[Sword of Legend]

Movement – Agility



The real cream of the milk, actually speed. It took some time to get to this section but for good reason, speed is a double-edged sword. While increased speed gives you the advantage to close the gap, it also can blur your field of vision. Each concept that we have discussed previously is designed to mitigate that fact, being away, allowing your mind to reach flow, keeping your attack pattered erratic but in a controlled way, knowing your ranges...all of these things will force a level of awareness that will allow your mind to adjust to the high speeds once you reach them.



It’s more than just using mana to run faster; in most cases you will be thrusting yourself forward and be hovering over the ground with each leap. Burst of mana will allow you to conserve mana rather than flowing them consistently. That being said, a consistent stream will give you more dexterous movement over momentous movement. Which you apply will depend on the range that you are compared to your target. In most cases, you will burst to reach your target, and then flow as you are in rage to deliver your strikes.



Simple practice to apply to increase your speed would be to weigh yourself down with runes. The most efficient is to train underwater. Underwater training will allow you to increase burst movement and dexterous movement simultaneously.

[Sword of Legend]

Bladeworks – Ideal Weapons



There are arguments for many different types of weapons that can utilize this form, from daggers to great swords to staffs and even hammers. If the principles of the form can be met with a weapon, then use any weapon to your hearts content....



That being said...

Smaller weapons will have a much easier time adhering to the general from of Fate’s Waltz, sole due to one factor...wrist control. The lower the pressure and strain that you place on your wrist, the longer you can deliver continuous strikes. Daggers and rapiers are very suited towards the form duty to their design, they are very easy on the wrist and allow for quick motion changes. It is a simple concept that really doesn’t need much explaining, smaller weapons have less weight and allow you to move much, much quicker. Due to smaller weapons being what they are, learning movement to avoid attacks will be key, but that was already discussed in a previous chapter.



The type of metal needs to be durable but light, creating a weapon with a nyshek allow will be key due to how dense nyshek is. Make sure that you combine it with a lighter metal, preferably to core the blade itself, nyshek is quite heavy.

---

[SoL - Lore]

Bladeworks – Unlimited



Here is where we get into the actual form itself, we have been discussing many conceptual aspects of the form. These things were necessary to get a grasp on the nature of how we fight, a dance between two opposing leads. Here is where we discuss the motion of your strikes, how to create that unlimited stream of pressure that will overwhelm the opponent.



The first thing that we will do is forgo any sort of stabbing or any motion that requires two hands to perform. The entire form is based on free-flowing, erratic movement, each swing will be circular in nature. Swipes that weave back and force in the air, almost like winding up or conducting a symphony. The point is to create *visual illusions*, remember, the speeds that we will be preforming each strike will be BLINDINGLY fast. It also gives you opportunity to condition the opponent as well, a skilled opponent will be watching where each of your hands move, realizing that your motion is all to cover your tells on when you are going to strike vital points.



Circular motion, almost like a figure eight will allow them to get used to a certain pattern, this is where you change and shift your attacks. This motion is also easy on your shoulder's wrist and forearm, allowing for prolonged attacks, maximizing the amount of time that you can attack so long as you are in control of the tempo of the battle. This also gives you the opportunity to switch between blocking if you are forced to do so. I reality, there are rarely situations where your battle will go perfectly, there will be points were your movement is impossible and you have to be on the defense.



The figure 8 or what we will call it, the unlimited motion, is perfect for shifting tactics from defense to repositioning to endless offense without skipping a beat. Once perfected, there will be points where it will be difficult for your opponent to tell which action you are taking, even the most skilled battle-hardened veteran.

[Sword of Legend]

Bladedworks – Vital Points



There are going to be specific targets that you are going to have to prioritize as you use this form. The first is going to start with the neck.



The neck is a very critical area to strike due to have often it is left undefended, a priority guard will focus on the skull and leave small cracks that you can slip between because of your speed. Most casters will lead with the neck and they extend their arms forward to cast their spells, this is especially true for shout casters. The easiest way to strike this position is through trace striking, we will go further into detail on the nature of trace striking when we reach the Mana control section but to put it simply,



Trace Striking allows your mana to follow the path of your blade so quickly that it the mana itself sharpens, sending it forward as a pseudo projectile.



