The journal of Jantar Keltainen – a study of dark-sided magic

[Jantar Keltainen]

False light side aura

Notable practitioners: Freedon Nadd; Darth Zannah

False light side aura was a dark side Force power conjured through Sith magic, that covered a dark-sider’s dark side aura with one of light.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Fiery energy

Notable practitioners: Darth Sidious

A dark side power is conjured by the sorceror in a ceremonial bowl and used to attack its victims. Manifesting initially as fire, the blue energy could be blocked by someone skilled in the use of the Force and it could serve both as a weapon and a tool in order to bind and draw someone closer.

Contrary to its appearance the flames do not appear to burn or harm the intended target, at least not directly. The flames can be repelled through a lightsaber which causes pain to the caster but otherwise no injury.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Force blast

Notable practitioners: Amanoa, Aleema Keto, Exar Kun, Ommin

“We can blast our enemies into dust!”
― Aleema Keto

Force blast was a Force power, that when conjured, projected concentrated blasts of pure dark side energy at objects or opponents, usually with devastating effects.

“My hand… the flesh is burned! But I feel no pain!”
― Exar Kun

Using one’s hands, the conjurer could project focused blasts of dark side energy, that could obliterate objects, or destroy living beings or creatures. At first, users would experience moderate difficulty in controlling such powerful dark side energy. With practice, the aspiring sorcerer could learn to direct the energies into a power that could obliterate anything in its path. Sometimes the user would suffer burns to their flesh, but feel no pain. While its effects were enhanced if the wearer was in possession of a Sith amulet, the amulet was not required.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Force walk

Notable practitioners: Lord Ergast, Darth Nox, Darth Iratus, Darth Vilus

“But ghosts may be bound and their strength borrowed, for a time. You must pull on the tether that connects life and death. You must learn to bind both sides of the Force, life and death, in what is known as the Force walk.”
― The gatekeeper of Ergast’s holocron

The Force walk was an ancient Sith technique used to bind restless Force ghosts to the living in order to utilize their strength.

Requiring great strength of will, a Sith could bind the restless ghosts of dead Sith to himself. Once bound, the user may draw from the ghost’s power, channeling it into a powerful exertion of Force energy. Binding an unwilling ghost allows the user to draw more power while taking a willing one does the opposite. All who have mastered this technique rose to prominence quickly, but then mysteriously faded from glory with no clue as to why.

The only Sith Lords who bound more than one ghost were Darth Nox and Lord Ergast himself, whose death also appears to be a mystery. It would appear that binding too many ghosts can quickly overwhelm the host, inflicting physical and spiritual sickness and lead to violent expressions of Force power beyond the Sith’s control. However, if the user can find the cure which was said to be found on Belsavis and Voss, the user of this ritual overcomes the side effects and can bind as many ghosts as he/she wishes.

I am unsure as to the veracity of the final sentence, as there appears to be no evidence of the cure still being in existence.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Invoke spirits

Notable practitioners: Amanoa, Ommin,

“Freedon Nadd. for years I worshiped your name. For a lifetime I served the memory of your dark power. Now, in the name of my husband King Ommin, in the name of his ancestor Freedon Nadd, I call down the power of the dark side upon these foes!”
― Queen Amanoa, invoking the power of Freedon Nadd

Invoke spirits was a dark side Force power conjured through Sith magic, that summoned the spirit of a deceased dark-sider, usually to augment the requesting Sith magician with the deceased’s power.

Users of this ability would fully surrender themselves to the dark side of the Force, and summon a particular spirit. The caster then would request to be endowed with the power of the spirit, becoming filled with a palpable hatred that overwhelmed anyone in close proximity. The potency of these rituals could be amplified, should the user be in the vicinity of the physical remains of the spirit whose power was solicited.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Memory rub

Also known as: Memory wipe
Area: Control, Sense, and Alter
Notable practitioners: Darth Caedus, Kyp Durron, Father, Bardan Jusik, Freedon Nadd, Cade Skywalker

“I don’t…remember.”
“I have erased that time. We shall never know.”
― Anakin Skywalker, and the Father

Memory rubbing was a Force technique that allowed an individual to use the Force to alter or erase both the memories and/or learned skills of another.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Mesmerism

Another Nightsister technique that was provided by spirit ichor. This power allowed the user to override the thought of those weaker than herself, similar to Mind Trick. A tap of the fingertip to the victim's forehead would induce a trancelike state and make the victim powerless to refuse commands.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Mindspeech

This was a Force power wielded by the Witches of Dathomir that was akin to Telepathy. Once learned, a user was able to project her image and voice into the head of anyone she was in contact with – be it line of sight, video or audio.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Nightsisters magick

Given its specialism, I have decided to include all of the Nightsisters spells I know. They are different to Sith magic. Similar, but different. Knowledge of Sith magic does not confer an ability to case Nightsisters magic (or vice versa) but both require a connection to the dark side.

The main difference is in the philosophy of the caster. Broadly speaking, a Sith looks to control the dark-side – to bend it to her will. And she will use her emotions to fuel her power – but invariably look to be in control.

A NIghtsister gives into the emotions and is quite prepared to lose control. Also, a Sith is taught to take life – but primarily as and when it serves a need. A Nightsister will kill regardless of benefit or need. Both subtle distinctions perhaps – but differences none the less.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Odojinya

Also known as: Dark side web
Area: Alter
Notable practitioners: Freedon Nadd, Ommin, Thannor Keth

“His name is Arca…he’s quite alive…but suffering mightily under the crushing power of the dark side.”
― King Ommin

Odojinya was a Sith incantation that created a dark side web, a magic technique favoured by Sith sorcerers. When used successfully this power would summon strands of dark side energy that would wrap around the target and ensnare them in an unbreakable mesh. The lattice of dark energy would then effectively sever the being’s connection to the Force and continuously sap their strength as well.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Revitalization of the Whuffa

A technique used by Nightsisters to revitalise the body, or, with a sufficient will, even allow the re-growth of a limb.

