Training Day

## Player Request Scene

Lady Emilia visits her fencing tutor's training lodge and gets a first real lesson in realistic fights.

### NPCs

* Markus Klippel - Tutor
* Günter - one of his assistants

N.B. Scene tidied up to remove comments related to roll20/game issues.

Alinar (Robby): ------------------------ Scene Start ------------------------

(Emilia's visit to the Training Lodge. Note, at the training lodge you are required to leave your own weapons at the door. The weapons you use there are special training ones e.g. Training Rapier: 1 damage; Fast; Undamaging; No criticals. Other weapons are available, with various Qualities reflective of their normal counterparts, but similarly limited for Training)

(Int. Fencing lodge, day).
*You arrive at Markus Klippel's training lodge for your occasional visit to see your tutor, and enter the large, open main training room. About a dozen fighters, wielding a variety of weapons, are in pairs or groups, training together: solid combatants you'd be glad to have with you in a fight. You see one man wielding two Training short swords strike one of his three opponents, and as the adjudicator calls 'Hit', the struck man steps back and out of the fight, obviously 'killed'. To one side is the personal training area where you have been taught previously, and on the table, a selection of Training weapons* (Please describe how you are dressed.)

Lady Emilia(Nathy): *Lady Emilia was adorned in what you could call nobles sport clothing, albeit a tad too frilly to be wholey practical, it was quite colourless and undecorated, think a skirted judo outfit with puff in the sleeves. (see https://discordapp.com/channels/713555919216050287/737112936291762248/765940961946763304 but female)*
ah, how occupied today is.
*she'd slightly talk to herself, yet loud enough for people to be able to use it as a conversation opener. grabbing her own training rapier and inspecting it for flaws.*

Alinar (Robby): *Markus greets you, dressed in similarly good quality clothes - though not as high quality as yours - which would allow him to participate as needed, not the mundane purely training clothes of the other instructors or pupils, and smiles* Well Lady Emilia, a pleasure as always. *He looks at you, noting your clothing and your choice of weapon* Are you ready?

Lady Emilia(Nathy): ah, indeed i am in a mere moment *she'd take a sip of water of a nearby glass she had brought. and tightened her belt slightly. rapier in one hand she'd walk over to an empty corner for her own training program of the day. Hair tied behind her head and more practical then usual.*

Alinar (Robby): *One of the senior instructors takes the place opposite you, while Markus watches on with a critical eye, commenting occasionally. You go through a familiar series of routines to warm up, then into a few rounds of free fighting bouts, trading parries and attacks* (Roll 3 attacks and 3 defences in roll20, to generally see how well you do overall)

*As the bouts finish, the Instructor bows to you and heads off to oversee another fight, while Markus approaches* Your skills, my lady, are perfectly competent. Your attacks were consistently good, and while your defence wavered a little in the middle - you should have countered thus *and he demonstrates* - your parrying at the end was impeccable. *He pauses for thought* My lady, you have stayed longer and progressed further than I had ever expected. Indeed, you are a better fencer than many a noble lad who has spent time in these halls. I could continue to teach you and refine your abilities. I cannot fault your dedication, but I wonder, what it is that makes you want, or think that you need, further training?

Lady Emilia(Nathy): *she would ponder to herself for a little while, finger at the bottom of her lips.*
besides just having something to aim for. I think, i just wish to be stronger. fight what ails this world. i will not win wars. only by keeping the empire healthy of the small rot inside, we as a country can fight the strange northerners. the wasteland savages, and all other threats to our empire, and be what sigmar wants it to be

Alinar (Robby): Markus raises an eyebrow And you would involve yourself in this fight? Beyond the walls of regulated fencing bouts, and out into the wider world?

Lady Emilia(Nathy): within limits. be it bandits that forsake their duty or mutants who desire unrest. only as a whole humanity can we grow. it is my duty as one born in higher blood to do what i can, as it is the duty of everyone in their own way

Alinar (Robby): *Markus pauses for a moment, looking at you, then calls over one of his most senior associates, who you've not fought before* Günter, Lady Emilia has shown an interest in being trained in more... realistic fights. We will be out by the clearing in the woods for, perhaps, half an hour. *Günter nods in understanding as he is dismissed and returns to his group. Markus then opens the Bretonnian windows from the training hall, and leads you outside.*

(Ext. Fencing lodge)

*Markus casually walks down the steps onto a path crossing the lawn, towards a nearby wooded area. It's a bright, clear day and the gravel path crunches underneath your feet. You pass behind a group of archers and slingers in training, firing at targets set up along a range as Markus continues the conversation* So tell me, Lady Emilia, do you have any experience of such combat?

Lady Emilia(Nathy): i must say, life has deemed me a few. not all as controlled as these teachings ofcourse. a dreaded beastman nearly ended my life, were it not for my companions, and the truth is a bandit whom i outfought easily merely pulled a pistol. courtesy is broken in these circles and i wish to improve.
Without the proper basics i will be no better then a beast however.

Alinar (Robby): (Woodland path)

*You reach the edge of the grass and gravel path from the lodge, and the dirt path leads on into the wood. You can hear birds chirping in the trees, and the sunlight breaks through the leaves in soft shards as you meander along your way. Markus nods in acknowledgement of your account, though somewhat surprised by your tale of a beast man and bandits, and discusses those with you for a few minutes, concluding with...* You are right to think that there is there is no 'courtesy' in such encounters. And that there are ways of quickly ending a fight, but we shall see about that soon enough.

