Velok the Younger
When I Was A Young Warthog
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
GENERAL INFORMATION
SOCIAL INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
"The Jedi Purge ushered in an era of painful opportunity for new Force-sensitives. Without the Jedi legacy as an opportunity or even a point of reference, they pursued their talents separately and intuitively. They displayed what's known as convergent evolution, falling into similar patterns. Rather than the codified and ossified 'Core Powers' of Jedi and Sith teaching, these new adepts developed a new and more natural canon -- and they did so independently. I contend that any serious adept should consider the value of what I term the 'universal foundation' in developing any training regimen..."
"This book outlines only the first rank of such abilities, meaning the novice can explore these abilities with profit, and can study them well into mastery."
CHAPTER ONE: ENHANCE
"...where the codified approach would break this ability into jumping, running, lifting, breaking, climbing, resisting damage, and so forth, the universal foundation recognizes only a single, incredibly-versatile ability: the skill of temporarily enhancing one's athleticism. This versatility offers opportunities to branch out in unexpected ways. For example, more precise piloting becomes an option, dovetailing well with abilities we will consider..."
CHAPTER TWO: FORESEE
"Again, the unnecessary and ossified cladistics of tradition obscure clarity. A traditionalist might use words like prophecy, Darksight, fighting-sight, precognition, flow-walking, or divination, and while some such abilities have useful peculiarities, the intuitive adept takes a far more versatile if simplistic approach."
"The novice may get a general sense of their own personal future within a day or thereabouts. A more focused user, perhaps a Master, could feel as much as a week in advance, and gain additional details -- but as an old alien once said, always in motion is the future."
"The other branch of this ability refers to readiness and ability to adapt to the unexpected. Notably, untrained but experienced adepts across the galaxy have found that they can share that readiness with their comrades by degrees. Intuition may appear to quicken an adept's reactions; the adept may choose, with effort and practice, to share that quality with a few others on a case-by-case basis."
CHAPTER THREE: HEAL OR HARM
"...commonalities with everything from Jedi healing rites to Celestial life-energy donation to Sith Force Drain, except that..."
"This versatile ability allows the intuitive adept to take energy from the enemy in a wounding way, or to donate energy to a target in a healing way. These abilities scale naturally: a novice requires the singular target to be at arm's length or closer, while a Master might affect multiple targets at longer ranges. The interplay of light and dark is vital here: as one's power to heal grows, one's power to harm finds its limits, and vice versa. For greater clarity, dark-oriented intuitive adepts cannot use this ability to heal."
"The intuitive and unrestricted nature of this path is such that a Jedi can, at cost to their conscience and their code of conduct, adapt their healing skills to inflict serious injury. I encourage this, obviously."
"Most fascinating of all -- and this discovery alone validates the entire research project, above and beyond my worthwhile discoveries -- the intuitive adept can learn to revoke death. This ability requires absolute mastery, true, but it does not require the ridiculous gyrations of Sith researchers, the laughable Sith and Nightsister attempts at necromancy, or the prodigious nonsense of a Cade Skywalker. Within certain reasonable bounds, it is accessible. The bounds are these: when and only when a true master uses this power of heal or harm to kill a sapient being, the master may use the resulting energy to restore to life a single being who is in close proximity and who has died only minutes before. This is an act of the Dark Side, and taints both the user and the resurrected target in unpredictable ways."
CHAPTER THREE: INFLUENCE
"Traditions ascribe very many names to skills that partially overlap with this intuitive ability. Too much has been written of the nonsensical subdivisions of mentalism, Alter Mind, mind control, and so forth. The power called Influence is adaptable and freeform. Like anything else in the universal foundation, it requires no arcane times or ludicrous gestures. It may have less specificity, but it's a better way to spend your time, by far."
"The foundational principle is simple: use of the dark side of the Force can instill negative emotions, and one who follows the light side can instill positive emotions. Any adept, regardless of allegiance or alignment, can generate a broad spectrum of emotions, such as confusion or even mental stress. Naturally, I encourage Jedi to inflict mental stress until the target runs away or has a coronary or some such. Subtler methods, though, are the stock in trade of this ability."
"For example, careful pushing, pulling, and suggestion of emotions or thoughts can strengthen attempts to coerce, persuade, charm, lead, or negotiate."
"All of these options scale naturally: the novice can affect a single being at close range; the true master can affect a handful of beings at longer range. This principle holds true for most if not all of the universal foundation."
CHAPTER FOUR: MISDIRECT
"There is a great deal of frippery, nonsense, and wasted effort surrounding illusion, stealth, and so forth. An intuitive adept simply reaches out and makes a being unable to perceive another being or object. A master can extend the range of the influence, affect multiple targets, even conceal entire areas. A master could also ensure that a concealed being, even once noticed, is difficult to target or hit. The converse is also true: a master of this ability can attract attention to a person, object, or area, making them easier to target or hit."
"While simpler than many illusory techniques, Misdirect is far more intuitive, easier to learn, and easier to use in a moment of crisis."
