#spear combat

[ancientstuff]

It's truly astonishing how much we can learn when we get good, deep looks into the way things are made.

[ilions-end]

it tickles me that achilles has an HEIRLOOM SPEAR in the iliad. the one that's been handed from chiron to peleus to achilles, which he uses constantly in this war that involves a lot of spear throwing. how does that work? does he go for a stroll every evening to collect it from wherever (in whoever) it landed? does he raise his hands mid-battle and go "ALRIGHT EVERYBODY STOP, I'M GETTING MY SPEAR" and then everybody stand around politely for a few minutes? it's like having an especially nostalgic arrow that you insist on using every day. imagining the other commanders like "please achilles. bring a different spear today. not your special one" and achilles is like "no it has to be the special one"

[serpentface]

Janeys about to win his first ever duel to the death, mostly by virtue of being a less shitty swordsman than his opponent.

DUELING IN IMPERIAL WARDIN

Dueling is partially legal in Imperial Wardin, with official duels overseen and regulated by authority figures, and unoffical duels regulated largely by social contract. This form of combat allows disputes, accusations, acts of vengeance, and slights of honor to be settled outside of court or pure interpersonal violence. Ritualized aspects of the practice act as a sort of self-regulation, allowing scores to be settled while dissuading the developments of outright feuds.

No one is materially compelled to accept a challenge to a duel, but refusing can be a tricky maneuver. In many cases, this will be taken as cowardice and a stain on the challenged party's honor and masculinity, and may add significant fuel to the challenger's accusations. The circumstances where it is socially 'safe' to refuse are when the challenger is VASTLY physically outmatched, or is of markedly lower status or otherwise seen as a social inferior (being lower class, a eunuch/woman/akoshos, an infamously dishonored party, a sex worker, etc), though even this can be risky depending on the circumstances.

Women and akoshos cannot be challenged in duels, nor can they Legally be challengers (with a very specific exception for Odonii priestesses, who have men's legal rights), though they can indirectly do so via a male relation acting as their proxy in combat. The alternative is not Entirely unheard of, but very rare, and rarer still that a male opponent will accept. The concept is, however, a motif in heroic folktales wherein a young woman disguises herself as a man and enters into a duel to avenge the murder of her brother or another family member. In most variants, this is cast as a heroic as an act of extreme familial piety, with her masculinization being an entirely temporary means of doing so (which is immediately abandoned post-duel).

Once the challenge is accepted, both parties will negotiate terms through a proxy (by convention, this is a blood relative or other legal kin). This decides the time and location of the match, as well as its stakes. The majority of duels are Not to the death, rather to a lesser end- first blood, incapacitation, submission, etc. In fully legal duels, this agreement is submitted to a local authority and its terms become legally enforceable. Even in 'off the books' duels, the terms will generally be enforced by overwhelming social contract. There is effectively no backing out once the formal agreements have been made. One party not showing up at the agreed time and place effectively concedes a victorious social high ground to their opponent, but without the matter being 'settled' (encouraging further escalation).

Legally, duels must either be fought on private property or outside of city limits (as wearing a weapon in any of the capital cities is illegal for most civilians). You can find semi-legal underground dueling sites in most of the cities, though this tends to be associated with the petty, dirty squabblings of commoners and most nobility will opt to fight in the countryside.

Duels are typically overseen by a neutral third party, with legal duels being specifically officiated by a socially protected individual (usually a priest) who directs the ritual elements of the proceedings and observes and records its outcome. The arena is measured out in a circle approximately twelve paces wide, and marked with stakes and a binding of sanctified amenchil rope wound left to right. This form of binding is broadly used in cultural practice to delineate and spiritually protect sacred spaces (wound right to left in these contexts). Its reversed use in duels provides a regulatory psychological function- the arena becomes a segregated liminal space, and the rest of the world is symbolically bound with a protective barrier, keeping the violence of the dispute confined to this space and time.

