[✓] [Lore] Flowing Sun Martial Arts

[MetaSolaray 242]

Flowing Sun

"Nature is both our greatest ally, and our most fearsome foe."

Introduction

As early as life begun, the need to fight for it has existed as well. Resources, mating, self worth and many more reasons of the constant struggle between life and death. Even the most intelligent of creatures have not forgone the drive of combat. But, as any tool for survival is created, so are methods to refine and specialize it, and the very creatures who can understand the world and it's resources, so have their methods of obtaining and keeping them. Weapons of war were created to aid in nature's destructive path of endless fight. Yet, as they were created so were methods of which to control them and limit them. Laws and morals, guidelines and beliefs. These were the stepping stone towards martial arts themselves, a set of rules that would both empower each fighter under it's banner, but also unite them.

One such nearly lost art was the art of the Flowing Sun, a martial art defined by the very thing that drives it. Nature and it's bond with all life. Each student of the art would train and train, hoping to achieve a state of being that would be the very vanguard of the land they lived on. It wasn't just a state of being a warrior, but of togetherness with their fellow practitioners. It was one's ability to listen to the very flow of the world around them, and the flow that each person had with their own heart, that truly opened their heart and mind. Together, defined, they were the children of the origin source of their history. The one who begun it all with a single dream, a single ideal that defied a curse...

Lore, History, and the origins of the Flowing Sun Marital Art

Chapter 1: How long is my memory...

"You know Maiestas, one of these days if you keep on smoking those greens, you're going to become like one of those monsters." A soft voice chilling taunted in the whispers of the chilling northern winds. The speaker was a young female, obviously in her early twenties by the way her short-styled hair hung down her graceful face. While most soliders had grown a like for the harden look of marching, this particular one was usually defined as a flower in armor. It had quickly begun to stick to her, more then anything people would catch a glance of soft brown eyes, right before her long sword stabbed them through the heart. Yet no matter how many times she fought for her home, still she was known as the "Flower in Armor," a nickname she couldn't wait to get rid of one day. Yet it was her own sister who had coined the name, having often laughed at her sister's strange desire to wear armor. Then again, where she was often stationed, it was better then...

"And one of these days Serenita, you just might finally reach around your back, and pull that stick wedged /deep/ in your ass out." Maiestas barked back, her voice as sharp as the very features of her well-defined body. Unlike her sister vanishing in iron armor to hide her similar features Maiestas, or Mai as she preferred to be referred to, was very often in chain mail or less armor. Never having taken to the armor way of life, she had preferred to be able to have full control of her body and motions, of weaving her way through her fights with a graceful stroke. It was this reason alone she had been sent on other duties then actual battles, as many believed her lifespan in that regard would be counted on fingers. It was her stubborn streak that had often gotten her in trouble unlike her more obedient sister, and this was something she quite proud of. The winter chills of the air around her didn't bother her skin to much, as many things that actually did. Her aqua green eyes surveyed the landscape, all that she could among the icy chilled winds anyways. Strands of her dark brown hair, and even deeper red highlights were pushed around the arctic winds of the land. It was fitting to Mai after all, that both heart and body feel the same similar icy chill.

Sere, on the other hand was use to this chilled feel, both from her sister and the weather and was more at ease with it. It was comforting to her as she sat beside her sister, the creaking of metal plates grinding roughly as she made a loud thump in the snow, sinking till she hit the bottom of the hill they sat upon, staring away from the land they had been earlier protecting. Sere offered a simple smile as she stared over at her sister, knowing her better then anyone else, and what was really bothering her. "So how is Van doing..." She asked softly, having waited a few moments knowing it would strike home with Mai. Many times she had heard of her older sister mentioning the, 'Pansy-ass self righteous swordsman elf.' she had meant during one of her trips of duty, as rare as they were. Her sister, true to herself had challenged the most confident of a group of people she had meant, and proceeded to beat him down till he was forced to stare right into her aqua eyes, where she proceeded to feed him more of her mind. Some reason this had actually imparted a desire in the elf, and no matter how much she denied it, in Mai as well.

"Same as always, bringing me flowers and a letter, and a sword to try to catch me off guard." Mai retorted simply, turning her face outward as she hid the smile she already knew her sister knew about. While most people couldn't stand her outrageous attitude, something about Vaniion had convinced him to stay. Whatever that thing was, Mai couldn't really place it herself, but it was nice deep down in her heart to have someone she could spar with and talk with. At least they shared one common thing in interest, armor was a very big hinder to the body. If that was the only thing we shared... she thought sadly, remembering her own personal grief, and what Van himself knew all too well himself.

Sere saw the drop in her sister's shoulders, and with the grace that she could muster patted her sister softly, or rather just twitched her fingers on her shoulder due to the sheer weight of her gloves. From as long as they had trained together, one accident had changed all that. In one day, Mai had been scarred in a way that had caused her to push every potential male mate away, and develop that cold exterior. She feared, that when they found out the truth about her body, how she could never offer a child of her own, they would leave her, so she took the preemptive strike, and beat it into them to simply leave her alone. It was a haunting memory of her's, one that she knew carried even more scars then the ones on her body ever did. Sere tried to speak again, trying a different approach with a voice as soft as the winds that whipped around them, "Sis, you don't have to keep it all to yourself. You should tell him th-"

Mai exploded suddenly turning her face to her sister as her lungs exploded with her pent up emotions, the green she had been smoking dropping into the winds and rolling away. "Tell him what?! That I'm incapable of producing a child! What kind of elf would want a human female who can't even produce offspring! Their an infertile race Serenita, children are a blessing to be have from them." Her breathing caused her chest to heave and fall in the cold winds, her heart offsetting the very natural cold as she turned her face away from her sister and stared down between her legs with a remorse glance. Her eyes shimmering with the desire to just be honest, but her head refused it. "Who would ever want me, by the light, who would even remember me Serenita." She whispered the last part, laughing at herself at such a childish fear, but knew it meant so much to her. In her family it had been imprinted that people lived on through their children, but due to her accident, she feared her own personal memory would die along with her...alone. "Who wants to become nothing more then a tiny memory on the land Serenita...You and me, we'll both die years before Van does, but at least...at least you'll have a child to carry your memory on." Her voice was cracking under the pressure, or the cold around her, but her expression easily showed which was greater. Her entire body was shaking, shivering both from it's emotions and it's environment.

Sere bit her tongue softly as she stared at her sister, remembering several of the converesations that they had together as she whispers to Mai, trying to get her sister to finally agree to what had been said. "Mai, take his hand. He really...really cares about you, you don't have to be so damn stubborn. Remember," she stopped softly, smiling as she looked as her sister's aqua eyes turned back to her, staring at her with a curious glance. "That he wanted to study your sword style, and adept it with his own...he even said it reminded him a lot of elf styled fighting and talking...your beliefs, and how you fight is unique to him."

