Fanclub **Guardians of Light: The EUC Jedi ~ ~ Close Your Eyes... Feel It... the Light. ~ ~**

You're very welcome. And thank you, @Adalia-Durron.

 

Nice choice @Tari Narvina
I award you with two points.
@Bardan_Jusik

 

Oh, yeah of course, thanks for reminding me.
I've added the tag,

 

IC
Temple of Light

Who can know the will of the Force?

Speaking aloud to myself I shuddered as the holo-transmission ended at how close I had come to killing two padawans. Sending them out there on such a mission by themselves? Interlocking my fingers in my lap I closed my eyes momentarily and sunk more deeply into my desk chair exhaling a long tempered sigh.

It was time to make a decision.

Rush to the scene and intervene, as most would do? Or instead...wait...and trust in those feelings that told him to have faith in the two apprentices. Faith that their training up to this point would supply them with everything they needed to overcome any lurking potential threats, and persevere unaided.

Twice I had hurriedly laced up my boots and thrown on my heavy outer robe to bear the cold, and twice I had removed them. Now looking out the window of my study and up into the sky I could faintly perceive the distant moon in the dusk light.

Vallanthe had withheld something...something out of necessity and for their protection. He could feel it, but also felt that the padawans had a plan for when the assailants returned to see what they had caught in their trap.

Observing my hand continuing to hover over the data pad keys I finally opted for a more cryptic message in reply:

There are only two mistakes one can make along the Jedi path;

not going all the way,

and not starting.*


TAG @Kev-Mas_Colcha @Ava G.

*A quote adapted from the Buddha

 

@Ananta Chetan I messaged my roleplay partner so we can decide our next move OOC. I'll respond IC here, as soon as I can!

 

Knight Mini-Mission



A former Jedi and disgraced member of our order has been discovered operating a black market lightsaber ring in the Coruscant Underground. According to intelligence gathered by one of our Sentinel Knights, the blades have been acquired by both fair and foul means, some looted off of slain Jedi and others pilfered via various forms of deceit. One Knight is requested to go and investigate. As a suggestion, you may:

• pose as a buyer and discover what you can about our fallen comrade and their operation then return to the Temple.
  
• confront the former Guardian and hold them accountable by taking whatever appropriate actions necessary including taking them into custody and use of force.
• or...whatever else you decide, these are only suggestions.

TAG All Active Knights: @Rebecca_Daniels @Sarge @Anedon @Jedi Master Kenobiwan @TheSilentInfluence @Skyla Skywalker @vncredleader @Iteote @Kyber Acyk @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @Tython Awakening @Skywalker_T-65

Note: This assignment is open to only one Knight. The first to answer the call by responding in thread will receive the mission.
If the Knight who volunteers happens to have a padawan as well, they are welcome to ask them to join them. 1-2 posts will be sufficient.

 

I'm here @Ananta Chetan

 

@Ananta Chetan -- I would love to take this mission on.

 

I volunteer @Ananta Chetan!

 

LOL! A flurry of volunteers. Looking almost like a mini-RPG?

 

As you were the first to reply Silent, the mission is all yours. PM me if you have any questions and...good luck.

FYI...Knights can expect some more Mini-Mission opportunities coming your way in the days and weeks to come.

 

Part 2 & 3 of the task, finally:

II. Now, read these non-Star Wars quotes on success and failure:

"Discipline is the bridge between success and failure." -- Jim Rohn, Motivational Speaker

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark." -- Michelangelo, Renaissance Sculptor and Artist

3) Did Luke have a training regimen on Dagobah under Yoda’s tutelage?

Yes.

4) List out what Luke’s training regimen might have consisted of while on Dagobah and afterwards.

His training was focused on un-learning bad habits, as much as learning new ones, so it would have probably involved lots of meditation sessions to ponder what a Jedi should be doing, and what he needed to change to start doing those things. It would have included drills to repeatedly do basic Jedi skills so that they would become new, better habits.

