Solo A Test of Capabilities

Ser Ramsey puts Poppy's capabilities to the test.

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This shining population center is considered the jewel of The Sylira Region. Home of the vast majority of Mizahar's population, Syliras is nestled in a quiet, sprawling valley on the shores of the Suvan Sea. [Lore]

A Test of Capabilities

Postby Poppy Blackburn on March 30th, 2016, 3:23 pm

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3rd of Spring, 516 AV

Today was her first training exercise here at the training grounds by her patron, Ser Ramsey Druval, and Poppy hopped to not disappoint. He had informed her that this little exercise they would undergo today would be a good indicator of what her capabilities were and how good she was with the blade. She had a basic understanding of the longsword and wasn’t totally clumsy with the weapon, but she still had tons of training yet to be done to be considered skilled. Poppy didn’t exactly had a good night sleep the night before for the lass had not quite gotten over the fact and novelty of being a squire just yet, and sleep had been difficult to come, as excitement had kept it at bay. The ‘new’ smell was still very much there.

However, being not well-rested would play a decent contribution into her reflexes and judgement whether she would like it or not. A bell and a half into the training, and focus was already seeming to be slipping away from her. A combination of the lack of sleep, and the continued relentless assault by the Sergeant Knight had seen her try her best at containing his attacks.

Despite using wooden blades, the training weapons still packed quite a punch, and as Poppy missed an oncoming swing, the pommel of Ser Druval’s blade found and made contact with jaw, sending her head reeling over as a rainbow of stars clouded her vision. Ow, Ow, Ow.

She rubbed her eyes before, attempting to clear her vision of said stars, before those same fingers flew to rub the sore spot where she’d been just struck. She was now certain that bruises would plentiful by the end of this training session.“Pay attention girl, don’t be dreaming now. Focus. Keep your head on.”Focus, yeah, you don't think I'm trying? However, regaining her focus and attention was proving to be difficult so far.Nevertheless, Poppy wasn’t the type to quit at the first sign of failure, so she soldiered on. Gripping her wooden blade firmly in her hands, she raised the steel heater shield she carried in her other hand, mirroring the knight’s stance.

“Start with a strike at the top, then follow it with a low one. Next would be the shoulder, then the legs. The success and speed of your strikes would soon see your opponent destablised, where they would soon crash to the ground.”

As if to illustrate the point, Ser Ramsey swung firmly and great speed, one that told of plentiful experience. The first strike came to her right shoulder, as Poppy scrambled to protect herself, raising her arm and blade, but that attack had come and gone, and now his blade sought after her lower torso, and once again, she was too slow to defend. Ow.

Still throbbing at the shoulder, the second strike at her stomach almost sent her doubling up, but the lass didn’t even had the chance for that as the knight’s blade flew towards her shins with blazing speed.

With her body aching in several places at once, her legs felt like jelly and they promptly crumpled, sending her falling butt first into the ground. Ow. Wonderful, now her rear ached as well. As if she didn’t have enough aches as it is.

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Last edited by Poppy Blackburn on April 6th, 2016, 11:22 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Poppy Blackburn
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
 
Posts: 65
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Joined roleplay: March 19th, 2016, 7:14 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human, Mixed
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A Test of Capabilities

Postby Poppy Blackburn on April 1st, 2016, 8:43 am

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Her butt was now sore, joining the various other places around her body that was equally bruised from being beaten. Poppy wasn’t giving up though, she was no quitter. “On your feet, now.” Ser Ramsey ordered. Using the wooden blade as a crutch, she attempted to get back up, but her patron’s own blade came swinging towards her blade, sending it flying out of her grasp, a short distance away, as she collapsed once more, having rested her entire body weight on the blade in an effort to get up. “Don’t do that to your sword,that'll damage it. Get up on your own.” Placing her palms on the ground, Poppy pushed herself up to her knees before reaching over to grab her training blade before standing back upright.

“It’s your turn now. Attack just like I have shown you.” Finally, a way to vent her frustrations. It’s time for some payback of her own! Raising her blade and hiding her face partially behind her shield, she struck, bring the blade in a swift slash, aiming for the knight’s left shoulder, but the attack was met with the surface of his shield, the sound of the wood hitting the metal shield sounding in the air. Undeterred, Poppy then made a move towards the second key area of the technique shown, the legs.

Still too slow, she found his blade waiting for hers as she came for his legs, the crack of the wooden blades clashing together. “Too slow, too slow!” He roared, raising his volume as if to both taunt and mock her of her ineptitude. That wasn't all however, as Ser Druval followed up with a whipping slap of his blade at her forearm before smacking her sides with the flat of his sword. Her body tingled and throbbed with pain, as Poppy realised that she always had to be on guard, and the moment she let down her guard, a blow would quickly make her regret the error. “You need to be faster, you move as though you are drunk. In a real battle, speed and timing is key for survival. As is being alert.”

