Populate Nocturne OP55N1 - Sith Order Populate of Lorta & Jiroch-Reslia

[Marcus Dinn]

" Forget the Sith history poodoo. Slagwa mee mai, who told you that first cohort was off limits?"

Marcus opened his mouth to respond, but didn't have a chance to before Karok insulted them. Or tried to. He called Irina Jesart a bunch of names, but apparently he was at a loss when it came to Marcus.

"Like I said," he replied. "It's a long story. Although..." He rolled his eyes. "It's not all Firsts. Just one or two people in that cohort I can't touch."

"Heh. Both of you are missing the point. We are given every opportunity for growth to rise to the top, but everyone gets so caught up in the competition and backbreaking routine, they fail to see that this place is a business. The Sith are scoping us all out and only want the strongest. There are no rules."

"Sure. But let me ask you this. What would happen if the three of us decided to make our own Sith faction?" He glanced between his two partners. "Regardless of how strong and powerful we became, do you think people would follow us? Would they take a chance on a bunch of young upstarts? Or would they stick with the devil they know?"

He already knew the answer. He learned it when he watched what happened with Darth Nwul , that golden flash-in-the-pan Sith Lord who had attracted so many devotees so quickly. And yet, Nwul had disappeared just as quickly as he arrived on the scene, unwilling to bear the crown. It proved that the Sith were hungry for something new, starved for it even. Yet nothing which satisfied their craving ever lasted long enough to savor its taste, let alone fill their bellies.

Marcus wanted to see what his classmates thought, to gauge their response to the idea of the new. Would they be excited, or dismissive, or something else entirely?

 

[Soldane Talon]

"Would you say that by joining the Empire, you are equally absorbed and lost?", he intoned.​

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"The turmoil exists because you can not be lost in the action of becoming. Sublimation in itself is the retention of traits throughout transformations. The Sithspawn you create have turmoil because they have sublimated their own wills into a greater being, that being made of many transformed ideals brought into this new entity through the negation. In the act of being this new thing, they must acknowledge they are as well what came before - nothing is lost in the transition of power, that is core to the Sith philosophy.", he mused, pausing for a moment to write a few quick notes as he spoke, then laying his quill down.​

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"Two wills. The implication is that you are free of influence of the other, that in the ego you can decide what is yours and what you will do. Differentiation, in word. I would argue that the semblance of discontinuity between two wills who have a relation to one another, can not exist without the exact dialectics I understand through the lense of Eternalism. To learn from another, is to be influenced by them - teaching in itself is the action of sublimating ones own being into another, and the only way to retain one's self of all influence is to remain isolated from all influence period. Be it a Sith'ari Spirit as the Eternalists have proposed, or simply a Sith Lord teaching their apprentice - they do the same thing, but it is in the nuance that I believe makes the Sith'ari spirit viable."​

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"Viability solely on the understanding that it is the full sublimation of one's strength into a greater being. There is no room for error in tutelage, because there doesn't need to be any. Is that not in itself, the greatest dialectic the Sith could hope for in their ambition for true power over the Galaxy?"​

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Firrerreo​

 

[Firrerreo]

"You don't need their spirits to need their knowledge. Or their power. We're here, learning all about their failures at the end of the day. Not a single Sith in our history has truly succeeded. They made their plans, their schemes, and for a while, they worked. But they didn't last. The Jedi still live. The Galaxy knows what Sith are and know to fear and hate us. If this spirit is real, I wouldn't absorb it into my body or add my voice to it's masses. I'd take it and put it into countless servants, break it apart, and make it useful for once."

Firrerreo glanced to the familiar on his shoulder, which started to make their way to the table. In turn, it started to etch out notes for him.

"All it sounds like is that the Eternalists have been chaining themselves to the long dead and failed for far too long. Wasn't the point to break our chains?"

Soldane Talon

 

[Eira Dyn]

Rank: Fifth Cohort
Attire: Academy Robes
Tag: Aerik Lechner | Soldane Talon

Settling in a seat next to Aerik, she noted that for his age, he was quite tall and well built. Clearly coming from a race of people made to be warriors and be soldiers of war. It was interesting but she did not attempt to underestimate him for his age, Eira was always actively trying to take note and assess future adversaries, since the academy was never seeking friendships between them. They were meant to compete for the top spot.

