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29-04-2023, 10:17 PM
[entry #3: An Essay on the Occult, Dark Sided Apparitions, and the writings of Ahandra Horuset, better known as Lord Saud.]
[indent]
I write this with the full intention of transferring it to a separate datapad and ensuring that it makes it's way to Lord Saud's chambers (naturally without this precursor note) for her to read in person in the near future. After our first meeting, it seems she has taken an interest in me - or at least has openly said so. This is an opportunity that I intend to seize in full, as there are few of the Household's Sith, let alone Lords that offer the kind of unique knowledge that the likes of Ahandra Horuset has hoarded within her lifetime. I believe that showing a deeper understanding of what little of the Occult she has chosen to share with the Acolytes in our Archives will be the key to engaging her in debate further, and, if my assumptions about her are correct, those debates will undoubtedly prove to be the key to her presenting tests to me - and from the completion of those tests, the sharing of her knowledge in more detail, and ultimately training in the lost arts of her ancestors.
As Lord Saud said when she first agreed to meet with me, the study of the Arcane will take a great deal of insight, a great deal of preparation, and, much like the third form of lightsaber combat, a great deal of patience. The methods, observation and rituals of the Occult of yore is not something for the faint of heart, and nor is it something that is to be taken lightly or rushed. Indeed, in her own words a former Apprentice of hers (Interestingly enough, an Alderaanian like myself) did the latter - attempting ritual after ritual, act after act, with no regard for the toll it would take on one not pure of blood. I believe she said his blood blackened with corruption, his organs failed, and he eventually succumbed to blood poisoning. While I have no doubt that blood poisoning was the eventual cause of death in her Apprentice, I am personally of the opinion that it was his own folly and lack of heed for the power of the Dark Side and what it can do to a person who has not properly prepared themselves that caused his untimely demise. I will not make the same mistakes. Unlike her now rotting former student, I understand that Lord Saud has not only offered the bare bones of information in the Archives, but in doing so has taught the first lesson:
Patience.
Learning more of the Occult will be a long process. And long processes are not things that a student should rush, but instead take their time. One must have the patience to not only pace their studies so as not to inflict harm upon themselves, but also have the patience to seek knowledge in places others would overlook. Phrases, wording. Tomes and scriptures that are often overlooked by others seeking more immediate forms of power - things such as the core force powers, or lightsaber combat that yeild observable results for Acolytes, not pouring through the archives for documents infrequently opened or otherwise passed over.
While admittedly, I was of a mind to do this with Lord Saud's writings on Force Apparitions after I first read through it, I perservered, and made myself more familiar with the subject matter within. Why? Records showed it was not a popular topic of study, which made it knowledge my "peers" lack. I was patient. And through it I gained more understanding- not just an understanding of the contents within it, but also an understanding of who Lord Saud is. It drove me to scour the archive for other texts penned by her, and while they are... regrettably few in number, what I have found was, and still is enough to cause me to want to know her personally. On a side note, I do not just mean Lord Saud, the Sith Lord, but Ahandra Horuset, the woman. She is not interesting to me merely because of her title and position, but because of how she holds herself. How she uses language. How she is bathed in an air of persistant mystery. Perhaps her teachings on extolling the virtue of patience will allow me to do this?
Anyway... At this point I am dangerously close to winding up veering away from my topic entirely: That of the most notable document she has made available to the Acolytes, and the first stepping stone to learning of the Occult. In a manner not dissimilar to how I picked apart Lord Tokiai's writings into Lightsaber combat, I thoroughly intend to go through the essay Lord Saud penned with a fine toothed comb - to expand perhaps on what she has said where I can, and to put my thoughts down into words so that I can keep a clear track of where my research is at, and thus, in time (and with a great deal patience), know if my thoughts were correct or not. I have no doubt that I will return to these notes and correct myself in future, but for now, this will have to suffice...
Lord Saud opens the document by discussing the Kissai- or at least mentioning them alongside her years of study in the Sith arts in order to establish from where her knowledge has come from. At first, I was not familiar with the term - They do not teach such things on Alderaan afterall (and why would they? The planet was Republic aligned until prior to the Empire's return to the Galaxy.), but further research into the term has revealed to me that the Kissai were the preisthood of the ancient Sith, experts in Alchemy, the Dark Side, and ofcourse, the Occult. That Lord Saud is both a physical, and spiritual descendent of this priesthood is no mere coincidence, and most certainly worth noting. This link explains in itself why she is so keen to ensure that the ancient rites of the Sith are not forgotten (and understandably so, for I would not be so keen myself to allow the history of the Alderaanian society to fade, should I have a chance to keep record of it). It also goes some way to explain why she has risen to be, in my opinion, the authority on such things within the Horuset powerbase. I intend to do further research in the coming weeks on the rites of the Kissai, at least as much as I can with my limited access to the archives.
