The following thread will show the progression of Apprentice @Keres Dymos as she trains underneath the tutelage of Darth Kain, Beloved Prince of the Stars.
IC: Apprentice Keres
Though she managed to keep a blank face while her Master instructed her, Keres couldn’t help gagging a little after he’d vanished. The Lorekeeper’s smell was… truly something. She grimaced at where her Master had been standing, but dutifully started searching for information. Finding a list of the current members of the Council was fairly easy, and knowing their forms of address was similarly available. After all, the Dark Council hardly needed Acolytes and Apprentices bumbling about forgetting who to address or calling the Empress ‘ma’am’. The thought.
But how to choose accomplishments? Keres thought it over in the time she was given, reading, and reading, and reading, sometimes jotting down notes as they occurred to her. All members of the Dark Council had great accomplishments to their name. Still, she had to start somewhere, and her Master was as good a topic of any. But first.
The Dark Council that governs the Sith of our Empire is made of being glorious and wondrous to behold and serve under. Each should be hailed and knelt to, and referred to by name and title. This is only right, as they have proven by might and intelligence to guide and shape our Empire into its full glory. The members of the Dark Council are thus:
Lord Kain. Despite his human looks, it is said that his True Form is so agonizing to look upon that any who does goes mad at once. Lord Kain is also popular within the Empire, known for his affable mien and understanding ways. He has also recently created his own House, dedicated to turning away from ignorance to learning the truth, no matter what horrors it reveals. His sword, alchemized and made with Spirit Ichor, is a beautiful weapon, and just as deadly.
His powers with pyromancy have no match, and he is equally renowned for having the Eye of Typhojem, of which only Lord Dreadwar has its match. But his greatest accomplishment has been his meteoric rise to power, moving from Peon to Dark Councillor, to Tribune, and then to Tetrarch (Empress' Vengeance) within the span of a year.
Lord Xarxes. Lord Xarxes is immediately notable for his immense stature, standing at 7’2 in full armor. His blade, the Sword of Order, is also well-known, releasing a wave of cold when drawn, and instantly freezing whatever it strikes to the core. His armor is said to be made from the souls of damned Arkanians, augmented with Lord Xarxes’ incredible mastery of Art of the Small.
He is well-known for his stoic personality, and for forsaking bodily pleasures for the lofty heights of the mind. Lord Xarxes has incredible dedication to the First Sith Order, shown in his loyalty to House Dreadwar, and to the Empress Hesper.
Lady Traya. The Queen Mother of Dathomir has many accomplishments to her name, and her abilities in Force Illusions are almost iconic, and her ability to seamlessly take on different forms depending on what role she is playing is laudable, though she only rarely takes on the illusion of human legs, preferring her serpentine lower half. Lady Traya is also well-known for her weapons, including two Amphistaffs, Phobos and Demios. Her songsteel-forged Sith sword is said to induce illusions in all who touch its blade, and Lady Traya has been mostly known to use it for knighting ceremonies. Still, all of her weapons are as lithe and as graceful as she is.
Even more well-known is her longbow, carved with runes. With her songsteel arrow, she can create a mighty and terrifying illusion of a hail of arrows headed directly to her target. Said to be absolutely magnificent to behold, though perhaps less so for the doomed soul on the other end of it. More lightheartedly, her love of gizka is well-known, happily granting the Horuset Lounge several crates of them. She has said that one of her greatest achievements was her training of Lady Noxia, a vital and dedicated Councilor.
Lord Nathemus. Native to our own Korriban, Darth Nathemus strikes an imposing figure, always armored, with his poison-dipped Sith sword, said to conduct Force Lightning and other spells, and strong enough to go toe-to-toe with a lightsaber. Strikingly, Lord Nathemus does not use a lightsaber, but more than makes up for it with his mastery over his blades and mind-based Force techniques. There are rumors that he used to be less well-regarded within the Empire, but all can see that he is a stalwart and fierce protector of our Emperor, and an upstanding member of House Dreadwar as well.
Along with his weaponry, Lord Nathemus also has several pets, including two Sith battle hydras, and, incredibly, an undead star dragon, said to measure 150 feet in height. It is, for obvious logistical reasons, not commonly seen. Of his great tasks and accomplishments, two rise to mind. First, of being chosen to be then-Emperor Dreadwar’s Herald, and later, to be chosen as his Shadow Hand, which continues to this day under Empress Hesper. Truly, Lord Nathemus is a credit to the Empire, and its staunchest protector.
Lady Noxia. A well-liked Councilor, even before she took part in the Kaggath, she now heads both the Sphere of Records and the Sphere of Arts and Culture. Despite her young age, she has accomplished much, and currently has nine planets under her personal dominion, which gives her access to incredible wealth and resources.
Lady Noxia is also known for her adherence to the hierarchy of the Empire, and her watchful eye has led to the punishment of many an acolyte or apprentice who thought they could flout the rules for one reason or another. Of her accomplishments, her two greatest have been her work in the Sphere of Expansion and Diplomacy, building our Empire to 6,000 strong in 2019, and her ascension to Tribune of the Sith.
