The foundation of power. (Open to all acolytes, especially new acolytes)

[Shaddi]

The trip over to the academy had been annoyingly slow that and Erebos didn't enjoy the confining space of the submarine to begin with, however he did understand the need for secrecy given what had happened to the temple of pain. Erebos wasn't here to evaluate the secrecy of the academy however he was here to begin his term as an instructor at the academy of Glee Anslem. Around his chest was a satchel filled with objects that he could use in the teaching classes he'd have to have for the newest students and acolytes of the sith.
After registering with the administration of the academy he asked to have a class he'd have the morning after advertised around the academy so that the acolytes could come. The class would involve the philosophy of the sith, The different sources of power the sith could tap into and lastly the basics of Curato Salva, a technique that could one day save their lives.
Once that was done he took to his quarters and spent the remainder of the day in silent meditation and slowly going through the lightsaber forms he knew to reach perfection of the forms and execution of the strikes as he had done with Shiii-choo. The next day he arrived an hour early into the room that his class had been assigned and placed the satchel on the table on the far side of the room and then took to meditating close to the table, using his own lightsaber as a medium by having it float lazily in the air in front of him as he disassembled and assembled it slowly over and over again while he waited for the first students to arrive.
The only thing he wore was his faceless mask and a simple sith's robe.

 

[Gorteko Graye]

Having received word of another class he could participate in, Gorteko made his way to the room in which the class was being held. Upon arrival he saw that only the instructor was in the room. 'I've never been the first to a lesson before, could it be that no one wants to take the class, or am I simply early?' The young sith thought to himself as he watched the instructor meditate. As he didn't want to interrupt, Gorteko would simply take a seat and wait for the class to begin.

[member="Darth Erebos"]

 

[Allana S'hadar]

Bright and early, Allana had arrived at the allocated training room. Hoping to be the first arrival, she let out a sigh as she noticed the presence of another acolyte, one willing to learn like herself. Slowing her pace, she entered the hall, greeting their instructor with a small bow before taking her place beside the first arrival.

"Keen for the lesson are we?" she asked her fellow acolyte, keeping her gaze fixed forward. She would keep her disappointment bottled up, not wanting the acolyte or instructor to have access to her emotions. She would need to step up her game if she was to come out on top in the halls of the Sith.

[member="Gorteko Graye"] - [member="Darth Erebos"]

 

[Shaddi]

"I'm glad to see students arrive for this class." He said as his saber assembled and then moved to his belt as he stood up. "I am Darth Erebos and for this class I will be your instructor. Tell me as the two of you are the first to arrive and of course if you know this one. What is the foundation of the power of the sith?" He asked as he walked two steps forwards and looked the two students over. He could see one was eager to learn but the other was a little harder to read.

Both he peered at through the force, since he lacked physical eyes, and he could see the potential both had in their future but weather they found it themselves was up to them in the end.

[member="Allana S'hadar"] [member="Gorteko Graye"]

 

[Jayce Pryde]

[member="Darth Erebos"] [member="Gorteko Graye"] [member="Allana S'hadar"]

Slow strides carried the Half-Miralukan silently into the room, He was the third to arrive so he stayed towards the back and listened in silence as the visiting Sith Lord taught his lesson. Jayce hated classrooms and was not happy at all to be back at the academy.....but that happens when your Master vanishes.

He leaned back against the far wall as he watched and listened, Still unsure how any of this would help him fill the hole left inside him after Darth Timoris' disappearance. None the less he was here and would make the best of it.....or eventually snap and slaughter everyone.

 

[Gorteko Graye]

"Knowledge is power and through power I gain victory. Those who do not seek out lessons become weak." That was the response Gorteko decided to say to his fellow acolyte. His words would be blunt, and he would say them without turning to look at [member="Allana S'hadar"] keeping his eyes on the instructor. By this time [member="Darth Erebos"] took note of his new students and addressed them. ​'The foundation of sith power? I've never thought about it. I suppose that the force would be the proper answer, that is after all where we derive our power, as does everything else.' The young sith thought to himself for a moment before giving his response to the question that would not by any means answer it. "I think it's safe to say that we wouldn't know the answer, we could all provide guesses, but knowing off hand would negate the point of coming to this class, would it not?"

[member="Jayce Pryde"]

 

[Allana S'hadar]

Allana's smile tightened as Gorteko responded, hiding the laugh that would have burst out if not for her sealed mouth. Instead she lurched forward slightly as the laugh burst inwardly. She had hoped no one woujld notic, yet she did not care if anyone had seen either. She was more confident as a Sith, carrying a greater desire to learn and a lack of anxiety than when she studied with the Silver Jedi. Here, she was a free spirit; a pure incarnation of the dark side of the Force.

