Solo Swords and Souls

A Sunberth mage decides to experiment with a longsword.

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Swords and Souls

Postby Kynier on September 3rd, 2018, 5:28 pm

11th of Fall, 518 A.V.


Living at the Midnight Gem had provided several comforts Kynier didn’t think he would ever come to have as part of his daily life. Since the expansion had been completed even more space was available to him. The master suite, his own study, the training rooms, and the Shadow Altar. While he shared it with all the residents of the Midnight Gem they were places that he could call his own. And it felt like a lot. For some reason that bothered him. So when he returned home from completing his tasks for Doler, Kynier decided he was going to go through his things and get rid of whatever he didn’t need.

From having so many “disagreements” with Daggerhands over the last season, Kynier had picked up several items that he had no interest in using. So he went to the large chest which rested at the foot of the bed and unfastened the lock. When it clicked the mage paused. This chest was the only thing, besides the jewelry vault downstairs, that locked in the Midnight Gem. The items were valuable more on a sentimental level. And since he no longer lived in the Sunset Quarters, did he really need a lock on the chest? Perhaps not.

Sorting through the contents of the chest he discovered things that he had forgotten about. The tobacco, and multiple daggers that he didn’t need where things he set aside to pawn off at the Fence next time he was in the area. There was also the instrument, the oboe, which he had never played. For a long moment the mage looked at it. Music from some of his oldest memories played in his mind and his throat hummed softly to mimic. That he would keep. Kelski thought that he should learn to play it at some time. And maybe he should.

Then there was the longsword. It wasn’t anything special except for the Sun’s Birth eight point starburst engraved on the pommel. It would be expensive, but Kynier could attempt to get some clothing suitable for passing as a Sun’s Birth Dragoon. With the sword, that could be enough to fool anyone that didn’t require seeing the brand for proof. Although, that would make him more of a target depending on where he went. Grasping it by the handle he removed it from the trunk. Kich had once said the longsword was good for hunting people but could be cumbersome. It was heavier than the short swords to be certain. But they were made out of a special, lighter material.

Kynier stood up and considered it for moment. He should attempt to learn how to wield the sword properly. While it was a city of daggers, not everyone kept with the smaller blades. It was unlikely that he would never need to use a proper sword. Life was unpredictable like that. Setting the sword down on the bed, the mage set the items to sell in the regular pack and closed up the chest without locking it. Then he went downstairs to the training room with the sword. Unsheathing it was an awkward motion. The tip got stuck on the scabbard and it nearly fell from his grip.

“First things first. Learn to draw it efficiently.” Kynier set the blade back in the scabbard and stood in one of the open spaces of the training room. Grasping the hilt again, he drew the blade out away from him as far as his arm could reach. It wasn’t enough to clear the scabbard and he held that position. There was probably another three inches left before it was clear. Drawing it straight forward the way he did with the daggers and short swords just wouldn’t be possible. He slid the whole thing back into place. So how would he draw it?


Credit for the boxcode goes to Luminescence!
Last edited by Kynier on September 17th, 2018, 3:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Kynier
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Swords and Souls

Postby Kynier on September 3rd, 2018, 5:29 pm


The slightly curved blade was longer than his arm, so drawing it straight out wouldn’t work. Kynier gripped the hilt again and grasped the scabbard a couple of inches below the mouth. With his off-hand he angled the scabbard and drew the blade from left to right. The flat of the sword ran close to his body as the metal scrapped against the container. When his arm was almost at full extension the sword came free. Kynier held that position with the sword tip floating just outside the scabbard mouth. Skepticism. That’s all he felt about this approach.

His body position wasn’t even close to anything that would work for either offense or defense. Drawing in this way seemed to leave him completely exposed. That it would only work if he were the aggressor and only if he didn’t plan on trying to cut down his enemy by surprise. So carefully, trying to not stab the hand holding the scabbard, he ran the blade back home. How else had he seen men draw the weapon? Did the way they carry it have an effect? Strapped to the belt was the most common thing he had seen. There were also those that had it slung over their back. Or were those shorter swords? They weren’t actual short swords. Kynier sucked on his teeth in thought.

Perhaps there was a harness that kept the sword firmly attached to the belt, but also allowed it to hang a little lower. If he could get one of those then he could potentially draw the blade forward. Kynier must have been standing there with a contemplative expression for longer than he thought. Shadows approached from the corners of the room. Several of the ones that had followed him to the Midnight Gem.

“Trouble Nightstalker?” they whispered in their language.

“There doesn’t seem to be an efficient way of drawing the sword without completely exposing myself.” The shadows seemed to giggle at him. Their laughter always left a strange echo that made the hairs on his arms stand on end. Disembodied laughter would probably always unnerve him.

“Longer weapons… longer movements. Stand relaxed,” one of them said. Kynier did so. Standing as he would if he were about to start walking, his posture relaxed though there was a little tension in his shoulders from anticipating a set of instructions. “Grip the weapon, and step forward with your right foot.” His hand grasped the hilt and his foot moved forward three fourths of a step. “Lean into the step,” the shadow said critically. Kynier tilted his upper body so his shoulder were more over his forward foot than his hips. “Draw.”

