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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

staving in the point bluntly, Open to all WY characters


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Visar slowly worked through some sword forms, but with a ten foot (ooc: WoT feet are shorter no? This would be around 7.5 feet, well over a meter) staff instead of a blade. It was like using a sword, but different in some key ways: it was a lot longer, and had no guard for the hands. Grip was much more flexible too; he could slide the round haft forward amd make incredibly long range thrusts, which would easily outrange a swordsman and keep them on the defensive.

 

Working up a sweat with the bulkier staff, Visar stopped after a while, leaning on the ash stave as he caught his breath. Looking around, he saw that a few people had paused in their sword practice to watch him. Visar glanced to the side. There were some roughed out staves he had brought from the carpenter's guild, which was handsomely compensated for selling its best wood for trainees to use for staffs, lathed swords, and bows. He wanyed to see if anyone was interested in woodworking their own staff. But so far no one had expressed interest. What a shame, Visar thought. Woodworking was not only relaxing, it was a welcome reprieve from getting bruised up.

 

Visar waited for the trainees, or whatever level they were it was hard to tell by sight sometimes, to introduce themselves and see what they wanted of him. A lesson? A fight? He'd fight all of them at the same time, that would be fun even if he didn't win. Best to see if they knew what they were getting into first though.

 

"Yes? What can i do for you?" He asked.

 

-Visar Falmaien, looking forward to making bruises

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Rekinu was late to practice.  This was unusual to say the least.  He promised himself that he would volunteer for the first demonstration offered by any of the teachers.  He must regain his honor.  He had spent many moons proving his worth to those at the Tower, and he would make sure that he would NOT mess up his life.  It had been started in shame, but he WOULD die with honor.  No one could take that away.

 

As he took up his position, he noticed Visar off to the side, picking up a staff.  It was a smooth stave, and he looked at least competent as he twirled it around practicing his movements.  Rekinu watched interested.  He had seen several of the Guards practice, but they had simply pointed out that he was missing this or that, when he asked that they allow him to train with them.  It was true, he was still working on his forms, but he HAD chosen a stave as one of his weapons to use, and he wanted to know more.

 

After a while, Visar stopped, catching his breath, and looked at those around.  He seemed to be waiting... but for what, Rekinu did not know.  After a while, Visar asked the fateful question.  "Yes? What can I do for you?"

 

Rekinu knew what the answer would be.  He had promised himself upon arriving late, so he stepped forward, cringing inside a bit; Visar was a formidable opponent, and he had taught Rekinu lessons in the past... they were definitely ones that he would not forget soon.  But he said "I wish to spar with you.  To learn how it is to fight against someone wielding the pole, though I fear I would be outmatched by far."

 

He stood straight as a pole, hoping... and not... that Visar would take him up on the opportunity!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Visar smiled at Rekinu's boldness. The man had spirit, and was just a little insane! That was good! It didn't excuse the man from being late, however. No, that was unforgivable even for a Warder, Visar thought to himself.

 

"Thank you for volunteering, Rekinu Gaiden," Visar said. He glanced at those gathered. Did no one else want to join in? Were they actually smart? It had been a while since the staff had been featured in the yards. Time to play on their comradeship with a playful guilt trip, that should work.

 

"Rekinu here will show you what it is like facing someone proficient with a staff with his sword, won't you, Rekinu," he said with a sly smile. The man couldn't afford to back down now, or he would lose face.

 

"And to make things a little more fair, would any other of you brave soldiers and trainees step up and join him in fighting me? I'm only one man and the staff is hardly my best weapon. I assure you this is an invaluable lesson for any swordsman to learn." He hopee he was saying this with a straight face. Visar leaned on the staff to give the appearance that he was tired from his exercise. Maybe that would sucker in a trainee or too who didn't know better.

 

-Visar Falmaien, readying a trap

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Coraman couldn't help but stare with wonder as she watched Visar Gaidin practice his forms with the staff. He made it look so easy and she knew that was far from the truth. Another gawker stepped forward and she almost cringed at his words. "I wish to spar with you." She had no idea what level he was at but after seeing Visar, doubt creeped into her mind. She had seen someone of lesser skill best another who would .. no, should have had the upper hand. Coraman had learned the hard way to never underestimate another warrior - they just might have a few tricks up their sleeves.

 

Listening to the exchange between the two men, she couldn't help but feel angry at Visar's arrogant smirk. Coraman wanted to wipe it off his face and with that thought, she convinced herself to give this a try. While bruises and maybe broken bones may be the result of her stupidity, at least she would gain experience sparring against another of a higher skill and with a pole staff. Coraman stepped forward and pulled out her two practice lathes, getting the attention of Visar Gaidin.

