[Day 1 - Early Night] Salon of Hidden Delights - The Pledge

[Dapper Dog]

Darth Tayana had the estate done up in red and black with a very sedate mood surrounding the garden where the party takes place under temperature controlled repuslor fields making it pleasant outside. The party has moved indoors in anticipation of the Aspirants making their pledges before a statue of the Emperor… this is their moment to announce themselves.

OOC: This is purely a social gathering, but counts for Influence if a player wishes to earn 5 Influence for attending the party, you only have to attend one or the other slot. This thread is mandatory for Aspirants to make their claim though.

Typically they will announce their name, their reason for their claim, and perhaps who they serve or accomplishments.

[Malorus Lightheart]

Malrous was there. He was not an Aspirant, but he wanted to be there when people declared. He wasn't sure who exactly he wanted to support, so best to look quickly.

((OOC: PM if you approach))

[Darth Tayana]

Darth Tayana spoke with a clear voice as she moved away from her husband and said, “I am pleased and honored at so many of the Empire’s finest coming to attend this salon. I hope the refreshments have been satisfying and there is so much more to come but I wish to open the floor to our most distinguished guest… the mighty Emperor of the Sith Empire…”

“My dark lord of the Sith, the floor is yours.”

[The Emperor]

He simply emerged from a shadowed corner; had he been there watching the whole time? He was shorter than Tayana but not by much, a small man draped in a long robe with his hood obscuring his craggy features. He spoke with a voice that seemed raspy and tired and yet filled the chamber, “My children, I am eager to hear the pledges of those who would serve me at the highest ranks of the Sith. Come forth aspirants and make your case for why I should consider you for the Dark Council.”

“Do not be dull.”

[Darth Hofu]

Hofu approached and fell to one knee, “Dark lord, I am Darth Hofu servant of the six Dread Masters. I have been away from the Empire in your service gathering secrets and power to strengthen your Empire.”

“An Empire that has grown lax under the guidance of those on your Dark Council that seek to enrich themselves and grow fat and weak like foolish cath hounds. Purity is needed but purity of blood… of species… is folly Purity of the Dark Side and Terror to break our enemies.”

“I am the dagger that will cut the chafe from this Empire in your name, and that seat on the Dark Council is mine by right and by power and none shall hold me from it.”

He rose and stepped aside.

[Raela Ausar]

Raela walked forward with confidence, kneeling when she arrived. "Dark lord, I am Raela Ausar. I serve Darth Zash, and Darth Acklys before her. I have spent my time advancing your Empire's abilities from its fringes with my research."

"Ignorance plagues your Empire, and many cling to it and their misconceptions like a child with a security blanket, even as it chains them into mediocrity. I will tear it from them. The strong will be forged by the experience, and the weak will be destroyed. I intend to expand research and push our abilities farther than thought possible, and use them to crush our enemies underfoot."

"I will gain the seat."

There was no need to boast as far as she was concerned. It was the only conclusion. She rose and stepped aside.

[The Emperor]

He smiled under his hood and said, “We shall see.”

[Ilar'Shala]

In the shadows of the room, Ilar silently watched his Master declare with pride at her confidence. A confidence he shared in her ability and potential.

[Lord Tenebrous]

Well, might as well step forward now. The long sleeves flowed behind her as she moved, cultivating that regal impression she had. Like the others, she fell to one knee as she spoke.

"Dark Lord, I am Lord Tenebrous. Apprentice of Darth Vowrawn of the Dark Council. In my rise from an acolyte on Korriban to a Lord, I've fought for the interests of the Empire and worked in the shadows to squash those who threaten to overthrow the rule of the Sith." A superfluous introduction in this case, but appearances matter.

She continued to speak, her voice easy and confident. "Your Empire has grown stale and stagnant - the current power plays changing nothing but the facade as long as the wheel spins on, even as the wheel begins to rot from neglect and misuse. My ascension is fire and blood; the Republic will be crushed, the rest of the galaxy will fall beneath us, and a more glorious Empire will rise from the ashes of war."

The young pureblood cast an amused smirk around them. "And besides, this room can benefit from another member that isn't a crochety old man."

With that, she dipped her head and rose, stepping back to allow the next aspirant to make their claim.

[Darth Tayana]

Darth Tayana nods her approval at the words.

[Jaheem Abasi]

Jaheem strides to the Emperor confidently but kneels all the same his head bowed in deference to the most supreme strength in the room. One to respected more than anyone else. "I am Lord Jaheem Abasi of the Inquisition my Emperor." his voice rings out clear and strong as he introduces himself, he looks up and about the room his eyes blazing with the fire of conviction "I have spent years rooting out sedition and dealing with our enemies from within. I plan to reforge The Empire into something stronger, too long have we Sith sat and schemed, stepping on and over each other to grasp and accumulate power for ourselves. Our enemies are out there" he said throwing an arm wide "Yet we sit here in peace" he spits the word out as if it has a vile taste "and allow our enemies to grow while we sit and squabble. When I claim a seat at the council I will work to usher in a new era, one where those who are strong will rise no matter their species, it is time the archaic and antiquated views are stripped away, they do nothing but weaken us when we allow strength to go unused. The Empire will flourish into the power it was always meant to be. We will crush those who oppose us, until we alone stand supreme." He was not one for speeches and so he strode away just as confidently as he took the stage his ideas let loose into the room.

[Lord Bellious]

Lord Bellious stepped out. Her expression betrayed little. She genuflected before the Emperor and began to speak without an orator's flare despite having the voice for any bout of that kind. It was lowered, semi-quiet, pervasive.

"Peace is a lie, and yet a loathsome peace has been made. I saw a Jedi in this chamber today.

