Guiding Spark (Coci & Gwrtheyrn training thread)

[Gwrtheyrn]

The concept of having a master was not new to Gwrtheyrn. In the days before he had traveled off his homeworld of Iego he had studied the ways and forms of language and poetry under old Luigsech. Perhaps seeing a world to come in which he held no part the old maelibus had committed suicide - something that would haunt Gwrtheyrn till his dying day.


Now he had a new teacher : Lady Heavenshield.

In truth she was quite the opposite of Luigsech in almost every way. Where he was archaic and ancient she was vibrant and filled with life where he was resigned and reticent she was forthright and honest.

What better teacher to guide him in the ways of the force?

As potent a symbol as the ancient and bearded sage was what the young poet/padawan desired was a new beginning. The past while valuable as song and memory was in this case not something to be emulated. Coci was a mother and what better embodiment was there of growth and new beginnings.

Vast changes needed to occur and from Gwrtheyrn's limited understanding of the light side he gleaned that it had great powers of healing and transformation. Perhaps not as overt the external warping that darkside sorcery and alchemy wrought but an internal shift perhaps even more profound.

So it was that Gwrtheyrn sat on a bench in one of the halls of the Silver Jedi Temple his hands scratching away at parchment with a quill pen and ink. There was no sign of the gargantuan sword that he usually carried - such thing had a time and place and this was not it.

Having answered the Ladies summons Gwrtheyrn had no doubt that Coci would arrive soon.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Gwrtheyrn"]​

​

Just one of the many long corridors Coci walks down daily. She knows the Silver Temple by heart now but the beauty of the place never fails to impress her. High vaulted ceilings, held up with vast columns and situated in the main foyer, the blue crystal enhanced with the light side of the force. The Master E'ron and Rasu along with other Knights and Padawan had gathered to imprint the crystal with light in order to protect the Temple, not only does it protect but everyone that enters the Temple is immediately shrouded in an embrace of calm and well being. Their lightside connection strengthened and reaffirmed.

Today she meets Gwrtheyrn once more, she had not seen him since Iego but he had demonstrated his will to learn and want to help the Silvers and himself. There is much more to this one than anyone will ever know, but she hoped she will learn from him as well.

Toward the end of the corridor, she sees his large form seated and busy with ink and parchment, he is a scribe of his people, a poet and so it was no surprise to Coci to find him thus occupied. In truth she did not want to disturb him, but he waits for her and so she approached and sat beside the large man.

She sat in silence. Watching the Jedi going forth on errand and training, so many more members within the Silver Order which only served to inform her they are progressing. With a unification with the Jedi Order, the future looked more bright. But one must never grow complacent but remain ever vigilant as darkness always lives within the shadows of the light.

Coci will wait.

 

[Gwrtheyrn]

It had never occurred to Gwrtheyrn as a child that others might wish to raise buildings from surface of the ground into the sky. The closest thing he had to compare these sort of buildings to was hollowed out mountains and they lacked the intricate architecture of the Jedi Temple.

His current work was about the defiant nature of such structures. They spoke of a will that desired to not only shape the landscape but create their very own environment with which to exist in.

Then the lady Heavenshield alighted on the bench next to him.

Gwrtheyrn was somewhat at a loss as to what to do. Normally he would bow low to his superior however but she had sat right next to him more akin to a comrade.

Looking to the radiant dame Gwrtheyrn inclined his head hoping to convey his respect.

"Lady Coci - I am honored by your presence. I fear you will have to treat me as a complete novice when it comes to matters of the force. Before now I felt that to develop my powers and take up the role of shaman would only serve to further distance me from my people. But now I think it will help me to serve as a bridge between both our communities.

Mistress Heavenshield I humbly await your guidance."

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Gwrtheyrn"]​

​

"Respect is returned to you Gwrtheyrn, it is no small undertaking you have decided upon. And you may find you know more of the force then you realise". she said looking down at this word on the parchment. "You are gifted in so many ways, and I have little doubt you will succeed in whatever endeavour you choose".

"But firstly, tell me your understanding of the force as we walk to the gardens". she stood up and began down the long corridor that would lead to the stair and transport them to the outside world.