As their instructor spoke, Allana stiffened. The Sith's voice sent a chill down the back of her neck as she shivered. Their instructor seemed to lack the harsh teachings of other dark siders, however as she had learned from her master, looks could be deceiving.

She pondered over his question, listening to Gorteko's response. She agreed with her fellow acolyte, yet it still still made her frustration grow. This man thought a bit too highly of himself, she thought. Subtly shaking her head in annoyance, she carried on with her thought processes. As she thought more on the subject, another possibility entered her mind.

"Yes it would be useless to try when the answer is to be given, but you're not going to reach your potential by waiting for the answer on a silver platter. You have to make guesses or you're not going to move forward." she said, like before avoiding eye contact with the acolyte, instead gazing at the instructor, hoping to catch some acknowledgement or approval from the Sith.

"When you look at the question in terms of the Sith code, could the foundation of power not lie within our emotions and our willingness to use them. Through these we gain strength, and through them power. Could this not be a possibility to the answer you seek my Lord?" she responded. She had thought long and hard on her answer. It made sense to the hybrid, but was it what their instructor expected?

[member="Darth Erebos"] [member="Gorteko Graye"] [member="Jayce Pryde"]

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos turned his faceless mask from one acolyte to the next as they spoke, then he turned his head towards the third acolyte ,[member="Jayce Pryde"] who had entered later than the others, and gestured for him to come closer and sit with the other two acolytes. He himself took a seat very close to them so he wouldn't have to speak up and since there were so few acolytes that came to his class he decided on keeping it informal.
"Well that is true... acolyte?" He said gesturing towards [member="Gorteko Graye"], waiting a few seconds to allow him to introduce himself before he continued. "However as a sith the answers will not simply be handed to you, you must find them on your own and use the knowledge you have built up before hand to help you in that en-devour."
Then he turned his head towards [member="Allana S'hadar"] who had given half of the correct answer, at least how he saw it. "That is true we use our emotions and passions as a focusing lens for the force to gain more power but many a sith has found different way's on using emotions for the foundation of their power." He began and gestured the same as he had towards Gorteko to ask her for her own name and then continued.
"You see some sith focus on pure rage to fuel themselves, others use cold rage to keep their mind unbridled or uninfluenced by emotions so they can make great judgement calls. Some use their greed while others use their lust it is all a matter of finding your most powerful emotion and tethering it to your will to become the strong foundation that you inevitably build the skyscraper of your power upon... so to speak I know not the best analogy but it works."
With that he gestured towards Jayce to ask him of his name before finishing. "Now that you know this search within yourselves, meditate if you have to, but find your strongest emotion and if you can't find it then might I suggest cold rage to be your foundation."

 

[Gorteko Graye]

'While I did merely await an answer than present a guess, these people don't understand why. Though how can I expect them to, it's obvious that no one in this room has gone through the same endevors, the experiences that make us who we are.' Gorteko thought to himself, noting that each of the three acolytes approached the situation differently. The sith continued to think on the matter until [member="Darth Erebos"] gestured for his introduction. "Acolyte Gorteko Graye." These would be the only words he would say for the moment, as he wasn't asked to do much else.

The answer the instructor gave to his class was most intriguing. 'Cold rage sounds most like Master Tirdarius. I must find my own foundation though, and simply following my master in his foundation would limit my ability to draw out my power. But what is my foundation? Where do I draw my power?'

By this time Gorteko had taken his Instructors advice and began meditating, though one might not be able to tell due to his bizarre practice. He sat in his seat with his legs spread slightly and his elbows resting on his thighs. His hands were folded slightly in front of his face which was angled toward the ground due to the downward tilt of his head. Though the position might have been strange, Gorteko had grown accustomed to meditating in such a way because of his time in the cartel. 'I know that I don't access my full potential when I don't feel threatened. Additionally, I always fight harder when I have something to protect. Could it be that my foundation is fear? Whether fear of death, or failure, or losing something I wished to not have lost. Fear is what drives me to access the fullness of my power, pushes me to become stronger. Fear is the emotional foundation of my strength.'

 

[Allana S'hadar]

Allana smirked, watching as their instructor echoed her words in the direction of Gorteko Graye. She could not explain why, but it felt good to be right for once in her life. She had always been the one criticized or pulled apart. Her defection could not have come a moment too soon.

"Acolyte Allana S'hadar, student of Darth Azurea." she replied, sensing that the Sith was expecting an introduction. The addition of her title made her feel a sense of pride, something that had been pushed down during her time on Voss. The title gave her power and confidence, implying that her life was just as important to another as it was to herself. However as she became lost in her thoughts, the Sith set them their first task. Noticing the third acolyte in the room, the Shi'ido eyed him up, taking the opportunity to weigh up her classmate while he seemed preoccupied. Like Gorteko, he seemed sure of himself, sharing a similar air of confidence that existed between all three of the acolytes present. Although Allana was not to be intimidated so easily. Her master had told her that she would face many restrictions due to her species and gender, however she would not let this stop her from achieving her true potential.

