A meeting with a mage... knight(Andresciel)

by **Antar** on December 21st, 2011, 2:14 am

"Good, continue." were the only words of recognition from the white haired man at Andresciel's efforts. For a time as Andresciel blocked, Antar would continue to apply the pressure of subsequent strikes until he was satisfied that the mage knight's reactions, while unwieldy with a blade in hand, wasn't naturally abbysmal. In time, the mageknight would improve as he started to gain some experience with a weapon.

Like any tool in a fight, experience would be the best of teachers.

Shifting the gladius to his right hand, Antar slid his left hand behind his back to the two dagger sheathes of his weapon harness where his cold iron kukri knives lay ensconced in the protective leather. Pulling one out in his left hand he flourished the blade a little to draw Andresciel's eye to it. Making his movements slow and wooden like Antar, with very little force began to call the directions of his attacks as he began dualwielding his weapons in a series of strikes.

The first coordinate blow came in a double overhand swing as he brought the gladius and the kukri down in the clashing of a similar arc against the knight's shakily raised guard. The flat of the knight's blade caught both weapons in hand, and Antar merely held the weapons against Andresciel's steel moving mirroring with the mage knight's attempts to retreat until the knight put his hand on the gladius hilt to push both blade's up and to the side as he began to learn how to riposte.

With both weapons locked in his grip it was easy for Antar to increase the resistance if Andresciel did it wrong, and soon the rogue would be making a series of slow coordinated strikes, each weapon cast in the same arcing attack as he walked the mage knight through several directional variants.

He put Andresciel mercilessly through these patterns of ripsostes. From the sides: forcing Andresciel to learn to push the turn his block at an angle before pushing the attack away, or sometimes when that didn't work, to provide enough resistance to allow him to switch angles against Antar. When two simulatenous thrusts, overexagerated in their attack, brought Andresciel to twist to the side, and use the flat of the blade to force Antar's weapons slowly to the ground Antar reacted.

But not as an opponent would.

Instead he forced his own body to shift, bringing his arms down and under Andresciel's elbow to wedge and immobilze them as the three weapons locked. Following this his words would act as a guide. "If you reach an enemy's inner circle of defense, use the other methods at your disposal to limit their ability to attack. If necessary, disarm or stagger them. Wrapping your elbow around an opponents sword arm is effective to hold them for a moment, or drive your elbow back into their chin. If you are up against a single weaponed opponent, block and lock their blade with yours and try to gain control of the wrist holding the weapon, or lash out at them somehow. Now, we will try a few more of these blocks, grabs, and riposte before you then begin learning your attacks with a sword... You're footwork will be key in your defense against an agile opponent.

It's odd I know, but you have more capacity in unarmed combat for now as your strength. In time you will adjust as you get better with the sword..."

With those words, the rogue would break away sliding back a few few before calling a warning from 'up high'. Noth duplicated his first double overhand swing of the blade, starting the process at slow speeds all over again as Andresciel was forced again on the defensive. But this time, just like the last, he would start slow and then increase the speed of his attacks.

by **Andresciel** on December 21st, 2011, 8:35 pm

He sighed as he felt the man ease up only to hear his words and then the warning. He brought his blade up and around, using the flat to try and catch the sword and force it down. His sapphire eyes flashed as he backed the style with his normal use of agility in the unarmed combat. He balanced himself on his rear most foot and settled his weight, striking the blade aside even as his fingers lashed out to grab for Antar's wrist.

This was complicated to one who had learned gauntlets and unarmed, how to break bones with only a simple jab. But still, he would learn all that Antar had to teach, and apply it to his Wind Style combat with the use of Reimancy.

by **Antar** on January 2nd, 2012, 1:33 am

oocSorry this fell off the track a little, holidays were uber busy ^-^. If there's a series of combnations your pc is put through in a post, mirror the combos from andre's perspective, concentrating on technique

. You'll find weapon combat easier to write that way; and as discussed b4 in chat- feel free to use Antar as a meat puppet if you want to continue events forwards a bit more.

