Flashback [Training] With All Haste

Bow Training

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A city floating in the center of a lake, Ravok is a place of dark beauty, romance and culture. Behind it all though is the presence of Rhysol, God of Evil and Betrayal. The city is controlled by The Black Sun, a religious organization devoted to Rhysol. [Lore]

[Training] With All Haste

Postby Elias Caldera on June 3rd, 2015, 3:46 am

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34th Day of Winter, 508 AV

It was getting better, but that didn’t it was getting any easier. He’d only recently changed his stance, and the key was, as always, repetition. The instructors had no expectation of Elias becoming the most skilled archer that both hallowed Ravok and blasted Syliras would ever laid eyes upon, and that was a good thing, but they still demanded a superb level of efficiency none the less. Best in the world? Perhaps one day, but as for right now, the least he could manage was consistency.

Sinewy muscles tensed as Elias drew the bowstring back slightly, bringing the deadly weapon up to the ready so he could begin sighting the target. His feet were spread just a bit more than shoulder width apart with his left foot just a bit out in front of his right. His torso was rotated to the side so that his left shoulder was facing down towards his target. Before him it stood in quiet, contemptuous defiance. Some may have looked upon the thing and simply seen a stuffed, man sized dummy. Not Elias. To the young prospect, standing in his path was the enemy so vile and unforgivable it begged for the arrow. No! It needed the arrow, and as a good, Rhysol fearing ravokian, it was his responsibility to give it what it wanted.

Luckily for the straw man, he’d actually started hitting fairly often, but the issue was still present and annoyingly simple. His shots were all over the place. While he was hitting his target, he wasn’t hitting it where he wanted to. Aiming for the chest and then catching the arm. Trying for the head and hitting a thigh. The training had been easy enough at this point, or so he thought. He’d set up a target, fire at it until he could hit the same area over and over and then move the target further back and then try again. It seemed like a great idea, until he moved the target closer again. By only looking at one distance at a time, he’d been conditioning himself to only be decent at specific ranges. If he was asked to alternate or change targets that were placed twenty or so feet apart, he may as well have been starting from scratch. With four targets of varying ranges set up, Elias could set about remedying this mistake in his personal training.

The bowstring caressed the edge of his cheek as he pulled it back and muddy brown eyes locked onto the closest target about fifty feet away. In the edges of his vision he could make out the next target, another ten feet beyond that, and another ten feet beyond that one were the shadows of a third and fourth. It wouldn't do him any good to split his focus yet however, he wasn't skilled enough at his craft to do so. Instead Elias simply lined up his shot, aiming for center mass on the closest dummy, then raised the bow slightly to compensate for the distance. With his elbow tucked in nicely against his body, his draw was tight and compact. The petitioner exhaled and released the string, sending the arrow flying towards its mark. It spiraled along, cutting through the otherwise calm morning air and striking the dummy.

The arrow pierced the stuffed target in the right shoulder, sinking in and sending it swinging back on the rope from which it was suspended.
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Elias Caldera
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[Training] With All Haste

Postby Elias Caldera on June 3rd, 2015, 3:46 am

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Elias wasted no time in admiring his shot, not that there was much to admire. While it had the potential to be a debilitating shot, it wasn’t where he had been aiming. The point of this drill, however, was rapid fire on differing targets, so that’s what he would do. The technicalities could come later.

The petitioner retrieved another arrow from his quiver as he took a few steps to the side to enjoy a less obstructed angle on the second target. Movement meant, however, that he’d messed up his base, and he wasn’t skilled enough to truly rapid fire with any accuracy without it. He had to set up his stance again after a while, and in that time focus darted down to his feet as he slid them apart to give himself the strong foundation he needed. His left foot slid forward and his upper body rotated to face down range.

Good morning, Elias.

Elias glanced over, the corners of his lips twitching into a faint smile. The woman was relentless in her teasing of him, but they both knew that it had created the environment in which he needed in order to thrive. Or, at the very least, partially succeed.

“Just making sure I’ve got something to impress the instructors with before they sound the call for assembly.” He said, knocking the arrow and pulling the string back some as he brought the bow up. "Doesn’t matter how fast I fire if I don’t hit anything. Velen will be pleased with this once I’ve nailed it.

The girl nodded, waving her hand down the range. "Then get to it. I’ll just be here watching.” The fellow prospect crossed her arms, smirking as she observed the younger boy. "And harshly judging, of course.

"Of course.

Elias pulled back on the string as he settled in on the second target. Same size, same set up, only this time sixty feet away. The further away the target was, the more adjustment he had to make, not just for distance, but for the conditions they fought in. Thankfully, Ravok was known for its rather mild and consistently amazing weather so he was spared that trouble for the time being. The projectile slid back along the arrow rest as he drew the string back, muscles in his back and arm tensing as the strain of the bow acted upon them. His thumb stroked the side of his cheek, his own personal signal of an appropriate pull distance. With the previous shot having been about the correct height on the body, Elias adjusted just a bit further skyward than his last attempt, and satisfied with his aim, he relaxed his fingers and let the string slip from his grasp.

