Open Sith Class: Sign Casting 101

[Iymril]

Umbara Academy l Death Enabled​

Sign Casting was a nearly lost art. It involved the use of both hands and forming of certain hand signs to channel the Force. It was considered by most to be an archaic practice, one that left the practitioner without a lightsaber. Those critics foolishly believed a sign caster to be unarmed.

A true Sith didn’t need a lightsaber to be dangerous. The Force was the only weapon they needed. Something Substitute Professor Iymril Auvryt'tar intended to impart on their students.

The desk they sat behind was at the front of the classroom, allowing them to see their students as they filed in. They had opted to wear a high neck black dress, with a pair of black one inch heels. They wore their pair of bled Kyber dangle earrings, a ruby pendant in a long silver necklace, and several silver rings on their fingers. Their nails and lipstick was done to match their ruby accessories and their white hair had been braided into a single elegant tail.

They sat at their desk, not reviewing their lesson plan but reviewing an ancient log book they had uncovered. While they read, it would give students the time they needed to file in. Iymril had made the sign ups for this class clear that it wasn’t meant for first or second year Acolytes. There were requirements to begin the course, namely a basic understanding of Pyrokinesis, Cyrokinesis, Electrokinesis, and Tutaminis. In addition, students would need an intermediate understanding of Ur-Kittat in both its written and spoken formats.

“Please find a seat and make yourselves comfortable. We will begin shortly.” They would drone as students entered. Iymril didn’t bother to look up from their studies as they spoke. Their voice wasn’t harsh but soft yet still masculine.

Sure enough, the class would begin once the students had filed in.

OOC Note: Class will begin after a 48 hour period. Rounds will conclude every 48 hours. Enjoy and have fun!

 

[Definitely Not Azar]

Since Azar was promoted sooner than he expected after arriving to the Sith Order, he never had the chance to actually participate in some of the classes offered. He certainly couldn’t do it now that he was a Sith Lord, so he got creative. Using some of his potions, he took on the appearance of a Mirialan acolyte, already stamping his papers through to register as a student to be authorized by...Darth Arcanos. He was too proud to ask a Champion to show him how to do a school of Force he wasn’t familiar with, so Azar did the Extra Azar thing and disguised himself instead. He decided to go all out and embrace the identity of his students just for fun. Today he was Dav Feroz.

The Mirialan boy strutted into the classroom a few minutes late, dressed in a frumpy hoodie and sweatpants. He plopped into a seat way in the back and tossed his feet adorned in dirty sneakers on the desk. The boy was chewing gum and jutted his chin at Iymril, “Nice dress, teach,” He called out with a lazy grin before he blew a bubble and popped it loudly.

@Apollyon

 

[Kyssiara Serket]

To say Kyssiara was excited would be an understatement. When she'd seen the posting for a new class about sign casting on the academy schedule, she'd immediately signed up for it. Finally, something interesting. Her master might ramble on about the equal importance of knowing how to wield a lightsaber, but the acolyte had always been of the opinion that she'd rather play to her natural strengths in sorcery like when she'd torn apart the Jotaz he threw at her.

Kyssiara arrived in fairly standard acolyte robes, though she'd added a pair of golden scorpion-themed armbands inlaid with small onyx gems as a tribute to her homeworld of Ziost. The jewelry had belonged to the girl's late mother, and though she'd never known her at full strength the Pureblood knew she'd been a formidable sorceress and matriarch of her village. Her mother might've been lost to madness and the knife she'd wielded against her own daughter, but Kyssiara was determined to live up to and surpass the legacy she'd left behind.

The girl took a seat in the front row of the classroom, excitement manifesting as nervous energy running through her veins. Maybe she'd even get to meet other acolytes who shared her passion for the truest Sith arts! A voice called out from the back of the class complimenting the teacher - and rightfully so, they had a clear taste for good style - but as Kyssiara turned to see who the voice belonged to, her gaze fell on a Mirialan boy (@Sreeya) who looked like he'd accidentally walked in off the streets of Nar Shaddaa. Maybe he was more dedicated to the arcane than his appearance...?