With me, iyou can always go back later to make additions or edits if you wish as well

Andresciel's attempts to block his multiple dual wielded slow strikes was acceptable in his form, Antar wasn't really trying to injure the knight. In fact he pulled the blows far more then they should. So when Andresciel's gladius locked with his kurki and his other hand wrapped successfully about the wrist holding the gladius, Noth could tell the man was improving.

Dual wielding wasn't his best forte, but it did serve a training purpose if one kept the blades swinging horizontally along the direct line of motion: it allowed the other person to work on their blocks more effectively. Taking extra care with the flat of their blade to align their block along with both weapons. The knight was doing passably well- his prior training and understanding of the martial elements in hand to hand were a help and hurtful to his learning. Helpful in that he already knew how to move on his feet to dodge, or evade; hurtful in the fact that instincts of hand to hand combat did not necessarily equate to the proper forms of blocks. Would Andresciel's keen mind pick up on this fact and figure out ways of perfecting this in the future? Only time would tell.

For now the rogue only muttered a single word,"Good." The white haired men kept pressure upon the blocking blade and arm locked wrist, stepping slightly to the side to reorient the knight's back towards the center of the clearing. When that was complete, antar would twist his right hand wrist within the knight's grasp to lock Andresciel's blade with his own to free his left hand up enough to whip the kukri's blade around in order to lightly tap Andresciel in the side loud enough to create a slight jingle from the armor the man wore.. It wasn't a hard strike, barely more then one would feel a finger flick, but it would prove a harsh reminder.

"Be careful when facing an opponent with two weapons, or a weapon and a shield. You will find even if you lock the wrist you may still be in danger as the situation changes. If you are close enough ; try to stall them for a time with a lashed out kick, to trip them or begin your counterattack. Now is when I will teach you what a slash, a chop, and a thrust is and the places one should aim. Relax your grip, please and I will demonstrate." With those words the knight would release his grip enough for Antar to take a few steps back.

Twisting the hilt of the kukri back into a fencer's grip, he would strike diagonally downwards with both weapons. First at a forty five degree angle, then at the thirty and sixty degree angle. "A slash is any strike on a diagonal, It is mainly used to attack weak points, or across the chest against unarmored opponents to make the maximum damage possible in a single blow. It can be used to decapitate, or truncate an opponent's legs, or to attack tendons, or weak armor points like at the armpits, elbows and knees to hamstring an opponent. You may fine it used most often after a thrust to 'draw' the blade across such an arrow to remove your opponent's ability to fight back. As far as this effects how you hold your stance, each slash may be different in how you settle your weight on each foot. Slashes are also, of the basic three types of attacks the easiest to keep distance between yourself and an opponent if you chain them together."

As he demonstrated, the rogue made sure to keep his feet steady beneath him, keeping two thirds of his weight on the back and then pushed slightly off his front leg, hopping himself slightly backwards during a series of cuts that wasn't as fluid as a dance, but definitely held its own sense of poise. Footwork in swordplay, was just as essential as it was in hand to hand combat. If Andresciel observed and considered enough, he might begin to incorporate things he saw into his own style. Hard for a beginner to make graceful, but a solid foundation to begin with if he practiced.

by **Andresciel** on January 9th, 2012, 3:24 pm

The Knight Mage nodded as he watched the Rogue perform, allowing the man his room as he stepped back. He tilts his head to one side, remembering the basics of fighting, even unarmed, was to keep in tune with his weapon. It was just another part of his body and as he watched Antar, he began to realize this. His sapphire eyes tracked the males graceful movements, a trick he would have been able to do in unarmed combat.

OOC :

by **Antar** on January 10th, 2012, 12:33 pm

Sighing loudly, Antar stepped back a little to motion towards Andresciel. "Alright. I want to see five good thrusts, chops , and slashes each before we move on to a bit of fun combining things a little. You seem to have the basics down if you think about it and were a quick learner."

Whilst waiting for Andresciel to demonstrate his budding knowledge of the sword, Antar would move off a pace to practice his own attempts at dualwielding a kukri and a gladius together. Moving them about in careful arcs and slices, bringing them together overhead in a what would suffice for a two-weaponed block, followed by a clean cross slash of the blades as a counterattack against an imaginary foe.