The bow snapped forward, sending the arrow flying on its trajectory at the target. The sharpened arrowhead slid into the midsection of the dummy, bringing a satisfied smile to Elias’s lips. It was exactly what he’d been trying to do.

Don’t look now, but the other one’s lining up a shot on you! I think he’s upset you just killed his friend. Better hurry, prospect.” The girl’s voice rang out all of a sudden, her arm jutting out with an extended finger pointing towards the furthest target. “Now, Elias! Don’t just stand there gawking at me. The enemy won’t be twiddling his thumbs while you mess about!
Last edited by Elias Caldera on June 3rd, 2015, 3:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Elias Caldera
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[Training] With All Haste

Postby Elias Caldera on June 3rd, 2015, 3:46 am

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Furthest target back, he’s the one.” The young woman’s voice was stern, commanding, and surprisingly forceful. Elias knew when his training was being commandeered, and that voice was a sure sign that this was one such case. It was for the better that he cooperate with the girl he realized. She didn’t seem like she’d take no, or failure, for an answer.

Elias retrieved an arrow, nodding at her in acknowledgement as he prepared himself to fire once more. The first step was to get his feet back in the proper form once more. At least, he thought so, but the young madam disagreed loudly. “What are you doing? Fire at your target! You don’t have time to stand around and think about getting into your form. He’s about to put a bolt through your eye!”[/b]

The hassled ravokian gritted his teeth, burying angry retorts deep inside. He wasn’t sure how she was expecting him to just fire away with no regard for form. It seemed counter to everything she’d helped him learn thus far. Form was everything, those were her words… probably. Do it right or don’t do it at all; That was definitely something she had told him. Now she wanted something impossible. He’d try to oblige, if only to savor the look of shock on her smug face when he accomplished it.

The petitioner knocked the arrow, pulled back the string and took aim for a brief moment before letting a shot sail. The arrow missed far and to the right, as he expected it to. There was no way he could hit if he was being rushed to fire so quickly and he turned to the girl to let her know as much, but before he could gloat about how right he was, another command came from her lips. “Here comes another one. Target the second.

Elias grumbled and grimaced, but none the less complied.

While obtaining another arrow from his quiver, Elias’s gaze turned to the target she’d called out. His foundation was completely wrong at this point, his feet uneven and turned in slightly, and as he drew back an old habit reared its ugly head when his elbow jutted out to the side instead of maintaining the compact style he’d been instructed in. When the arrow was released it whizzed through the air at the target before diving and crashing into the ground several feet before its intended point of impact. “Furthest target. Now.” she said coolly, crossing her arms he continued with his struggling.

Another arrow found its way into Elias’s grasp as he turned to face his newest ‘threat’. He knew in real combat that the enemy wouldn’t be so plain, just standing there ready to be picked off, but if he couldn’t hit them here, what hope did he have to ever be successful in a real conflict? “Yeah, yeah.” he muttered bitterly in reply before getting ready to take another shot. His feet ended up shoulder width apart as he brought the bow up and pulled the string slightly. The Caldera heir sighted the target and finished his draw, his elbow staying tucked in this time. He brushed his cheek once more, took final aim at the middle of the target, adjusted the bow a bit higher, and released the shot.

The arrow found its mark and struck true.

Elias raised an eyebrow and turned his head to the other prospect expectantly. “First target.” she replied placidly.
Last edited by Elias Caldera on June 3rd, 2015, 3:54 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Elias Caldera
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[Training] With All Haste

Postby Elias Caldera on June 3rd, 2015, 3:46 am

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The training would go on like that for nearly a full bell as Elias began to get accustomed to concept behind his young mentor's on the spot lesson. By no means would he perfect this art within that bell, but it was a step in the correct direction.

"Third.” She announced, a faintly pleased expression touching her features for the first time. For all the complaining she’d dealt with from her male counterpart, he was piecing things together quite nicely. His dedication to training had caused a rather significant jump in ability in quite the short time recently, and he was nearly physically ready for the undertakings required of an apprentice, everyone knew it. "Second target.” she commanded, watching her petitioner continue to work at the task before him. Elias retrieved an arrow from his quiver, running his fingers along the remaining arrows to get a quick count. His quick maneuver put the tally at three left, plus the one in his hand. The petitioner slid his feet into position, rotating his body to face towards his target as he did so. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t simultaneous movement, either. This time his feet were a little too close together, giving him a somewhat weak stance, and he didn’t get the bow up to position with any quickness. Still, it was better than before. In time it would become more natural, more fluid, and more second nature. For the time being however, it was nothing but a constant struggle.