Kynier pulled the sword out and it cleared the scabbard well within comfort. With a flick of his wrist the blade pivoted around and the tip faced an imaginary opponent before him. Murmurs of approval came from the darkness around him. Kynier analyzed his stance without moving. The way his feet were already set to move in any direction was comforting. Nothing felt like an overreach. Without shifting his weight he brought the tip back to the mouth of the scabbard and slid it home.


Credit for the boxcode goes to Luminescence!
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Swords and Souls

Postby Kynier on September 3rd, 2018, 5:29 pm



Again. And again. He would step forward and draw the longsword. The note of metal scrapping against the scabbard would ring in the air only to be followed by the dull click of the blade returning. Silently the shadows watched him practice, sometimes swirling around him. Their movements were outside his notice as Kynier worked on developing the muscle memory. The burn of exhaustion ignited in his shoulder for exercising the same motion so repetitively. After twenty chimes of stepping forward, clearing the blade, then holding the tip out before him in a guard the mage finally stopped for a break.

Only a few beads of sweat were forming on his brow. Kynier paced around for several moments considering what the next thing to work on would be. Unlike the smaller weapons he was more used to, drawing this one with his left hand just didn’t seem feasible. Probably getting accustomed to swinging the weapon and the weight of it would be next. That would entail more exertion and he was already getting a bit hungry. It was still a long time before dinner, so just a little refreshment would be best. “I’ll be back in chime,” he told the shadows as he set the Sun’s Birth blade on the ground next to an attack dummy.

Climbing the stairs all the way to the Great Room, he grabbed a waterskin. From there he went out the door to the balcony and descended the stairs around the structure and made is way to the deck in the back. Going through the workshop would’ve been quicker, but his presence would distract Kelski from her work, even momentarily. Kynier tried to only do that only when it was necessary. At the deck he worked the water pump and filled the waterskin. How cool the water was could be felt through the material. Kynier took a draught from it and enjoyed the cold fluid running over his tongue. He refilled it again before taking the long way back to the training room.

Once reaching the bottom of the stairs he noticed that there were more shadows present than before. Kynier shook his head in mild amusement. Somehow, many of his practice sessions, regardless of what they were, brought the attention of Akajia’s children. Zavath was not among them. Kynier wondered what the oldest shadow did when not around the Nightstalkers. The image of the being taking refuge in Kelski’s shade came to mind. She had that natural draw of the children of night.

Kynier set down the water skin on the last step. He should really get something for placing possessions while training. A small table or even a shelf would do. When he turned to retrieve the sword he stopped. An idea formed in his mind. A question or a practical nature. Kynier closed his eyes and retreated inward into himself. Through the depths of his own mind and body he reached for his djed pool. It was still refilling itself from the endeavors of the expansion, but there was a bountiful amount still to be used. Only a trace of it was necessary. With that fragment of his power the mage infused his right hand and forearm with djed just below the surface of the skin. Slowly he disconnected a piece of his astral body from his physical one to avoid damaging either needlessly.

Extending the limb that couldn’t be seen Kynier reached out and grasped the hilt of the sword. He tried to pull the blade towards him, but felt that it was very heavy. The sword itself wobbled on the ground and shifted less than an inch in his direction. Kynier tried to give it another pull but the result was the same. His astral body just wasn’t strong enough yet. A disappointed sigh escaped his nostrils and he released the sword and brought the incorporeal limb back to him.


Credit for the boxcode goes to Luminescence!
Kynier
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Swords and Souls

Postby Kynier on September 3rd, 2018, 5:30 pm


Projections greatest danger was to one’s self. Unlike Reimancy or Voiding, every usage guaranteed risk to the caster. It was the manipulation of the soul after all. So when his Projected arm came back to his body he was very careful in its placement. Disconnecting was dangerous yet in the mage’s opinion, reconnection was when self-harm was more likely to occur. The length of his incorporeal limb shrank down to match his physical form. Starting at the elbow he began realignment for the two to mesh back together. Centimeter by centimeter his arm was set back into place. After a couple of chimes the last of his finger had been returned to their flesh. It wasn’t completely uncomfortable, but it wasn’t painful either.

As he clenched and unclenched his right hand Kynier went over to the practice dummy. He bent down and removed the longsword from the scabbard and left the container on the ground by the wall. Positioning himself in front of the practice dummy, Kynier raised the sword above his head and cut down. The sword descended and the blade dug into the target. With a violent hank it was removed with a few wood fibers falling to the ground. Then he made a lateral swing from the hip and the blade again got stuck. Kynier had to take a step backward and pull with his weight to free it again. “This doesn’t feel right,” he said between breaths.

The shadows came to his side. “Because it’s not… Nightstalkers are graceful… move with grace… not with brutality…” One softy whispered to him. A second shadow circled at his side, one with a more feminine voice. “Use the last of the swords edge to cut. Not the center.” Kynier arched an eyebrow and raised the sword parallel with his arm. The blade was connecting at the center where it was slightly thicker. Kynier took a parital step backwards until the last six inches of the blade were all that could reach the practice dummy. “You have more length,” the feminine shadow said, “use it to your advantage.”

