The Horuset Lightning Powers

[Ahandra Horuset]

Lightning powers

By Ahandra/Rik, Zikarn/Daniel, and Zevasa/Cain

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“Force Lightning requires strength of a sort only a Sith can command because we accept consequence and reject compassion. To do so requires a thirst for power that is not easily satisfied.”
— Darth Plagueis

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Introduction

Force Lightning, also known as Sith Lightning, is a pure expression of the Dark Side; it is raw Force energy, the product of extreme hatred unleashed as searing arcs of electrical energy. The moniker ‘Sith Lightning’ is well-earned, as these abilities and their subsets are so intrinsic to the Sith Order that it is thought of as one of the truly iconic powers of the Sith.

Even at its most basic levels, this power can cause extreme pain, stun an enemy, and take them off-guard; at its most potent, it can reduce even experienced and powerful opponents to steaming corpses. Force Lightning of all kinds is most effective as a tool of pure superiority against Non-Force-Users, who have virtually no defence against it.

Yet it is not a power learned without sacrifice; and a highly visual one at that. Often practitioners, and certainly Masters, of Lightning are identifiable by the patterns of scars on their hands and forearms caused by the backfiring of new abilities in this tree. Yet, the pain is worthwhile; for those select few who truly master lightning, the Dark Side itself is manifest as a weapon for you to command.

There is one peculiar thing about the Lightning Tree that deserves special attention: After Force Lightning, the tree branches off in two directions; Chain Lightning and Sith Barrage respectively. Both can be learned, they are not mutually exclusive, but you only require ONE OF THE TWO as a prerequisite to learn Lightning Burst, the next power in the tree.

Some of these abilities are accessible in the Archives of the Horuset Library and have enough to set your character down the path to learn by themselves. However, as with all powers, learning from another or training with others will significantly hone what you have read. These powers are; for Acolytes, Force Shock, and for those above that rank, Force Lightning. Basic knowledge not sufficient to learn any true theory or practice from can be found for abilities up to Apprentice tier, but not past that. Exceptions to this may exist, but will be noted in the ability profile.

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Spoiler: Colours

Colours

When the ability and knowledge of a user shifts, so too does the colouration of their lightning abilities. In House Horuset, the only colours we accept are blue-white and purple/violet. The colours will change according to the “power level” of the character and their mastery of the Lighting Tree.

Once you achieve 3 (Master) in Force Lightning or any of its successors, all your Force Lightning powers can shift from blue-white to a more intense purple/violet.

[spoiler=Lightning Progression Tree]

[/spoiler]

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Tier I - Core

Spoiler: Force Shock

Force Shock

Optimal range: 20 metres and below

Maximum range: 30 metres

Force Shock is the simplest of all Force Lightning abilities, the ideal starting point. This is where all novitiates to the path of lightning begin. Force Shock is a single shot or burst of electricity shot out from your fingers. With sufficient skill, it is possible to arc or curve the trajectory of a Force Shock to bend it slightly and make it more unpredictable. The energy is also naturally attracted to nearby conductive objects - so there is a degree of ‘tracking’, although it cannot be considered a ‘fire-and-forget’ power. It does not track the way a homing missile would and CAN miss or be dodged with sufficient quick thinking.

Force shock is the least damaging of the lightning powers. Despite this, it is still a form of Lightning and can cause serious damage, particularly to non-Force-Users; aside from localised paralysis, muscle spasms, burns and unconsiousness, Shock can still result in Lightning Sickness when used sufficiently.

At its earliest stages, Shock is best utilised as a stunning move, as it is rarely lethal against Dark Side users. Force Shock is available to learn for all Force Sensitives in the Horuset Archives.

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Tier III - Apprentice

[spoiler=Force Lightning]

Force Lightning

Optimal range: 30 metres and below

Maximum range: 50 metres

Force Lightning, also known as True Lightning or Sith Lightning, allows the user to produce a continuous stream of power from their hand and fingertips, a clear upgrade and extension of the single ‘burst’ of a Force Shock. In order to master this power one has to have mastery of one’s emotional state; one needs to be able to conjure up the deepest depths of hatred and maintain the emotion continually while producing Force Lightning without losing oneself to animal urges.

This is the first power which will seriously harm or damage when first being learned; while Force Shock results in painful redness and first-degree burns to the fingers, Lightning has the potential to backfire and cause serious, second to third-degree burns to the fingers, palms, and forearms.