"Yeah, it's unique cause it floors him every single time." Mai retorted, stiffing a laugh as she turned he head away from Serenita slowly.

"And the way you talk is so strange to him as well." Serenita continued, trying to get Mai to agree.

"Yeah, it's so like his at times, he keeps on checking my ears to see if they'll turn pointy."

"Maiestas!!!" Serenita yelled sharply, her body armor moving with her motions slowly as she growled over at her sister, her stubborn streak as deeply rooted as her own highlights. Yet it only caused Mai to laugh even more as she the boiling fury at her attitude beginning to seep into Serenita's features.

"I know Serenita, I know...But what about my condition. Even, even if I do something with Van, what will happen to everything we do..." With a gentle sigh Mai looks back out the world, surveying it again as the winds begin to pick up more and more, causing a fresh wave of shivers to run through her body. "Our hard work will go in vain...for as we are one's with nature, so will we become one with it." Her voice was sad, yet held a belief in her own spirit. It was as deeply rooted belief as anything else, even deeper then the scars that haunted her, and Serenita knew it as she took her sister's hand, then let go to finally take off the glove that had been holding her back from feeling her sister as she truly was. With the metal falling into the snowy landscape she resumed holding her sister's hand and simply said...

"Don't worry Maiestas, who you are will never die. You're memory will live on in more then one way. Take his offer...create something that is more memorable then a single life. You'll create a way of it..."

Mai stopped breathing for a moment as she looked at her sister, and smiled one of the very few rare ones that came from her heart. She looked at her, deeply in the eyes with a teary aqua colored glaze, and whispered her response. "Damnit Serenita, you made me drop my catcus gre-"

The sound of flesh meeting flesh was heard, a single loud smack followed by a series of curses among hearty laughter, all lost in the winds of winterfell.

Chapter 2: Renewed Hope in the Rays of the Future.

"Again! You need to /feel/ the winds around you, come on child again!" Maiestas had changed over the years, her temper was a thing of the past, yet her stubborn streak was still as bloodied and her attiude while better was still rather rough and rude. But as her sister said, Van usually was able to keep some sense of serene grace about her. The two were often seen here now, along with her sister and her human romantic partner. The years may have altered who they were somewhat, but in the end...

"I'm trying Aun-OWWWW!!!" The young child was instantly floored as Mai rushed her, sweeping her off her feet with a crescent strike aimed right at their heels. Whimpering on the ground Mai sighed as she begun her tutoring again, "The winds around us whisper to us child, they want us to listen to it's tale. You must remove the distractions in your heart, and become one with the winds. Just imagine it's like your curiosity, I've seen you explore everything you can. Remember that boundless journey, and try again...feel the winds, listen to them, and dance with the gales of the very wind around you. Mai stood over the child as she shook her head impatiently, turning around to the various other students who had begun to learn the new art away from their homes. It wasn't well known, and only by word of mouth did it really spread as little as it had. It was the latest art of fighting, but Van had been most insistent on one thing in particular, the depth of teaching of the actual lessons beyond the fighting. Mai herself could never understand it, but her husband was usually a step ahead anyways. At least in everything but swordplay, and bed... She smirked largely to herself as she glanced over to her right field, where three young boys were practicing meditation. Her hair had grown over the years, but after so many years of keeping it short she had finally simply let it grow out, something that Van had whispered many times of his increased desires for her.

"Maiestas! Maiestas!!" A voice called out from the little place Mai called home, and she turned to see the voice beyond the greenery of the field she had used for her meetings. The figure was hard for many who had grown up around her to recongize, lacking it's usual heavy laded clothing, or protective gear. But Mai couldn't ever mistaken this flowerly figure, or her gestures of greeting that usually maimed Mai's continued habit of smoking. The figure approached slowly, arm and arm with another human as the pair stared over at the floored child, who was already raising her body off the ground. "Must you be so hard on her, she's trying to be so much like her auntie...she even kept the families last name."

Mai could only sigh heavily as she stared at her niece, knowing however hard the training was, it'd produce a fine woman from it, just as she had with any of her other students throughout the years. "Serenita, I can't treat your child any differently then the others. But at the end of the day I still love them the same, and besides... A Solaray is strong, unlike your husbands family of-" She grinned devilishly as she stopped, turning around to monitor the students as she saw each of the finailized stances being practiced vigorously. To her left, where her niece was, several students would dart back and forth from an area, trying to practice their balance and their agility to an honed art. Each of them were children of the art who had shown the most promise of the art. They were the free spirited ones, the ones who weren't afraid to jump forward in life with their heart out first. Van and her had agreed that it was like dancing with the winds to them, and found that often people of a similar trait picked up a single art the quickest.

Yet, she wasn't one of them, rather it was another part of her that had held true. Beyond them in the field were students practicing a vicious stance of blows, like a raging fire consuming the forest they would attack again and again aggressively. It was with them she had felt most at peace with, the same fire in their hearts that burned away at their passion. They were enticed by the prospects of conviction, and Mai was the best of the best in that regard. The stance had been named after the very fires that drove nature along, with it's destruction came truth and healing, and in that sense they were the wild fires that helped it all. While often times she wished her niece was like her, she couldn't help but smile at the young students who were, both young and older. Yet she also held respect for the other arts, especially the one she couldn't grasp as well.

These were the students training with the fire students, blocking their blows with a firmness in their honed bodies, their eyes holding a solidness in them that none could shatter. Their ability to deflect and protect each other was unmatched by the other stances, and it was like the earth itself around them had wrapped it's loving embrace around them. When Van and Mai had finally named it, it had been a joke between them to hug each other using this particular stance. Van doing it more so to finally be better at something then Mai, who simply responded with a swift kick in an area that firmness couldn't handle when it didn't expect it.

The newest stance though, or rather the one that had come last, was the stance the triplets were practicing near her. Each of them had been the first practioners of the stance alongside Mai, and sometimes Mai wondered if they held back their ability to hone their inner heart's flow to respect their teacher. It was the stance of becoming a gentle leaf in the tide of life, following something Van had preferred to call the 'Flow' of the world around them. While it had used both sounds and instinctual feelings between both heart and body instincts, it felt much more differently when one meditated, and even more different when one fought alongside it.

Mai couldn't help how she felt here, among her field, among her students. Sometimes, she even thought to herself, that these people were like children to her, and wondered deep in her heart, where even Van couldn't see himself, that this art might carry her memory...forever. It had made her accepting her limited life span with a greater ease, because in the end, her children would carry her memory on. She felt a tear wanting to leave her face, but as a soft touch from her sister crept up on her shoulder, she turned around at her family, and smiled as she begun. "So Apprentices...let's begin with the lesson of living without that which confines us. Break away from the bonds that remove us from nature's embrace..."

