The Rise of FastStaff
8
AUG/20
My new guy’s background story needs a little background itself.
LongStaff: This is essentially a glaive or halberd with no metal to poke or slice. An upgraded version of a quarterstaff. Damage like a quarterstaff, reach like a glaive. Classified as a martial weapon.
Order of the Double Octagon: In the world in which Dragon’s Bane failed and Tiamat came to rule, the young adventurer Walder 16 never did join Righteous Fete. Instead, after watching the destruction of his entire family except Dub 13, Walder 16 became a member of various Tiamat resistance groups. After a few years and many dead compatriots Walder 16 founded the Order of the Double Octagon, an organization dedicated to the destruction of Tiamat.
Walder, seeing so many of his friends and fellow adventurers die while he survived became convinced that certain skills in mobility were necessary for any prospective member.
800 years later this order still existed.
“Master,” the apprentice asked in labored breath, “I still don’t get it. I don’t look like any of the others, why did you pick me?” The master did not answer immediately as he ran along the trail at the very average speed of the apprentice. Instead he looked around at the other pairs, masters and apprentices, as they sped along the circular trail at rates of speed at least double and sometimes triple that he was currently traveling at.
“He’s right about them looking different,” the master thought. “You didn’t have to be any fortune teller to see that.” All of the others were short, no more than 5’6”. They all ran like the wind. They all liked to fight with their slender pointy blades. They might as well have been elves or half elves…well at least before the elves began to change.
Quite the contrast to the 6 foot 6 apprentice.
“You know I am not cut out for all this running. I’ll be pissing blood all night.”
“The year is almost over, not much longer you will have to suffer this, just until you pass your initiation test.” The Master responded.
The apprentice already knew this and it gave him little comfort. 3 more days and then his test. The combat test. A test that the council had been reluctant to grant. The council had also noticed that the apprentice didn’t look like the rest and judged his chance of success as quite small.
“He’s too tall.” Some had said.
“Too slow.” Was the complaint of another.
“He fatigues too easily.” Cried another member of the council.
Only the vigorous arguing of his master had convinced the council to give the apprentice a shot.
“Too focused on speed and running away. Too focused on the sneak attack! You swear that these are the only ways to survive! But where has it gotten us? We are the Order of the Double Octagon, 8 masters and 8 apprentices we are supposed to have, but I see just 4 masters and 2 apprentices. If our rules really worked would we be so depleted? I say the time has come to try another way. The whole point of our combat training is so we have a chance of surviving while we learn the arcane arts. I say my apprentice can survive, and he will show you in the combat test. Send forth either of the other apprentices and see if they best mine.”
One of the masters guffawed and another smiled in mild amusement.
“The boy vomits after a run. And you think he will best a Walder? Even an apprentice Walder? I think not.” Said one of the council masters, laughing dismissively.
“You will let him try anyway,” The master said “What he lacks in foot speed he makes up for in foresight. His instincts are supreme. You will see that when he fights.” The master said confidently.
“Then he will fight both the other apprentices.” One the council members said. “If he is as good as you say, then it shouldn’t be a problem.” That council member expected the master to look surprised and worried at that requirement, to balk at the request. Instead the Master just smiled. He had foreseen the request just as he had foreseen the outcome of the initiation test.
The test was simple. The Apprentice would face the Walders on an abnormally large battlefield and must either score 10 hits before being hit 10 times, or he must escape the battlefield before suffering 10 hits.
When it was over it had been just as the Master knew it would be. The Walders circled and danced on the perimeter while the apprentice stood in the center, almost completely motionless. This went on for a little while as the Walders tried to judge the apprentice.
After a few rounds of dancing, feinting, and showing off the Walders finally got serious. The first one darted in at the stunning speed that is a feature of all the Walders of the Double Octagon, wooden replica rapier in hand. The first Walder dipped as he came in, striking low at the ankle of the apprentice, and the council leaned forward in anticipation of the first hit.
But before the Walder could close the distance the Longstaff of the apprentice swirled around and cracked him in the knee. It didn’t do a great deal of damage but the first Walder was left a little numb in the leg and further forward movement was prohibited.
The second Walder leapt forward to take advantage of the distraction. He darted in and attempted to drive his dulled stick into the apprentice’s back, but before he could the Longstaff and the apprentice wheeled around and struck him upside the head. Disoriented the second Walder stopped attacking for a moment.
Meanwhile the apprentice walked a little from the middle towards the edge of the very large combat area.
Again and again the Walders attacked. Sometimes they got through, dodging the whirling longstaff, but more times than not they were struck by the staff, and every time they got hit they stopped moving for a bit. These moments allowed the apprentice to continue moving towards the edge.
But the battlefield was large, and escaping it turned out to be unnecessary. The apprentice accumulated more hits first and the battle was over. The Walders, both Masters and apprentices were surprised, but no grudges were held.
“Welcome to the Order they said, almost as one.” The skepticism and derision that had been aimed at the prospective member was replaced with respect.
One Master remarked, “It was like he knew what they were going to do before they did. Truly great timing.”
“Yes,” said another “amazing anticipation.”
“Now your true training begins….Walder” said the master, smiling at his apprentice. “But you knew that already. Just as you know why I picked you to be my apprentice.”
“Yes. The visions”
The Master smiled again. “The visions.”