@Apollyon

 

[Arak Ragnos]

Arak was carrying one of his multiple Advanced Alchemy books. He had just got out of the class when he saw a sign up sheet for sign casting. He quickly scanned over what the brief description was, signing up before he even finished. A new way to apply the Force was extremely intriguing to the young Pureblood, especially since he’d never heard of it previously.

Arak walked in, wearing something casual from his home world of Korriban. He took a seat around dead middle of the room, up front was how you got volunteered and in the back it was harder to hear. He set down his notebook and pencil, wanting to take notes so he was able to do some self practice whenever he got the chance to. The Pureblood was already slowly drowning in all the advanced classes he was taking, but he’d always have an open slot for an entirely unknown Force study.

He heard a quip from behind him, which made him turn a curious gaze to the culprit. Based on how it was said he half expected Nash to be trying to disguise herself to not mess up her ‘cred’ whatever that was. Instead he spotted a Mirialan (@Sreeya) his time in the academy and around various acolytes had taught him looks could be deceiving. With the requirements for the class even if they didn’t seem the type the green acolyte had to be skilled in Sorcery. Not only that there was another Pureblood (@René) here. That was curious as well, maybe for once he wouldn’t be the only one that excelled in Sorcery in the group, he could only hope.

@Apollyon

 

[Azathoth]

Despite her thinly veiled aura of vast superiority to nearly anyone she met, Azathoth was not above taking instruction from people she thought could actually teach her something. Even more so, embarrassment wasn't really an emotion she bothered with, so walking into a classroom that was likely filled with a bunch of acolytes really didn't mean much to her either.

Though her mind was preoccupied with the potential knowledge she was going to gain here, it was immediately wiped out when her crimson eyes fell onto the instructor - replaced instead with flashing images of more.. carnal things. Odd, that wasn't really something that happened to Aza much. She generally regarded most sentients as fuel, whether it was food or for blood rituals, so this feeling took her be nearly complete surprise.

So much so that she couldn't help but let the faintest shade of pink rise in her otherwise stark white cheeks. Maybe embarrassment was a feeling she felt. What the fuck.

At least her outfit, despite its casual nature, was cute. Wait, when did she care about being cute?

What the fuck.

Shaking the idea of a night of aggressively violent intimacy with Iymril from her mind - for now anyway, there would be plenty of time for those kinds of thoughts later when she was alone (what color was their blood? she so desperately wanted to know) - Aza found a seat next to one of the other students. Despite the fact that she found the color green to be distasteful, she settled into her seat next to the Mirillian. (@Sreeya)

At least he didn't smell as homeless as he looked.

 

[Deysirau Nixil]

Deysirau graduated from basic Sith training not too long ago, and dived head first into Acolyte classes. She may not have a Sith Master yet, but she hoped to impress someone soon enough. Why wouldn’t they be impressed with her? She’s beautiful, talented in double handed weapons and quite skilled with the hidden vibroblade in her armored robes. Educated in the history of Sith yet there’s still so much to learn. She’d be stupid to not take the opportunity to obtain new knowledge.

Having arrived early, she picks a spot next to a Pureblood Sith woman (@René) and settles in. Deysirau takes out her datapad and sets it up for her to quickly type notes in; her childhood years enabling nimble fingers when it comes to typing and keeping up even with the quickest of professors. She glances around the classroom, curious to who would be her competition for top grade. She doesn’t like to lose or be second place, and would do everything in her power to remain at the top.

Her nerves finally calmed down when a Mirialan boy (@Sreeya) spoke up. She feels a tickle of annoyance when she catches his appearance. Does he not respect the Sith establishment? Why, if he came to her class dressed as such, she would promptly kick him out. But, it’s not her class, and she’s, unbearably, weak compared to most of her classmates who had Sith Masters and special training. No matter. This would all change soon. She spots another Pureblood Sith (@javier-esschoolbus) in the back before she turns her attention back to the professor. How would today go, she wonders.

