Question How does your character perceive the Force?

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

I've finished the High Republic's first book, "Light of the Jedi", a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved it. One of the things I really enjoyed, were the new bits and pieces added to (and expanded upon) the canon. Something I enjoyed in particular, was how each Jedi perceived the Force differently. Avar Kriss sees the Force as music, Burryaga sees the Force as a great tree, Keeve Trennis sees the Force as a tapestry, and so on.

With that in mind I began to think about how Sakadi would perceive it. Sadly, I'm still torn between a lot of things. But that won't stop me from asking...

How does your Force-sensitive character perceive the Force? And also, what do you think of this new approach to the Force as introduced by the High Republic?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

 

[Dagon Kaze]

A current, a river.

very much inspired by The Skill magic in Robin Hobb’s universe

 

[Subject 648 Slipknot]

This is how Slip perceives the Force:

 

[Sargon Vynea]

Sargon perceives it all like wind, whispers and when it's really going like a song. It varies in intensity, but it's like something he's always chasing and never quite there. Grundark is kinda like fire and water, which he got from two masters I think... and my newest hasn't defined his yet.. I usually find something that relates to the character and some kind of natural force... though I could see it being more mechanical if I had a mechanically minded FU

 

[Cadere]

You already know this but Cas sees the Force like an electrical current going through a wire that is the galaxy, providing energy wherever it goes. He sees other Force-sensitives as beings “supercharged” with the Force.

 

[Aaran Tafo]

For Aaran it is very much a lake. One that everyone and everything in the universe is wading in. He perceives the Force by watching the ripples, determining what is going on by how they disturb the water.

He manipulates the Force by making his own waves. And he can feel the other Force Sensitives making waves of their own volition as opposed to just sitting there like everyone else.

 

[Cyran Vaas]

Although Cyran is more attuned to The Force than average, he's isn't he doesn't really see what's the big deal

 

[Jsc]

I think George Lucas had an idea of what the Force was. And I think he changed his mind several times about it over the years. Disney understands a bit better than George does about what sells books and appeals to today's clientele. And I think the writers of the High Republic series have voices they want to experiment with too. So I'm glad it worked out the way it did. Especially since it serves my fan writing spectacularly.

Personally, I think the wuxia genre of Chinese fiction really nails the super powers and abilities of "martial heroes". Literal warrior monks with super powers fighting bandits on the frontier of Imperial society. The struggle between inner peace and the realities of blood sport. The struggle for freedom in an Empire ruled by one all-controlling person. How the good strong man must look after the poor, the weak, and the down trodden. While the bad strong man must exploit them to gain enough power to actually change the system. It's the Force that gives the hero his power. But it's the world that he lives in and must choose to fight for or against, that will define them. Clashing swords and ninja flipping all the way.

 

[Kaleleon]

Water.

The force itself is one massive body of water that expands over everything. Being able to sense others through the force, is like seeing ripples in the water. The larger the ripple, and the slower its moving, the further away it is, but the more powerful it is. Where as turbulence where there is no "still water" is when too many force attuned things are in one location, OR its a massive spike in the force that can create vergences, or wounds in the force.

Water is continued and further molded. Akin to a very well known Bruce Lee speaking point. Water takes the shape of the container. It can spread out, become thin, and even weaken. Water can even "dry up" or be taken from you. Forcibly taken causes extremely bad effects like you being a cup of water, and the cup being broken. Thus the water leaving you rapidly, but also can be done slowly. Like how water evaporates. Without refilling your cup of water, it will slowly go away if you don't use it. "Atrophy" or the erosion of ones skills lead to you eventually not being able to use it.

Water can be given, or taken away from others. Such as you using Force meld to lend your water to someone else's cup. OR force drain where you take the water away from them.

Water also acts as a barrier. Being one of the many known natural barriers of the world, it can separate people, create divides, and be extremely dangerous to cross in those circumstances. However, it can be weak. Like someone taking a wet hand and flicking the water droplets at you. It does nothing.

EDIT: Looks like a lot of people use water/bodies of water.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

A flame. something inside everyone that only glows brighter with sensitivity. It can offer gentle warmth, or vicious burns. I could probably expand on it more later but, fire i think.

 

[Darth Immortuos]

A spider web. Everything is connected.

 

[Auteme]

First off, always a great discussion to see! The Force is interesting, we all need to write more about it.

