Studies of The Book of Anger.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob awoke from the recuperative sleep he'd been in since bringing The Book of Anger back from Deception's Study. He stood groggily from his position atop his pile of gold coins and looked around.

There, wrapped between the two other books he'd also taken from the Study, was the unknown prize. Hob would understand it, or he would die trying.

The dwarf ambled down and picked up the stack of books, being careful not to touch The Book. Even holding it through other tomes of lore he could feel the book's power, pulsing and writhing as though The Book had a mind and locomotive powers of its own.

Hob erected what mental defenses he knew of as a precaution, then wandered through the Crystal Cavern and the Guest Bedroom to the iron grating that barred further passage into his residence.

Touching parts of the mural in the Guest Bedroom in sequence, Hob opened the door and entered the short tunnel beyond. It was short- no more than five feet in height and equally wide. It was one of Hob's ecletic defenses against intrusion: larger people would have trouble fitting through.

Beyond the tunnel's end was a circular room lined with bookshelves. There was even a circle of bookshelves in the center of the room, and the shelves contained as many literary works from the ages as they did books of the Shining Dark and of man's concepts of science. Everything was neatly put away according to Hob's personal filing system and, although the shelves had footprints in the dust and ladders stacked about apparently at random, the room was straightened and organized for ease of access.

The Hobgoblin carried his books over to the central, circular bookcase and climbed atop it, making sure his possessions were carefully balanced and did not drop. When he had reached the top, Hob climbed the wide, circular pillar the bookcase was wrapped around and sat himself down in the niche he'd carved out of it many years ago.

He then opened the book with the cover of one of his other books and gazed at the first page.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The page was blank.

Hob flipped to the next one, and the next one, but still he saw nothing. Flipping back to the first one, he gazed at it with narrow eyes. He could feel the book's power, and Deception had obviously gained from it somehow and made himself stronger. How had Jeseth unlocked the book's secrets?

Hob pondered this. The blankness was obviously a lie. What, then, would a liar do?

He would lie and make his own words on the pages.

Hob shut his eyes and drew on the Shining Dark. He could feel the book react, could feel it flare up in a malevolent heat. Using his mind, Hob imagined words on the pages, random words that made no sense at all. He then pushed his mind into the book to enact the lie.

The book burned his mind in response, burned the finger he had put in the flame. Hob hastily strengthened his mental defenses with more Force and held fast, struggling with the book for supremacy.

Hob strained and pushed, and finally, something happened. The words in the book shifted and began to change.

My name is Darth Sidious. Long have I been master of this book, and it shall instruct those who seek the Dark Side after I no longer desire to teach. Only the strong may read it, and they shall be tested by the book's defenses. You have read these words, and so you shall be instructed by the book...

Hob's spirits rose and his push against the book lessened- a fatal mistake. The words suddenly forced their way back into Hob's gobbledygook, then vanished altogether. Hob's mind was struck with fierce, biting pain and he pulled his senses from within the book's pages.

The pain dropped away and Hob sat breathing heavily. For someone over 200 years old, he was having remarkably little physical and mental difficulty at all. The Shining Dark obviously had a hand in his continued strength.

~ I've unlocked yer secrets once, book!~ Hob thought at it triumphantly. ~ I shall do so again! Hob shall not be denied his greatness!~

The book did not reply, and Hob gloated in his supremacy.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob had just finished eating when he thought of the book again. He absently tossed a bare bone aside and considered resuming his studies.

In the end, Hob decided in favor of resuming his work, and after taking a short dip in the fountain to get clean, Hob dried himself off with a towel and headed back to the library. He clambered back to his previous perch and opened the book once again, using his previous methods to unlock the book's hidden words.

He began to read, committing each passage to memory as he did so, and while he was reading he noticed that the book's pressure and resistance against his continued progress increased with each turned page.

The Book of Anger was written to house secrets of the Dark Side of the Force. Secrets so powerful that only the truly strong may understand and wield them. For the Force is the energy that binds all living things together, and there is nothing that is possible in the Force.

Ah. The Book was referring to the Shining Dark. That made sense.

To understand the Force, you must understand energy. It comes in all forms imaginable, and is only limited by the wielder's creativity. Those who cannot control energy with their minds, cannot control the Force, and they shall be weaker from it. A rudimentary task along such lines might be that of lighting candles with no flame. More difficult tasks exist to be mastered than parlor tricks, and those who do master them shall be truly powerful.

Focus your anger and hatred at all things into the image of a flame within your mind, and use that flame to set things ablaze. Draw strength from it- learn from it- and you shall be unstoppable.

Now shall be explained the secrets of the link between the energy of the Force and the mind of the Dark Jedi. The first attribute one who would wield the Dark Side must master is that of sensing things. Focus your anger now and continue...

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Energy is present in all things living. That energy can be detected by anyone- all beings assume they "hear" or "see" things, and the lesser ones do. The greater ones rely on their minds to detect an approach. When a shadow flickers at the edge of your vision, that is not your mind playing tricks on you. It is your mind sensing something your eyes will not admit is there. The strong see all, the weak are limited.

Focus on your surroundings. Feel the energy inherent in the pillar where you sit, Hobbitus Bel'Dinus, Visio et Viator.

Hob suddenly opened his eyes in consternation. The book knew who he was? How was this possible-

No. It was easily possible. Hob had sensed power within the book that flowed like magma. It was either keyed to train people specifically, or it was actually alive with a conscious and purpose.

Either way, it offered power and direction.

Feel the malevolence inside yourself, and hone it. Only with your anger can you magnify your sensory range and perception. Anger is the force behind the shove, the strength behind the muscle, the shadow behind the corner. There are fish in your fountain, Hob. Can you sense them?

Hob knew there were fish in his fountain occaisionally. They flowed in from underground when the season was right. They were quite tasty with a bit of rock salt, and catching them was easy with his arms.

The reminder of his wretched state drew a rumble of displeasure from Hob. He shut his eyes and concentrated on feeding that anger.

Then he placed one hand deliberately on the book's open pages. Pain wracked his soul and his mind, but instead of blocking it off Hob wrestled with it, drawing on it, using it, twisting it into something that would serve his needs.

After wrestling with the book for what seemed an eternity, Hob broke off in exhaustion. He leaned back against the wall of his pillar and relaxed, shutting his eyes.

Pinpricks of light formed shapes behind his eyes. They moved and twitched, and began to blur into something colored.

And suddenly, the image of a fish flopping about on the floor of the crystal cavern came to Hob, clear as day.