Gwrtheyrn towered over her, his physicality striking and strong, that much evident to the eye. A bladesmen he would become under her guidance as well as the other trainers of the Silver Jedi. But what of the other abilities? His direction as a Jedi and individual? time will reveal that as well as discussion.

His natural talents, or rather innate abilities will be enhanced further as his understand of the ability to influence beings, he knows this of course but coupled with the force, he could be a strong mentalist as well. This man has many options to arm himself for his future as a servant of the light.

 

[Gwrtheyrn]

The gardens were a truly serene place. Deep under the surface of Iego the Maelibi had cultivated various luminous forms of fungi, both for lighting and to make some truly potent (and equally disgusting) liquor.

However it did not compare to the plants that grew within the open air. The way their branches and fronds reached out to the sun had a majesty that squat mushrooms and toadstools lacked entirely.
Listening to Coci's words Gwrtheyrn mused over how best to reply. It was not that he feared rebuke from the mistress for she held a calm dignity both without and within that matched the serenity of the gardens. Rather he wished to convey what he felt in the most accurate manner possible.

And then he had it.

"Many years ago I began to have a reoccurring dream. In it I was suspended in a space of infinite azure located between two immense oceans. Each ocean held a translucent surface allowing me some measure of sight into their depths before becoming opaque and restricting my vision.

Within each ocean swam shoals of the dead. However I felt that I may for a time enter into one of these two vistas in order to partake in their bounty.

The ocean below me was was flecked with umbral discolorations and the souls that moved within took the form of cadaverous specters and bloated abominations. Further down larger predators swam, their hides formed of necrotic tissue and leaking toxic bile. Finally there was a wall of obsidian blocking my view though from it emerged coiling tentacles that grasped at the souls and predators alike drawing them into the unfathomable depths.


The ocean above me was rich with plants and teeming with a myriad of colors. The souls that drifted through its confines shone as if lit by internal fires and their expressions spoke of knowledge surpassing that of any on this mortal coil. Further up became akin to a great mandala or fractal pattern that one might see a shaman inscribe on his holy instruments. The creatures that dwelt here seemed as much living geometric concepts as living entities though I felt no malice or fear. Finally there was a light so bright my vision could not bare it. Try as I might I could not pierce it's rapturous veil and yet I could not look away."

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Gwrtheyrn"]

As they entered the gardens, Coci felt the presence of the force alive with the all the small creatures and plants cared for by the Silver Jedi. Gwrtheyrn spoke with words of the poet he is and Coci took in all of them. His recall of a continuous dream intrigued her, not so much because it had visited him time and again, but more the vivid description of it. An interesting concept of what the force might be as if describing the workings of a Deity.

"Nirvana and the Abyss, in a sense that is true. But each has it's own reward and corruptions. Do you consider the Force to be a Deity? I do not, however it does seem to have a Will of it's own", she smiled. "There is no right or wrong answers when one considers the Force, masters can study it, simply this, for a life time and still have no answer to give others, let along themselves".

"But what of the practicalities of the force? have you even done something unexplained?", she raised her hand and summon a small stone to the air before bringing it to her open palm. "Do you know how a Jedi can do this?". The man beside her is highly intelligent and Coci had little doubt he would, at least in theory.

 

[Gwrtheyrn]

The poet absentmindedly stroked his left horn as he replied to his preceptor.

"I feel that the force is less a god in and of itself but rather the unending potential from which divinity springs from. But is of course as you say though Lady - these are things which the greatest of philosophers may study for centuries and still reach no clear answer let alone a novice such as myself."
Gwrtheyrn's gaze fell to the ground avoiding Coci's. He was about to re-tread some of his less beloved memories , but truth was important and he would not lie to his teacher about such ugliness.

"I have heard tell of the telekinetic powers of the Jedi. On my home we would refer to it as sorcery though from what I understand true sorcery is a something deeply tied to the dark side. The term psionics seems much more fitting to such actions."

Old memories caused his impressive musculature to tense. Sharp teeth gritted with the echos of violence.

