Faction Limits are Made to Break (Force Body Class, SJO)

[Darlyn Excron]

Hours.

Darlyn had spent hours now, doing nothing but meditating. Thinking about what was to come, where his path was taking him. He had spent his lifetime running, trying to escape what had come of him, though he was too proud to admit it aloud. He had spent his lifetime fighting against something more than Sith, or Jedi, or ideologies at all for that matter. He had been fighting against something inescapable, all mighty, and chosen for him long before he had the power to choose or defy it.

Darlyn had been fighting against Destiny.

Not what he had been born into, not the fate his mother would have given him. He had been fighting against the path laid before him on Arkania by his Master. His friendships, his new family, his love, these things were all that had let him for so long defy that path. Were it not for the likes of NPC Treasury and her children, like his nephew Caedyn Arenais, he would have long since succumbed to this fate. They gave him everything, everything.

And now he would give back. He would be teaching here, on the world that had changed him so greatly, to give others the smallest glimpse into his knowledge of a single, beloved power of his. Here on Commenor, in the Jedi temple of all places, he would teach padawans, knights, masters, whoever cared to show the power known as Force Body. He used that power to great effect before, to the point he would consider mastery, and knew it to be necessary should these students of his to survive without a solid plate of armor. A part of him hoped that Caedyn himself would show, if not to learn then to see what had come of Darlyn, what had brought him to be teaching Jedi, a group he had often called hypocrites, and on occasion far worse, one of his greatest powers. But of course he knew such was not likely, as times had become tough for him. He only could hope that he would get the chance to tell him how he felt before...


The Dojo in the temple was where he had set himself up. A group of medical staff on standby, in the event one of the students overexerted themselves to the point of injury, and multiple baskets of apples set behind him. In the center he was kneeling, still meditating, waiting. He had done everything he could to prepare for the students, set fliers, posters, everything he could think of short of parading temple to temple with a marching band. With luck, they would be comfortable arriving despite the darksider meditating, centering himself around that power.

He would give them a piece of himself, so that he would feel comfortable when destiny came.

 

[Tarish Galland]

Tarish examined the flier, a small twinge of a smile appearing as he meandered the temple with a lazy walk. He would more than happily sit in on this class, his own ability rather limited given the danger of the skill and its overuse. He was quick with his other skills, but it never hurt to get back to basics.

The slow walk had the knight entering with a careful nod to the man he assumed was teaching the class. Another nod given to the medical staff on standby. Thank goodness for them, since someone was bound to push the envelope of comfort. Wasn't a bad thing in some cases. But this could be one of those cases and he was thankful for the thought of medical staff in attendance.

With equally slow measure, the dark haired man would wander around for a moment before finding a spot to meditate also if not engaged in conversation.

Darlyn Excron

 

[Rhyanna Li`Anek]

Rhyanna had signed up for this class hoping to learn something new. Also hoping for few people to be there, but that was beside the point. A new Force ability would always come in handy, and this one sounded particularly useful. Plus, while too many people did make her nervous (not that she'd ever admit it), she always liked an opportunity to make new friends.

She walked into the temple and smiled at Darlyn Excron , the man teaching the class, and Tarish Galland, the only other student there. Or, well, he looked far too experienced to be a padawan, but he didn't seem to be here to help teach, so she figured he was a student, if only for this class. Both were meditating, so she sat and waited for others to come.

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani had tentatively joined this class, knowing that Force body could be an exceptionally useful ability, but as evidenced by the medical staff on hand, not always safe. The mirialan swallowed and entered the room, nodding and giving a small wave to Rhyanna Li`Anek . She opted not to bother Darlyn Excron and Tarish Galland, who both seemed in the middle of meditation.

In the back of the dojo, Amani stood in silence, not so much meditating as she was simply collecting her thoughts. Mentally preparing for what was to come, she exhaled quietly and waited for the class to begin.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Three.

He could work with three.

Darlyn took a sudden breath in, and released it as he stood himself up. His black robes smoothed out as he did so, and looked from one bright light to another. Each had the connection to the Force to sustain this dangerous game of a power, though he couldn't help but wonder who would be most capable of maintaining it from the start. One of the few things he and his own master had shared, the curiosity to know more.

"No point in waiting, anyone else who joins can get an apple thrown at them and then join in." He gave a half chuckle as though it were a joke, though again he had an ample supply of apples behind him to carry that out. "Well then, first things first. I am Darlyn Excron, Commenor's president and a practitioner of the Dark Side. If anyone has objections learning from me because of that feel free to leave but please do remember we're all good guys here. Anyone leaving?" There was a pause, and then he continued with a nod.