@Apollyon

 

[Iymril]

Iym steadily closed the tome they were reading as the final student filed into their class. They clasped the leather strap, lightly touched the metal band and muttered a few words in Ur-Kittat beneath their breath. The lock faintly shimmered for a moment before the unnatural glow faded. Whatever they were studying was sealed now, their secrets protected.

Iym would steadily remove the rings from their fingers. They would place them in a drawer at their desk, on top of the tome. Only once that was done would they stand to their feet and walk silently to the front of their class. The heels of their shoes clicking on the stone floor being the only sign that class had begun.

As they passed the Mirialan Acolyte, they would use the Force to gently sweep his feet from the desk. “Thank you, Acolyte Feroz.” They replied dryly. “Desk tops are meant for note taking, not lounging.” They continued, their voice lacking any emotion to speak of.

With that finished, Iym would clasp their hands in front of them, one gripping the back of the other. Their eyes would steadily scan the class, taking a brief head count. Then they would extended their hands and pull back the sleeves of their dress. The undersides of their forearms would drag along one another as they steadily exhaled. Their pointer and ring fingers would extend, a tiny icy blue dot would materialize between their uplifted fingers. With a thrust of an arm a lance of pure ice would be flung from the tiny orb and embed itself in the wall at the back of the class.

Iym would turn their wrist, with their other hand coming to rest along their diaphragm. The blue orb would shift to burning orange and a narrow gout of flame out slam into the same point as the lance of ice, consuming it. Then their free hand would snap up towards the ceiling and their thumbs would extend. Electricity arced between their fingers before it too was sent hurling into the wall at the rear of the class. Iym then returned to their relaxed position. Their hands gently clasped before them.

“This is Sign Casting.” They stated simply. “Under normal circumstances the rapid switching between these three separate powers would have an increased drain on me.” They explained. “As you can tell, that is not the case.” They highlighted as they began to walk through the rows of desks.

“Class, what do Darths Vitiate, Plagueis, Sidious, and Arcanos all have in common?” Iym asked as they came to a rest at the back of the classroom.

@Sreeya @René @Javier esschoolbus @Logan @SpicyBunny

 

[Kyssiara Serket]

Kyssiara gazed through the rows of desks while the rest of the students arrived, trying her best not to make it obvious. Besides the weird boy in the back, there was a scary-looking Tiefling who looked like she'd blend right in with the snowy landscape of Ziost (@Logan), a Torgruta girl (@SpicyBunny) who took the seat immediately next to her, and a couple rows behind them sat... another Pureblood (@Javier esschoolbus)? Well that was interesting; she'd barely met any other Purebloods during her time at the academy so far besides her corpse-look-alike master. She'd have to talk to him later. But first, the class was starting!

Kyssiara watched with a mix of amazement and admiration as the teacher - damn they were really tall - conjured up a variety of elemental attacks in quick succession; ice, fire, even lightning. Her eyes followed them as they paced through the classroom, hanging on every word the Sephi said. They were right, of course; even using one elemental ability could be draining, as the Pureblood knew full well from her experience with pyrokinesis, yet the champion looked as relaxed as when they'd been reading while the students filed in. Imagine what she'd be able to do if she could master this ability?

The teacher's next question, however, caught Kyssiara off guard. If she remembered correctly, Vitiate was a Pureblood like Arcanos, but not the other two. The rest had all lived to be quite old, but wasn't Arcanos really young? They were all men! No, that couldn't be it; too basic. All of them but Plagueis were rulers of some kind, but that couldn't be a relevant detail either. Wait a minute, it was right there! This was a sorcery class after all, no need to overthink it.

"They were, or are, some of the most powerful sorcerers of their era." Kyssiara explained as she turned around to face Iym at the back of the classroom. "I don't believe any of them even used a lightsaber as their primary weapon." she added.

@Apollyon

 

[Deysirau Nixil]

Power. Professor Iymril had power. Deysirau knew it took strength to manipulate one element, but to effortlessly swift between three of them nearly made her giggly. This is what she sought, this is why she came to Korriban, this is what standing on the corpses of her community brought her. She was so into her thoughts and awed at the display that she nearly missed the question.

