Battle Cappellas - Emory Swordsong

[jadewillow]

Emory grew up in the outskirts of Pranzis with his mother. He did not know his father and was never told much about him. His mother made ends meet as a housekeeper for a couple of the nobles in the city. She spent many hours at her duties and was not permitted to come home very much or take time off. As such, her time with Emory was very limited. She spent those precious minutes teaching him all that she knew. Most importantly she taught him to be kind to others and always help others in need. Aside from their brief time together, Emory was left on his own. During the day he was enrolled in the local schools, but afterwards he had much free time to wander and explore with little direction. As a result, Emory got into a lot of trouble as a youngster. He gravitated towards the rich and exiting lifestyle of those less scrupulous. His adventures often threw him into the middle of a physical encounter with a local street cut purse (or two). Many nights he would come home bruised and bloody. His mother, in an attempt to provide more structure, enrolled young Emory in one of the local evening choirs. Emory was surprisingly good, not having had any formal training, and was content to participate for a time. He soon grew bored of the choir, and began to skip sessions. He would have fallen right back into a life of mischief if it were not for a promising young militia man that saw something special in the youngster. From that day forward, Emory spent most every evening with the militia learning the art of swordsmanship, and defense. When he was only 14, he was assigned a detail with a group of young militia hopefuls. Their first assignment came days later to rescue a young damsel from one of the local giant tribes. This was Emory’s first taste of real battle. He was hooked. Over the next few years, his love for battle grew to the point he felt constrained by the militia. There were too many rules, too many policies, and too much bureaucracy. After all, it was battle. There are no rules except who is right and who is wrong. He left the militia to search for answers and to find the freedom to act by the guidance of goodness alone. He would no longer be a member of a rigorous organization. Emory was his own man, and would not allow the normal bonds and constraints of humanity suppress him in his quest to do what was right.

[jadewillow]

As I explore the regions of Mistone, I happen along a number of like minded warriors that are interested in exploring the areas around Hlint and dispatching the evil that surrounds it. One such warrior is Prishia Nolan, a ranger of some beauty, who has a love for the forests and all that it contains. She fights with an unusual style using two sword swords at once with lethal results. As we travel together I began to sing to pass the time. On one such occasion I continued even when we engaged with enemies. I discovered an interesting thing. The music inspires others, and allows them to fight with more ferocity and better precision. I have decided to make it a habit.

[jadewillow]

I have continued to sing while in battle with much success. Most that I travel with appreciate the songs, and benefit greatly from their inspiration. They ask me to continue even when we are not in battle. Occasionally I abide. However, I recently have noticed a very distracting effect of wearing metal armor of any kind while singing in battle. As I move, strike, and counter in battle, they make a clinking & clanging sound that disrupts the songs I sing.

[jadewillow]

There must be a way to prevent the annoying sounds of metal armor from disrupting my songs during battle. I tried to alter my songs slightly and modify my tempo in battle in an attempt to incorporate their sounds into the songs. I have begun to see some success with this approach, but expect it will take much practice. These preliminary results are quite promising, however.

[jadewillow]

In addition to working on the songs and tempo of battle to address the disrupting sounds of metal armor while in battle, I have sought wisdom from a number of armories in the area. There must be some metal that is more suitable in armor for this kind of approach. I have not had much success in this area, but continue to search.

[jadewillow]

My search for armories that understand my problem has been fruitless. My conversation with them regarding new age armors and new materials has generally resulted in being dismissed as silly and a waste of time. As a result, I have decided to take matters into my own hands and learn the art of metallurgy and armory.

[jadewillow]

My practice with the songs and the tempo of battle has paid off. It is no longer a conscious effort to alter my tempo in battle to integrate with the songs I sing during battle. It has become second nature, and I no longer experience the disruption of the sounds while using metal armor during combat. I can even wear the heaviest of metal armors with no distraction. I am quite pleased with these results.

[jadewillow]

My efforts with metal armors and incorporating their noises into my songs while in battle were very successful. I wonder if this same approach could be used for the few incantations I know as well. Being able to cast these helpful incantations while in armor would be most beneficial. I think I shall do some research to investigate.

[jadewillow]

I have begun to play with different armor construction methods. One in particular takes small squares of metal and ties them together into a sheet with leather twine. A most effective chest armor can be constucted in this way. The method keeps the metal pieces at some distance and minimizes the clinking and clanking that can disrupt my spell casting. This has made it easier to cast while wearing armor, but still is not a sure thing. Much more work must be done.

[jadewillow]

My attempts to eliminate disruption of casting from armors has been helpful, but far from the results I was looking for. My new armor is lighter and less clunky and allows me to cast successfully more often. But I still fail to cast sucessfully during critical moments of battle. Just the other day while traveling with Prishia near the Gloom Forest, I attempted to cast confusion on a number of orges, the spell fizzled out and Prishia and I were crushed under their assault. There must be a way...

[jadewillow]

The work I have done on armors and their disruption of incantations has been helpful, but far from a complete success. I have run into a dead end regarding methods to use, materials to incorporate, and people to speak to. Instead, I have chosen to minimize the disruption, while choosing incantations that are not as prone to the clinking and clanking of armor as I move in battle. I will refocus my energies on my combat and singing to further the good of man. Only time will tell if this will be sufficient.