That said, her document was not on the Kissai, but on Force Apparitions. I find it curious that she states that they "seem" sentient - as if the Force that flows through them is merely puppeting life. This notion, that for now (until I learn more) I will dub "sentient-mimicry" seems to suggest that while the Force is a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled practicioner, it is only capable of making something that appears to be life rather than life itself, and that there must be the biological act of insemination for the procreation of sentient species in order for life to be created. While this is only a hypothesis, I should naturally present it to Lord Saud in due course once I have dwelled more on this subject. That said, I find the idea just as interesting that the act of Force based sentient-mimicry also produces the varied personalities that one might find in actual sentients. Afterall, to quote Lord Saud herself on the subject "... Some are wise, friendly and good teachers, but most are without a doubt extremely dangerous." - the extreme variance of these apparitions in regards to their behaviour is just as notable as it is interesting, however, and I should exercise due caution in the future should I come across one, as from what I can tell, no two are ever entirely the same even if they may fall into the same rough category as another entity that I may encounter. From just this alone, she is right to point out the ignorance of the reader in regards to matters of the Force - I feel that no matter how much I read on this subject, I will never be truly free of ignorance on what the Force is capable of, especially in comparison to the likes of Lord Saud, who has spent a lifetime deeply immersed in the ancient ways.
Perhaps something that is overlooked by my fellow Acolytes (and perhaps so many other Sith that have passed through these halls?) is that there are various "levels" to the power that each type of Apparition holds to. It may seem like an obvious thing to point out, but rather than taking Lord Saud's writings on face value, it seems to me that these "tiers" (as she and Lorekeeper Priaa have called them) are not just simple rankings of power to help categorize them and thus lend a more ordered structure, but function as milestones in a Sith's study into the Occult. It is not implied, nor implicitly stated within the document, but after exploring Lord Tokiai's writings in the past, I have taught myself to read between the lines when it comes to the scriptures that the Lords allow us to have access to. It is (at least to me, as opposed by those Lord Saud deems "illiterate species") not difficult to forsee a situation where Lord Saud would set her apprentices to task on making contact with the lower tiers of the list first, once they were deemed ready, before (depending on their sucesses or failures) moving on to other categories in order.
A side note before I continue, for future reference- I must find more about this Lorekeeper that she mentions, or perhaps attempt to meet with them if they still live, to clarify my theory on the tier structure they have created. At this time, any link to the Occult is valuable knowledge, and thus I must pursue it in order to further prove myself to Lord Saud.
Naturally, the first thing she goes into after her forewords on the document are what have been labelled as "Tier One Apparitions" - the most simplistic of these Dark Sided manifestations on the list, everything that falls into this category seems to be little more than an optical illusion with little, if any true sentient-mimicry - there may be some exceptions to the latter part, as often there are with any rules (for example, Twi'leks with the capacity to climb out of obscurity), but it is evident from Lord Saud's teachings that these beings are truly incapable of existence without the influence of a living sentient, summoning from a learned Sith, or the ever elusive ritual behaviour of the Kissai Priesthood.
It seems to me, from the two Tier One Apparitons that Lord Saud describes in this text, that the "Whisp" would be the one of the two that have the potential to almost appear "naturally" - as she explains they are the leftover products of "Kizia" (another point for futher study?) rituals, through the dispelling of energy out of ones body, or the results of excessive residual Force activity - which leads me to believe that the creation of these particular apparitons are a way for Priests such as Lord Saud to slow the negative effects of the darkside upon their physical forms, or even for nature to try and relieve some of the pressure that must naturally occur as a result of the larger rituals that the Kissai seem to be capable of. Even with my limited understanding of the Occult, that there would be some way of "venting" the pressure, as one might with a furnace makes a great deal of sense to me - afterall, in the case of Lord Saud's former apprentice, prevention would most certainly have been better than the cure. Perhaps if he had learned how to channel the energy buildup of his repeated attempts at rituals he might have been able to survive long enough to exercise true caution.
