The Acolyte Competition

[Lord Iezkon]

Ned would have sent the report to apprentice Annabelle.

The Sith Order is comprised of many titles and ranks. In this report, I will attempt to give a clear image of the hierarchy of the Sith, and the ladder of power within the Order.

Acolyte:

Being the lowest rung on the ladder of power in the Sith Order, Acolytes are not considered full Sith and have to study and train to advance to the rank of Apprentice, who are taught by a Lord or a Household Sith.

An Acolyte must always, and I repeat always address his or her superiors (everyone who is not an acolyte) with “My lord,” and a bow. If you do not do this, you will be punished, trust me. Acolytes are only permitted to wear the standard black robes given to them when they join the Horuset Powerbase.

Apprentice:

One rung up from the rank of Acolyte, Apprentices are chosen and taught by either a Lord or a household Sith and can give lessons to the Acolytes, a privilege which all full Sith, from  Apprentices to Darth Horuset himself share.

Apprentices, unlike Acolytes, usually have the right to clothe themselves in any kind of robes or armor they wish, unless specifically told so by their master.

If an Apprentice were to come across an Acolyte, the Apprentice would expect the Acolyte to greet them with “My lord,” and a bow. This is standard and is expected of them. I myself am an advocate of this rule, as it is only natural to show respect to one's superiors.

If an Apprentice were to come across a Lord or Dark Lord, however, the rolls are reversed. Then, the superior would expect the Apprentice to bow and greet them with “My Lord”.

Neophyte:

On the same rung as the rank of Apprentice, although a bit less prestigious, is the rank of Neophyte, who are usually Apprentices whose master either left the Powerbase or died and are since without a master.

If a Neophyte were to encounter an acolyte, they would expect the standard greeting; a bow and “My Lord”.

What is required were a Neophyte to encounter an Apprentice is unclear to me, as they are around the same level of power and respect, although the Neophyte would most likely greet the Apprentice with “Apprentice”, followed by the Apprentices name. If a Neophyte were to cross the path of a Lord or a Dark Lord, the rolls would, just like with the Apprentice, be reversed, the Neophyte bowing to the Lord, greeting them with “My Lord”.

Household Sith:

On the next rung of the ladder of power in the Sith Order, placed between the Lord and the Apprentice, are the Household Sith. These Sith have been apprentices to a Sith, and finished their Apprenticeship, completing their training under whichever Sith taught them.

Yes, they have finished their training, but they did not have enough merit or achievements to become a Lord.

This means that they have less authority than a Lord, although more than an Apprentice, and that they will most likely expect perfect obedience from anyone but their superiors - Lords, and Dark Lords.

This means, that whenever they cross the path of a Apprentice or an Acolyte, they will expect the standard greeting of a bow and “My Lord”, or “Sith (Name)”, from Apprentices.

Household Sith are able to take on Apprentices, which they pick from the pool of Acolytes who have completed three of the Acolyte Trials. They are the first Sith in the Powerbase to do so, sharing the privilege with the Lords and Darth Horuset.

Lord:

One of the most prestigious positions in the Horuset Powerbase, the Lord is the highest position a Sith can achieve within the Horuset Powerbase itself, with the Kalkoran Powerbase -  the primary powerbase within the Horuset Powerbase -  formed after Lord Kalkoran finished his apprenticeship under the Dark Lord of Horuset, joining with Lord Sanguinis to form the Kalkoran Powerbase, within the Horuset Powerbase.

Having finished their apprenticeship, a Lord is able to give lessons to Acolytes, although they often delegate this task to their apprentices, if they have any.

Ranking only below the Dark Lord of the Sith, the Lord has absolute authority over those beneath him - Acolytes. Apprentices, and Household Sith.

Usually having a web of allies both within and outside of the Powerbase, a Sith Lord is one of the most powerful political positions in the Powerbase, usually having command of a ship - like Lord Saud does the Tija, Lord Tokiai the Tusniyi, and Lord Kalkoran the Th’ssra.

Dark Lord of the Sith:

The Dark Lord of the Sith, also called Darth, is the most powerful position both in the Horuset Powerbase and the Empire as a whole, as the Dark Lord of the Sith has supreme authority, and usually serves in one of the twelve Spheres of Influence of the Dark Council, although the Horuset Powerbase serves all, not dedicated to one particular Sphere of Influence, as several others do, such as Darth Lachris did in the Sphere of Defense of the Empire, before her death on Balmorra in 11 ATC.

Ruling vast powerbases, and having a large amount of political sway, the Dark Lord of the Sith is what every Sith should aim to become. To do so, however, one must become an exemplar of the Sith and requires a great mastery of both the Dark Side and the Lightsaber. Therefore, the title of Darth is not reserved for everyone, as many simply do not have the dedication required to study and train, to build up a powerbase powerful enough to make the Dark Council or the Emperor take note, as only the Dark Council or the Empress can bestow the title of Dark Lord of the Sith.

There have been several unfruitful attempts to become a Dark Lord of the Sith in the Empire, such as the Lord Grathan, who lost both his wife and son to an unknown cause on 10 ATC.

Other Ranks:

Overseer:

The Overseer is an appointed title usually granted to a Sith Lord who has shown an aptitude for instruction at either the Korriban or Dromund Kaas Sith Academies. House Horuset, too, has several Overseers under its control, who are lead by Head-Overseer Arcukot.

The role of an Overseer differs slightly in the Empire and the Horuset Powerbase, as the Overseers in service to the Sith Academies train groups of Acolytes and administer their Trials, from which they can be chosen as an Apprentice by a Sith Lord.

In the Horuset Powerbase, however, the Overseer - at least to my knowledge- does not teach or train Acolytes, instead only administering their Trials.

Sith Inquisitor:

A Sith Inquisitor is a Sith who has chosen to specialize in the Force alone, often learning only one form of Lightsaber combat, usually Form VI, Niman.

The path of becoming an Inquisitor is a harsh one, on which few succeed, regardless of potential. Only the most determined acolytes attained such an achievement, but these Sith were often the ones to watch.

Sith Inquisitors are often heavily involved in political intrigue and careful plans, those being the lifeblood of Sith Politics and the Empire as a whole. Often, the Sith Inquisitor, if he reached the apex of his power, claimed a seat on the Dark Council, and usually stayed there, like Darth Nox did before the Zakuulian onslaught, as leader of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge.

Sith Warrior:

Sith Warriors, described as "an unstoppable force of darkness", were combat specialists of the Empire, and serve as the champions of the battlefield, entrusted with the task of destroying the Empire’s enemies and enforcing Sith domination across the galaxy. Trained to rely on the emotions of fear, anger, and hatred to improve their connection to the Dark Side of the Force, they were a formidable opponent, destroying their enemies with the crimson lightsaber, or with the Force.

In contrast to the Sith Inquisitors, Warriors had little patience for careful planning and wasted no time with such manipulations. Instead, they demanded absolute obedience from their followers, relying on power and intimidation to attain their ends.

(*Post by Nedhorroc/Rhysand Sekker.*)