Chapter 3: Dusk of Greatness

Undead, no matter where you were from, no matter who you are, the undead showed no mercy. The very home that the Solaray's had called home, Al'Khazar was the first to fall, and try as they might, the Flowing Sun artist as well as the very guards of the city were forced back, unable to handle the sinister powers that now threaten and swarmed the land. Mai, who was now in her twilight years, her hair having lost it's natural dark brown color to the whiteness of the snow, had not given up on her body. She was still well trained, and still inspiring new students with the love child of her husband's work. Yet, now...

"Dead..." She whispered, her hairs blowing in the winds as she stood guard over the refugee group she was with, as simply one of the guards, an elder lady who did nothing but simply stare back in the horizon at the place she had once called home. People she had grown up with, her children, some had...perished in their efforts of defending the very art she had inspired, they were dead...their blood had been splashed in her hands. Long ago had she shed the shell of holding back her emotions, the Flow had seen to that. Each time her children hurt, she hurt, it was the very thing that had tied them together as they dragged on, moving beyond where the undead's reach could touch them for the time being. Serenita was there, among her flock, with one of them being heavy with child. "Serenita, what will we do now. Where do we go?" Her voice whispered, still containing the same stubbornness that had long been accepted to be part of her own soul.

"I do not know Maiestas, but we cannot fight them...nor can we return. Everyone, who is left behind is gone...gone forever." Her voice cracked, as she was dealing with her own pain as she weeped, as every one of the students knew, that her husband, a master of the art...had fallen in the battle to defend their home town. Now it was up to those who still remained, to carry on the torch for the next generation. The triplet brothers, masters of the water stance, stood close to the only mother figure they knew, their long ears and slender bodies peacefully embracing their aged mother, giving her the comfort her frail, hurt heart wanted more then anything.

"Thank you children, you are right...we are the vanguards of nature, we will not weaken to the curse of the undead. We will stand strong, no matter the odds, no matter the conditions, we'll ensure, that our memories do not die here..." She reached for her swords, specially designed for her to reduce the weight on her ageing body. Stubborn as she was, she still refused a life of settled living with her husband, she flatly refused to stop training, saying, "You'll have to pry the cold steel from my hands AFTER you pry my green from me. I'm a warrior not a knitter, now stop trying to shove a stick up my ass cause unlike you, I can live a little."

The journey was hard on everyone, as the refugees sought cover in the home that the sisters once shared, they were not anything special as Winterfell had taken many refugee's, and for a short time with the rest of the refugees, they settled into their peace of mind and home, with the lastest child to the Solaray bloodline being born on 1339 of the third day of Snow Maiden. They had named her, Aurora, and the child was a chirpy, yet spunky child who didn't have an idea of what was coming to the world around them. Carefree life, that was all she ever saw, and Mai wanted to ensure her children, all of them would get to share that dream.

Then, the fateful day came when Winterfell was besieged by the undead as well. Any calls for help, were useless as many human cities fell as well to the undead, and among all the lives that were lost that day, among all the death and destruction...one last ray of light...fought on.

Her body was an endless barrage of art and grace, as she dove straight into the enemy lines with her swords in hand. Diving around with the grace of the wind she would suddenly lash out in a barrage of fury, cutting and slashing away at the nearest undead minions she could. Here, was her home, in battle she had crafted a name for herself, in her art she had produced children, and here, on this snowy plain, her maternal instincts drove her to fight the impossible. Attack, after attack, after attack, her body was forced to fight an seemingly endless wave of foes who wouldn't stop coming, and try as she might...

"GO!!! Get everyone out of here, don't just sit around! Fall back! FALL BACK!!!" Mai shouted over her head as another wave of undead warriors rushed their position, the closest she had to children, the triplets standing side by side her, all four of them one with the flow as they dipped around their aggressors assaults, combining their hearts into one single fighting unit, and were able to hold off the guard as best as they could as the rest of the students retreated down their rear guard, holding off so that some more may live. Mai herself, was in the lick of things, refusing constant calls by Van to simply let the younger generation fight, refusing everything that made sense in the world, to listen to her heart. So onwards they fought, never stopping, always running...and Van eventually realizing his love's dedication to her children, and fighting alongside her...

"Mai...you truly are stu-...MAI?! MAIIIII!!!!!" Van was smiling, the world had been peaceful for a moment as they looked at each other with love in their eyes. They had been successful, they had been able to get most of the students, Mai's children from Winterfell and fall back, and Mai, his love had been staring him in the eyes with a smile. That was, till she felt a very uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, and looked down to see her blood splashing onto Van's stomach, her gasping heavily as she staggered on her attacker's blow, swayed, and slowly begun to fall to the cold earth beneath her. Her vision and hearing started to fade in and out of focus, the view of her love calling for help, then a faint memory of being pulled from the battlefield along with the rest of her children, where she faintly slipped back into the world for a short time.

"I am sorry sir, there is nothing....nothing I can do for her now." The medic gazed down sadly, as his voice held the cold ring of truth that everyone gathered knew about Mai. He turned away, moving with the rest of the unit to find anyone he could save, his heart heavy with the fact that a life would die today, and there was nothing he could have done about it. Van, staring down at the slowly dying body of his love, grabbed her hands with his own shaking, tears falling down his elegant features as he wept for her, "I'm so sorry Mai...I'm so sorry..." He whispered every sound dripping with his heart's pain. Yet, as he opened his eyes more fully to his lover's, he saw a smile, and a crack of a grin on her withered face, paler and paler it grew with every passing moment.

"You *******...ass...I swear...you never got over yourself, after all...all these years." She coughed violently, the pain obivously causing her great grief, but still she forced herself to smile as she looked at him. "I'm a warrior damnit, yet you all are weeping at me as if I died falling down...I didn't fall Van, with my head up my ass. If I die here...I died, to save my children..." It took her ages, or what felt like was ages for her, each word was forced out of her body, each word she knowingly knew in her heart cost her another second from her very short life span now, and still she needed to do it, she forced herself. "I died with my feet on the ground, and my sword up someone's else ass...t-the only...thing I re-regret...is that I didn't get to die smoking...j-just to prove my damn, loving sister right...in the end." She laughed again, coughing in pain as the pain intenisfied as she looked over at her weeping, aged sister as she shook her head at Mia's dying confession.

"If you like, I can...I can put one in your mouth. I've always was right in the end you idiot." Serenita whispered back, as her sister again smiled on her deathbed, trying to fight back the need to weep the very tears deep in her soul, wanting, desiring to leave, but knew Mia wouldn't have any of that or so help her.

Mai, on the other hand, looked at her sister in mock shock, masking her pain as best as she could as she whispered, "It only took decades of training...but...but you finally got that damn stick out of your ass...how does it....how does....how does...it............it............it......feel......" She whispered harder, and harder, her voice growing fainter, and fainter, and fainter till finally it stopped. Her eyelids begun to close, her body begun to feel colder then it ever had, and Maiestas Solaray was gone from the land of Aegis, surronded by her children who finally wept and wept again for their mother. Each one of them sworn to an art that had not only protected them, but defined them and connected them with the ones they loved. In this end, they swore, they would die fighting, then die with having done nothing with their conviction. The triplets, Serenita, her husband, and Van...they would be the one's who carried her memory forward...carried it to a new generation.