Unlike the "humble" Whisps that exist solely as a byproduct like steam from boiled water, the other Tier One Apparition is most certainly not something with the potential to make its way into the physical realms through natural means - while whisps may be the folklore designed to scare young children into not going into the woods at night, it is Fragments that are the stories told to scare the adults from ancient places and graveyards.
While I can see the need for a Kissai Priest or Sith involved in ritualistic activities to use a Whisp to keep themselves safer, I cannot see much practical need for a "Fragment" given that they are prone to distraction and a slave to their singular emotional state (as Lord Saud puts it..), other than perhaps summoning one in order to gain a further understanding of an event that has happened in the past - for example, summoning one at the site of an impassioned murder to study how it reacts to questioning, or to draw forwards the apparition in order to learn more of the Dark Side... Although this could be a mere stab in the dark. What I do wish to highlight for further study is the idea that a Fragment appears to need some physical anchor - an item, or items that are used to summon it. These items, presumably, must have some kind of connection to the Fragment that a Sith is attempting to draw forth into existence, which would theoretically make them the focus of the Dark Sided ritual that must take place to create the Apparition. In her text, she explicitly states that "the Fragment itself is harmless, the item it was conjured from may be dangerous if not treated with caution". Perhaps these items are the true reason for the creation of a Fragment, as items that have been exposed to large amounts of energy (as these rituals are bound to create) are likely to be of great use to a Sith aware of the practical application of Alchemical studies.
Moving on from the Tier One Apparitions, we arrive at the less "drawn forth" beings, and much more natural things that linger in the realms of the Force - images, visions, and auras of the long departed that (from what I gather) exist to irritate, vex and cause grief to those they take interest in. Perhaps they are tricksters, playful things of spite and malice that have not enough energy to physically manifest to cause harm - or at least this is the feeling I get from her introduction to the writings on the things classed as Tier Two Apparitions. If she is right, I doubt I will come across them. Unless, ofcourse, she is intentionally sowing the seeds of misdirection in the less determined Acolytes in an effort to put the unworthy long from the trail of knowledge. I would not put it past a Sith Lord of her reputation to do so. That said, I am not so easily wavered from the pursuit of true knowledge, and it would be idiocy to not spend as much time on these spirits as the others just due to their rarity.
While Fragments are clearly forcibly dragged into being, the creatures known as "Force Silhouettes" (Or perhaps shadows, if one were to give them a less formal name), are certainly more natural. Use of the word "ghosts", and the description that they are bound to the corpse of a powerful Force user (the Sith Lords of yore come to mind - perhaps another hidden link to the past Lord Saud is so fierce about maintaining?) . It is curious that they are also the polar opposite in sensation to the whisps, and I theorize that this is due to the fury of the Dark Side manifesting more fully in the creation of Whisps, rather than the cold grasp of death that the Force Silhouettes are bound to.
I find it to be a shame that they cannot interact with the living (or at least according to Lord Saud, they are reluctant to do so), for I would have a great deal of questions for entities who's age can range in the centuries to thousands. Although... I wonder if the reason they do not interact is due to the binding to their departed Lord? I feel that I am theorizing a great deal within this document, but that is what such notes are for, but my thoughts are that if the spirit of a once departed Lord could be brought forth from Death in the form of a Fragment, then the item used to create the fragment might perhaps be the key to creating a way to communicate with these spirits? There is so little information here, and rightly so given the dangerous nature of the Occult, but I cannot help but want to find out if this particular answer is right or not. Afterall, if it were possible to do such a thing, then there would be more information to uncover about the ancient Sith and how their society functioned than a lifetime of studying the runes in the tombs that surround the Academy...
Speaking of tombs, that is a rather nice segue onto the the subject of the "Vile Voices" - I have read about these before, and heard rumors of them during my time on Korriban. They turn the weaker Acolytes insane, and we often took bets on which of the Academy's most recent acquisitions would run screaming out of the tombs first. Some I won. Some I lost. A reminder of how even the least obvious sentients can often create surprises and curve balls that many others fail to predict. I my self have made a habit of appearing to not know my place, or to merely go out of my way to be an irritant to those that think of themselves as my peers, so that they overlook me and allow my studies to go unhindered (bar the occasional snide comment). Still, I digress. Fortunately I have never once been afflicted by the mental visions Lord Saud explains in her scripture - Part of me puts it down to mental fortitude. The other to luck. Still, that doesn't make me wish to linger longer in the areas they are known to be most active should I be able to avoid it.
