Power Through Gesture (OS Knights and Above)

[Darth Ophidia]

As [member="Sage Bane"] demonstrated the necessary gestures and words for use of the Sutta Chiwituskak, Darth Ophidia cocked her head to the side. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she committed every detail to memory. [member="Darth Ferus"] would know the look well if he glanced over at his old apprentice, the look of an absolute and unwavering concentration. She was determined to master this ability.

Three times, Ophidia tried to replicate the motions in timing with the words. Three times, she caught herself about to make a terrible mistake which could have resulted in death or dismemberment. She was not above admitting fault in the process of training, yet she felt it fuel her hatred. Weakness was present in her, even now. On the fourth attempt, she got the gestures right as she practised only them. The Fifth, she added the words, now memorised through the prior repetition. Ophidia felt the spear taking shape as she rolled her hatred into form. The Rattataki gripped the spear as it formed, aimed for a split second, then let her hatred fly.

The slave was too busy getting splattered with blood from [member="Lord Ajihad"]'s spear to see hers coming. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide as a hole seemingly dug itself into his lower abdomen. It was a deadly and extremely painful wound to suffer. Yet, the Pale Assassin looked less than pleased. She had aimed a little more to the right, which would have severed the base of the spine and resulted in a rather more instantaneous death. As the slave whimpered pathetically in his last moments, she extended her hand and clenched a fist to crush the victim's neck, ending his pitiful sounds. She would have to do better.

[member="Darth Noxia"] | [member="Lord Sebastian"] | [member="Darth Azurea"] | [member="Darth Vizios"] | [member="Vengeance"] | [member="Darth Mudrac"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance listened to the instructions given by [member="Sage Bane"] very closely. He mimicked his movements committed the words to memory as he recited them. Vengeance would watch each time the Sith lord did it. He would watch every detail. He would not try it himself until he had it all committed to memory.


Once he felt he had a grasp on what was required Vengeance focused. He focused on the one thing that always fueled him all the hatred he had felt the night his father died, all the hatred he had for the third man, all the hatred he had for the mysterious robed figure in the cave on Dagobah, the hatred for the Jedi. In that moment for Vengeance there was no temple, there were no other Sith, there was nothing but him and the one thing he wanted to destroy more than he wanted his next breath.

Sweat formed on his brow as he began the gestures, as he spoke the words that had in the beginning sounded so foreign but were now so freely flowing from his lips. His hands rolling the energy into a tight spear compressing it into a weapon of pure death. Once it was ready Vengeance struck out with it like it was his dying declaration towards one of the still standing slaves.

His focus so instance Vengeance would not even register the strike hitting home until after his victim hit the floor. Even as the temple and the other Sith melt into his conscious view Vengeance didn't turn to look at anyone or there success or failure at the task. All he cared about was his own comprehension of the lesson.


[member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Darth Noxia"] [member="Lord Sebastian"] [member="Darth Azurea"] [member="Darth Vizios"] [member="Darth Mudrac"] [member="Lord Ajihad"] [member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Grrwunhoooll Agaburry]

I its safe to assume this technique Sutta Chwituskak would be slightly easier if the targets down the range were in fact Jedi or atleast majority of the Sith would find their hate quickly and thus making the spear quicker. It would be like tossing meat chunks in front of a Rancor, the motivation was easy to find if it was in front of you. This was the case with Darth Mudrac. Watching [member="Sage Bane"] preform the motions and hand signals while chanting, Nulgath could only find distaste. He felt that the Bolt of Hate was being over done, their was too much motions for the Epicanthix to follow. Looking around the Knight stepped forward and looked around, clasping his hands in the form of a clap he remain silent in concentration.

Refusing to do it their way he decided from the start to do it his own way and show them all how its done. The necessary time was taken till the Epicanthix felt he was ready, he was attempting something slightly new and different with was always dangerous. Slowly his clasp of hands broken and his grip changed into a loose underhand, moving both hands way from each other Darth Mudrac finally stopped and smiled some. He spoke no incantation and did not do the proper motions and yet in his hands he could feel his hate shaped into a spear. Looking around one last time he chuckled as some people from his view looked confused.