Founding Beliefs of Flowing Sun

"We are the vanguards of the nature around us, it is both our greatest ally in combat, and also our most fearsome foe. We must respect that all life is created in equality, and all life must be respected for it is a part of the natural cycle around us. Every ideal is simply another piece of the grand travesty, and even our own view can be misguided. We must accept that how we see something, is not how another may see it, and instead of seeking to remove that which does not agree, we seek to understand and even incorporate another's view into our own. As nature adepts to the cycle, we must adept to the situation, we are not one's who will stand firm by many rules, but stand beside our heart. While we respect the law of the land, we must also recognize that it is not the all seeing truth. It is up to each student to discover the conviction behind their heart, and see it through till the end of their days, from combat or otherwise. We are neither harbingers of light, or damnations of darkness, we must find inner peace and balance by accepting that not all light is helpful, not all dark is evil. The bright light at the end of the tunnel could be a trap, the darkness can shield you away from the eyes of an enemy, it is understanding and seeing from one's own view that they can visualize the stars beyond."

Flowing Sun is a martial arts based on the belief that all things have a purpose, nature itself is an ever-changing and ever-moving statement of life. The martial arts takes this into account with the various stances and beliefs students are taught about life and learning. No student (though in recorded history there was no orc or drawfen students to be mentioned) will be shunned away from the art, and instead would be guided along the path to reach their inner conviction's potential. The strongest tool of the art is a character's own conviction, the belief and dedication to their heart is held in regard above all else. While the art tries to refrain from defining the definations of one's action, it is not an art that condemns actions for personal or ill-minted gains. The art is acceptable of killing another if the reason was balanced for protection, but it wouldn't condemned cold blooded murder for it was not a balancing act of one's own heart.

The Fighting Style of Flowing Sun: Utilization and Arts

For every art, there is both a spiritual and mental lesson, and then a physical one. Flowing Sun's combat style is heavily based on the aspect of fighting as a continuous adapting fighter. While in recorded history each student had used the Sword-styled tradition to advance, it is possible and is currently in progress of placing the teaching and the processes of the art into another format.

The main focus of Flowing Sun is to never have an /ending/, every motion should lead into another, every kick should be the start of your next motion, every block should be readily interwoven into your next move. Warriors of Flowing Sun are experienced in their bodies ability to change and adept, never seeing a motion as a single event, but instead just another link in the chain of battle. With their body and mind, and the styles practiced with the art, a Flowing Sun martial artist is a force to be reckon with their ability to not only change to fit a sudden situation in combat, but their ability to be unpredictable as they constantly rearrange their body, their mind, and their fighting style.

Sword Stances:

Wild Inferno: Fire Stance

Definition: The aggressive stance of Flowing Sun, this stance is the one represented by the element of fire. Fire is seen as the creator and destructive force of nature, both chaos and of new beginnings. Users who are taught this stance first are often times seen as stubborn in their own regard, but fiercly passionate about the things that drive them in life. Many are the one's who would rush head first into a situation, their heart in hand as they go about life with a goal in mind, striving to do it to perfection. This stance heavily favors an aggressive assault at an enemy target, overwhelming them with a barrage of attacks with the sword of their choice. Dual wielders often learn this stance next as well, as many practitioners of the art forgo the singular style in favor of the dual styling after years of training, as many of the stances benefit from the additional sword. This style is often times used on the offensive, though it can also be used to counter another offensive user by using the age old saying of "Fight fire with fire."

Beginner Level: A student first learning the stance of Wild Inferno must be taught how to harness their heart's own personal burning fire to empower their own strikes. People with a natural hotheaded personality find this transition easier then those with stilled or calm hearts. As the first years of training begin the student will be able to focus with great intensity on a single target, lashing out at them with aggression and force. With overwhelming and constantly barrage of attacks, the user is aiming to force the foe into a bad position, and land the blow they'll need to open up a large hole in their guard to be exploited. Unfortunately this stance has the drawback of sometimes causing it's user to become far to hotheaded, relaying more on their instincts instead of their head as well. Also with the users lack of experience they will find themselves easily overwhelmed by numbers if forced into to many directions at once. This stance has a small set up time, and is easily interchangeable with some of the other stances, making it a great switch in from one stance as a prep-up, or a counterattack stance at this level.

Training Time at this Level: 0-2 years

Intermediate level: The student has advance their experience with using their heart's conviction as a fiery force, and now find themselves able to handle more then one target with their aggression. This is exampled by the ability of fire to lash out in multiple directions with it's destruction. At this stage many students begin to adept a second sword into the style to help aid with one's ability to handle multiple targets at once, and forcing an enemy down with both swords. While this stance increases the user's ability to not only deal with multiple targets, and overwhelm their singular combat even further, they still may find themselves getting to far caught into the heat of the moment, their stance still dependent on the fire burning in their own heart. This stance also will wear out a user if held on for far to long, as the stance is meant to be an overwhelming and offensively minded stance aimed to quickly dispatch enemies with overwhelming, constant, and seemingly random strikes.

Training Time at this level: 3-7 years

Expert Level: The student has gained control over their heart, and the fire burning within. Now better able to not only move in and out of this stance, they are also able to quickly and aggressively assert their aggression towards a target of choice. This stance has erupted into a never-ending flame of attacks, aiming to overwhelm a single foe with the wrath of multiple slashes, this stance now heavily burns away at a foe's guard, and if able, their life. While this stance has reached it's highest level of use and adepeability with the other stances, it still is a draining art and should be rarely held at this level for extended period of times in risk of over draining the body.

Training Time at this level: 8 years and beyond.

Dance of the Gale: Wind Stance

Definition: The stance of dexterity and flexibility. This stance focuses primarily on one's agility over physical strength to gain an advantage in situations, both inactive and active combat. This stance is easier for those of free-spirited adventure in their hearts to learn then any other, often times focusing on those who would prefer the winds beneath their feet to explore the world around them. Usage of this stance would heavily favor re-positioning over longer engagements, helpful for making quick and efficient cuts through multiple targets apart from each other, moving swiftly and attacking as a blast of wind.

Beginner Level: The heart has finally begun to listen to the whispers of the wind, the tale it holds one with the spirit of the warrior. Users at this level of training have the ability to enter the stance for positioning and agility, but lack the balance and control needed to maintain the stance in an offensive matter, as this requires degrees of balance not yet honed to an art. This art at this level is often times, and even in the future levels of training referred to as the 'chain stance' as it is the most adaptable of the stances, both entering and exiting this stance to another more select choice. Often times a Flowing Sun fighter will close the gap in this stance, and then proceed to unleash their abilities in Wild Inferno before retreating in wind again to distance themselves.