 

A respectful nod of her head towards the two before her, "I too wish to learn how it is to fight someone wielding a weapon such as yours. I never had the chance before but since I'm newly raised to Tower Guard ranks, I might as well start now."
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Grey had worked up a sweat and it felt good to have his blood pumping. He felt more alive. As he practiced Grey had noticed the man going through his forms with the staff. He was impressed by how effortless the man made it look. Grey had moved beyond drawing and sheathing his sword but he was still learning the most basic of forms. He did not know enough to truly appreciate how good this man was.

 

When Grey looked again a small crowd had gathered and Rekinu had stepped up to ask to spar with the man. Rekinu had been nice to him and he felt the urge to stand by his side. He wouldn't be much help but sparring with a superior opponent was suppose to be one of the better ways to improve. He wanted to improve. He needed to improve. He wanted to a be a warder. He wanted to be able to make a difference.

 

Another woman stepped forward a moment before he reached Rekinu's side. She too wished to join the spar. She would probably be more helpful than he would be. He was pretty sure she was a tower guard who had at least finished her basic training. He still wanted to be part of this spar too. He wasn't sure how fair a three on one spar would be but if the man with the staff did not have an objection than he didn't either.

 

He stepped up to Rekinu's side and raised his practice sword to assume the basic defensive form he had been shown. Did anything else really need to be said? The man looked at him and nodded.

 

Remember your footwork. He told himself. Things were about to start getting painful.

Edited by Arinth
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(ooc: first exchange will probably be Visar's, though Grey can get in a hit/be hit at the same time since Visar's not going to focus on him at first; second or third exchanges, you guys can have fun and give Visar some good hits too once you figure out a strategy, have fun!)

 

 "I too wish to learn how it is to fight someone wielding a weapon such as yours. I never had the chance before but since I'm newly raised to Tower Guard ranks, I might as well start now."  Visar smiled as a Guard, a woman he had not fought before, stepped up to join Rekinu. She was of his height, with piercingly blue eyes, almost like frost on a lake, and a white streak in her black hair.  Her appearance was so distinctive, Visar was surprised that he did not remember seeing her before.  She looked to be an excellent fighter, and already started to move with a kind of deadly grace, but he did not know what her skill level was.  He would have to be careful with her.

 

Another man joined the fight as well, to make a third.  He was a trainee, Visar knew, so he might be less skilled than these other two, but he had a fire in his demeanor that meant he would be determined and unpredictable.

 

Visar gauged his three opponents carefully as they all stepped up ready to face him.  He smiled again, daring the three of them to defeat him.  The best way to do so was to gain his back while engaged with another opponent, but the staff was a tricky weapon; he could just as easily slide the pole behind him in a backwards thrust as thrust forward.  He would have to be very careful with the weapon, however.  He did not like to injure those in the yard on purpose; at least, when he was in a good mood he did not want to do so.  A hard thrust with a staff, even in sport, could crack a rib or shatter a knee or shin.

 

"Thank you for volunteering," Visar said.  "First, I'd like to show you the defensive qualities of the staff.  One of you hit me, and the fight stops, and we reset."

 

Visar dropped the forward point of his staff low, holding it sloped back like The Pheasant's Tail (made this one up), his grip by his hip.  It was an excellent defensive position, and for facing untrained, was a great way to bait someone to attack you.  From there, he could bring the staff up into a swift undercut, like Low Wind Rising, or a horizontal blow like Arc of the Moon.  He could also bring the point up and thrust straight, Hummingbird Kisses the Honeyrose.  And the great thing was, all of these counters could perfect defenses, what Visar liked to call master strokes, defending and striking at the same time.

 

He remained poised on the balls of his feet, ready to move the staff to strike out at whoever attacked first, and whip back to defend against the next attack.

 

They hesitated briefly, Rekinu and the Guardswoman out of understandable caution, the trainee out of not wanting to attack first.  Alright, he might have to encourage them.

 

"Come on you bloody Warts!  If one of you can't hit me in the next minute or two I'll have the Master of Arms have you all muck the stables out!"  He grinned in bold and somewhat smug defiance, as that seemed to get a reaction out of some of them.  If he made it seem like he was an arrogant jerk, or thought himself somehow superior other than just in skill, that could goad someone to attack in anger.  The punishment a rather idle threat, and unlikely to work against Rekinu, but hopefully it would get someone to charge in.

