Approved Lore "The Force: Sith and Jedi Philosophy in Practice", by Darth Maliphant

[Darth Empyrean]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create more lore Maliphant has written.
• Image Credit: Here.
• Canon: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Links: N/A

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Media Name: "The Force: Sith and Jedi Philosophy in Practice", by Darth Maliphant
• Format: Alchemized Leather Book
• Distribution: Rare
• Length: Long
  • Word Count: 135,230
• Description:
  • With the rise of multiple interpretations of the Dark Side, and the reincarnation of the 'Sith'ari' known as the Worm Emperor - Maliphant wrote a book expanding on the teachings he had recieved from the Worm Emperor and his understanding of what it implies. Building on philosophy - notably individualism, determinism, and nihilism - Maliphant expands on the details of what it means to be 'Sith', the failings the ideology has, and how the same theorem can be applied to Jedi Philosophy.

SOCIAL INFORMATION

• Author: Darth Maliphant
• Publisher: Self
• Reception:
  • Following in Velok's own manner, there is a very limited number of these books around. Partially done to make a false sense of 'exclusivity', and partially done to make them a more valuable gift to those he handed them too - it has found itself a surprisingly warm welcome in the various circles of the Sith that enjoy theory crafting and dialectics.

FORMAT INFORMATION

Crafted from Leviathan Leather and enhanced with short-term memory enchantments, the book is as much a piece of art as it is a source of information. Specifically made by Maliphant's own hand, it sees the benefits of a master alchemist putting their skills to the craft of book binding; doing more than binding its pages with thick sinew, but making it a piece of art a sith can enjoy for years to come. From its swirling leather cover, to the leviathan eye at its center that seems to stare endlessly at its host - the book carries even more love and tender care within its dark pages.​

​

Each page is made from the skin of either mandalorians lost during the invasion of Mandalore, or otherwise sourced from Jedi Shadow's sent to kill Maliphant on more than a few occasions. While some are simply the artificial growth of skin cells, a few rare pages are made from the real original skin torn from the jedi's flesh. Each is lined with the blood of Maliphant, mixed carefully with corrupted kyber crystal to give each ur-Kittat word a wonderful sheen and glow. Truly, a work of art representative of Maliphant's need to be extra in all that he does.​