The arrow came to rest against the bow string as Elias focused on his task. He’d missed this second target more times than he was happy to admit, but he had to grow more accustomed to acquiring his target in a more expedited manner. It’s what the training was all about after all. Even though he felt he adjusted quickly, his bow was still in motion and his aim was not true. The arrow he released was out of his control, and its course would not take it to the place he sought. His aim was high, and as such, the arrow cleared the head of the dummy, clattering harmlessly to the ground several paces past it. The girl’s next command came and he snapped towards the fourth dummy like an automaton.

The petitioner’s hand hunted for another projectile from his quiver, fighting his instincts to take his time and line up the shot. He wanted to focus on making sure he was standing in a proper way like he’d been taught and drilled and forced to do so many times before. He wanted to focus on his elbow, his shoulder, his drawing hand, his bow hand. There was a checklist to go through and too often skipping over one for the sake of expediency caused his entire mental process to collapse in on itself.

It was somewhat stunning then when he finally landed a kill shot. Elias had been training with the short bow for a very long time now, and not a single time during the likely thousands of arrows he’d fired had he actually struck a zone on the dummy that would have potentially been immediately fatal. It was more luck than it was skill, but at least there was finally some skill involved.
Last edited by Elias Caldera on June 3rd, 2015, 3:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Elias Caldera
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[Training] With All Haste

Postby Elias Caldera on June 3rd, 2015, 3:47 am

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For one perfect moment everything had lined up for the petitioner. Recreating it would prove to be difficult now, but at least he knew it could be done. His feet had shifted flawlessly as he prepared himself for the follow up shot. His base was easily the most important part of the process, hence all the early focus on its maintenance and establishment early on in his training. Without a solid foundation from which to begin, nothing else would line up and the chances of scoring a hit would decrease rapidly. Thighs and calves tightened as he simultaneously began his drawback.

Keeping his back straight was the next vital step. If he arched it back, then his shoulders were going to sag, and sagged shoulders resulted in extreme difficulties getting a good draw, affecting not only the ability to aim, but power and accuracy as well. A straight, or even slightly inward back on the other hand utilized the strong muscles of the back in creating the force needed to send the arrow forth. As he brought the bow up to level, his back remained as straight and level as he could possibly imagine it could be, and his initial draw remained compressed and tight against his body. Narrowed eyes focused on the target all while the rest of these movements were occurring.

Elias still was getting used to this aspect of archery as a practical style of combat. His knack of acquiring his target was still quite simple and instinctual. Rather than truly aiming, he just had a ‘feel’ for where the target was. It was more useful against moving targets than any other types, but it also was a way best utilized by natural archers, of which Elias was not. Still, for the short ranges they were firing at, it would suffice.

The petitioner eventually completed his drawback, inhaling as his biceps and shoulders engaged in reaction to the pull the string had. Resistant to motion, Elias didn’t figure he would have been able to use this bow when he initially started training, scrawny as he was, his arms didn’t seem to be able to get the job done, but petitioner Elias had proven a different story altogether.

The arrow touched his cheek and he adjusted his aim for what he felt was right.The projectile whizzed through the air and a split tick later, it sank into the head of the target.

Elias froze, shocked and stupefied as was the girl next to him, if only for a moment. The Caldera wouldn’t give her a chance to ruin the moment however. He slung the bow over his shoulder and turned from his fellow compatriot, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. “Well then, as it is clear I am now a master archer, it behooves me to go further my studies in other arts, lest my excellence go wasted on a single talent.

Is that right…

Keep your chin up and keep practicing, kid. Perhaps one day you’ll be as great as me!” he shouted back at her as he ran away, refusing to look back.
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Elias Caldera
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Posts: 901
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[Training] With All Haste

Postby Dravite on June 26th, 2015, 9:51 pm

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Elias Caldera

XP Award:

  • Bodybuilding: 1
  • Weapon, Short Bow: 5
  • Socialisation: 2
  • Endurance: 2
  • Mathematics: 1
  • Observation: 1


Lore:

  • Weapon training is all about consistency
  • Elias Caldera: Challenges himself
  • Socialisation: Playful banter
  • Short Bow: The further the target, the higher the aim
  • Firing arrows under pressure
  • A relentless teacher
  • Mathematics: Mastering the basics


Penalties:
Muscle strain in his arms and neck for the next two days.
Sore fingers for the next 12 bells.
- 2 x Arrows due to wear and tear or missed shots.

Loot:
N/A

Notes: Hey, Elias. Great training thread and I believe it achieved what you were aiming for. I was unable to give you NPC lore (for who I assumed was Ava), for the unnamed teacher. But I did sneak a “relentless teacher” in there for you; something Elias can always recall later now. Let me know if you think I have missed anything here and be sure to edit your grading request!

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Dravite
Ra’athi of The Watch Troha to Tavehk
 
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