Additionally, both combatants (and their familial proxies) swear a binding oath (before a holy relic in priest-officiated duels) - swearing to obey pre-negotiated terms and rules, and declaring that the victor shall be recognized as the righteous party and that the outcome of the duel wholly resolves the dispute. Being bound to such an oath might not settle things on an emotional level, but HEAVILY disincentivizes a duel starting or worsening family feuds- even in fatal duels, the defeated party's family has no justification to demand a blood price or avenge their slain kin, or otherwise commit direct reprisals over the dispute (and would be breaking a solemn oath before God, which will have consequences).

Both parties prepare themselves to fight. Exact traditions vary across the region, but duels are near-ubiquitously fought unarmored with a single blade (sometimes, but not always, replaced by staffs or blunted swords for non-fatal fights). In the south of the region (as depicted here), it's traditional to fight topless with one's cloak clasped around their hips and hair bound into a topknot (the gull feather here is not a dueling norm, but it's lucky).

Both combatants enter the ring and stand at opposing sides, and the dual begins at the overseer's signal. The challenging party is not permitted to make the first attack, and instead must dodge or block their opponent's first swing before they can begin to retaliate. The duel will then proceed to its pre-negotiated ending.

There are additional compacts that direct the fighting. Fleeing from the arena is an automatic loss (and an EXTREME stain on one's honor and masculinity). If the combat spills out past the boundaries, it must be halted and the arena entirely moved and re-bound before restarting. Surrender is possible even in fatal fights, and it is generally taboo to kill an opponent who has verbally declared defeat (as they have lost the duel in doing so, and the matter is thus settled- proceeding further is murder). These rules will be enforced by the authority in legally overseen fights, and are largely (though not universally) enforced by social convention in illegal duels.

Upon resolution, the winner extracts a verbal affirmation of their victory from the loser (if they survived), or from the loser's familial proxy (if they didn't). In some traditions, they are specifically permitted to cut the loser's hair (which is a humiliating and somewhat emasculating act, only adolescent boys (and mourners) wear their hair short in most of the Wardi cultural sphere). A winner who feels the loser fought/died valiantly or is otherwise highly respectable may abstain, as a means of protecting their opponent's dignity. The resolution of the fight ostensibly concludes the dispute, with the winning party justified as righteous in their cause, and gaining social capital and Masc Points in their victory.

[room-surprise]

Absolutely GORGEOUS art of Kabru! Go check the artist out on Twitter (and if they've posted this art to Tumblr let me know so I can delete this!)

[what-aboutno]

It's crazy that in early maze days cOwen mentions he doesn't know first aid and he doesn't know how to fish. Like how did you survive as a soldier if you can't use the resources around you??

Also cOwen apperently not knowing hand to hand combat is insane. All his memories after the reunion show him fighting close up, and most of his kills later are close up too. I guess you could say that he remembers this stuff later on but it's still really funny to think about.

[fabforgottennobility]

THIS

IS SPARTA

[we-are-knight]

My friends,

It has begun. ⚜️

[senseearly]

Okay i know that u dont technically need a staff/wand to cast magic (but for marcilles case staffs seem to offer better casting/directionality) but imagine mithrun with a staff... A staff that he can use to whack monsters/people with... Spear teleportation user mithrun...

[molagboop]

High-echelon Mawkin suit modules can be pretty wild, and the Energy conversion module in Raven Beak's suit is no exception.

When exposed to an active current or energy field, the module accounts for the level of charged particles in the local atmosphere and converts the detected matter to power. Most substantial forms of power and radiation are compatible with its function, and it's calibrated to work more efficiently when exposed to substantially powerful forms of plasmic matter.

The conversion module is similar to (but should not be confused with) the thermal charge module, which charges the power suit in extreme heat. That technology is also implemented in the protective exosuits found in Cataris' lava zone. The Mawkin use thermal energy to power a number of their facilities: that they'd implement it in their more mobile works is only natural.

Back to the subject at hand, the conversion module's practicality is twofold: to keep Raven Beak's suit sufficiently charged and to maintain his vigor in battle. His particular biometric modifications are such that his suit, combined with his level of physical fitness, can theoretically keep him fighting without fear of exhaustion in perpetuity.