5) How was discipline essential to Luke's progress as a Jedi during Empire Strikes Back and afterwards?

The times when he was not disciplined, he lost control of his emotions, like during his duel with Vader, when he gave in to fear for his sister and it led to anger.

6) Did Luke still encounter failure after training with Yoda on Dagobah?

Of course, and almost every time, it was because he allowed his fear to control his thoughts and actions (i.e. nearly destroying Vader in anger on the 2nd Death Star).

It was something he struggled with his entire life. Sometimes he was able to recognize the fear and change the direction of his thoughts before they became actions, sometimes he didn't until it was too late and he'd already almost killed someone he loved and was trying to save.

Just because someone was taught a lesson once doesn't mean they won't repeat the mistake in the future. Especially if they have allowed fear to control them.

(Now, think of this, now think of The Last Jedi, see how its story of Luke's failure is a continuation of an interpretation of Luke based SOLEY on what we see him do in the films? Heroes aren't perfect, they're still people, and when we expect perfection from them, we will be disappointed)


III. Now, watch the following video called "Chasing Failure" on someone striving to push themselves outside of their normal expectations and comfort zone. (14.55 minutes)

7) Should we chase failure and welcome failure into our lives by stepping outside of what is normal?

Yes. If we do not attempt something that is hard, we will never grow as a person or learn new things. There is that famous Edison quote: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

8) Does Yoda's quote, "Do or do not. There is no try." apply to his scenario?

Yes. If you set out to DO something, not just TRY, you will put more effort into it. Either we will do it, or we will not. If we didn't end up doing it, we can just attempt to DO it again, this time applying what we learned from not being able to do it the previous attempt. Sometimes, we will end up doing the task in a way we didn't realize was an option, because we had not seen the option when we started out to do the task.

9) Do discipline and physical fitness affect our mental state? How?

Yes. A brain functions better when the body is healthy. Working on physical discipline also disciplines our minds.

Tag: @Tython_Awakening

 

As I am sure some already noticed, I've added a few new NPCs over in the Legacy of the Guardians archive thread. I also tried to clean up the initial post over there with a bit of reorganizing our list of characters by active player, NPC and inactive player characters. The links to individual character sheets should all work, but I haven't tested them all so if you see a discrepancy (of any sort) please PM me so I can fix it.

As to our next game update, it is ready aside from the normal formatting work I need to do. However it will have to be posted later today as my son asked me a few minutes ago to go throw the football around with him. So I am off to something called "outside" to do that but you can look for the next update shortly.

 

This Knight is on hiatus except to her Padawan until January. No time for missions of any sort.

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha
Well, I did the first part of my task at least, a month and a half later... I feel like such a bad padawan... but it least it has to count for something that this took me three hours and is like 1500 words long

Trial of Skill/Flesh, Part 1:
Dueling Form/styles. Please describe the various forms & their particular advantages/disadvantages? Then, select which ones you feel you would like to pursue.

Spoiler: It's kinda...really...long :P

In any corner of the galaxy, the Jedi can be recognized by one universal thing - their lightsabers. Whether they inspire a feeling of security, awe, joy or fear, it cannot be denied that they are lethal weapons, tools to aid the Jedi in following the will of the Force. And like any other weapon, there are different ways to master its use, with different benefits, disadvantages, targets and focuses. While there are likely hundreds of ways to correctly wield a lightsaber - or, as many call it, a laser sword, the Jedi specifically teach seven distinct forms.