And thus I encroach upon the final Tier of the document to hand - Tier Three. While the others are either harmless, or only cause harm as an indirect result of their actions, from what Lord Saud explains in her document I am strongly of the opinion that these creatures should be avoided, or dealt with without hesitation, or again - outright avoided (aside from the rare instances where one might be able to contain them for further research). The fact that there is minimal information within this section is warning of it's own right - and, in my opinion, it is right to nurture a healthy amount of fear when considering them. Truly, these... Things, are not just mere curiosities that can be brought forth, poked, prodded and examined at will.
The first she speaks of is the "Entombed Guardians". While understandably horrific to behold, these creatures are testament to the pure power of the Dark Side, which both re-animates the ruined flesh and sinew of corpses far older than the Republic we know so far, and wills more "sentient-mimicry" into them than any of the things that have been discussed so far. Although they are clearly intelligent despite their advanced decay, their minds have been bent to task in guarding the most ancient crypts of the most powerful Lords. This is not the only document I have come across that discusses these creatures, and I have seen first hand what they are capable of. Acolyte Trey'theska was returned in seven separate bags when he grew bold and attempted to loot one of the tombs deep in the wasteland. He had it coming.
As dreadful as they are though I cannot but find myself wondering what would happen if one were dragged away and detained far from the reach of the Lord it has been in service to for Millenia. Perhaps one day if I ascend, I will arrange to have the Overseers organize a generation of Acolytes to do such a thing as a trial. For those that survived, it would certainly not be something they would soon forget, and would likely separate those with a clear understanding of the Occult from those that have not the mental fortitude for it.
Something that... Cannot be truly observed however, is the "Sosû". Perhaps a more malignant twist on the so called "Vile Voices", they are again supposed to be a creature with no physical presence bar that of which they inflict upon a users mind. At this point I can honestly say however, that I have no knowledge of them outside of Lord Saud's documents - and it is regrettable that I have not had a chance to read more about them. The idea of a parasite that has moved from host to host in a desparate bid to keep alive, but over the course of Milennia is truly a most curious notion - although one that does not drum up enough curiosity to attempt to find myself in the path of one to experience it's whispering first hand. Their name though. "Sosû" - It strikes me as High Sith. Which makes me wonder how long these entities have existed for. It is a true shame that I cannot speak more on them, but I have found the archives knowledge entirely lacking on this entity, leaving the only course of action as another attempt at meeting Lord Saud - or that Lorekeeper she mentioned - in an effort to learn more from them directly...
As Lord Saud saved the worst for last, so have I.
The Banshee.
That she has written nothing on this creature is of concern. If such a thing cannot be studied by even the blood heir to the Horuset Powerbase (assuming my knowledge of those who are blood related to Darth Horuset and his kin is correct), then it is safe to assume that they are just as dangerous as they are rare - practically to the point of Mythology.
Indeed, on Alderaan they are Mythological creatures - said to assume the form of young maids who's blood curdling wail is said to herald doom to a mortal that hears it, or that of a decrepit shrouded woman who crouches beneath the most ancient of trees that sit at the bends of rivers, and wails with a sound that is said to stop the heart of those that are unfortunate to earn her ire. Their description changes depending on which prose you read, but all descriptions remain the same - the Banshee's wail. I have nothing but the Mythos of my homeworld to go along with, but at the same time, stories are often based somewhere in truth. I would not be surprised if the appearance of a Banshee is female, and less so if the wail they are so infamous for was some kind of "Force Scream". What I do know, is I am not in a hurry to find out.
