Waves of darkness

"Some kind of darkness&hellip;settling over the city!"

- Gobee, to Oron Kira

When performed by an individual adept in Sith sorcery, waves of darkness was a dark side Force power conjured through Sith magic that created visible, palpable waves of literal darkness, accompanied by a loud roaring sound. When exposed to waves of darkness, beings suffered from feelings of intense despair and confusion, before feeling compelled to flee the scene of the disturbance. The technique was popular among Great Sith War–era proponents of Sith magic, namely members of the planet Onderon's Naddist cult.

Description
"Computer, identify disturbance.''" "''Wave force. Energy type unknown. Anomalous power surges detected."

- Sensor tower computer, reporting its analysis of Amanoa's darkness spell to Oron Kira

Using ancient Sith magic to summon waves of darkness required a sorcerer to call upon the full scope of negative emotions that lingered in the center of their being. Fueled by the power of the Force, an individual spewed forth their emotions in tides of dark side energy that rapidly expanded in a spherical aura around them. Waves of darkness manifested in the physical realm as well; individuals noticed that the atmosphere around them &mdash;whether within the confines of a building or outside in the skies above&mdash;became visibly immersed in absolute darkness. Thunder boomed and was accompanied by a roaring sound as the darkness spread. Anyone caught in the vicinity immediately began suffering from feelings of intense horror, pain, and bewilderment. Victims were tormented by whispers of the dark side that left them in a state of utter hopelessness, and prolonged exposure robbed them of the will to fight. Dark side waves caused Jedi and other users of the light to feel stifled, as though their connection to the Force was being smothered.

Applications
Waves of darkness were employed in battle by Sith sorcerers as a means of incapacitating the opposition. However, the debilitating effects a darkness spell could be nullified by a Force-user skilled in the art of Jedi battle meditation.

Users
"You want darkness, Oron Kira? I'll show you darkness!"

- Queen Amanoa, to Beast Lord Oron Kira

Freedon Nadd, an ancient Dark Lord of the Sith who once ruled the planet Onderon, was able to summon waves of darkness. Nearly four hundred years after Nadd's death, the sorceress-Queen Amanoa summoned darkness against the armies of Beast-Lord Oron Kira and their Jedi allies during the final battle of Onderon's Beast Wars. Her foes were immediately beset with sensations of agony and dismay as the oppressive darkness rapidly expanded within the royal palace of Iziz. Outside, Kira's forces were overcome with feelings of severe pain and rendered incapable of fighting as the increasing darkness overtook them. Kira, who had been previously unaffected, was suddenly stricken by the dark side's crushing power, which prompted the royal scribe Novar to join Amanoa's dark side assault, effectively reinforcing its hold over Kira. It was only after the arrival of Jedi Master Arca Jeth and his implementation of battle meditation that the summoned darkness was lifted from the skies of Onderon.

Behind the scenes
Waves of darkness first appeared in the second issue of the first of the Tales of the Jedi story arcs to be released, 1993's Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon. The Force power was detailed in full with the 1996 release of West End Games' Tales of the Jedi Companion.

In roleplaying game terms, using dark side waves against another sentient player character automatically gives player characters a Dark Side point. Depending on the level of difficulty, the area of effect ranges from 1-2 meters, for moderate, 3-10 meters for difficult, 11-20 meters for very difficult, and 21-30 for heroic.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi 2: Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon, Part 2
 * Tales of the Jedi audio dramatization