Martial Arts Styles of Arcydea
(and other warfare training)

Dance of Blades. Requires two one-handed cutting weapons. Style focuses on graceful defense and offense; Acrobatics, Dancing, and similar are common skill requirements. Those skilled at the Dance can perform Dance Magic as part of their combat (and do not lose concentration unless they mess up.)

Nexus Streetfighter. This brutal hand-to-hand style focuses on taking people down fast and hard; lessons include improvised weapon use, basic throws and counters, and how to break someone's leg so he'll stop following you.

Path of the Mystical Fists. This fighting style, popularized by the Colby family line, teaches basic combat and a variety of self-targeting effects to boost punching damage or provide other combat bonuses. Popular in Avel'Nikash.

Backwater Tread. Known by a variety of names, some more fanciful or complimentary than others, the Backwater Tread is a series of Combat Art skills for physical, magical, and other combat, which is required in tournaments in certain areas of Arcydea. It is not recommended as a style when fighting non-Nexicans.

Sylvan Hunt Training. The training that elven trackers receive, focusing mostly on stealth, observation, and archery skills. Adepts are legendary survivalists who can follow their prey anywhere; most journeymen settle for knowledge of the forests.

Sylvan War Training. Elfin war troops, on the other hand, are trained more in guerilla warfare, with knowledge of traps, tactics, and swordplay added to their repertoire. Masters are dangerous enemies who by themselves can defeat entire raiding parties.

Sharr Kai Art. A legendary tarn adventurer and an equally talented barbarian warrior worked together to design this unusual combat style for tarns; it is generally meant for use against opponents of superior size, and as such, some other races have studied it when planning on facing much larger opponents. The style's focus is on evading your opponent and finding weak points; Sharr was said to have trained in this extensively before her battle with the treacherous dragon, Kaloshea.

Peasant Militia Drill. This simplistic drill is generally taught to large numbers of untrained people who have volunteered to defend an area; it teaches basic defense and offense with the spear, pike, and halberd; effective use of the spiked club; and some (very) basic training in archery, particularly the volley. It is a relatively simple 'martial art', and geared to be understandable by nearly any sentient being.

Oasis Gunslinger. The desert towns of Oasis are truly curious, with neither magic, psi, nor outwards signs of advanced technology. Its inhabitants make up for it by training heavily in the art of the gun, developing uncanny skill that is envied around Arcydea. A few enterprising marksmen from other lands have tried to master this casual style, but most prefer less fancy work.

Culinaire. One of the more unusual combat arts, Culinaire is a combat style devoted to the use of food as weaponry, battleground, and more. Generally this is more for entertainment and show than for combat, but if you've ever wanted to be good at carrot dueling, gelatin wrestling, or combat coldcuts, Culinaire is your ideal art.

Fencing. Although somewhat rare among adventurers, swashbucklers and nobles are fond of this showy dueling art. It focuses mostly on using the tip of the foil (or other light weapon) to cut or pierce, and is occasionally studied by vampire hunters and similar 'one thrust, one kill' types, as well as by vampires and others with a lot of time on their hands. The Old One is known to be an excellent fencer.

Leu Bo. This peppy 'martial art' is actually a fitness training program for leupaks that is reasonably popular in Eio. Unfortunately, its teachings are generally Combat Arts rather than anything truly useful, a fact most students don't realize until they get a rude awakening. Still, Leu Bo is good for meditation and exercise.

Nexus City Ninjitsu. A flashy martial art taught in Nexus City, this focuses on throws, kicks, and weapons. Unfortunately, it is based on the Backwater Tread, and ninjas tend to get a rude awakening in combat with outsiders.

Red Ribbons. An Avylyssian fighting art practiced with hooked knives, which are used in combat to tear the adversary's flesh open. Avylyssian vampires, in particular, enjoy demonstrating their skill at it to soften up prey before a feed.

Whirling Spear. First demonstrated by the Wandering Designs Mercenaries, the Whirling Spear is a series of techniques for striking, blocking, tripping, throwing, flipping, and otherwise stopping an opponent using a spear. Masters often wield lightweight, shatterproofed all-metal spears augmented to take best advantage of its signature moves.

Knightly Combat. Students of this art develop their skills in the sword, horseback riding, jousting, lancework, and shieldwork. Although more modern-minded riders prefer different mounts and styles, most chivalric orders train in this style, sometimes exclusively.

Dragonrider Combat. The art of riding and controlling a dragon, and of the various available choices for combat from such a platform. Traditionalists prefer to fight with lances, while more advanced combatants use axes and crossbows, or other projectile weapons.

Hovercycle Jousting. The deadly-dangerous game of hovercycle jousting has massive injury rates, even among professionals, and untrained riders are almost certain casualties. Students learn hovercycle piloting, lance positioning, and various vehicular weapon skills, as well as Survival.

Fae Chi. A peculiar martial art practiced by faeries that focuses mostly on flying prowess and archery skill. Masters are said to be almost impossible to strike, even with explosives and arrow volleys. Critics point out that their small size helps.

Quick Chop. Practiced by certain goblinoid tribes, Quick Chop is the study of hand-to-hand combat in its most refined and efficient form. Masters are said to be capable of taking down armored opponents in seconds; most practitioners also learn a few weaponskills, though.