GojiBean
Your resident irradiated Kaiju King
Welcome all!
This page is all about combat! Yay!
Who doesn't love combat?!
Well, uh... I mean... Ahem... Okay, so some people don't like fighting.
Anyway, for those that do like combat, this page is for you!
In this RP world, learning to fight comes in two different forms: instinctive combat, and refined combat.
Instinctive Combat - This is all about learning to fight by actually fighting. And this is the way to learn combat in the nation of Shaharan. Clans will teach their youth how to fight by making them fight each other with no instruction or advice given. Just get in the ring, brawl it out, and the first one to hit the ground or surrender is the loser.
There are no taught behaviors. You aren't taught how to use footwork. You aren't taught numerous different strikes. You aren't taught numerous different blocks. You aren't taught how to use weapons. You aren't taught anything. Just get in the ring and figure it out.
Instinctive Combat is, by its very nature, unrefined and very much about people who learn to fight simply by brawling it out with other people. Wild haymakers, sloppy but still somehow effective footwork, and strange, unorthodox methods of striking or distracting mid-fight are very common depending on what the individual has experienced. And depending on how frequently you do this, you can become a either a sloppy brawler or a great natural fighter and warrior.
Even outside of Shaharan this method is far more common to see because of the fact that it doesn't cost anything. You get into a fight, and you learn not to let yourself get punched in the face the hard way. You learn to run from a knife rather than stay and fight and get stabbed and slashed everywhere. Etc.
Refined Combat - Martial arts. Refined combat is martial arts.
Martial arts in this RP world are not uncommon to see, but they are uncommon to see coming from everyday citizens because learning martial arts is expensive. Because it's both an art and a method for combat, martial arts are highly respected and revered across all nations (except Shaharan which believes they're a waste of time compared to their method).
As an example of how expensive learning martial arts is... 1 Copper coin is basically $1. And 10 Copper coins are equal to 1 Silver coin.
You can buy a horse for approximately 200 Silver (or 2,000 Copper).
But a single 1-hour lesson in martial arts costs... 125 Silver (1,250 Copper).
Unless you're part of a noble family with plenty of cash to spare, chances are you're not learning martial arts if you're part of the commonwealth.
There are only a few other ways that the average person will learn martial arts, and they are as follows:
* Being part of the City, Civil, or Royal Guards (depending on the nation you're in) - martial arts are taught to these defenders of the peace for free due to it being a necessary part of the job to know how to protect yourself and others
* Being born into a family in which at least one person already knows martial arts and can teach you for free as one family member to another
* Being part of a Mercenary, Bounty Hunter, or Assassin Guild/Organization - All three of these groups have ways of acquiring the money needed to pay for martial arts lessons for their membership. And given the nature of their work, it's basically a necessity. If you don't learn a more refined and effective method of using your weapon(s) and defending yourself both with and without them, then you're not likely to live very long.
Refined combat, aka martial arts, is just as varied as you'd expect depending on what nation you live in and who you're learning from.
So here's a basic rundown of how the martial arts differ from nation to nation:
* Cre' Est - Martial arts in Cre' Est are a "jack of all trades" art form. Various strikes, blocks, evasive techniques and footwork are taught so that you have a solid base with which to adapt to as many situations as possible. The one area where you're likely to fall short is in weapons combat, as that's not taught to the commonwealth (even the nobility), period. But so long as weapons aren't drawn, you're decently well prepared to protect yourself. However, as a precaution, it's wise to keep in mind that when you're a "jack of all trades" artist of any kind, you're not as refined as others who specialize in a certain focus. So if you encounter someone who's a specialist in striking, you'd better hope your stamina and ability to stay on your feet and move around are at the top of your game or you'll find the striker overwhelming the "average" defenses you've been honing.
Specialists almost always overpower a "jack of all trades" combatant due to the increase in technical repertoire and their sheer experience with their specialized area.
* Triveila - As you may expect from the more peaceful nation of Triveila, martial arts are primarily taught as defensive arts. Very few strikes are taught beyond the basic punches (jab, reverse punch, uppercut, hook punch), and most of the art is dedicated to lively footwork and developing one's reaction times to avoid strikes and create openings to escape your attacker and find help.
* Shaharan - N/A. You learn to fight by being made to fight, and that's it.
