Seren

From SW:TOR-RP-Wiki

"Will is everything. The end to which all actions are sought is the ability to impose your will. Disarm an opponent's weapon, and he may still try to fight. But disarm your opponent's will and he becomes unwilling to challenge you again. " - Seren

Character Summary:

"You wear the trappings of the Sith, you fight like the Sith... but this can be imitated, however. You lack a vital quality found in all Sith. Sith have no fear, and I sense much fear in you." - Count Dooku to Asajj Ventress

A proud and goal-oriented dark Consular, Seren values reason and control. She also believes she possesses these traits to a higher degree than others. However, though she is currently allied with the Empire, she is not a Sith --a fact she is generally made aware of on a regular basis. As merely a Dark Jedi, Seren lacks the history of the Sith and the drive for power. Her purpose is genuinely to set things right... even if her fanaticism leads her to questionable actions that would be shunned by any true Jedi.

Seren believes that people in the state of nature are solitary, poor, nasty, and brutish to quote Hobbes. Because of the order the Sith seek to impose on the galaxy, Seren believes they are the closest to "the right way of things". Because of her beliefs and genuine attempts to embrace Sith philosophies, she is generally regarded as an amusing pet of her lord.

Biography:

Ansaren Areto was born on Alderaan. Like most Jedi, she was discovered at a young age and brought to a Jedi enclave for training. A quiet, insular girl, she did not care to socialize with the other initiates, preferring instead self-directed activities.

When younger, she would wander the halls and grounds of her enclave, simply exploring. As she grew, she preferred the isolation of the Archives. Though she did not do poorly at the tests put in front of her, her disinterest in others brought up questions as to whether she was suited for the Order at all. While a lack of attachments was an admirable trait, Ansaren held little interest in others entirely. If there was a task to be performed, she preferred to do it herself. If there was a group activity, she would unfailingly be at the edge of the crowd. Because of her insular nature, she was passed up by several Masters and Knights. Though the girl had shown no signs of maliciousness toward others, her apathy toward them was almost as bad. It was believed she lacked the temperament of a Jedi.

Ansaren was 12, on the border of being sent away from the Order, when an idealistic knight named Medeia Cai-Belamir selected Ansaren as a Padawan.

Life as a Padawan:

"You and I both know we have influence, Medeia. You were the one who taught me that. You also taught me control. So isn't it better to control this power we have? Isn't it better to use it to work toward ends that benefit everyone?" -- Seren Lycourgos, as "Ren"

As a consular of the Order, Cai-Belamir traveled throughout the galaxy acting as a diplomat and mediator. Naturally, she took her Padawan with her. The travel appealed to Areto's wanderlust, and the somewhat whimsical Cai-Belamir proved to be a pleasant traveling companion (or at least a decent conversationalist). The Knight's nosy and talkative nature made it difficult for Ansaren to stay in her shell, and the young woman found she genuinely enjoyed conversations with her pastry-craving, diplomat mentor. As to be expected, Ansaren developed a taste for long-winded diatribes.

Medeia often spoke about politics, philosophy, as well as the importance of free will. In the Knight's mind, all three were intertwined. Diplomacy and politics depended on free will, and one's personal philosophy guided one's decisions. Medeia also taught that honesty was also of the utmost importance since deception could break the trust between the negotiator and those she tried to speak with. If the recipient did not trust the messenger, the message may be rejected. Ansaren took these lessons to heart, though not entirely in the way Cai-Belamir intended.

While Medeia's teachings were intended to hone her apprentice's abilities at rhetoric and persuasion, Ansaren saw the more manipulative applications of such things. Though Ansaren agreed that knowing a person's philosophy was a way of persuading them, she saw the knowledge of another's beliefs more as a useful tool than a means to understanding. Everyone had a price. If a person could discover that price, he or she could persuade another to a better cause... and some people needed to be guided toward the proper path. And while Seren valued honesty, she knew that lies were often more palatable to the simple-minded.