CHAPTER FIVE: MOVE
"This is simply telekinesis, stripped of its trappings and starting with moving small objects. More experience allows the adept to move larger objects, move more objects, hurl objects to do damage, pull objects out of secure mountings or an enemy's grasp, or perform fine-tuned actions at range as if with their own hands."
CHAPTER SIX: SEEK
"...few easy equivalents within the canon, increasing its value."
"...the Gand Findsmen are, of course, the most well-known example, but certain Draethos tradiations..."
"The adept follows the Force to a lost, forgotten, or concealed person, place, or object. The ability to Seek is a direct counter to Misdirect and other illusions, as well as technological stealth -- so long as the novice adept knows there is something specific to spot. A true master of this ability can see through most illusions and concealment at all times, or track down targets in a precise way at extreme range. These diverse outcomes allow for a degree of specialization."
CHAPTER SEVEN: SENSE
"This ability focuses on living things, apart from the Force-dead Yuuzhan Vong organisms and similar creatures. At its simplest level, this ability allows an intuitive adept to feel the presence of all living things nearby, or the emotional state of a single nearby target. While the latter scales in a predictable way -- range, number of targets, level of detail -- the former is unique. A sense of nearby life can provide an in-depth awareness of one's immediate environment, with obvious combat implications."
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Velok has made an exhaustive study of the common threads of how untrained Force adepts develop their abilities independently. He decided that the 'universal foundation' made for a far more valuable approach than the hidebound 'Core Powers' of Jedi and Sith tradition. These notes and anecdotes became his sixth book. Unlike several previous books, this one is written solely in Basic, rather than in both Basic and Kissai.
Like his previous books, this one went to a combination of longtime associates, admired strangers, and people who happened to catch his eye from afar.
Recipients included [member="Tabigarashu Madara"] (of course), [member="Irajah Ven"], [member="Kyrel Ren"], [member="Cynthia Solus"], [member="Oros"], [member="Ahtemis"], [member="Adder Dawnracer"], [member="Lisza Starseeker"], [member="Erin Tenel"], [member="Srina Talon"], and [member="Tom Taff"].
- Intent: Velok’s next book.
- Image Credit: N/A
- Links:
Velok the Younger - Girawn, Sion, Calypho: Pain as Guide and Servant
- To Pass Unchallenged: The Legacy of Alema Rar
- The Naddists and the Krath: A Retrospective
- Sorcery Deconstructed: The Case for Clarity
- Let the Worthy Prevail: Breaking the Lock of Egalitarian Power
- All powers adapted from the 'Force and Destiny Core Rulebook'
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Media Name: The Universal Foundation
- Format: Book
- Distribution: Rare (a limited number)
- Length: Short (~40,000 words)
- Description: This is a slim volume of Sith scholarship with a tikulini leather binding and a minor alchemical enchantment (short-term memory enhancement, for ease of study). It explores the natural ways in which many cultures and species use the Force, and challenges the standard conception of the 'Core Powers.' It explores only the abilities that a novice can begin to learn, though it also touches on Master-level iterations of the same abilities.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
- Author: Velok of Toola, called Velok the Younger
- Publisher: Self
- Reception: As with Velok’s five previous books, only a dozen or so copies are available. His books have attracted a small but invested following among certain circles (mostly Sith).
INTRODUCTION
"The Jedi Purge ushered in an era of painful opportunity for new Force-sensitives. Without the Jedi legacy as an opportunity or even a point of reference, they pursued their talents separately and intuitively. They displayed what's known as convergent evolution, falling into similar patterns. Rather than the codified and ossified 'Core Powers' of Jedi and Sith teaching, these new adepts developed a new and more natural canon -- and they did so independently. I contend that any serious adept should consider the value of what I term the 'universal foundation' in developing any training regimen..."
"This book outlines only the first rank of such abilities, meaning the novice can explore these abilities with profit, and can study them well into mastery."
CHAPTER ONE: ENHANCE
"...where the codified approach would break this ability into jumping, running, lifting, breaking, climbing, resisting damage, and so forth, the universal foundation recognizes only a single, incredibly-versatile ability: the skill of temporarily enhancing one's athleticism. This versatility offers opportunities to branch out in unexpected ways. For example, more precise piloting becomes an option, dovetailing well with abilities we will consider..."
CHAPTER TWO: FORESEE
"Again, the unnecessary and ossified cladistics of tradition obscure clarity. A traditionalist might use words like prophecy, Darksight, fighting-sight, precognition, flow-walking, or divination, and while some such abilities have useful peculiarities, the intuitive adept takes a far more versatile if simplistic approach."
"The novice may get a general sense of their own personal future within a day or thereabouts. A more focused user, perhaps a Master, could feel as much as a week in advance, and gain additional details -- but as an old alien once said, always in motion is the future."
"The other branch of this ability refers to readiness and ability to adapt to the unexpected. Notably, untrained but experienced adepts across the galaxy have found that they can share that readiness with their comrades by degrees. Intuition may appear to quicken an adept's reactions; the adept may choose, with effort and practice, to share that quality with a few others on a case-by-case basis."
CHAPTER THREE: HEAL OR HARM
"...commonalities with everything from Jedi healing rites to Celestial life-energy donation to Sith Force Drain, except that..."
