Echelon Two Challenges

The arduous process of becoming a Sith Lord is above all a triumph of the Will. The main reason so few can attain such an exalted title is because they lack the strength of will to scale the peaks where the Masters dwell. The vast majority of men learn to be content on the plains, in the foothills or at the base-camps, because when they tried to climb to a higher station they were defeated—by themselves or by others. Only willpower can drive the Sith disciple through all adversity to attain the peaks of power.

The second Echelon of Sith Academy training is about developing your will to struggle (morzhinûk)—the second step toward the summit of Sith greatness: Dark Lordship.

Challenge One: Forming a Dag

The reality of Sith training is that to be effective, it should be done in groups of two or more; a lone Sith trying to train himself independently, with only our books as a guide, is unlikely to possess the discipline, perseverance and objectivity needed to complete his training. Training in pairs also allows one Sith to act as master, and the other as disciple—as Darth Bane put it, “one to embody the power, the other to crave it.” That is why, beginning with this Echelon, we require anyone who can’t train in-person at the Sith Academy complex to form a Dag (training group or cabal) of two or more Sith.

Your first Challenge of this Echelon is to find a fellow Sith and recruit him into your Dag. Use your instincts to find this individual; if you are truly Sith, you will sense others who possess the dark gift and draw them to you. The best recruits will be people you’ve known long enough to understand and trust, who won’t try to turn you to the light side or betray you to their authorities. But of course, among the Sith, betrayal is always a threat, so this is a risk you will just have to take!

Once you have recruited your first Sith brother, you will need to formally initiate him into your new Dag. Before you begin, choose a name for your Dag, and have your recruit choose an Acolyte name. Also acquire a Sith Imperial banner, available at sithshop.com, and mount it behind you during the initiation. You can use the initiation ritual below, with yourself acting as Dag Master, and your recruit as Acolyte. You may make minor modifications to this ritual at your own discretion.

Dag Initiation Ritual:

Dag Master: You have been chosen for Acolyteship in the “[dag name] Dag” of Sith Academy. This Order is only for those who have a burning desire to become Dark Lords.

To proceed, you must choose an Acolyte name and take our Acolyte Pledge. Are you ready?

Acolyte: [Answers “yes” or “no”—if “no”, the ritual is over and the Acolyte is not initiated.]

Dag Master: What is your chosen Sith Acolyte name?

Acolyte: [States name]

Dag Master: [name], stand before the Sith imperial banner and say the Sith Academy Code.

Acolyte: [Says Code in Borgâl:]

Râk âsh vâzûl urnûk

Shâz âsh vodûn urnûk

Borûk âshâl twâzûl

Zy kâzhâl Bor-Gâzûl

{Power is our passion,

War is our way,

Darkness is our destiny,

The Force will set me free.}

Dag Master: Kneel and take the Sith Imperial Pledge:

[Acolyte repeats each line after Master]

I pledge obedience to the Dark Lords

Of the Sith Order in this galaxy

And to the Imperium which they command,

One Empire, in the Force indomitable,

With victory and power forever.

Dag Master: Rise, Acolyte [name]. You are now an Acolyte of the [dag name] Dag of Sith Academy. May you will the Force to victory!

You may now train with your initiated Dag brother for the remainder of Echelons Two through Eight. Each brother should make sure that the other completes the Challenges as required.

Challenge Two: Dag Power Space

A powerful way to fuel your Will is to create a place of power, inspiration and vision for yourself and your Dag brothers. This should be an indoor or outdoor space where you can train, perform rituals and discuss the Sith teachings with your fellow Acolytes. This “Dag power space” (“Dag-râkâdwân”, “Sith dojo”) is basically a more elaborate version of the personal power space you created in Echelon One. Its first purpose is to remind you of why you are on this path, to inspire you to stay on it and work toward the realization of Dark Lordship and Empire.