At this point, I must bring my notes to a close - I wish that Lord Saud had finished this document, for pouring through it even in it's incomplete state I have learned more than I had originally thought. I would not have done so if she had not told me to be patient - there was something about the way that she spoke to me that sparked a further fire in the interest that she already held in my head, afterall. While I do feel that I have exhausted what information I can currently get access to in the matter of the Occult (the life of an Acolyte is full of restrictions, afterall, and Lord Saud's scriptures are the most notable amongst them), I also feel that I have raised more questions and more lines of intreague for myself than I previously had... Either way, I intend to keep delving into what knowledge I can do in an effort to learn more of the Occult, our ancient spiritual ancestors, and the rites that must be preserved for the future of the Empire.[/indent]
[right]-Acolyte Alencia Dista.[/right]
[indent]
I write this with the full intention of transferring it to a separate datapad and ensuring that it makes it's way to Lord Saud's chambers (naturally without this precursor note) for her to read in person in the near future. After our first meeting, it seems she has taken an interest in me - or at least has openly said so. This is an opportunity that I intend to seize in full, as there are few of the Household's Sith, let alone Lords that offer the kind of unique knowledge that the likes of Ahandra Horuset has hoarded within her lifetime. I believe that showing a deeper understanding of what little of the Occult she has chosen to share with the Acolytes in our Archives will be the key to engaging her in debate further, and, if my assumptions about her are correct, those debates will undoubtedly prove to be the key to her presenting tests to me - and from the completion of those tests, the sharing of her knowledge in more detail, and ultimately training in the lost arts of her ancestors.
As Lord Saud said when she first agreed to meet with me, the study of the Arcane will take a great deal of insight, a great deal of preparation, and, much like the third form of lightsaber combat, a great deal of patience. The methods, observation and rituals of the Occult of yore is not something for the faint of heart, and nor is it something that is to be taken lightly or rushed. Indeed, in her own words a former Apprentice of hers (Interestingly enough, an Alderaanian like myself) did the latter - attempting ritual after ritual, act after act, with no regard for the toll it would take on one not pure of blood. I believe she said his blood blackened with corruption, his organs failed, and he eventually succumbed to blood poisoning. While I have no doubt that blood poisoning was the eventual cause of death in her Apprentice, I am personally of the opinion that it was his own folly and lack of heed for the power of the Dark Side and what it can do to a person who has not properly prepared themselves that caused his untimely demise. I will not make the same mistakes. Unlike her now rotting former student, I understand that Lord Saud has not only offered the bare bones of information in the Archives, but in doing so has taught the first lesson:
Patience.
Learning more of the Occult will be a long process. And long processes are not things that a student should rush, but instead take their time. One must have the patience to not only pace their studies so as not to inflict harm upon themselves, but also have the patience to seek knowledge in places others would overlook. Phrases, wording. Tomes and scriptures that are often overlooked by others seeking more immediate forms of power - things such as the core force powers, or lightsaber combat that yeild observable results for Acolytes, not pouring through the archives for documents infrequently opened or otherwise passed over.
While admittedly, I was of a mind to do this with Lord Saud's writings on Force Apparitions after I first read through it, I perservered, and made myself more familiar with the subject matter within. Why? Records showed it was not a popular topic of study, which made it knowledge my "peers" lack. I was patient. And through it I gained more understanding- not just an understanding of the contents within it, but also an understanding of who Lord Saud is. It drove me to scour the archive for other texts penned by her, and while they are... regrettably few in number, what I have found was, and still is enough to cause me to want to know her personally. On a side note, I do not just mean Lord Saud, the Sith Lord, but Ahandra Horuset, the woman. She is not interesting to me merely because of her title and position, but because of how she holds herself. How she uses language. How she is bathed in an air of persistant mystery. Perhaps her teachings on extolling the virtue of patience will allow me to do this?
Anyway... At this point I am dangerously close to winding up veering away from my topic entirely: That of the most notable document she has made available to the Acolytes, and the first stepping stone to learning of the Occult. In a manner not dissimilar to how I picked apart Lord Tokiai's writings into Lightsaber combat, I thoroughly intend to go through the essay Lord Saud penned with a fine toothed comb - to expand perhaps on what she has said where I can, and to put my thoughts down into words so that I can keep a clear track of where my research is at, and thus, in time (and with a great deal patience), know if my thoughts were correct or not. I have no doubt that I will return to these notes and correct myself in future, but for now, this will have to suffice...
Lord Saud opens the document by discussing the Kissai- or at least mentioning them alongside her years of study in the Sith arts in order to establish from where her knowledge has come from. At first, I was not familiar with the term - They do not teach such things on Alderaan afterall (and why would they? The planet was Republic aligned until prior to the Empire's return to the Galaxy.), but further research into the term has revealed to me that the Kissai were the preisthood of the ancient Sith, experts in Alchemy, the Dark Side, and ofcourse, the Occult. That Lord Saud is both a physical, and spiritual descendent of this priesthood is no mere coincidence, and most certainly worth noting. This link explains in itself why she is so keen to ensure that the ancient rites of the Sith are not forgotten (and understandably so, for I would not be so keen myself to allow the history of the Alderaanian society to fade, should I have a chance to keep record of it). It also goes some way to explain why she has risen to be, in my opinion, the authority on such things within the Horuset powerbase. I intend to do further research in the coming weeks on the rites of the Kissai, at least as much as I can with my limited access to the archives.