Training Time at this Level: 0-2

Intermediate Level: Training over the years has honed the body of the user, their focus, and their ability to be one with the winds. Users are now able to control their body motions in short bursts, essentially increasing their potency in close range combat. This stance can allow them to dip and dive around blows with enough leeway, increasing a users ability at using acrobatic maneuvers to confuse their enemy. However this stance is draining on the body, and still focuses primarily on movement over offense so it's ill-advised to maintain this stance for long during intense combat situations. The time it takes to switch into this stance is shortened, and the user increases their options with maintaining the stance under different situations.

Training Time at this Level: 3-7

Expert Level: One has gained the ability to be a force with, and against the winds. Their ability to both excel in their speed, and dominate in agility is honed to a sheer tone of physical beauty and art. Users are now still a deadly force while in this stance, better able to maintain the balance needed to aggressively assault someone with the force of the winds, their agility, and the balance to back up such a high tension blow. This stance becomes at this level the quickest to obtain and form into, while still maintaining the ability to link and chain into the other stances. The art of the winds, dancing with them under your feet, and being able to both attack and defend with the gusts of the winds beneath you command. A true state of mind of acrobatic mastery and control.

Training Time at this Level: 8 and beyond

Terra's Embrace: Earth Stance

Definition: The stance of a firm and sturdy guard, represented by the unshakable earth. This stance focuses primarily on the ability to hone, protect, block, and defend's one body with a steady stature that will defend against aggression. This stance sacrifices the limberness of most other stances to be able to maintain their guard against foes near them. This stance also is a excellent choice for a supporting role in combat, being very adaptable to both armor, and the needs of orders. This stance is often seen in those who are firm in their beliefs, desiring to protect others with their heart and desires.

Beginner Level: The user has begun the first lessons of Terra's Embrace, honing their body to raise their natural guard. This stance is the least exhausting of the stances to hold, and often times is used during training against more aggressive foes. This stance has the potential to outlast a foe with forceful, yet sturdy motions to block and intercept blows. At this level of training a user hasn't yet been able to maintain the stance while being engaged from multiple angles, purely focusing in a singular direction and target for better concentration of blows. This style at this level is very off-key for dual armed combat styles, and usually one is put away to enable the user the firmness in guard they need.

Training Time at this Level: 0-2

Intermediate level: The user has trained at holding the embrace of the earth for their movements to now be better synced with their allies and foes. Increased adaptability and hold has opened up more options in tasking one self with multiple attacks from various directions, but still requires a center of attention. One can not block blows from the front and back without a dual sword stance, which is still hard to maintain at this level. This stance favors holding defenses against an aggressive frontal enemy, and often times is used as the holding out stance till one can find an opening for another stance to return fire. The stance still has troubles being perfectly at touch with one's self, and is now beginning to learn how to try to control enemy weapons and redirect them instead of simply parrying them.

Training Time at this Level: 3-7

Expert Level: The earth itself has become a part of the user's heart, their body honed to a firm solidified art. Their ability to safeguard themselves and those around them is unmatched in any other stance then this one, complete control over body and mind has resulted in a body able to survive a long amount of punishment and aggression. To even further their arsenal of counters and blocks, the swiftness of motions with firm grace has increased, allowing them much better multi-fighter combat and handling swift fighters better. This stance also serves to be a great medium stance, with a switch time from Wild Inferno being short, but slightly longer to shift into wind stance. Often times a user who has mastered both is an aggressive barrage of both offensive, then an unshakable wall of defensive maneuvers.

Training Time at this level: 8 years and beyond.

Calming Tide: Water Stance

Definition: The balance stance and stance of the heart, the stance tied into the very flow around the world. The Flow stances for the vibrations of sound and effect from every entity in the world, the belief that life follows along a 'river' of life of sorts, and through rigid meditation and opening of one's heart a user can literally tap into the natural state of the heart and listen into the world around them. This stance heavily draws on the natural instinct of knowledge of danger and reactive instincts, tuning it into a purposeful and rigid fighting style. This stance is one of the most dangerous and riskiest stances to master, as it requires true calmness and peace inside one's heart, and anything that disrupts that concentration can remove one from feeling the Flow around them. This stance can also be held back by self-doubt and other feelings of inferiority in one's own heart, requiring constant meditation and acceptance to ensure peace. The stance is designed for those who are willing to flow with the events of the world, mending and bending to open ears and eyes to the world around them.

Warning: This is the most dangerous stance due to it's ability to corrupt a user who uses it to often to the 'dark' feelings in their heart. In the history of Flowing Sun only one user has ever submitted to their own darken desires, and his name and being was lost to the pages of history. The stance is only obtainable by serene peace and mind, due to it's potential abilities.

Beginner Level: The first time someone has entered the Flow in their heart, they are able to hear the whispers and vibrations of the world around them. This enticing stance is often used as a meditation stance to feel the world around them, both sensing actions and reactions going on around them. This can be held for an extended period of time at the strongest rate of personal exhaustion to maintain due to the intensity of focus and concentration to maintain such a stance. Users at this level of training can both intune to the flow, but only maintain in combat wise for a very short time. This form is very draining, and it's use in combat for swordplay is very ineffective at this state and usually used purely for meditation purposes.

Training time at this level: 0-4

Students under Apprenticeship can also sometimes be seen communicating with their master while practicing this stance, if and only if the master both has a strong bond with them, and is highly trained in the art. This strangeness in the stance was discovered by the triplet elves who were often seen as one entity while being unable to talk or see each other's motions.

Intermediate Level: After a long period of meditation, of practicing enter one's own heart the user has obtained a greater understanding of both their body and the world around them. The major benefit they now have is in combat situations where their body enters a state of Flow, being able to perceive threats of enemies motions, and react accordingly, granting a high level of dodging and counter attacking. This state of mind however is a very draining and high cost stance, and only constant training will benefit the length of the stance. This High Level of Flow requires the user to close their eyes, removing both their distractions from the earth around them, and also their own words. While they can still hear, and react to the world both of these harm the concentration of the user, forcing users at this level to often times relay on either fighting alone or with someone who they can work without words. This combat style is heavily in the dodging to avoid incoming attacks, and counterattacking with precision.

Another use of this stance is the ability to start sensing powerful emotions someone is feeling, the stronger a connection they have with the user, the easier it is to sense it. This form of training takes a period of time to truly master and is usually seen developing during the later years of training as one begins to move into the expert level.