Focusing down range the Epicanthix eyed a specific slave on the end and hurled his spear. The slave had no clue what was being thrown and only knew that the other slaves were being torn apart by this invisible force of hate. After a few seconds the slave closed his eyes and whimpered some as he expected to die, but to his surprise nothing hit him. Suddenly a statue in the courtyard cracked and chunk fell off as if something strong had struck it and with a chuckle Nulgath smiled acting embarrassed in front of his "peers". The Epicanthix was a prodigy of sorts with the Force but his martial art skills were severely lacking.

Glancing at [member="Sage Bane"] he said " Heh, My condolences Lord Bane." he smirked some. The Knights point was made though, such a techquie could be done without the hand motions and incantation if one was motivated enough. Did this mean Nulgath had mastered the ability? No. This ability in his eyes was slightly complex not advanced.

There was more to still be learned.

[member="Vengeance"]
[member="Darth Ophidia"]
[member="Darth Ferus"]
[member="Lord Ajihad"]
[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Darth Vaildra]

Lord Sebastian listened intently to [member="Sage Bane"] but could not help, but disagree. "My Lord, if I may be so bold, I believe you are thinking of a different move. I do not know Bolt of Hatred yet, but yes [member="Lord Ajihad"] I do wield Darkshear. From my understanding I have yet to master such a power, but if it helps with us growing in our knowledge, I will demonstrate so we can learn our abilities even deeper."

Sebastian was distracted as [member="Darth Mudrac"] tried to show off doing an ability in a non proper way. He had no memory of this person, once the class was over he had no reason to remember him. He did use his Force Sight to really watch what he was doing. The so called spear he made looked more like a warped shaft lacking from and power. It was no surprise when the spear missed and rose a small laugh from Sebastian, but it did give him a target.

He placed his cane on the ground and it stood by itself as he channeled the Dark Side into his right hand. While usually Darkshear was also invisible, Sebastian's wasn't, but they would learn why this wasn't exactly a disadvantage. He continued to harness the ability seeking to give it all the power he could to give a proper definition. His right hand began to spark with lightning, but of a black colour as power seeming to come from no where was being drawn to him.

In his hand a black, solid looking spear began to form along with a roar from Sebastian as he tapped deeper into the Dark Side. He lifted the long spear above his head and launched it at the missed slave. The shear speed of the spear caused a sound simular to lightning ripping through the air. It struck the slave in the heart and pinned him into the wall where the spear remained.

After a few moments the spear disappeared and the slave fell limp to the ground. Sebastian, now resting on his cane as this was an advanced ability that few knew in history and it took a lot out of him. He was trying to not be so tired after as he loved the Darkshear which maybe the Bolt of Hatred was the answer by being a lower form, he wasn't sure. Alas his demonstration required him to take a breather before he could try Bolt of Hatred.

[member="Vengeance"] [member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Channel it into the hand. Release a solid spear. Chant the right words, do the right jig.

Too annoying. Too long.

A frown settled upon the Sith Lords lips as he listened to [member="Sage Bane"] 's explanation. Concentration to this magnitude left one open to attacks, from any direction. There must be a way to use this quick, effective. Golden eyes trailed around the group, taking in each's movements, successes, failures. None had died yet, so that was a start, but each had to take time. Time was not something a fighter like Ferus could afford.

Slowly he let his eyes fall upon his palm. His skin slowly turned to pitch, a clear sign of the Dark Side being channeled through him, but rather than spread all over his form it was pressed into the man's hand. Anyone could see it brimming with power, 'shining' with darkness. He did not repeat the words to the spell. He did not dance the right dance. Instead, he simply brought his hand around, and threw what he imagined as a spear.

A hollow explosion filled his ears, and possibly everyone else around him.

The slave remained unharmed.

Rather slowly the Sith Lord brought his hand back around, if one could call it that. Trying to bypass the correct ritual caused a malfunction. The energy poured into his hand blew outwards, and left little remains of his arm. He did not bleed, did not whimper, but his arm was gone. Shattered. Ragged flesh clung to jagged bone, and there was nothing left of his arm. An accidental force destruction, causing the destruction of himself rather than his intended.

