As a heavily military nation, Granea puts great emphasis on martial arts and combat practice. Although most citizens choose to use their skills for recreation and other small necessities, these are the methods known and used on Granea.
Physical/Melee[]
Kumfergor[]
Also known as Granean hand-to-hand, it is a combination of wrestling combined with close range kicks, blows, and blocks. It relies on the use of momentum and pivots in order to use the opponent's actions against himself. The most notable moves to outside spectators are called Phoenix Falls. A fighter would grab or pin his opponent in a phoenix fall and send both slamming into the ground. While the opponent lies in pain, the fighter rolls to his feet straight out of the fall, unharmed like a phoenix rising from the ashes. It is a combat practice that requires quick wits and agile limbs.
Podapo[]
Podapo another unarmed art, named for the constant shiftng of a practitioner's feet. When someone practices Podapo steps, It makes the sound po-da-po-da-po-da. The fighter remains in constant motion and attacks mostly with jabs at medium melee range. Agility is the key factor of Podapo. The exchanges are not evenly spaced but exist in bursts of great speed and power, the rest filled with steps taken by bouncing on the balls of one's feet. Iconic attacks include lightning-fast double roundhouse kicks, lowered-body elbow slams, leg sweeps, and close-ranged full-length punches.
Shraikstern[]
A dagger and a cutlass or other shortsword is used in Shraikstern. This was made popular by costal pirates who settled down after tiring of criminal life. Unable to find a profession immediately, they took to dueling to entertain crowds at markets. This deck-dueling spectable was so widely popular, common soldiers adopted the style. The drawback to this style is the short lengths of the blades, easily forcing fighters to stay within hilt-locking distance of each other. The stronger man has the upper hand in an engagement but the faster man has the upper hand in a disengagement. Guerilla fighters of the 10-Year War made great use of Shraikstern by combining it with Kumfergor's fluid basis, allowing them to become deadly assassins in the otherwise encumbering jungles. Shraiksten refers to a matching set of dagger and shortsword used for Shraikstern.
Hilfengard[]
The art of the shield, this is a highly defensive but explosively offensive combat style where the main weapon is a shield as high as one's shoulder. The edges and corners are sharp but not sharpened. A Hilfengard user wields his heavy, two-handed shield with seeming ease to crush front line soldiers with the weight, often breaking bones at the right angles. Hilfengard consists of alternating attack and defense phases. As long as the shield is blocking oncoming attacks, only heavy artillery can bypass the shield and harm its user, making Hilfengard users the terror of the front line.
Montspur[]
Montspur is most popularly used by cavalry due to its long reach and ease of precision. Monstspur is a staff weapon with a crescent, hook-like blade, sharpened on both sides. It is effective against other riders due to that shape, often used to pull enemies straight off their horses. Montspur cavalry have also been called Mounted Butchers because of how quickly and effectively they can kill foot soldiers by "hooking" off their heads. More fluid and precise moves can be used when unmounted with a Montspur and new engagements are being developed every year by masters of the weapons.
Thaktern[]
Thaktern refers to the art of using thakten. The sword is long and flexible, used in fast, spinning motions to cut nearby enemies to ribbons. These whipswords can be as long as six feet and are stored coiled up. The hiltguards are large and round to protect the hand on the hilt. A short blade is often built onto the pommel.
Urskatern/Sriskatern[]
Urskatern and Sriskatern involve a chain weapon (urskaten/sriskaten) with two weightened ends. The practitioner holds swings the ends of the chain in circles and pattern, causing the weapons weighing the ends to rend his enemies. Urskatern specifically appies to swung torches called urskatens. The weights at the ends are flame-resistant cages. A ball of dried cow dung wrapped in oiled rags is placed inside and lit. The heated cages and the persistent flames do cause damage but instill greater fear than actual bloodshed. Sriskatern refers to any swung weapon whose weights are blades or maces of any shape, collectively called sriskaten. A skilled swung-weapon user can switch easily between attacking and defending with this highly versatile weapon.
Other Melee Weapons[]
- Shortsword/dirk
- Scimitar
- Thrown knives
- Sickles
- Jungle Machete
- Mace
- Spears
Ranged Combat[]
Ranged combat is usually for military use. Recreationally, it only takes the form of archery contests. The best archers join the land army while the best artillerymen are employed navally. The ranged weapons most commonly seen in Granea are as follows:
- Strung archery and fire-archery
- Iron artillery/cannons
- Stone artillery/catapaults
- Crossbow (separate from strung archery)
- Darts and blowdarts
- Launched explosives
Magecraft[]
Book Mages come in a combination of three flavors: Scribe, Reader and Translator. A mage is typically gifted with only one or two of these attributes, just enough to do some small tricks. As most of Granea's population can work paper magic in some way, shape or form, this skill is not used for combat outside of wartime except by warmages of the military. The duration, strength, and quality of a spell is dependent on a book mage's willpower, focus, and innate talent.
Although any surface will do, mages who use spells often will store them in books preforated to tear. When a spell is used, the page is consumed and cannot be used again. Spells that last longer use longer-lasting materials as a canvas, such as stone or wood. The technique remains "Book Magecraft" because earliest popularized origination was by librarians.
Scribe[]
Examples of folded paper spells
example of graphically created spells
Example of blown-ink spell page.
example of written mage text
Scribes are better at creating pages than using pages. They will create spells and imbue them in books with their writing and willpower. The type of paper, ink, and the script/images inscribed depends on their own magical style, which reveals itself to them in their subconsciouses and intuitions. Scribes can draw, write, fold, paint... do whatever they might like with a sheet of paper. As long as their sentiments are imbued a translator will be able to read it. Roughly half of the gifted population have the ability to Scribe.
Inked pages have more burst power than uninked pages because they are consumed quickly. Folded pages are used usually to animate the figure that is folded from the paper. In some instances, it is also used to help locate certain objects or to see a wide area. They are not consumed quickly and can last from minutes to days depending on the paper used and the talent of the Scribe.
Translator[]
Translators can read the sentiments imbued by scribes in their spells, even the ones not revealed in their signs. In combat, Scribes will choose to use quick methods of making spells on the fly, such as dripping or blowing ink. They are usually partnered with a good Translator-Reader to enact the spell while the Scribe creates new spells to be consumed. Although almost 80% of the gifted population have some amount of Translator talent, very few people have all of their talent concentrated in translation. Such people become successful as historians, investigators for magical crimes and federal librarians.
Reader[]
Readers execute spells using a variety of methods. Most only need to will it to happen and the spell will enact itself. Some will execute a spell by burning it. Others will do so by ripping it. The quality of a spell's casting and its duration is most dependent on the Reader. A Reader with a combination of great concentration, willpower and innate talent can surpass the limitations of a poorly-written page and improve it as well as make the most of it. About 50% of the gifted population have talent in Reading.