Training time at this level: 5-8

Expert Level: Heart, body, Flow, connections. The user has become a master of listening and feeling, able to maintain the stance to the point of precise art. While the full effect of Calming Tide is only achieved when one shuts their eyes, they can maintain a weaker version by holding their eyes open, able to speak lightly in that state, but with other practitioners of Flowing Sun, they will maintain the higher level, able to read and feed off of each others vibrations in the flow. In this state one begins to become a Master of the art, able to feel and communicate with other students who are in the stance. While this is much more ineffective then actual talking due to the number of people who can use it, or whispering due to the intensity of maintaining the stance, it is useful for a master to teach an apprentice by speaking with them while both are in the meditation stance. While the stance is one of the strongest stances of the fighting style, capable in both defense and precision in offensive strikes, it still remains one of the most exhausting and hardest to switch stances in mid-combat, taking a definite longer period then any other stance.

Training Time at this level: 9 years and above

Archery Stances

Info: Prelimnary Flowing Sun: Archery Style

A newly designed art focused on re-centering the teachings and disciplines of Flowing Sun into a new weapon. This art was designed by Master Solaray, for Apprentice Talithia and whomever else desired it. Believing fondly in the arts ability to flow, it was surprising effective to design the new art style by basing the very teachings around archery. To use the stance one needs a specially crafted bow, Light material to ensure weight and movements are unhindered, added iron guards on both ends of the bow for deflection and additional strength to firing power. Iron guards can be deattached to reduce weight or used as daggers as well due to design method.

Wild Fire: Fire Stance

Description:The burning conviction of the heart once again bellows in a barrage of offensive fury, embodied by the ability of fire to overwhelm anything in it's path. This stance focuses on filling the air with arrows, without care or true aiming, overwhelming a target area with constant fire.

Beginner: The student has begun the first lessons of the heart's conviction, and has started to learn how to shift into the stance of aggression. At this stage the student has a very short window of aggressively being able to fill the air with projectiles. At this stage of training, and if the student does not have previous experience with archery they will find an even smaller window of filling the air with arrows. This stance changes the body to hone on quickly withdrawing and releasing arrows, thus accuracy at range is lost, given up for the ability to quickly fire more and more shots. This stance takes a medium length of time to switch into, requiring setting the body to allow quicker withdraw of the arrows and to set them into place.

Training Time at this Level: 0-2

Intermiedate: After a period of time of practicing the stance the user has increased their ability to maintain the form for a longer period of time, as well as assist in keeping their accuracy up as they continue to fire. While this stance is more able handed for medium range then accuracy. They will find themselves also beginning to learn the art of loading more then one arrow, a very dangerous tactic that will require slightly more hesitation to fire, causing it to be dangerous to use this to often. The stance's change time is lowered as well.

Expert: THe master of the fire stance, is able to fill the air like a cloud, firing muitple arrows in one shot more then one shot, while retaining the steady recharging of the bow. In this state one's own heart is controlled, allowing them to take on multiple targets who are closing in by quickly reloading the arrows, firing multiple shots at once if needed and necessary. This stance has an even lower switching time, allowing the user to swap out of it after their offensive strike.

Playful Wisps:

Definition: the stance of repositioning, this stance focuses on the user's physical ability to reposition, maintain balance, and perform aerobatic tactics using the terrain around them. THis stance is known as the Free spirited stance for the reason the uses of it often times can confuse an enemy, moving them around their target as they prep arrows, assaulting near and far constantly on the move.

Beginner: The user has listened to the winds for the very first time, and now has become part of it's breath. The stance focuses primarly on one's legs then their arms, moving quickly and darting around attacks and projectiles. However for the increased movement of the body the user has a harder time lining up longer range shots, or shots in general depending on what kind of motions they must perform. This causes this stance to not be reliable for shots on the move, often times users at this level will resort to it for agility and movement, then actually combating with it.

Training time at this level: 0-2

Intermediate: The user's training in the winds has increased their focus while whispering back their loving response. The ability to feel the change in winds makes them a better duelist against enemy archers if they can see the arrow being prepped, feeling how the winds around them might influence it's trajectory. A stilled Wind user can better plan for how the wind would influence their arrows during a stressed environement scene. Their accuracy with shots while performing difficult manevers is increased, but still inferior to a perched stance. Now more trained, they offer a better offensive, while maintaining an edge in their maneuver's.

Training Time at this level: 3-7

Expert: A user is now one with the winds, whispering, gentle, swift. The accuracy the user now obtains from the wind stance is improved greatly during their aerobatic moves, allowing them to make difficult shots even when tumbling or falling. This also allows them to better compenstate for the wind, being one with it's very will. This stance is one of the quickest to switch over into another, allowing one to switch inot the stance as a set up for another combo. This is often times referred to as the "link stance" due to this feature at the expert level.

Training time at this level: 7 years and beyond.

Mineral's Vanguard: Earth Stance

Definition: this stance focuses on defense, aiming short range shots quicker then any other stance. It also is the stance that uses the added iron guards on both sides of every Flowing Sun Archer's bow, which in reality is two cleverly hidden daggers which can be deattached, reattached, and held/used. This stance use is primarily for anyone who closes in on the archer, giving them some options when at a disadvantage, while effective, it is not advised to be stuck in this stance for to long.

Beginner: The stance is best at becoming firm, solid, and assertive in one's action. The user can snap a quick arrow into place for a short ranged shot, the accuracy of the shot is folly at best and should only be used as a last resort, or as a distraction before you withdraw the daggers. The iron guards on the sides are best used to deflect moves, and the user has the stance needed to block and maintain a equal struggle with a blade of equilivant material. The downside is that the user cannot maintain a steady flow of arrows after the first, as the stance's rigid movements causes it to be awkward to withdraw a second arrow as swiftly, and the aiming ability at any range remains the same. Depending on one's natural instincts they have a good chance to utilize the guards to protect themselves long enough to hopefully catch enough distance for a distracting shot and then reengage further.

Training time at this level: 0-2

Intermediate: The stance has improved, allowing the user to now effectively disengage and repel blows using the iron guards. The accuracy of close range shots has increased, but the speed remains the same. The user's defenses around their rear guard is weakened due to the focus and firmness of the stance, making it so this stance is best to deal with aggressors the user is facing. Increased training in this stance also allows one to absorb blows directly to their body better if they have been willing to take increase training in the stance, otherwise their physical condition will be the same.

Training time at this level: 3-7

Expert: A master of Mineral's Vanguard has caused the user to be much more effective at honing and protecting their body. The eye they need to make for shooting at a close range target is a breath of wonder to behold, and their use of the bow defensively with it's guards is comparable to a Bo-staff user. The user can also be seen sometimes using the bow as a somewhat staff like weapon, slashing and wounding enemies with a swing of the bow, as their swinging a very close range arrow to the now exposed neck. Dangerously difficult to get close in on, one will have to be very well marked with their sword to harm them, a firm body held solidly in place, able to defend itself from harm.

Tranquil Drop: Water Stance

Definition:This stance focuses purely on the concept of, "One Fatal Shot" This stance allows one's heart and body to enter the flow of their heart, and the world around them. The Archer's focus, along with the sensations of the flow allows them to act as a sniper, focused purely on hitting one critical shot. Many of the same beliefs and warnings that hold in Calming Tides carries over to this stance, as both stances grow in the same method in meditation. [Refer to Sword Style, Water Stance for more info.]

