Originally posted by RagingBoner
No, it doesn't. Drafting an epistle doesn't make one a scholar, it makes one a writer. When we see evidence of Mark masterminding something like this, I'll be impressed.
The importance of and existence of Ragnos' epistle is inherent in the definition:
e·pis·tle   
[ih-pis-uhl]
–noun
1.
a letter, especially a formal or didactic one; written communication.
2.
( usually initial capital letter ) one of the apostolic letters in the new testament.
3.
( often initial capital letter ) an extract, usually from one of the Epistles of the New Testament, forming part of the Eucharistic service in certain churches.
The fact that Ragnos is a forefather of almost all Sith we see living in the entire saga, that his crowning written work is known not as the tablet or holocron or scroll of Ragnos, but the epistle; that instructional and perhaps biblical text left behind as part of his legacy is indicative that he has left something in his wake of note. The fact that he is shown having created the sceptre, his sword, his gauntlets, etc... artifacts shown explicitly to be created for and by himself, that he had some mastery of sith alchemy and sorcery, which is itself implicit in being an ancient Sith Lord.
Your idea that he bought this shit at Sith-Mart and that he wasn't as learned as Sidious because apparently being reigning king in a Sith Golden Age is like being an idiot in the Renaissance just smacks of foolishness.
Smiley face.
Specifically what, though? And to what extent? Where are the sources, quotes, and feats that testify to Mark's undeniable scholarly brilliance in the ways of the Force?
See above. Marka Ragnos is never canonically shown as being alive, and what little EU canon we have only shows fragments of his existence, with much of his power and prestige being implied through numerous behaviors and words of Sith who carried on his life's work. Keep in mind it was Marka Ragnos, no other Sith Lord, who determined that the Sith line continue.
Sidious, on the otherhand, enjoys a higher profile because he is a movie character and thus has a large wealth of EU material about his apparent history, his training, his life, his mentor, etc. Until Drew K or Tom Veitch writes Marka Ragnos: Diary of a Wimpy Sith, you will not get a source which offers similar amounts of material.
"Once he gained control of the Sith Empire, he maintained dominance by pitting his detractors against one another, manipulating them into challenging him, or simply assassinating them." -- The Dark Side Sourcebook, page 69.Fighting his rivals was only one of the ways that Mark maintained his dominance, Soranus. We have no idea how often he indulged in one-on-one combat to cement his superiority.
The fact that none ever ambushed him, killed him in fair or unfair combat is a testament to his strength and ability. The fact that numerous Sith did not rally against him tells much. Even in death, Sadow and Kressh bow before him in submission. Not respect. The Sith do not heed the words of harmless ghosts. They feared him.
Are you trying to say he's just lucky? Weak but clever at setting up fights? For a hundred years? People showed fear and submission because they were afraid that his ghost might... you know, do something underhanded that didn't involve direct Force power?
Roflcopter.
It's not baseless, given the above source. He relied on assassination and manipulation as well. If you don't like it, take it up with the source.
The difference is, Ragnos' strength is implicit in how everyone reacts to him. His name is synonymous with the Sith Golden Age, where he ruled unrivaled for a century amidst powerful Force users. Even in death, they show fear and submission. His relics, left in the hands of relative weaklings, absorbed the powers from dark Force nexuses and nearly brought him back to life. He was powerful enough to cow Exar Kun, Ulic and Freedan Nadd. Kreia speaks explicitly of his strength in the Force. "Frightening", she adds, a woman who has known Revan, Nihilus, the Exile and Sion. A woman who knew Exar Kun.
Ragnos is not cited as "The most powerful Sith of his era. (Launch into rant about how he united the Sith and made universal health care.) All nods to his strength point specifically to strength in the Force, strength in the Dark Side, absolute authority and no equals. This is a far cry from being a politician who got Force pushed over a chair, or burned his face on his own lightning. Or killed himself with his own Force Storm.
It's not bad, in the same way that Palpatine's political brilliance isn't bad. But you seem to be under the impression that Mark was entering the fray left and right, kicking ass and taking names like some sort of Sith!Dwayne Johnson, which isn't supported by the source material.
The guy doesn't have to fight every day or every year. The point is made - he was without equals. It's inherent in the source materials. I don't see the need to argue this. Palpatine was not peerless when it came to combat. He was wise in the Dark Side, yes. Moreso than anyone else in his era, yes. But he had very little in the way of competition. Except for Maul, his dumb pet, and Plageus whom he perhaps killed outside of combat, Sidious is never pitted against a Sith Lord with training from a young age. Even Dooku only had a decade or so of scraps which Sidious deigned to feed him. How can you argue him as universally peerless when he's never been put to the test?
wut?
There are other Force-using sects out there than just Mark's Sith empire. Palpatine made an effort to study all of them. Point unmooted.
Nope, not really. You cited technological differences, which ARE moot. Ragnos was not technologically well behind the Republic. His entire era and even that of the KotOR era is well behind the Galactic Empire in terms of military strength, numbers, and technological progress. There's no point in arguing this, because it's apples and oranges.
As for Sidious studying every dark side cult, I don't see how this substantiates anything. The Sith learned from Dark Jedi and from exposure to the Infinite Empire. In the ongoing series, the Sith are always credited with the most horrific and impacting abilities and powers throughout. Killing entire planets, causing stars to go nova, Force storms, etc. All these abilities come from ancient Sith teachings, not Random Dark Side Group X.
Gee, why would he make such a scepter if he could do that shit on his own? By your reckoning, Palpatine can obliterate planets singlehandedly because he commissioned the construction of the Death Star.
When Sidious fuels a Death Star with his own Force power, this will become relevant. Kreia tells us that the Force drain is an ancient Sith technique. KotOR campaign guide confirms this and notes that she learned much of it on Malachor V. Marka Ragnos imbues a sceptre with this ability... no one else does. Sadow doesn't, Kun doesn't, Nadd doesn't, Bane doesn't, etc. He could have made it to add to his power or to completely eliminate opponents without straining himself. He could have made it for the express purpose to continually increase his power or as a measure to resurrect himself or his allies at will. He could have made it to shoot fireballs into the air while drunk and it had an unintended side effect of doing Force Nom.
Let's shave this argument with the Razor:
1. Ragnos is the only Sith Lord directly linked to an artifact which drains the Force that is basically hand-held. (The Dark Reaper was a superweapon expressly created to destroy an enemy army. Mace notes it would "end the Republic", again a nod to the ancient Sith).
2. Kreia and the KotOR Campaign guide note that the ancient Sith knew the technique of severing and draining the Force. We have points to indicate that between the Dark Reaper, Kun's ritual (which he did not fully understand), and the Sceptre of Ragnos, it's reasonable to assume any Sith Lord wishing to maintain power must understand this ability or be destroyed by those who exercised it.
3. Ragnos was king without question. His sceptre, itself a symbol of his right to rule, was imbued with the ability to drain Force power and give it to others, or even apparently resurrect Sith ghosts. Asserting that he "could not do this on his own" is folly; he knew enough to imbue it into an item, the likes of which was apparently not re-created.
The Dark Empire Sourcebook mentions how Palpatine expended great effort and resource to collect Force knowledge across the galaxy, a luxury that Mark didn't share.
So who is more steeped in ancient Roman lore? The Roman Emperor over the course of a lifetime, or the Roman enthusiast who searches world libraries and internets for knowledge of the past well after the fact, while living a double life as a politician and a Sith Lord?
How is this extra knowledge substantiated? Is this going to end up being that idea that Sidious completely and totally learned knowledge from millions of planets in his lifetime? Did he get the high score in every MMO in that time too?