Accidental video; un: darth imperius

[drawsghosts]

CW: Talk of potential death.

[In a memory, Talwyn has bested Darth Thanton in combat within the Dark Council chamber. The young Sith approaches his nemesis, his ancestor's lightsaber in hand, for this was right before he finally built one of his own.

Before he can strike Thanton down, a power surges through him, intense and uncontrollable. Voices speak to him. The voices belong to the ghosts he has taken into his body, whose power he has added to his own. His head is swimming and his body jerks.

Force lightning gathers in a maelstrom, Talwyn losing his grip on his powers. It's all too much for him. Thanton is blown back as Talwyn unleashes a wave of lightning. When it ends, Thanton is gone, and Talwyn collapses.

He knows the truth now. He took too many ghosts into himself. He's dying.

The video ends there, after he passes out.]

Er... that's not my best moment.

Comments

text; un: JustD

[distant_one]

Is that still a problem for you?

[drawsghosts]

As a matter of fact, it is not.

[distant_one]

Good.

[Is D glad Talwyn is okay(?) now, glad that he won't have to worry about Talwyn going on a ghost-fueled lightning rampage, or simply offering his own form of awkward congratulations at continued survival? Hard to say]

Can you always see those who haven't departed?

[drawsghosts]

In my world, I could.

[distant_one]

It can be useful. It's not a common ability where I'm from to see, much less interact with, spirits.

[drawsghosts]

Ghosts also weren't exactly a common thing in my universe.

[distant_one]

They weren't in mine, either. It's better that way.

[drawsghosts]

In my world, ghosts are Force users who didn't become one with the Force upon death.

[distant_one]

That's your dimensions word for the flow of life energy?

[drawsghosts]

Something like that. It's the energy that binds the galaxy together, and flows through every living thing.

[distant_one]

I'm not an expert, but that sounds very similar.

[drawsghosts]

There are also those like me who are born sensitive to it, and can thus use the Force to perform extraordinary feats.

[distant_one]

There seem to be a few of you here.

It'll be interesting to see how well our definitions of extraordinary feats line up over time.

[drawsghosts]

Yes, I've met some of them.

Would you count being able to emit lightning from your hands extraordinary?

[distant_one]

Is that not common to your species?

If you're not like lightning spiders or living electric clouds, then yes.

[drawsghosts]

Most of my race are Force sensitive and trained as professional Sith, and therefor have the ability to learn to use Force lightning. But it takes lots of training and skill to be able to do it.

[distant_one]

A fight between two Sith using lightning must be something to see.

[drawsghosts]

You have no idea.

Video; un: lothrat

[ezra_of_lothal]

[And here he'd tentatively hoped Tawlyn had qualities like 'common sense' and maybe, just maybe, a shred of 'ethical standards'.

But forcefully binding the spirits of the dead -if he's understanding this memory correctly? This is disappointing.]

Yikes.

Can I ask what your takeaway from this, uh, mishap, was?

[drawsghosts]

That one should ask about potential negative side effects before conducting strange rituals before conducting them.

And that Horak-Mul is a very unpleasant person.

[He's using humor to deflect from what an awful situation that was.]

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Well, when you put it that way-]

You know what, I can't say I haven't conducted strange rituals, without enough information. And ended up with serious regrets, no less.

[drawsghosts]

If it makes you feel better, I let them go eventually. I even helped them find peace in death with my light and they're now one with the Force.

[ezra_of_lothal]

[The young Jedi's expression stutters to blankness, in surprise. It would be much easier to feel confident in the truth of Tawlyn's words, in the Force, in this face to face.

But why lie in this way?]

...That does help, actually.

Thank you.

[drawsghosts]

Horak-Mul actually wanted to stay with me, believe it or not. Much as I would have loved to ask him about ancient Sith life, it's better this way.

[ezra_of_lothal]

I've seen some things, heard some things that seem to indicate there are...balanced ways for spirits to linger, rather than become one with the Cosmic Force.

[He knows Master Yoda, Master Kenobi, and eventually Anakin Skywalker after forsaking the Sith way, may stay as ghosts to guide Luke Skywalker, for at least a while. He's talked to his own parents, through visions.]

Not something to be approached lightly, I wouldn't think.

[drawsghosts]

Wouldn't surprise me if there were. I have a rather unique gift when it comes to ghosts. I can sense then from far away and I rouse strong emotions in them just by being near them.

The part where I took them into myself, though, that's an ancient Sith ritual that another Sith came up with. Obviously I wouldn't recommend it.

[ezra_of_lothal]

We do all have our different gifts with the Force, but that's a totally new one on me, yeah.

[And that Tawlyn wouldn't recommend a Sith ritual like that is....not obvious to Ezra, but decides to just file that statement away without direct comment. He's still trying to figure this particular Darth out.]

[drawsghosts]

You should thank the stars that you never had to meet the Dread Masters. Their unique power was being able to instill fear within you.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Are they Sith? [Sounds like a Sith thing to do.] Or something else?

[drawsghosts]

They're Sith, yes. They're scary, but they can be imprisoned and killed like any other.

Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

[Well, that was.....interesting to watch. And dramatic. Maul almost wishes he'd been eating something while he'd done so. He's itching to ask about that ability Talwyn possesses. He's never seen anything like it before. But perhaps it's best to build up to that rather than ask outright. So instead what he says:]

There is always a price to pay for power.

[drawsghosts]

Yes, I found this out the hard way.

[survivalthroughhate]

What was it that happened there? I've never seen a Sith who possessed that particular power before.

[Of course, Imperius is so far before his time that Maul's certain the knowledge that has been lost between his time and Maul's could fill up an entire library. Not a small library either.]

[drawsghosts]

I'm a Forcewalker. I can bind ghosts to me, taken them into my body, and add their power to my own.

[survivalthroughhate]

I've never heard of that ability. [But his eyes do have that bright sheen as they always do when Maul hears of power that interests him greatly.] But then I was also always told there was no life after death for Sith.

[drawsghosts]

I wouldn't recommend doing it. Not that you could, since I'm quite sure the ritual is long lost in your time.

[Talwyn intends to take it to his grave.]

I also have a rare ability in the Force that I inherited from my ancestor. Ghosts are drawn to me and I elicit strong emotions in them just by being near them.

[survivalthroughhate]

I suspect what knowledge has been lost from your time to mine could fill a small library.

[Maul says dryly.]

So it is like psychometry among Force-users then, rare to find and hard to control. Have you found any ghosts here then? I have been told by the natives the city is quite ancient.

[drawsghosts]

I've yet to sense any, but they could be avoiding me.

[survivalthroughhate]

There is one area here which has a strange bit of history to it. Part reality and part dreamscape. I wonder if you could sense any there.

[The part of the city that had once been Deerington so very long ago.]

[drawsghosts]

I'll have to check that out, then. Just for curiosity's sake, though.

[survivalthroughhate]

If you see mine in there, be sure to let me know. I never let was able to let go of the anger I felt at dying long enough to exorcise it.

[drawsghosts]

...Okay then, I'll keep an eye out for it.