Under-appreciated Witchcraft

[Janick Beauchamp]

For all she contributed to mental data transfer scholarship, Janick knew that, these days, witchcraft just didn't seem to have much appeal. It was difficult to get anybody to even get enough information about witchcraft to help them decide between Force-cults, even more so to get apprentices. Yes, there was more to the Force-cults than just the big two that were Jedi and Sith, just that perhaps one of the potential apprentices she might get appeared to her in a dream. Then again, maybe this one could prove the real deal: after so many flukes, perhaps this new one could be the real deal. These days, it seems that one's Force-denomination carries inordinate legal weight: witchcraft offers one to be a low-profile Force-user that can go where Jedi and Sith usually can't - even though these places definitely aren't the same, she thought, after crafting one of those Utai Universal Jammers. She also knew that Sith were, by and large, power-hungry as a group, even though they were more variable as individuals. As for Jedi, she perceived them as often trying to be too many things to too many people, and Sith as well, albeit to a lesser extent. She wasted no time trying to get in touch with that potential new apprentice:

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ATTN: [member="Therion Vensveer"]

In today's galaxy, hardly anyone has even heard of witchcraft, but witchcraft offers a different take on the Force, especially for those who are uninterested by the Jedi's or the Sith's world-views. If you're interested in learning more about how witchcraft can be different from life in the big two cults, please let me know what works for you.

Janick Beauchamp
Witch Elder

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[Therion Vensveer]

Therion was finding himself in a bit of stasis. Jedi and Sith. Sith and jedi. He was getting a bit agitated how there only seemed to be two appreciated sides. Therion wasn't really interested in joining either of them. No, he was interested in witchcraft, and wanted to delve into what it could offer him. His problem was finding a teacher.

Which was when a message sought him out. An invitation. Of which Therion would not be willing to turn down. So, with a bit of time to think it over. To avoid being snappy towards his decision. Therion replied with a confirmation.

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[member="Janick Beauchamp"]

I am more than intrigued by your offer. The time and the place is of no difference to me. Where and when you feel best. I will be there, intent on learning about the paths you offer through the arts.

 

[Janick Beauchamp]

What I would like to do with him once he meets with me is to explore what made the big two cults unappealing to him. I know there is no right or wrong answer, no more than can I assume that why I was drawn to witchcraft is what draws Therion to it. Also, maybe I'd sound like a broken record, but I'll be asking about if he even knows about mental data transfer; it would be among the list of items I would teach him if he doesn't already, and I know is a thing that Sith don't readily teach and yet could be useful to a witch, Janick thought, while formulating a response for him. She would think that it would do him no good to re-teach what he already knew, but unlike what is the case with Jedi, it's not because of the frustration-induced hazards of falling to the dark side. She also kept in mind that knowing what an apprentice wanted out of witchcraft was crucial for the master-student relationship to be fruitful to either party, and it was often lost on Jedi and even more so on Sith in her mind. With Alyssa fast asleep, and Tamana as well, she does just that in the dead of night, doing that one last thing before going to bed:

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[member="Therion Vensveer"]

What about we meet at the Utapau Alchemy Castle? Then we will discuss your reasons for your interest in witchcraft, what you already know, where you want to go from your current situation.

 

[Therion Vensveer]

Therion studied the next message he recieved and nodded his head. All questions he would need to think about. Why was he drawn to witchcraft above all other teachings? He pondered the thought quietly to himself. While he made his reply.

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[member="Janick Beauchamp"]

Utapau Academy Castle sounds like an appropriate meeting place. I look forward to your guidance in the arts.

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With that Therion packed up what little gear he had. Setting out on a ship. He paid passage to his travel destination. Therion sat in silence quietly mulling over his thoughts. So, at the time he arrived at the academy. He could provide answers to the questions he would be asked.

 

[Janick Beauchamp]

The following morning, she could sense that [member="Therion Vensveer"] was arriving, full of questions about witchcraft, and, as usual, Alyssa slept while Tamana was already up, and the latter put the latest completed Utai Universal Jammer in storage in the castle's storage shed. For the interest in witchcraft, she knew the thought process was more important than the answer proper, but the other two questions she asked of him prior to arrival were much more straightforward to answer in her mind. As usual, when she had guests of this nature, in fact, when she was working at the Castle, she wore her black, strapless dress and her black bracers as well. Once that dark presence closed in, apparently without any apparent hostility, Janick would feel that the time has come for her to greet the guest, the potential new student. With most guests being either NFUs or FUs that had some training and, more importantly, more power than the guest hitherto had, when that person she presumed was the new student arrived, she just knew that he was the real deal.

"Welcome to the Utapau Alchemy Castle. I'm Janick, I hope you have thought about the answers to the questions I asked you before. You may answer the three questions in any order"

 

[Therion Vensveer]

Therion was glad to finally be landing. As he departed from the shift. He made his way over to a woman who he assumed was his new mentor. Considering that she appeared to be patiently waiting for him. As he approached his suspicions were confirmed. As she went about reminding him of the questions she desired to know of him. He nodded his head a little bit. "Yes, I have had time to think." He replied calmly as he thought about the ways to answer.

He grudgingly decided upon the second question to answer first. "I know some core implementations of the force. I can bend my environment around me to an extent. As well as sway the weaker minds of other's. I had learned from the person who once claimed me as property, by watching and observing. Until I had learned just enough to get free." He began. Seeming this person was his mentor. He decided it was best not to withhold information she might find out later anyways.

"I wish to learn eventually how to further my abilities in commanding the environment, and the minds of creatures, and other individuals. Though would also like training in martial forms of combat. Finally, as to why witchcraft draws me more so opposed to the other teachings. It is primarily more of a spiritual journey. It is a journey of knowledge. It is separate of the power thirsty ideals of the Sith, and differentiates from the political obligations and deceptions of the jedi." He responded as he thought. "In my opinion in the end it is a journey of inner and outer truth. Who you are, who you wish to become, and understanding both the knowledge needed to get you there, and knowing the consequences of doing so." He concluded.

[member="Janick Beauchamp"]

 

[Janick Beauchamp]

OOC: Tag malfunctions are all over the place.

"Controlling the environment is a vague notion: the best-known of the gang is, of course, electricity. That is, Force-lightning. But heat is another useful area of environmental control; you could use it for cooking, HVAC, among others. Too often Jedi or Sith only seem to think of battle uses for a specific power"

Political obligations are one thing, but political deceptions are perhaps how they can have entire factions backing them and yet have a scope of duty that is ultimately very limited. Yet, on the whole, Jedi seem to be more aware of what they can and cannot do. There may have been a few issues at times, but to Janick, Jedi were the lesser of two evils. [member="Therion Vensveer"] would probably appreciate the ability of infusion, and it was something she must have subjected to so many people by now that she could do it, well, as fast as it was safe to do it, given the infusee's mental attributes. In fact, she could get a better feel for Therion's mental attributes right now... which was essential for her to proceed with a painless knowledge infusion (up to the pain level of what's being infused). She knew that, according to the Fundamental Inequality of Mental Data Transfer, to minimize pain, one should not infuse, nor download, faster than the slower of the target's or the user's mental bandwidth. Janick never felt that her own bandwidth was that big of a deal when she did it herself; however, she couldn't assume such was the case with Therion, especially if he intended to learn witchcraft by infusion or by downloading knowledge from her.

"I'm sure you will love this one: how about I infuse into you knowledge of memory manipulation? Before I proceed with the infusion, do you have any questions?"