Kneeling upon the cool floor, Allana focused on her breathing as she entered a meditative state. Looking inwardly, she attempted to locate the source of her power, thinking back to the moments where she had called upon the dark side to assist her. The first thought that came to mind would be the presence of fear. She wasn't surprised at this discovery, knowing that most Sith drew upon their own fears to overcome obstacles. While Allana could use fear, she wanted to find a more solid foundation, one that would not falter and diminish as fear often does.

The acolyte journeyed further, oblivious to her surroundings as her search carried on. Memories flashed past her vision, as she delved deep into her time with the Silver Jedi. Another thought entered Allana's mind as she continued her study. Anger and bitterness towards the Jedi and their pompous lifestyle had pushed her away from their teachings. It was her resentment and hatred towards her parents and their fellow Jedi that had allowed her to reach her current station and she now decided that it would be her more passionate emotions that would become the source of her power. Rage, resentment and frustration would push her forward. Satisfied, she withdrew from her meditation, wondering if her fellow acolytes had reached a similar conclusion.

[member="Gorteko Graye"] [member="Darth Erebos"] [member="Jayce Pryde"]

 

[Jayce Pryde]

[member="Allana S'hadar"] [member="Gorteko Graye"] [member="Darth Erebos"]

At the behest of the Sith Lord, Jayce slowly made his way to where the rest of the group sat before sitting himself and listening closely and silently. Jayce was not one that was big on words having always preferred to let his rage and skill with a blade speak for him when needed.

"I am Acolyte Jayce Pryde and as of recently I am my own Master and Teacher" Came his cold almost sinister tone as he answered the Lords question as to who he was.

 

[Shaddi]

While the acolytes delved into themselves Erebos simply waited, patience was after all a very important skill for a sith to have. The acolytes would be allowed their time of self discovery and personal development in the mean time Erebos played with fire, literally. Between his hands he created fire and shaped it into all manner of creatures, all small enough to fit into one's palm. After a while He looked towards [member="Jayce Pryde"] and snapped his fingers to dissipate the fire. "Tell me acolyte Jayce what is the foundation of your power?" He asked with curiosity, the other acolytes would get the same question as well but not until he saw they were out of their meditation.

Jaycen was an oddity in the group he felt, a man of few words that wanted actions to decide and dictate his reputation. An admirable trait to have but to be a sith lord one must have a wide verity of skills to call upon. However the spark of the potential for greatness was in him just as it was within [member="Allana S'hadar"] and [member="Gorteko Graye"] as well, not keeping an eye on these acolytes in the future would be a foolish thing to do.

 

[Darlo]

Darlo entered the room silently, not wanting to disturb whatever was going on. He noted 3 other acolytes, plus the master. "Shit, I should've hurried up more with waking up. I shouldn't attract any attention until I'm spoken to."

He walked over to an unoccupied wall and turned his back toward it, facing and scanning the rest of the room, waiting for someone to start addressing him.

 

[Allana S'hadar]

As [member="Darth Erebos"]' voice echoed throughout the hall, Allana found a small chill run down her spine. Opening her eyes she shuddered, shaking at the essence of pure power that flowed from the Sith's words. While it frightened her, it also intrigued her, feeding her drives and aspirations to excel in the ranks of the One Sith. One day, she too would instill fear and ambition among the next generation of Sith. However she learning would be an essential part of this goal, and thinking as such, she rose from her seated position.

The remaining two acolytes had yet to rise from their meditations, leaving Allana to assume that their search was still in progress. Letting out a sigh, she caught sight of the late-comer as he attempted to enter unseen. A malicious smile grew upon the woman's face as she approached him, radiating confidence and power that might instill fear in the latest acolyte. Placing a sickeningly sweet smile on her face, Allana turned her back to the wall and extended her hand.

"Acolyte S'hadar. And who might you be?" she asked, trying to make her voice sound as sweet and friendly as possible. Batting her eyes at the man, she altered her facial structure to a more attractive form. Her skin shimmered as the old was replaced with the new, leaving a more perfected from of the Shi'ido hybrid. Smiling again, she let her eyes freeze over the young Sith, chuckling inwardly. She would have him wrapped round her fingers by the end of the day.

[member="Darlo"]

 

[Darlo]

"Finally, some conversation." He thought has he returned the hand shake with a firm grip and an even firmer shake. "Acolyte Darlo, a pleasure. What is it you are all meditating about at the moment?" He asked softly as to not disturb the others. The aura coming off this female was strong and bold, yet feminine and somehow... delicate.