 

-Visar Falmaien, going to defend

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  • 3 weeks later...

ooc: let me know if I need to modify anything, trying to push this along

 

ic:

 

"Come on you bloody Warts! If one of you can't hit me in the next minute or two I'll have the Master of Arms have you all muck the stables out!" The smug grin on the man's face made Coraman want to wipe it off viciously. There was one thing that set her off and that was arrogance. She stepped away from Rekinu, circling Visar to target his left side; she preferred to be on the same side as the staff.

 

Coraman settled into Lion on the Hill, her dual blades at shoulder height as Visar watched, the arrogant smirk still on his face. Rekinu moved to her opposite while Grey stood in place. Visar remained still, his gaze sweeping across the three of them as if he was playing the spar already in his mind.

 

Leaping forward with Parting the Silk, Visar turned and parried her slash then Rekinu leapt forward, seemingly ready to do a series of thrusts which Visar somehow anticipated. He spun on his heel, giving Rekinu ground which Grey and Coraman moved simultaneously - Grey with an upward diagonal slash paired with Coraman's downward diagonal slash.

 

Visar danced around their attacks, his quick feet work moving his body just out of the way of their blades as his staff parried those too close. He settled once again his The Pheasant's Tail with that arrogant smirk on his face once again. Coraman realized that in the last stint, she didn't use her second blade. That would be remedied. She glanced at Rekinu and he met her gaze; as if they could read each other's minds, they both leapt forward - Coraman with her swords in The Boar Rushes Down the Mountain and Rekinu with The River Undercuts the Bank.

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  • 1 month later...

While he had hoped that more seasoned trainees would have joined in, Rekinu knew Grey.  The woman was new to him, but she would prove her mettle, and stick around, or not.  She did have a determined look in her eyes, and set in her jaw that said if she did not get her way all the time, it was not due to a lack of trying.

 

With Grey in the middle, Rekinu moved to the left, and Coraman to the right, circling.  Rekinu had picked quarter-stave mostly because it was fun to twirl around, but also due to the speed at which you could alter your playing style in the face of differing opponents.

 

As Rekinu half expected, Visar struck first.  He had expected him to come for him, and he was ready, but Visar struck for Coraman first.  With his back to him, Rekinu took advantage, and attempted a series of thrusts, but Visar expected the move and pulled away after blocking a couple of them.

 

Both of these recruits were new enough, and not familiar enough with each other, or Rekinu to work as a team, so it was only expected, well, that and Visar WAS Blademaster... don't ever forget that part of the equation.

 

Looking at Coraman, Rekinu caught her eye, and somhow they clicked, if only for a moment, and they reacted immediately.  The River Undercuts the bank made Visar block, and the Boar Rushes down the Mountain made him dance, and then Grey slipped in and almost got a hit.  Knowing the, experience, of his follow mates, and Visar's deadly force (he had received too many bruises to count), he backed off, drawing Visar after him, in the hopes of alleviating the pressure that he could.  It only helped a little, as Visar still slashed towards the two of them, seeking targets.

 

Rekinu threw himself back at Visar, thinking it was too late, one of them were bound to be hit...

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Grey was surprised with the speed and force of the others who moved around him. He felt like his feet were stuck in mud and his practice sword weighted a hundred pounds. He took a breath to calm his racing heart as Rekinu and Coraman both attacked the man.

 

He had to join in. He tried to slow things down in his mind and focus on what he could control instead of the limitless possibilities of the twirling weapons around him. He stepped forward and swung his sword up diagonally in a moment in which it appeared Visar was already committed to deflecting another attack but Visar anticipated him and with a sharp twist his staff was suddenly in place to block his slash away.

 

Grey stumbled back impressed and reset. He hadn't expected that he would be the one to hit the man but Visar had stopped all three of them at the same time. He wanted to be as good as this man. He wanted to be better. He resolved to trainer harder and longer in the yard each day.

 

Before he had time to take a second breath Rekinu and Coraman were attacking again. Grey jumped in this time without hesitating. He thrust his sword forward but Visar sidestepped out of the way as he swept Rekinu's blade out of the way.

 

Grey backed up again. He wasn't practiced enough yet to try to string sword forms together yet. If he was going to do anything it would come down to timing and footwork and mostly luck.

 

Rekinu distanced himself from the others. Visar followed him for several paces. Coraman and Grey closed the distance and Visar shifted his focus back to them. Coraman avoided his first attack but the second caught Grey's leg and sent him stumbling. The next stuck him solidly in the back and knocked him to the ground.