Due to how small the gaps are, taking advantage of smaller weapons to trace your swing path will be beneficial, but I digress. Femoral Artery, this is another vital area to strike, notice how each *vital* point is not the usual suspects like the heart, the eyes, liver or kidneys. The whole point of the form is a dance, those points will be defended vigorously, so much so that it would almost be a waste of time to strike at them directly, especially since our form discourages piercing motions. Blood vessels being slashed will put your opponent on a clock, slowing down their tempo and allowing you to occupy their space even easier.



*note* A blood mage will give you difficulties due to this so keep that in mind



The Most important point is the Humeroradial joint the point between forearm and the shoulder...the bend of the arm.



Most magi, use their arms to cast, striking this point gives you an UNBELIEVABLE EDGE against an opponent, especially a melee ranged fighter. Crippling their ability to properly use their arm is going to be key, if that entire limb can be severed, the match is won, EVERY TIME WITHOUT FAIL.

[Sword of Legend]

Bladeworks – Countering and Disengaging



This is going to be a difficult subject to address due to the nature of the form. The entire form is focused on minimizing your need to counter since you’re speed and skill would enable you to never be forced to counter. That being said, in reality, you come across opponents that will match you in skill, sometimes even be more skilled.



This is the point were having your defensive tools at point blank will come into key. Counters in this form is designed to do one out of two things. The first will be to counter for reestablishing control over the tempo of the match, the most common opportunity to counter is a slow strike at CLOSE range, moving forward to hit our previously spoken vital point, or a joint in general will allow you to RESET the initial Waltz state. Almost setting it back to the initial start of the battle. What this means is that you will need to create space between you and your target, even if that means getting in an advantageous range to your opponent. If the space is large enough you will have a bit of room to reorganize yourself and quickly reenter their personal bubble.



This goes back to weaving in and out between their comfortable range and the suboptimal range. At this point you will be able to reuse the energy surrounding you with your state of Flow to gain the upper hand and quickly change the tempo to a step that is too fast for you opponent to react.



This is key, because at this point you will be at your most vulnerable, unless you are against another melee combatant, then it will be a true reset of the initial Waltz.

[Sword of Legend]

Bladeworks – Storming



There will be a point that takes you mid battle, the sheer essence of flow positioning and perfect offense perfectly synergizing together...Storming.



Reaching a Storm State is the trump card of the form, a state where your attacks move so quickly that they CANNOT be dodge, where the world around you grow still and you are moving to a point of perfection. This state is dangerous and should NOT be prolonged for there is a weakness that can be easily exploited.



Hubris...



A storm state is a point where the flow of energy and your use of mana reaches an equilibrium. Where your use of mana equals ZERO. If a person had infinite durability, then you would be able to sustain strikes INFINETELY. Your body however cannot sustain this state for long because it will eventually tire and wear out. This state is usually achieved when your opponent is able to match you perfectly, there will be points where you can reach this state for a minute with an opponent that you outperform, or one that out performs you...but with an evenly match opponent it can be sustained for as long as they themselves have energy... The edge of your mana is very sharp in this state, cutting through stone and even steel.



In a perfect world, you would only need to sustain this state for a about 45 seconds before your opponent is felled, but if it goes longer...be VERY careful lest you burn yourself out and perish.

[Sword of Legend]

Mana Control – Breathing.



While the most physical aspect of channeling your mana, it is the most important when it comes to this form. Breathing clears the mind, but most importantly, breathing creates a steady rhythm. This rhythm is a metronome that you can build upon when maintaining focus is difficult.



The breath, fills the fire within the bottom of the soul, allowing your energy to swell and flow evenly and freely throughout your body. Each breath cleans your energy, renewing yourself and feeling the natural force in the air. This will be important, acclimation to the free-flowing energy in the air is an overall lynchpin to the success of reaching flow even.