"Aside from my dreams which sometimes prove to be prophetic I have done something that was very similar to what you displayed just now.

It was years ago when I was still within my adolescence. A lizard like being had made its way onto our planet in order to bring back one of heads as a trophy. Killing a Maelibi in single combat is considered a great source of honor for many warrior races and cultures I understand.

I would come to learn later that the reptilian alien was a Trandoshan hunter out to win glory from his goddess the scorekeeper. We could have simply avoided him and kept to the deeper tunnels but my father wished me to prove myself against an alien warrior. He made it very clear that if I refused my ribs would meet with the business end of his forge hammer as punishment.

So knowing that one of our kind would meet the foolish lizard in combat I decided to take the task upon myself. The pain threatened by my father and the rejection of my siblings also greatly influenced my decision though I am not proud of this fact.

When I came upon him he found that he was severely outmatched. No doubt he was a competent warrior but I was over three times his weight and he misjudged my speed to be slow and lumbering due to my size. I intercepted his sword arm breaking it before his vibroblade could touch me. A heavy kick sent him across the clearing and just as I was about to dart forward to end the skirmish a round metal object hit the ground just beyond my reach.

Seeing his impending demise the hunter had thrown some form of high powered grenade to kill us both. There was no time to reach for it and throw the sphere away and thus I panicked. However something gripped the deadly object and it sailed far overhead before detonating harmlessly. The end of the story is not pleasant as you can expect but I think that in that moment I managed to subconsciously achieve something akin to what you just did."

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Gwrtheyrn"]

Intrigued once more, Coci listened to Gwrtheyrn recount a story. He really does have a way with the spoken word, and she had no doubt the same would be for the written.

"Yes that sounds like you have used the ability without thought and training, which is good. You will learn how to focus more and in so doing will be able to develop that skill into something more controlled and stronger. But she mention something else, you stopped your foes arm before he struck you? maybe you have the ability of pre-cognition as well". That would be a very good skill for him to have if indeed she was right.

Coci walked some way ahead until they reached the main part of the garden. Beyond the garden is the forest edge which would lead to the vast forest here on Voss and beyond that to the nightmare lands. That part of Voss beckons to her, there is something there that one day she needs to investigate, but not today.

"Here in this clearing you see many of the autumn leaves have fallen, focus on them and see if you can raise them off the ground .. try after that to bring them to your palm".

"Understand the nature of the leaves, it's properties in conjuction with the laws of physics, gravity".

 

[Gwrtheyrn]

Gwrtheyrn had a close and longstanding relationship with gravity. Deep in the stygian bowels of the maelibi tunnels one could easily burrow directly into a sheer drop. While this was rarely fatal due to the remarkable constitution and hardiness of his people this could often lead to broken bones and fractured carapace.

Gravity was one of the laws of the universe and thus could bring harsh retribution upon those who defied it. However it did not possess the inherent spark of willpower that was in thinking beings.

Gwrtheyrn - raised on a diet of sagas and stories of heroes doing the impossible took sense from Coci's words. To understand a thing was to have power over it be it an enemy for a warrior or a philosophical conundrum for a sage. And when one had power over something they could master it and thus change it.

Gravity was like a song - the music that exerted force upon an object, its hidden words told objects that they could not go where they pleased. All he had to do was mentally reword those lyrics so that they said otherwise.

In the clearing the leaves began to vibrate as if to some far off reverberation. And with small hiss the leaves swept out in all directions traveling up but also sideways, further down into the soil and each variable between.

It was a fortuitous thing that Coci had not tasked the poet with moving something of value for the object would surely have been ruined with the uncoordinated motion.

Gwrtheyrn stared at the leaves for a moment trying to figure out what he did wrong as many of the paper thin objects flitted off his golden armor.

"I beg your pardon Lady Coci. I believe I became somewhat carried away with removing the leaves downward momentum and thus forgot to state that they should instead travel up. "

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Gwrtheyrn"]


"Actually Gwrtheyrn that was an excellent beginning", she said smiling amused with the leaves falling around him. Telekinesis is one of the harder skills to grasp but when one did, it would become easy with each application, a skill all Jedi should learn continually. Such greatness can be achieved through it, such destruction as well.