A deep sigh escaped Ferus's lips as he moved away from the group. Thankfully, a basin was close by here within the Temple of Pain. Shoving the stump in, he would begin to repair the limb. Under his breath he muttered ancient Sith, words unable to be heard. Slowly, so slowly, his arm would reform within the thick waters, his body sustained by the very liquids.

Once finished, he would return to the group, slowly fleshing the tingling flesh of his new arm.

"I don't think Dark Shear is right for me." Golden eyes once more fixated on the Hand, and the Shadow would offer a shrug.

[member="Darth Mudrac"] [member="Vengeance"]

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Ajihad watched [member="Darth Mudrac"] wave his hand in odd ways, and Ajihad had no idea what in the world he was doing. Maybe he was having arm spasms? However, after continuing watch the odd movements, the assassin realized the man was incorrectly making the spear. He launched the weapon at his target, but due to his seeming incompetence, the spear would have the accuracy of a rubber chicken. It missed the slave by several feet, instead destroying a somewhat nearby statue. After hearing the man's sarcastic reply to [member="Sage Bane"] , Ajihad would let loose a sigh. Some people...

He would then turn his attention to [member="Lord Sebastian"] , and his different bit of sorcery. Instead of the invisible spear, he instead held a dark-looking spear. A Spear of Midnight Black. As the other knight ended the existence of the poor slave, Ajihad nodded, impressed. "Very impressive, Lord Sebastien. Though I do admit, I've never seen a spear take actual corporeal form before. Perhaps you could teach me the ability sometime, no? I could never get the hang of it myself..."

Just as he spoke, he heard an explosion behind him. He immediately dove forward, instincts preparing him for a surprise attack. He drew a pair of throwing knives, and whirled around, ready to throw them. However, he realized it was only [member="Darth Ferus"] at the last second, and managed to restrain himself. Taking a deep breath, he regained his composure and viewed what used to be his former master's arm. He sighed. This just proved it was always beneficial to follow instructions.

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

More familiar faces began appearing in the courtyard, but Darth Azurea could not lose her concentration now. She closed her eyes and cupped her hands in front of her, trying to channel the energy in the way Lord Bane described. Whispering softly to herself, she attempted memorization of the incantation as soon as it escaped their teacher’s lips.

Azurea took her time trying to mentally get the chant right, but now focus was even more difficult, especially with all of the other Knights and Lords around. Brutal competition was more or less encouraged between students, therefore she found it hard to not be distracted by the rest of the class and how successful (or not) they were with the Sutta Chwituskak. Not to mention the sound of dying slaves, and blood spraying and splattering everywhere.

But eventually her lids fluttered closed again, and she channeled the most deep seated rage, targeted towards those who underestimated her – due to her girl-next-door appearance or her smaller stature or the fact that she used to be Jedi. She felt the spear form in her hands and was almost there until…

All of the squabbling around her! Was this Bolt of Hatred or Darkshear? Could the movements be done without the chant or vice versa? All the annoying questions! And the pompous posturing!

She sucked air in through her teeth long and loud and let out the most unladylike screech:

“Arggghhhhhhhh!!!! Will you all be quiet!!!”

With the outburst behind her, she hurled her spear but it didn’t hit it’s intended target and grazed, instead the shoulder of [member="Darth Vizios"], a superficial wound at best.

[member="Lord Ajihad"] [member="Sage Bane"] [member="Darth Noxia"] [member="Lord Sebastian"] [member="Darth Ferus"] [member="Darth Mudrac"] [member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Vengeance"]

 

[Darth Vaildra]

After a few moments, Lord Sebastian took a deep breath and returned to a more professional sature of his body. He nodded in respect as others made their Bolts of Hatred and was impressed how well they were doing. It took him forever to make a spear when he began learning Darkshear and he had a holocron.

