Author Topic: Sith Magic  (Read 120 times)

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Sith Magic
« on: January 15, 2019, 12:56:14 pm »
Traditionally, Sith magic, also known as Sith sorcery, was an arcane expression of Force ability first developed and practiced by the original Sith species through which they manipulated the power of the dark side. The very name of the Sith was adopted by the Dark Jedi Exiles of the Hundred-Year Darkness, who combined Sith mysticism with their own experiments into dark side power to create even more strange rituals and alchemical sciences. Sith magic, while as much a part of the dark side as endowments like Force lightning, was accessible only to those Force-sensitives who possessed an intrinsic relationship with the dark side. Through the recitation of spells, execution of hand gestures, and or the handling of various artifacts, darksiders were able to channel the raw power of the Force's malignant side to warp minds, alter the environment, and obliterate whatever obstacles stood in their way. Males who achieved mastery were known as Sith sorcerers, mages, magicians, or wizards, while females who practiced Sith sorcery were referred to as Sith sorceresses or witches.

Sith magic was prevalent among the citizens of the ancient Sith Empire, and its disciplines were adhered to throughout the span of galactic history, predating even the inception of the longstanding Galactic Republic. Its effectiveness in battle was realized during the Great Hyperspace War of 5000 BBY, up to and beyond the Great Sith War a thousand years later. Lords and Inquisitors of the reconstituted Sith Empire were armed with Sith magic during the Great Galactic War of 3681 BBY. Proponents of Sith magic revived its practice briefly during the New Sith Wars, but it became something of an oddity following the reformation of the Republic in 1000 BBY. By then, a lone Sith apprentice was its only active student. Still, the allure of Sith magic survived through the fall of the Republic in 19 BBY and the subsequent Galactic Civil War, and curious Force-sensitives learned to harness its power from obscure temples on long-forgotten planets and moons. By 137 ABY, the magic of the Sith was studied by the foremost loremasters of Darth Krayt's One Sith Order.


Description

By those against whom it was used, Sith magic, also called Sith sorcery, was described as the full destructive power of the dark side of the Force. Its strength was derived from negative emotions, and grew stronger and more corrupting with each expression. Sith magic was every bit a part of the dark side as conventional Force powers, and when the Dark Jedi Exiles of the Hundred-Year Darkness found Korriban and conquered the Sith people, they incorporated the magic of the Kissai priests into their own mastery of the dark side. Sith sorcerers of later generations learned to combine their exotic spells with traditional Sith talents while in the midst of battle, but when engaged in lightsaber combat, those who wielded said weapons were often forced to divide their concentration between casting spells and their bladework. The magic of the ancient Sith was a complex power that assaulted an individual's psyche in ways that were both difficult to comprehend and defend against. Only beings with considerable strength of will were able to resist its psychological effects. Conversely, a Sith sorcerer's concentration was able to be interrupted by Force-users skilled in the art of Jedi battle meditation, and their magical creations could be undone by pure manifestations of the light side of the Force.

Sith magic was perceived differently by those who were subjected to its power. Some Force-sensitive beings felt as though it consumed their life energy, while others became physically weaker and felt like all their strength was being siphoned. Some sensitives without any Force training suffered from headaches while in an atmosphere permeated with the residual energy of Sith magic. Its power was enticing, and sometimes manifested as a musical undercurrent—beautiful to some, hideous to others—to lure the unsuspecting. Sith magic tempted the curious with what was believed to be limitless dark side power, and such an opportunity compelled many to explore further. Each interpreted their experience differently; Sullustan pilot Dllr Nep described visually seeing it as the ripple effect of disturbed water, while Beast-Lord Oron Kira saw the sky above him literally become overcast with the power of dark side.

Those who practiced Sith magic found its power as a viable means of bringing their goals to fruition. Members of the planet Onderon's Naddist Sith cult, many of whom were seasoned magicians, believed themselves to be indomitable so long as Sith magic was theirs to command. Its power was used for a variety of purposes through a number of techniques, ranging from mind and reality-altering spells to powers that impacted the physical world directly. Some sorcerers applied Sith magic during their endeavors to control life and death. Despite the various reasons individuals aspired to learn the ways of the dark side, two common themes were found in all those who subscribed to the study of Sith magic: reaching their full Force-potential and the pursuit of ever-greater power.

Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Bane believed that beings with a true affinity for Sith magic were few and far between. To him, Sith magic allowed an individual to channel the dark side with maximum effect in ways that he, even as the prophesied "Sith'ari," was unable to do. To King Ommin of Onderon, Sith magic was only attainable after breaching a barrier that resided deep within himself. At the behest of his Sith Master and forefather Freedon Nadd, Ommin was required to abandon his fears and doubts, lest through them he was consumed by the power he sought to control. According to Nadd, Ommin was only able to penetrate that barrier after he had fully embraced his hatred of everything—including the dark side of the Force. Once he accomplished that goal, Sith sorcery granted Ommin an amplified sense of his environment; he was able to influence the malevolent sensations of millions of beings and fill those unsuspecting individuals with a hatred that was not their own. Such an exertion of the dark side was not without its detriments, however. Mastery over Sith sorcery demanded that Ommin sacrifice motor control over his body in exchange for access to the unlimited power of the dark side.


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