 

Visar called for a reset and with a groan Grey pulled himself up to his feet. Pain flaired up and down his back where he had been struck. The realization dawned on him that this spar could go on for some time. What had he gotten himself into?

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(Ooc: my apologies for the loong wait!)

 

Visar fenced mostly with his feet, dodging attacks that he could not easily block, and deterring other attacks with his staf's reach and speed before they could hit him. He was doing decently well against three, and he felt his grin sttengthen as his enjoyment of the foght grew.

 

They were starting to figure him out, as well as trying different ways to defeat hom as a team. The one-two combination that Coraman and Rekinu pulled off was brilliant, and Visar counted himself lucky to escape that. And if Grey had struck just a moment or two sooner he might have had him.

 

Exhilarated by the chalenge of the fight, Visar called a reset to make sure Grey was alright. Then it was time for more! He wondered if he had actaully strictly defended in the last exhange. Probably not strictly speaking.

 

"Come now, you three almost had me! I will chase you down if you don't keep trying!" He yelled, and resumed his baiting guard. No one rushed forward foolhardy this time. They were learning.

 

Rekinu and Coramon came at him together, and Grey circled to try to get him from behind. Visar whirled, struck out with his staff in a couple of long thrusts to ward Grey away, then closed to the real threat.

 

Visar attacked first, feining, thrusting, trying to find an opening. But they were ready for him and managed to turn his point away, and inexorably closed in, forcing Visar to back up. He noticed that Rekinu was attacking as determined as ever, and the guardswoman was fighting with a passion Visar was glad to see, even if it meant she wanted to hit him very badly. What could he have done? He wondered, and grinned like an idiot.

 

They continued to press him and although he managed a glancing blow or two they kept coming. The staff was the weapon, and if it didn't hit with enough force, it wouldn't stop the fight.

 

The sword however, did not need such force to wound and maim, and was far more lethal for less force. Now where was that third attacker... Visar whirled but didn't see Grey behind him. Surprised, he whirled back, barely deflecting the two more experienced foghters. He saw an opening as Coraman just overextended in an effort to reach him, but before he could make his blow, he heard and felt a great,

 

Thwap!

 

On the back of his legs. Visar stumbled, seeing Grey crouched low with blade extended on his legs. That would have taken off his legs had these been sharp! The stun that the trainee had pulled that off prevented Visar from quickly countering to Grey's exposed head, and that was all the time needed for Rekinu to knock the staff out of one hand with a hit to Visar's wrist, and Coraman mercilessly came in for a chest strike that knocked the wind from him.

 

Holding up his free hand to signal stop as Visar recovered his breath (and what remained of his dignity) he smiled at the three of them.

 

"See? Of course it can be done." He laughed, slightly embarrased but not surprised. Few could stand against three, and those that did without a scratch were very, very lucky.

 

"Would you like to continue, or shall i show some basics of the weapon for you all to practice? I'm fine for either, i think." In truth, that bruise to his leg would make him limp a little, and he still felt not quite himself from the blow to the ribs, but surely they would buy his bluff?

 

-Visar Falmaien, ready for more!

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  • 3 months later...

Grey's back burned from the strike but it motivated him. It drove him to keep fighting. Visar did not look ready to stop fighting any time soon and he had no reason to if he got to keep beating them up. It was time to change that.

 

Visar worried about him the least, and with good reason considering his inexperience. The other two were more dangerous. He was a distraction more than anything else and that is exactly how Visar would see him. He just had to find a way to take advantage of that.

 

When the fighting began again Visar focused on the other two merely casting a glance in his direction every few moments to know where he was. Grey circled back and forth as they fought, trying to keep beyond Visar's line of sight. He was waiting for the moment to strike. An opportunity would come. He just had to be able to recognize it and take advantage of it.

 

Grey saw Coraman lunge to land a strike. Visar managed to avoid it and for a moment things clicked. Grey knew that Visar would commit himself to attacking Coraman now that she had opened herself up. It was his chance. At the same time Visar began his strike Grey swooped low his practice sword chopping at the man's legs. He was as surprised as anyone when the blow landed.

 

Visar looked back at him in surprise and for a moment Grey forgot to defend himself. Before Visar had the chance to strike him Reki and Coraman charged in and finished the spar. Grey breathed a sigh of relief. The others nodded at him and he felt his cheeks redden.

 

As they reset Visar looked more determined then ever. Grey knew that this time he would not be overlooked and that made him nervous. He would have to try a different approach this time to keep the man of f balance and surprise him.

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