That said, her document was not on the Kissai, but on Force Apparitions. I find it curious that she states that they "seem" sentient - as if the Force that flows through them is merely puppeting life. This notion, that for now (until I learn more) I will dub "sentient-mimicry" seems to suggest that while the Force is a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled practicioner, it is only capable of making something that appears to be life rather than life itself, and that there must be the biological act of insemination for the procreation of sentient species in order for life to be created. While this is only a hypothesis, I should naturally present it to Lord Saud in due course once I have dwelled more on this subject. That said, I find the idea just as interesting that the act of Force based sentient-mimicry also produces the varied personalities that one might find in actual sentients. Afterall, to quote Lord Saud herself on the subject "... Some are wise, friendly and good teachers, but most are without a doubt extremely dangerous." - the extreme variance of these apparitions in regards to their behaviour is just as notable as it is interesting, however, and I should exercise due caution in the future should I come across one, as from what I can tell, no two are ever entirely the same even if they may fall into the same rough category as another entity that I may encounter. From just this alone, she is right to point out the ignorance of the reader in regards to matters of the Force - I feel that no matter how much I read on this subject, I will never be truly free of ignorance on what the Force is capable of, especially in comparison to the likes of Lord Saud, who has spent a lifetime deeply immersed in the ancient ways.
Perhaps something that is overlooked by my fellow Acolytes (and perhaps so many other Sith that have passed through these halls?) is that there are various "levels" to the power that each type of Apparition holds to. It may seem like an obvious thing to point out, but rather than taking Lord Saud's writings on face value, it seems to me that these "tiers" (as she and Lorekeeper Priaa have called them) are not just simple rankings of power to help categorize them and thus lend a more ordered structure, but function as milestones in a Sith's study into the Occult. It is not implied, nor implicitly stated within the document, but after exploring Lord Tokiai's writings in the past, I have taught myself to read between the lines when it comes to the scriptures that the Lords allow us to have access to. It is (at least to me, as opposed by those Lord Saud deems "illiterate species") not difficult to forsee a situation where Lord Saud would set her apprentices to task on making contact with the lower tiers of the list first, once they were deemed ready, before (depending on their sucesses or failures) moving on to other categories in order.
A side note before I continue, for future reference- I must find more about this Lorekeeper that she mentions, or perhaps attempt to meet with them if they still live, to clarify my theory on the tier structure they have created. At this time, any link to the Occult is valuable knowledge, and thus I must pursue it in order to further prove myself to Lord Saud.
Naturally, the first thing she goes into after her forewords on the document are what have been labelled as "Tier One Apparitions" - the most simplistic of these Dark Sided manifestations on the list, everything that falls into this category seems to be little more than an optical illusion with little, if any true sentient-mimicry - there may be some exceptions to the latter part, as often there are with any rules (for example, Twi'leks with the capacity to climb out of obscurity), but it is evident from Lord Saud's teachings that these beings are truly incapable of existence without the influence of a living sentient, summoning from a learned Sith, or the ever elusive ritual behaviour of the Kissai Priesthood.
It seems to me, from the two Tier One Apparitons that Lord Saud describes in this text, that the "Whisp" would be the one of the two that have the potential to almost appear "naturally" - as she explains they are the leftover products of "Kizia" (another point for futher study?) rituals, through the dispelling of energy out of ones body, or the results of excessive residual Force activity - which leads me to believe that the creation of these particular apparitons are a way for Priests such as Lord Saud to slow the negative effects of the darkside upon their physical forms, or even for nature to try and relieve some of the pressure that must naturally occur as a result of the larger rituals that the Kissai seem to be capable of. Even with my limited understanding of the Occult, that there would be some way of "venting" the pressure, as one might with a furnace makes a great deal of sense to me - afterall, in the case of Lord Saud's former apprentice, prevention would most certainly have been better than the cure. Perhaps if he had learned how to channel the energy buildup of his repeated attempts at rituals he might have been able to survive long enough to exercise true caution.