He looked towards the Assassin [member="Lord Ajihad"] he listened to his request for help and nodded, "the black look of it it is pure cosmetic. Much like some Sith use different color lightning, I just channel shadows into mine using Shadow Shaping. As to teaching, I can try, but all that I put into that one was nothing compared to the lords of old. It is a hard ability since you are creating physical things from nothing, but the Dark Side." He planned to continue, but was interrupted.

He looked at [member="Darth Azurea"] as she let out a little outburst and hit another Sith. He slowly walked towards the angered woman, "striking another and losing focus is not becoming of a Knight. How about we work together and this should curb some frustration."

 

[Sage Bane]

Between the students attempting to show him up, the yelling, and the bloody accidents, Sage was beginning to feel a sharp pain in the middle of his temple. Pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers, he motioned to two hooded apprentices to clean up the cadavers.

"Well done, students!" said Sage, raising his voice over the din. "You may practice Sutta Chiwituskak on your own from here on out." He looked at Lord Sabastian. "Or Darkshear if you'd rather. I encourage you to study the spell in the Eternal Library. Sith Sorcery is full of different pathways to the mastery of the art. There is a myriad of ways these spells can be done. The way I showed you just happens to be the technique that I learned through the teachings of Darth Sanguis of Halm."

His gaze panned to each of the students, powerful Knights and Masters alike. Some were full of veneration and some full of pomposity, but they all had one thing in common: an artful mastery of the Force. He only hoped that the arrogance crop of apprentices who sauntered through the halls of the Coruscant Academy shared their brilliance.

"This next incantation does not have a Sith name, as far as I know, anyway, but is known as False Light Side Aura. The spell is exactly what it sounds like. It works like an illusion basically, but instead of an illusion of a person or object, you spin an illusionary aura. The words and gestures are a bit simpler than Sutta Chiwituskak. When I have everyone's attention, we will begin."

[member="Lord Sebastian"] [member="Darth Azurea"] [member="Darth Mudrac"] [member="Lord Ajihad"] [member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Vengeance"] [member="Darth Ferus"] [member="Darth Noxia"] [member="Darth Vizios"]

 

[Kenrath]

When [member="Sage Bane"] addressed the group Vengeance turned to the Lord giving the man his full attention. The mention of a false light side aura causing him to cock an eyebrow. As much as he liked to mess with people's heads it was a concept that had promise. If he could convince those fething cowards of Jedi his was one of them long enough to get in close it could be fun.

Vengeance wondered if it was what made Lords like Ferus so good at what they did. Being able to appear to fit in no matter who was around. Shaking the random thoughts from his mind Vengeance too a step towards Sage giving him a nod.

[member="Lord Sebastian"] [member="Darth Azurea"] [member="Darth Mudrac"] [member="Lord Ajihad"] [member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Darth Ferus"] [member="Darth Noxia"] [member="Darth Vizios"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Xander felt the bolt coming his way, and moved, but not without it hitting his shoulder. The pain of the graze was very hard to handle, and Xander learned first hand how much damage this skill had the potential of delivering. Eyes shot over to see who had released the bolt, and just nodded as they fell on [member="Darth Azurea"]. Vizios smirked, and he turned toward the brunette. He approached her, having known her from their last meeting flying through the sky.

"You've managed something few have. You've wounded me. Well done."

Vizios opted he would stand with her for now. Perhaps he could help her focus, or she him. Either way some of these spells were likely going to require a partner. He'd chosen his should the need arise. For now his attention was on Sage and the next instruction.

 

[Komo]

Darth Noxia stood at her position, beside her accquaintance, [member="Darth Azurea"], as she observed and watched several of her fellow Sith carry out the practice of the Sutta Chwituskak. Observation was key part of learning, and Noxia always made sure to observe what the others did, before she attempted one of her own, so as to potentially avoid any mistakes one could make in the process. This was a relatively complicated spell, with diverse hand gestures and lines of incantations.

