Basic Sword

[Lavana Tharn]

1st Of Z'ida 717

It was just one of those boring days, where nothing seemed to be going on. And it sort of called to her, the closet as she opened it to be greeted by a set of gear shed stashed away. Lavana always took care of her equipment, and her weapons and armor pieces she locked away had a special place in her memory gifts given to her from long ago.

But it was that Bronze sword that caught her attention the most today, most smiths would snub the idea of bronze weapons in favor of lighter steel but her claymore was elegant as it shimmered like a solid piece of gold. Its edge was particularly dull sharp enough to tear into meat like a battle axe when enough force was applied but it was more likely to splinter and shatter bones rather then part it with surgical precision. It was by no means a precision instrument it felt like it was more designed to break men behind plate armor like a semi sharp bat. It was a weapon for strong hands as she felt her movements strain her lats as she gently whirled it around familiarizing her self with this blunt force trauma inducing weapon. It was genuinely superb and she treasured it dearly, as she played around with it slowly the slower her movements the more it worked her back and core muscles of her stomach as she held it outright enjoying the burn of her makeshift work out as she put her feet on the ground in a nice wide stance to maximize the swinging potential of her claymore.

Clentching the handle she picked it up getting readjusted with its weight after a small reprieve from from her work out. She understood that she needed to work on her forms and while it might have been easier to to just toss the sword in the closet and forget it. She disciplined herself, she knew better if she was ever going to achieve anything she would have to pour herself into her craft so she could become better. Sitting on her bed daydreaming about it was a farse, shed never achieve anything staring aimlessly at her cieling. The mortal born needed to build her foundation if she ever hoped to become any better. It was all about practice, practice, practice she knew better than to expect to become a master swordsman over night. It would take discipline to see herself through the task at hand, it would require her to throw away inhibition and laziness it would demand hard work but her desire was achievable she was decent a born to be natural as the forms came to her a bit quicker then most.

She felt particulary badass, as she manuevered around her room, twisting her wrists as she studied the movements of her two handed sword.

The mortal born took a moment going over basic blocking techniques, feeling the swords heft out as she went over various angles of basic defense. As she did so she manuevered around a bit, feeling it as as she blocked phantom strikes with cordial steps around her room as she envisioned a foe to part with her bronze weapon.

Lavana envisioned a long sword, and as her foe charged she blocked with not only her savage killing tool but with the force of her might to repel her foes one handed blade out of the way exposing him his stomach. As her fake partners arm recoiled back she envisioned her golden sword biting into the flesh of his stomach and gliding through the meat of his abs all the while the weight of his innards spilling on the floor as a steaming pile as she opened the pretend enemy like flayed game.

She seemed at peace with the whispers, as she practiced foot movement and sword strokes as she envisioned sharp metal cutting flesh as the spirits of her domains danced around her. She started on thrusts, stepping back and thrusting stepping forward and thrusting and a bizarre move a foot stab as she stepped backwards it kind of gave her an interesting idea to play around with.

The real trick was her swords ridiculous length, she understood through acrobatic hand eye coordination her cutting zone against smaller weapons could utilize the reach to her advantage. She practiced catching adversaries as she imagined there blows coming short in the movements lining them up with several feet sweeping above or below there cut as when they whiffed the extra length of her two handed sword would reach out and touch them.

She played with chopping strikes and she used the foot work to angled herself away from imaginary sword strokes, pretending to cleave into the hands and wrists of an imaginary foe as she used timing to angle off. Her idea was to use the matador style maneuvering to secure the position to part a foes hands from there weapon behind the cross guard. Her instrument of death and pain could part hands in a deft whir of bronze. She found the disarming technique favorable, as she found herself methodically practicing with it. Moving stepping out to the side pivoting on the ball of her foot and letting her sword drop down to hack Into them. When she felt like she had achieved some level of progress with the technique in her movement and posture for balance.

Shed practice foot movements with her sword, using her acrobatic foot work to compliment her swordsmanship to cut advantageous angles that would allow her a full swing of her sword. She would move and flow adjusting what she learned with swift feet to and applying the dynamic as she learned how to cut corners to build momentum for swings against kited adversaries. Using her basic knowledge of weapon reach and building upon the fundamentals as she branched out developing techniques to best serve her preferred weapon of choice.

She fought with nothing but air as she played with her claymore, practicing thrusting her sword while stepping back. It was clumsy at first and felt awkward in it's application if it hadnt been for her graceful footwork she doubted such a manuever would be possible for herself using physical synergy with robust technique to open the door for new things. It was all about learning and becoming comfortable with new ideas and concepts to take her swordsmanship to the next level. She'd move backwards applying the principal and idea of fighting with movement with the basic hacks and cleaves you'd come to expect from forward moving blows. The idea played into the greater reach of her sword, catch them by surprise with elusive movement when there weapons didn't have the reach to stab or cut her open while the extra reach of hers could catch them on the way out.

It was exhausting work as Lavana continued brandishing her blade, the mortal born felt great about her sword play and how it was developing into something special. take it's toll on her arms and lats. But she stay busy working on her forms even if there was no real adversary to fight with, it was practice and discipline that would make the grade. Continue forward, press the attack and do everything in your power to stay alive she felt confidence overcome her as her style and physicality were beginning to mesh to together as she began attempting to meld her speed and reflex and incorporate her physical prowess into her cutting strokes making her strikes faster and more accurate as she whirred that claymore around her room getting a good work out and having a spot of fun while doing it also.

She worked hard for what she wanted stepping forward and cutting an angle so that she may swing her sword only to step back and retaliate and then pressing the advance to go forward once again she was beginning to feel a solid rhythm her techniques choppy and methodical but improving as she practiced her form. The mortal born felt emboldened as she discovered more and more about herself as she walked on her journey to become a competent swordsman, as she inched ever closer to reaching the next plateau.

The more she practiced these steps the better and more fluid they came to be as she began branching out beyond just sword technique and encompassed her entire physicality to wield her weapon of choice, she would blend it all to create something of her own design. It was her commitment to physical combat that would keep her motivated to learn that there was far more to sword play then just technique alone.

She wiped the sweat off her brow and walked over to the closet putting the sword away. She was tired and sore but at the end of the day she felt like shed taken the next step forward. Lavana had applied what she knew and blended it with her swordsmanship making herself just a little more formidable then she had been before. She acknowledged other skills and there usefulness with mastering the blade; For what was technique without the physicality to back it up? Certainly the sword itself was an extension of her being, it was her soul.

But beyond this it took more then just skill alone to win the day, she understood this and vowed to live and breath her fundamental truth of the blade. To do otherwise, was to settle for less it was a cope out that would prove a weakness she knew this and would not allow herself to fall prey to cutting corners and taking the easy way out.

[Pegasus]

Lavana

Overview

I really enjoy reading Lavana as a pc - I'm struck by just how much you've developed with her in a hundred posts - she's done so many things, and she's so very much a deep and multi-layered pc. In this thread, which is fundamentally a grind thread and could have easily been dull, you show another side to her. Discipline, determination and the idea of "playing" at her sword work. It was really interesting to read and I'm delighted to have had the chance to review this thread. Enjoy your rewards and let me know if there's anything I've missed!

Points

XP: 10

Renown: Nope

Loot

None

Knowledge

Strength; Using sword form as a target muscle work out.
Strength; The slower the movements the more intense the work out.
Discipline; Hard work pays off.
Blades Two Handed Claymore; Sword play while moving backwards.
Blades Two Handed Claymore; Fighting while maintaining distance with foot work.
Blades Two Handed Claymore; Wider stance allows better sword swings.