#the dark council

[swtorpadawan]

Unmasked

Author’s Notes: The following story takes place in my Nas Legacy as part of my Monsters and Masks series. Content warnings for original character death, some blood/gore and bigotry towards non-humans. Lots of angst, here, folks.  

Nas'haes'uhme – Shaesu to those few in the Empire who deigned to address her by her own name – collapsed upon the rocky ground of Korriban, her vibro-blade falling out of her hand.

She knew it was over for her.

The stab wound to her torso was already bleeding out, and her attackers were unlikely to give her any respite. Her strength was fading rapidly with her limbs barely responding to her commands. She certainly couldn’t muster the strength to stand, much less defend herself.

Haes – her proper given name as a Chiss – had come to this accursed world in the hopes of earning a place amongst the Sith. She ’d been aware that the odds had been against her; she was starting out several years older than the average Sith Acolyte at the academy and besides that she faced considerable discrimination from her ‘fellow pupils’, virtually all of whom were human or Pureblooded Sith. It had immediately made her a target. Even the former Jedi who had been broken and turned to the dark side held an advantage over her in experience if not philosophy.

Of course, had matters gone otherwise, Haes would never have chosen to come to Korriban for Sith training at all.

Two years ago, after the death of her husband (killed by fighting in someone else’s war, she didn’t need to remind herself), Haes had been exiled from the Chiss Ascendancy when her Force sensitivity had been revealed to the authorities. With few connections outside of her own people, the Sith Empire was the only viable place she could go. And as a Force-sensitive, Sith training was the only real path open to her.

Above her stood her attackers, glaring down at their victim. Hanik, a human, and Mathiren, a Sith Pureblood. The two acolytes had ambushed her as she’d stepped outside of the tomb, the ancient tablet she’d recovered laying shattered where she’d dropped it.

It shouldn’t have surprised her that these two would have chanced such a cowardly move out here, so far from the relative safety of the Sith Academy. With their modest individual abilities, they’d have known they couldn’t have taken her on their own in a straight-up fight, certainly not without alerting the Overseers.

They had provoked and even bullied her many times these last few months, and for reasons that were understandable to the Sith mindset. After all, she was alone. A minority of one, without natural friends or allies. She could count on one hand the number of Acolytes on Korriban who were not either human or pureblooded.

And if she was not the first Chiss to ever step down upon this cursed rock, she would have been astonished.

As she felt her breath start to go shallow, her thoughts naturally turned to her children. They’d been the only reason why she had pushed herself even this far.

She wondered what the Empire, and indeed the galaxy itself, would do to them without her being alive to protect them.

She had been heart-broken when she’d left them with the Nedecca family on Dromund Kaas while she’d headed off to Korriban.She was not entirely fond of the couple, who had served in the Imperial Military alongside her husband before he’d been killed in the fighting against the Republic. But they were the closest thing she had to friends in the Empire. They were also not unambitious; if Haes had succeeded in her goal of becoming a Sith and eventually a Sith Lord, they knew they’d be well-rewarded for their aid. For them, fostering a pair of ‘alien children’ had been worth the bother.

But now, in light of her failure to survive and advance, she didn’t think they would do much to protect them, even if they could. They were a practical couple. Besides, they had their own daughter to consider, a few years older than her own children, just last season entering the Imperial Academy on Ziost.  

They would not risk either their own lives or their daughter’s future by defying the Sith for a pair of non-human children who were not their own.

She was worried for Nas’ash’dia, of course. It had been months since she’d seen the last holo of Ash. At twelve years old, Haes was leaving her lovely daughter behind at the precipice of womanhood. But she also knew her clever daughter was a survivor; if any non-human child could survive being orphaned in the Sith Empire, then Nas’ash’dia could.

But loath though she was to play favorites, she felt greater concern for Nas'laeso'ucu.

Where his sister was highly intelligent and resourceful, her son Laeso was brilliant. Even as a small child back on Copero, his curiosity and intellect were far beyond Haes’ ability to comprehend, as he would devour book after book. Even then, she and her husband had privately spoken about the limitless future their son had before him. No endeavor would be outside his potential. Now at eight years old, his intellect intimidated the Nedeccas, who observed this young Chiss boy easily pass every test their teaching droid could put to him.

But his intelligence was not what worried Haes. No. She’d gone to great lengths to conceal that Laeso was Force-sensitive.

If his abilities were discovered with her death, he’d follow his mother’s path to Korriban soon enough, likely with the same destiny.

If his abilities were not discovered, his fate might be even grimmer. The Sith of Korriban were usually at least quick. She couldn’t imagine how long a frail child such as Laeso would survive mining ore on some distant slave mine facility.

Haes felt a tear trail down her cheek.