"The rule of two..." Eira paused and thought on her notes, "One could argue that it failed, sure." She thought on the fact they were here, in large numbers, "however, perhaps it is not matter of whether it failed or succeed. Perhaps it was a necessary ideology for the period of time it was in. The Jedi were too powerful, too secured within the Republic and the Sith could not win with the tactics that had done for thousands of years before. Something new was needed, something different was the only way the Sith could live to where we are today."

She leaned back in her chair, "in that regard, the rule of two succeed in ensuring that the Sith could survive to where we could be a larger force." She countered, "it also created the strongest Sith, Sith who destroyed an empire of Jedi and ensured a foundation for what we are today and in the future. Rule of two could also be something we will need to become in the future." While Eira wanted to see the Sith succeed and take down the Galactic Alliance and the New Jedi Order.

However, there was a chance they could be facing their demise and needed to restructure their Order once again.

 

[Soldane Talon]

Soldane took a moment to finish his thoughts in a note, marking down where he believed he was lacking in his understanding of Eternal Dialectics, and where he felt he was stronger. Understanding the Thesis and Antithesis was hard, but it helped him to phrase it as a relationship based solely in perspective. That didn't make thinking in the dialectic faster, but it did make it easier to place himself on the various ends of the science of logic.​

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"I'm not sure breaking it apart would actually be helpful.", he considered, with the brief thought that his own father fought against it even now. He had heard enough about the 'Worm Emperor' as many had referred to this Sith'ari Spirit, but the historic documentation about this figure was rarely ever accurate. A hundred stories, but they all seemed to be about different entities in the Sith archives. All he could do was trust his mother and Haru when they spoke of it.​

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"No Sith in history has succeeded, that is true - but that is the point of the transition of power. To say we don't 'need' their knowledge, regardless if its in relation to the Sith'ari Spirit of the Eternalists or the teachings of a master, would be an abandonment of most traditional Sith Philosophies. In fact, there are no Sith of any influence today that can claim to be bereft of other's influence. The Empress was trained by Darth Metus , Darth Carnifex his own family, and the Emperor has the Sepulchral.", he idled.​

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"Even now, the Academy functions as a resevoir of knowledge meant to give us as efficient an education as possible, so that we can build upon the strength of those who 'failed'. Failure, in this sense, feels like the wrong word to use - I believe it is foundational that Sith build upon the successes of their progenitors, perform the Dialectic in as pure a manner as possible. Darth Revan spoke of this, in that the action of taking multiple apprentices at once diluted the Dialectic process, spread the art of becoming across many as you proposed.", he continued, writing a few more notes before coming back to the conversation in full.​

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"The Eternal Dialectic, very similar to the Bainite Dialectic, is built on the concept of true succession of power. A singular becoming. To break apart one's strength, to sublimate it into the many, would dilute the knowledge and power of what was into what will fail. It is only through the overcoming of a strong figure that the Sith may commit themselves to that pure dialectic, and in doing so truly find strength greater than their forebears. Making a strong thing useful through the act of dilution does not feel...", he considered for a moment.​

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"Justfied. Rational. As a First Cohort, would it not be better your resources, tutors, wealth, and food be spread amongst the many? Of course not - because egalitarian approaches to power would only make the entire Order weaker in the hopes some minor entities might become marginally better. It is through the surgical application of resources that the Sith can compare to the Jedi, and in time overcome them."​

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Firrerreo​

 

[Firrerreo]

"Yeah I didn't say anything about not needing their knowledge. I said you can get their knowledge and power without keeping this amalgamation of souls. You don't need to look farther than Lord Carnifex to see a Sith Lord who hasn't needed that borrowed power or loss of self." Still, Firrerreo stayed leaned back in his seat, frowning. Arms crossed. Philosophy had little to do with his work, his goals and creations. His brow did twitch though as Soldane brought up the Cohorts. It was a valid point.

"Then we make it one simple monster to fight. They've had their chances, thousands of times over if the Sepulchral isn't exaggerating the amount of Sith part of it. My point is that Eternalism is insanity. They've tried again and again to do the same thing, put the spirit of countless dead into one person to rule. The only change is that there's far more now than before. I can't argue that breaking it apart would actually defeat the purpose of consolidating strength, but there are different ways to use strength than chaining yourself to it."