A simple outdoor Dag-râkâdwân might consist of a cleared circular area in a desert or forest, with rocks arranged into pyramids, columns, altars, etc. A more elaborate outdoor Dag-râkâdwân might have large stone or wood columns, a flagstone or concrete floor, a large statue of a Dark Lord, a gong, etc. An indoor Dag might be a large room, garage, cave or dedicated building equipped similarly. Your Dag-râkâdwân should be in a private, secluded location where it won’t be discovered by random passersby or surveilled by overhead aircraft and satellites.

Acquire a Dag banner such as a Sith Imperial banner, available at sithshop.com, or a flag that you make with a power symbol of your choosing. Include any other symbols, weapons, clothing or other items in your râkâdwân that inspire you on the Sith Path. Stay away from mass-produced items such as Star Wars products—your râkâdwân should be custom-made to reflect the unique magic of Sith Academy and your own Dag members.

Challenge Three: The Sith Stare

Power mystics of many traditions have long known that one of the most effective tests of willpower is the ability to maintain your focus on an object for an extended period of time. Sorcerers train in this skill until they can maintain an “evil eye”, or bortyâr (“dark gaze”) on someone or something for hours on end. Monks and yogis stare at symbols, candles, crystals, statues and other objects to concentrate their will and invoke inner visions. Assassins may need to maintain their attention on a target for hours or even days.

The Sith likewise place great value on the power of the gaze, and make the “Sith Stare” a central part of our training. We have already described the basic Sith Stare daily exercise in the “Praxis” section of this book; you should read and practice that exercise for at least a week before attempting this Challenge.

This Challenge is a two-part test of your ability to focus your will for an extended period of time via the eyes:

Part I: Extended Stare

Sit in a meditative position such as diamond pose, lotus, or half-lotus (or stand in a power position such as “horse stance” if you prefer), and use a power mudra of your choice. Now stare at an object, such as a power symbol, dark crystal, candle, planet, or star, for at least one hour.

Part II: Staring Battle

The second part of this Challenge requires you to use your gaze as a mental weapon, pitting your will against that of another being.

Meet with your Dag brother and hold a “staring battle”. The rules of the battle are simple: the two contestants must stare into each other’s eyes, and the first person to blink or look away loses. Distraction techniques such as waving hands, shouting, clapping, etc. are allowed. Continue battling until you win at least 3 times out of 5 and are declared the winner.

Challenge Four: Habit Changes

Identify a behavior that is disempowering you, sapping your will, damaging your health, etc. Examples: watching television, eating junk food, drinking alcohol, having a disorderly environment.

Now eliminate, modify or replace the habit with a new, more empowering one. Examples of new habits: meditation, yoga, martial arts, cleaning. Adopt the new habit for at least 30 days; do not quit before 30 days, or your brain will not have time to be programmed properly! Record your experiences in your Acolyte Journal.

Challenge Five: Physical Willpower

Choose one of the physical exercises described in the “Praxis” chapter—horse stance, squats, or tree pose—and practice it daily until you have developed some proficiency it. Set a target—number of squats, or length of time to hold the pose—and continue practicing until you have achieved your goal. Your target should be challenging, but achievable within a month of regular practice. For example, you might do 300 squats, or hold the horse stance for 5 minutes or the tree pose for 10 minutes. Of course, this will vary depending on your fitness and athletic ability; your Dag brother should help you determine a reasonable goal, and motivate you to complete it. Whatever you do, don’t set your goal too low—as Sith, we always push our limits in all things!

Challenge Six: Will Over Territory

This Challenge exercises your imperial instincts, and your natural right to assert your will over the territory you inhabit.

Choose a mountain, hilltop, building, tree or some other commanding landmark in an area that you wish to assert your will over. To be more discreet, you may wish to travel to an area far from where you and your Dag brother(s) live. Pack your Dag banner, a lightsaber, bladed weapon or staff, binoculars if you have them and any other supplies you require. Alone or with a Dag brother, hike stealthily to the top of the landmark at night. At your destination, mount the banner behind you, and stand facing the territory you wish to control.

Now perform a “blade salute”: stand up straight with your arms to your sides, your weapon in your right hand. Quickly bring your saber or other weapon to your chest, then punch it straight out, holding the saber in a vertical position. Your arm should be angled slightly upward. In this position, say some words of power to assert your will over the territory below you. Here is an example:

We are dark lords of this land

And we claim it for the Empire

By right of might

And supremacy of Will.