(Woodland clearing)

*You arrive at the edge of a roughly oval shaped clearing in the woods. The path back to the lodge is behind you, the sound of arrows and slingshot hitting targets lost in the distance, although the other noises of the forest have also gone quiet. Markus stops at the edge of the clearing, facing you. About a dozen yards away, in the centre of the clearing, stands Günter, Training Rapier in hand, a slight smile of anticipation on his face* So, if you would truly learn about such combat, then your first real lesson begins here. (What do you do?)

Lady Emilia(Nathy): i am eager to see these lessons. for i am myself not too inexperienced either. *Her own rapier went up in a fencing pose and she gave a small bow as a polite gesture. preparing herself for the experience.*

Alinar (Robby): *Günter raises his blade to match yours, but there's no courtesy in his response*

Lady Emilia(Nathy): *as once before at some myrmidon Zealots. She'd use her running start to close in the distance and stab. Using the momentum usually unseen in fencing to hopefully find a surprise or opening* \*

En gardé

Alinar (Robby): Best of five hits *Markus calls out, as you charge* (Roll for initiative)

*He may have had the edge on speed but for this first round your charge allows you the first attack* (roll to hit with +5 for your charge)

Hit, one to Emilia *Calls Markus, as the return strike comes in, but badly* (roll opposed)

Alinar (Robby): *Emilia easily parries the return, but his next strike comes immediately* (He won initiative, new round, roll opposed with +10)

Lady Emilia(Nathy): *with a swift parry. she slides the blade aside, using an elbow thrust to knock him out of his stance, she strikes towards him.*

Alinar (Robby): One a piece *Markus calls*

Lady Emilia(Nathy): *She sighed to herself and quickly tried to regain her lead. daftly striking.*

Alinar (Robby): *And is parried, but is somewhat off balance for his next strike...*

Lady Emilia(Nathy): *she strikes in after her parry attempt*

Alinar (Robby): *which is deftly parried, followed by a solid thrust*

Hit, two-one to Günter *but a flash of blades later and Günter stumbles, allowing you to deliver a follow on*

Two all! *As you trade blows, you notice others from the training hall appear from behind the trees. They stand, just inside the clearing, watching you, while Günter moves in for his next attack.*

*Poorly delivered following his slip, Emilia closes in for the finishing blow. As Günter falls over, 'defeated', those near the edge of the clearing immediately raise weapons. Almost in unison, those with Slings let fly, whilst two others casually raise Pistols and there are two cracks of gunfire as the blackpowder ignites.* (Make an Average (+20) Cool test.)

Lady Emilia(Nathy): *a strong parry using her weight, a small kick to the shins, and a swift strike later leaves a wood stained stripe upon günther's right arm, her trained target. and EEK*

Alinar (Robby): *A brief moment of shock and pure adrenaline rush sweeps over you, then you are hit by balls of some sort of chalky material which disintegrate in a puff of dust, leaving only a white mark on your clothes to show where they impacted. Markus calls out, in the Classical language, the order for the end of a bout, and dismisses the men who stow their weapons and head back through the wood. You are shaken and your heart is racing but you are otherwise fine.* Now, Lady Emilia. A 'realistic' fight. And if this had been a real fight He points to the marks on your clothes your body would lie bloody and broken, and you would now be with Morr. He lets the gravity of that statement sink in for a moment But as it is, it was just a lesson. So... how would you evaluate your performance?

Lady Emilia(Nathy): agree, i did go up in the fight more then i should, a martial victory, but this was my loss..

*she swipes her rapier through the air with its telltale sweeping noise to vent some energy. fixing her clothing slightly after the bout*

Alinar (Robby): And what do you think you could, or should have done differently? *Markus presses, seeming glad that you recognise the loss, but wanting to see if you have more insight on the fight*

Consider, perhaps, your environment, where you were when you saw your enemy, and your situation at the end.

Lady Emilia(Nathy): it is hard to say, why am i fighting this opponent, do i know he has allies, do i have allies, there are small details that set the stage, so to say. An eye for environment however is one.

Alinar (Robby): *Markus smiles* Yes. You were alone in an unfamiliar setting, and left any cover you might have gained from the trees, to engage an unknown opponent with unknown allies. You responded like a fencer who only has one opponent to deal with, and that by hand to hand. That is natural, given that it is the combat you have trained for. But for different types of fights, you need to think differently, and train differently. And I could teach you some of those techniques and ways of thinking.

Lady Emilia(Nathy): this, while keeping my fence training up. i am indeed interested

*she pondered after her answer. she hadnt missed anything, did she?*

Alinar (Robby): Well, you need to decide. Is learning and applying such skills something that you would really want to devote yourself to? To risk your life in these sorts of ways? Are you prepared to make that commitment and the sacrifices which go along with it? No, don't answer me now, I will leave that for you to contemplate more fully at your leisure. *Markus indicates to the path, to return back to the lodge* (Feel free to make one last post/response/thought, or let me know you're done, and then I will draw the scene to a close)

Lady Emilia(Nathy): *her mind pondered these questions as she did head back with markus. her decision in the future would hold Yes*

Alinar (Robby): *As you make your way back home from the lodge, Markus' words continue to run through your mind, as do the images of the fight, the flash of the pistols aimed at you, and you note again the remnants of the chalk powder on your clothes. You would not make the same mistake again. It would be a hard road, but Emilia already knew that the decision was made.*

Alinar (Robby): ------------------------ Scene End ------------------------