The last one was conflicting with all the rest, it was strange. He could not get a good read off of her, "I should be careful of this one, her intentions are unclear yet possibly harmful."

Despite all of this, Darlo decided he would not be rude due to being a bit put off my the new acquaintance, so he returned the smile with a closed-mouth variant.

[member="Allana S'hadar"]

 

[Allana S'hadar]

"Likewise." she replied, finalising the greeting. She could sense the concern within the acolyte, as if he was aware of her deceit. However Allana did not worry. Her training as both a Jedi and Sith would make her more than his equal if things were to turn ugly. Although she did not wish it to come to this. Smiling again as if she was laughing at the awkward tension that had now arose, she answered his question.

"Well we've been set with the task to discover our own source of power. Darth Erebos, our instructor, suggests we search for some emotion that can fuel our connection to the dark side. Meditation seems to be the easiest path to discover our source." she said, turning to face the other two Sith as they continued their search in earnest. "You can join in as well if you like." she said, again facing her fellow Sith, "It can't hurt to learn more about yourself in the process. You may already know what you need to move forward but if not I suggest you meditate so not to fall behind."

[member="Darlo"]

 

[Darlo]

"What drives me? Duty. I'm not entirely sure what emotion I could compare that to, but I feel it my duty to carry out the dark side's will, to learn its secrets, and to spread Sith rule across the entire galaxy." His hands rested at his sides now. Darlo lowers himself to the floor, sitting with his calves under him, his feet behind him, and his hands resting on his thighs. "But I guess it couldn't hurt to meditate." He closes his eyes and silences his mind, listening into the dark side more than he already does.

[member="Allana S'hadar"]

 

[Shaddi]

"The same can be said about you Acolyte [member="Allana S'hadar"]." Erebos said from behind her, with how distracted she had been it had been easy to sneak up behind her. She would feel a slight tightening around her throat more as a warning than anything, though Erebos hadn't moved at all to indicate he was force choking her. "Given that you felt it was right to instruct another acolyte in my class I think it is safe to assume you've found what drive's your power?" His tone was ice cold and almost venomous as he spoke but softened at the end, as did the grip around her neck.

"Acolyte [member="Darlo"]... wasn't it?" He then said as he walked to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Find your strongest emotion, your strongest passion and I will help you turn that into the foundation of your power." He said patiently before he let the acolyte continue his meditation.

Then he looked back towards Allana and with a slight gesture of his hand, pointing in front of him, told her to come to him. "What is it that drives you Acolyte Allana?" He then asked again having left her hanging when he first asked, his initial annoyance was gone and his signature in the force was cold and calm as before.

[member="Jayce Pryde"] [member="Gorteko Graye"]

 

[Gorteko Graye]

Gorteko Ended his meditation and opened his eyes. He had been listening while in his meditation, so it was as though he had not meditated at all when it came to his current surroundings. His time in the Cartel had trained him to stay completely aware of everything around ones self at all times, you never knew who would try to kill or rob you, or when.

Gorteko wonder if [member="Allana S'hadar"] was simply outgoing or possibly even arrogant. But was she actually trying to help or was she attempting to assert dominance, or perhaps something else entirely. Though it was not much of a concern to him, the man didn't figure they'd be spending too much time together. In all reality he didn't spend too much time with anyone, maybe that was something he needed to work on. In this political game of the sith it was necessary to have allies. While he didn't feel the desire to lead, or rise through the ranks, only to grow in power; it couldn't hurt to be that ally that other have, perhaps one day have influence on their decisions as a confidante. That could be dealt with at another time however, for now, he was here to become stronger.

[member="Darlo"] [member="Jayce Pryde"]

 

[Allana S'hadar]

Without warning, Allana turned, hiding her terror as the great figure of [member="Darth Erebos"] appeared before her. Sensing the annoyance in his aura, the acolyte gasped as she felt her airway tighten, struggling for breath as the Sith Lord began to choke her. However before she could panic, the grip loosened and she felt cool air rush back into her body without external aggravation.

"I apologise my Lord. It will not happen again." she said, bowing to the Sith as she moved away from her fellow acolyte, leaving the instructor's second question unanswered. Ashamed to have been caught off guard, she grimaced, rubbing her throat as the internal swelling receded. She had never been attacked by her fellow Sith before, however she had only been used to her master's training thus far and was unaware of how others were treated.

"Dark Lord, my rage and resentment of the my past will drive me forward. I no longer wish to think on the life I once led, but perhaps it will be useful in fueling my own power." she replied after the instructor addressed her once more. She hoped that her answer would please the Sith or at least some form of satisfaction.

[member="Darlo"]