“Hey, she’s still breathing.” Hanik jeered, the insult snapping her consciousness back to reality. “Think this alien schutta is asking for more?”

The anger flared within Haes’ chest, refocusing her thoughts. The building rage was not for herself, but for her children. Her magnificent children who she would never see again and who would almost certainly suffer greatly in her absence. As her teeth gritted in fury, her finger reached out.

Behind Hannik, Haes’ vibroblade lifted off the ground…

The Sith Acolyte screamed out as the weapon impaled him through the back, jutting out of his chest. Blood sprayed out over the rocks, much of it raining down on her.

She smiled at the sensation, the hot, fresh blood of her slain enemy warming her even as the last of her strength and rage was exhausted. Her blade clattered to the ground.

Alarmed at his companion’s sudden demise, Mathiren frantically raised his blade to finish her off.

Haes could only reflect on her legacy.

She’d worn a mask for years to protect her children, desperately attempting to become something she wasn’t.

In these final moments of her life, she was, in fact, a Sith.

As the blade swung down and her life came to an end, Haes could only hope her children would learn to survive by wearing their own masks, without becoming monsters.

 Fifteen years later…

The assembled members of the Dark Council of the Sith Empire – ostensibly the twelve most powerful Sith in the galaxy – stood in their council chamber on the top floor of the Sith Academy of Korriban.

Perilous as the existence of any Sith could be, the death of one who sat upon the Dark Council was still considered a remarkable event, even when it was the second such death they had witnessed in less than an hour.

By necessity, this Council meeting had already been well short of a full dozen in physical attendance.

Three of their number – Darth Decimus, Darth Acharon and Darth Hadra – the heads of the Spheres of Military Strategy, Biotic Science and Technology, respectively – were appearing by holoprojection as they’d been committed to overseeing the Empire’s flagging efforts on Corellia.

Three more Councilors – Darth Rictus, the oldest serving member of the Council who commanded the Sphere of Mysteries, Darth Zhorrid, the youngest Councilor who nominally presided over the Sphere of Imperial Intelligence and Darth Aruk who led the Sphere of Sith Philosophy – were entirely absent. Rictus was occupied investigating rumors into the whereabouts of the rogue Sith Lord Darth Jadus, himself a former Councilor and the father of Darth Zhorrid. Zhorrid’s own absence was no great surprise, given the Council’s recent dissolution of the Empire’s once-feared Imperial Intelligence service. No doubt, the young Sith was desperately trying to cling to her crumbling power base. Meanwhile, Aruk was absent while dealing with some dissident conspiracy on the capital world of Dromund Kaas.

A seventh Dark Lord – Darth Baras, who had taken control of the Sphere of Military Offense after Darth Vengean’s fall – had been killed in this very chamber earlier in this session by his former Apprentice in a private duel. That Apprentice had in turn successfully claimed the title of the Emperor’s Wrath before departing.

Finally, an eighth – Darth Thanaton, who had represented the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge for less than a year – now lay freshly dead on the floor.

That left a mere four Dark Lords of the Sith physically present to mark Thanaton’s passing, and to stand witness for what was now to come.

It may have been Darth Mortis who had delivered the death blow to Thanaton in a mercy-killing to preserve the dignity of the Council, but no one could deny the potency of the strange, masked Sith who had just bested their former colleague in a Force duel with a brilliant display. His build was slight and his lineage was unclear; there had supposedly been a ‘Lord Kallig’ many centuries ago in the days of Tulak Hord, but that was ancient history, and the name representing little more than a footnote in the modern Sith Empire.

Nevertheless, despite his unassuming posture and his much-maligned origins, the upstart projected an air of power about them, and not simply because they had just witnessed him crushing one of their number. Thanaton’s time on the Council may have been relatively brief and more than a few found him tedious, but none would have questioned his personal power when he’d succeeded Darth Arctis some months ago.

Off to the side stood the newcomer’s two seconds; a Dashade shadow-assassin and a Kaleeshi Sith Apprentice. Strictly speaking, protocol demanded that the peculiar duo should have remained outside the council chambers, along with their master. None had been properly invited into the chamber. But as it was apparent that Thanaton’s followers guarding the door had failed in that simple task of security (as they had been repeatedly outmaneuvered over the last several weeks during the Kaggath between the two Sith), no one on the Council had bothered to force their eviction. As they had not actively interfered in the fight with Thanaton, to the assembled Dark Lords, they were irrelevant.

The masked Sith Lord paused at that, regarding Mortis, then turning towards the seat in consideration. Finally, he turned back to address all the assembled members of the Council.

“My lords, I’m… I’m truly honored.” He finally spoke; his voice was clear through the filter of the mask, though it was rather lighter than one might have expected from a young Sith Lord who had dared so much.

“I was not expecting this at all.”

The words were humble.