Lord Cruor. Perhaps the most intimidating Councilor, and perhaps the most ancient, he has many accomplishments that other Sith could never hope to achieve. His skull-like Hendanyn death mask is frightening enough for any peon, and coupled with the armor and battle axe of King Adas, Lord Cruor can strike fear into even the mightiest of enemies. His reputation of killing anyone who gets in his way, or betrays the Empire, is well-known. Despite this, he is also known to be a fair hand to those in his service, willing to put his considerable assets behind them if he deems them worthy.
Though his early life is relatively unknown, the Gen’Dai is said to have studied under the Left-Handed God himself, Typhojem. Of his accomplishments, it could be said that his greatest was his hand in the creation of our own First Sith Order, over fifteen years ago. With Lord Cruor’s help and tireless dedication, this group has survived and grown in ways that other groups rarely do.
Lord Xxys. A fairly mysterious Councilor, Lord Xxys’ most striking feature is his cybernetic arm. This arm holds many mysteries, all of which, it is presumed, are only known to Lord Xxys himself. It is rumored that his arm has anything from poison to blasters in it, or even a second lightsaber. But, that is for Lord Xxys to know, and for some poor enemy to find out in a horrible surprise.
Though details are scarce, it is also known that Lord Xxys was apprenticed to Darth Vader himself. Now, as a Councilor, Lord Xxys is an accomplished pilot, able to handle most any spacecraft, and an expert fighter, especially in swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat. Like others, he has acknowledged his ascension to Dark Councilor as one of his greatest achievements. Along with that, his hard work in the Sphere of Expansion to grow our Empire is an incredible accomplishment in its own right.
Lord Hypnos. Possibly our most varied Councilor, this brilliant Shard has a love of knowledge and wordplay possibly unmatched in our Empire. While details of his life are hazy, it is plain to see that Lord Hypnos has devoted his life to the pursuit of knowledge and wordcraft. Despite not being a particularly sociable Sith, he is known for his love of puns and riddles, and engaging in intelligent conversation with others.
His skill with technology and droids is unmistakable, and one only has to look at the variety of robotic bodies he’s built for himself to understand that. And with those bodies, he’s helped shape our Empire since the beginning. He was the first Tribune of the Dark Council, and ushered in the next age of the Empire. And of the Councilors, only he can lay claim to longest cumulative service on the Council itself. In fact, only he and Lord Dreadwar can claim that they both served on the very first Dark Council.
Lord Draconis. A relentless and deadly Councilor, Lord Draconis has had a long life within the Empire. Rumored to be apprenticed under Lord Vassago, one of the most powerful Dark Lords to exist, and the leader of the New Sith Order, the precursor to our own Empire. Lord Draconis has also been said to be an avid student of ancient texts and lore, seeking out ancient, lost, artifacts. And that during this time, he studied under Lords Cruor and Nemesis to further hone his craft.
In his time in the Order, he ascended to Lord Vassago’s second-in-command, and is said to have been his Lord’s most deadly assassin, and his most trusted advisor. And amongst those achievements is his resurrection of Lord Cruor after his mysterious exile. His unbending will makes him a formidable and terrifying foe, and a great asset to our Empire.
Lord Pravum. A fashionable Councilor, Lord Pravum can always be spotted in distinctive Nabooian fashion. Unlike other Councilors, Lord Pravum does not have incredibly intimidating stature to augment his power, but he also does not need it. Born to an aristocratic family, he exhibits all traits associated with his upbringing. He is well-mannered, well-educated, and with the political know-how to manipulate any situation to his advantage.
Indeed, even before he became a Sith, Lord Pravum was acquainted with Empress Volshé, who had named him her godson and granted him the peerage title of Marquess of Kaadara. Like others, he has been honored to rise to the seat of Councilor, though that is not his only accomplishment. Along with that was the Calipsa campaign, where as a newly-minted Sith Lord, he took a fleet of Star Destroyers to the planet Calipsa in the Tapani sector and single-handedly brought House Calipsa to heel. Naturally, he discarded the hereditary title of High Lord, and crowned himself Great Lord of House Calipsa.
Keres hesitated. Technically, that was the entirety of the Dark Council. The Empress herself was above them. But it was the Empress who drew Keres to this path, whose power and deadly force had made her realize that there was more for her, and her power, than being the wife of a minor lord. She kept writing.
Empress Hesper. Our reserved Empress keeps her cards close to her chest, but some things are still known to us. Her work in the Telekinetic side of the Force is as great as the sea, and as powerful. Her ability to manipulate the world around her to her liking has no equal. Her ability to use Darksight has been compared to a god, and her abilities in Farsight, Precognition, Shatterpoint, and Psychometry are unrivaled. Along with that, her martial abilities are much-lauded, and her fighting is said to be so beautiful to watch that it is like living art.
Outside of her abilities, the Empress has also been known to be a patroness of the arts, and even partaking of them herself. Her accomplishments are many, but a few stand out. One is that she has occupied every seat within the Dark Council: Tribune, Tetrarch, Councilor, and, now, Empress. She was also apprenticed to Lord Dreadwar himself, and created the forums we use today. And one of her more spectacular accomplishments was her absolute slaughter of the Senate, where she single-handedly killed hundreds and shattered the Republic. And, one mustn’t forget, that Empress Hesper was elected to her position, with overwhelming support from the Dark Council.