Soldane Talon

 

[Irina Jesart]

Irina gave a snort at the insult Karok shot her way and shook her head, the shiv disappearing up her sleeve as she set her arms upon the desk and fixed him with a level stare. "You've not heard the phrase, 'don't judge a book by its cover' have you? I suppose not, I wouldn't expect such a wide view from an uneducated brute."

She might have been of noble birth and she might have been well educated, but she was far from pampered. Her eyes wandered the classroom, settling briefly on Aerik Lechner before snapping back to Marcus as he began to speak. She pondered his question for a moment before answering.

"We'd be challenged at every opportunity, Those who might be interested in following would hold off doing so until we can prove that we are capable of holding our own. The devil we know stands in power because no one has yet been able to shake the tree enough to dislodge them. Every challenge they have been levied with they've beaten. It takes us back to the pattern of the old sith tribes. In order to progress you must kill the master and take their place, as yet, there hasn't been a sith worth their weight in gold able to defeat any of those in power and until there is, we won't progress."

She shrugged. "Maybe the future of the Empire is among us, destined to take the Emperor's head and rule, or maybe we're just the next generation to fight in his wars and see that his will is done. Either way, Karok is right, they only want the strongest."

Marcus Dinn Karok

 

[Karok]

Irina gave a snort at the insult Karok shot her way and shook her head, the shiv disappearing up her sleeve as she set her arms upon the desk and fixed him with a level stare. "You've not heard the phrase, 'don't judge a book by its cover' have you? I suppose not, I wouldn't expect such a wide view from an uneducated brute."

He said nothing and did nothing. The only reaction that could be observed was a vein that throbbed on his forehead. It was uncharacteristic for the Gen'dai to ignore. I am more educated and experienced in the ways of the Sith than anyone else in this room. He told himself.

"Sure. But let me ask you this. What would happen if the three of us decided to make our own Sith faction?" He glanced between his two partners. "Regardless of how strong and powerful we became, do you think people would follow us? Would they take a chance on a bunch of young upstarts? Or would they stick with the devil they know?"

"We'd be challenged at every opportunity, Those who might be interested in following would hold off doing so until we can prove that we are capable of holding our own. The devil we know stands in power because no one has yet been able to shake the tree enough to dislodge them. Every challenge they have been levied with they've beaten. It takes us back to the pattern of the old sith tribes. In order to progress you must kill the master and take their place, as yet, there hasn't been a sith worth their weight in gold able to defeat any of those in power and until there is, we won't progress."

She shrugged. "Maybe the future of the Empire is among us, destined to take the Emperor's head and rule, or maybe we're just the next generation to fight in his wars and see that his will is done. Either way, Karok is right, they only want the strongest."

But Karok did listen to the exchange with Marcus Dinn and the pampered Irina Jesart .

" Are you done listing your excuses, Irina? We are already challenged at every opportunity. What is their to lose? Your previous family book?! Besides taking the Emperors head and rule is low ambition." He remarked and a strange glow came over his eyes in a flash. " Look at the state of the Empire. Its one bad day away from being fodder. Its poverty stricken citizens are one bad day away. You have Eternalist, followers of Darth Carnifex and more. All on their own sides."

" I think what Marcus means to ask is, Does the Empire have any intention in changing?" Karok stated and glared at them both. His words and demeanor uncharacteristic to what he displayed on the topics earlier.

 

[Marcus Dinn]

Marcus' green eyes darted between Karok and Irina Jesart as they traded barbs, his lips twitching in amusement. Was this the start of a nasty rivalry that would end with one or the other dead? The beginning of a begrudging friendship? Or an enemies-to-lovers story to rival the trashiest romance novels? He had no clue, but he certainly found it entertaining to watch.

Irina claimed there simply hadn't been a Sith strong enough to take the throne. Marcus was inclined to agree, although she proved more optimistic than him, pointing out that the next great Sith could be gestating in their generation.

Karok called it low ambition, which sparked a genuine smile from Marcus. "I admit I'm not the most original Sith," he said, leaning back in his chair and waving his gloved hands in a shrug. In truth, he was too cowardly to make a power grab of that magnitude.