None of the Sith present believed they were sincere, but such was to be expected.

Such considerations were, once again, irrelevant. The strong had overcome the weak. The corrupt had been cleansed.

The ways of the Sith had been preserved, as Thanaton had insisted.

“You just killed a Dark Council member in fair combat.” Darth Marr, the head of the Sphere of Military Defense, pointed out, his iconic masked face looking up from Thanaton’s fallen form.

“What did you expect?”

The deliberations were not without protest.

“He’s only a lord!” Darth Ravage, who ruled the Sphere of Expansion and Diplomacy, was incredulous. “You can’t put a lord on the Dark Council!”

“Quiet, Ravage!” Marr snapped at his junior Councilor. “He’s earned his place.”

The young Sith Lord who had been the subject of the argument tilted his head at the exchange, as if carefully considering something. Finally, his hands reached up behind his head as he unclasped the skull-mask he was wearing, letting it fall away.

A collective gasp could be heard from several members of the Council, including those observing by holo. Ravage visibly gaped while Darth Vowrawn, the head of the Empire’s Sphere of Production and Logistics, chuckled to himself at the revelation. Only Marr and Mortis maintained something approaching a professional decorum, standing in a stoic silence.

The face before them was young; this was no surprise. Everyone knew that Thanaton’s opponent in the Kaggath was an upstart. The face was likewise heavily scarred; the defects crisscrossed him from old injuries. That was also not a surprise; Thanaton himself had protested that this interloper had once been a slave before becoming Zash’s apprentice, and more than a few slaves in the Empire bore such scars.

No. What had startled many of the Councilors was the fact that the face looking back at them was blue with glowing red eyes that regarded each of them with a cool intellect that might have unsettled the Emperor himself.

Incredibly, this newest addition to the Dark Council was a Chiss.

“Are we really going to allow this… this alien filth to sit on the Dark Council?”

If Ravage had been incredulous before, he was now fast becoming apoplectic, looking around the room to his assembled fellows.

“Without even consulting with the Emperor whom we are sworn to serve?” he spat.

“Enough, Ravage.” Darth Marr waved a dismissive hand.

Ravage’s ploy had been obvious. The Emperor, it was well known, rarely took an active role in day-to-day Council matters, even to name a replacement. It could be months – if not longer – before he made his will known.

For a Sith like Darth Marr, who had lived long enough to observe Thanaton’s rise from slave to apprentice of a disgraced master to Sith Lord to Dark Lord of the Sith, such a gap in the Empire’s leadership structure would be unacceptable.  

He turned and acknowledged the latest addition to the Dark Council.

”As I have said, he has earned to right to that seat.”

 Minutes later, the newly appointed Dark Councilor of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge made his exit from the chambers, Khem Val and Xalek in tow. The Kalesshi held the discarded Kallig mask in his hands, carrying it reverently.

He had worn many names while walking along the path that had led him to this point.

He was departing from this planet – a planet that had forged him in so many ways – as Darth Imperious of the Empire’s Dark Council. In and of itself, this name meant nothing to him, aside from the authority that had come with it. He accepted that it now referred to him by anyone within the Sith Empire.

Prior to this, he had been commonly known as Lord Kallig. This name had been inadvertently stolen; the consequence of a delusional ancient Force ghost misidentifying him at the Dark Temple on Dromund Kaas. Nevertheless, he accepted that the name had granted him a degree of credibility within the Empire. Regardless, as was now the case with his Dark Councilor title, that name personally meant nothing to him.

For most of his life, he had been called ‘Ozibaumnu’. That name’s origins had been meaningless from the first moment he’d uttered it; a series of barely coherent syllables muttered on the day he’d been sold into slavery as a child. It had nevertheless come to symbolize a breaking with his past, from before he had worn a slave collar. For that small circle of people he now called friends – Ashara, Andronikos and Talos – from them, he would continue to accept that name. From anyone else, it would now be as meaningless in effect as well as in fact.

But none of those names had ever really been his.

His name was Nas'laeso'ucu. Son of Nas'haes'uhme. Brother to Nas’ash’dia.

And regardless of whether he ever used that name aloud, he would never wear a mask again.

END

Author’s Notes: Just in case it wasn’t obvious, several lines of dialogue in this piece were pulled directly from the end of the Sith Inquisitor story on Korriban.

Ozibaumnu’s name originally had a different, more Chiss-appropriate origin. Unfortunately, I lost the notes on that, and when I reread the Chiss naming conventions article, I realized that it didn’t make sense. This is my best effort to reconcile all of those continuity issues. On a related note, ‘Shaesu’ is pronounced ‘Shay-sue’, while ‘Laeso’ is pronounced ‘Lay-sue’ and Nas’ash’dia is pronounced ‘Nazz-osh-dee-ah’, even though her personal name is usually pronounced ‘Ash’. (Yeah, I know Chiss names are weird.)