"Force Body, anyone who knows of it will know its usefulness and its risk. Something I want to impart onto you all right now, before you break your bones without realizing. The body has limits, even ours, empowered as we are by the Force. There are limits to what we can lift, how fast we can move, how far we can hurt before we break. Other powers let us tap into enhancements for a time, augmenting a single aspect such as speed, or reaction time. Let us lift something heavy or stop danger before it hurts us. But limits are made to break."

"Normally, the body can get a short burst of enhanced strength and endurance from adrenaline, a natural chemical of the body. Anyone who has been in a life or death situation knows exactly what that is like, the strength to lift a speeder off a loved one or endurance to outrun an angry herd of beasts, breaking a hand and not realizing it until you're in the hospital. Force Body is this to the Force, adrenaline. It is the technique of suffusing your body with the raw force, letting you do what even our enhanced natural capabilities will not allow. Wounds that would stun you or kill you become minor annoyances, punching out a wookie suddenly seems very doable, dueling a far superior swordsman becomes less of a suicidal decision. All, of course, at a price."

"Would anyone care to guess what exactly that cost is?" He fell silent then, smiling lightly at the group assembled for his lesson. Of course, the cost was simple, if you followed his analogy well enough. But letting them involve themselves in the 'short' lecture prelude would give him ample time to figure out how he wanted to go about demonstrating the ability itself.

Amani Serys :|: Rhyanna Li`Anek :|: Tarish Galland

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

I was late. I knew that other training session would go long. Practically sprinting through the halls, I reached the door to my next class. Force Body. Once I heard the word adrenaline I knew I had to join in. Currently working toward mastery of speed combat, this clas would be perfect to help with that. The doors opened, and I saw the group of people standing infront of me. Looking to my left I saw the medical staff waiting. At least they knew the severity of this.

Throwing my left shoulder backwards, I narrowly missed an apple that had been thrown. Turning back to see who threw it, I was greeted with an apple to the head. A few chuckles went around the room.

"Owww."

"Class has already begun. If you are here to join, please come forward. If not, I kindly ask you to leave."

Walking toward the group I began rubbing my head with my right hand. It hurt a little, but it will be fine. Another Apple came flying toward me, but this time I was prepared. My left hand shot upward, catching the apple. My robe sleeve fell down rivaling my robotic lower arm. With a smirk on my face I took a bite out of the apple. This was going to be a good class.

"Sorry I am late. Training session went a little over schedule."

Darlyn Excron Amani Serys Rhyanna Li`Anek Tarish Galland

 

[Amani Serys]

Darlyn Excron | Tarish Galland | Rhyanna Li`Anek | Okkeus Dainlei

Though she wouldn’t admit it, Amani did find herself somewhat uncomfortable knowing that Darlyn practiced the dark side. Her views on the Force were rather black and white, but it didn’t feel right to judge so quickly. Besides, if he was allowed to teach a class for Jedi, it couldn't be that big of an issue here, right?

Amani listened intently to his introduction on the topic. When he asked about the cost, she began contemplating the lecture silently. She glanced at the others one more time before choosing speak up first. Admittedly, her understanding of the ability was shaky, but she attempted to answer nonetheless,

“Well, it’s at the risk of your own well-being. The limits are still there, you just become capable of… ignoring them, if that makes sense. Right?”

 

[Tarish Galland]

Tarish opened his eyes, hearing voices now as the teacher began their explanation. Having been standing while meditating, he simply turned to watch the proceedings. One student spoke, breaking the silence after another had joined them late. Eyes slid over to her, the softness of her answer wringing a dry smile out of him. He spoke before the teacher could add anything, his own experience and what he had read being added with a soft but clear tone. "It could very well cost your life. Break your bones, rip ligaments, destroy sensory nerves, remove one or all five of your senses. Body is both a boon, and bane, just as the force is both giving, and condemning."

Okkeus Dainlei Darlyn Excron Amani Serys Rhyanna Li`Anek

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Darlyn did love messing with people, and throwing apples at the late boy's head with the Force so casually was a rather simple joy. Especially when he managed to hit him directly, though he seemed to catch one from the little barrage. An excuse was given, and though he couldn't have cared why the boy was late it was at least polite of him to have come up with a reason regardless. The little show done, he turned to look at the Mirialan girl when she spoke. She did seem to catch on to the fatal flaw of Body, though unsurprisingly another spoke up to elaborate on her point. He certainly seemed older, and had a level of baseline familiarity with the ability.

"The both of you are correct. Body is not the removal of our limits, we will still suffer the consequences of breaking them. The first cost of the ability is one you'll become well acquainted with in pursuit of mastery, exhaustion. All of our bodies flood with adrenaline to bring us to fight or flight, and when the danger passes, after a time we grow exhausted as our bodies have overexerted themselves. Keeping in line with the analogy, Body does the same. For instance, I use the ability quite often, and no matter how long I maintain my enhanced state I grow at least somewhat tired when my body returns to a normal state without the effects of Body."