We claim all nations, all planets, all stars —they are ours.

For we are Sith, and there is no higher law.

Our Will be done, our Empire come,

On Earth, and in the stars.

Complete this Challenge by performing a Sith Stare, Void meditation, or simply scanning your territory with endarkened eyes or binoculars for at least 20 minutes.

At this point, you can think of yourself as an Imperial Sentry, guarding your new territory for the Empire, or a conqueror preparing your conquest. Take down your Dag banner and return to mundane society, leaving no trace but your new understanding. Now that you have claimed sovereignty of will over a territory, see how this changes your perspective on your daily life. Record your observations in your Acolyte journal.

Challenge Seven: Symbolic Attack

The Sith are memetic sorcerers; we are engaged in a long-term struggle to destroy the symbols, culture and ideology of enemy orders and replace them with our own. By attacking enemy memes, we are asserting the supremacy of our Wills over theirs. This Challenge is designed to develop your ability to do that.

Find something that was created by the Wills of an enemy of our Order. It could be a building, monument, work of art, political poster, religious icon, government facility, book, commercial product, or something else. The more symbolic power the object has and the more force of will was used to build it, the more potent your attack will be.

Now devise a method to attack your chosen target symbolically. We will not go into any detail here about the ways it might be attacked. If the target is your own property, such as an enemy holy book, then of course you are free to do whatever you like with it. Use your imagination, but understand that we are not encouraging any illegal activity. Your attack may be purely symbolic, and it might not be seen by anyone but yourself. The important thing is that it is symbolically and psychologically potent, and sends a message to your own Will that it is supreme.

Now carry out your attack. Record it with a video camera if you like, so you can watch it later and condition your Will further. Record your thoughts about your experience in your Acolyte Journal.

Challenge Eight: Waterfall Meditation

This Challenge tests your ability to will your body to go outside its comfort zone, face nature and overcome shock. It is based on an ancient practice, used by the fighting monks and hermits of Japan for centuries, known as Takigyo.

To perform this challenge, you will need to locate a cold waterfall which you can stand or sit under. If this is not possible for you, you will need to simulate the experience using ice-water buckets, an ice-cold shower, or some other method. You will also need a Dag brother to assist you.

With your Dag brother, go to the site of the waterfall. Strip down to a black loincloth or shorts, and perform some preliminary exercises, such as the Willpower Mudra and Fetter-Cutting Code, to focus your mind. The Dag brother should be standing by with a dry blanket and should allow you at least a few minutes of mental preparation.

On the Dag brother’s command, slowly walk under the waterfall, immersing your arms and legs first, then your shoulders and neck, and finally your head. While standing under the water, put your hands in the Willpower Mudra and chant the Fetter-Cutting Code for as long as you can. When you feel your body being overcome by shock and on the verge of collapse, walk away from the waterfall. The Dag brother should wrap you in the blanket and congratulate you on your triumph of will. You are one step closer to Dark Lordship!

Challenge Nine: Forging a Blade

This Challenge tests your ability to will a vital weapon into physical existence: a blade. In the Star Wars universe, Sith adepts were expected to construct lightsabers imbued with their own Force power, which became the focus of their training. In this universe, you will begin by constructing a simple bladed weapon, such as a knife, dagger or sword.

There are many ways you can approach this Challenge. You can construct a weapon entirely from raw materials, forging the blade, making the hilt, etc. You could make a primitive dagger such as the obsidian sacrificial knives used by Azec priests, knapping the material into shape with a moose antler. Or you could take a blade from an existing weapon, fashion your own sinister hilt for it and inscribe it with a power symbol.

The most important thing is that this blade is a unique product of your own will and dark persona. Revel in the power of you mind to create a dangerous weapon—it is one of the great gifts of human beings! When the blade is completed, keep in a place of honor, use it in your Sith rituals and exercises, charge it with the power of your Zy, and make it a physical expression of your Sword of Will!