Medeia generally encouraged her Padawan's introspection, thinking that it was the beginnings of responsibility toward others. Though others might have taken the girl's beliefs as a warning, the Knight sympathized. Medeia too had felt the need to set things to order when she was younger. However, the Knight believed that Ansaren would temper her desire for control in time, just as Medeia herself had.

Everything would change with the Sacking of Coruscant.

The Sacking of Coruscant, which happened when Ansaren was 18 years of age, heralded a change in the way Jedi were regarded throughout the Republic. The Jedi, once seen as noble defenders of peace and justice, found themselves on the receiving end of a current of discontent. Many citizens of the Republic criticized the way the Treaty had been handled, and resented the Jedi's role in the affair. In spite of her previous diplomatic efforts, Cai-Belamir found herself unwelcome on many of the worlds she visited. Likewise, Areto found herself despised and reviled simply because she was part of the Order.

The Padawan was shocked by the injustice of it all. While she felt a bit shielded from it because she was accustomed to being alone, she could see the pain it caused Medeia. While Ansaren felt like challenging others, Medeia became reserved in her speech. While Ansaren blamed the people around her for being bigots and the Council for being short-sighted, Medeia turned inward, believing such things to be a personal failure.

Ansaren couldn't stand it. Though well-intentioned, she confronted her master, trying to get the older Jedi to take action. Ansaren spoke of the unethical manner in which these people were treating them. Medeia countered by explaining how the citizens' reactions were understandable. She explained how the people's trust had been in success, and that there would always be times when accusations would fly. The Knight chose to believe that people would come to their own senses, just as the Jedi Council had initially trusted the Sith to meet with them to discuss peace. To believe otherwise was crossing a terrible threshold.

Ansaren was frustrated. It was clear in the young woman's mind that some individuals were meant to guide others. Knowledgeable individuals should guide the others. She believed that to allow people to continue on a flawed path was inherently wrong.

The argument created a rift between the women.

Still, it came as a surprise to the Padawan when Medeia sent her to Alderaan alone, presumably on a test. If action needed to be taken, then Ansaren was free to make those decisions. There were many groups on Alderaan that were anti-Jedi. Conflict was seething on the once-peaceful world, and if Ansaren truly wanted to make a difference, Alderaan was a start. While Medeia could not go because of her familial attachments, Ansaren would be met by others of the Order who would guide her progress.

Though confused, the Padawan did as she was told, and went.

Leaving the Order:

“What people want is less important than what people should do." -- Seren

While on Alderaan, Ansaren found herself face-to-face with those who blamed the Order. But rather than feeling compassion and a desire to guide them, Ansaren she found herself becoming disdainful. Her thoughts tended to run thus: If those people had only taken responsibility, the Jedi wouldn't need to come to their aid. If only they were capable of thought, the Sith would not have taken such a hold. Perhaps they were simply incapable of understanding. Spurred on by such thoughts, and the words of... a mysterious woman, Ansaren came to the conclusion that if people were incapable of understanding, allowing free will was pointless. The only way the galaxy could be made right was through ordering people what to do.

And if such was the case, then Jedi teachings were wrong.

Until that moment, Ansaren had been taught that Jedi were protectors and defenders, not rulers. The purpose of the Jedi was to protect what was present and allow others to have free will. But the more the Padawan thought about it, the more she believed that allowing fools to do what they wanted was simply wrong. It was better for those with the proper mindset to take control and force people to do things the "proper" way. But domination and control were Sith philosophies. They went against Jedi teaching.

With those thoughts in mind, Ansaren left Alderaan. If the Sith were right, she would go and meet them. She said nothing to her master, nor did she leave any trace of her departure. Though she regretted leaving Medeia, she knew it was for the best. Being right was more important than being happy.

Besides, if the Force intended for them to meet again, they would.