This story was originally two separate chapters, with Shaesu’s titled What We Leave Behind. The combination of the two seemed to work. (I do love before-and-after stories.)

As stated elsewhere, I’m ignoring Chiss aging rules. As far as I’m concerned, they are approximately the same standard as humans.

Now for the elephant in the room I inserted near the end – yup. Ozibaumnu is NOT the actual descendant of Lord Kallig. I may address this in future stories, but it’s been an idea I’ve been turning over in my head for a long time.

The referenced daughter of the Nedecca family later becomes a Major in the Imperial Army and an NPC in the game. She shows up on Corellia in the Imperial Agent storyline, serving as an aid to Lord Razer. As you might imagine, her reunion with Nas’ash’dia was rather awkward.

I always thought it was hilarious that Darth Ravage was heading the Empire’s “Sphere of Expansion and Diplomacy”, considering he’s one of the least diplomatic Sith in the entire game. On that note, tracking the Dark Council members and their assignment Spheres is a pet-project of mine.

The reasons for the Ascendancy to join forces with an Empire (that usually doesn’t see Chiss as people much less equals) are convoluted and I hope to explore those in the future. But it seemed to make sense that the children of an exile and failed Sith acolyte would be pressed into slavery, rather than being sent back to their people.

I’ve written about Nas’ash’dia elsewhere. It is strange to me that she predated Ozi – and is in fact the Outlander in my Nas Legacy – and yet I’m more comfortable writing about her brilliant but traumatized brother. More about Ash in the future, I hope.

People continuing to fight after being shot or stabbed in the chest is a pet peeve of mine. In real life, that (almost) never happens. The strength just drains right out of you. I try to adhere to reality here with Shaesu.

Thank you for reading, and may the Force be with you.

@abbee-normal​ @abysskeeper​ @cryo-lily​ @eorzeashan​ @grandninjamasterren​ @iacyper9​ @kartaylirsden​ @kemendin​ @magicallulu7​ @moxtoons-main​ @mysterious-cuchulainn-x​ @taraum​ @thefrostflower​ @swtorhub​

#swtor fanfiction #swtor #unmasked #swtorpadawan writes #swtor fanfic #my writing #writeblr #oc: ozibaumnu #oc: nas'haes'uhme #oc: nas’ash’dia #oc: nasashdia #the nas legacy #nas legacy #darth imperious #darth marr #darth vowrawn #what we leave behind #dark council #the dark council #darth ravage #darth mortis #korriban #darth decimus #darth acharon #darth hadra

[ospreyeamon]

no time for caf controversy

It’s illuminating that the Dark Council – Darth Marr most obviously – really doesn’t give a damn about the Warrior’s or Inquisitor’s Force-alignment. Especially in contrast to the Jedi classes where the Jedi Council does care and will refuse to promote the Knight and Consular if they are Dark-aligned.

Marr indisputably knows the Inquisitor’s alignment and thinks it relevant enough to reference in the title he gives them; Nox, Occlus, or Imperius. Imperius – “in light of your reputation for serving the empire” – is interesting because while it could reflect the fact that many of the Light-Side options available to the Inquisitor are more beneficial to the Empire than their alternatives that isn’t always the case. Is sending Iannos Tyrek safely back to the Republic on Balmorra good for the Empire? An Imperius hasn’t necessarily been more helpful to the Empire than an Occlus has. So, maybe Marr’s choice of title is more a pointed message to the Sith at large; you can be loyal to the Empire while leaning towards the Light-Side and because the Empire matters above all else you shouldn’t pick fights with people on the same side as you just because you think they’re a heretic.

Nobody questions the plausibility of the Emperor declaring a Light Sith his new Wrath, not even Darth Baras. Apparently banning the practice of Light-sided Force techniques then appointing a Light Sith as his chief enforcer is exactly the kind of nonsense the Dark Council has come to expect from the inscrutable dick. Does that mean the ban on Jedi teachings is lifted now? Maybe? It doesn’t really matter either way; unless you show up to an audience with him chanting the Jedi Code the Emperor won’t notice.

So the Sith at large are aware that there are Light leaning Sith around. They are a vulnerable minority, with people like Lord Cendence and Dark-Side Jaesa actively hunting them, but the majority don’t bother them about what they get up to behind closed doors.

By the time Darth Maglus proclaims his short-lived empire, it’s an open secret that an increasing number of Sith are adding the proverbial creamer to their caf and the upper echelons of the hierarchy either can’t bring themselves to care or have also started experimenting with dairy products. Malgus the Betrayer’s rebellion weakens the empire at a really bad time, the war against the Republic is not going well, if the Emperor has done what they are beginning to suspect he has done they are actually going to need to find a way to kill him – all the Sith doing anything actually important have bigger worries to mind.