The technique's name came from the regenerative powers of the Whuffa worm.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Sense of the Veshet

This allows Nightsisters to distinguish scents carried by the wind up to one hundred metres away, and to see on a moonless pitch-black night.

The name of this technique referred to the veshet, a species of large rodents with a keen sense of smell and night-vision.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Sith runes

Sith Runes was a form of Sith magic that had various effects. Sith Runes usually had some form of protection as seen in the Valley of Golg. Sith Runes were used in ancient times to produce effects of the Force, which sometimes were included in rituals.

Included, not because they were a spell or a ritual in themselves, they are important as an understanding of them is essential in some magic practices – much like the ancient Sith language.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Smoke Demon

“It seems solid... But I feel it... In my mind...”
― Luke Skywalker

This is a separate entry for Dwomutsiqsa, given the same knowledge comes from two different sources.

Smoke Demons were dark side entities that could be summoned through Sith. Smoke Demons could metamorphose into their targets’ worst fears and sought to vaporise their bodies.

“I’ve been scared before—I’ve faced death before, lots of time—but I’ve never felt anything like this.”
― Luke Skywalker

A Smoke Demon, called Siqsa in Sith, was an insubstantial manifestation of the dark side of the Force that assumed the form of its victim’s worst fear upon being summoned by a dark-sider. They could be summoned through an ancient Sith ritual recorded as Dwomutsiqsa—literally “Summon Demon”—in an ancient scroll recovered by Sorzus Syn.

This fact suggests that the spell did not have to be incanted – but much trial and error later, and I cannot substantiate that claim.

The creatures summoned could absorb their victim’s body by flowing into it and vaporizing it, entrapping within them the victim’s soul, which would be released upon the Demon’s destruction.

They would first materialize as mere spirals of smoke before assuming a definite shape, then would paralyze their targets, leaving them conscious but helpless. Then the demon flowed into the body of its victim, who turned translucent, then transparent, and finally faded away. The entire body was turned to smoke and absorbed by the demon.

Despite being made of a smoky substance, a Smoke Demon has significant strength. It does not have a capacity to speak orally, but instead communicates through some form of psychic ability, the extent of which is unknown.

“That demon was a creation of the Force—given life by someone whose powers rival Darth Vader’s.”
― Luke Skywalker

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Speed of the Toocha

This was a technique, where a Nightsister would be imbued with short bursts of blindingly fast speed and energized leaps to cover remarkable distance.

This is, essentially, a variation of Force speed and Force Jump.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Spell of concealment

Notable practitioners: Freedon Nadd, Darth Zannah

Similar to the Force cloak ability, conjuring a spell of concealment through Sith magic allowed the caster to hide or cloak the presence of one or multiple individuals.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Spell of Interpretation

This was a technique used by the Witches of Dathomir to allow them to translate a language and speak it in kind.

Any language, including droid-speak could be understood. This knowledge of a language, however, was temporary and artificial, as it only lasted as long as the spell was kept active.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Spirit ichors

This is the base for magick employed by the Nightsisters. According to the Book of Shadows, it came from channelling the Winged Goddess and manifested as green smoke.

I learned that spirit ichor could be manipulated in a large variety of ways. You could manipulate spirit ichor into physical objects such as a goblet or even a lightsaber. It was no illusion but a physical manifestation. Spirit ichor could also be used for divination; for mesmerism, to induce a victim into a trancelike state; for totem magic; or to conjure the Water of Life for healing purposes and other uses.

The final use I was showed was to produce a mist that allowed me to operate ‘midway’ between the physical and spirit realms, cloaking me with near-invisibility.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Summon fear

Notable practitioners: Freedon Nadd, Darth Zannah, Dread Masters

“She’s not dead, though whatever’s left of her mind surely begs for death.”
―Darth Zannah to Hetton on the effects of Summon Fears on Cyndra

Similar to Force Fear, horror, insanity, or Torture by Chagrin, summon fear was a dark side Force power conjured through Sith magic, that caused the victim to experience their worst fears to the point of hysteria. It was a very powerful ability, and the duration and intensity varied depending on the caster.

This spell was called upon when the caster moved their fingers in an intricate pattern, focusing the Force in a particular way, taking seconds to produce effects. The victim’s deepest and most primal fears were made seemingly alive, often taking the form of demons or monsters that relentlessly torment the victim. The longer the spell is held, the more realistic and terrifying the illusions became.

To an outside viewer, the victim may seem to suddenly seize and go insane.

Depending on the spell’s length, the effects could range greatly. Short durations could result in the victim waking up with only a small recollection of what happened. Longer applications could cause one’s physical form to seize itself into unconsciousness, while the mind was virtually destroyed. The body remained effectively comatose, while whatever lasting consciousness was tortured for all eternity. Spells even longer endured could very well result in the victim’s death.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

The Surge of the Brier

Another Nightsister Magick, this allows the user to reach into the spirit realm and grip the essence of a sessile plant. You can then twist and shape the plant into a form of the user’s choosing. It’s uses were many including the option to wrap an enemy in vines, or impale them with thorns.

It was similar to the Force technique, Plant Surge.

The Nightsister that trained me explained that, with continued practice, the technique would invoke ‘green spirits’ to generate a ‘calming aura of meditation’ or break down poisons that had infected the bloodstream.