Raven Beak's juiced up version of lightning armor is the inverse of this module: it absorbs charged particles for the purpose of coalescing into a projected wave. The use of lightning armor in this manner negates the function of the conversion module for restorative purposes. Additionally, lightning armor works best against oncoming projectiles, while the reactive conversion module is at its peak when the suit is exposed to ambient radiation or concentrated, consistent flows of power.

Suffice to say, Raven Beak is probably the only person who could stick a fork in an electrical socket and have it do the exact opposite of killing him.

[likeapriceless-wine]

OOC

One thing I fucking adore in pjo is the unique weapons and tools, like Clarisse's electric spear and Luke's winged shoes and shit like that SO here's C.J's

He has this ring that he probably found snooping around in the big house attic that turns into a guitar. I haven't worked out exactly how you get it to change from the ring to the guitar BUT when its in guitar form it has an extra tuning knob that turns it back into the ring

And he has the guitar pick on a necklace

For good measure I have reference photos I found on pinterest for both it's forms and the guitar pick necklace lmao

Edit: Just to clarify he can channel his dionysus kid insanity powers through music. He's not going around beating people with a guitar

[elderly-scrolls]

yknow i was referencing bloodborne because [guy who has only played bloodborne voice] but wow this early zone before the bridge with geppetto really feels like i’m back in central yharnam 🥰

[malwarechips]

i love her ok

[krimsonkatt]

Awakened Tayo

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Tayo after awakening to his dark powers as the Archon Baetylus' servant.

Tayo was born in the slums of Downtown Eternia. His mother died when he was young, and one day when he was starving on the streets half beaten to death by a local gang, he was visted by Baetylus, spirit of the crimson meteor and archon of wrath. Baetylus offered to make a deal with him: Baetylus would grant Tayo a powerful body that didn't need to eat or sleep, and in exchange Tayo would become Baetylus' eternal servant, ensuring that the crimson meteor, a calamity that nearly wiped out humanity 1000 years ago, would return.

Tayo then became a depraved bandit, looting and killing at his heart's desire. However, one day while raiding a certain village and burning it to the ground, an alfar woman pleaded with his to stop this rampage and destruction. Right before Tayo was about to land the killing blow, the alfar said these words: "you can still be redeemed."

This words shouldn't have phased Tayo. But for some reason, they pierced him to his very core and made him question everything. Could person like him ever be redeemed? No, it was impossible. He was a monster, a servant of the archon. He could accomplish nothing in his life but destruction. But was that really true? As Tayo walked away from the devastation he himself had caused, Tayo finally came face to face with the consequences of his actions. The Ferngulf Holy Knights, they have caught him.

Tayo tried to fight back against the knights, but there were too many of them and they were too strong. These weren't ordinary knights, this was their elite squadron, the best of the best of their entire guild. Tayo, even with his dark powers granted by the archon, didn't stand a chance. Tayo, beaten half to death, was thrown into the river below, believed to be dead.

Some time later a kindly cleric from Banna found Tayo's body still barelly clingling onto life and nursed him back to health. Tayo, after awakening, didn't know what to do with his life. At that moment he decided that his life as a bandit was over, and he would begin a new life as a cleric of the eternian church to seek redemption from his past sins. So, Tayo began wearing a bandana to hide the archon's mark embedded in his right eye and began serving the eternian church as a cleric.

Many years later Tayo came across Koros while attempting to place a ward in Banna Woodlands to reduce the growing population of terrors (monsters) in the woods. They decided to team up to defeat the wicked Baron Ozma and save the world from the crimson meteor's fated return. However, they were tricked. Baron Ozma wasn't responsible for the coming calamity, but rather it was Trello, prophet of Morda Vael to prophetized the fall of the crimson meteor in the first place. Ozma actually opposed Trello, and planned to use the Ars Solaris, the legendary sword, to anihilate Morda Vael and defeat Trello for good.