Darth Vitiate, or, Tenebrae, - a Pureblood Sith - had been incredibly powerful from a young age and sought mastery over the Force. He had the insane ability to warp people’s minds and have them bend to his will. Tenebrae also used to drain life from others and planets to prolong his life.

Darth Plageuis - a Munn - honored the Rule of Two and sought immortality. Plageuis could also manipulate midi-chlorians to create life and save his loved ones. He was murdered by his apprentice Darth Sidious in his life. He also disliked using his lightsaber in combat and focused more on the Force.

Darth Sidious - a human - replaced the Rule of Two with the Rule of One, and he too sought immortality. He was considered to be the most powerful Sith Lord for his time, given his ability with the Force and taming it. Sidious was skilled with a lightsaber and defeated many of the most talented Jedi with ease.

When the Pureblood Sith (@René) answered, Deysirau had to take a moment to think. Lightsabers are one of them, but there’s also… “All three had mastery over the Force and could even tame it.” That had to be the correct answer. Lightsabers, yes, but to manipulate elements required a vast knowledge and training with the Force.

@Apollyon

 

[Definitely Not Azar]

There were times where he wished he wasn’t so incredibly powerful with the Force. Like having a classmate (@Logan ) next to him that was practically salivating like a dog in heat over the teacher. Was this what his students were like when they gushed about the ‘cake’? Disgusting. He wasn’t entirely surprised when Iymril used the Force to sweep his legs off the desk, the gesture only eliciting a smirk. After all, he would have lost all respect for the teacher if they hadn’t done something about the obvious show of disregard.

The arrival of other Purebloods almost made him groan inwardly. He preferred it when he was the only one - it was really losing its novelty now. Dav, however, recognized the Ragnos (@Javier esschoolbus ) boy from seeing him in many of his classes. It wouldn’t be long before he paid the boy’s family a visit on Korriban wearing entirely different titles. If only he knew who sat in the classroom with him now…

He stared in wonder as the teacher demonstrated sign casting, leaning forward in his seat to drink in every detail. There was a hungry glint in his eye from the curious method of Force use, one he wished to master as soon as possible. After the demonstration Iymril asked a question and Dav had to suppress a cough. Had they seen right through the disguise? No, clearly not. While a part of him was flattered to be named among the most powerful Sith in existence, another was curious about the responses.

When the Pureblood female (@René ) spoke up, Dav couldn’t help but quip, “I can see why. Lightsabers are so pedestrian,” He blurted before he could stop himself.

Dav blew and popped another bubble when the second acolyte spoke (@SpicyBunny ), “All four,” He reminded her, “Clearly Elementary Math ought to be a prerequisite to taking this class,” He said breezily.

@Apollyon

 

[Azathoth]

Aza watched with interest as Iymril showed their adeptness with sign casting, her eyes following the gamut of elements roared to life during the display. She couldn't help but let her head bob with an impressed nod. They definitely seemed to know their stuff, which Aza appreciated. It was clear stopping into this class would not be a waste of her time.

As Iymril asked their question, Aza pondered it for a moment, though she did not bother to give an answer as her classmates jumped to do so themselves. She agreed with Kyssiara's assessment and didn't think much else needed to be added. She chuckled a little at the Mirialan's correction. It was a level of sass she could appreciate.

Pedestrian, sure, but they have their purpose. Sometimes it is humorous to see the mice scurry in fear from the simple flash of a lightsaber hilt. A look of amusement crept onto Aza's face, her lips curling into a smirk. Oh how they squeal when they run.

Turning her eyes to Iymril, Aza waited to see what their teacher would demonstrate to them next, or if they would move swiftly onto learning the somewhat complicated hand movements themselves.

 

[Arak Ragnos]

Arak watched as the teacher seamlessly switched between elements as they weaved the signs together. It was exceptionally intriguing, especially since he knew how draining it was to use one element let alone three. He leaned forward examining the hand signs closely as he quickly jotted down descriptions of them. He needed to be able to learn more about it outside of class after all having notes to fall back on would allow him to do so.