As if to illustrate the point about being alert, the wooden blade flashed towards her lower torso, but this time, she was alert and focused and thus managed to catch his blade with hers, her sword arm ringing from the vibrations of the clashed weapons.

Yes! The first success of the day. More would come soon, I hope. “Good, good.” The senior knight droned. “You were paying attention.” Ser Ramsey uttered, a thin smile crept onto his face before it promptly vanished, the stern look returning once more. “Keeping a good and stable stance in combat is vital. Once you lose your footing, you are as good as dead. You don’t necessarily have to follow my stance, if you are able to find or create one of your own that you are comfortable with that still keeps you stable and grounded, then all the better.”

Make sure to stay on my feet at all times, or the battle is lost and so is my life. Got it. Seeing how exhausted she was, the kind and nurturing side of her patron took over as he gave her a fifteen chime rest break, something she dearly needed. Lowering her weary body down on the floor before her legs gave way, the poor squire took a much deserved break on the hard sand baked ground.

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Poppy Blackburn
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
 
Posts: 65
Words: 70192
Joined roleplay: March 19th, 2016, 7:14 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human, Mixed
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A Test of Capabilities

Postby Poppy Blackburn on April 12th, 2016, 7:42 am

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The fifteen chimes went over quicker than it should have, and Poppy felt she had barely rested at all. She was no less tired than she was before the break, and every bit as unfocused as she had been. Although Ser Druval had said that this exercise was to mainly to test and have a show of her capabilities, she was beginning to suspect that it was no longer that simple, and while they may have initially been the place, it was beginning to feel more like a training than a test. He had seen that her abilities were subpar and wanted to build up both her stamina and her endurance while working on her skill in blade and footwork. Placing the bottom of her palms on the grassy ground and pushed herself up, hissing through gritted teeth as she did so. The lack of sleep was starting to rear its ugly head, and Poppy silently cursed herself for not forcing herself to sleep the night before. While her body groaned at the thought of being pushed to an upright position, both her heart and her mind knew that this was for her own good, as all training were.

“On your feet, girl. It’s time we begin once more.” Ser Ramsey barked. He then swerved and made a thrust towards her legs, and the lass lowered her wooden blade in an attempt to parry the strike, but her weapon found nothing but the air, as the knight swiftly redirected his blade onto the lower left portion of her shoulder. The strike stung, as her body recoiled from the blow. The move to her legs had been a feint, and she had fallen for it. Her patron was quick to comment. “It is especially vital in combat to use more than just force. A healthy balance of both the mind and the body is required to achieve dominance over one’s opponent in any fight, and using just one of those will result in a struggle for victory and even defeat. Do remember to take note of this.” Poppy was amazed at how quickly the Sergeant Knight could change his tone and way of speaking. One moment, he could be yelling and barking orders at you, the next he could be speaking and encouraging in a gentle and nurturing manner.

“Try your best to conceal your feelings, as emotions can sometimes be used by skilled opponents turning it into a weakness that they can exploit. You may be suffering, but still never afford more than a smile. Let them keep guessing.” His words were spoken in a manner like that of a nurturing teacher, but she knew that that could change at any moment as he saw fit. More strikes and attacks were exchanged between the two, and Poppy had now several more injuries to add to her collection. Half a bell later, she was told to stop and return the training weapons back to the racks.

The squire was then ordered to remain here, while he walked off into the distance. Fifteen chimes later, the knight returned, carrying over his back a sack filled with something. The lass was trying to gauge the sack contents but way he was carrying was really deceiving, as though it was much lighter than it actually is. It definitely had a heavy look about it. Reaching her, her patron then promptly dumped the sack onto the ground, the heavy thud that accompanied it clearly showed that it was indeed filled with something heavy. Ser Ramsey glanced at her, and gave her a mischievous smirk.
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Poppy Blackburn
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
 
Posts: 65
Words: 70192
Joined roleplay: March 19th, 2016, 7:14 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human, Mixed
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A Test of Capabilities

Postby Poppy Blackburn on April 13th, 2016, 8:11 am

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Poppy stared at the sack on the ground, wondering what was in store for her. Her patron made that known immediately as he barked. “Grab the this sack here, carry it.” Lowering herself down to a squat, she reached forward to lift the sack onto her arms. She had no idea what was inside the sack, but it was definitely filled with something hard and heavy. Her best guess would be that the knight had the sack filled with rocks. Far heavier than she had expected, the lass grunted and wheezed as she struggled to maintain balance as she got back to a standing position.

Seeing that his squire had the rock-filled sack carried in her arms, Ser Ramsey continued, gesturing to the perimeter of the training grounds. “I want you to give me four laps of jogging around the perimeter of the ground. You may choose to carry the sack in your arms or sling it upon your shoulder, so long as the sack doesn’t go any lower than your chest level.” Poppy swallowed a gulp of saliva as she took in what she was just told. “Go on now! What’re you waiting for girl?”