* Veilbrand - Before the rise of Egruus, the martial arts were taught as a primarily defensive art. However, what separates it from Triveila's defensive art is the fact that blocks are basically strikes in and of themselves. You practice blocking hard surfaces like wooden poles to toughen your arms so that when you go to block an incoming punch or kick, your block is strong enough to cause similar damage to the incoming attack as a consequence of your developed toughness. So even though you don't learn that many direct strikes like punches and such, the blocks you learn and practice over and over and over and over again are strong enough to be strikes all on their own. And finally, you endure significant iron body training to toughen up your body like the real world monks who balance themselves on spear tips for hours on end. So you might not be a fast or effective striker in most cases, but you're solid as the stone the nation is famous for and will be hard to take down.
* Gweynura - Very similar to Triveila given its more peaceful society, Gweynuran martial arts are primarily evasive, defensive arts. But there is a special emphasis on footwork in this nation, as well as an emphasis on stamina and agility. Part of the martial arts in Gweynura is learning parkour on top of evasive and effective footwork so that if you're ever required to truly escape you have as many options available to you as possible. Almost anything and any route can be used for escape purposes in this way. And there are no strikes whatsoever taught at all. It's purely evasive and defensive. Only the City, Civil, and Royal Guards will learn strikes.
In the underworld, Assassins, Bounty Hunters, and Mercenaries learn an almost universal "jack of all trades" martial arts method in conjunction with a specialty in weapons. Specifically the weapons that they've chosen to make their primary. The most common weapon for both Mercenaries and Bounty Hunters is the broadsword as it's fairly light, has good length, and can allow you to keep one hand free or use a shield in combination. Assassins primarily use either single or dual daggers because they're small, light, and great for not having to over-focus on making sure the sheaths don't knock a window sill or something you're creeping past in a hallway.
Thieves?... They don't learn self defense. The whole point of being a thief is to never get caught. If you get caught, you're on your own. If the stealth methods they learn to stay hidden are akin to anything, it's the Gweynuran martial art system of fast footwork and parkour for escaping via any path open to them. However, it's not formally recognized as being a "martial art" so much as simply a "stealth method." But you could easily argue that they learn Gweynuran marital arts if you wanted to. So there's that.
So that's combat!
In brief summary: Refined combat (aka martial arts) is very rare in the commonwealth of all nations because of how expensive it is. Instinctive combat, by contrast is far more common and is the only method for learning to fight within the nation of Shaharan.
Thanks!
This page is all about combat! Yay!
Who doesn't love combat?!
Well, uh... I mean... Ahem... Okay, so some people don't like fighting.
Anyway, for those that do like combat, this page is for you!
Who Learns To Fight
In this RP world, learning to fight comes in two different forms: instinctive combat, and refined combat.
Instinctive Combat - This is all about learning to fight by actually fighting. And this is the way to learn combat in the nation of Shaharan. Clans will teach their youth how to fight by making them fight each other with no instruction or advice given. Just get in the ring, brawl it out, and the first one to hit the ground or surrender is the loser.
There are no taught behaviors. You aren't taught how to use footwork. You aren't taught numerous different strikes. You aren't taught numerous different blocks. You aren't taught how to use weapons. You aren't taught anything. Just get in the ring and figure it out.
Instinctive Combat is, by its very nature, unrefined and very much about people who learn to fight simply by brawling it out with other people. Wild haymakers, sloppy but still somehow effective footwork, and strange, unorthodox methods of striking or distracting mid-fight are very common depending on what the individual has experienced. And depending on how frequently you do this, you can become a either a sloppy brawler or a great natural fighter and warrior.
Even outside of Shaharan this method is far more common to see because of the fact that it doesn't cost anything. You get into a fight, and you learn not to let yourself get punched in the face the hard way. You learn to run from a knife rather than stay and fight and get stabbed and slashed everywhere. Etc.
Refined Combat - Martial arts. Refined combat is martial arts.
Martial arts in this RP world are not uncommon to see, but they are uncommon to see coming from everyday citizens because learning martial arts is expensive. Because it's both an art and a method for combat, martial arts are highly respected and revered across all nations (except Shaharan which believes they're a waste of time compared to their method).
As an example of how expensive learning martial arts is... 1 Copper coin is basically $1. And 10 Copper coins are equal to 1 Silver coin.
You can buy a horse for approximately 200 Silver (or 2,000 Copper).
But a single 1-hour lesson in martial arts costs... 125 Silver (1,250 Copper).
Unless you're part of a noble family with plenty of cash to spare, chances are you're not learning martial arts if you're part of the commonwealth.