When Andresciel finished his last bits of sword practice, Antar would soon sheathe his kukri and keep only his kukri in hand as they squared off again. "Since you said you tend to use this grove for reimancy practice, I'll give you an option to set any further ground rules. Do you want simply to go at each other hand to hand without any swords, or perchance to practice a little at a distance? I'm sure I could begin to throw some blunted earth spears and pebbles at you to help test your defenses. Or we could try whatever else you decide. So what will it be?"

by **Andresciel** on January 14th, 2012, 5:28 pm

Andresciels hands travel through the three sets of movements that Antar wanted, starting with a simple chop, and ending with a vertical slash, that caused him to grunt. The sword was not his preferred weapon, and a certain air-head could sense it as it drifted into the area. "Oh boy. And I thought I was the only one dumb enough to try and give him sharp objects." Velenor would quip, before a blue butterfly passed by him, causing the little smoke ball to turn and wobble after it. "Pretty Butterfly."

Andre, for his part, did not snap at his partner, his familiar as he turned towards Antar "Reimancy is allowed. Just do not destroy the grove. I'd prefer to use my gauntlets." He stated as he nods, "But that is my way of things, I can use minor fire, or a bit of lightning to add things in." He suggested.

by **Antar** on January 14th, 2012, 6:00 pm

"Alright." Antar nodded once and stopped in order to keep an eye on the blithering gas ball that just came into the glade. After blinking a few times in astonishment, the rogue would warily take back his gladius from Andresciel after the man was done his practice swings. Glancing towards the whisp of smog; Antar would ask aloud, "Okay, what in the world is that talking pile of dust?" He'd remain silent for a few moments before cocking his head to the side to conclude his spoken question, "And is it going to be practicing with us today? I'd be happy to hurl a few rocks at it if needs to learn to dodge; though with a bit of a cloud like that I'm unsure it would need to..."

Crossing both arms over his chest Antar would look at the familiar inquisitively as he pondered just what the lazy, distracted little creature actually was. The talking cloud wasn't anything he had come across before; nor was it anything he could think of being associated as a 'monster' in the usual sense of the word. So his curiousity was piqued and he hoped Andresciel might provide a bit of explanation.

Of course, while he was waiting for that, Noth would sheathe all his weapons and begin to call up a small ball of djed behind his back outside of Andresciel's view.

by **Andresciel** on January 14th, 2012, 6:14 pm

"That dust ball is my familiar, Velenor." He stated as he watched the creature, sighing "And yes. It will be my partner for the day, I need to bond better with my lazy little friend. And no, rocks won't really help." Andresciel tossed the sword up into the air towards Antar, making sure the hilt would go towards him first, even as he began to summon the light blue res from his body, calling to his Reimancy. He turned it into liquid heat, before it burst into a fireball on his hand. "En Garde Antar." The Mage Knight stated, slinging the small Fire Bolt towards the rogue.

by **Antar** on January 14th, 2012, 6:24 pm

"Interesting, So what is a familiar anyway? Where does it come from?" At the fireballs throw in his direction, Antar pushed off with one foot to the side, seeking to remove himself from its path as he began to do two things with the small ball of res behind his back. First, he would add more Res to it, stirred by his djed, to weep out of the pores of his arms and sweep out from beneath his gauntlets as it grew. Pulling the growing ball into two, his mind called upon the two spheres each to hover over a single palm.

The sphere of transluscent Res over his right hand began to grow further in size, mimicking the appearance of a large fist the size of a watermelon, though without the mass as only the outer layer was transformed. With an exagerated gesture he would swing it towards Andresciel, whipping it about in the air like a flexing hand.

It was the distraction.

The real attack would come from the sphere in his left hand as he split it further into two small stones, launching one towards Andresciel's gut, and the other towards the center of the strange cloud.

by **Andresciel** on January 14th, 2012, 6:27 pm

Andre's eyes never faltered, he saw the distraction, even as he heard Velenor in his head. Watch the foe you don't see. Andre nods, and whips up the winds in front of him, watching the two added stones turn to dust and brush against his armor. The distraction however, came at him still, even as he kicked off his left foot and spun to the side. His hand snapped out, causing the fire to extinguish. "They are bonded to us. But they are creatures of another world. Why do you ask?"