The teacher went on to point out the inherit lack of drain in manipulating the Force in this manner. Arak was extremely intrigued, knowing a new way to manipulate the Force was one thing but the fact it was this useful was an entire thing of its own. It was something Arak had been searching for since he arrived, something he had never experienced with the Force.

When the teacher asked his question Arak turned his head in confusion. At first there wasn’t any immediate commonalities he could think of, each Sith listed was completely unique in their application of the Force. Sidious focused on unbridled power and immortality, Vitiate used Force drain and various rituals to prolong his life exponentially, Plageuis was able to manipulate the Force to a degree to supposedly prevent others from dying, and lastly Arcanos, he was a renowned alchemist and Force forging specialist along with blood bending and various other techniques.

Arak was mulling over what they had other than being sorcerers in common when the Pureblood ahead of him answered. Lightsabers! That was it! None of them were known for using sabers over the Force. “All of them favored the Force, Sidious and Plageuis going as far to state the Sith had outgrown the lightsaber.” He added to the others answers. Though he believed that they had answered it he didn’t want to just ignore the question and get dinged for it.

He had mostly ignored the woman (@Logan) who sat next to the Mirialan, though her ramblings of mice squealing was somewhat unsettling. “The mice squeal just as loud when you shatter their arm.” He said back, the only time he’s used his saber was as a deterrent for other Sith or the occasional creature.

@Apollyon

 

[Iymril]

While Iym didn’t express it, they were pleased with the answers the class had come up with. There were technically many correct answers and the class had developed all of them, including the one they were looking for. When small back and forths broke out between students, Iym would say nothing unless it got too disruptive.

These were Sith after all, animosity and competition between them was a good thing.

“Yes, you are all correct.” Iym stated, their voice reflecting no emotion as they walked back up to the front of the class. “All four of these men were or are powerful Sorcerers. They have all brought the Force to heel. And none of them are known for their Lightsaber prowess.” They continued. “It was Darth Sidious who openly declared that the Sith had grown beyond the need for lightsabers. That the Lightsaber was a Jedi’s tool and we should only carry them to mock and slander our enemy.” They lectured. “Yet, none of these men employed Sign Casting and three of them still carried a lightsaber on their person.” Iym stated before coming to a pause.

“This is important and the reason why you will not need to carry a lightsaber once you master Sign Casting.” As they said this, Iym’s eyes would fall to each of their students, pausing briefly before continuing on. “As many of you should know, the Kyber crystals found within a lightsaber acts as a channel or focusing tool.” They explained. “By utilizing it properly, a Sith or Jedi is able to tap into the Force quickly during the heat of battle.” Iym continued. “But this isn’t efficient, simply fast.” They pointed out. “By using Sign Casting, you eliminate the need for Kyber and instead channel the Force directly through you as a conduit.” They instructed. “The use of certain hand signs, arms movements, and body posture are what allows the practitioner to tap into the Force and use it in a more efficient method. Thus the rapid change between elements with little fatigue.”

“To begin our lesson, I will first show you the simplest of signs and one you will use often. Tutaminis.” Iym stated calmly.

Iym would then cross their ring finger atop their pinky finger and tuck their thumb between their pointer and middle fingers. They would thrust that hand forward and the faint invisible shimmer of the defensive power would come to life. Iym’s eyes would fall to Azathoth. (@Logan)

“You will utilize Force Lightning on me and hold the stream for as long as you desire.” Iym told her. “Let us see who tires first.”

@Sreeya @Javier esschoolbus @René @SpicyBunny

 

[Definitely Not Azar]

Dav listened as the teacher explained about the different Sith. Azar loved flattery, and this was unknowingly giving him plenty. He never gave much thought to carrying a saber or not, but evidently it was universally noticed by others. The acolyte remained quiet as Iymril explained, deciding to raise his hand for a question.

“What happens if your arms get chopped off?” He asked, “Is Sign Casting limited to movements with your hands or can your legs or mind be used for it?” If there was such a strong reliance on waving hands around, Dav would question the practicality. After all, he could burn entire cities with just the lift of a few fingers.

