Sharp Skills: The Cutting Edge Technique

Sharian has received a response to his letter to The Cutting Edge sword school, receiving an invite for him and other members of the Guild to test out the new training equipment the school has received. The usually conservative and isolated school is opening its doors for once, it'd be a shame to miss out

*Part of the The Cutting Edge Technique story arc*

## Adventurers Attending

* Io Aerkeryrm
* Sharian Naetris
* Drake Young
* Aloissius Bellum
* Aldier

## Mission Notes

In the depths of trance Sharian once again finds himself practicing sword technique as instinct. The thoughts of Cutting Edge students clouding his practice. Sparring becoming angrier and more aggressive, with a malevolent presence felt observing, watching, peering into this dream like state. An ominous premonition? A processing of subconscious observations? An empathic bond or telepathic connection?

Roused from his dream like state, another letter is delivered by courier to Sharian, inviting him back to the Cutting Edge School as seemingly they have received a new piece of training equipment.

Meeting with others in the Guild, Sharian invites Io and Drake along, before Aloissius and Aldier arrive, taking interest in the adventure. Sharian teleports the group to Cheyenne market Square, before creating steeds to take the party to the Cutting Edge School. Aloussius does some shopping and rents a horse for the journey.

Arriving at the school, the party chaotically engages in some of the training available, but with a general disinterest and a severe lack of any real discipline, regardless of success or failure. It fails to engender much respect from the school, or its masters.

After some discussion, Laeg explains about their new requisition, a sword training mech, bought from some local merchants. All are encouraged to trial their skills against it. Like a set or animated samurai armour, the mech moves with great defensive haste and tries to avoid the best that Aloissius and Drake can throw at it, before Io and Marcus - one of the schools students - have a contest to see who can hit it in a best of three challenge, with IO succeeding against Marcus once again.

Stepping up to try his own luck, Sharian steps in front of it and the mech scans Sharian in blue light, before readying itself in a more aggressive combat stance. As combat ensues, most struggle to hit the mech, but those that do appear to land damage in a way that previously didn't seem possible. The mech swords begin glowing in energy and it attempts to slash at all those around it. Sharian tries punching it with electric fervency in place of his sword and starts doing a large amount of damage. Meanwhile Laeg and Regrenaath move to protect the various students still in the courtyard.

As the combat turns in the favour of the larger party. The mech's feet begin to explode like rockets as it takes to the skies. Travelling back towards the direction of Otha’s Rest. Sharian eyes start glowing with arcane light, sprouts spectral angel wings and attempts to pursue it as it continues hastily trying to escape. Blasting the Mech as it is getting away but not enough, as Sharian tries one last attempt to stop it in its tracks he attempts to True Polymorph it into a boulder. As the spell takes hold the mech begins changing, but like a modular puzzle, it regains form after a short fall and continues to rocket toward the north. Sharian free falls dropping his Arcane Transformation in the last ditch effort to stop the mech. Pulling out a broom to save himself from the drop.

Returning to the school Sharian attempts to discover more about the mechs provenance.

## Rumours

* Where did the mech come from and why was it after Sharian?
* What mysteries lay behind the school and its unusual students?

## Player Journals

* Io's Player Diary
* Aldier Player Diary
* Sharian's Journal