There's only passion, but what I see is guarded calculation, the fear or raw powers Sith should thrive on, agendas cut to small sizes, meant to carve a niche and ingratiate you.

Through passion, strength should be gained, but what I see is confusion leading to indulgence, decadence, and satisfaction with strength like brutes and henchmen understand it. Strength is the Sith's ability to destroy anything in their path, by whatever means. To say to their enemies: I have already won.

Through strength, power should be pursued, but what I see is settling for its conventional substitutes: seats, laws, residences, credits, stocks of cattle-like followers - stability." She venomously seethed the world, sweeping her gaze along the gathered representatives of establishment. "Stability and compromises it brings is abhorrent, it is the death of the Sith Code. Unchecked hunger for power in the Dark Side and all the chaos and change it brings is the Way of the Sith. Nothing is good enough."

She looked up.

"Where is the victory that should come with power? Why are the enemies of your Empire roaming these halls? Your Council is not good enough. Your Empire is not good enough. And they will never be, because there is no end point. They need to be broken and remoulded greater, time after time, for eternity.

I am Lord Bellious and I am not here to pledge anything more than being the true Sith of the Order of the Sith, swearing by the path set for us in Syn's Qotsisajak. All I will pledge is that I will see my chains broken, or perish. Liberation in the Force is my only goal. All else is smoke and mirrors, facades for the petty. The Sith Empire must be Sith, or I couldn't care for it."

"I don't want to be in a club for oligarchs bloated with influence inside their decorated bubble. I want to be among the hungry, the unsatisfied, the chain-breakers, the destroyers of worlds. If you want your Darths oblivious, cowering and pliant, fearful for their estates and turfs, I will not be one of them. But if stagnation is over, I will see the galaxy burn and die in your name, consumed in Darkness. And once the Republic and all other opposition has fallen, it will be time to look beyond."

[Dapper Dog]

Darth Ravage just scowled at the Aspirants, when Lord Bellious dropped her speech he still scowled but there was a slight rise of his brow and a nod of understanding maybe?

[Malorus Lightheart]

Malorus kept silent and maintained a face of indifference.

Hofu and Jaheem seem to get it. If we just tell ourselves that we are special for being born, we miss a huge section of potential. Malorus sighs internally. Oona you were the best of us. Malorus considers everyone else. Boring. Sure, it's easy to say Sith are awesome, let's crush the Republic. But if it was so easy, why hasn't it been done already. Do they think they are the ones who can do what the Emperor has not? Or do they think giving the 'Sith are the best and crush their enemies' just sounds good. They came off as standard Sith politicians to Mal. Raela seems interesting. But how does she feel about other races? Research is good, but Oona was unparalleled in her ability with machines. Would she have been ignored if this woman gets the chair?

Malrous was not discounting supporting any of these players yet. After all, it would be stupid to discount someone because their opening speech seemed to politically calculated. However, he did have an idea of where he wanted to focus.

[Kristal Serasai]

"My Lord, Emperor, at your behest I would serve upon your council with the loyalty I have served Darth Marr before," Kristal spoke as she took center stage. Speaking in a clear, crisp, tone of an Imperial Noble.

"Under the apprenticeship and direction of Darth Marr I have quelled upstarts, put down traitors who would splinter and fracture our great Empire, and decimated our enemies. Any who would threaten the Empire have been brought to heel by my hand."

"I aim not to claim this seat for my own benefit, but for that of the Empire. So I lay my claim down as a challenge to those who would seek this seat for their own end. My purpose is that which will safeguard the Empire."

"None of lesser purpose than I, none who would seek the mantle of the Dark Council for their own personal ends will find themselves with it so long as I draw breath. My purpose is to defend the Empire, and if I must do so by denying a seat upon the council to lesser claimants than so be it."

[Darth Acina]

Acina had not expected so many to have spoken and such talented Sith… was this a mistake to try and even compete. She took a deep breath and followed the Steel Valkyrie, “Good… good evening to everyone, I am Darth Acina, one time student and ally of Darth Thanaton, who once sat on the Dark Council and brought much wisdom to the Sith Empire.”

“Yet it did not save him, he was a victim of stasis… inflexibility, and an adherence to old codes that have lost all meaning in our modern era. The Sith have become the very thing we have sworn to defeat; insular, blind adherence to dogma, and unable to see a larger picture.”

“Such leadership begins at the top, we need vicious reforms, streamline of the Imperial Military and elimination of nepotism and corruption. A thorough realization that while humans may be the most populous of species in our Empire they are no more superior than any other species… among the Sith and Imperial society.”

“These are controversial ideals but these are the changes that need to take place if we are to be ready to dominate this galaxy. I have little else to say. It was a nice party, and I am out,” she said and then left having had her fill of the party.

[Dapper Dog]

OOC: Aspirant Pledges are closed, open for roleplay only.

[The Emperor]

The Emperor responded, “I look forward to seeing which of you will be worthy and which of you will be prove wanting.”

“Tayana dear, this even has been enjoyable.”

He departs and the chamber seems visibly brighter.

[Dapper Dog]

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A noble woman wearing a silvery gown that seemed shear but still kept some modesty observed the Aspirants and seemed amused by the variety among them. Each was fierce in their own way and yet were they truly ready… well she was no Sith so how would she know… still it was an enjoyable evening and she decided it would be useful to cultivate these new friends.

“I offer a toast to these Aspirants may they make the Empire fierce and Indomitable, Glory to the Empire and Glory to the Sith,” she said with smile to the aspirants.

[Ilar'Shala]

As the Emperor leaves the party, Ilar exhales slightly as the pressure in the room lightens.