With a wave of her hand, the leaves gathered to her swirling around only a meter away from them, Coci set them in motion in a circular pattern in the air like a whirl wind had grabbed hold of them and sent them in dance upon the air. "This skill has much beauty, and yet can be your best weapon in battle".

The leaves began to move faster, with each passing second, until they became a brown blur within the air, she could feel wind emitting off the whirl wind .. only a small one .. but it illustrated what power could be achieved with great energy and skill.

"This of this demonstration using say rocks or metal and then with a strong push one can use it as a means to destroy. Your immediate environment is also a tool for you to use, if you know what to look for".

She let the leaves fall where they may, "Try again".

 

[Gwrtheyrn]

Truthfully it was amazing what the Lady could do with her skills. Outwardly she seemed so small and fragile (even the most fine and dainty maelibi maiden weighed well over 300kg) but there was power within the storm of leaves. Whats more there was a control to it that bordered on preternatural not one leaf had left the circle even as they moved faster than the eye could track.

There was no doubt that he was the student and Coci was the master. Were she born on his home world she would be known as one of the most powerful shaman priestesses of the age. The poet knew that if she willed it she could manipulate him as easily as she had done the leaves and he would be near powerless to stop it.

Thankfully her control extended to more than simply her talents. She had mastered her emotions and with them the desire to hold dominion over others. Her talents magnificent though they may be paled in comparison to this control. His people had been given great physical prowess and they had misused it, preying and inciting terror in sentient beings. Lady Heavenshield had the potential to become a much greater terror than anything his kind had been but instead she maintained a grace and composure that made such ideas seem crass and low.

He respected her greatly for it.

Saying nothing he closed his eyes , focused on the song of the leaves and changing the music so that they were no longer bound to the earth but instead moved skyward.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Gwrtheyrn"]


She smiled as she watch Gwrtheyrn life the leaves upward. Taking two paces back to allow him room, Coci whispered, "Now see if you can rotate them .. slowly".

Allowing him to take his time, as this skill takes much concentration, but even if he only succeeds in this it would be a great achievement .. to turn them even better. Gwrtheyrn had come a long way since they met on Iego, much training and work he has done around the temple within the Order and it would not be long before he would be a warrior in the force as well as one in life.

For one so large as he, his movements are graceful, his words even more so which made the man beautiful. So much it to be learned from him about his people and the culture of Iego, so much to be learned as a man.

 

[Gwrtheyrn]

Coci's expression was heartening. Throughout his life Gwrtheyrn had been met with much disapproval from those close to him. No one doubted his talent with phrase and song but this was always at least from his family begrudgingly. His interest in the culture of outsiders had tainted everything he did, each achievement was ruefully accepted instead of celebrated.

It was at once strange and wonderful to witness simple happiness for his accomplishments.

The poet looked towards the leaves. Simply removing gravity in a direction wouldn't help create a circle. He needed to do it in a slightly more complicated fashion. His last breakthrough had been when he had compared the workings of the force to music so in hopes of achieving further revelation he turned to sound yet again.

And come the inspiration did.

It was like a bar. To have the leaves move in a circle all he had to do was use the beats on it to add notes and those notes would instruct the leaves where to turn.

Subconsciously he had started to hum softly and the leaves as if following suit began to float around in a lazy ring.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Gwrtheyrn"]

This lesson had gone better than expected. And Coci was so pleased and it showed with her beaming face. "This ability will give you a great weapon, in times needed and a great skill when you need to protect and save others. Gwrtheyrn, I want you to continue this training by yourself, ever available opportunity, use this ability more and more so you grow stronger with it".

"I think it is time for a break, shall we go to the tea house?". She moved to the side of the garden, not far from them are the tea houses in which the Silver Jedi can relax and reflect on issues that require their attention. However Coci is not sure Gwrtheyrn drinks the brew but there would be other drinks there that might suit his tastes.

Spoiler

Gwrtheyrn, I think this lesson is finished. If you like we can continue with more training, maybe something different this time out of the temple? Let me know what you would like to do