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Description
Last time, on Sarcantasy (warning implied horror) www.deviantart.com/grendelkin/…

You awaken feeling... less than fresh. All those hours of sword drill from Leona. A quick scrub with cold dew helps, as does a breakfast of cold rations -- especially with Isabeau's rations mixed in.

"One thing I'll say for the Elves, they do good food," Delar admits. "Come on, Daisy, time for a sword lesson."

Delar shows you the basic stances of Stained Glass like Leona did, but does not demand the same murderous pace. Instead, he has you perform them while standing on a tree root, obliging you to shift your stance and balance while moving from one guard to an attack posture to another guard. He talks while you move, gently correcting your stances and the angle of your sword while he does.

"Stained Glass is the foundation upon which all the other Forms are built. It centers around stability and power; footwork is supposed to be minimal because you are learning not to yield. The blade is held and moved at hard angles to the body so you can infuse your full strength in every block and thrust.
You are meant to think of yourself as standing in a circle, measured by a radius determined by your feet with one heel against the other, like the hands of a clock. That is your territory.
Your blade moves outward at right angles from your central line, drawn from the crown of your head downward, erupting with the full power of your body. The closer to the center the blade is, the faster it moves. The further out it goes, the slower it moves. Withdrawal towards the center is always faster than motion outward.
This is the catechism of Stained Glass; sharp, angular lines that together form a whole which is beautiful and flowing."

After the lesson, Delar gives you another talk: "You are doing well. Go do some of the strengthening exercizes Miss Emma and I showed you to wind down.
Once I am confident you have the basics down, I will start showing you more advanced techniques. Already, I am teaching you that the circle need not be level; this is important, as it forms the basis of one of my personal refinements of the Form, refinements that saw me acknowledged as an Expert of the Form."

Delar smiles wistfully at a memory, then walks a little ways off and starts running himself through Stained Glass-exercizes.
You notice how smoothly he shifts from block to attack to block, and that his footwork is more free than what you've been doing.
You also notice Isabeau nearby, unashamedly staring at your little training area and quietly nodding to herself. As though she were taking notes.

= = = = = = = = = = = =

Later, you all set off for the tower again. You are aware your Health is now at 9/12; a night's rest and two meals seem to have done you some good.

The group moves in single file at Isabeau's advice, to hopefully confuse trackers. Emma leads; Isabeau is next, hands on the hilts of her shortswords; you make a point of staying behind Isabeau to keep an eye on her; Delar brings up the rear.

"Do you guys smell something?" Delar suddenly asks.

"Yeah, I'm a bit whiffy," Isabeau says. "If we find a pool, we can all scrub down, do some laundry."

"No, not that," Delar says, "it smells like... like..."

It smells like delicious.
Cautiously, you follow your noses until you come to a small clearing. There, on a stump, lies...

You have no idea what this is. It smells good, there's only one of it, it's as big as you are or bigger, and it's just sitting there, steaming gently in the crisp morning air.

"It's a baked potato," Delar groans, clearly annoyed. "Stuffed with bacon, butter and cheese."

Isabeau has visibly started to drool at the sight.

Meanwhile Emma looks just as annoyed as Delar.

= = = = = = = = = = = =

VOTE CLOSED. Please continue to: www.deviantart.com/grendelkin/…

Description
Last time, on Sarcantasy (warning implied horror) www.deviantart.com/grendelkin/…

You awaken feeling... less than fresh. All those hours of sword drill from Leona. A quick scrub with cold dew helps, as does a breakfast of cold rations -- especially with Isabeau's rations mixed in.

"One thing I'll say for the Elves, they do good food," Delar admits. "Come on, Daisy, time for a sword lesson."

Delar shows you the basic stances of Stained Glass like Leona did, but does not demand the same murderous pace. Instead, he has you perform them while standing on a tree root, obliging you to shift your stance and balance while moving from one guard to an attack posture to another guard. He talks while you move, gently correcting your stances and the angle of your sword while he does.

"Stained Glass is the foundation upon which all the other Forms are built. It centers around stability and power; footwork is supposed to be minimal because you are learning not to yield. The blade is held and moved at hard angles to the body so you can infuse your full strength in every block and thrust.
You are meant to think of yourself as standing in a circle, measured by a radius determined by your feet with one heel against the other, like the hands of a clock. That is your territory.
Your blade moves outward at right angles from your central line, drawn from the crown of your head downward, erupting with the full power of your body. The closer to the center the blade is, the faster it moves. The further out it goes, the slower it moves. Withdrawal towards the center is always faster than motion outward.
This is the catechism of Stained Glass; sharp, angular lines that together form a whole which is beautiful and flowing."

After the lesson, Delar gives you another talk: "You are doing well. Go do some of the strengthening exercizes Miss Emma and I showed you to wind down.
Once I am confident you have the basics down, I will start showing you more advanced techniques. Already, I am teaching you that the circle need not be level; this is important, as it forms the basis of one of my personal refinements of the Form, refinements that saw me acknowledged as an Expert of the Form."

Delar smiles wistfully at a memory, then walks a little ways off and starts running himself through Stained Glass-exercizes.
You notice how smoothly he shifts from block to attack to block, and that his footwork is more free than what you've been doing.
You also notice Isabeau nearby, unashamedly staring at your little training area and quietly nodding to herself. As though she were taking notes.

= = = = = = = = = = = =

Later, you all set off for the tower again. You are aware your Health is now at 9/12; a night's rest and two meals seem to have done you some good.

The group moves in single file at Isabeau's advice, to hopefully confuse trackers. Emma leads; Isabeau is next, hands on the hilts of her shortswords; you make a point of staying behind Isabeau to keep an eye on her; Delar brings up the rear.

"Do you guys smell something?" Delar suddenly asks.

"Yeah, I'm a bit whiffy," Isabeau says. "If we find a pool, we can all scrub down, do some laundry."

"No, not that," Delar says, "it smells like... like..."

It smells like delicious.
Cautiously, you follow your noses until you come to a small clearing. There, on a stump, lies...

You have no idea what this is. It smells good, there's only one of it, it's as big as you are or bigger, and it's just sitting there, steaming gently in the crisp morning air.

"It's a baked potato," Delar groans, clearly annoyed. "Stuffed with bacon, butter and cheese."

Isabeau has visibly started to drool at the sight.

Meanwhile Emma looks just as annoyed as Delar.

= = = = = = = = = = = =

VOTE CLOSED. Please continue to: www.deviantart.com/grendelkin/…