Sith Holocrons Vol. II

[TehChron]

Welcome to the Second Edition of Sith Holocrons. For those of you who dont know what the hell Im talking about, no this is not a joke. There was a volume one, but that was on the NSO's private forums found here. Basically, as a Primer, the Sith Holocrons are an omnibus of various writings and musings of Sith on the Order itself, various newspieces, and other things.

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Freedom and Victory

By Cheyenne

“To be a Sith is to taste freedom and to know victory.”

-Yuthura Ban

As a Sith, you possess the greatest gifts the universe has to offer. You have tasted freedom, and you have known victory, and will certainly enjoy even greater victory in the days to come. However, nobody gave you these gifts. You did not wait for someone with more power to toss you their scraps, to give you some token freedoms, to allow you to experience victory as part of their own quest.

That freedom you have tasted, that victory you know and hold dear, was not given, but taken. You stood up and shouted to the powers that be that you would no longer abide by their abstracts, or forego true power in order to align with the so called "Light Side". By entering into the Order, you threw off the shackles of their oppression, and will never have to feel them again.

You are free, my brothers. Free to speak out, free to unleash the powers within you, free to dedicate your talents and abilities to any cause you deem worthy. You have pledged those powers to the New Sith Order, a noble cause worthy of your gifts. For unlike the powers that be, we are in the business of enabling our members, not spoon-feeding them.

The Order stands alone in the world as an institution dedicated to never stopping, never slowing. Where others would be content to rest on their laurels and beat their swords into ploughshares, we strive to attain true power through whatever means necessary. As an Acolyte of the Order, you will share in that power. Not as a servant, basking in reflected glory like the puppets and meatshields of other alliances, but as a Master of the Dark Side, wielding power that few can even comprehend.

We are the potters, the world our clay. The power we have taken has granted us the authority to recreate the world in our image. Those that resist will either be converted or be destroyed, for the struggle, revolution and challenge that is displayed in the Order is what you see happening in the world at large. The strong survive, and the Sith are strong.

You may take pride in this, for you have earned it. The passion that flows through your veins for the continued dominance of the Order is not only healthy; it is the sign of one that is truly powerful. And with these emotions comes discipline; the discipline to master your emotions, to submit to those above you until such a time as you are prepared to destroy them.

The Challenge system of the Order is in fact her lifeblood. Once an apprentice has learned all they can from their master, they must indeed become the master. Anything less would be a disservice to the Order, and a disservice to the Force. Never be content to rest within the Brotherhood, for without constant struggle, revolution and recreation, we Sith would be no better than the Jedi, content to remain apart from the world.

Seize power whenever it reveals itself, for it is yours to take.

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I'm sure there are many who would take umbrage to some of the things mentioned in this piece. Bully for you folk.

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Pride, Passion, and Discipline: A Primer

By Heft

Introduction

The Sith are a strange people, simultaneously simple and complex. They submit to their emotions, yet seek to master themselves. They bow to their masters, yet seek to dominate others. Their personalities, actions and histories are remarkably varied and display a culture regularly in flux. We strive to learn from the past, so that we can be better than those that came before us. We seek to understand their actions, so that we can emulate and surpass their successes and avoid repeating their failures. What can we draw from the muddled, complicated, and sometimes contradictory lessons of so many antecedents? Concrete lessons are difficult to draw, but we can begin to observe similar themes, consistent throughout most stories. Those who were successful tended to be primarily based in three fundamental elements: Pride, Passion, and Discipline.

Pride

Sith are superior. Sith are the best, and believe it wholeheartedly and without reservation. They have confidence in themselves to perform and accomplish great feats, and though they do not make foolish moves, they are not afraid of risks. Sith project this confidence, and even arrogance, outward. It will surely result in some jealously and resentment, but it will also result in respect and a following. Those who seek to mask their own inadequacies will lash out recklessly at the calmly composed Pride and confidence of the Sith, while those who have no such hang-ups will recognize the competence and ability of the Sith and align themselves accordingly. Sith have no need to boast or brag, they simply allow their existence and manifest successes to display their ability.

Passion

From this superiority arises ambition and hunger for power. Sith allow their emotions and feelings to guide them, and they do not resist their dark side, their hate and anger and rage. They allow these, and all their other emotions, to push them forward on their path towards greatness, as their pride and confidence allows them to know they will succeed. Sith do not enter a battle they cannot win, but neither do they shy away from a battle of any sort. They embrace conflict, and the growth that accompanies it. They embrace loss, and the knowledge it brings. They embrace their doubt and fear and anguish, for from that they gain awareness and perception.

Discipline

The most powerful Sith, the strongest Sith, are disciplined. They embrace their emotions and their passions and they have full confidence in their abilities and ambitions, but they do not allow these things to drive them to stupidity or recklessness. They will develop patience, cunning, and restraint as they move towards their goals. They will obey the orders and commands of those above them, in the knowledge that such discipline and respect will serve them one day. They will not enter into foolhardy or unwinnable situations simply to satisfy some carnal desire, nor will they flippantly dismiss superiors out of a blind lust for power.

Conclusion

For the Order to be strong and to thrive, those in it must embrace these principles and acknowledge their shared cultural unity, their commonality of purpose, and their uniqueness in a vapid world. These are the principles upon which a powerful Order may be built and forged, the foundation upon which we may build our fortress, and the hilltop upon which our city will shine.

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An excellent analysis of the cultural foundations of the Order. Contrary to the ignorant stereotype, we possess incredibly strong senses of purpose and discipline. Those who seek only random carnage due to a misguided bloodlust are not allowed anywhere near the top.