Better the empire be filled with competent loyal caf creamers than myopic traitorous caf purists. (Nobody talks about Light-Side Jaesa’s milkshake club.)

#Meanwhile in a Galaxy Far Far Away #swtor meta #the Dark Council #light sith #reconstituted sith empire #Sith Warrior | The Wrath #Sith Inquisitor | The Forcewalker #star wars the old republic

[jjjwhovian]

Unknown Speheres of Dark Council Members

We all know these guys. Infighting, backstabbing and political bullshit involving evil old men (mostly).

I absolutely love these guys!

But there some characters, in game and other media, that have been Council members but we don’t know what Spheres they belong to.

Such as Soverus, Ekkage, Sajar, Howl, Vax, Arrid, Gorgos, her unnamed apprentice, Lokess, Victunt, Igrol, Qalat, Xedrix and Nyriss.

Some of these are ancient, well before the events of SWTOR even began, but being who I am I decided to take up the daunting task of deciding what area these peeps specialised in.

So far the only ones I’ve decided upon is Ekkage being in the Sphere of Mysteries before Rictus and Soverus being in the Sphere of Sith Philosophy after Aruk died (last one doesn’t actually happen, my own headcanon considering we never see Aruk).

So I’m interested, what Sphere do y’all think the undesignated ones were in charge of?

#swtor #let's discuss #the dark council #i hate myself cause i can’t stop thinking on this

[kottkrig]

Finally got off my butt and finished my vision for the whole Blorbo Council

Sorry the text is small you'd have to go full view to read probably!

#world of warcraft #undead #forsaken #the desolate council #dark ranger velonara #calia menethil #lilian voss #master apothecary faranell #deathstalker commander belmont #kottart #*OC-ifies your faves* they're mine now

[dizziiedaikon]

Captain n Co-captain

#rodimus #megatron #mtmte #maccadams #transformers #tf #fanart #barbie redraw #IDK I JUST PUT GALACTIC COUNCIL #I AINT VERSED IN THE UH ARRESTIN N JAIL TIME OF CYBERTRON #OR SPACE #BRO IM LIKE I SAW THE SHOCKOP VERZ ON HERE AND IM LIKE YOOO #YOUR BRAIN OP YER BRAIN #anywayS I GAVE UP COLORIN LIKE ONCE I HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS #ALSO THE COLORS FROM MY TABLET VS MY PC IS CRAZY IDK IF IT LOOK SUPER DARK SATURATED #OR NAW #CUZ ON MY TABLET IS LIKE BRIGHT SATURATION #IDK

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

Visions s2 really went: here are four new Jedi ladies and they're beautiful and old and gentle and badass and perfect.

#purple skinned mirialan jedi!!!! #another tholothian council master!!!! #badass white haired master who dies tragically!!!! #AND A DUAL-WIELDING BADASS JEDI GRANDMA WHO COOKS DELICIOUS FOOD #sw visions #sw visions s2 #star wars visions season 2 #rugal #bandits of golak #aau's song #journey to the dark head

[cerulianvermillion]

the concept of "grey Jedi" doesn't work because the force is light and dark, not black and white. By definition, colour value might be a spectrum, but darkness is absence of light. Everyone is grey! Star wars has clearly implied that nobody is perfect and everyone comes in shades of of grey, everyone is flawed and imperfect. The jedi are all technically grey! However, they are "light" because they, as jedi, choose light, choose selflessness, choose goodness.

Textbook fandom interpretation of "grey jedi" is either A. Someone who uses both the dark and light side or B. Someone who is light and does good but doesn't follow the jedi order.

A. doesn't work, because the dark side isn't just defined by "being emotional" or "Thinking of yourself", it's literally stuff like murder and torture. You can't claim to be "good" or "light" or "better than everyone" while also condoning murder at the same time.

B. You don't have to be a jedi to use the force! You don't have to be a jedi to be in the light! Like it's not illegal, the jedi order respects non-jedi force users as long as they don't commit human rights violations! the Jedi are the majority of force users, but they're not the only ones who can use the force. The jedi themselves are aware that there are many different interpretations, and the only intervene when it. yknow. involves murder and torture and the like. calling non-jedi lightside users as "grey jedi" doesn't really make sense because they're... just technically normal jedi. And if they're not associating with the order, then they're just lightside force users that are not jedi? Why would they call themselves jedi if they themselves don't think they are jedi or associate with the jedi???