True Lightning from an experienced and powerful user also generates a kinetic impact when it strikes, varying in strength depending on the circumstances and nature of the hit. The impact in its most extreme cases is enough to hurl a grown man clear across the floor or into walls. This effect must be taken into account when blocking Lightning with a Lightsaber, as an inexperienced defender is as likely to have their weapon thrown from their hand as they are to be successful. It is worth noting that it is far, far more difficult to deflect any form of lightning than it is a blaster bolt with a lightsaber.

Getting hit by Force Lightning is nothing short of torture. The typical effects of lightning apply; serious burns, temporary paralysis, muscle spasms, unconsciousness, and Lightning Sickness. The main difference is in strength and duration: while a Shock is a single burst of energy, the continual stream of true Lightning means that the victim is exposed to the damaging effects for far longer, meaning they can be greatly exacerbated.

Force Lightning is available to learn within the Horuset Archives for Sith Apprentices and above, but should not be attempted without guidance from an experienced practitioner to avoid serious errors and self-inflicted harm.[/spoiler]

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Tier V - Advanced

Spoiler: Sith Barrage

Sith Barrage

Optimal range: 15 metres and below after leaving the conduit point

Maximum range: 30 metres after leaving the conduit point

Sith Barrage manifests quite differently than other Lightning powers. While all other forms of lightning go from the user directly to the victim (or victims in the case of Chain Lightning) Sith Barrage gives the unique ability to channel energy through solid objects or conductors without great impedance. The user can send a bolt of lightning into a surface such as a wall or floor, and cause it to burst forth from the surface at a different point further from them. This makes it ideal for surprise attacks or to circumvent certain defences.

The lightning can emerge from a surface up to fifteen metres away from the caster. After that, it can still travel through the air and hit a target, to a further fifteen metres. This gives the ability an effective maximum range of 30m.

The power itself is around the same as a Force Shock, limited by the distance and material through which it must travel. Due to the way this power works, it is highly effective against certain defensive powers such as Warshield, able to almost entirely circumvent them. A lightning user encased in a Warshield will still be able to use this power so long as they are in contact with a portion of the floor or wall. A sufficiently skilled practitioner can even cast through a Warshield altogether.

The effect of being struck by a Sith Barrage is comparable to that of a Shock; like that power, it is best utilised as a stunning move or as the precursor to a surprise attack. Sith Barrage is not available within the Horuset Archives to learn and should be learned by other means.

[spoiler=Chain Lightning]

Chain Lightning

Optimal range: 30 metres and below

Maximum range: 40 metres

Chain Lightning is one of two abilities that split off from Force Lightning. As the name suggests, users of this power are able to ricochet or ‘bounce’ their lightning between multiple targets in a single powerful burst. The ability itself is considered more powerful than its predecessor, Force Lightning, and therefore also demands a higher form of concentration and control. Undisciplined practitioners are prone to backfire and be struck by their own lightning.

Chain Lightning, unlike its precursor, is more of a high-powered burst that rapidly jumps from target to target than a constant stream. It kills or disables victims on impact, with each target receiving an equal part of the power of the blast; those at the end of a chain are no more or less affected than those at its beginning.

When an individual is hit by chain lightning, the effects are similar to standard Lightning, except near-instantaneous due to the nature of the power. Severe muscle spasms and even heart attacks are common, and this power is considered one of the more lethal variants of lightning as a result; particularly against non-Force-Users with no natural defences.

Chain Lightning is not available within the Horuset Archives to learn and should be learned by other means.[/spoiler]

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Tier VI - Expert

[spoiler=Lightning Burst]

Lightning Burst

Optimal range: 40 metres and below

Maximum range: 100 metres

Lighting Burst is a power that demands a focused mind and utter concentration on one’s target. It is an extremely powerful ability that has the highest range of any lightning power, tied with Force Storm, of up to 100 metres, making it an ideal long-range tool of destruction. It is a concentrated, high-energy yet slender ray of lightning which fires directly at a single target with intense power. The power can certainly wound an unprepared caster, with the effect of a backfire being the most severe of any power besides Force Storm.

The power can and will annihilate anything and anyone hit with it. Force sensitives might be able to dodge it with difficulty, but the sheer kinetic force of such a concentrated blast of lightning means it cannot be blocked with a lightsaber at all, as such would almost certainly throw the weapon from the defender’s hands.