Joining the Sith:

"...I believe good to be order. The right way of things. Workers, Guardians, Rulers. The people who know best should rule. The people who fight should protect and defend. Winnow the weak. Sometimes fight to expand our influence. The workers should do their tasks, according to their skills. It's not a complicated order, but people all too often get it wrong." -- Seren

Using the small single-person craft she had been given by the Order, Ansaren made plans to leave Republic space. She knew it would be folly to simply fly into Imperial territory in a Jedi transport, so the ex-Padawan made several stops in order to change codes and make it harder for others to find her trail. Though she disliked lying, she knew that casting aside her name was necessary. She took on several aliases, sometimes posing as a smuggler or bounty hunter. And free of the restrictions that kept her from using her powers to manipulate others, Ansaren moved through the galaxy, taking what she needed and using the Force to persuade others where words failed.

Her newfound freedom might have been enough for another individual, but Ansaren needed purpose. And though she had been some training in the Force, she knew there was a limit to what she could accomplish on her own. She had to find the Sith.

The easiest way to find them would have been to go to Korriban. However, Ansaren believed she had enough training. She had been on the cusp of becoming a Jedi Knight herself. Why should she need to become an apprentice yet again, and fight duel upon duel until she achieved something meaningful? She resolved to simply find a lord with proper vision, and pledge her allegiance.

Not long after entering Sith territory, her small Jedi transport was intercepted. Unbeknownst to Ansaren, the Sith who governed this particular sector watched his borders very carefully, guarding against any intruders. Lord Anaxagoras was a lifelong warrior who spent most of his life in the pursuit and maintaining of power. Though he possessed little interest in destroying the Republic, he governed his territory with an armored fist. If his neighbors were unable to guard their own borders, he advanced on their territory as well. His will was unquestionably the ordering force of his sector, and he tolerated no disobedience or insult... nor did he take kindly to any breaches of his territory. So for a Jedi to enter his domain... the consequences were severe.

The ex-Padawan learned the lesson quickly, though not lightly. However, she survived her initial trials, and was allowed to live. It was, however, a life of constant conflict. As a former Jedi, she had to work harder to prove to she did not carry her Order's weaknesses with her... or at least was strong enough to work through her disadvantage. Until then, she was a servant, nothing more.

Life Among the Sith:

Anaxagoras' territory was not Korriban, where acolytes had the freedom to 'play' against each other for superiority. His purpose was the only one that mattered, and any who sought his attentions needed to join themselves to his will and his purpose. He allowed no alternatives, and it limited the amount of bickering among his troops. They would gain nothing by bickering among each other, and they would lose quite a bit if their bickering got in the way of their lord's plans.

He had a simple system: Whether or not one was Force-sensitive, the capable would advance and the incapable would be destroyed. There was an odd sort of equality in his approach, though certainly not because of Lord Anaxagoras' sense of fairness. It was simply the proper order of things enforced mercilessly. Force-user and non-practitioner alike were free to defy the chain of command and assume control of a mission... but if his or her knowledge was unequal to the task, there would be greater consequences than if the mission had failed of its own accord. For those under Anaxagoras' banner, the only task that mattered was their lord's will. Any other power games had to remain secondary, or they would be forcibly ended.

Such things did not run contrary to Ansaren's own beliefs... though adapting was hard at first. But she was able to prove her skills were useful, and so she was sent to perform some tasks on her own. It was not a measure of trust. It was a calculated risk. If the former Jedi's manipulations were known, Anaxagoras could disavow all knowledge of the incident, blaming it on a single, misguided Jedi. If the former Jedi succeeded, she would have a place among the Sith.

Seren, as she now called herself, generally preferred the solitude anyway. Her successes ensured her continued survival, though they did not guarantee any training. However, because she remained untrained in the ways of the Sith, she often found it difficult to assume any real position of authority among her lord's ranks. Perhaps it was merely negligence on the lord's part, or perhaps it was as Anaxagoras intended, a crutch to keep his pet Jedi in line.