Most of the time, I write Auteme perceiving the Force as water; anything from a river to an ocean. Sometimes she's drowning in it, sometimes she's in a boat being carried by the current. She's frozen by fear, just as they evaporate when the light of the sun hits the water's surface.

It's an easy connection to make -- it flows through all things. Blood and oxygen carry strength to our bodies. All that nice stuff. There's also the connection between water and purity, something I like to use with Auteme. Clarity, life, purity.

My other characters aren't cool. Haven't developed their relationships to the Force as much.

 

[Matsu Ike]

opinions on the high republic aside.

Matsu has always seen the force as a vast expansive place she can grasp. She is at the center and able to infinitely stretch out and touch the universe and there binding it all together the force.

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

 

[Zaavik Perl]

I've been considering this ever since I finished the book.

A lot of ideas came to mind, but I eventually settled on a cosmically vast inferno.

This rejects the idea of the Force having any sense of order, and rather asserts that it's a controlled chaos beyond our full understanding of 'rhyme and reason' with great potential to get out of hand.

Light and warmth are the basis of life, they can be comforting and nurturing, but also have the capability to hurt, maim, and destroy. The deeper you get, the more potent the flame becomes, like passion, blazing with undirected ambition. This unstable foundation is the threshold before the dregs of the flame. At the bottom, the dregs, in the depths of the ash and kindling, it is dark and cold, the point of no return. This plays into Zaavik's view that while there is a clear line between the Light and Dark, they intermingle far more than one may believe, or want to accept.

I also find it interesting that, given the character, there is a cruel irony in seeing the Force as a fire of all things, but I won't really go into that as it wasn't the question.

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

ok someone else posted so i can go again; my previous post actually wasn't a joke for once (although yes i did intentionally present it in a humorous manner)

but since i've discussed this before with people i'll just copy-paste from my discord chat with the esteemed Bernard

Elijah Brockway22/01/2021
anyways because i mentioned the "cotan sees force as a storm" bit
[05:13]
i described it to ryv earlier
[05:13]
Elijah BrockwayYesterday at 14:48
mhmm
[14:53]
cotan's like

"Those who follow the Light Side seek to live within the storm, in the upper levels, floating along with it; Jedi, though, also seek to diminish it, to make the storm calmer, less destructive. They get heavy, they sink, and it makes a vacuum, allowing the Dark Side to get stronger, and the storm grows larger. Self-defeating. Dark Side adepts, meanwhile, live deeper within it, whipped around by it, suffused in the pure chaotic power, trying to make it grow further and further even as it tears them apart. Sith, however, don't just float with it; they plant themselves, and try to control the storm itself, until it erodes them away to nothing or throws them out, never to be seen again. Self-defeating. The storm is gonna go where it goes, and either you can let it pull you along or you can find the eye and walk with it, but you shouldn't try to affect the storm itself."
[14:57]
Light Side is about sacrificing power for understanding and longevity, Dark Side sacrifices understanding and longevity for sheer unadulterated power, and so long as that is followed, you get a sort of balance; but then the Jedi and the Sith constantly set themselves against the storm in some manner, and it chews them up and destroys them. So his view is also more in the "overall balance" sense than the outright personal balance sense. Sure, for him, he does best when he's walking in the eye of the storm rather than letting himself be carried by it, but different strokes for different folks. If you live in balance with the storm, then you can be either dark or light and it's okay to him.
[14:57]
¯\(ツ)/¯
[14:59]
Of course, then he sees people that in his view are just whipped around back and forth between the extremes and never have an opportunity to right themselves and just exist and he feels sorry for them.

Sir Leading Role22/01/2021
I really like the way this describes dark siders
[05:19]
Very turbulent, able to change quickly on the spot, and more powerful at a moment's notice

Elijah Brockway22/01/2021
But you can't properly study the storm when you're constantly whipped around inside of it.

Sir Leading Role22/01/2021
All the while it "tears them apart"

Elijah Brockway22/01/2021


Sir Leading Role22/01/2021
Yeah
[05:20]
Submerged in it, but unable to truly control your destiny

Elijah Brockway22/01/2021
And then for the Light Side, you can observe the storm better and learn from it without getting torn apart, but you're not going to have access to nearly as much outright power, and you're still letting it blow you around, just a lot more gently.
[05:22]
The Will of the Force is taking you with it or destroying you, either way, you're stuck with it.
[05:23]
Even if you're able to hang out in the eye of the storm like Cotan sees himself and keep going along, you're just walking with it. The only choice then is how specifically you pick your path within the eye.
[05:23]


Sir Leading Role22/01/2021
I also really enjoy how this highlights the different points of progression in understanding of the Force.
[05:24]
Cotan has a really good view on how the Force works from all his experience
[05:24]
While Bernard still only thinks of it like a melody he has to follow

Elijah Brockway22/01/2021
Also his point of view on Jedi and Sith, in general

Sir Leading Role22/01/2021
Something external to him, that he has very little control over

Elijah Brockway22/01/2021
They both weigh themselves down and lose their personal sort of balance within the storm, and it shreds them apart.