CONTENT INFORMATION

• Part 1, "The Force Conceptualized"
  • "... With theories and philosophical takes abound, there seems an infinite amount of takes on what the Force is. The reality is, however, much more simple - that regardless of what the Force is, be it a living entity, a Force Sensitive who had ascended into a 'God Like' position, or simply the cruel current of fate, none of these things truly make a difference in the implications of how we live with it day to day..."
  • "... What is known about the Force is its ability to confer destiny. By offering visions of the future, by allowing those skilled in its use to predict the future, or the constant reminder that the Force has the magnanimous ability to fulfill its own prophecies makes it notably pro active in its machinations of the Galaxy. Few can deny that the various prohecies around the galaxy have had some semblence of similarity, seen in the archeological remains of Rakata, Gree, Tython, Korriban, and more..."
  • "... This 'Fate', for the average person, is neither obvious nor important. They are simply a boat in the river, floating down its currents to whatever fate the Force demands. Be it smashed against a rock, carefully glided to the edge of the banks, or otherwise - we see it happen again and again. Expanded upon later, we even witness the Force attempt to 'correct' this path when changes are made to its idealized path..."
• Part 2, "Jedi Philosophy"
  • "... For those who have studied the beliefs of the Jedi, they may understand that the concept they often have is an abandonment of harsh feelings, to break away from the concepts of 'individuality' and simply surrender ones self to the Force. This can be noted in the various historical documents collected in Sith Archives from the Jedi Temples raided, but more so from the simple phrases Jedi and those of their faith tend to repeat: "May the Force be with you." or "I am one with the Force". Both of these are simple glimpses into the view of the Jedi..."
  • "... Notably, Jedi often receive their strength from a state of 'Zen'. Jedi who manage to surrender themselves to the Force, as Grandmaster Luke Skywalker had, find a signifigant amount of power in their actions. This is because they surrender their individuality - emotions, beliefs, dreams, for the sake of 'many'. Or rather, the belief they are saving the many - when the reality is, they are simply personifications of the 'Force's self correcting actions. Jedi are in a very real sense, slaves to the currents of Fate, its glorious corrective agents who hear the call of the Force and answer it with sword and fire; ambiguously painted in a thin coating of moral superiority..."
  • "... When one realizes that this 'One with the Force' mentality implies they entrust the Force with the fate of the galaxy, they become its hypocritical oath keepers. As Darth Traya had once proven, the Force itself repeats gross atrocities across the galaxy over and over. Be it the Old Republic Wars, the Rakata, the Galactic Civil War, or more; we see it time and time again, with or without the Sith actively involved or not. On both the small scale and the large; the Force is itself the greatest perpetrator of pain and agony, while the Jedi are its holier-than-thou enforcers responsible for its crimes due to their very nature of being close to it."
• Part 3, "Shortcomings of the Ashla"
  • "... As stated, the Jedi are the 'Avatar's of the Force; its physical embodiment on the galaxy we see. So, as its personal embodiments, why are the Jedi not able to control the entirety of the Force itself? If they were perfect, as per their philosophy, they would have no sense of self - only the Force would be their mind, body, and soul. This is not, however, how we see it. Even in the actions of Grandmaster Wyatt Morga they are never able to predict every single detail before them - often leading to mistakes, and no matter their lack of selfish nature, they never can control the Force in its entirety. The question then becomes why?"
  • "... The reality is, all Jedi fight against their very nature - whether they know it or not. By having a name, by carrying anger against the Sith, through any thousand of reason they continue to identify themselves as themselves makes them weaker in the Force. In a very real sense, the Jedi find strength in enlightment - something Jedi Masters fail to do consistently, and younger generations find nearly impossible. Due to this, they can only draw on bits of the Force, takes far longer to achieve this strength - but still potent when they can truly seperate their needs from the will of the Force..."
  • "... Jedi of the current generation suffer from this very short fall - they have too much individuality. This can be seen in the close relationships of the Silver Jedi and their willingness to identify with House names such as Heavenshield or Jade - and further when one looks at the New Jedi Order with their own hatred of the Sith drawing them to a point of individuality that borders attempting to change the very nature of the Force. In turn the Force continues to cause mass trauma through the galaxy - one of the various reasons goverments of our era do not last more than a few years at a time, as the Force desperately tries to correct itself and find avatars worthy of its will. Reactive in its entirety, the Jedi will not know power on the same level as the Sith so long as they continue to fight from their own perspective - a blessing for the Sith, as losing ones self identity is far harder than to simply embrace it, adding to the ease at which one finds strength in the Dark Side versus the strength in the 'Light' as it is poorly called."
• Part 4, "Sith Philosophy"
  • "... Where the Jedi consider their entire belief focused on achieving a state of 'Zen' and become one with the Force; the philosophy of the Sith is the opposite. While one serves as the thesis, and the other the antithesis, Sith often find themselves not at odds with the Jedi so much as at odds with the Force itself. Sith are a belief focused on the individual, so heavily so that their very nature allows them to overcom the fate the Force has for them. Worshipped as 'river breakers' by the old Sith Eternal under Palpatine, the Sith are very simply so willing to embrace what makes them a sentient seperated from the Force that they will suffer no destiny they have not designed themselves..."
  • "... One does not, however, need to be a Force Sensitive to be a Sith. Those who follow the belief that individuality is what makes one a Sith allow themselves a path to break Fate themselves. The Force, as it happens, has no fate in mind for you that you should care for - and so the Sith philosophy is simple enough to be stated in a single sentence; "Take control of your future." This is simple to state, but much harder to do in practice, as Sith of every degree have become victims to the reactive nature of the Force as stated before. Self correcting, the real struggle of the Sith is against the domineering will of the Force itself - to allow sentients to decide their own fate, rather than to be slaves to its infinite purpose..."
  • "... To expand, it should be also noted that those who are Force Sensitive enough to manifest those powers on the world around them often find themselves leaning to the Dark Side through their own natural means. This is due to the individuality they are given by nature, a sense of self and purpose to enact what they dream over the Force itself. So long as the Jedi do not find these Force Sensitives, there is an extremely high probability they will swim against the current - as seen by the intergalactic gambling ban list discovered by Darth Plageuis in his search of Darth Tenebrous's remaining candidates for replacements of him. These Force Sensitives without training, found themselves doing such actions that were not selfless - but purposefully selfish in their desires..."
• Part 5 "Shortcomings of the Bogan"
  • "... Now, with the Sith Philosophy being relatively simple - is it not so easily achieved. While Sith able to manifest their powers are often considered 'river breakers' of Fate, they are doubly so punished for their ability an willingness to enslave the Force to their will. The act of dominating the Force leads to the body to be attacked by the Force - leading to conditions not disimilar to that of Ashin Cardé Varanin or Darth Sidious; where in the body itself begins to break down due to its dominance of the Force. Reactive, once more, as the Force is in a variety of things..."
  • "... Often, the greatest critique of the Sith is that they are 'evil' - though I will make an argument against the first. When in the situation of killing non combatants, Sith are not necessarily doing anything against sentients as they have not yet broken their conditionining to the Force's will. To kill someone who has awakened from the depths of the Force, and seeks their own destiny would be a crime simply because they killed a self actuating being - but to kill a thousand citizens who have no idea they have no actual sense of self is not disimilar to cutting down a thousand trees. When it has a purpose, it means nothing.
    
