Latest revision as of 18:57, 8 June 2010

AlecAustin's Fighting Schools

By AlecAustin

Over the course of the First and Second Ages, countless schools of martial technique have risen and fallen. Even now, in the twilight of the Second Age, scores of differing opinions remain as to what true mastery of the kiling arts means. From the Five Great Schools of the Realm to solitary masters who shun disciples, all proclaim the superiority of their style to others, and many seek to prove their claims by defeating the champions of rival schools.

In the absence of a book on schools of combat (at least for the foreseeable future), this page is my attempt to help fill the gap. Note that most schools are not tied to a single ability; as fighting schools, they consider and often recommend the use and mastery of several different fighting techniques to achieve victory.

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The Five Great Schools

The Five Great Schools of the Realm vary greatly in their character and origins. While they have all become institutionalized over the years, the Immaculate Order still acknowledges some of them only grudgingly. The Bloody Branch School is viewed with a particularly jaundiced eye, though the Inferno School is not much above it in the eyes of many more devout Dynasts and monks. Still, even the most secular schools thrive, partly out of inertia, and partly because their students are very good at what they do.

The Five Great Schools of the Realm are:

• The Mela's Breath School, whose devout emphasis on perfection has earned it the favor of the Immaculate Order.
• The Avalanche School, which teaches its students to endure adversity and crush their foes with brute strength.
• The Inferno School, whose aggressively-minded students are taught that stillness in battle is death.
• The Yielding Stream School, whose students learn to flow out of the way of danger and turn their enemy's strength against them.
• And the Bloody Branch School, which emphasizes the arts of ambush, treachery, and unexpected violence.

The Realm contains many other fighting schools, but the Five Great Schools have endured for several centuries now, and show no signs of being eclipsed by their less renowned rivals.

Schools of the Threshold

There are, of course, many fighting schools in the Threshold, but once I get some time on my hands, I'll try to detail a few interesting ones. For the moment I'm probably going to stick with the Realm, though.