Sir Leading Role22/01/2021
Ohyeah

Elijah Brockway22/01/2021
Self-defeating.

Sir Leading Role22/01/2021
The self is always the greatest enemy
[05:26]


Elijah Brockway22/01/2021
Also it shows how Cotan has gotten more powerful with the Force overall.
[05:28]
He couldn't really manage with the Force very well as a light side guy
[05:28]
the whole "float along on top" didn't really work for him
[05:28]
and the Jedi thing definitely didn't work for him
[05:29]
so he was always fairly weak as a guy using the Force
[05:29]
good with a very limited amount of stuff, but just
[05:29]
not strong unless it was melee stuff
[05:29]
now that he's gone and done the whole Je'daii thing and understood how to fit himself in with how he understands the Force
[05:29]
he's gotten
[05:29]
a lot better in general
[05:29]
not just with melee combat stuff
[05:29]
but with the Force overall
[05:30]
if he was going to take a metaphor for Bernard it'd just be "okay, you know the melody"
[05:30]
"now try and find the harmony"
[05:30]
"where does your voice fit in with it?"

Sir Leading Role22/01/2021
Oooh
[05:31]
That's quite an elegant way of putting it

 

[Sargon Vynea]

Darth Immortuos Love that answer btw mate

 

[Lief]

Asha views it almost as an entity which is constantly guiding her. She regards it and refers to it with a sense of familiarity and fondness.

For Thesh it's pretty much like music to him, when he's drawing upon it, when it's obviously present around him. The darker it is, the more somber and haunting.

Auraya and Rhia don't really have anything specific yet, I haven't developed them far enough!

 

[Lief]

A spider web. Everything is connected.

Due to her Flow-Walking, Asha also notes it similarly to this... But more so when it's in use/directly affecting the Galaxy. But again, I think that's an inherent byproduct of literally "walking the strands of time"

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Cotan Sar'andor Which hurricane is that? Or did you just type "hurricane gif" and pick from whatever came up first? <-----the reason why I laughed

Opinions/reservations about this aside... okay, actually, to answer this I have to admit that I find this idea (as presented; I have not read the book) kind of goofy, or at least... childish? It reminds me of those Disney Fairies books I read as a wee lass, where each of the characters had hobbies, interests, abilities, names, and even personalities corresponding to a specific element or field. Rani was the water fairy; Fira was the... fire fairy? Or was it light?... Tinkerbell liked to fix things ("tinkering" get it haha wow) and... I don't remember any of the rest, rip. But while this did create a diverse cast of characters with clear delineations and reasoning in how they viewed their world, there was absolutely no overlap or depth between them. Because they didn't want to confuse the tiny brains of the little children, I guess.

I'm all for using metaphors to describe something. That's my bread and butter when it comes to any metaphysical concept like magic or religion. What I don't like is reducing it to only one metaphor for each character. Talk to anyone with beliefs ranging from "vaguely spiritual" to full on fundamentalist, and they will tell you that you can't boil any concept as complex as this down to one basic idea like "God is love" or "the Force is like water/fire/a tapestry/an energy field/insert element of your choice here" or "the Force is just a tool"! That's too simplistic and it does not satisfy me. We don't know what the Force is, not really. Nobody does. In olden days I made the mistake of falling back on Kenobi's explanation to Luke in A New Hope as if it were gospel, but once you really start to think about it, you realize his single-sentence creates far more questions than it answers.

Anyway, I usually go with electricity, cords, threads. I've also personified/anthropomorphized it, given it a fluid persona, called it a storm, a shove or push, wind, black matter, stars, light, dark. A tool, a god, a spirit, energy field. I've characterized it as benevolent and trustworthy, I've called it callous and uncaring. My characters usually wrestle with it, like Jacob did with the angel, but it never leaves them, not completely. You can't escape it. Like death, taxes, and Santa Claus.