Unlike the "humble" Whisps that exist solely as a byproduct like steam from boiled water, the other Tier One Apparition is most certainly not something with the potential to make its way into the physical realms through natural means - while whisps may be the folklore designed to scare young children into not going into the woods at night, it is Fragments that are the stories told to scare the adults from ancient places and graveyards.
While I can see the need for a Kissai Priest or Sith involved in ritualistic activities to use a Whisp to keep themselves safer, I cannot see much practical need for a "Fragment" given that they are prone to distraction and a slave to their singular emotional state (as Lord Saud puts it..), other than perhaps summoning one in order to gain a further understanding of an event that has happened in the past - for example, summoning one at the site of an impassioned murder to study how it reacts to questioning, or to draw forwards the apparition in order to learn more of the Dark Side... Although this could be a mere stab in the dark. What I do wish to highlight for further study is the idea that a Fragment appears to need some physical anchor - an item, or items that are used to summon it. These items, presumably, must have some kind of connection to the Fragment that a Sith is attempting to draw forth into existence, which would theoretically make them the focus of the Dark Sided ritual that must take place to create the Apparition. In her text, she explicitly states that "the Fragment itself is harmless, the item it was conjured from may be dangerous if not treated with caution". Perhaps these items are the true reason for the creation of a Fragment, as items that have been exposed to large amounts of energy (as these rituals are bound to create) are likely to be of great use to a Sith aware of the practical application of Alchemical studies.
Moving on from the Tier One Apparitions, we arrive at the less "drawn forth" beings, and much more natural things that linger in the realms of the Force - images, visions, and auras of the long departed that (from what I gather) exist to irritate, vex and cause grief to those they take interest in. Perhaps they are tricksters, playful things of spite and malice that have not enough energy to physically manifest to cause harm - or at least this is the feeling I get from her introduction to the writings on the things classed as Tier Two Apparitions. If she is right, I doubt I will come across them. Unless, ofcourse, she is intentionally sowing the seeds of misdirection in the less determined Acolytes in an effort to put the unworthy long from the trail of knowledge. I would not put it past a Sith Lord of her reputation to do so. That said, I am not so easily wavered from the pursuit of true knowledge, and it would be idiocy to not spend as much time on these spirits as the others just due to their rarity.
While Fragments are clearly forcibly dragged into being, the creatures known as "Force Silhouettes" (Or perhaps shadows, if one were to give them a less formal name), are certainly more natural. Use of the word "ghosts", and the description that they are bound to the corpse of a powerful Force user (the Sith Lords of yore come to mind - perhaps another hidden link to the past Lord Saud is so fierce about maintaining?) . It is curious that they are also the polar opposite in sensation to the whisps, and I theorize that this is due to the fury of the Dark Side manifesting more fully in the creation of Whisps, rather than the cold grasp of death that the Force Silhouettes are bound to.
I find it to be a shame that they cannot interact with the living (or at least according to Lord Saud, they are reluctant to do so), for I would have a great deal of questions for entities who's age can range in the centuries to thousands. Although... I wonder if the reason they do not interact is due to the binding to their departed Lord? I feel that I am theorizing a great deal within this document, but that is what such notes are for, but my thoughts are that if the spirit of a once departed Lord could be brought forth from Death in the form of a Fragment, then the item used to create the fragment might perhaps be the key to creating a way to communicate with these spirits? There is so little information here, and rightly so given the dangerous nature of the Occult, but I cannot help but want to find out if this particular answer is right or not. Afterall, if it were possible to do such a thing, then there would be more information to uncover about the ancient Sith and how their society functioned than a lifetime of studying the runes in the tombs that surround the Academy...
Speaking of tombs, that is a rather nice segue onto the the subject of the "Vile Voices" - I have read about these before, and heard rumors of them during my time on Korriban. They turn the weaker Acolytes insane, and we often took bets on which of the Academy's most recent acquisitions would run screaming out of the tombs first. Some I won. Some I lost. A reminder of how even the least obvious sentients can often create surprises and curve balls that many others fail to predict. I my self have made a habit of appearing to not know my place, or to merely go out of my way to be an irritant to those that think of themselves as my peers, so that they overlook me and allow my studies to go unhindered (bar the occasional snide comment). Still, I digress. Fortunately I have never once been afflicted by the mental visions Lord Saud explains in her scripture - Part of me puts it down to mental fortitude. The other to luck. Still, that doesn't make me wish to linger longer in the areas they are known to be most active should I be able to avoid it.