The effects of being hit by Lightning Burst are the most severe of all lightning powers. The concentrated ray of energy can disintegrate portions of the body, leave third-degree burns, and absolutely cause death or total obliteration with a solid strike to the central mass. It is comparable in terms of destructive capacity to Sorcerous Blast, and the energy requirements are likewise similar. Given its power, this lightning power is one of the few which is useful against vehicles.

Lightning Burst is not available within the Horuset Archives to learn and should be learned by other means.[/spoiler]

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Tier VII - Master

Spoiler: Force Storm

Force Storm

Minimum range: 20m (must be further away than this)

Optimal range: Within 100m

Minimum radius: 20m

Maximum radius: 40m

This is the absolute peak of all Lightning powers, the most difficult to acquire and learn, and a true mark of absolute mastery of Force Lightning. The caster directs their hands to the sky and summons arcing bolts of Lightning down around their selected targets in a true ‘area of effect’, centred on a point chosen by the caster. The level of concentration required for this power is huge, preventing the user from moving or speaking while employing it and requiring a similar amount of build-up time to Lightning Burst or Sorcerous Blast.

Force Storm is, in essence, a combination of all of the previous skills into one; the raw energy and power of a Lightning burst, transferred through the atmosphere by Sith Barrage, raining down onto an area as with Chain Lightning, in a continual stream as though from Force Lightning. In order to learn Force Storm, you should have knowledge of the entire Lightning Tree.

When using this power, choose a point you can see within range (100m); you create a cylinder with a radius of between 20m and 40m, at least 10m tall, within which every person or conductive object is struck by bolts of lightning. In order to use this power you must have complete concentration, and at least 10m of overhead clearance; less, and the lightning will not have enough space in which to be summoned and the power will fail. This power can also not be used near to the caster, and must be at least 20m away to avoid striking yourself; Lightning does not differentiate between friend or foe, and will strike anyone who is within the target area.

Getting hit by a Force Storm is utterly devastating. While it can be stopped by a strong Warshield or Force Bubble, even a single hit is usually enough to knock a Force user unconscious; in non-Force-Users, it is likely to kill outright, and survivors will suffer intense pain, burns, muscle spasms, and the effects of ‘lightning sickness’. The toll of using such a power on the caster should not be underestimated; the energy requirements would be even higher than any prior power, and without an amulet to draw from or a partner to siphon from, can be entirely exhausting for a Sith to use for a prolonged time. Likewise, this power is one of the most difficult to control; the Lightning gains almost a life of its own, and fledgling users are likely to strike themselves directly early in learning this power or if their concentration is broken.

Force Storm is not available within the Horuset Archives to learn and should be learned by other means.

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Lightning Sickness

Not only is being struck with Lightning of any kind an extremely painful and life-threatening experience, but surviving such an attack carries complications with it as well. In Dark-Side users specifically, these effects are mitigated greatly, but for Light-Side users and Non-Force-users in particular, the corruptive effects of the pure dark side energy of lightning can cause a condition known as ‘lightning sickness’ which can last for days or even weeks.

“Prolonged exposure to intense electrical fields (such as a sustained current of Force lightning) caused most humanoids to experience sudden and massive calcification of their skeletal system; the abrupt drop in blood minerals provoked muscular micro-seizures all over the victim's body. Telltale symptoms included generalised muscle aches and double vision. A blood test or bioscan could be used to confirm the diagnosis. Unless the victim received complete bed rest and appropriate medical treatment, the disorder would become chronic, lingering for years (barring timely bacta immersion).”
— From Wookiepedia

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Important Notes

Force Lightning cannot be blocked with a Force Barrier or Force Protection. It can be defended against by using a Lightsaber, Tutaminis, Force Bubble or Force Warshield, with varying degrees of efficacy depending on your skill and the type of lightning. Blocking any form of Lightning with a lightsaber is challenging, more so than a blaster bolt by an order of magnitude, and can often have unintended effects, such as the Lightning ‘splashing’ onto the defender or the kinetic force knocking their weapon aside.

Force Lightning is primarily a useful weapon against non-Force-sensitives or non-lightsaber users. Natural Force Resistance means that most Force-Users cannot be killed quickly by lightning, though it is certainly possible with a sufficiently prolonged stream or high enough power level.

When learning a new lightning ability you will always cause damage to your skin or burn your fingers on the first attempts; this goes away with practice and does not necessarily scar, but is still painful. This effect is increased for the highest powers, especially Lightning Burst and Force Storm due to their natures.