Martial Arts

Adylheim itself sprang from the fruits of warfare; the mountains and plains of the civilized world crafted by divine hands from the bones and skin of Primus himself. Their mortal offspring quickly followed in their steps. While the origins of warfare are obscured behind the mists of time, even the most ignorant peasants can describe the martial traditions of each kingdom. The earth-shaking charge of the Arameian knights. The countless banners of the Andragorian armies. The crazed axe-wielding Huscarls of Starkwater. Unfortunately for dreamy youths across Adylheim, most citizens will only perhaps wield a crudely crafted spear as part of the local militia. They might, however, engage in a form of combat just as old as warfare: unarmed combat. Blood sports are popular ways for the poor to pass their time and perhaps win a small purse. Nobles also occasionally engage in wrestling and sparring under the tutelage of trained masters. The more foppish do so for social glory. The martially inclined do so out of pragmatic necessity. Swords are left in armories and daggers lost in night time struggles. Arms and legs are always available and oft provide the last line of defense against an assassin.

Documenting every single unarmed martial art would be an impossible task. Each of the major schools detailed in this article have hundreds and perhaps even thousands of local variants and crass imitators. It should also be noted that a life dedicated to the pursuits of ‘unarmed’ combat rarely only encompass the unaided movements of the body. When fighting for survival—and in the dangerous world of Adylheim even the most innocuous fight can quickly turn fatal—most masters recognize the value of that special edge. Whether a lead weight clenched in a fist of a boxer or the drab disguises worn by Andragorian assassin matters little. What matters, when all is said and done, is victory.

Note on Names: The major schools of martial arts trace their origins to the uncertain strife before the founding of the Arameian Empire. Names are translated from the original language into Tradespeak.

Way of Arthium

” We northerners need not hide behind a shell of steel. I’ll meet his steel with my hands and crush his limbs.”
- Huscarl Grunigor

Most Popular In: Starkwater, Arameia, Teslan

Description: In the heat of battle, even the most hardened knight can find himself without spear, sword or shield. Most nobles therefore charge their senior squires with following their masters into battle and providing alternative armament. Unfortunately, these brave souls often become separated from their masters or assaulted by opportunistic foes. Most knights must therefore rely on halfhearted blows and kicks that have little effect on armored enemies. Needless to say, this state of affairs often ends in grief, capture, or worse.

The masters of the Way of Arthium claim that the wild northern tribes of Starkwater first modified their wild wrestling to fight the invading Arameian armies. Never ones to let a good idea go to waste, the soldiers brought the tradition of armed grappling back to Aram. Against an armed and armored flow, strikes become almost useless and pure strength vain. The Way of Arthium therefore relies primarily on pins, joint locks, and throws designed to direct the energies of an opponent for a practitioner’s own purposes. While first inspired by armored warriors, masters often begin their lessons by teaching unarmored grappling. A skilled practitioner of the Way of Arthium, even while unarmed, can quickly immobilized a lightly armored assassin and proceed to break the joints and bones of each limb in turn.

Strength of the Gods

“There is no surrender, cur. We fight until Maia comes for our souls.”
- Sir Timothy Naser of Nevros

Most Popular In: Nevros, Starkwater, Arameia

Description: The cold winters and short summers of Nevros produce a harsh and strong people. Not even the ancient masters—of whom there are few—claim to know precisely how the Strength of the Gods originated. In all likelihood, the discipline slowly evolved out of boxing and wrestling contests with which nobles and commoners vied for glory and prizes. Fights usually begin with an exchange of powerful blows with the hands and powerful, low kicks to gradually batter and weaken the opponents for the second phase. When one fighter senses victory, he employs a variety of throws and grappling techniques to drive their opponent to the floor. There, a relentless flurry of blows pounds their opponent into submission—or death.

More than any of the popular martial arts, the practitioners of the Strength of the Gods encourage organized spars far beyond the borders of a single kingdom. Every winter, the greatest fighters travel to a wind-swept plain in the heartlands of Nevros to fight as divine worship and for mortal glory. Crippling wounds are common and many combatants would rather choose death than the dishonor of submission.

