Frontiersman

Native Culture: Amari'z

Preferred Weapon: Thrown Weapon(s) and Cat's Claw (dagger), Improvised Weapons

Preferred Material: Turquoise & Steel (aqua and/or grey duct tape)

*Note: For improvised weapons, you may phys-rep literally any item you can imagine that is historically appropriate, such as rolling pins, horseshoes, anvils, etc, so long as it meets standard safety guidelines and passes the usual on-site safety inspection. If you have ideas but have any doubts about your construction technique(s) please feel free to email plot for advice. Materials and cost may be calculated under the appropriate production skills, such as carpenter, mason, blacksmith, etc.*

## Reputation

The early settlers of Amari'z had a rough life, and many of the old ways of fighting were found lacking in the new harsh environment, therefore they came up with new ways of fighting the old battles. Most "civilized" cultures called this fighting dirty and regarded these pioneers as wild. In many ways they were. They would take the smallest advantage to turn the tide of a fight. Most chose the quickness of the knife, however they knew they would have to learn to get in close, strike fast and kill quickly.

## History

On his first trip into the wildness, Dave "Wildcat" Williams found that his long sword would often get hung in the underbrush, and his armor made for slow travel at a time when speed was your best defense. Over his camp fire one night, he broke his sword down to the size of a small dagger. As time went on, he invented the skills needed to use anything around him as a weapon. It was said he could walk into the woods with his trusted long knife, which came to be known as the Cat's Claw, and come back out with enough food to feed a town for a week. Not only could he sneak up on his prey, he eventually learned to throw his blade with deadly accuracy. Within ten years, his fighting method became the thing of legends, and people came in throngs to the wilds, looking to him as a teacher. He never held his teaching from anyone who could pay, and pay they did.

## Abilities

#### Level 1 - Initiate

Cold Clock:(Attack, strike) You must sneak up behind your target and use the hilt of your dagger/knife, or improvised weapon and tap your target in the middle of the back. This symbolizes hitting them across the head and knocking them out, although you should never ever make contact with anyone's head or neck when performing this action. You may also call this effect if you are able to use a thrown weapon and strike your target in the back. This shows you can cause your thrown weapon to strike with the handle rather than the blade, thus knocking them out in lieu of doing damage to your target.

Tagline: "Knock Out"

Watchful Eye: (Defense, self) Forewarned is forearmed, and you know to watch the actions of your foe and when to move.

Tagline: "Dodge"

#### Level 2 - Apprentice

Root Foot: (Attack, strike) acts as snare + base weapon damage to specified leg. Damage does not have to cause a wound to bind them.
Tagline: "Binding Strike X"

Redirect: (Defense, Self, point and click) You can cause an attack to you to be redirected to another target within melee range. This effect is parrying an attack so that it strikes another foe. The foe that is named in the Redirect effect can call a dodge. This may not be used to strike the original attacker.

Tagline: "Redirect"

#### Level 3 - Devotee

Twisting Blades (Attack, strike) Your knowledge of your weapons allows you to bind up and then twist an enemy's weapon out of their hands leaving them unarmed.

Tagline: "Disarm"

Strike of Opportunity (Defense, Self) - If a foe delivers a wound to you, you can parry while delivering the damage you would have taken back to the foe in the location they would have injured you (for example, if you take a hit on your arm, you deliver that exact same injury and damage to your foe's arm).

Tagline: "Counterstrike"

Masters and Grand Masters (levels 4 and 5) have abilities known only to the practitioners who have obtained those levels (Find Out in Play). Possibilities may be discovered via in play information and rumors, or may be hinted at in various legends, lore, and stories told around campfires and at the bedsides of children. The truth is a closely-guarded secret, and such tales are just as likely to be hearsay and exaggeration as the actual reality. Such is, as always, the stuff of legends, and a wise Master or Grand Master will allow people to make all the assumptions they wish.