"Look at the state of the Empire. Its one bad day away from being fodder. Its poverty stricken citizens are one bad day away. You have Eternalist, followers of Darth Carnifex and more. All on their own sides. I think what Marcus means to ask is, does the Empire have any intention in changing?"

"That is part of it," he replied. "I don't see anything changing as long as the same people are in charge. And the tribalism between all these sub-factions..." He heaved a sigh. "It's tiresome and detrimental to the Sith as a whole. I see no future in it."

 

[Karok]

"That is part of it," he replied. "I don't see anything changing as long as the same people are in charge. And the tribalism between all these sub-factions..." He heaved a sigh. "It's tiresome and detrimental to the Sith as a whole. I see no future in it."

Gods this class is a bore. When does this end again? I got nothing editifying to do except tease and bully these brats im around.

" Like you karking care though. Both of you! I sure dont and I wont till I see a reason to. Let me guess.." He shifted in his seat away from Marcus Dinn and now faced Irina Jesart with a smirk. Only moments ago he saw how she stared daggers at him. A weakspot. " You try to get along with everyone and suck up to the teachers. Hells, I have never seen you have to get your hands dirty yet. Too worried about impressing someone here? Or maybe someone on whatever back water planet you call home? You so desperately wish that YOU were the one to change things." He sniffed the air mockingly. " I can smell it, Marcus. She is the so called Sith'ari or maybe that is just soap that some of us dont get in the barracks. Must be nice."

He shifted back to Marcus.
" Or maybe its you? Bah! I dont know. If there is no future in it then who cares. What do you know, your just a acolyte, yeah?" His words were like dioxis fumes and plainly sarcastic. He didnt bother hiding it anymore. A pity that this tactic was what the Gen'dai fell back on when anything was not going his way. Problem was...most of the time it worked.

Other tags: Soldane Talon Firrerreo and @everyone else.

 

[Irina Jesart]

Irina rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair, her face impassive as Karok began to bait her. It would be easy to give into it, to give in to the roiling anger within her, the storm that had been ever present since the news of her fathers death.

It wasn't Karok's fault, he didn't know that she had lost everything since coming here, he didn't know anything about her. His perceptions were based on a mask she wore. The quiet booksmart girl who just wanted to save her family name from the dust. Too late for that.

She clicked her tongue and held up her hands. "You're right, of course Karok" she began in a mocking tone "I am the sith'ari who wil lead the Sith and destroy them. How smart you are to notice, I have underestimated your intelligence. I'll promote you from mindless brute to General of mindless brutes instead."

She gave him the sweetest of smiles before turning her gaze to Marcus. "If you see no future in the Order as it stands, then why are you here?"

Marcus Dinn Karok

 

[Soldane Talon]

"You didn't have to.", Soldane offered flatly.​

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"Chaining yourself to strength is all we have in the face of our opposition. It is not strength that is the final goal of the Sith, it is freedom. Our Code speaks of this - that Passion leads to Strength, Strength to Power, Power to Victory. Strength has never been the end goal of the Sith, but it is necessary regardless of the belief one has."​

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"For the Eternalists, their Passion overcomes their individualism. They are passionate in their belief of going beyond one's self, in contrary to the individualistic leanings of most traditional Sith beliefs. How they guide their passion is how they find their strength - but it is the accruement of power that will see them to Victory. Power is not binary, it is not a have or have not, but an ever deepening basin to pull from. You've written them off because the only difference from then and now is that there are more - but that 'more' directly translates to more power."​

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"As I see it, should their rituals persist - there would be no question as to their victory. It would only be a matter of time."​

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Firrerreo​

 

[Marcus Dinn]

"If there is no future in it then who cares. What do you know, you're just an acolyte, yeah?"

"If you see no future in the Order as it stands, then why are you here?"

Marcus was caught off guard by their response to his remark in between lobbing insults at each other. His first instinct was to reply for the education. That was true as far as his most craven and selfish desires were concerned, but it didn't tell the full story of why he was there.

His gaze roved over the classroom, stretching his senses out to the halls outside and the galaxy beyond. Years ago, in another academy on another planet, his mother and father had lain side by side in darkness. They were two wayward teens in love, caught up in something much bigger than themselves. His father had begged his mother to leave the Order, but she refused. So the two of them had vowed to make things better. To transform the Order into something greater than it was.