Playful Fight

“Isn’t this fun?”
- Unknown soldier taking a cudgel to a group of ogres

Most Popular In: Longmoor, Nerin

Description: The Soilien people are well known across the Empire as friendly, cheerful people with great love for song and tales. Performers of Nerin, in particular, are well known for their acrobatic dances performed in the view of an entire clan. According to legend, a priestess of Lapis first melded the swirling dance with their martial tradition when threatened with capture by marauding Andragorian soldiers. The ‘pure’ form of the Playful Fight emphasizes the use of kicks, sweeps and head or elbow strikes in a swirling, unending rhythm. Some masters also teach a variety of hand strikes, but the majority of practitioners limit the use of their hands.

While their western neighbors view the Playful Fight as a fanciful and largely useful diversion, the people of Longmoor embraced the discipline as the scourge of the ogres became more and more common in their homeland. It was the people of Longmoor who integrated stickfighting into the Playful Fight; reasoning that there is almost always some sort of stick or cudgel available. Masters are split almost evenly between single- and double- stick schools and, often, teach grappling techniques to disarm or disable an opponent with the help of their canes.

Thousand Blows

“I will take your honor and then I shall take your life.”
- Mistress Tsu

Most Popular In: Andragoria, Nerin

Description: Unlike the northern fiefdoms, the practice of martial arts is deeply ingrained in the social structure of Nerin and Andragoria. Hundreds of dojo’s teach prospective students the Thousand Blows or some variation thereof. As described by its name, the discipline focuses primarily on unleashing a flurry of blows. This is not to say the diminutive Soilien people sacrifice strength; their masters able to break brick and wood with their bare hands. The style and substance of a student’s education differs very much from master to master. Some emphasize closing with an opponent and delivering a constant barrage of quick punches. Others teach a dance of devastating kicks. Regardless of the particulars, the practitioners of the Thousand Blows learn to strike hard, fast, and without mercy.

Northern nobles enjoy hosting jousts and competitions of martial prowess. The merchant princes of the Golden City commonly serve as patrons for successful dojo’s that compete in tournaments held throughout the year. While broken bones and wounded egos are common, these competitions are decidedly less brutal than the games of the Strength of the Gods.

Note: The following are legendary schools of martial arts. These are not available except through membership in the respective organizations.

Beauty of the Crimson Dawn

“The greedy northmen. Our traitorous brothers. Our enemies are many. But we, we of the Eternal Guard will remain forever vigilant. So long as we exist, the sun will always dawn over the Golden City.”
- Mia the Ever-Dreaming

Most Popular In: Not available to the general public.

Description: No school of martial arts is subject to more legend and rumor than the Beauty of the Crimson Dawn. Only the mortals of the Black Watch—the mortal arm of the eternal guardians of the state—can truly claim to practice the discipline. The disciplines of the Beauty of the Crimson Dawn are experts at human physiology; able to locate pressure points and organs even in the most chaotic battlefields or the darkest nights. Victims are sometimes found dead without any sign or struggle. In particularly pressing cases, targets are found with dozens of precise, deadly cuts and left to suffer a long and agonizing death. No one has ever survived such tender affection even with the aid of magical healing.

Winter’s Wrath

“Win.”
-Unnamed magorg instructor.

Most Popular In: Not available to the general public.

Description: The magical assassins of Starkwater, known as the magorgs, practice a simple philosophy in their unarmed combat techniques. Win in the most effective way possible. Make the opponent die with the last danger to oneself. Unlike the stealth-loving assassins of the southern kingdoms, there is no mistaking the work of the magorgs. Guards torn in half. Witnesses reduced to piles of flesh and ground bones. Using the strength endowed by their magical enhancements, the magorgs more than earn their reputation as relentless assassins when the practice the powerful blows and bone-cracking throws of Winter’s Wrath.