@Apollyon

 

[Kyssiara Serket]

Even if it wasn't exactly a trick question, Kyssiara was proud of her answer; at the very least, she hadn't made a fool of herself in front of the class. When the Mirialan boy in the back (@Sreeya) added his commentary on the nature of lightsabers to the mix, the acolyte couldn't suppress the smirk that spread across her face as she gave him a nod of acknowledgement. It looked like his rugged appearance really did hide intelligence after all. Kyssiara could hear the lengthy lecture her master would've given her if she'd said something like that running through her brain.

On the other hand, the Tiefling woman's (@Logan) comment sent a brief chill down the girl's spine. That lady was clearly someone to avoid if the professor ever had the class partnering up.

With the professor reviewing fairly standard concepts before they got meat of their lecture, Kyssiara took the opportunity to grab a small notebook from inside her robes and rifle through the pages until she landed on a blank page. Sure datapads were easier, but she preferred to do things the old fashioned way like she'd grown up with on Ziost. The Pureblood began writing as the professor elaborated on the benefits of sign casting in place of focusing power through kyber crystals. When they held up their hand to perform the first of what was sure to be many hand signs to come, Kyssiara made sure to carefully draw the positions of the Sephi's fingers. They couldn't wait to pull something like this out next time her master wanted to do some training.

@Apollyon

 

[Arak Ragnos]

Arak listened intently as the instructor went on a long explanation of the answer to the original question. It seemed every point was hit by the collective of all the students. Between the lack of lightsaber usage and belief they weren’t important to Sith it was obvious that this Force style wouldn’t utilize them at all. He started jotting down all the info about the philosophy of sign casting and its differences with the standard usage of the Force.

After the green acolyte asked his question Arak then raised his after trying to mimic the hand sign, “How do Purebloods like myself with only three fingers replicate the signs?” He asked as he tried to do it holding up his hand. The finger he’d put his thumb between was the same that overlapped the pinky. He needed to know if that was an issue, if he ever wanted to apply this himself.

@Apollyon

 

[Azathoth]

Aza couldn't help but raise her eyebrow in surprise at Iymril's request, but who was she to question the decision of the instructor. It was a rare day when a fellow Sith willingly asked to be attacked, but she wasn't going to argue. Surely Iymril was confident in their ability to handle whatever it was that Azathoth could dish out.

As you wish.

Sliding from her seat, Aza would move so that she was a couple meters away from Iymril and squared her shoulders with his. Summoning the force into herself, she raised her hands and lighting began to spark on her finger tips as she outstretched her arms. After a moment, arcs of lightning would erupt from her hands and screech toward Iymril, Aza channeling her connection to the darkside to fuel its power.

Of course, she was also not an idiot, and despite giving it her best attempt she would also make sure to leave herself an out if whatever defensive magics Iymril was employing was going to send the lighting back at her. Dying here hoisted by her own petard wasn't exactly on her bingo card.

 

[Iymril]

Iymril heard the questions from their class, all of them were excellent to ask. However, Iym didn’t answer them, not yet. Instead, they weaved a quick symbol with their hand and thrust it forward as Azathoth’s lightning streaked towards them. The defensive power of tutaminis absorbed and dissipated the destructive energies. With their free hand, Iym dropped their middle and ring finger, Lightning of their own arced between the digits.

Iymril pointed the sign at Azathoth and let the energies loose. They assumed the Tiefling was prepared to evade the assault, if not? Well, that wasn’t their problem. Normally, something like this would have been draining and while it still taxed Iym, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it would have been.

“Thank you for participating in the example.” Iymril told her before returning to the questions asked of them, in the order they’d been asked.

First was Dav’s question. “As you become more proficient with Sign Casting, the less gestures and arms movements you will need to utilize it effectively.” They calmly replied. “However, if you ever find yourself in a position where you’ve lost your arms…I’d venture to say that you’re dead already. You just aren’t aware of it yet.” Was that a joke? “But to answer the question, I suppose you could use your feet if need be.” Iym replied thoughtfully. “But Sign Casting requires a physical element to utilize.”