And thus I encroach upon the final Tier of the document to hand - Tier Three. While the others are either harmless, or only cause harm as an indirect result of their actions, from what Lord Saud explains in her document I am strongly of the opinion that these creatures should be avoided, or dealt with without hesitation, or again - outright avoided (aside from the rare instances where one might be able to contain them for further research). The fact that there is minimal information within this section is warning of it's own right - and, in my opinion, it is right to nurture a healthy amount of fear when considering them. Truly, these... Things, are not just mere curiosities that can be brought forth, poked, prodded and examined at will.
The first she speaks of is the "Entombed Guardians". While understandably horrific to behold, these creatures are testament to the pure power of the Dark Side, which both re-animates the ruined flesh and sinew of corpses far older than the Republic we know so far, and wills more "sentient-mimicry" into them than any of the things that have been discussed so far. Although they are clearly intelligent despite their advanced decay, their minds have been bent to task in guarding the most ancient crypts of the most powerful Lords. This is not the only document I have come across that discusses these creatures, and I have seen first hand what they are capable of. Acolyte Trey'theska was returned in seven separate bags when he grew bold and attempted to loot one of the tombs deep in the wasteland. He had it coming.
As dreadful as they are though I cannot but find myself wondering what would happen if one were dragged away and detained far from the reach of the Lord it has been in service to for Millenia. Perhaps one day if I ascend, I will arrange to have the Overseers organize a generation of Acolytes to do such a thing as a trial. For those that survived, it would certainly not be something they would soon forget, and would likely separate those with a clear understanding of the Occult from those that have not the mental fortitude for it.
Something that... Cannot be truly observed however, is the "Sosû". Perhaps a more malignant twist on the so called "Vile Voices", they are again supposed to be a creature with no physical presence bar that of which they inflict upon a users mind. At this point I can honestly say however, that I have no knowledge of them outside of Lord Saud's documents - and it is regrettable that I have not had a chance to read more about them. The idea of a parasite that has moved from host to host in a desparate bid to keep alive, but over the course of Milennia is truly a most curious notion - although one that does not drum up enough curiosity to attempt to find myself in the path of one to experience it's whispering first hand. Their name though. "Sosû" - It strikes me as High Sith. Which makes me wonder how long these entities have existed for. It is a true shame that I cannot speak more on them, but I have found the archives knowledge entirely lacking on this entity, leaving the only course of action as another attempt at meeting Lord Saud - or that Lorekeeper she mentioned - in an effort to learn more from them directly...
As Lord Saud saved the worst for last, so have I.
The Banshee.
That she has written nothing on this creature is of concern. If such a thing cannot be studied by even the blood heir to the Horuset Powerbase (assuming my knowledge of those who are blood related to Darth Horuset and his kin is correct), then it is safe to assume that they are just as dangerous as they are rare - practically to the point of Mythology.
Indeed, on Alderaan they are Mythological creatures - said to assume the form of young maids who's blood curdling wail is said to herald doom to a mortal that hears it, or that of a decrepit shrouded woman who crouches beneath the most ancient of trees that sit at the bends of rivers, and wails with a sound that is said to stop the heart of those that are unfortunate to earn her ire. Their description changes depending on which prose you read, but all descriptions remain the same - the Banshee's wail. I have nothing but the Mythos of my homeworld to go along with, but at the same time, stories are often based somewhere in truth. I would not be surprised if the appearance of a Banshee is female, and less so if the wail they are so infamous for was some kind of "Force Scream". What I do know, is I am not in a hurry to find out.
At this point, I must bring my notes to a close - I wish that Lord Saud had finished this document, for pouring through it even in it's incomplete state I have learned more than I had originally thought. I would not have done so if she had not told me to be patient - there was something about the way that she spoke to me that sparked a further fire in the interest that she already held in my head, afterall. While I do feel that I have exhausted what information I can currently get access to in the matter of the Occult (the life of an Acolyte is full of restrictions, afterall, and Lord Saud's scriptures are the most notable amongst them), I also feel that I have raised more questions and more lines of intreague for myself than I previously had... Either way, I intend to keep delving into what knowledge I can do in an effort to learn more of the Occult, our ancient spiritual ancestors, and the rites that must be preserved for the future of the Empire.[/indent]
[right]-Acolyte Alencia Dista.[/right]
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