Like in Ahsoka's situation, she's not a "grey" jedi, she's a light force user that doesn't follow the jedi order. In fact, saying that she's a "grey" jedi is basically just saying that she's a regular jedi? That doesn't make her better or worse or special, disagreeing with the council doesnt make someone better or worse that the other- what does matter is her actual actions. Which, as aforementioned, is lightside. The jedi order is also light. They can coexist, yknow, one is not superior than the other, they're both light. And it's not uncommon for people to disagree with the council. That's the entire point of the jedi having a "council"- to provide different perepectives and healthy debate and come up with the best decision for everyone. You can't please everybody, that's entirely normal. There's a reason why the council discusses instead of having one person make all the choices. The jedi are people too, they're also flawed. You can be grey and choose light, that's what the jedi choose to do.

tldr everyone is already grey, but light and dark is a matter or choice.

#star wars #sw prequels #sw: the clone wars #ahsoka tano #jedi #jedi order #pro jedi #grey jedi critical #gray jedi critical #jedi council #sith #light side and dark side #grey jedi debate #the force

[gretchenzellerbarnes]

"anakin would've never turned to the dark side had qui gon lived." utter. bullshit. not only is this particular hot take an insult to obi-wan it completely robs anakin of his agency, because at the end of the day it was anakin's decision to pledge his loyalty to palpatine and to destroy everything that the people he loved held dear. that's what makes anakin skywalker such a compelling character, and as darth vader a tragic and iconic villian... because he did this to himself.

#star wars #anakin skywalker #obi wan kenobi #qui gon jinn #meta #gzb #dave filoni #jedi order #darth vader #i always take anything feloni has to say about anakin with a pinch of salt since he retconned tcw!anakin to be “likeable” #anakin didn't need to be “likeable” he needed to be cringe and unhinged #hayden christensen understood the assignment #back to qui gon: i'm sorry but #qui gon's 1st padawan (xanatos) turned to the dark side #his 2nd padawan (obi-wan) was made to feel unwanted pretty much the whole time qui gon was his master #including that time qui gon stood before the council and told them *in front of obi-wan* that he wanted to train someone else #and feloni's out here claiming qui gon would've magically cured my boy's unhingedness??? hahaha nO #obi-wan kenobi was and always will be the best fit for anakin #and as for the sith lord-shaped elephant in the room? palpatine had been grooming anakin since he was 9 #he would've exploited the cracks in the master/padawan relationship no matter who anakin's master was

[bethanythebogwitch]

My favorite magic system from a game I haven't actually played is from Mage: the Ascension. It kind of fits as both a hard magic system and a soft magic system at the same time because there are some hard rules, but its mostly very open. To become a mage you have to realize that reality is not what it seems. In MtA, reality is whatever the majority of people believe it is, known as the consensus. The consensus in modern days is pretty uniform everywhere, with small variations based on where you are, but it used to be wildly different based on the cultural beliefs of the local people. A mage is a person who realizes that the consensus isn't true reality and gains to power to act outside of its rules. Any given mage's abilities come from their own personal view of reality, known as their paradigm. A mage's magic can do basically anything, as long as it is accounted for in their paradigm. So a mage who's paradigm includes the classic Aristotelian elements can perform magic based on that, but if their paradigm doesn't include animistic spirits then they can't commune with those spirits even though other mages could based on their own paradigm. The problem with this is that the consensus doesn't like it when you go around breaking its rules and will punish mages by slapping them with an effect called paradox. Paradox can be anything from a spell failing to getting shunted into your own personal pocket universe. Nothing generates paradox like being seen doing magic by sleepers (people who are not mages and still live fully within the consensus). Most mages either only use magic around other mages or, if they need to cast around sleepers, will disguise their magic as a mundane effect. Someone throwing a fireball from their hands will generate major paradox because the consensus is that people can't do that. However if a mage holds a lighter up to a spraycan before casting their fireball, the sleepers can rationalize it as something that exists within the consensus and not as much paradox will be generated.

In the dark ages, magic was part of the consensus and mages could openly rule over the sleepers because everyone believed in magic and therefore magic was part of the consensus. In response to the tyranny of the mages, a group was formed called the League of Reason, who wanted to introduce a new form of magic to the consensus that everyone could use. This form of magic was based on logic and reason and was called science. This led to the ascension war, where the League of reason sought to remove magic and superstition from the consensus and a very loose coalition of mages called the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions want to keep magic in the consensus. And the League of Reason won. A mostly rationalistic, scientific worldview has become the consensus worldwide, forcing the Council into operating underground. The League of Reason has become the Technocracy, a worldwide secret organization ruling the world from the shadows and trying to stamp out magic and any other form of "reality deviants" to keep humanity safe, even if they have to suppress basic human imagination to do so. Notably, the earliest books for the game very much said "Traditions good, Technocracy bad", but later books went for a much more grey approach to the conflict between them, making it clear that both sides really are doing what they think is in humanity's best interest even if their ideas for how to do so are fundamentally incompatible.