It didn't work out for them. Arcturus had disappeared into the Netherworld, the victim of a cursed ring; Ishani wandered the galaxy with their infant children, aimless after the fall of Korriban. Plenty had happened since then—yet here was Marcus, the son, picking up where his parents had left off. Attending an academy which, though located on another world, was funded and run by the same people. The same Sith Lords spouting the same interpretations of Sith philosophy, no matter how many times they failed.

That was the definition of insanity, was it not? Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. It was time that someone did something different. If it had to be Marcus, then... Then feth it.

"To change the future, of course," Marcus replied, smiling at the two of them to hide the overwhelming dread he felt. He was no Sith'ari. But then, there was no Sith'ari. It was all a bunch of bunk they fed to the masses to keep them docile.

Irina Jesart Karok​

 

[Aerik Lechner]

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Soldane Talon | Marcus Dinn | Firrerreo | Karok | Eira Dyn | Irina Jesart

“I don’t know. The product of the Rule of Two was often hubris. The student would kill the master. Had it not been for Darth Vectivus they would have continued to wipe each other out, and it is possible we would not be here today. You could argue it allowed the Sith to survive, but the Sith have always come back in various forms.”

Aerik shrugged.

“According to his rule we should not be here. There could only be two Sith at time, a master and an apprentice. Had it not ended with the deaths of Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, we would not be here. One Jedi, Luke Skywalker, one lone Jedi, saw the rule of two end. Sidious fell into the same trap of arrogance and hubris he used to bring the Jedi to their knees. It led to his death. Vader betrayed him.”

He looked at the girl and nodded softly.

“Whether it succeeded or failed is not the point I think. I think the point is to avoid the mistakes made by those who ultimately proved themselves weak because they failed to conquer themselves.”

 

[Svenja Fürstin Von Exocron]

Firrerreo Aerik Lechner Soldane Talon Marcus Dinn Karok Eira Dyn Irina Jesart

So much discussion, over things such as how rules of, or formations of the sith had risen and fallen. Some proposed that the Sith were weak in larger numbers as though the Dark side of the force was a finite resource. Or that its full power was squandered on one individual. Yet so many Sith in history sought to be the only one powerful enough to wield its true strength. Of which, none of these children knew. The bickering about it seemed pretentious purely because one of the higher ranked academy individuals thought of himself being who should be "worshiped" or looked up to.

It was defiantly an interesting take on how one must strengthen themselves. Yet also filled with an arrogance of not learning from those before. To say that they were worthless because they ultimately failed is a fools outlook on what was an attempt to learn from the mistakes and teachings of others. Hell, even Carnifex, Solopsis, Mordin, all of them failed in one way or another. Yet some saw that as just a roadblock that needed to be overcome.

The discussions were getting loud enough that the other students who were in the class were not able to really speak of their own names, or their own thoughts. Goes to show, that the favorites are the ones who get to determine what happens. All the more reason why this cutthroat academy would be difficult to climb without a resolve that could rival the destruction of stars and planets.

"Svenja Dietrich, My research and knowledge has recently been about Darth Momin, a sculptor who sought to create and empower the force within himself and his creations. Instead of ruling over the ashes of what was conquered. Providing that there were only two true forms of emotions. Pain and Fear. As they were the first ones any being would feel. That everyone would feel such feelings, and they were the easiest to procure."

Taking a mere second, I continued.

"Exar Kun has also been an interest in my studies. A man who was a Jedi and sought the power of the Dark side as the most true form of power, control and application of the force. Using it with his body to become one of the greatest known duelists in history. As well as his creation of the Double-bladed saber. in which provided him with an advantage in combat against Jedi who had only previously used single bladed weapons. The aspect of creating one's self through the force, physical ability and technology to gain the upper hand in not just those, but all avenues of life within the force."