She had seen how [member="Darth Mudrac"] had tried to veer from the path shown by their venerable teacher [member="Sage Bane"], and had ended up striking a rock somewhere ahead, instead. The blonde had also seen how Sith Lord, [member="Darth Ferus"] had tried to make the spell his own by doing it in his own method, with the only result in the mutilation of his arm. That had taught her one thing, stick to the plan and the order, and nothing would go wrong. At least she hoped. Noxia was about to begin preparations for her own strike, when a sudden screech startled her out of her wits. It had came from [member="Darth Azurea"] beside her, and she allowed a quizzical look at her fellow knight as she yelled for the rest to be silent.

Well, that was something.

With the outburst over, Noxia was surprised to be Azurea turning back to hurl a spear towards the target of [member="Darth Vizios"] himself. How interesting. He must have offended her somehow. Anyway, she refocused her attention back on her spell, taking a deep breath before shutting her eyes as she drew deep within her, gathering the hatred that lay within her.

Manifesting that into a rising energy, she would carry out the hand gestures registered by Lord Bane's demonstration earlier accompanied with its lines of incantations. The blonde knight could feel the spell working as a spear of dark-sided force energy would manifest into her hand. She would waste no time at all, hurling the spear towards a mewling slave, puncturing him in the chest with a large gaping wound. Just like how Lord Bane had showed earlier on. Replication with perfection.

She was so proud with herself.

[member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Lord Sebastian"] [member="Lord Ajihad"]

 

[Darth Vaildra]

Now that he had more energy he decided he better give a try. He closed his eyes and remembered [member="Sage Bane"] movements. They seemed overly showy and unneeded until you realized the movements and their meaning. The body is a channel for the Force ad for different parts of the body the Force is transferred different. So bringing in the movements you were harnessing the Force to do something you could not properly do simply by lifting a hand.

He began to reflect on his Hate for Corvus Raaf and their recent meeting where she tried to capture him and failed. His malice began to boil and he felt if he didn't let it out he would explode and kill everyone. He mirrored the movements as his hate and rage only continued to a breaking point and he released a Bolt of Hatred destroying a slave, but it didn't feel like enough to satisfy his hate. He seemed uncontrol, unstable. Maybe with more practice he could fix this, but he saw the dangers of such an ability. He focused on controlling his breathing; in and out, in and out, in and out. He just kept breathing until he could return to a sane mind. Once he was calm he noticed his grip on his cane was causing his hand to bleed a little.

He nodded to Lord Sage as apology for his lack of control. He then listened to the teacher speak of a new power. He was familiar with this ability, he called it Light Cloak, but only knew Dark Cloak when he used it against the Sith in his youth. The problem he saw with the ability was if you were a known Sith it didn't matter if you cloaked yourself, they would not trust you. "Lord Sage, if you cloak your dark side, how do you propose to hide your words and convince someone you are light side? Or does this even make your actions reflect the light side?"

[member="Darth Vizios"] [member="Darth Noxia"] [member="Vengeance"] [member="Darth Azurea"] [member="Lord Ajihad"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Darth Azurea blinked out of her lucubratory state and realized that she had struck [member="Darth Vizios"]. How easily the other Sith in the courtyard, slipped in and out of their complex emotions! She felt rage and irritation still, just under her skin like a painful, distracting bruise.

With visible frustration, Azurea addressed [member="Lord Sebastian"]: "Is it becoming that we stand here and wrench the innards out of another being to splatter on the ground in the most demeaning way?" Then in a softer tone, she added: "But I will take your recommendation on working together to prevent an unintended attack."

Darth Vizios approached and as he joked, Azurea finally cracked a smile. "I was afraid you were coming over to seek retribution. Thank you for your restraint."

In the background she could see [member="Darth Noxia"]'s bolt strike her target in a perfect line.

Vizios stood beside her, which made her slightly wary, that he wasn't going to try a vengeful sneak attack, but she relaxed as she listened to Lord Bane's next curriculum agenda.

False Light Side Aura.

To learn an illusion greatly interested Azurea. Her own Master was quite adept at them, and to be able to combat him in training with one of her own was a very enticing prospect.