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The Question of Loyalty

By Chron

The Sith do not know Loyalty. Our very culture and way of living is based off the tenet that we should not hold a blind adherence to those greater than our station, but should only strive to surpass them and take their place on the totem pole. This is undisputed. However, those above our station are still given authority to deliver orders onto us. To set policy, tell us what to do, and rightfully expect obedience. But what is that authority based upon? Well, my fellow Sith, we do not respect Orders due to loyalty to those above us in station. No. Nor do we hold them as being the embodiment of the Sith Order. No…The reason we are expected, and do, respect the chain of command is due to our RESPECT of the individual holding the station. Respect is, unlike loyalty, personal, earned. It is dependent upon being kept up by an individual, worked for, and a trust is built from it. Respect is quite unlike the submission that is mere loyalty, where we are encouraged to act subservient, to surrender ourselves to those who would drape themselves in a cloak of embodiment and hubris, who would not work for our respect but merely demand we heed their bidding. No, we Sith do not know Loyalty, only respect. The respect for the meaning of a station, respect for the accomplishments of our betters, and respect for the endless possibility that their status represents. For we Sith do not merely allow others to dictate unto us without proving their worth, should an individual of higher station prove inferior, then they shall be challenged and overcome by one more worthy than they. Respect is something only given to the worthy, and that is why we obey, because our respect has been earned; if it were not, then those giving orders would not be *in* a position to give them.

Respect for the Stations which our Marauders, Sith Lords, Prophets and even the Dark Lord hold is there not because they simply took the office for themselves and left those beneath them the merest scraps. Rather, they have EARNED our respect through the efforts and accomplishments they have worked for, for the sake of our Sith order. The Challenge system is the crystallization of our belief that no one Sith is above the Order by any right, but rather only holds power until someone more capable comes along to unseat them. This is as true for our Dark Lord as it is for any Marauder. If we considered ourselves more capable than those in office, we would challenge them, and if we were, then that guard would be relieved of their duty by the Brotherhood of Darkness at large. But, since such bedlam is not an everyday occurrence in the BoD, than we must accept the fact that we commonly do not all consider ourselves more qualified, and with that admission, comes also the realization that we respect the position they hold. We respect it because we do not believe that just anyone can take it. Respect brought on by recognition of the fact that it takes a certain level of talent and competence to hold office here within the New Sith Order. If we did not respect our Orders government, challenges would run rampant by the ambitious who consider themselves capable of taking a position without putting any work into it.

We hold respect for those hold higher rank solely for the fact that they have earned it. For the work they have done to advance the Order. We give our leaders respect not because they merely ask for it, but by virtue of the fact that they have demonstrated being worthy of it. We look to our leaders in the Order to accomplish goals, to perform necessary tasks, to do what is best for the sake of the Order and they do it. They do far more to further our cause than the average member, and that is why they hold office. That is why when they speak and order us below them to act, we comply. Because they have earned the right to do so by virtue of their service. And the reality of those accomplishments is that they are what brought our leaders to their positions of power. So too, can our accomplishments propel ourselves to greatness. The promise of being rewarded for our advances and accomplishments is what drives us to have respect for those who put in the work before us, and appreciate the awards waiting for us when we, too, give our all.

Unlike many alliances which claim to have a meritocracy whereby the best are given the respect and prestige they have earned, our Sith Order, through its Challenge system dispenses with petty political posturing and lays out a broad claim; “If you are capable, step forth”. As Sith, it is common knowledge that the strongest members shall ascend to higher rank, and those lacking in ambition, drive, and effort shall not. Ambition, drive and effort, interestingly, are traits, which when expressed, also can earn respect if properly utilized, your fellow members observe you, bear witness to your accomplishments, and hold you in higher esteem. They believe you when you demonstrate aptitude, and give you the respect you’ve earned. If a Sith who does this is capable enough, they will surely also choose to challenge another Sith for supremacy and obtain higher rank; for with that rank, they shall also obtain the right to utilize the respect they’ve engendered to accomplish even greater feats for the Order, and through those feats, earn greater respect from their peers. When leading, respect and fear are the only two tools to engender obedience from subordinates. Of the two, fear is easier and less reliable, whereas respect is the stronger foundation of authority, but more difficult to obtain. As a leader, you must earn the respect of those below you, as it is the only certain way to obtain their definite subservience. An army shall not follow a weak master, and the Order shall not tolerate a weak and ineffective member holding a position of any power.

We Sith do not know Loyalty to any one man, regardless of what he has done in the past, or what he may do in the future. That is not how we serve. The New Sith Order follows only the one most worthy to lead it, and that right is earned through respect of that man, for what he does for the Order at this moment. The day that respect is lost, a greater, more capable Sith shall take his place, and so on and so forth throughout the chain of command, down to the lowest Marauders. Respect is the foundation of discipline in the New Sith Order, by allowing a government member to go unchallenged is our own approval of the job they are doing. It is our respecting of the office they hold, and of the one in power. That respect we give them is not to be discarded idly when we disagree with a decision or action they may make, but should be acknowledged until the day our better is unworthy of his post, and therefore loses it to one more deserving than he.

But if it is not that day, we shall acknowledge and respect the positions of our superiors. Until such time as we have overthrown them, and taken their place.

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A truly remarkable and well-written piece. Personally I feel that this is the best out of them all.

This is only one portion of future "Dark Side Media" releases, look forward to our take on news of the day as well.

Or don't.

*ignite lightsaber smilie*

[Azhrarn]

So when do we get to see Volume I?

[TehChron]

So when do we get to see Volume I?

I 'unno.

Depends on if theres enough interest, gravedigging on our forums takes time, after all.

[Sal Paradise]

What's a cloak of embodiment?

[TehChron]

What's a cloak of embodiment?

Verbage.

Or as Hawk likes to call it "Artistic-y"

(Uncultured hick)

[Sal Paradise]

Verbage indeed.

[Stonewall14]

o/ NSO