    However, there are those who kill even the awakened. It is these individuals who have suffered a different fate than those mentioned prior - as the act of individuality requires both strong mind and body. When one has a weak mind, they often fall into the strength of their own emotions; something you can see in the likes of any Sith who suffers from insanity. The Force attacks the mind until they lose any sense of culpability - and these are little more than animals turned feral. Whenever possible, a Sith who has lost this sense of accountability should be put down; to ensure that the next generation understands that the purpose of the Sith is to not be blind aggressors, but to break the chains that bind the very nature of people themselves..."
  • "... Sith sub sects that focus too heavily on killing other Sith, or to even strip them of their sense of individuality such as the Rule of Order, suffer from the same short comings of so many. To be an individual does not mean one has to kill all other individuals in fear of a threat, but to encourage each to rise - though that is not to stay betrayal and infighting is completely without purpose.
    
    As said by the Worm Emperor, Sith are fighting an uphill battle. To be complacent in our strength now is to fall victim to the Force as it works against us - and such, we must compare our individual strength to anothers. This is where holy Kaggath's and more come into place; but more than that, it is to ensure that Sith are constantly improving, striving to walk in the steps of the Saints and Sith'ari we all strive to become, and forever fulfill the role we make for ourselves. To be weak is to drag the entire Order down, and to be complacent in solely supporting another is to sacrifice one's individuality for the sake of the community - in essence, hurting the whole through the sacrifices of the one..."
• Part 6 "Implications"
  • "... With all this said, it should be obvious that the public perception of 'Jedi Good' and 'Sith Bad' can't be brought down to the simple actions of ad campaigns and propaganda. The reality is far deeper - as we see the Jedi are slaves to the Force they serve, and the Sith are the flawed breaker of chains trying to free the very fabric of the Galaxy from the depths of the Force's equally flawed destiny. To embrace the Force and surrender oneself to it is to break the very natural state of individuality one has from birth, and to fight against its domineering nature is the most noble pursuit one can undertake - even if the road is often paved with the fleshy walls the Force attempts to use to break the Sith's will, to force them back into a state of docility..."
  • "... In conclusion, Sith must realize that the Jedi are often just miseducated victims of their ideals, and the Sith as a religion and philosophy is the only answer the Galaxy has. If we continue on the Force's path set out for us, we will continue to be drawn into greater conflicts, greater atrocities, and infinite pain for the galaxy at large. To cause great suffering now so that generations to come can survive without the Force's dominance is the only option we have - and something every Sith should realize."

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

For years Maliphant has been hoarding knowledge - from the Telos Holocron, to Vitiates, to even Mother Talzin's grimoire; but he has made very little contributions to galactic history overall. Realizing that some of his most prized possessions were the contents of the books he received from Velok the Younger years prior, Maliphant had the simple idea to do much the same; to release highly alchemized books into the more intelligent Sith circles strictly to spread his knowledge to others in ways that didn't directly threaten him.

In this, Maliphant decided offering glimpses into his Force based theorems, implementation of Dark Side strategies, and historical context of a variety of subjects was the best route. While spreading the teachings of the Telos Holocron could in fact bring extremely powerful Sith to light, he instead chose the route of strategy to keep his own effort safe. This is where the many books he made would be built from as a foundation - expanded on as he moved through the various subjects he wished to cover.

For "The Force: Sith and Jedi Philosophy in Practice", Maliphant went into the details of what the Force was, how it was applicable in the world we live in, and the strengths and weaknesses of both the Sith and Jedi orders. This serves the purpose of being the backbone of modern Sith philosophy - offering Sith the foundational knowledge on how to expand their strength, to focus their goals on what the Sith should seek, and some implications on how to achieve such.

Due to this, the book has been sent to a variety of well known and influential Sith of the modern era - such as the Brotherhood of the Maw, Warlords of the Sith, and certain members of the Sith Empire. This was not done to create a cohesive narrative between the various Sith philosophies, but rather to offer them a central take on what the Sith should be seeking as based on ancient texts, the teachings of Darth Sidious, the Worm Emperor, and a variety of other historical documents alongside modern philosophy.

1. Darth Empyrean - First Edition
2. Ashin Cardé Varanin
3. Velok Brokentusk
4. Darth Voyance
5. Vora Kaar
6. Kascalion Giedfield
7. Taeli Raaf
8. Grundark
9. Darth Solipsis
10. Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Srina Talon

This is ready for judgement.

 

[Fevris Derzelas]

Hello! I will be reviewing your submission.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, I only have one request to make before stamping this:

• Author: Please replace the mention for a link to the character's bio.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Fevris Derzelas

Thank you! Done and done.

 

[Fevris Derzelas]

Excellent! Thank you for the edit.

APPROVED.
Darth Empyrean