"Longer use worsens that effect, and gives us the opportunity to push past the limits of our endurance beyond what could barely be considered 'safe'. As our friend there said, with greater endurance and our body in fight or flight, our naturally enhanced bodies can damage themselves quite severely. Like one without a sense of pain, we might not be fully aware what we are doing to ourselves, and as any power flooding ourselves with the Force risks we might lose far more than we bargained for. Even should we not break our bodies, if we use the ability for long enough we will break past our safe limit and grow too tired upon release to stand, or have our heart stop if we go too far."

Darlyn paused again, and lifted a hand up to his chin. Perhaps that was too harsh a fear to instill in them so quickly. He ran a thumb down his jawline as he continued, "Though to do so would require you to surpass your limit by a vast margin. To learn the ability is to find that limit, and learn to stay below it, Mastery is in part learning to expand that limit. That said, there isn't really a way to teach you what your limit is. Perhaps you can only sustain Body for a few minutes, perhaps like me you could sustain it for hours if need be, provided you don't get too hurt. However, for the purpose of teaching you the ability, you'll be trying to begin using Body, to better understand how the exhaustion feels. Something that should be easy enough is dulling the pain of an apple to the forehead."

He couldn't really hide a grin at that very specific example, and quickly moved his hand to draw their attention to himself. As he spoke, he would activate the ability of Force Body... "I want you to open yourself to the Force, take a deep breath and observe. Open your body for the raw Force to fill you, accept it. Feel the Force as it flows through you. Imagine your body being invigorated by the Force, your normal aches and pains melting away as though you're seated in a hot spring." He wasn't the best at explaining the ability, but with any luck they would at least be able to 'see' what he himself was doing, opening himself up to the Force and letting it fill his body.

He'd watch each student carefully in the Force, looking for one to actually get Body to work for them. Whenever one did, he let them hold it a few seconds, before throwing an apple at them with the Force. Learn by doing, and all that.

Tarish Galland :|: Amani Serys :|: Okkeus Dainlei :|: Rhyanna Li`Anek

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

As instructed to, I took a deap breathe. Slowly the raw Force entered my body, flowing through each and every one of my veins. It felt as if a Dagobah Snake was slithering inside of my bones, making it's way through my entire body. The effect didn't feel that much different from force lighting actually. As the lightning were to flow through my veins, now raw force does. No biggy.

What was a biggy though was the apple that collided with my forehead. Breaking out of my almsot mediating state, I stumbled backwards a few steps. Looking up to see who threw it, it was no other then Daryln himself. Laughing a little, I decided to play along.

"I got my serving of fruits earlier, I don't need any more!"

After my little snarky comment I underhand tossed the apple back to Daryln. Hopefully he sees it as a joke. I mean, he did just throw an apple at me.

Darlyn Excron Tarish Galland Amani Serys Rhyanna Li`Anek

 

[Rhyanna Li`Anek]

Rhyanna guessed the limit was over-exhausting yourself, and as two of the other students voiced the same opinion, she smiled. A vaguely confused look crossed her face as he told them how to use the ability, but she shrugged it off and slowed her breathing. It took her a bit longer to settle into the calm and Okkeus's reaction to being hit by an apple almost startled her out of it, but after a bit she finally felt the Force flow through her. It felt... warm, like melted butter was flowing through her veins. She smiled a little, closing her eyes and relaxing into the sensation.

Suddenly, she felt the apple hit her forehead. She stumbled back, startled, then regained her balance. She blinked for a moment, then laughed.

Darlyn Excron Tarish Galland Amani Serys Okkeus Dainlei

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani watched and listened to Darlyn carefully, mimicking what she saw and opening herself up to it, letting the raw Force flow freely. In her focus she blocked out the distractions around her almost entirely. As she began to center herself, the connection drew stronger, allowing herself to become one with it, and the effects began to show.

No sooner after this, Amani was abruptly hit by an apple to the sternum. Her eyes flew open and she rubbed her hand against where it struck, "Ow." Initially rather unsatisfied with the rude interruption, she joined some of the others in laughing it off, before trying again. It would take her several tries to get used to it, each time going through a similar process, only to once again be knocked out of it by an apple. "Ow...Ow...Ow..."

She'd probably get it eventually.

Darlyn Excron | Tarish Galland | Rhyanna Li`Anek | Okkeus Dainlei

 

[Tarish Galland]

Tarish did little more than open himself to the force, feeling it flow through him and act as though a second skin. Force Body was handy. Dangerous, but handy. He had closed his eyes the first time around, not expecting fruit to be part of the lesson as his body reacted to the incoming sensations of something flying towards him. His brain did not react, but muscles did instinctively. He had long practiced the form, and he struggled to with matters of the mind other than simple meditation.

