Xarkly 12618 Share Posted March 8, 2021 HAESENI ZVAERDSA: SCHOOL OF THE WHISPER Spoiler Foolish is the warrior who thinks that strength and size are paramount in combat. There is an enlightenment to those who dedicate themselves to the science of sword-fighting in the Haeseni style (Naumariav: Zvaerdsa). These learned warriors dedicate years to not only honing their body, but also their mind. Those learned in Zvaerdsa care not how large their opponent is, or how strong, for every enemy carries a weakness, be it an overextended swing or exhausting aggression. This text marks the first of its kind to grace Haeseni libraries for the purpose of mentoring future generations of Haeseni Knights and Squires, particularly those who do not use heavy weapons such as longswords and poleaxes. This Zvaerdsa, which I have named the School of the Whisper both in recognition of its lighter characteristics and my own moniker as a Knight, encompasses not only sword-forms and attack styles, but also breathing techniques to better a warrior's stamina and focus in combat. I pen this in the hopes of translating traditional Haeseni Zvaerdsa from custom into text, and to inspire my fellow Knights to do likewise so that we may one day build a true library of martial works. - Ser Aleksandr Hieromar Barbanov, the Whisper BREATHING FORMS An unlearned warrior might scoff at the notion that breath is important to combat, but in doing so he betrays his naivety. One of the greatest techniques the learned warrior wields is masterful and conscious control of their breath in combat, which serves both to maintain focus, conserve energy, and fortify balance. As such, Breathing Forms constitute a key aspect of the School of the Whisper. These Breathing Forms, each of them with their unique uses for different situations, require dozens of hours of practice to ingrain themselves in the mind of a warrior so that they will not instinctively lapse into uncontrolled panting in combat, and instead teach their bodies to constantly use these Breathing Forms. All these Forms require strong lungs, which in turn requires extensive training on the part of the warrior, and this training is often an arduous endeavor: I myself learned through submergence in the waters of the Karosgrad Gardens for as long as possible every day over the course of years. Concentration must then be drilled into the mind of the warrior once they have strengthened their lungs sufficiently, and they must expose themselves to pain or discomfort - such as standing on a bed of coals - and ignore the pain to exhibit these Breathing Forms. Breathing Form One: Four-Beat Breathing Overview: In combat, a warrior must not allow themselves to succumb to nerves and lose concentration. Instead, the sole focus of their entire being must be on their opponent, and an unsteady hand or reckless instinct can spell death. The first Breathing Form allows one to steel their nerves, quash fear, and achieve clear focus once again. It is salient for warrior's to use in stressful situations. Technique: Four-Beat Breathing is very simple, and is achieved simply by inhaling for four seconds, holding one's breath for four seconds, and then exhaling for four seconds. Inhaling must be done through the nose, and exhaling through the mouth. Use: Four-Beat Breathing is the School's standard Breathing Form, and should always be used by a warrior unless they find themselves in a situation which specifically requires the use of another Breathing Form. Breathing Form Two: Frayed Breathing Overview: Prolonged combat encounters can leave a warrior exhausted, and in such cases they will require more air than standard Four-Beat Breathing can provide. Frayed Breathing is thus useful for the conservation of energy when a warrior's stamina dangerously wanes, and when they wish to recover their breath and energy as quickly as possible. Frayed Breathing does, however, require the conscious use of both the mouth and nose simultaneously, and is therefore particularly tricky to master. Technique: Frayed Breathing requires a warrior to suck air deep into their chest, rather than just their diaphragm, as quickly as possible without resorting to panting. The warrior must then exhale using both their mouth and nose at the same time to quicken the process and allow them to draw deep breath once again. Use: This second Breathing Form should only be used as a last resort, when a warrior's strength is fading and they must preserve their stamina for as long as possible. Naturally, Frayed Breathing is most useful in drawn-out battles in which a warrior is offered little reprieve. Breathing Form Three: Brace Breathing Overview: If a warrior finds themselves facing a relentless flurry of strong blows, this will exact a toll of their body