who ruled thousands of years before the rise of Palpatine's Empire. While it may look abandoned, the spirits of the angry, selfish dead still linger in the tombs and ruins of the Temple which lies at the far end of the Valley, past the tombs which line the Valley walls and the standing stones at its heart. It is entirely possible that the Temple served as an academy thousands of years ago. Around the Valley many ominous stone carved statues gaze down at the now empty pathways and entrances. The planet's dark orange-red sky makes the brown sand and yellow stone appear saturated in color, the mountains covering Moraband's surface cast dark looming shadows across the Valley floor, making it seem even darker. The sand wind makes the sand whip around the Valley floor and across the worn steps and entry ways. This is a place that the light abandoned long ago, and those who carry the light with them are advised to exercise caution when traveling to this place, often they will leave with that light snuffed out forever, some even go mad because the darkness is so strong there.

The planet itself is saturated in the Dark Side, it is very strong there, oppressive, making it the ideal home for the Sith Order. Its surface is covered in deep orange-brown sand and thus most would think that the planet is scorching like Tattooine, but the planet's dark aura creates a cold undertone that even Non-Force Sensitives feel. The planet has little to no known water sources making it very dangerous to stay there for extended periods of time without proper supplies. Spanning across the planet are the seemingly endless wastes, barren and dry. It is known that sand storms can appear from time to time, this is the planet's only weather pattern.

The barren, cracked surface of Sullust floods with rivers of red, hot lava and is juxtaposed with seas of turquoise salt water. The hardened obsidian surface is littered with the charred and scavenged bodies of the soldiers of old, both Rebel and Empire, which gives a new meaning to *feed the birds*. Flocks of [Ash Angels](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ash_angel) circle and caw from above, notifying others where the bodies, and dangerous lava pits, lay. Heated by pockets of millennial-old magma, mud pools bubble and grunt, while schools of shrimp thrive in these murky waters. The skies above are deafening through the sounds of shuttles, freighters and corvettes, who come to profit from the factory production lines. On the surface of Sullust, you must watch your step, but underground is a different scenario.

Weaving and spiraling deeper into the crust of Sullust, large, circular tunnels are lit by the ambient glow of mushrooms, algae ponds and the lanterns of Sullustan workers, on their way home or to the factories. You may feel safe in these tunnels, as you can sit down, grab a handful of [Sullustan Worms](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sullustan_worm) and chow down. But the subterranean layers are perfect for larger animals. Travelling in these vast cavernous systems can be lethal, as tunnels are scattered with quicksand, pitfalls and loose soil that could drop you into the neverending darkness, towards the core. The deeper levels of Sullust are home to the mighty [Rock Renders](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Rockrender), who cannot resist the taste of dense minerals, such as carbon-based diamonds or the armour you wear on your shoulders. Watch your step on Sullust, it may be your last.