The body however, was his temple.

His eyes opened, a smile forming as he continued to keep himself centered in the force. "Ah." A smirk grew, his presence never failing in the force as he made it his goal to munch on the crisp apple as loud as possible. The first bite was had, a loud ripping crunch of apple resounding in the hall. He wasn't a barbarian however, closing his mouth while he chewed.

Okkeus Dainlei Darlyn Excron Amani Serys Rhyanna Li`Anek

 

[Darlyn Excron]

The fact that the students laughed along at the... playful nature of his teaching actually managed a genuine smile from the dark jedi. It really did warm his heart a bit to see that they didn't take offense to it, and instead saw it as equally amusing as he himself did. He lifted a hand, freezing the apple Okkeus Dainlei tossed back at him in air before flinging it at Tarish Galland from the side, intent to manage a connection like he had with the others. Either way, it seemed his lessons were taking effect, as some tried over and over to achieve what he was desperately trying to teach them.

"It might seem silly, but believe me, this is an important step in the process. Force Body is dangerous, and the first step to maintaining it is to be able to maintain your concentration and connection to the Force filling you. It's really no different I guess than meditating, if you want to be lame with the comparisons. It's a state that many tend to aim for when in combat, opening themselves to let the Force flow freely, and within their control. Before you focus this into Body, you need to be able to maintain focus."

"Even while being bombarded by delicious fruit. Once you can hold it, I'll show you how you want to focus the ability, and break your limits. Keep in mind, how I look in the Force right now is not too dissimilar from other forms of body enhancement, such as strength or speed enhancements. These share the same basic premise after all." And force Rage, of course, would share the process, though unlike this was a raw expression of emotion. Body was not so, singular in drive.

He continued to let them achieve the connection as they desired to attempt it, and again would throw apples at them. For Tarish specifically he would throw multiple apples at once to try and break his concentration. However, one by one he would stop throwing the apples at them, as they managed to maintain their connection after being struck by the fruit. If they managed it, anyways.

Tarish Galland :|: Rhyanna Li`Anek :|: Okkeus Dainlei :|: Amani Serys

 

[Aurelion Nova]

OBJECTIVE - Force Body



Where: Commenor
Why: To attend a class
Wearing/Wielding: Fate & Robes
When: Late!
With: Darlyn Excron Amani Serys Okkeus Dainlei Tarish Galland Rhyanna Li`Anek

Aurelion grumbled dejectedly to himself as he stood outside the door to the Force Body class he had heard would be taking place here on Commenor, at their new temple, and sighed as he was..... once again.... late for the class he intended to partake in. He rubbed his face lightly in exasperation, his ears twitching and flexing as he stiffened his posture and tried not to think of how awkward he would look. He could even sense the familiar presence of Amani Serys inside so.... oh who was he kidding she'd probably be the one to tease him the most! This made him pout softly before, with a resigned sigh, he walked into the classroom.

Aurelion was shocked as, the moment he stepped inside the classroom an apple bonked him on the forehead, making his head rock back only for the apple to bounce up off his forehead into the air, and for Aurelion to catch the fruit in his dazed state as it fell back down right into his hands. He blinked, not even registering what had hit him, only to tense up when he saw the fruit in his hand. Now, to say Aurelion was a DOCTOR was a big of an overestimation of his medical abilities but even so, the moment his eye landed on that crimson fruit he began to feel the telltale, ingrained terror that they caused to most medical professionals.

Aurelion grimaced and tossed the apple away, watching the dastardly fruit as it rolled to a stop to make sure it didn't try anything else, before he rubbed his forehead and huffed. Glancing to who, he supposed, was the one teaching the class Tarish Galland and asked "Am I uhh.... in the wrong place? Is this the Force Body class?"

 

[Amani Serys]

After several failed attempts, Amani repeated the process once more, drawing on the Force and taking it into her form, imbuing the essence as one with her own. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply before feeling a faint thunk against her forehead. The apple had made contact, but the pain that had taken her out of her previous attempts felt now like a minor inconvenience, hardly distracting her from the moment. She peeked her eyes open, seeing the fruit roll to the ground as another was tossed her way, Amani caught the latter and gently tossed it up and down in her palm, smiling at the achievement.

Amani turned to the back of the room and grinned seeing Aurelion Nova enter, "Hey, Aur! Heads up!" She tossed the apple towards him without giving much thought to it. Hopefully he would catch that one, or he might be getting hit by a second apple. In the moment of distraction, another third apple flew across, now hitting Amani in the head and making her drop the Force Body one more time. "Aw, come on..." Even still, Amani now had the understanding to reattain the form, and would begin to do so for a second time.

Darlyn Excron | Tarish Galland | Okkeus Dainlei | Rhyanna Li`Anek