[member="Vengeance"] [member="Sage Bane"] [member="Lord Ajihad"] [member="Darth Ferus"] [member="Darth Mudrac"] [member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Some people seemed to spend more time talking about other things than actually practising the abilities so graciously handed to them. To Darth Ophidia, this was nothing short of disrespect for the teacher. When [member="Sage Bane"] spoke up, she pivoted to face him more directly and clasped her hands behind her back. She stood erect with all her senses at attention as the master sorcerer obviously wanted to move on with his lesson. When it came to learning, she abandoned all notions of pride. He had no obligation to teach them, yet he did, and as such she would give her utmost attention.

False Lightside Aura. She had heard of similar things being done with an advanced degree of Force Cloak, however such a base technique could be scrutinised by a watchful Jedi. Perhaps this Sorcery would prove much more reliable. Ophidia could see herself striding through the temple of Ruusan in the guise of a Jedi apprentice, snatching up vital information like delicious appetisers at a formal event. Or perhaps she would use it to infiltrate the Republic ranks in a battle and relay important information back to the Sith. The possibilities were once again endless. First, she would need the how.

[member="Darth Ferus"] [member="Darth Azurea"] [member="Darth Vizios"] [member="Lord Sebastian"] [member="Darth Noxia"] [member="Lord Ajihad"] [member="Darth Mudrac"] @Vengeance

 

[Sage Bane]

Sage was about to demonstrate the ability, but first, a question arose from [member="Lord Sebastian"].

"Ah, well, Lord Sebastian, if you are a known face to the Jedi, then a false light side aura will do you no good. However, with enough concentration, you could couple the false aura with a powerful Sith illusion that masks your physical form. That way you would appear to your foe as an unknown light sided figure. Remember though, Jedi Masters who are trained up in enough mental resistance will be able to see through the aura, just as any other illusion."

Sage began to speak the ancient incantation he had learned from Darth Sanguis' scroll, along with the more simplistic hand gestures of the spell. Sanguis' scrolls were not locked up in the Temple's reliquary with the other minor artifacts and relics. The long-dead sorcerer's scrolls were protected with powerful insanity curses, and Sage was reluctant to let any others fall prey to them. He himself had made an amulet to protect his mind from Sanguis' curses. The chattering voices in his head told him that his talisman had not worked as well as he had hoped it would.

Soon, Sage's Dark Side aura began to shift and change. The Sith Lord's negative emotions such as aggression, anger, and hatred, seemed to fade like a clearing fog. In a few moments, the transmogrification was complete, and Sage's aura sang with the beatific radiance of the Light.

"Darth Bane's apprentice, Darth Zannah, once used this ability to fool Jedi into thinking that she was a follower of the Light. You would be hard pressed to find a more useful deceptive power to use against the Jedi."

[member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Vengeance"] [member="Darth Azurea"] [member="Darth Vizios"] [member="Darth Noxia"] [member="Lord Ajihad"] [member="Darth Ferus"] [member="Darth Mudrac"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The concept of the False Lightside Aura was familiar. She had been able to reproduce a far more... simplistic and less reliable version through Force Stealth. However, through the art of Sith Sorcery, she would no doubt be able to further increase its potency. Unlike those who had formerly argued about their respective similar powers, Ophidia kept hers to herself. It was no benefit to her or the lesson to disrupt with unnecessary inquiries. If anything, she would ask [member="Sage Bane"] later, and perhaps they could come to a hypothesis together.

Slipping once more into concentration, Darth Ophidia replicated the dark sorcerer's words and gestures. She did notice that these gestures were far more simple, and yet she had some trouble with the succession of them. Taking a lesson from her prior experience, she first practised each individual bit and then proceeded to put them together. Without much further ado, she was able to replicate the False Aura. It was truly a strange sensation, even uncomfortable. However, no discomfort could outmatch its usefulness. She took his words to heed. Some would be able to scrutinise her disguise. It was best not to take too many chances with it. Using Force Sight, she looked at her hand, observing the false aura of kindness and justice that radiated off of her.

"Oh the possibilities."

[member="Vengeance"] [member="Darth Azurea"] [member="Darth Vizios"] [member="Darth Noxia"] [member="Lord Ajihad"] [member="Darth Ferus"]