"This versatile ability allows the intuitive adept to take energy from the enemy in a wounding way, or to donate energy to a target in a healing way. These abilities scale naturally: a novice requires the singular target to be at arm's length or closer, while a Master might affect multiple targets at longer ranges. The interplay of light and dark is vital here: as one's power to heal grows, one's power to harm finds its limits, and vice versa. For greater clarity, dark-oriented intuitive adepts cannot use this ability to heal."
"The intuitive and unrestricted nature of this path is such that a Jedi can, at cost to their conscience and their code of conduct, adapt their healing skills to inflict serious injury. I encourage this, obviously."
"Most fascinating of all -- and this discovery alone validates the entire research project, above and beyond my worthwhile discoveries -- the intuitive adept can learn to revoke death. This ability requires absolute mastery, true, but it does not require the ridiculous gyrations of Sith researchers, the laughable Sith and Nightsister attempts at necromancy, or the prodigious nonsense of a Cade Skywalker. Within certain reasonable bounds, it is accessible. The bounds are these: when and only when a true master uses this power of heal or harm to kill a sapient being, the master may use the resulting energy to restore to life a single being who is in close proximity and who has died only minutes before. This is an act of the Dark Side, and taints both the user and the resurrected target in unpredictable ways."
CHAPTER THREE: INFLUENCE
"Traditions ascribe very many names to skills that partially overlap with this intuitive ability. Too much has been written of the nonsensical subdivisions of mentalism, Alter Mind, mind control, and so forth. The power called Influence is adaptable and freeform. Like anything else in the universal foundation, it requires no arcane times or ludicrous gestures. It may have less specificity, but it's a better way to spend your time, by far."
"The foundational principle is simple: use of the dark side of the Force can instill negative emotions, and one who follows the light side can instill positive emotions. Any adept, regardless of allegiance or alignment, can generate a broad spectrum of emotions, such as confusion or even mental stress. Naturally, I encourage Jedi to inflict mental stress until the target runs away or has a coronary or some such. Subtler methods, though, are the stock in trade of this ability."
"For example, careful pushing, pulling, and suggestion of emotions or thoughts can strengthen attempts to coerce, persuade, charm, lead, or negotiate."
"All of these options scale naturally: the novice can affect a single being at close range; the true master can affect a handful of beings at longer range. This principle holds true for most if not all of the universal foundation."
CHAPTER FOUR: MISDIRECT
"There is a great deal of frippery, nonsense, and wasted effort surrounding illusion, stealth, and so forth. An intuitive adept simply reaches out and makes a being unable to perceive another being or object. A master can extend the range of the influence, affect multiple targets, even conceal entire areas. A master could also ensure that a concealed being, even once noticed, is difficult to target or hit. The converse is also true: a master of this ability can attract attention to a person, object, or area, making them easier to target or hit."
"While simpler than many illusory techniques, Misdirect is far more intuitive, easier to learn, and easier to use in a moment of crisis."
CHAPTER FIVE: MOVE
"This is simply telekinesis, stripped of its trappings and starting with moving small objects. More experience allows the adept to move larger objects, move more objects, hurl objects to do damage, pull objects out of secure mountings or an enemy's grasp, or perform fine-tuned actions at range as if with their own hands."
CHAPTER SIX: SEEK
"...few easy equivalents within the canon, increasing its value."
"...the Gand Findsmen are, of course, the most well-known example, but certain Draethos tradiations..."
"The adept follows the Force to a lost, forgotten, or concealed person, place, or object. The ability to Seek is a direct counter to Misdirect and other illusions, as well as technological stealth -- so long as the novice adept knows there is something specific to spot. A true master of this ability can see through most illusions and concealment at all times, or track down targets in a precise way at extreme range. These diverse outcomes allow for a degree of specialization."
CHAPTER SEVEN: SENSE
"This ability focuses on living things, apart from the Force-dead Yuuzhan Vong organisms and similar creatures. At its simplest level, this ability allows an intuitive adept to feel the presence of all living things nearby, or the emotional state of a single nearby target. While the latter scales in a predictable way -- range, number of targets, level of detail -- the former is unique. A sense of nearby life can provide an in-depth awareness of one's immediate environment, with obvious combat implications."
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Velok has made an exhaustive study of the common threads of how untrained Force adepts develop their abilities independently. He decided that the 'universal foundation' made for a far more valuable approach than the hidebound 'Core Powers' of Jedi and Sith tradition. These notes and anecdotes became his sixth book. Unlike several previous books, this one is written solely in Basic, rather than in both Basic and Kissai.
Like his previous books, this one went to a combination of longtime associates, admired strangers, and people who happened to catch his eye from afar.
Recipients included [member="Tabigarashu Madara"] (of course), [member="Irajah Ven"], [member="Kyrel Ren"], [member="Cynthia Solus"], [member="Oros"], [member="Ahtemis"], [member="Adder Dawnracer"], [member="Lisza Starseeker"], [member="Erin Tenel"], [member="Srina Talon"], and [member="Tom Taff"].
