Codex Style Of Avros¶
I give my thanks to an old man who gave inspiration to a stranger
seeking solace. I hope his years served him well, and that he may rest
easy. Thank you, Delvor.
The Style of Avros
Junopr Hestle
Dreggo is the most known trainer of the Avrosian style in Iridine's
proximity. I got to know him and spent several years training with him.
He's quite adept at the maneuvers, and will not charge you an arm and a
leg. You'll benefit from his training most in a long session, where you can
pick up the necessary details to make noticeable improvements. All he
asks is the pelt of a wolf, bear or boar, for a day's training. And he makes
a good pot of stew, which he'll offer any kind traveler. He lives in
Blackvine, down an alley south off the main street. Have a word with him
if the style interests you.
To start, I'd like to introduce the Dueling Stance [Easy]. With legs spread
for balance, you point your gladius forward with your arm slightly bent.
Sure footing is the first key to the movement necessary for Avros
techniques. You'll notice when you fail certain attacks you're left in a
somewhat awkward stance, which can leave you vulnerable to your
opponent. A grand master of this stance will effortlessly assume it as he
fights or defends, and will execute maneuvers with greater ease. I'll
describe the attacks in the first chapter.
Rapid Striking is the only relatively easy maneuver, making it the
bread and butter, go-to attack of the Avrosian. It is also the quickest
attack a sword will afford you. One must be careful though, for the speed
with which you strike can sacrifice your grip, should you miss. But the
speed is also deadly, with the right blade behind it, because this attack
naturally aims high. This attack cannot be aimed low.
Stab and Slash is fairly descriptive of itself. A stabbing
maneuver, followed with a slash. When accurately executed, you can
land two attacks against your opponent. However, making use of your
stance and position, you'll find the stab and slash will be more powerful
as a combination. This is one of my favorite attacks, despite not being
able to direct it as accurately as either individual maneuver.
Needle Strike sounds less vicious than it ought to. Using small,
precise jabs, you can strike your opponent up to four times with this
maneuver. Though, with that many attempted jabs comes an uncertainty
of landing any. And it will cost you some time to recover, so you must
always be wary of your opponent, as they will have you without reaction
briefly. I recommend using this mostly in advantageous moments, as it
can be easily identified, and defended against. Mind you it can be very
devastating.
A Whirling Strike can seem showy, but a lot has to do with the
footwork of your spin. Timing is everything. Taking just as long as a
needle strike, whirling strike utilizes range and momentum to drive a
powerful slash at your opponent. Because you spin to execute this attack,
your footing can leave you defenseless if it doesn't land properly. It tends
to strike the opponent high with the natural motion of the move. It cannot
be aimed low on an opponent.
If your opponent turtles up, a good opportunity to shell them out is with a
Forced Thrust. Useable only against an armed opponent, you
strike your weapon at theirs before a light flick of the wrist allows a weak
slash. Very difficult for your opponent to block, it is ideally used against
pole-arms, or those foolish enough to neglect a shield in their free hand. If
you miss your strike, however, your opponents sword will already be past
your own, and will leave an opening for them to counter. Luckily, it's a bit
faster to pull off than a needle strike or whirling strike, and can be aimed
with more control.
Group fighting is one thing, but defending against a group is another.
Pivot Lunge allows the user to retreat from those engaged, the
swordsman then lunges at the target, effectively distancing themselves
(from all but the target) and striking at the same time. It is difficult to land
but is almost as powerful as a good whirling strike. It can also be aimed
as accurate as your standard sword lunge technique.
Strike and Smash is a risky move, but can pay off well in a time
of need. Using an approach similar to the forced thrust, you strike at your
opponent's weapon, but in a chopping manner. If you succeed in driving
your opponents weapon down, you throw your shoulder into them and
throw them off balance, usually causing them to stumble and expose the
top of their body. Strike them square enough, and you'll land them on
their back, and unaware very briefly. However, like forced thrust, if you do
not succeed, you may give your opponent a good chance to counter. You
won't do any damage to them physically, but their pride may sting for a
bit.
Sunrise Block should be learned by anyone competent with a
sword. It is a valuable asset. Utilizing your outstretched sword, you readily
counter slashing maneuvers, as if painting a sunrise on the horizon with
the tip of your sword. The dueling stance allows a wide range of motion,
making this a noticeably more effective cross blocking technique than the
one Gilven demonstrates.
Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense. Which brings me to the
Flailing Defense. Mostly, this is an attempt to distract an
unskilled opponent. I've found, however, it does help surprise my
opponent with my next attack. Perhaps dancing the tip of the blade
around confuses them, I've always been taught to look beyond it. This
can help set up your next attack, if you can execute it properly.
Occasionally you'll find yourself in a position where your weapon has
been grappled by your opponent. Given the stance of dueling, and
utilizing a rounding motion, Flinging Disarm can not only free
your own sword, but also fling away your opponents weapon in the
process. As holding onto your sword should remain a priority, this
maneuver is everything but useless. I recommend working it into your
arsenal early, even if it means only practicing it until a later time.
All of the Avrosian attacks require the wielder to be somewhat proficient
in the basic sword skills, some more than others. Here is a list of the
prerequisites you should train before attempting these maneuvers.
Rapid Strike: Rank 30 Sword Chop
Stab and Slash: Rank 20 Sword Stab and Sword Slash
Needle Strike: Rank 40 Sword Jab
Whirling Strike: Rank 20 Sword Chop and Sword Slash
Forced Thrust: Rank 10 Sword Jab and Sword Stab
Pivot Lunge: Rank 20 Sword Lunge
Strike and Smash: Rank 10 Sword Chop
The attacks will be difficult to land at first, and you'll leave openings on
half of them should you miss, so it's best to become proficient at them
quickly. I'd also suggest making good use of the sunrise block and sword
blocks Gilven teaches, down the road. Sometimes there's just no room to
dodge and a sword may be all that stops an axe from taking your head
off. But it still doesn't hurt to learn to duck. Eventually.
I hope this has helped your understanding, and even possibly, your
course of training. Avros is not to be underestimated, and I've met many
who regret having done so. Keep your efforts high and persevere through
the labor, and you will reap what you sow. Good luck.