What's really interesting is that science and technology really are a form of magic and technocrats are mages, even if the Technocracy would vehemently deny this. Technology is a form of magic that everyone can use because its part of the consensus and science doesn't discover new facts about the world, It creates those facts and applies them to the world. The Technocracy's super-advanced technology creates paradox just as much as magic does because personal anti-gravity suits and mass-produced clones violate the consensus just like throwing around fireballs and conjuring demons does.

Mage: the Ascension is a super fun setting because just about any fantasy or sci-fi trope can exist here. Classic pointy hat and wand wizards can battle cyborgs armed with self-replicating nanotechnology. Anti-authoritarian punks can hack your wallpaper to spy on you because they believe all reality is part of a unified mathematical whole that the internet gives us access to. A group of spacefarers can ride the luminiferous aether to mars only to encounter Aztec shamans who asked the spirits to carry them there thousands of years ago. A powerful mage can create a time loop by convincing their younger self to obtain enlightenment through the power of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Two people can have an argument over whether the guy they just met was an alien from Alpha Centauri or an elf from the Norse nine realms and both of them can be right. Animistic spirit-callers can upload themselves to the internet to combat spirits of malware. And an angry mage might just teleport you into the sun because they believe distance is just an illusion and therefore have the power to make anything go anywhere with a thought. It's a wild ride.

#mage the ascension #tabletop games #ttrpg #world of darkness #old world of darkness #magic system #mage #fantasy #science fiction #technocracy #technocratic union #council of nine mystic traditions #lore

[azariah-z-fell]

I think this queen is going to be grand Duke of hell in season 3.

#I don’t see beezlebubs comment as serious #she is beezlebubs second in command #that would be a huge promotion for shax #shax doesn’t makes sense to me #Dagon does make sense #on the dark council #rallies the troops #good omens #good omens dagon #dagon #grand duke dagon

[swtorpadawan]

The masked Sith Lord paused at that, regarding Mortis, then turning towards the seat in consideration. Finally, he turned back to address all the assembled members of the Council.

“My lords, I’m… I’m truly honored.” He finally spoke; his voice was clear through the filter of the mask, though it was rather lighter than one might have expected from a young Sith Lord who had dared so much. “I was not expecting this at all.”

The words were humble.

None of the Sith present believed they were sincere, but such was to be expected.

Tagging! @pentacass @starknstarwars @jbnonsensework @lesabear @hydrospanners @dream-of-tanalorr

#swtorpadawan writes #six sentence sunday #unmasked #the dark council #oc: ozibaumnu

[nailsofvecna]

Expunged from the wizard council's library of spells after it was discovered that the inventor of this spell is not a wizard at all, just a barbarian with quick reactions and a great throwing arm.

#spellbook saturday #after dark #d&d 5e #homebrew #spells #banned by the wizard council #muscle wizard strikes again

[thywheelof-fate]

what if default durge/enver gortash/custom durge

hmmm

HMMM

hrmmmm

would they manage to stay alive long enough (or not kill each other long enough) to make this work

#idk #this is why i bring this forth to the council of durgetash nation #bg3 #the dark urge #enver gortash #durgetash #the dark urge x enver gortash

[kottkrig]

I'm normal about them

#world of warcraft #undead #forsaken #the desolate council #dark ranger velonara #lilian voss #master apothecary faranell #calia menethil #deathstalker commander belmont #kottart

[komorezuki]

Unnamed Duke of the Hell, part 1

"You're demons. Junior bottom of the barrel demons, practically the damned"

Obviously he humiliates them because he is just a piece of shit (lovingly). But as a great fan of goth background characters and Hell i can give at least one supernatural entity who is not as much of a loser as Crowley is saying.

We can see among this crowd three demons near the elevator.

I suggest you to focus on middle demoness with a headdress. Lets try to brighten image:

Beautiful Infernal Lady. Look at you, darling, you are gorgeous. I really would like to see her outfit and examine all details but the actress hasn't posted pictures :c

Now return to 1942. Furfur is staying in front of the Dark Council. There are three demons: Dagon (who is certainly high-ranked archidemon and apparently she is the leader), a unknown male-shaped demon (probably Ligur) and... familiar to us the "junior bottom of the barrel" demoness.

Furfur is using plural "your maleficences" talking to them. Three tables are no different as well. I think it means that probably-Ligur and Infernal Lady must be in the council as powerful members, not servants or assistants.

I want you to take a closer look at her:

She is definitely not just some misfit.

I think her black crown-like crest upon her head might point to her name. Most likely she might be a demon from Goetia. If so, there are three matches. First is King Paimon, who described as a man sitting upon a camel with a crown most glorious upon his head.