regardless of whether they deflect the enemy strike or absorb it with their armor. Brace Breathing steels the body in the moment before impact, allowing a warrior to keep their balance and focus to outlast an aggressive opponent. Technique: A warrior must first identify a pattern in their enemy's strikes, and time their landing. Just before impact, the warrior must draw a deep breath into their diaphragm and expand it as much as possible without breathing into their chest to strengthen their core and dampen the shock from enemy impact. Use: Brace Breathing is a defensive Breathing Form, and allows a warrior to remain firm in their footing until they find an opportunity to counterattack. It should be used when a warrior consistently finds themselves forced on the defensive during a fight, typically against a stronger or more skilled opponent. SWORD FORMS Combat is not unlike a language. The enemy raises their blade to strike, and the learned warrior must respond in turn to answer the strike appropriately. It becomes an exchange of forms; when an opponent attacks with the Roar Form, the learned warrior answers with the Deafen Form. Mere untrained instinct and blind swings, however strong, will serve only to render one vulnerable against the learned warrior who not only has perfected their own Sword Forms, but can recognize the forms and patterns of another and exploit the weaknesses that come with them. Thus, the School of the Whisper contains several Sword Forms to be utilized against opponents of all varieties to emerge victorious. Akin to the Breathing Forms, hundreds of hours of training are required to replace these rehearsed forms with reckless instinct that a panicked warrior will naturally resort to in a fight. Sword Form One: Echo Requires: This Form requires the use a bastard or longsword. Function: The Echo Form allows a warrior to stun their enemy and follow-up with a critical blow. Execution: The warrior must strike openly and forcefully at their opponent to bait them into parrying. When the enemy does parry, the warrior should press their blade against the enemy's in a clinch, and then, as the enemy begins to parry the warrior's blade to the side, they must thrust their hands forward to slam the pommel of their weapon into the enemy's face and stun them. The warrior should instantly transition into a more powerful swing at the enemy's vitals to capitalize on their disorientation. The Echo Form is versatile, as it is ideal as an aggressive opening attack or a counterattack against an enemy parry. Example: Spoiler Sword Form Two: Hiss Requires: This Form requires the use of two weapons, one of which must be a dagger. Function: If executed correctly, the Hiss Form is a devastating disarming technique that can also maim opponents. Execution: The warrior must strike at their enemy with either a broadsword or shield, and force them to block it with their own weapon. Then, with the dagger in their own hand, the warrior must precisely slice at the enemy's fingers or wrists holding their weapon to incapacitate the hand and render them extremely vulnerable. If the enemy is wearing inadequate hand protection, the Hiss Form can easily slice off their fingers. Example: Spoiler https://i.gyazo.com/9274fb0b1725737ae4d507aa93649485.mp4 Sword Form Three: Deafen Requires: There are no specific requirements for this Form. Function: The Deafen Form is used against a shielded enemy to trip them to the ground. Execution: To execute this Form, a warrior must rush the enemy and feign a strike at their head in order to make them raise their shield to defend. In doing so, the enemy will place the shield over their face and temporarily block their vision. During this moment of blindness, the warrior must drop low and sweep the enemy's legs out from beneath them, or otherwise strike at them through the knee or foot. The warrior must build up momentum in their charge in order to sweep the legs, but if executed correctly, the shielded enemy will be tripped to the ground. Example: Spoiler Sword Form Four: Sing Requires: This Form is incompatible with long weapons, such as longswords or polearms. Function: The Sing Form is hyper aggressive against opponents using heavy or long weapons and robs them of the strength and momentum required to use them. Execution: A Warrior must evade or deflect an initial strike from their enemy, before they press in to close the distance between themselves and the enemy. The enemy will naturally attempt to step back, but the warrior must doggedly follow and keep them in extremely close quarters to frustrate their attempts to draw back to gather momentum for their own strikes. Within such close quarters, the warrior will have the advantage with light, small weapons. The Sing Form is especially