Moving forwards, she started off in a slow jog before increasing her speed slowly into a faster jog, her arms straining to bear the heavy burden of the sack. Running was easy, and she would have done it without difficulty, but jogging along with the sack in her arms was on a whole different level. As her arms began to feel sore, Poppy switched the position of the sack, slinging it atop her shoulder and continued her laps. Perspiration flowed down her head and body readily and without restrain.

If she wasn’t exhausted before, she was now. With the last and final lap in sight, the lass switched positions once more, transferring the sack back to her arms, as she powered through the remaining distance of the jog back to her patron. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and her heart was beating so fast, she thought it’ll escape the confines of her chest. “Very good girl, you may drop the sack.”

No sooner than the last of his words left his mouth, the sack tumbled to ground with a crash, relieving Poppy of her burden. Placing her hands on her thighs, the lass struggled to regain her breaths. “You may be wondering why I had asked you to do this? It is a great way to kill two birds with one stone, strengthening your legs and stamina as well as your arms and endurance all at the same time. It’s also a simple enough exercise that you can practice on your own whenever you are free.”

Poppy wasn’t in the right mind to speak for the future, but right now, she was simply too tired to think about anything called exercise and practice. Despite that however, Ser Druval wasn’t exactly done with her just yet. “Come on! We're not done yet! Go pick up a bow and quiver from the weapons rack over there. It's time for some archery." The young brunette couldn't help but let out an audible groan.
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Poppy Blackburn
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
 
Posts: 65
Words: 70192
Joined roleplay: March 19th, 2016, 7:14 am
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Race: Human, Mixed
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A Test of Capabilities

Postby Poppy Blackburn on April 15th, 2016, 2:52 am

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Archery practice. Or test. Poppy wasn’t sure what was what anymore. She was tired, exhausted and no longer cared which it was, it didn’t really matter anyway, as the both of them was starting to blend together in her mind right now, and both involved her exerting herself anyhow. Picking up a recurve bow from the rack and a quiver of arrows to train with, the knight and squire pair walked over to the archery section of the training grounds. In front of her stood four straw scarecrow looking figures. They were dressed in a wooden bucket helmet and similarly crude looking wooden breastplate. One of them had a wooden shield nailed to its arm. These were their training targets for the squires to practice their archery on, and as crude as they have looked, it was definitely better and offered a certain realism when compared to shooting at the generic circular targets that was not that better when it came to practical purposes.

Ser Ramsey spoke up. “Alright, listen up. Now I want you to empty the quiver,and fill these dummies over here with yer arrows. Every single one of them. Divide your shots equally. Aim for key and vital areas. Hit that one right in the centre of its shield, where the cross is. Let’s see how bad you are, shall we?” Poppy sighed. She knew she was bad, but did he really have to say it like that? The knight didn’t care. Taking an arrow from the quiver on her back, the lass raised her bow and nocked the arrow against the grip. Pulling the bowstring back, she took a chime to aim. Satisfied with her target, she released the arrow, letting it raced towards the front of the wooden helmet, her intended target. The arrow struck home, and Ser Druval gave out a grunt in response. She assumed that meant something along the lines of Good shot.

Her second shot went off target, ricocheting off the side of the second dummy’s shoulder, chipping it slightly. The knight barked. “Correct your position, your arms, your legs, your aim.” Poppy remained silent, focusing on her next shot. Her legs had began to ache, but not more than her arms, who had began to shake involuntarily, throwing her aim off course. The lass shut her eyes and drew in whatever strength she had left in her for the completion of the rest of the shots. You can do this Poppy. You can. Just finish this last bit. Correcting her foot to ensure that it was facing the right way in the right stance, she drew another arrow and lined up the shoot, nocking the arrow onto the bow. Taking just enough time to aim, she loosed, this time aiming for the centre of the chest, where the heart would be in a normal human being.

The arrow struck and stuck this time, and she gave off a sigh of relief. As the shots progressed on, her arms began to tire to the point where her arms would shake readily. Taking a short break of ten chimes to calm both her nerves and relax her arms, Poppy felt ready to resume the rest of her shooting. A bell and an overwhelmingly number of failures later, she had finally exhausted all the arrows in her quiver.

Her final score? A pathetic four out of twenty arrows. Needless to say, most of the arrows had failed to meet their mark, either lying on the grass or embedded in the surrounding areas near the dummies. “Not as bad as I thought. I was expecting a two out of twenty.” Lifting his hands up in the air, he continued. “Well, now that I have seen what I want of you, we can call it a day. Go rest up, more training will come soon enough.” The brunette sighed, but it it was a happy and relieved sigh. She finally got to rest, petch whatever came next. She’ll worry about it when it comes.
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Poppy Blackburn
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
 
Posts: 65
Words: 70192
Joined roleplay: March 19th, 2016, 7:14 am
Location: Syliras
Race: Human, Mixed
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A Test of Capabilities

Postby Izuyanai on September 3rd, 2016, 1:55 pm

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