THE WAY OF THE SITH, VOLUME ONE:

An Introduction To The Dark Side

An Anthology Of Dark Side Teachings And The Value They Hold



PROLOGUE

The path of the Jedi is a "high path", a path of morality, compassion, and charity. By its very nature, it is a path that inspires good in oneself and in others. But it is also a selfish path, for the path of the Jedi is not to lead a good life, but to create good in the lives of others. It is to impose your own view of good on others who might disagree. In short, it is far more dangerous than the path of the Sith because the Jedi seek to mold the universe as they see fit, to right the "wrongs" they see occurring. It is rule by group dictatorship. It is stripping the rights of others and forcing them to to live by your will. It is to force them to remove their freedom and do as you say. When power is used even out of a desire to good, but becomes a conduit toward changing things to fit one's own whim, that is no more "selfish" than the Sith.

But what of the Sith? Does a Sith not seek the same things? Well, yes and no. A Sith relies on his willpower to acheive goals that complete his aims. A Sith cares little about molding the universe and more about his personal desires and quest for power. Even at his height, Emperor Palpatine did little to interfere in the lives of the galaxy's citizens. As long as they were loyal or passive towards Imperial rule, they were left alone. Only Rebels and dissidents had to be eliminated. The Emperor was content with the order and peace he had created, and was more concerned with unlocking the personal power of the Dark Side than any petty power achieved through meddling with the populace.

The Dark Side is often seen as the easier path, but it is not. The only advantage the Sith truly have is that unlike the Jedi they are not mired in hypocrisy, they are honest about the true nature and purpose of their abilities.

In exploring the nature of the Dark Side and the Sith who profess to follow it, I have come to learn that the teachings of the Sith are of great value and can be utilized by any who have the resolve to seize them.



THE NATURE OF THE WILL

As Emperor Palpatine has written, the single most crucial aspect to following the ways of the Sith is Will. It is the easiest concept to understand, but difficult to execute. Simply put, Will is the measure of the strength of one's resolve in achieving the objectives one desires. Will is the ability to get what you want. It is taking the necessary course of action regardless of the "morality" or "evil" involved.



THE STRENGTH OF RESOLVE

Will is the measure of one's resolve, and the strength of resolve is the foundation upon which Will is based. You might liken it to "Fortitude" or "Constitution". Resolve is the ability to maintain your Will when unexpected, unsavory, or unwelcome circumstances arise. The strength of resolve is vital as you must be prepared to do things you do not like. You must be prepared to make sacrifices, you must be prepared to accept them. If you cannot maintain your resolve when the going gets tough or when "morals" cloud your judgment, then you are weak.



THE POWER OF THE WEAK

Emperor Palpatine once wrote that all power comes from outside the weak. He is only partially right. While actual power flows only from the strong, the weak possess great power as well. It is because they are weak that their power remains untapped and unnoticed. But never underestimate them, or that will be your downfall. The weak in general have one power, and it is deadly. Only a Sith of great Will and resolve can overcome this power. A lesser Sith will falter when confronted with this power. The weak are silver-tongued.

Silver-tongued? The concept refers to the capacity of the weak to be kind and compassionate to you, to cloud your judgment and make you feel guilty for using them or hurting them on the course of acheiving your aims. But a true Sith knows this power is illusory. The weak have no true power, they merely have the ability to make you weaker due to your own flaws. Learn to purge compassion and guilt from you mind, or the even the weakest will be your downfall.



THE USES OF THE WEAK

Despite their weakness, the weak can be effective tools in your service. They are attracted to charisma and power, and will naturally be drawn to you. They require only a minimal amount of coaxing to bring them into serving you. Even those not drawn to you can be made to serve you through their desire to be compassionate and helpful. Exploit these traits and you will soon have an effective cadre of acolytes, some who know they serve you and others who remain totally unaware.

As for the more resilient of the weak, they can be effective tools through the use of subtle manipulation. Make them believe that in serving your agenda they will be helping their own agenda at the same time. In times of dire need, use them as scapegoats and sacrifice them to prevent you or your plans from faltering.



THE NATURE OF ONE'S OWN WEAKNESSES

Even the greatest of all Sith have weaknesses despite not truly being weak. But the greatest of Sith recognize those weaknesses, and use them as weapons. If a course of action requires you to take action in an area you are weak in, look for alternative methods to solve the problem. Use servants who are strong in those areas to aid you. Solve the problem yourself through different means. There are always options that can be created, and the greatest Sith create many.



THE USES OF ONE'S OWN FEAR

Likewise, even the greatest Sith can have fear. But you must remember that it is all mental. Weakness is an actual trait. Fear is the belief in failure or weakness that will happen. But fear is also akin to hope: both are mental projections of the possible future, one positive, one negative. While it is crucial to prepare for all outcomes, focusing on what might happen as if it is guaranteed to happen does you no good.

How does one guard these fears and prevent them from beign exploited by an enemy? Simple: create new fears, illusory ones. Appear weaker than you are, appear fearful in areas you are strong in. Your enemy will focus on exploiting these fictional fears, thus guarding your actual ones and weakening your opponent into looking for victory in areas that you are strongest in. In this way, fear can be a brutally effective weapon.



REGRETS OF THE PAST

Lament not on past mistakes. Never ask "what if?". Learn from your errors and correct them. If you lose confidence in your present based on your past mistakes, your future will be jeopardized. Belief even in the possibility of defeat is the first step toward defeat itself.



COMPASSION AND ROMANCE

Unlike the Jedi, the Sith do not deny their desires, and one of which can be a mate. While some Sith devote their life solely toward expansion of power and Dark Side knowledge, those with mates are no stronger or weaker. Yet, aren't the foundations of a relationship contrary to Sith belief? Compassion, love, and romance can seem anti-Sith, but they aren't always. A true Sith believes in victory at any price, and these feelings matter not when it comes to having a mate because they all flow from a true Sith emotion: desire. And desire is an element of Will. In this way, a relationship can be a true one and still be a Sith one.