Form I, more officially known as Shii-Cho, and less officially as the “Way of the Sarlacc” or the “Determination Form”, was the first of the seven forms to be established by the Jedi, and one that is still taught to younger initiates, despite being one of the less efficient of the forms. Because it was created experimentally as the Jedi discovered different ways to utilize and perfect the usage of their newly made weapons, it was not founded in light of lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat, but rather as a way to disarm a non-Force-using opponent. It was designed to withstand multiple enemies, with wide sweeping motions and the focus of disarming, and was not especially effective against a single opponent, because of the weaknesses and openings that could be exploited when given full attention. Even when facing more than one adversary, Shii-Cho is only fully successful in the hands of a well-practiced master who is skilled enough to perform the exact and precise motions required in this form. Ending up clumsy and inefficient when attempted by an amateur swordsman, the Jedi quickly established Form II.

The primary form of the renowned Qui-Gon Jinn, Count Dooku and Cin Drallig, Form II, or Makashi, is known as an elegant and fluid style, with an emphasis on single opponents and dueling. It was created as a form that could combat the first, and is based largely one moves perfected by the first Jedi, when swordplay was the main form of combat and training among them. It solved the problem of Form I that included no way of dealing with a lightsaber-armed enemy, and focused on preventing against disarmament, which was one of the primary goals of Shii-Cho. Its disadvantages, however, were that, one, it was mainly a defensive style, and without an offensive move added to it, it would be nearly impossible to defeat an attacker, and, two, as it was created to counter the attack of another duelist, an effective way to deflect blaster bolts was hardly present. It also required extremely precise timing, strikes and footwork, which limited the amount of momentum a Form II duelist could gain when fighting, using up their energy and strength.

Soresu, adequately nicknamed the “Resilience Form” because of the emphasis on blaster deflection, subtle movements and the philosophy behind it that encouraged dueling Jedi to relax into a theoretical “eye of the storm” created by drawing on the Force, is the third of the lightsaber forms. It is nearly entirely non-aggressive, and focused purely on self-defense and the ability to withstand an enemy’s attack until they grew tired, literally or figuratively, when they would implement their negotiation skills in attempting to find a mutually agreeable decision, or, if this was not an option, would disarm their opponent as soon as they noticed a weakness. In light of this, it is no surprise that this was Obi-Wan Kenobi’s primary lightsaber form. The setbacks of such a mindset, however, are that because Form III is incredibly defensive, it is not easy for a user of Soresu to go the offensive and finish a battle. Another is that the focus of this form - to prolong the battle until the opponent becomes too frustrated or fatigued to continue - can also work in reverse, wearing down the patience and strength of the Jedi themselves.

One of the most aggressive styles of lightsaber combat, Form IV, or Ataru, dates back to the Mandalorian Wars, when it first came into common practice. Using the Force to overcome physical limitations and setbacks, a Jedi adept in Form IV was constantly drawing its power to perform highly acrobatic flips, jumps and spins, which were mainly efficient in offensive, athletic battles against single opponents. It is not particularly effective against blaster fire or several attackers, but its acrobatic nature and vigorous fast pace makes it a lethal weapon, especially when engaging in a short-lived battle. It is beneficial to learn, especially for Jedi who have discovered the ability to enhance their strength and speed in the Force, although it can be incredibly tiring if the first few bursts of athletic maneuvers do not disarm, disable, or at least slow an opponent.

When the masters of Form III began to realize that their almost exclusively defensive dueling style was resulting in longer-than-necessary combat, modifications were made to create Form V, the “Perseverance Form”. It has two major variations - Shien, which specializes in defense against blaster bolts, and Djem So, which was created later and targeted specifically towards lightsaber duels. Although they had different usages, they shared the same principle of turning an opponent’s attack back on them; in Shien a laser blast was deflected back towards its shooter, and in Djem So, an attacker’s strike was immediately met with a counter strike by the Jedi. As this form grew and evolved, it became a mergence of the defensive ideas of Form III, but the aggression of Form II, and is considered perhaps the most the most physically taxing of all the forms. Shien, while extremely effective in repelling the blaster fire of multiple adversaries, was particularly weak against a single attacker, and for a practitioner of Djem So, intense strength and physical force was necessary to perfect it.