As a reward for stopping the one man who stood in the way of Trello and the Archon's plans, Baetylus appeared before the heroes Koros, Tayo, Zenith, and Stacy and "gifted" Tayo with new dark powers, the power of the Ravager class. This caused Tayo for forcibly "awaken", a special ability that some users of asterisks (class-granting magick items) can use that causes their appearance to change corresponding to a massive power increase as well as unlocking their own, unique class exclusive to them independent of any asterisks. This is actually how Asterisk are produced, by copying the abilities of an awakening down into data and then transmitting that learned experience into someone's ether (magickal energy), allowing one to gain the powers and mild appearance changes of heroes from long ago.

Tayo initially sealed away these powers within himself, wishing to never use them as he believed that him using them could risk Baetylus possessing him. However, after a conversation with his shadow (inner darkness) in Downtown Eternia, the place where he first made the pact with Baetylus, he decided that he should use this power granted to him for good rather than evil, and unlocked the ability to learn arts for his Ravager class.

In battle the Ravager uses a variety of weapons including swords, axes, spears, and bows, the most of any class. Unlike Koros' saintblade and Jeht's hexblade S-Classes, Tayo's ravager class cannot use katana. The Ravager's arts primarily include physical and elemental attacks that inflict various "element breaks" on the enemy, causing them to become weak to specific elements. This feature is incredibly useful as hitting an enemy weakness gains the player's party additional actions in battle, allowing you to change the flow of battle drastically in your favor. The Ravager's talent art is "Arc of Anxiety", which reduces the opponent's press turns for their next turn to 1. The Ravager's passive arts meanwhile include:

Sturdy Stance: Nullify critical hits.

Guardian Force: Reduce damage taken by 20% when above 80% HP.

Arcane Enchantment: Raise the power of all elements by 5% for all allies at the beginning of battle.

Vampiric Edge: Drain +5% HP/AP lifesteal.

Adaptive Stance: Deal +10% damage when above 50% HP and take 20% less damage when below 50% HP.

The ravager is a defender-type class, despite having most of their active arts be standard physical or physical elemental attacks.

[emotional-support-gummgumm]

Weapon of choice?

Wimble shows you all her weapon of choice! A well cared for Morning Star, its spiked head looking like a geode turned inside out, the crystalline spikes the same signature green everything in the Darklands seemed to be hued with. She also lifts her foot to show the large sharp talons on the ends of each of her toes! They’re capped with metal to keep from sustaining too much damage, but you can make out that they have also been painted with ALOT of blue glittery nail polish, likely from Jellen. A true warrior both wields her weapon and IS her weapon!

[xitty]

New Akatsuki profiles:

Everyone +1 kg

Keito: Hobby: writing, collecting glasses Specialty: shamisen

Kuro: Hobby: sewing, costume design Specialty: karate

Souma: Hobby: cooking, tea ceremony, incense ceremony Specialty: martial arts* *arts with weapons for samurai and soldiers

[turtlemagnum]

fire magic being so prevalent in morrowind is so funny to me, like for most people AND animals it does fucking nothing and yet it's considered like the default kind of offensive magic. like imagine if you lived in a world were certain races were magically immune to certain kinds of damage and white people were immune to bullets, i feel like the US wouldn't have nearly as many guns if that were the case y'know? meanwhile Every Dunmer On Nirn has an 100% resistance to fire and yet they all seem to think specializing in fire magic is a good idea. i mean, it would be if you existed in like cyrodiil or summurset or something, y'know, a place where most people DONT have immunity to fire. but you live in morrowind, where almost everyone's a dunmer. it's the same reason why i never bother with ice magic when i play skyrim, why would i specialize in the kind of magic that most people are gonna be able to resist, that's asinine. anyways, that's why shock's objectively the best kind of offensive magic in TES, basically nobody resists it and a lot of daedra (some of the most powerful beings in existence) are weak to it, and also it doesn't cost as much energy to use as a straight up damage health spell. incidentally i feel like lightning magic would be the most useful for offense in any realistic context too since like, you realize how easily that shit can kill you??? we're literally conductive bags of water, as are pretty much all animals, that shit'd kill literally anything with minimal effort