effective the warrior can use it to force their enemy against a wall. Example: Spoiler https://gyazo.com/1058424987023c5de2bfe5e242b901ce Sword Form Five: Murmur Requires: A quick, light piercing weapon is required for this Form. Function: The Murmur Form is used to withstand aggressive or armored opponents and slowly weaken them through bloodloss. Execution: The warrior should familiarize themselves with the opponent's pattern of attacks, and use quick footwork to maintain enough distance to deflect and evade strikes until a window to strike can be identified. With this window, the warrior must strike at a weak point in their opponent's armor - the forearm will be the easiest to reach, but if possible, a blow to the armpit is far more effective. Once the opponent is bleeding, the warrior continues to evade their strikes until bloodloss weakens them enough for the warrior to assume the offensive and overpower them. Example: Spoiler Sword Form Six: Chant Requires: There are no specific requirements for this Form. Function: Chant is a somewhat niche Form which can be used when the warrior does not have firm footing, but otherwise should not be used. Execution: If a warrior finds themselves with insecure or no footing - should as when in the air, on ice, or underwater - they must twist their entire body with their blade outstretch and draw strength from the momentum of their turn, allowing them to slash a wide, circular arc to strike anything nearby or ward off opponents. Example: Spoiler Sword Form Seven: Roar Requires: The Roar Form requires a shield or strong buckler. Function: Similar to the Sing Form, the Roar Form is hyper-aggressive through the use of a shield to constantly maintain the offensive and overpower opponents. Execution: With a strong shield to absorb strikes, a warrior can raise their shield and charge their opponent to force them back or throw them off balance. The warrior must maintain a continual charge and thrust to prevent the enemy from coordinating an attack of their own, and, similar to the Sing Form, can be particularly effective if the shield can be used to push the enemy against a wall. Continual shield thrusts to the head will eventually concuss an opponent, after which they can be finished off, if they are not thrown to the ground by the shield's force beforehand. Example: Spoiler Sword Form Eight: Whisper Requires: There are no specific requirements for this Form. Function: The Whisper Form is a last-resort method to land a mortal blow on an enemy at the cost of a grievous injury to oneself. Execution: When a warrior is certain they cannot beat their opponent through conventional forms and they cannot disengaged, they can deliberately allow the opponent's blade to impale a part of their body. Ideally, this should by the arm. When the enemy's blade is sheathed in their arm, the warrior must withstand the pain and take the opportunity to strike at an opponent's vital region while they cannot move their own sword. Example: Spoiler 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnBaed 8957 Share Posted March 8, 2021 Alexandria tries to follow one of the forms in her bedchambers, but she nearly throws out her hip. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMRO 5252 Share Posted March 8, 2021 Maric var Ruthern bobbed his head as he read the new fighting style once over, then again. "Where Ser Aleksandr does niet speak, he makes up for in his writings. His voice will be heard for decades to come by any budding swordsman." 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
louislxix 3066 Share Posted March 8, 2021 Ser Alric during his stint away from the order, catches glimpse of the teachings. A placid smile grows onto his features, bestowing any approval that might come with his laborious and astute hardworking. A proper knight. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garentoft 8353 Share Posted March 8, 2021 "Interesting." Franz nodded his head once, having read over his older brother's work, "I'll have to practice these forms with him sometime." 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousAlexa 3877 Share Posted March 8, 2021 Aleksandra Ludovar perused the silent knight's teachings, her jaw hung slightly agape in amazement at the several sword forms. For the next few hours, the Ludovar occupied herself by practicing some of the techniques mentioned. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cryptic 30 Share Posted March 8, 2021 Jarick Godfrey would notice the teachings of the Silent Knight's teachings, quite at awe, he'd be amazed as he examines the teachings carefully as he wished to implement these discipline into his own style. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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