Form VI, also called Niman, or the “Moderation Form”, is a merged combination of all the forms that proceed it, developing a balance between each of their focuses. It was created for Jedi who mainly specialized in diplomacy and negotiation, as a moderate type of fighting to draw upon in the event that their diplomatic talents failed; as a consolidation of all earlier forms, it offers no real defining advantage, but in the same way lacks any concerning disadvantages. Because its purpose was to create a lightsaber form that Jedi who preferred to devote their time to learning and negotiation were comfortable learning, and it strongly incorporated the Jedi’s philosophies of balance, harmony, and serenity, it is a rather relaxed style of combat and its success is greatly dependent on the creativity of its user while fighting.

The last of the standard Jedi lightsaber forms, and also likely the most rare, is Form VII, Juyo, which is also accurately called the “Ferocity Form” because of its viscous and intense style. It was used commonly at the time of the Old Jedi Order, but in time, the knowledge of and education in it became more and more restrained by the Jedi Council, in the fear that it’s aggressive and ferocious nature would draw their students to the dark side. By the time of the Galactic Republic, Juyo was no longer in use, but another variation of Form VII emerged, called Vaapad. It was a dangerous form to employ, because to effectively master it, a Jedi had to acknowledge and channel his inner darkness into the battle. Direct and bold, it could be highly effective in skilled hands, but left its user perilously susceptible to the dark side of the Force.

But while it is one of their primary goals, the lightsaber forms are not purely used for the purpose of efficient and successful fighting, but also a productive way to practice discipline and patience. Without them, duels, spars and battles would be wild, lawless melees, characterized by randomly severed limbs and clumsy slashes. They serve to bring an order and elegance to the fight, but also challenge their users to perfect them and practice them, and offers them a chance to find the specific way that the Force has called them to truly be one with it and with their lightsabers.

After long thought and meditation, I have decided that it would be in my best interest to study a combination of Form VI, as I aspire to be a healer, and while I will likely spend most of my time in the Healing Halls, I am aware that at least basic knowledge of combat skills is necessary, and, if my training permits, some of the art of Form IV. The reason I would like to experiment with learning Ataru is because, one, I greatly admire the ability to draw on the Force to gain agility and speed, something I may need if I ever am called on to practice my healing skills on the battlefield, and two, I am fascinated by the extreme balance that the form requires, between discipline and creativity, and aggression and serenity, and would personally take the most satisfaction in the accomplishment of learning this form, to any extent. I hope that through the practice and study of these lightsaber forms, I can effectively serve many people, whether I am defending a patient, accompanying fellow Jedi on a mission, or teaching my skills to a younger Jedi someday, and can do my part to defend peace and justice in the galaxy.

 

@ThisIsMe1138

Superb explanation of each form & its advantages/shortcomings.

Form IV definitely sounds a good choice.

Forms VI and VII are advanced forms, which you can take up formally after Knighting; however, you can familiarize yourself with it and the contexts where it was used and thus be in a strong position to master it, eventually.

For this section, I wish to award 4 Pts
@Bardan_Jusik Thx.

 

It was amazing, there is a doorway at the back of my house and it leads to this wonderful, near magical, area my son called "outside". The air was cool and refreshing, and there was a stiff breeze and even little droplets of half frozen water falling from above. My son called the above "sky", which I must admit is an odd sounding word, but at least it's short. We enjoyed our time in "outside" though, and we both got terribly muddy (be wary, "outside" is also a very dirty place, at least the ground anyway) which i think just added to our enjoyment.

 

Yes that does indeed sound like "outside". Amazing that we both experienced it so close together. I wonder if anyone else here has ever dealt with this mystical place?

 

Briikase gote'tuur jetii!

 

One additional condition...
Those accepting the assignment must post within one week's time from the date the mission was posted. If they do not, the mission will be given to the next Knight in line who volunteered.

@TheSilentInfluence

 

I'll post tommorrow.