Shifting his left foot behind him so that he had his right side facing the target, Kynier brought the sword down diagonally. The tip ran across the target’s center and came clean off on the other side. A shallow scratch had been left behind, one no one would notice among all the other scratches that had been made on it. Bringing the hilt to his hip, Kynier took a step forward to lunge and thrust. The tip bit into the wood and the dummy tilted backwards in response to Kynier’s weight driving the sword forward. When the weight pushed back Kynier felt all of it trying to push against the brace of his arm, hips, and feet. Kynier smiled at an old lesson that Kich had given was transferable to the longsword.

With his bones in alignment the attack could puncture a man’s sternum. Perhaps even armor if it was only made of leather and cloth. Kynier stepped back and brought the hilt back to so his elbow was tucked in at his side. The mage lunged again to stab with a thrust.


Credit for the boxcode goes to Luminescence!
Kynier
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Swords and Souls

Postby Kynier on September 3rd, 2018, 5:31 pm


Lunging and thrusting was not as tiring to his body as drawing the weapon. The strength of a single muscle wasn’t being taxed by the effort, but his entire body was working as one. Kynier paused on that realization. Was that something that carried over to every weapon? It had to have. Swinging a weapon like a brute would only be effective for an athlete or seasoned warrior. Kynier didn’t have the excessive muscles to rely on overpowering his opponents. The only time that had worked was when he fought against adolescents. Unless he sought it out, or even asked the prize fighter Kreig, the mage’s body would retain it more agile structure.

Being stronger had an appeal though. Kynier wasn’t willing to sacrifice agility to get it. Like many things in life there was likely a middle ground. It didn’t have to be one thing or the other. Kyneir’s time at the Midnight Gem had shown him that. Yet in fighting it seemed more like that. Black and white. Live or die. Kynier turned to the shadows that were around him that had already given him advice. “How can I use such a long weapon gracefully? And not rely on brute strength to win?”

They circled around him, chittering to themselves. “You’ve already found the foundation to your answer,” the feminine shadow answered. “Expand on it Nightstalker.” Kynier thought it over. Imagining himself in his mind holding the weapon and moving with it. The motions were similar to how Aer’wyn had moved with his bastard sword. But he was an akalak warrior with power most human’s couldn’t hope to match. The motions Aer’wyn used were restricted to the arms. So then… he needed to use his body more. Kynier had felt that with the lunge and thrust. So how could he feel that again with cuts?

Kynier changed his feet to stand square with the target dummy. Thinking through the potential technique. After a moment of imagining it he moved. Kynier stepped at a diagonal with his left foot. Both hands gripped the sword as his body twisted to slash at an upward angle. The blade tip moved quickly and bit into his target hard enough to make it rattle on its stand. When the motion was done, he was more or less parallel with the target. Pivoting on his forward foot, the back foot spun around behind him and his hands brought the sword down with the motion of facing the dummy again. The last few inches of the blade formed a deep gnash in the wood.

That was it. If his feet and hands moved simultaneously, he could generate more power with less effort. Movement. A man with cumbersome armor may just stand there and square off against an enemy. But Kynier wasn’t like that. He was a Nighstalker and needed to move like a shadow. Shadows were uncatchable and all encompassing. Kynier turned to the shadow with the feminine voice. “This is transferable to the short sword isn’t it?”

“In a way. Everything is different and those differences are what must be learned.” Kynier could understand that. Short swords were exactly that. Short swords. More careful planning was required to use any sword techniques with the smaller blades.

“What is your name?” he asked.

“Qelta.”

“Would you tell me more of it Qelta?”

“Yes I would. So long as you tell me how you use it to survive.”


Credit for the boxcode goes to Luminescence!
Kynier
Player
 
Posts: 851
Words: 1156083
Joined roleplay: May 13th, 2018, 3:14 am
Location: Sunberth
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Swords and Souls

Postby Kynier on September 3rd, 2018, 5:48 pm

Grades!


Skill Rewards
  • Deduction +2
  • Cleaning +1
  • Organization +1
  • Projection +2
  • Weapon: Longsword +5

Lores Learned
  • Longsword: Drawing the blade straight out doesn’t work
  • Longsword: Drawing the blade to the side leaves you exposed
  • Longsword: Drawing the blade with a forward step
  • Longsword: Use the length of the blade
  • Longsword: Lunge and thrust
  • Longsword: Using hand and foot movements together produces strength
  • Qelta: Feminine voiced shadow at the Midnight Gem
  • Qelta: Would tell Kynier more about wielding weapons with grace
  • Projection: Novice Projectionists can’t lift a weapon
  • Projection: Every use guarantees risk to the caster
  • Self: Not willing to sacrifice agility for strength
Kynier
Player
 
Posts: 851
Words: 1156083
Joined roleplay: May 13th, 2018, 3:14 am
Location: Sunberth
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Journal
Plotnotes
Medals: 7
Featured Contributor (1) Featured Thread (1)
Overlored (1) One Million Words! (1)
Sunberth Seasonal Challenge (1) 2018 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)
2018 Top NaNo Word Count (1)


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