Beginner: The user must enter the flow with their heart BEFORE prepping their arrow into the bow, ensuring that both heart and body are one with the Flow around them by the time they are ready to fire. This allows the user to prep their arrow, without sight, and by focusing on the flow able to predict, aim, and fire a very accurate shot towards their target. Things like speed can be made for IF the user is already a master archer, but a true beginner would have to aim the shot more often then not, This stance is very unstable, and takes a long time to set up from beginning to end. It will be hard to maintain the conceration at this stage for more then two shots.

Time training at this level: 0-3

Intermediate: The user has gained the ability to maintain the flow in their heart, and thus is able to better focus while within it. The set up time, the firing rate, and the speed to move out of the flow is all reduced, signifying one's focus with the flow. At this state speed starts becoming a less effective counter, and coverwill have to be replaced. However with the increased focus also comes with reduce reflexes, and the user is more open to being rushed and stopped from close range

Time training at this stance: 4-8

Expert: The user is one with the flow in both heart, body, and mind. The set up time is almost non-existant, as the user is able to enter the flow almost instantly, while prepping that critical lined up shot. While doing a nearly instant set up the line up must still take time to prep, and using the stance at expert level will wear someone out eventually. The disadvantage of becoming less reflexive is lost, as the user makes up for this lost by using the flow around them to "listen". Care is still needed in this stance as one preps up the shots, as each shot is costly, and each shot needs to count.

Reasons for the Art, and goals intended

Very often when we go out in the land of Asulon, we meet someone who is a /Master Swordsman/ whose character has been practicing the sword for years/centuries, and there is no way we could beat them no matter what. This is especially true with elves, with much longer life spans then humans, how can a human possibly be able to beat them. Now I am not trying to single out a race, just a personal experience...With magic, and villain actions, an application is the threshold needed to be passed to prove you can do it, no one wants a mage who Rp's a fire ball with...

"Xaiver summons a fireball from the void, and rains down hell everywhere." No one wants this out of magic, because someone who understands magic should be able to RP it...Never have someone who can't understand how to RP effectively what their character does, I believe the same should be true for swordplay. To many times I see sword fights/axe fights with, "Kaz rushes forward, swinging his axe at Meta."

Instead of, "Kaz leers angrily at Meta, his snout breathing flames of fury as he roars a deadly battle cry, war axe high in the air as he brings it crashing down vertically at Meta, ready to split him in two." This is often then debated oocly with people, who will make claims such as, "I'm an Orc I can do this, you can't beat me 1v1." or, "I'm an elf, I've trained for 200 years to your 30, your human so you can't win."

I believe every race has great strengths and weaknesses, but very few people actually practice or understand their own. As a human player, I wanted to design an art style to give swordsman another view point of fighting RP style. I want to push forward the idea that RP fights are not only a much better option then PvP but create a lot more depth as you challenge yourself and your characters limits in mid-combat, writing out how each motion of your body is controlled, and detailed.

My character doesn't intend to keep this art to himself, as the last Master he actually wishes to teach many others, and OOCLY and ICLy I wish to teach as well, helping to improve a person's understanding of Rping combat scenes, and grow them as a fellow Rper, to make roleplays fight less rollplay to decide an outcome, and more engaging roleplay.

Furthermore I wish to show that the fighting styles of people's characters can be unique, maybe even allowing others to pick up a martial art for their character and designing it, which was a ton of fun for myself to read the lore and interact making Flowing Sun Martial Arts a reality. I can hope that if it's accepted that I can take it a step forward, helping others define there's, and inspiring others to make their sword or axe fighter more unique then just a basic guard style of "Swings sword," But make their fighting an artistic display of showmanship.

F.A.Q. Responses, Etc.

Accepeted Students of the Flowing Sun Martial Art

Master Meta El Solaray Sword Style (MetaSol)

Fire Stance: Intermediate

Wind Stance: Intermediate

Earth Stance: Intermediate

Water Stance: Expert

Apprentice Talithia Ruonna: Archery Style (Pixie524)

Fire Stance: Untrained

Wind Stance: Untrained

Earth Stance: Beginner

Water Stance: Beginner

Apprentice Rethlor Juicidius: Sword Style (Rethlor)

Fire Stance: Beginner

Wind Stance: Untrained

Earth Stance: Untrained

Water Stance: Beginner

F.A.Q

Q: How does one join the art? Can I be self taught?

A: Unfortunately you cannot be self taught this art as it is a fighting style that is left and passed on by the Solaray family. While in the past during Aegis there were students of other families who learned the art, they all perished defending their homeland against the undead, as well as the Solaray family to ensure they made it out safely to protect the noble teachings. This has left the training methods and the teachings of the art in that family and that family alone

However, there is nothing to not say you had a relative who heard of the art, or spoke of a strange art they once saw that seemed to dance with the winds, attack like fire, stand like earth, flow like water...etc etc. Ask around around if anyone has ever fought like this, see if you can find the one who can teach it, and will probably will (He may be a bit cold at first to you, but that's just his nature) begin your tutoring.

Q: Will you be keeping track of my training, do I have to follow the guidelines?

A: Yes and Yes, with a slight bit of no. Before you can progress at any method of the art, A Master must ensure you are following the correct path both spirtually and mentally, and then it is assumed you go off and practice when you have time on your own, I would like you to provide me with either screenshots or good amount of words of mouth so I can keep a track of whose using the art and ensure it's training is kept sharpen, but this is a personal request. During the times that your character and Meta as well can you can return to him or send him a bird for additional training. Also the guidelines for how long it takes is a rough estimation, there are many variables depending on dedication, character adaptability to the stance, other struggles. Take it with a grain of salt, it's a guideline, not a lifeline.

Current Note: The Backlore is not completely finish, but in the lore that will follow the chapter everyone but one of the triplets, (Who is a character I am designing) and Meta's parents will be left who knew the art before the journey to Asulon. NO one else will survive who knows the art, the only way you can know about the art is word of mouth (Maybe you had a sibling who sent letters about the art, or the Solaray family) or have seen Meta fight using it, or seen someone using it.

Second note: I would appreciate feedback on poll decisions, it's just a reference for me to see, ESPECIALLY if your going to choose the bottom option, I've dedicated a long time to this, I want to have HEALTHY debates about it, to see all opinions.

[Bawd 222]

Master Meta El Solaray Sword Style (MetaSol)

Fire Stance: Intermediate

Wind Stance: Intermediate

Earth Stance: Intermediate

Water Stance: Expert

Apprentice Talithia Ruonna: Archery Style (Pixie524)

Fire Stance: Untrained

Wind Stance: Untrained

Earth Stance: Beginner

Water Stance: Beginner

Apprentice Rethlor Juicidius: Sword Style (Rethlor)

Fire Stance: Beginner

Wind Stance: Untrained

Earth Stance: Untrained

Water Stance: Beginner

Great lore overall, but the quote disturbs me - You mean to say you've provided lore for acceptance after beginning to roleplay it?