 

[Soldane Talon]

Tag | Aerik Lechner // Marcus Dinn // Firrerreo // Karok // Eira Dyn // Irina Jesart​

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Darth Vil watched with bemusement as the various students let out their views in a various degree of competence. Some went into quoting philosophical texts, others decided simply that philosophy had nothing to do with them, and others still spoke about the future. It didn't matter what their original topics of debate were, it was how they thought of these things in relation to themselves that mattered to her. With a snap, she let the metal rod in her hand thwack against a desk, dangerously close to Marcus Dinn 's fingers.​

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"You have spoken about your thoughts, your beliefs, and the understanding of history and the present through a lenses of philosophy. Even still, some of you yet speak with a lack of confidence in the purpose.", she mused as he walked back to the front of the room, almost preening like a peacock as she did.​

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"Philosophy is often disregarded by the simple. It is a science that bakes no bread, slays no opponents, and builds no empires in of itself - but that belief will doom you to a life of pointless servitude, even if you don't know it yet. The question becomes, why is Philosophy important?", she mused again, though the question had no longer than a second to consider before she continued.​

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"There are three answers to this. The first, it is important for us to understand ourselves. Philosophy is the practice of seeing the reflection of ones self and our actions - why we do things matters. It is an exercise in itself. Many of you see the benefits of swordplay, or training your ability to use the Force, or even just lifting weights for a better physical performance in our exams. In the same way, Philosophy is exercising the mind - and when the mind is sharp, you stand that much further ahead than any of your contemporaries. The greatest of Sith Lords all held to this belief, and to deny it now will relegate you to a footnote in the invasion of a world and nothing more."​

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"The second answer is that how you think you are doing something affects how you do it, and if you do it at all. If you believe in life after death, you are more willing to face persecution you would not otherwise face. If you believe in Fatalism, you will see a great hand guiding the galaxy that is pointless to fight against. If you believe the only sanctity in life is its preservation through death, you may become as Darth Anndendu did. These things are foundational to your story, your path, and your eventual ascension. It is epistemological inquiries that will decide how much of an impact you will have on the galaxy."​

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"The third answer. The simplest - Imagination without reason is the mother of monsters, but with her, she is the mother of the arts and the source of her wonders. To lack any philosophical basis will lead you to a path of inadequecies, because you require the sleep of reason to justify your actions. Sith who follow this path become little more than berserkers, believing that it is solely their application of strength that matters - but now how. It has led many to believe they can not overcome their betters, because they have never considered the truth in how. To lack that inflection, one only destines themselves for pedantic complaints and childish tantrums on how they deserve more."​

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"Take these lessons and continue to embody them. Learn them. Carve them into your mind and heart. In two weeks, all Cohorts will have an exam. Prepare your travel bags and uniforms - you will not be told the time of departure until it is upon us."​

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[Eira Dyn]

Rank: Fifth Cohort
Attire: Academy Robes
Tag: Aerik Lechner | Soldane Talon

"That is one view point, but a student would not be capable of killing the master if they had not surpassed and overtaken the Master. While Vectivus's actions might have led us here, so did those who followed Bane's Rule of Two. Every failure and success led to here so it is fruitless to state one Sith ensured that. The Rule of Two also had acolytes like us, ones trained by the apprentice to take that role when the master was killed. There was usually multiple Sith of varying ranks, just two main Sith in charge." Eira mentioned, the continued survival of the Sith could not be pinned to one Sith, she focused more on what they achieved and what power they wielded in their life time.

For her, that mattered a lot more.

She shrugged, "Palpatine survived Endor through his clones, his problem there was the belief he was the end goal of the Sith and he did not train another after Vader to become true Sith. All that mattered in the end was his survival. In the matter of Vader, that was a demonstration of the Jedi's folly, an example of their ambition blinding them. However, Sidious lingered on that too long and familial ties turned the apprentice, not the Jedi. He did not defeat them with his connection to the Light Side or abilities in the Force as a Jedi. He just happened to be the son of Vader."

It was luck on the Jedi part. Which was something that they had an absurd amount of.

"I think it is also important to know what worked best for the Sith in that historical period, since we might need to adapt. Right now, the Sith Order is strong enough to be vast. In the future, we might need Bane's Rule of Two once again to remain in the shadows." Eira stopped when she heard the crack from the lecturer, giving a swift smile to show she enjoyed debating Aerik before turning her attention to the teacher.

While she scribbled notes about everything that had been stated by the teacher, she lingered the most that was said at the every end. They were facing an exam soon. Was this her chance to rise? Could she do well enough in the exam to be a step closer to a new cohort? She only could hope for that opportunity. Eira knew she was going to need to study even hard than before.