Poisoned Shadows - Swordsman Schools

Country of Origin: Montaigne (any member of the Rye Grin can learn Poisson for only 25 HP)

Description: Among dock fighters in Montaigne (and, to some extent, in other nations), there are few fighting arts more feared than Boucher. The savage, dual-knife style favored by sailors and street fighters is a trademark of the lowest classes in Montaigne society, but it tends to favor brute force and relentless flurries of offense. It should not be surprising that there were those in Montaigne who sought a more athletic, graceful means of self defense (or, for that matter, a method of simply countering Boucher). A handful of knife fighters began experimenting with different techniques, and as one proved successful, it was passed on, improved, and added to. The fighting style that resulted can be “officially” traced to a fishing village in Montaigne, and the style bears that village’s name.

The rapid, circling movements of the style were added early, followed soon after by the ability to launch a thrown knife at any point along a turn with great accuracy (and without warning). Defense remained a problem, however, as opponents tended to strike from behind while the Poisson fighter spun in place. The addition of a cloak solved this problem beautifully—and indeed, turned a hindrance into an asset. Rather than wielding the cloak in the offhand for defense, it is worn throughout the battle, with its edges laced to the fighter’s wrists so that it billows as the wearer moves. The exterior of the cloaks are dark in color, while the lining is generally dyed to match the dominant colors in the rest of the wearer’s outfit (obviously, Poisson fighters tend to own a large number of these cloaks). When the wearer has his back turned, an opponent can never be sure if he is striking at an exposed back or empty air. When facing an opponent, the swirl of color within the cloak can throw off the enemy’s perception for a split second—just enough to launch a swift knife strike or prepare for a last-ditch defense.

Poisson probably would have remained an obscure and rarely-used fighting style if not for the continued occupation of Barcino in the wake of the war between Montaigne and Castille—or more specifically, El Vago’s presence in the city during the occupation. Shortly after the masked vigilante began harassing Montaigne forces stationed in the critical port, a man in a frowning white mask and a feathered black cloak made his first appearance in opposition to the Castillian folk hero. Calling himself “Le Corbeau,” the (presumably) Montaigne bandit almost seemed to “out-Vago” El Vago. More than one of the Vagabond’s missions were completely foiled by the timely appearance of the Raven, and several Castillian citizens who were unnecessarily violent in trying to reassert their freedom were paid a visit as well. Interestingly, El Vago never made an appearance to thwart Le Corbeau when he was avenging his Montaigne brethren, leading some to conclude that he quietly endorsed his adversary’s quest to keep Castillian retaliatory violence to a minimum. The masked men seemed to develop a mutual respect for one another: on more than one occasion, the two fought back to back in defense of both Castillian citizens and Montaigne fugitives when Populist forces poked their noses into the city, and each had at least one opportunity to unmask the other, but declined to take advantage.

Poisson is a particularly active style, relying on continuous, fluid movement and extraordinary agility on the part of its practitioners. An opponent who can restrict a Poisson fighter’s movements can take an early advantage in a contest of arms. Barring that, the style can prove exhausting over the course of a lengthy battle, and opponents content to play a waiting game may be able to exploit a Poisson fighter’s weary limbs or unsure footwork in the latter stages of a duel.

Basic Curriculum: Athlete, Knife

Swordsman Knacks: Blur (Cloak), Disarm (Knife), Double Attack (Knife/Knife), Exploit Weakness (Poisson)

New Swordsman Knack: Blur. You have learned how to use your cloak to hide the vital areas of your body, through a combination of whirling movements and deliberate flourishes (which you must regrettably cease when you strike at an opponent). If you have not yet attacked in a round, you may add twice your Rank in this Knack to your Target Number to be hit when using Footwork as your Defense Knack.

Apprentice: Poisson Apprentices are trained to fight with two knives simultaneously, and to replace one quickly if it is hurled away or lost due to mishap. The off hand penalty is negated when fighting with two knives, and the Apprentice may draw and attack (or actively defend) with a knife as one action.

Poisson is not sanctioned by the Swordsman’s Guild (and it is unlikely to receive such sanction in the future). As a result, Apprentices receive a free Rank in one of their Swordsman Knacks in lieu of Guild Membership.

Journeyman: Poisson Journeyman learn the art of the aggressive disarm: if you do not have the leverage to deprive an opponent of his weapon, numbing his hand so he drops it is just as good. When attempting to disarm an opponent, the Journeyman actually delivers a strike to the back of the opponent’s hand. This attack inflicts 1k2 damage, which is not adjusted for the Journeyman’s Brawn, but which can be increased by taking additional Raises on the Disarm roll. Note that anything which helps protect against called strikes to the hand (e.g., certain types of hilt modifications) also provides its benefit against this technique. However, the nature of this maneuver negates the benefits of the Firm Grip Advantage.

Master: By the time they reach the level of Master, students of Poisson have mastered both the swift melee attacks and precise throws that are the hallmarks of this fighting style. When making an Attack or a Double Attack, the Master’s Action Dice are always considered one less than the value they show. If this reduces the value of any dice to zero, the Master may automatically use those dice to attack first in a Round, and his target must spend two Action Dice to attempt an Active Defense. If it happens to be the first Round of combat, the Master may attack before the opponent has a chance to prepare a defense, as if he were surprised. Finally, a Master who calls Raises on an attack using a thrown knife (that is, using the Throw (Knife) Knack) adds Kept dice of damage (+1k1) instead of Unkept dice to his damage roll.