Quoted By:
<span class="mu-s">Tunegan, 10th Day of Umnimun (‘Ardenrise’), 883 A.C.E. - Cathagi, The Wing of the Guard</span>
The Wing of the Guard includes a large sanded area for training, not dissimilar to the Point Plaza of Langland albeit on a much grander scale. It is divided up into more sections than you can easily count, ranging from confined areas for individual combat to larger and larger areas involving many combatants. The largest clearing is a battlefield unto itself, quite literally as on occasions a full one-third of the Dragon Guard will engage in mock battles combining the armed elements of the various cohorts. It is a field of fine sand drenched in the sweat of thousands of warriors, the winter days of Cathagi far from mild enough to prevent profuse perspiration as you training in the heat of the day.
This Drill Rota’s focus has been on unarmed and knife combat. You’ve learnt more about defending yourself in close quarters against dagger wielding opponents in your first week than you ever thought to know since obtaining knighthood. The Azir are particularly well-versed in unarmed combat, which you find to your chagrin when Chimchala acts as your sparring partner for a bout that leaves you chewing sand on more than one occasion. A field of fine sand yes, and not one matt or cushion in sight to soften a landing. Injuries are commonplace, from bruises and sprains to breaks or worse. Even in this relatively mild drill focus you’ve seen more than one unconscious body dragged limply from the field. By the end of your first day you’re beginning to envy them. At least they get the shade.
>GAIN ‘Dragon Guard’ Trait +1 Combat Re-Roll I will treat this as being gradually obtained over your repeated Drill Rota’s during your term of service
Today’s focus is on using armour to your advantage against a sudden attack with a knife. One man takes the role of a guard at attention, fully armoured but without the benefit of a weapon. The other takes the role of an attacker, unarmoured but wielding a wooden blade. They get no points for slashes, but a stab or sliding into a gap in the armour leaves them the winner.
Despite his gentle personality Chimchala was a rough first sparring partner, leaving you with more than a few bruises that you don’t doubt will last well beyond today. You were playing the role of an attacking assassin, and even with the benefit of coming at him from his blind side not once did you get so much as a nick in with your wooden dagger. As a matter of pride, you’d like to put your lack of successful assassination down to the unchivalrous nature of your assigned role rather than a clear superiority in skill with unarmed combat from the Azir. But you have to admit you’d be breaking your oath to always speak the truth if you said as much.
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