[MetaSolaray 242]

Great lore overall, but the quote disturbs me - You mean to say you've provided lore for acceptance after beginning to roleplay it?

I have a very small group of friends who have been willing to help me develop the art and make it stand out without an issue. This art is a critical and core development style for my character and to not do it would simply take away...90% of himself as well. This lore was built around the very people I started to use it around, and a lot of my note history taking was built around them. I want to mainstream it now more so, and open the floodgates persay.

Any time someone argued with me I would stop using it to be fair, so far those arguments were countable on one hand. And always were resolved...

EDIT: Also my character has ICLy been training in this art himself since he was a small child, (Since he was 4, he's 20 now) SO of course he has high levels of learning. Where else would I pull the art from to have it learned...you'd need SOMEONE who knows it, and they wouldn't pop out the woodworks randomly.

[Djinne 32]

Great lore overall, but the quote disturbs me - You mean to say you've provided lore for acceptance after beginning to roleplay it?

Not all lore needs to be accepted before use, from my knowledge. Many times in a character biography, there has been that there character learnt how to fight from a certain place, and this isn't much different, except it is a unique fighting style.

I like this lore, and I like what you are trying to do; to enhance the quality of roleplay fights.

[MetaSolaray 242]

Not all lore needs to be accepted before use, from my knowledge. Many times in a character biography, there has been that there character learnt how to fight from a certain place, and this isn't much different, except it is a unique fighting style.

I like this lore, and I like what you are trying to do; to enhance the quality of roleplay fights.

That's what I assumed, this style was being used by Meta (My character go figure) before I could sit down to submit it. Now I can promise you a lot of the potential fighting style came through the RP I had in the server, making it stand out more and more and working on the lore as I did so. It was a pleasure to do this and I do hope it increases the quailty of Roleplay fights.

No one wants to have a 30 year old swordsman get beaten by a 300 year old elf sword fighter simply because, "They trained longer so obviously you cannot win." And the 30 year old's RP is very deep and detailed, while the elfs is "Swings his sword at his enemy." Then complains in OOC that your powergaming because your character shouldn't be able to such and such or so and so.

EDIT: Also added a poll so be sure to vote so I can get quicker info on it :D?

[Altariel_Alfakyn 8]

Are there any plans for an Unarmed branch?

[MetaSolaray 242]

Are there any plans for an Unarmed branch?

As of right now, no, is there a possibility? Of course...While Earth stance does have some basics thrown in the unarmed combat style, it's not really a focus as the original founder and her husband were both sword users, and as the art hasn't survived for a very long time it was deemed better to set a ground floor to work off BEFORE branching off.

If someone who was close to Meta wanted to in that regard, he'd probarly spend time thinking it over, working it out...and since the style's belief of "The sword is an extension of the body" it wouldn't be hard, though in this regard I will probarly be limiting everyone to learning one Style for each stance, (So you can't be Master at everything, you have to constantly train in your one aspect)

[Watyll 1102]

The only peice of lore you need accepted here is water lore, as it has a type of magic. I don't believe you need permission for the other things.

[MetaSolaray 242]

The only peice of lore you need accepted here is water lore, as it has a type of magic. I don't believe you need permission for the other things.

Actually it doesn't use any magic, the sensing of vibrations is nothing more then figurtive language for sounds and being in touch with the world around you. Just like when you see a weapon you've never seen before, or are in the wilds and you hear a strange sound, your body can sense danger, you might not be aware of it but you get a 'sixth' sense of danger nearby.

Water stance takes that to an extreme, and sensing emotions is also able to be done in real life, if someone storms past you, you can tell their angry, if your best friend is secretly in tears in their heart, you can just take a look at them and tell it is. The actual stance is a perception of telling and percieving threats, and handling them. Using both vibrations (Flow sense) and their own natural senses (Think blind swordsman style...a reason why you close your eyes to remove distractions.)

[Watyll 1102]

In that case I don't believe you need permission for this.

[MetaSolaray 242]

In that case I don't believe you need permission for this.

Well, for one I'd like to take it further through the art forms, and maybe one day add more things (Magic would be interesting to add into the stances sword arts) and also I wanted to make it more and more developed lorewise and open for others to use...that and when it's Rp'd, some people may argue with the stances, I want solid definition and lore behind it. Just like with new races, new weapons, this is a "new" weapon...and a strong one.

[Baconthief 672]

Rethlor Juicidius

Lol XD Juicidius....sounds...juicey

I've seen you rp this and how you rp in combat. It's very good! (Very clever what you did with my shield wall XD)I sort of put more thought into my own rp combat because of it. I'd love to learn your martial art, would really spice up Fiyem's. As one of three people who rp using a shield, Fiyem would fit perfectly with the earth stance

[MetaSolaray 242]

Lol XD Juicidius....sounds...juicey

I've seen you rp this and how you rp in combat. It's very good! I sort of put more thought into my own rp combat because of it. I'd love to learn your martial art, would really spice up Fiyem's. As one of three people who rp using a shield, Fiyem would fit perfectly with the earth stance

Thank you, and honestly I'd love to teach more people and encourage depth in RP fights. Hell I had to be told to slow down (my first ever RP fight with jistuma we had to stop several times while I both explained my art and we had to verify what we were doing.) Yeah the fight ended up in a lost for Meta as he was over confident as a younger warrior, but it was a great bonding experience and this is what I want the server to have.

For those who do not want it, I'd like to hear your thoughts on it and why, so I can see if I can either understand your viewpoint or persuade you to see it my way, discussion is good, discussion makes puppies happy. Everyone likes puppies.

[Baconthief 672]

Thank you, and honestly I'd love to teach more people and encourage depth in RP fights. Hell I had to be told to slow down (my first ever RP fight with jistuma we had to stop several times while I both explained my art and we had to verify what we were doing.) Yeah the fight ended up in a lost for Meta as he was over confident as a younger warrior, but it was a great bonding experience and this is what I want the server to have.

Rosso and his stick XD

I try using Jui-jitso( Been doing it since I was little) in my own rp. Not for the playing to win of course, just to make things exciting and less bland combat wise. However, It will normally nearly shuts down the roleplay when I do it. I sort of stoped because of it, the moves get pretty complicated. So I totally understand the stoping.

I could add to the unarmed bit of the martial art if you liked : )

Edit: Only problem is it's more of a "on the ground" martial art. Not really standing up, few rp situations call for "on the ground" combat

[V0idsoldier 1139]

Yes, you do need to have this accepted before role playing just as I needed to have my martial arts lore accepted before role playing it.