Then their attention turned to Arak.

“Yes, there are formulas for individuals with more or less digits than five.” They replied as they walked over to his desk. The Sephi would extend their hand to Arak and drop their ring and pinky fingers. It was a crude approximation of his hand, they’d simply tuck their thumb between their pointer and middle finger. “Tutaminis.” Then they drop their thumb. “Cyrokinesis.” They’d extend their thumb again and drop their middle finger. “Pyrokinesis.” Then after extending their middle finger and dropping their pointer finger they’d speak a final time. “Electrokinesis or Lightning.”

They’d glance to Kyssiara. “Pay attention, these signs will work for you as well.” They’d tell her before performing the signs again. As they went through the four signs, they’d pause to allow the students to examine them. After these signs they would cycle twice through the signs that were utilized by beings with five digits.

“Now, each of you pair up with a partner.” Iym instructed. “You will practice Tutaminis while your partner utilizes non-lethal kinesis of their choice on you.” They continued. “You can begin whenever you are ready.”

Ooc note: time to roll dice to see how well lessons stuck!
@Sreeya @Logan @René @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Kyssiara Serket]

Kyssiara watched Iymril's electric demonstration with keen interest, noting how they near effortlessly not only absorbed the Tiefling's conjured lightning but directed it back to it's source. Amazing. The girl scribbled a note in the margins of her notebook to remind herself to practice using Force lightning later. It was a powerful ability, but one she still needed to learn.

With the demonstration complete, the class conversation turned to very good questions about the relevancy of sign casting under the adverse conditions of missing limbs or non-human-like hands. Kyssiara's eyes fell to her own digits, an odd seven in total that left her unlike both the five-fingered "impure" Purebloods and the traditional three fingers of her race. Luckily, it appeared that whoever had invented this technique had the foresight to figure out alternative versions of the signs. Kyssiara didn't need to wait for Iym's reminder before she started drawing out the signs he demonstrated to the other Pureblood, and then to the rest of the class.

As the acolyte finished labeling her drawings, Iymril announced to the class that it was time to practice with a partner. Golden eyes seemed to light up as a giddy feeling filled the Pureblood's chest. Lectures were one thing, but the best way to learn something was to just do it. Kyssiara scanned the classroom for a partner, trying not to show any specific interest in any one of her fellow students, but her mind was already made up. From his interesting getup to his pointed commentary, the Mirialan boy (@Sreeya) at the back of the class had piqued her interest. Clearly he was smarter than he appeared, so did that come with power as well?

She got up from her seat, walking down the aisle while the rest of the class presumably did the same. "Hi!" she said with a smile, addressing the green-skinned acolyte. Well, he looked young enough to be an acolyte at least, and it wasn't like Sith masters would be taking this class. Kyssiara extended her right hand for the boy to shake, adding, "M'name's Kyssiara, do you want to partner up? I can start of bein' the attacker if ya want."

@Apollyon

 

[Azathoth]

A smirk found its way to Aza's lips as she watched Iymril absorb her attack, their fingers doing their delicate work as they mounted a counter of their own. An impressive display at the power of sign casting to be sure, and she was glad she had had the forethought to prepare to get out of the way of something like that.

Since her teacher wasn't looking to actually kill her - or at least, so much so as you could expect from a fellow Sith - Aza was able to evade the lightning arcing towards her. The smell of burnt ozone filled her nostrils as she moved to the side, seeing the lightning streak past her and do little else but make her hair sort of stand on end from the static.

With that little display done and dusted, Aza listened to Iymril answer the questions he'd been asked as she went back to her seat. She bristled slightly at the mention of partnering up - Aza much preferred learning things on her own - she sighed heavily as it seemed there wasn't much she could do to get out of it.

Looking around, her eyes fell onto one of the purebloods present (@Javier esschoolbus), and slipping from her seat Aza went over to them.

Care to partner? She asked, her lack of excitement at the overall prospect leaking through her tone despite Aza attempting to mask it.