There are only a few other ways that the average person will learn martial arts, and they are as follows:
* Being part of the City, Civil, or Royal Guards (depending on the nation you're in) - martial arts are taught to these defenders of the peace for free due to it being a necessary part of the job to know how to protect yourself and others
* Being born into a family in which at least one person already knows martial arts and can teach you for free as one family member to another
* Being part of a Mercenary, Bounty Hunter, or Assassin Guild/Organization - All three of these groups have ways of acquiring the money needed to pay for martial arts lessons for their membership. And given the nature of their work, it's basically a necessity. If you don't learn a more refined and effective method of using your weapon(s) and defending yourself both with and without them, then you're not likely to live very long.
What is Refined Combat and how is it taught?
Refined combat, aka martial arts, is just as varied as you'd expect depending on what nation you live in and who you're learning from.
So here's a basic rundown of how the martial arts differ from nation to nation:
* Cre' Est - Martial arts in Cre' Est are a "jack of all trades" art form. Various strikes, blocks, evasive techniques and footwork are taught so that you have a solid base with which to adapt to as many situations as possible. The one area where you're likely to fall short is in weapons combat, as that's not taught to the commonwealth (even the nobility), period. But so long as weapons aren't drawn, you're decently well prepared to protect yourself. However, as a precaution, it's wise to keep in mind that when you're a "jack of all trades" artist of any kind, you're not as refined as others who specialize in a certain focus. So if you encounter someone who's a specialist in striking, you'd better hope your stamina and ability to stay on your feet and move around are at the top of your game or you'll find the striker overwhelming the "average" defenses you've been honing.
Specialists almost always overpower a "jack of all trades" combatant due to the increase in technical repertoire and their sheer experience with their specialized area.
* Triveila - As you may expect from the more peaceful nation of Triveila, martial arts are primarily taught as defensive arts. Very few strikes are taught beyond the basic punches (jab, reverse punch, uppercut, hook punch), and most of the art is dedicated to lively footwork and developing one's reaction times to avoid strikes and create openings to escape your attacker and find help.
* Shaharan - N/A. You learn to fight by being made to fight, and that's it.
* Veilbrand - Before the rise of Egruus, the martial arts were taught as a primarily defensive art. However, what separates it from Triveila's defensive art is the fact that blocks are basically strikes in and of themselves. You practice blocking hard surfaces like wooden poles to toughen your arms so that when you go to block an incoming punch or kick, your block is strong enough to cause similar damage to the incoming attack as a consequence of your developed toughness. So even though you don't learn that many direct strikes like punches and such, the blocks you learn and practice over and over and over and over again are strong enough to be strikes all on their own. And finally, you endure significant iron body training to toughen up your body like the real world monks who balance themselves on spear tips for hours on end. So you might not be a fast or effective striker in most cases, but you're solid as the stone the nation is famous for and will be hard to take down.
* Gweynura - Very similar to Triveila given its more peaceful society, Gweynuran martial arts are primarily evasive, defensive arts. But there is a special emphasis on footwork in this nation, as well as an emphasis on stamina and agility. Part of the martial arts in Gweynura is learning parkour on top of evasive and effective footwork so that if you're ever required to truly escape you have as many options available to you as possible. Almost anything and any route can be used for escape purposes in this way. And there are no strikes whatsoever taught at all. It's purely evasive and defensive. Only the City, Civil, and Royal Guards will learn strikes.
What about the Underworld?
Good question!
In the underworld, Assassins, Bounty Hunters, and Mercenaries learn an almost universal "jack of all trades" martial arts method in conjunction with a specialty in weapons. Specifically the weapons that they've chosen to make their primary. The most common weapon for both Mercenaries and Bounty Hunters is the broadsword as it's fairly light, has good length, and can allow you to keep one hand free or use a shield in combination. Assassins primarily use either single or dual daggers because they're small, light, and great for not having to over-focus on making sure the sheaths don't knock a window sill or something you're creeping past in a hallway.
Thieves?... They don't learn self defense. The whole point of being a thief is to never get caught. If you get caught, you're on your own. If the stealth methods they learn to stay hidden are akin to anything, it's the Gweynuran martial art system of fast footwork and parkour for escaping via any path open to them. However, it's not formally recognized as being a "martial art" so much as simply a "stealth method." But you could easily argue that they learn Gweynuran marital arts if you wanted to. So there's that.
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So that's combat!
In brief summary: Refined combat (aka martial arts) is very rare in the commonwealth of all nations because of how expensive it is. Instinctive combat, by contrast is far more common and is the only method for learning to fight within the nation of Shaharan.
Thanks!
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