Mana flows from the crown and down to the base of the spine, the flow of breath allows your focus to feel your circuits. In most circumstance, your Circuits are an afterthought, lest you’re an energy magi. Deep breaths and slow releases allow your entire body to relax. In a relaxed state your mind works at its most optimal. In a battle state it gets difficult to maintain that relaxed state, it truly takes years of experience to be so comfortable with battle that it doesn’t leave your heart pounding vigorously.



In the interim, just try to be mindful of the breath.

[Sword of Legend]

Mana Control – Understanding Blocks



Our mind is open and flexible, our breath is deep and rhythmic, and we feel spacious in our body. When we are in flow, we hold a healthy balance between expansion and contraction, and activation (doing) and receptivity (being/allowing). We allow our reason (thinking), emotion (feeling) and will (doing), to work in partnership with each other. We have faith in ourselves and in the process, and we find ourselves appropriately undefended. We call this being in energetic integrity.



When our belief system is fixed and unyielding, our ability to adapt is blocked, and your mana is blocked. When we lack faith in our abilities, that blocks your ability to will your mana to flow effectively, your spells will fizzle and your ability to perform is stifled. Stagnation begets death, while the form is one of patterns and consistency, there is enough room for fluid creativity. That feeling, that mana of creation is what drive your ability to even wield mana in the first place.



Thoughts are forms of mana. Become aware of your thinking. Start with your first thought of the day and go from there. Make a list. Notice your word choice and where your thinking feels fixed (this is how it is) or flexible (this is how it could be).

Throughout the course of your day, just stop. Close your eyes. Go inward and feel into where you are. Do you feel present? What is the nature of your breath? Are you holding it? How do you feel in your body? Restricted? Relaxed? Tired and collapsed? Awake and alive?

Move. Move your body. Different parts at a time. What happens when you move? Notice if any thoughts or feelings come up. Are there certain parts of your body that when energized by movement, stir something up in you? Do you feel you need to contain your mana or do you let yourself move?

[Sword of Legend]

Mana Control – Mana Tracing



This is going to be an interesting topic, as you gain a grip on controlling your flow of mana more deliberately, there are a multitude of things you can achieve. This, in reality is how magic works, for the sake of this stance, the most important thing is using your mana to extend the range of your attacks. There are instances where the edge of your blade will flow in a direction and your sharpened mana will not only follow, but move further than the range of your actual blade.



This is the key, attacking a distance that can actually minimize the risk of already being at close range, this is how you will be able to weave through the ranges of your opponent. The most important thing to focus on is how tight your mana it in itself. Mana condensation requires little focus, but to condense it to the point of physical strikes take quite a bit of training. You will know that you have achieved perfection when the traced mana can actually physically block the attacks of your opponent. While how much it can block it will be minimal, * when you have multiple traveling through the air at once, collectively it can be VERY difficult for your opponent to handle.



Take your blade of choice and focus a majority of your mana that you will be using and focus it into the edge of your blade. With a proper tool, the mana will cause it to glow, the point you need is that it’s so tight the glow becomes almost invisible to the eye. As you strike, allow it to release but then QUICKLY tighten it again before it leaves the edge, this will condense the energy mid-air and move as a pseudo-projectile.



This is where you need to be when it comes to control.

[Sword of Legend]

Mana Control – Mana Armor and Burst Blocking



Close combat, the most immediate fact about battle is that close combat is a very difficult space to master. Due to the range that you are engaged with your target, you are at your most vulnerable and simultaneously your most devastatingly dangerous.

Protecting yourself would seem like an afterthought with a form that boasts such overwhelming offense, to the point where your opponent should have no chance for a rebuttal. It would be a lie to say that no person is capable of finding weakness in your form, that they couldn’t manage to find a chance to trade equal blows with you.

The first aspect is something that magi are more naturally gifted, maintaining a veil of mana that protects us from critical damage. Being conscious of this aura will allow us to increase its capabilities, but for the purpose of our form, we must use this to minimize damage to our dexterous movement.

Our mana is going to be stretched very thin, the maintenance for this form is very high and requires tight control. Rather than reallocate a large source of mana to cover the entire body for extended periods of time, the goal is to use our mana in short bursts *at the point of impact* If we are unable to dodge, then we must pour large amounts in the targeted area to brace for impact and then disengage.