As former Jedi, Seren had to constantly struggle to prove her past was not a hindrance. Not having come from a Sith background, Seren found it difficult to reconcile actions with the general populace. She also found the chronic conflict instilled in her a sense of loneliness. Before, avoiding others had been her choice. Now, it was necessary. Her solitude among the Sith was that of someone avoiding punishment.

But whether or not she was motivated by compassion, loneliness, or a desire to control, Seren eventually encountered Rhyan, a Zeltron Sith. Befriending the Zeltron did not win Seren any renown. In fact, showing compassion was seen as a weakness by most of her peers. However, it soothed some of the chronic loneliness Seren had found among the Sith. While Rhyan wasn't what anyone would call a good conversationalist, he had generally been loyal.

And so life went on like that for some time.

But the Sith are not known for their willingness to keep the status quo, and so it was that Seren was sent to Circarpous V, also known as Mimban. Though she had many solitary missions, this one involved dealing with others who called themselves Sith...

Skills and Equipment:

Primary Powers
Telekinesis	Moves physical objects. As per Jedi training, effectiveness is directly related to degree of concentration. As Seren begins to harness the Dark Side, effectiveness is directly related to emotion.
Force persuade	As a dark consular, Seren does not shun the use of mind trick. However, she believes lasting change is better enacted through genuine persuasion.
Minor Abilities
Healing	Seren has studied some physiology both as a means of learning the strengths and weaknesses of the body, and to avoid needing to rely on others to aid her if she is wounded. She is no healer, however, and her results are unreliable.

"Clothing can be a symbol. Just as a soldier would be unprepared in a battlefield without the appropriate armor, so too must one be prepared if they seek to influence perceptions." - Medeia Cai-Belamir, Jedi consular

Seren's equipment and attire generally reflects a desire for order, control, and authority. She prefers lightweight clothing in a simple but elegant style. In consular fashion, she wears long robes/dresses with subtle patterns in the fabric. Though she sometimes wears disguises depending on what mission she's on, her standard attire is semi-formal and meant to set her apart from a crowd. For utility purposes, she wears a wide leather belt with fasteners for her lightsaber and a pouch for small items.

As a former consular-in-training, Seren is more accustomed to wielding the weapons of diplomacy and influence rather than a lightsaber. She has mastered no styles, though she has reached proficiency in the Makashi form of lightsaber use (as per Knighthood requirements). Seren's chosen form reflects her preference for elegance, precision, fluid motion, and anticipation of attack, though it leaves her susceptible to multiple opponents and/or blasterfire. In an attempt to counter this, she has limited knowledge of Niman, though only because it is known as 'the diplomat's form'. However, Seren's primary weapon by far is speech and manipulation.

The lightsaber she used as a Padawan has since been discarded. The current lightsaber she uses has been constructed from parts she has acquired through her travels, and though supplies given to her by her lord. It uses a red synthetic crystal, the type commonly found among the Sith.

Presently, Seren's skills are simply those of a Jedi Padawan. Seren did not leave the Jedi until she was 18 standard years of age, and her training was almost complete. Barring her test of Knighthood, it can be assumed that her skills are those of a "standard" Jedi Padawan who was training to be a consular.

She also knows how to pilot small craft, though is inexperienced in space combat.

Missions:

• Seren proves herself on Onderon...
• For inscrutable purposes, Anaxagoras sends his minion to retrieve an artifact from the world of Circarpous V...
• While trying to sow discord on Ord Mantell, Seren encounters her former master once more...

OOC Notes:

• Seren's last name, Lycourgos, means "deed of a wolf"
• "Seren" is short for the Philistine word "seranim", lords who acted together for the common good. They were eventually succeeded by kings.[1]
• Anaxagoras (Lord of the Assembly) was a pre-Socratic philosopher who was credited with the idea of nous (mind/intellect) being an ordering force. Not a wholly accurate application of either reference, but I thought the name sounded impressive.
• A song that I kind of see as Seren's theme.