"There goeth before him also an Host of Spirits, like Men with Trumpets and well sounding Cymbals, and all other sorts of Musical Instruments. He hath a great Voice, and roareth at his first coming, and his speech is such that the Magician cannot well understand unless he can compel him. This Spirit can teach all Arts and Sciences, and other secret things. He can discover unto thee what the Earth is, and what holdeth it up in the Waters; and what Mind is, and where it is; or any other thing thou mayest desire to know. He giveth Dignity, and confirmeth the same. He bindeth or maketh any man subject unto the Magician if he so desire it. He giveth good Familiars, and such as can teach all Arts. He is to be observed towards the West. He is of the Order of Dominations. 1 He hath under him 200 Legions of Spirits, and part of them are of the Order of Angels, and the other part of Potentates." 

Second one is Duke Gemory (or Gremory) who is appearing in the form of a beautiful woman wearing a duchess's crown and riding a camel, ascribed with the power of revealing hidden treasures and answering questions about the past, present, and future. Female-shaped entity seems more appropriate for Infernal Lady.

Both of them point to a camel as a spirit animal. But nothing in our Lady's appearance confirms that.

Now the third version. Mighty Marquis Androalphus who is appearing as a peacock. I think Lady's crown is most similar to a peacock's tail.

Androalphus can teach astronomy and geometry perfectly. He is also described as ruling over thirty legions and as having the ability to turn any man into a bird. I bet on third name and i hope that we will see the Lady in s3 more. As a duke of the hell she must participate in mess. Part 2

#good omens #good omens demons #good omens 2 #dagon #dark council #good omens meta #good omens hell #go2 #good omens headcanon #ars goetia #lord dagon #crowley #demon #demons

[lauransoverthinking]

Currently overthinking: how obsessed some of fandom is with the idea of punishment for the sake of punishment, instead of learning from mistakes, and how the Jedi are very clearly team learn and grow.

The most “punishment” thing I can think of that we see the Jedi do is assigning Ahsoka to archives duty, but that is clearly meant as ‘get you off the front lines and have you reflect on your actions’ time, not so much a true punishment.

Where we see the Jedi go hard on proclaiming their allegiance to team learn and grow is Dark Disciple (if you haven’t read and don’t want to be spoiled, turn back now because I am about to spoil the shit out of that book).

Vos falls.

Not just dabble a little in the dark side falls.

Falls and pledges himself to Dooku and kills Jedi and clones.

Jedi Knight Kav Bayons

Jedi Knight Akar-Deshu

They died because of Vos.

It can be argued it was unintentional (Vos shoved Deshu into Bayons causing Deshu to sting Bayons. Losing his stinger also would have killed Deshu, but Vos killed him first) but that doesn’t change the fact that Vos is responsible for the deaths of two Jedi, as well as the clones killed in his escape with Dooku (catch me being forever salty over the unnamed clones who die).

He goes by Admiral Enigma and terrorizes the GAR for months.

When the story resolves and Vos returns to the light, do we see him thrown in prison? Executed?

No. We don’t see either of those things.

We see the council intentionally obfuscate and hide these facts from the military (because the military does love punishment and executions).

We see Vos confined to the temple while he heals.

We see Master Yoda spend extra time with him to ensure he rehabilitates successfully.

We see a probationary period to determine if he has really came back to the light.

This is extra important because earlier in the story we saw him return to the Jedi and fool them (some of them, Master Windu was so suspicious of him because Master Windu is a smart smart person)!

And yet, they still believed that he could return to the light and should be given that opportunity.

And he does! He comes back. And he resumes his role in the war. And when everything falls apart he continues trying to help.

And he gets that opportunity because the Jedi do not believe in punishment as justice the way some do.

Repentance and growth. That is the Jedi.

And yet, every day, I see people trying to set the Jedi up as enforcers of prison terms and executioners, because they don’t think people got what they ‘deserved’ in canon.

But that is all a gross misrepresentation of the Jedi.

Ahsoka’s trial and possible execution was not the way the Jedi would have proceeded- it was the GAR and the Republic. Which is probably why the GAR ensured the Jedi couldn’t handle it themselves - there would have been no justice theatre and no blood.

It is not pro-Jedi to insist on punishment and retribution as justice. At its heart, punishment is revenge. And revenge is not the Jedi way.

#dark disciple spoilers #pro jedi #jedi council #the wrong jedi #quinlan vos #master yoda #obi wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #ahsoka tano #I could go on forever about the parallels Vos offers #the way the Jedi handle him shows completely how the Jedi would have handled Ahsoka if they had the choice #the way Obi-wan defends him shows how much he regrets not defending Ahsoka #how him returning to the light must always be on Obi-wan’s mind as he hopes Anakin will do the same #his story is fascinating and adds such nuance and depth to the gffa #more Quinlan content please and thank you